Quotable
“Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.” - V, V for Vendetta (2005)Search for a Film
-
Recent Posts
Film By Genre/Year
CinemArchives
Battle Royale (2000)
DIRECTED BY: Kinji Fukasaku
VIOLENCE & GORE: 10/10
V for Vendetta (2005)
DIRECTED BY: James McTeigue
STARRING: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith
RATED: R
OPINION STARS: 4 out of 5
THIS FILM IS: Thoughtful, Intense, Dark
DESCRIPTION: A masked vigilante (Weaving) calling himself “V” takes up arms against the Big Brother government of futuristic Britain. After rescuing a young girl (Portman) from the clutches of the secret police, V finds in her a close friend and an unlikely ally in his efforts to rouse the citizens from apathy.
VIOLENCE & GORE: 9/10
FRIGHTENING CONTENT: 7/10
FOUL LANGUAGE: 8/10
MATURE THEMES: 7/10
SEXUALITY & NUDITY: 4/10
NOTE: One of the slickest, most intellectually-provocative dystopian fantasies I’ve ever encountered. Style is here is spades, but so is substance – and though I cannot get behind all of the film’s political/philosophical messages, I can appreciate its rousing reminder of the power of ideas, the perils of big government, and the difference one determined individual can make in a society marked by apathy and intellectual sloth. The script is refreshingly literate, the set pieces are gorgeously gritty, and the lead performances are phenomenal. Hugo Weaving – who has got to be one of the most underrated actors in the history of Hollywood – steals scene after scene as the titular freedom fighter; and this, despite the fact that we never actually see his face. The man should’ve won an Oscar.
IFFY FOR AGE 16
“Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.”
Posted in 2000s, Action & Adventure, Drama
Tagged britain, dystopian, hugo weaving, james mcteigue, john hurt, natalie portman, stephen fry, stephen rea, tim piggot-smith, v for vendetta
1 Comment
The Losers (2010)
DIRECTED BY: Sylvain White
STARRING: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Jason Patric
RATED: PG-13
OPINION STARS: 3.5 out of 5
THIS FILM IS: Funny, Fast-paced, Exciting
DESCRIPTION: After finding out that their handler (Patric) has betrayed them, a group of elite operatives make it their next mission to bring him down… preferably with a bullet.
VIOLENCE & GORE: 6/10
FRIGHTENING CONTENT: 4/10
FOUL LANGUAGE: 7/10
MATURE THEMES: 4/10
SEXUALITY & NUDITY: 5/10
NOTE: It isn’t RED, but as far as action comedies go, The Losers is pretty darn entertaining. It’s a B-movie that has lots of fun not trying to be anything else, and it’s helped along by a stellar cast, a smart and frequently goofy script, and plenty of well-staged, bullet-riddled chaos. It’s not something I’d go out of my way to see again, but it was a heckuva ride the first time around.
IFFY FOR AGE 15
“It’s like giving a handgun to a six-year-old, Wade – you don’t know how it’s gonna end, but you’re pretty sure it’s gonna make the papers.”
Posted in 2010s, Action & Adventure, Comedy
Tagged chris evans, CIA, columbus short, idris elba, jason patric, jeffrey dean morgan, sylvain white, the losers, zoe saldana
Leave a comment
Pacific Rim (2013)
DIRECTED BY: Guillermo del Toro
STARRING: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman
RATED: PG-13
OPINION STARS: 2 out of 5
THIS FILM IS: Blasé, Underwhelming, Slow
DESCRIPTION: When gargantuan alien creatures – known as Kaiju – rise from the seas to threaten life on Earth, mankind responds the Jaeger Program: massive robots controlled by two pilots whose minds are linked in a neural bridge.
VIOLENCE & GORE: 6/10
FRIGHTENING CONTENT: 5/10
FOUL LANGUAGE: 6/10
MATURE THEMES: 5/10
SEXUALITY & NUDITY: 1/10
NOTE: The eighth wonder of the world is that this film was directed by the same guy who made Pan’s Labyrinth. No joke. Pacific Rim has it all: a story so solid you can count its ribs; a script so smart your ears will shrivel up and fall off your head; a cast so skilled as to be outacted by CGI monsters and robo-boxing; heroes so fearsomely intelligent they forget their Jaeger has a freaking sword (until the last possible moment, of course). Henceforth, this colossal Kaiju turd shall be known as “The Movie That Set Out to Kick Some Butt and Kicked the Bucket Instead.”
NOT RECOMMENDED
“Haven’t you heard? It’s the end of the world. Where would you rather die? Here, or in a Jaeger?”
Posted in 2010s, Action & Adventure, Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Tagged aliens, burn gorman, charlie day, charlie hunnam, guillermo del toro, idris elba, jaeger, kaiju, pacific rim, rinko kikuchi, robots, ron perlman
4 Comments