Batman And Robin (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime Terrible, terrible tripe. The last of the original run of "Batman" movies, "Batman And Robin" takes a huge leap backwards and returns the series to its cornball tendencies established with the 60s cartoon show. Everything is overly gaudy, from the set design to the costumes to the acting, and the story is too unbelievable to be entertaining. Skip this garbage and watch "Batman Begins" instead.
Broken Sword (product link) Martial Arts / Comedy Terrible all around: a worthless plot, pitiful "swordplay", unlikable characters, worthless special effects...add these to the almost 2 hour run time and you have one hell of a snoozer.
Batman Forever (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime The beginning of the end for the original run of "Batman" movies, "Batman Forever" started the slide back into the cheesy antics of the 60s TV show. Val Kilmer is entirely unconvincing as Bruce Wayne, and everything is overly gaudy and cliche. If you have to have classic "Batman", watch the first two; if you want stellar "Batman", watch "Batman Begins".
The Incredible Hulk (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller Wow, what stinker. Mismatched casting, uninspired acting, sloppy CG work, and above all, a highly mediocre and predictable plot. I almost like the Ang Lee "Hulk" better, and that's really saying something. Marvel should be ashamed.
Rec (product link) Horror / Thriller This movie really didn't do anything for me. The scares are predictable, the gore isn't realistic, and the acting is too over-the-top hysterical to be convincing. I guess a Blair Zombie movie had to be made eventually, but this is just disappointing.
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While I really enjoyed the film, I can totally see how many people would not. Maybe worth revisiting a few years down the line...
Batman (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime Wow, has this film aged terribly. Purely a product of late 80s cheese, Tim Burton's "Batman" pales in comparison with Christopher Nolan's more recent efforts. Michael Keaton is entirely unconvincing as the Dark Knight, and Jack Nicholson's Joker seems comically overacted next to Heath Ledger's more menacing performance. The special effects have hardly held up and the Prince music is simply too much to bear. Still, the symphonic score by Danny Elfman is fantastic, and the few fights of the film are well done. This one's purely for nostalgia; if you want a real "Batman" movie, see "Batman Begins".
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Jack nailed Joker perfectly. Heath Ledger is overrated!
Battle Royale (product link) Horror / Thriller This movie was...interesting, to say the least. It seems to be a movie of stylistic extremes. For every well-executed gunshot/crossbow hit, etc., there's a terrible blood-knife swipe. Every harrowing, tension-soaked kill scene is immediately followed by a sappy but-I-loved-you-all-along dramafest. While the premise of the Battle Royale tournament is intriguing, the story around it seems tacked on and convoluted. The ending was also highly anticlimactic and really killed the movie for me. Worth a rental for the gore and tension, but you won't be watching it again.
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I may of watched this movie more times than any other in history and still enjoy it especially when i'm drunk.
It may be that this film hasn't aged well for certain viewers. But when it came out it was totally revolutionary, and for me that's what it remains. Bummer you didn't enjoy it more. :(
After all of the positive hype surrounding both the theatrical and home video releases of "Iron Man", I had some high if slightly cautions expectations. I should have gone with my gut: this one's a stinker. I can take a somewhat outlandish movie plot, and especially if it's a comic adaptation, but COME ON. Not to spoil anything, but the "villains" in this movie alternate between mouth-breathing dimwits and maniacal supergeniuses depending on what the plot requires, and it really stands out as poorly executed. Hell, you don't even get to see Stark suited up properly until the last half hour of the two hour plus runtime! Countless corporate namedrops and audience panders further degrade the experience. While almost the entire cast seemed to be phoning it in, Robert Downey's performance is easily worth a star. I'll also admit that the CG was well done, and some of the suit devices were cool to watch. Still, those moments are few and far between; tread lightly.
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After hearing all the positive things said about this film, I had high hopes but was totally disappointed.
I totally see where you're coming from on this one, but I still thought it was a fun stupid way to spend some time. I never need to see it again, but I definitely didn't think it was as horrible as you.
My Name Ain't Suzie (product link) Drama Didn't really know what to think about this one. The drama's good in spots, but the film as a whole is all over the place and ends with little resolution. Anthony Wong's performance is easily worth a star, however.
Fatal Contact (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Wow, what a letdown. For a movie titled "Fatal Contact" (and featuring a grimacing Wu Jing in battle pose on the Dragon Dynasty version), there sure was a lot of melodramatic, confusing bullcrap. I got the gist of the story but it's completely uninteresting and bland. Wu Jing is a great martial artist and the few fight scenes can attest to that; however, during dramatic scenes all he can seem to do is bob around and smile. If you have to watch this movie, just skip ahead to the fight scenes. You won't miss a thing.
Batman Returns (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime While this film has aged quite a bit better than Tim Burton's original "Batman" film, it still pales in comparison to the more recent Christopher Nolan efforts. The needlessly complex plot seems to exist solely to justify the movie's 2+ hour length, following three distinct Batman villains trying to destroy Gotham in three different ways. This leaves little room for Batman himself, who is onscreen and in costume for a tiny portion of the film with absolutely no character development. This is a shame, as Michael Keaton did a much better job as Batman/Bruce Wayne this time around.
Each of the actors does a fantastic job considering the material they'd been given, which consists of the same cornball one-liners and prop gags that plagued the first film. It's all style and little substance, and looks all the more ridiculous next to the reboot films.
