Did It Suck Movie Reviews

Archive for the ‘Thriller’ Category

Review:     5 Stars     Rated:     PG

It’s only a dream if you wake up from it

Plot: Inception is a 2010 American science fiction action film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, and Cillian Murphy.  The film, essentially a caper movie, centers on Dom Cobb, a thief who enters the dreams of others to obtain/steel information that is otherwise inaccessible. His abilities have cost him his family and his nationality.

Cobb finds himself desperately seeking a way home until he is finally giving the opportunity by a wealthy and powerful man known as Saito (Ken Watanabe).  Instead of steeling information Saito wants Cobb to plant a destructive idea that will cause his victim to tear his business empire down.

Did It Suck? Not since The Matrix movies (1 and 2) has a film satisfied my craving for a good Sci-Fi action thriller like Inception.  Christopher Nolan apparently spent ten years writing his screenplay for Inception and in my opinion, it really shows. By the end of the movie my brain was still buzzing trying to process  everything that I had finished watching.  The trailers do no justice  for this movie;  they plant an idea in your mind to tease you but leave no suggestion as to what it’s really about.  Amazingly, with how deep and complex this film is,  it was still somewhat easy to follow.  I’m also happy to say I can’t think of anything bad to say about this film which now leads me to the final sentence.  I will definitely see this movie again and it is Most Definitely Worth A Ticket.

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- Dan Kersey

Review:     4 Stars     Rated:     18-A

Could you survive the ultimate predator?

Plot: A group of humans find themselves parachuting into a jungle with no idea how they got there.  They quickly realise they all have one thing in common; they are soldiers of one kind or another.  They also quickly find out they are in a sort of game reserve, and they are the prey. The movie is directed by Nimród Antal, and starring Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo and Derek Mears.

Did It Suck? Predators is the third movie in the franchise, not counting the two Predator/Alien crossovers.  It isn’t really a sequel, having no direct continuation from the two original movies, but it does refer to the original Predator movie for background.  This is not an all out action movie, nor a Sci Fi, although it does combine aspects of both, and combines them well.  The characters were all very believable as soldiers, or mercenaries, with their distinct fighting styles and skills, and their overall ability to work together as a team, rather than alone, when needed.

I found the filmography very fluid and was impressed with how well the movie was directed and produced.  Even though it is not ‘edge of your seat’ stuff, and not fast paced throughout, I really felt connected with the characters as they found out what they were facing and I think a lot of that was due to the direction of the movie.

While it’s hard to beat Arnie in many cases, I think this is easily the best of the 3 Predator movies, and it was absolutely everything I wanted and hoped for in the movie when I first heard about it.  So often a movie fails to live up to its promise, but this one delivers.  This is absolutely Worth A Ticket.

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- Andy Hughes

Review:    4 Stars     Rated:     14-A

There’s a new kid on the block and she’s a little different then most kids we know because, Dren, is a scientific experiment.

Plot: Splice is a  science fiction horror film directed by Vincenzo Natali and starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, who portray two young scientists and lovers who begin involving human DNA in their splicing of animal genes.  These two genetic engineers Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) achieve fame by successfully splicing together the DNA of different animals, to create incredible new hybrid animals. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could revolutionize science and medicine. But when the pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it, Clive and Elsa secretly conduct their own experiments in the pursuit of even greater scientific discovery.

Did It Suck? This movie is extremely interesting, weird, and messed-up all at the same time.  The film is acted and directed quite well though there were a few parts that never fit together or not explained well.

- As a general rule I try not to pull movies apart looking for every flaw,  I look at each movie for it’s entertainment value.

The movie moves along well even though it is quite slow and far from suspenseful.  It does however have some jump moments and fright scenes but nothing too unexpected.  A very good movie to see and Worth a Ticket for those Sci-Fi and horror fans, but nothing will be missed seeing it on a smaller screen.  So … For everyone else, Wait for the DVD.

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- Dan Kersey

Review     2 Stars     Rated:     R

You can’t afford to die, but can you afford to live?  Ask yourself this before buying an artificial organ, because if you default on the payment the Repo Men will be coming for you.

Plot: Jude Law plays Remy, the best organ repo man in the business.  That is until an accident causes him to be fitted with an artificial heart and he realises it’s not the job for him anymore.  However, their motto of ‘a job is just a job’ comes back to haunt him when he falls behind on his payments and his former friends come looking for him.  If you’ve seen Logan’s Run you will likely recognise similarities in the plot.

