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SOURCE CODE, a review by VirtualScot

SOURCE CODE



Back to form for Sci-Fi?

Duncan Jones is back with his second feature length film, after his critically acclaimed debut, low budget British Sci-Fi Moon. Staring Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens with Michelle Monaghan as Christina Warren, Vera Farmiga as Colleen Goodwin, and a small part from Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Rutledge. Colter (Gyllenhaal) is tasked to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train by entering the mind of a passenger 8 minutes before the bomb detonates through a new technology called the source code.

In the hands of any other director it is clear that Source Code would have been another generic Sci-Fi, with a good concept but lacking in depth. However Duncan Jones saves us from this. Turning Source Code into something modern, moving and simply beautiful. There are a few plot holes here and there, but your cynicism soon melts away at the sheer depth of emotion. And the perfectly timed thought provoking questions that arise as the film progresses.

Questioning the nature of our reality, exploitation and valuing the time we have are a few of themes that come up in this film. It's hard to go into detail without ruining ones experience of this film. To sum it up i was compelled to almost lift myself out my seat as the credits rolled, and burst into rapturous applause.

Duncan Jones has now well and truly put himself on the map as one of the best directors working today. You owe it to yourself to see this film at least once.









(From Watch, Absorb and Deconstruct: A Saga of Film Watching by Virtual Scot on April 2nd, 2011)

The Other Guys , a review by Dragonfire

The Other Guys

I've liked some of Will Ferrell's movies, though I do think he goes a bit overboard and wild at times.  I was interested in seeing The Other Guys after I first saw the previews. 

In New York City, there are two high profile, somewhat famous cops, who are known for going to any lengths to make an arrest.  The press and public idolize them, as does detective Allen.  He is content to do paperwork at his desk.  His partner, Terry, is anxious to work on a big case and is frequently annoyed by Allen.  When the opportunity arrives for Allen and Terry to work a big case, things don't go well.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed the movie and I'm thinking I'll be adding it to my movie collection once it is released.  The plot is interesting and entertaining.  Many elements have been done before - cops who don't get along well working together on a big case - but there are also a few elements that are more original.  There is a bit of predictability to what happens even with the few surprises.  With one thing that happened, I was really shocked.  That thing is really funny too.  There is a lot of humor to the movie and most of it works really well.  Some of what is done to add humor is a bit silly, but that works with what is going on.  Allen and Terry both say and do funny things, though Allen is a bit more subdued than Terry.  There are a few gross jokes and a few suggestive jokes.  The movie ends up with a decent amount of action for a comedy.  There are chases and fights and several explosions.  The action scenes are done well and balanced well with the comedy.  The violence isn't too extreme, though it might bother some people. 

Relationships do turn up without receiving a lot of attention or distracting from the main plot.  Allen is married, though his relationship with his wife is a bit different.  Terry has issues with a former girlfriend that he is still interested in.  The characters really aren't developed that much, though Terry and Allen end up being really entertaining.  Will Ferrell is more restrained overall.  Mark Wahlberg does really well with his part and with comedy.  Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson are in a few scenes as the two celebrity cops.  They were really outrageous, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of them.  Michael Keaton does well as Terry and Allen's Captain who has a second job at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

I really enjoyed this movie and think it is one of the funnier movies I've seen in a while.  It is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of the cast.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

The Other Guys


(From The Other Guys on September 3rd, 2010)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

The Cosby Show

Pilot Presentation - Theo's Economic Lesson



The Cosby Show pilot episode uses the same title sequence as the rest of the first season, and is widely regarded as the 'first episode'. However, it is notable for a number of differences from the remainder of the series.
In the pilot, the Huxtables have only four children. Following the pilot, the Huxtables have five children, with the addition of their eldest daughter, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf). The character was created when Bill Cosby wanted the show to express the accomplishment of successfully raising a child (e.g., a college graduate). Whitney Houston was considered for the role of Sondra Huxtable. Sabrina LeBeauf almost missed out on the role because she is only 10 years younger (b. 1958) than Phylicia Rashād (b. 1948), who played her mother.
Bill Cosby's character is called "Clifford" in the early episodes of the first season (as evidenced by his name plate on the exterior of the Huxtable home). His name was later switched to "Heathcliff". Additionally, Vanessa refers to Theo as "Teddy" twice in the dining room scene.

Clair is furious when Theo brings home a report card with 4 D's. He tells Cliff that he has no intention of going to college, as he feels that he is destined to be a "regular person." Cliff uses Monopoly money to teach him about the economic realities that many blue-collar workers must face. He assures Theo that he only wants him to try his best. Cliff is alarmed to meet Denise's latest beau, a former merchant marine who once spent time in a Turkish prison

Not a lot one can say about a tv series we no doubt would all of caught at some point. The pilot was a good introduction to the original family and the brand of humour one can expect throughout its long run. Probably a lot more suited and popular in the States than the UK, it still had a fairly long run here and was repeated a multitude of times.
It is one of those friendly sitcoms you can pick up at any point, there is no longer term complicated plot, and it is easy viewing.
Interesting tp note the points above, with a few changes by its 2nd episode, most notably a name change for the lead and another child appearing!
 


(From My PILOT Marathon on September 1st, 2009)