Bulletproof Monk (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts A decent movie, but only for the involvement of Chow Yun-Fat. A lackluster story with a weak villain coupled with terrible fight scene editing/wirefu/CG, but somewhat enjoyable nonetheless. Give it a rental and then leave it alone.
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a passable movie. Chow yun Fat what happened to you ?
Margaret Cho: Revolution (product link) Comedy Eh, this was alright. "Revolution" was my first experience of Cho's stand-up, so I viewed this with a clean slate. Although she has some genuinely funny bits and is absolutely stellar with her body language/faces/impressions/etc., she tends to get "stuck" in the same bit for too long. Her vague political jabs were poorly delivered and took away from the much-more-entertaining personal/family bits (Asian Chicken Salad is a highlight). A decent way to spend an hour-and-a-half but don't expect to have your mind blown.
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This was the beginning of the end for Cho. Check out "I'm The One That I Want" and "Notorious", and avoid anything later. This once great comedienne is definitely now very much "stuck" in a repetitive doldrums as you say.
Wet Hot Sake (product link) Drama / Erotica What a strange movie. The tone is a lot more subdued than I expected, but it works well with the actors/story. The warm sake making method was a little weird for me, especially when there's a father-daughter relationship involved. Despite that, the actors do a great job and the film is paced well (although a little short). Worth a quick viewing if you're in the mood.
Speed Racer [2008] (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy While quite faithful to the original series, "Speed Racer" [2008] falls somewhat flat due to some hokey CG shots (sloppily done, not the stylistic choices which I liked), audience pandering, and terrible "comedy" moments from Speed's little brother and monkey. Worth a look for classic SR fans, a rental for everyone else.
Laser Mission (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts One star for camp, two stars for Brandon's performance. Worth a look for so-bad-it's-good fans.
The Octagon (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Pure early 80s cheese, but hilarious all the same. Chuck's "inner monologue" voice is worth the asking price-ice-ice-ice...and the fight scenes are alright. A must for so-bad-it's-good and Chuck Norris fans, a decent rental for everyone else.
Sixty Million Dollar Man (product link) Comedy / Romance This movie can be a little too goofy for its own good, but the slapstick is tops as usual. Although the plot is all over the place, it's basically a Stephen Chow version of "The Mask" with cartoony CG effects, slapstick situations, and a decent zero-to-hero story. The movie heavily references the Hollywood blockbusters of the time (circa 1995) and is generally done well. A decent comedy flick if you're in the mood.
Police Story 4: First Strike (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts This movie has some great fight scenes, but the meandering plot and weak cast really take a toll on the enjoyment factor. Watch the uncut version if you can. Great for Jackie fans, a rent for everyone else.
The Accidental Spy (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Decent action marred by crappy acting and an outlandish plot. I'm also not a fan of the blatant product placement. Worth it for Chan fans, a rental for everyone else.
Spirit Of Jeet Kune Do: Once Upon A Time In High School (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Wow, did I misjudge this one. What I thought would be a fun schoolyard homage to the Dragon himself ended up being a coming-of-age story peppered with brutal bullying and pointless puppylove melodrama. So, in other words, it captured the spirit of high school pretty well. Still, the film loses its way after one of the main characters leaves, and it never really gets back on track. Definitely worth a watch, but not a must-see by any means.
The Orphanage (product link) Ghost / Thriller Well crafted/acted, but the narrative fell a little flat around the halfway mark. Recommended for horror fans.
Once Upon A Time In China 3 (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts By far the weakest of the first three OUATICs. While the fight scenes are as top-notch as ever, the villains are unimpressive and the story is flat. Only worth seeing if you want to complete the original trilogy.
Return Of The Street Fighter (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Worth watching for the great fight scenes, but overall more of the same with less of the charm. Watch it once and be done with it.
Shanghai Knights (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Another decent popcorn flick with Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan. Thankfully this movie doesn't take as many racial cheapshots as the first, and the story is much better realized. Great action as always, and I loved the fight with Jackie and Donnie Yen. Recommended for Jackie Chan fans.
Shanghai Noon (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts A decent popcorn flick. The racial humor gets a little grating (especially the cheap shots at Jews and Native Americans), as does Owen Wilson, but Jackie is great as always and the movie as a whole entertains. Recommended for Jackie Chan fans.
300 (product link) Action/Adventure / War Cheesy but stylish and highly entertaining. In short, the perfect comic book movie. Everyone should see it at least once.
Gulliver's Travels [1939] (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure A great cartoon version of the classic tale that holds up relatively well today. For animation fans this is a must-see. For everyone else it's a decent time-killer.
Infernal Affairs 3: The Ultimate Showdown (product link) Drama / Crime Another great IA film with some confusing editing. The parallel timelines threw me off at first, but as the movie progresses it becomes much easier to follow. All of your favorites are back, and the new characters compliment the overall story nicely. This would be an easy 5 stars for me if not for the timeline wackiness at the beginning. See it now!
Crime Story (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime A little slow in the beginning, but once this picks up, HANG ON! A nice break from Jackie's more comical action roles. Kent Cheng also does a phenomenal job as the main villain. A must-see for Jackie fans, a great two hours for everyone else!
B.T.S. (Better Than Sex) (product link) Comedy A little hard to follow in the beginning, but everything wraps up nicely in the end. The humor and pacing are great. Highly recommended!
Steamboy [LE Collector's Tin] (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure Beautifully animated and well told, this is a must-see, even if some of the plot points are entirely predictable.
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