Did It Suck? The movie is set in the near future, and while the ‘city’ effects were quite impressive they’ve all been done before, particularly in Blade Runner.  The characters spent a lot of time moving between high-tech offices in the city to run down slums and it just didn’t really mesh well.  The story was easy to follow and there was a good twist at the end (but no spoilers).  Due to the nature of the movie’s subject it is quite dark and foreboding, and much of the humour was the same.  There are some very gory parts but as with many gory movies they become darkly humorous because of it.

I didn’t feel that the acting was anything special, no one stood out, and everyone just seemed to be plodding along with little feeling for their characters.  This, combined with there being nothing else that really stands out in the movie, mean that while I did enjoy it I can only really suggest that you wait for it to come to TV, you certainly won’t miss anything on the big screen and I don’t really think it’s worth renting either, unless you especially want to see people getting cut open.  Final verdict … Don’t Bother.

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-Andy Hughes

Review:     3.5 Stars     Rated 14A

“Hide and go seek” and “Capture the flag” are good themes for this movie except that it’s one sided.  The seekers can’t find the hidden and the flag hunters can’t capture a flag that’s not there.  Green Zone is inspired by a non-fiction book written by  journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran.  Green Zone stars Matt Damon and is directed by Paul Greengrass, who has worked with Damon on two of the three Bourne series films.

Plot: Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) and his team of army inspectors are given missions to find weapons of mass destruction in the Iraqi desert.  Moving around from one site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but find nothing.  Roy Miller is questioning the accuracy and the source of the intelligence he has been receiving.  He is frustrated and is getting no where, his troops are placing themselves in constant danger, so Miller finds himself looking for answers elsewhere leading him to stumble upon a cover-up.

Did It Suck? The movie keeps moving along nicely and never really lets up.  It has some good intense moments and good action sequences.  The acting was ‘in your face’ and fluent, making it a “true to life” type movie.  The shaky cam affect in some sequences was done well and not overly done.  Over all this was a good war film but not the best.  The political side to the story was actually interesting and Damon was quite good playing his role.  For the most part I didn’t feel bad about paying full price to see it on the big screen, however, I’d Wait for the DVD.

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- Dan Kersey

Review:     3 Stars     Rated:     R

Therapy and medication is not going to help these folks get better.  A remake of the 1973 classic film by George A. Romero finds a way back to infect the big screen again.

Plot: A small farming town’s water supply is contaminated and causes irrational thinking and behavior among the community. We follow Sheriff David Dutton, his wife Judy, and deputy Russell Clank, as they try to escape this plagued town that the military is trying to lock down and contain.  The Crazies stars Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, and Joe Anderson, and was directed by Breck Eisner.

Did It Suck? You are either going to like this film or view it as a waste of time.  It’s a slow paced movie with a few good jump scenes and a little bit of that horror movie gore thrown in.   It wasn’t too bad for a remake, but, the in between scenes really played out the drama role in the movie and it was a little boring.  I think the main problem, for me, while watching this movie was the lack of intensity needed to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next.  I did like the film but the big screen offers very little for this movie, Wait For The DVD.

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- Dan Kersey

Review:    4 Stars     Rated:     14A

There’s no shortage of straitjackets on Shutter Island.  It’s a cold, dark, damp tale brought to life based on a 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, and directed by old timer, Martin C. Scorsese.

Plot: Leonardo DiCaprio is a Federal Marshal named Teddy Daniels, called to investigate a patients disappearance on Shutter Island. Teddy and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) find out that this hospital for the criminally insane is more than what it appears.

A smart and interesting movie.  I am happy to say that the trailers give nothing away to the mystery of the story.  I was not that interested in going to see this film because DiCaprio is not my favourite actor  but  I was quite surprised at how much I really enjoyed it.  There are good supporting roles by Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow.  The only critical thing  I would have to say is this;  the ending was drawn out a little too long even though I do understand why.  Definitely Worth a Ticket

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- Dan Kersey

Review:    3.5 Stars     Rated:     R

An updated remake of the film that virtually started the whole horror film genre, while staying true to the classic look of the original move directed by George Wagner way back in 1941 (source: Wikipedia).

Plot: Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), a haunted nobleman, is lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father, Talbot sets out to find his brother… and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Talbot’s childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother’s fiancée, Gwen Conliffe, tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline has come to investigate.

This movie was good, not great, but not bad either. The special affects, a-la An American Werewolf in London, were well done but stayed true to the original look of the classic movie, something I found very appealing in the movie. The movie also stayed centered around character and plot, relying little on special effects (also refreshing). However, there is a revelation about the middle of the movie which makes the rest of the movie virtually predictable. It has a good cast, notably Anthony Hopkins who plays his role to his usual eccentric characterization. Additionally, while the warewolf scenes are notably grotesque, there is really very little of it. Lots of jump at you shock value, but little else. If you are a horror afficiando, then this movie is worth seeing on the big screen, but if are a casual horror fan or if this movie only interests you for its cast, then Wait For The DVD.

