Summary: A bitter and aging teacher uses her knowledge of a fellow teacher's affair with a student to blackmail and manipulate the woman.
Things I Liked: The powerful performances and quietly effective direction. The impressive manner in which the filmmakers and actors build and maintain dramatic tension throughout the story.
Things I Didn't Like: The film's score, while well-done, occasionally feels intrusive.
Three Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Monday, December 31, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) Directed by Gore Verbinski
Summary: In this, the third installment of the popular action-adventure franchise, the film's hero and heroine seek to enlist the aid of the other notorious pirate lords in order to A). locate and rescue their lost companion and B). organize a resistance against the formidable British-run East India Trading Company.
Things I Liked: The first-rate visual and creature effects. The makeup and many of the costumes. The high production value and use of existing locations.
Things I Didn't Like: The overwrought and unnecessarily complex storyline. The sound. Unlike CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, the focus of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END appears to lie with it's enormous set pieces and lengthy, larger-than-life action sequences rather than with an interesting storyline and characters.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The first-rate visual and creature effects. The makeup and many of the costumes. The high production value and use of existing locations.
Things I Didn't Like: The overwrought and unnecessarily complex storyline. The sound. Unlike CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, the focus of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END appears to lie with it's enormous set pieces and lengthy, larger-than-life action sequences rather than with an interesting storyline and characters.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Monday, December 17, 2007
The Monster Squad (1987) Directed by Fred Dekker
Summary: When a host of classic monsters (including Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man and the Mummy), descend upon a small town in order to lay claim to a magical amulet, it's up to a club of horror-loving kids to stop them.
Things I Liked: The make up and creature effects. The opening of the film provides an atmospherically decent - and occasionally witty - set up.
Things I Didn't Like: The direction, acting and dialogue. Unlike other family-sized creature features, the characters and humor of THE MONSTER SQUAD lack the charm necessary to compensate for the devolving storyline.
Two Stars Out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The make up and creature effects. The opening of the film provides an atmospherically decent - and occasionally witty - set up.
Things I Didn't Like: The direction, acting and dialogue. Unlike other family-sized creature features, the characters and humor of THE MONSTER SQUAD lack the charm necessary to compensate for the devolving storyline.
Two Stars Out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Golden Compass (2007) Directed by Chris Weitz
Summary: A young girl and her shape-shifting animal companion - both of whom live in a universe parallel to our own - find themselves whisked away into an adventure containing abducted children, witches, warrior bears and prophecies.
Things I Liked: The visual effects (much of the animation is excellent). The casting and acting, particularly that of the leads, is quite good. The film is well directed and for the most part, the plot moves along quickly and clearly.
Things I Didn't Like: The architectural design of many of the buildings in the movie seemed (to me) to be wholly unoriginal. Some of the longer running battle and/or spectacle-laden scenes could stand to be trimmed. Also cringeworthy (yet probably unavoidable): vital exposition delivered via character dialogue increases exponentially as the film progresses.
Three and One Half Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The visual effects (much of the animation is excellent). The casting and acting, particularly that of the leads, is quite good. The film is well directed and for the most part, the plot moves along quickly and clearly.
Things I Didn't Like: The architectural design of many of the buildings in the movie seemed (to me) to be wholly unoriginal. Some of the longer running battle and/or spectacle-laden scenes could stand to be trimmed. Also cringeworthy (yet probably unavoidable): vital exposition delivered via character dialogue increases exponentially as the film progresses.
Three and One Half Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Beowulf (2007), Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Summary: In this 3-D digital retelling of the epic poem, the larger-than-life hero battles against demons, monsters . . . and temptation . . .
Things I Liked: The intensity of the action sequences. Much of the modeling and rendering visible in the close ups is breathtaking. In some of the B-scenes, the voice talent is so powerful that it manages to "plus" the animation. The story and plot of BEOWULF offer an interesting and original twist on the classic saga.
Things I Didn't Like: The creature, character and costume design. The animation and rigging in the longer shots - particularly with regard to the way subtle human actions are handled. There has been much praise regarding the environments and backgrounds but nothing stood out (to me) as particularly groundbreaking.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The intensity of the action sequences. Much of the modeling and rendering visible in the close ups is breathtaking. In some of the B-scenes, the voice talent is so powerful that it manages to "plus" the animation. The story and plot of BEOWULF offer an interesting and original twist on the classic saga.
Things I Didn't Like: The creature, character and costume design. The animation and rigging in the longer shots - particularly with regard to the way subtle human actions are handled. There has been much praise regarding the environments and backgrounds but nothing stood out (to me) as particularly groundbreaking.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
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