Topic: Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

The Getaway (1972)

Overview:
Sam Peckinpah's violent thriller featuring Steve McQueen as ex-convict Doc McCoy, who is sprung from jail by his wife Carol (Ali McGraw). Together they plan the greatest robbery ever. After the meticulously planned heist goes awry, the two make their getaway towards Mexico in a series of chases and shootouts.

My Thoughts:
Pros:
- Steve McQueen owns the screen. Easily the best of the cast.
- It's hard hitting and never tries to be sympathetic to itself.
- Although the story is quite linear, the style makes it feels a little more substantial.
Cons:
- Ali McGraw puts in a poor showing.
Overall:
Far from Peckinpah's best but still recommended viewing. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Ghost Town (2010)

This got a bit of a hard rap on release but I really enjoyed it and thought Ricky Gervais and Tea Leoni complimented each other well. There are several laugh out loud moments and the story, although unoriginal, is well done. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Longest Yard (1974)

About ten years ago, Mean Machine came out in the UK with Vinnie Jones and with that I learnt of this movie, which despite a brain numbingly dull sport (rugby with girly padding), made for a fun prisoners vs guards scenario and Burt Reynolds really shone. Recommended. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Messengers (2007)

The Pang Brothers first Hollywood movie and they did bring some great stuff from their Eastern horrors such as the long atmospheric silences and long moments of tension, not relying on loud noises or quick movements. Kristen Stewart is the highlight of an average cast though I still recommend it. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Four Brothers (2005)

One of the better Hollywood revenge movies of recent years, this one suprised me with just how brutal and well paced it was. If you;re a fan of this type of thing, you could do far worse though I did feel Garrett Hedlund to be miscast. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Catfish (2010)

This is what happens when you allow yourself to be drawn into social networking sites if you don't know people or have mutual friends. This is quite a scary documentary if you think about it, even if the woman just seemed to be a bit sad rather than a completely mental stalker. Lies produce more lies. Recommended. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Spider-Man (2002)

IMO slightly better than the more recent Garfield/Stone movie, there is a lot to love here. Some great action, some good comic moments, a well put together cast and Kirsten Dunst in a wet t-shirt. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Drive Angry (2011)

Overview:
A tongue-in-cheek and hugely enjoyable action blast, full of smoking-hot cars and drop-dead gorgeous women, with Nicolas Cage on top form.
Milton (Cage) is a hardened--albeit dead--criminal who has so far spent his afterlife in hell. Enraged by the murder of his daughter and the imminent sacrifice of his baby granddaughter by a brutal religious cult, Milton breaks out to stop the real evil-doers before they fully unleash hell on Earth.
Aided by a seriously hot and sassy waitress Piper (Amber Heard, All The Boys Love Mandy Lane) and driving a cherry red muscle car which Piper liberates from her meat-head ex, Milton is blazing a trail in pursuit of the brutal cult leader. But Milton’s being hounded too – not only by the police but by an enigmatic character known only as The Accountant (a scene-stealing William Fichtner from Entourage and Prison Break), who has been sent by the Devil to bring Milton back to hell.
Milton is mad, bad and hell-bent on achieving his goal. He’s breaking all the rules, but what are they gonna do – not let him back in?

My Thoughts:
Pros:
- Completely over the top action sequences that were a lot of fun. The motel shoot-out was very good.
- Amber Heard was made for this role. Sassy, take-no-crap attitude is perfect. She's good to look at also.
- William Fichtner is great as The Accountant and Billy Burke is also good as the cult leader.
- The film wasn't afraid to be a little unconvential in its direction for a studio film. It's firmly tongue in cheek whilst not becoming a parody of itself.
Cons:
- Although Nicolas Cage isn't terrible here, he is the weak link. One facial expression and quite monotonous line delivery, whilst applicable for some scenes, isn't necessary all the way through.
- The supernatural aspect gets silly and sometimes even lost among all the action.
- The dialogue isn't quite up to the standard you would hope. There are some good segments, but it mainly falls to the wayside.
Overall:
Rent it. 3/5

Rewatched this movie in 3D and although my opinion is the same, the 3D definately added. Depth was great throughout and there were a couple of nice little pop-outs. Worth the upgrade if you are 3D compatible.

[samuelrichardscott]

Piranha (2010)

A film I've enjoyed several times, Piranha was a nice little surprise on release. Some great gore, some very funny one-liners and just a lot of fun overall. The post-converted 3D isn't great but it does have a few good moments of depth. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Piranha 3DD (2012)

This one got slaughtered in reviews and although it has gone the far more formulaic route and for more easy scares/laughs than 2010's effort, I still thought it was an entertaining waste of 80 minutes. The 3D is native and although not used to full effect there are some good moments, such as the piranha spitting the key right out of the screen. Rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

A Lesson with John (2012)

This short film was included on the Piranha 3DD disc and was originally made for the website Funny or Die. I would hope that it died. 1.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

ParaNorman (2012)

The stop-motion animation is absolutely brilliant here and quite possibly the best I've seen. The story was fun and there was a bit more horror in this than I had expected considering the target audience. Some good laughs for adults and kids alike and a great voice cast coupled with the fun story means I have to recommend this one. The 3D was also well done and went mainly for depth. 4/5

[DSig]

Spider-Man (2002)

IMO slightly better than the more recent Garfield/Stone movie, there is a lot to love here. Some great action, some good comic moments, a well put together cast and Kirsten Dunst in a wet t-shirt. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

Again, I have to agree   I do enjoy the first Spiderman over the reboot. 

I don't really understand all the 'reboots' except that it is another way to get money.  I don't really remember any that really brought anything *better* in the way of story/story telling.

[samuelrichardscott]

The House Bunny (2008)

Predictable average comedy with a better than expected cast including Emma Stone, Kat Dennings and Colin Hanks. Rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Camp Nowhere (1994)

A film I loved as a kid, I can't help but get some nostalgic enjoyment every time I watch it. It's far from a great movie, but there is enough here to keep you entertained for 90 minutes and there are several interesting cast members including the always great Christopher Lloyd and an early role for Jessica Alba. This blu-ray from Mill Creek is a little lacklustre though. Case is wrong as it actually has DTS-HD MA audio rather than DD which is a good point, but the PQ is so variable it becomes annoying. It is still a worthy upgrade from the old R1 DVD though. Rent it. 3/5