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-Carl Constantine

Review:     3.5 Stars     Rated:     R

Welcome back to the big screen Mel, it’s been a while.  Mel has been drinking his milk and ginger-ale and comes back in this ‘not too shabby‘ film.

Plot: Detective Craven (Mel Gibson) has his only daughter gunned down right in front of him.  Everyone suspects the bullet was meant for him.  Craven doesn’t sit this one out, he’s the guy that has nothing to lose and doesn’t care.  We follow Craven through his hunt where he finds some startling information;  the killer may have intentionally shot his daughter and he was never the intended target.

Mel does an excellent job as this straight-up ‘smart as a whip‘ Cop.  A good medium paced movie, slow in the beginning, but never really dropped off when things started to roll.  I liked the way this film played out, easy to follow, and smart without having to be too technical.  Mel Gibson fans will no doubt be happy as this is a good (in a manner of speaking) come-back movie for him.  The movie could have used a bit more action but still Worth a Ticket.

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- Dan Kersey

Review:     1 Star     Rated:     R

Look out ! God is mad at the world and tired of all the crap we fight over,  He’s sent his Legion of angels to destroy us.

In Legion we follow the efforts of a small group of people, accompanied by an angel, stranded at a desert roadside cafe who are trying to survive the extermination of the human race when God decides he no longer has faith in man.

The opening sequence in which we see Michael, the angel, arrive is good and shows promise, but this is followed by almost 10 minutes of slow sequences.  Unfortunately this fast/slow pairing continues throughout the movie, and really detracts from the experience.  In most of the slow parts the characters are seen talking to each other, and seemingly telling each other moral stories, and I think this is the overall aim of the movie, to try to show us what will happen if we don’t all behave.  This really failed if that is what the movie makers wanted.

To add in the dislike of this movie, the action sequences are fairly dull, as are most of the characters.  The interactions of the two main angels, Michael and Gabriel, (Paul Bettany and Kevin Duand), were above par compared to the rest of the movie but that is not enough to save it.  If you’ve seen the trailer you’ve seen the best parts and should save yourself some money.  I’ll give it 1 star, just for the trailer and good marketing, but unfortunately it isn’t even worth renting, so Don’t Bother.

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-Andy Hughes

Review:     3 Stars     Rated:     PG-13

The Lovely Bones, don’t let the strange name or the previews fool you in thinking this movie is a typical stalker/killer film.  Peter Jackson directs this film based from the original novle by Alice Sebold

Take a trip beyond an ordinary murder movie into a story thats narrated by the murdered Suzy Salmon (Saoirse Ronan).  Suzy is in the afterlife, somewhere between heaven and earth,  she watches her family and her killer continue on with life.  She is a restless spirit not ready to let go until she’s ready.

Visually stunning with incredible sound and camera artistry. Unfortunately I found the story lacking the intensity needed to balance it out.  Most of the supporting characters including the killer had very little depth in which to feel anything for them.  I did enjoy the film, though please note, I never read the book. The beautiful visual effects were well worth seeing on the big screen, but the rest was not enough to justify a ticket, Wait For The DVD , or maybe Don’t Bother seeing it at all.

- Dan Kersey

Review:     3.0 Stars

The latest edition of the Saw franchise is now out in theaters. I spent a bit of time watching all the old Saw movies to catch up and be ready for this release and provide an accurate review.

The Saw movies feature lots of little twists and turns and learning and make you think a bit about the relationship happening with the characters in the movie. This version however hands everything to you on a silver platter. I found the movie highly predictable after the first 15 mins. Don’t get me wrong, lots of blood and gore for Saw fans, but nothing compelling and making you think and try to figure it out.

If you’re a Saw fan, you will like this movie in general, but might be a bit disappointed by being babied along. Nothing in this movie is compelling to see in the theater so wait for DVD release.

-Carl B. Constantine

Review:     3 Stars

Right from the start you know that David Harris (The Killer) starring Dylan Walsh is not a man to be trusted or even shake hands with.  As the movie gets deeper you come to realize that David is not just a killer but also suffers from various mental issues.  The Stepfather is a remake of the original 1987 film which stared Terry O’ Quinn.

Much smarter than I expected but lacked suspense and had very few ‘Jump’ scenes.  The characters were portrayed as (mostly) true to life,  smart and good realistic thinking when trying to rationalize their suspicions around David.  As a thriller it’s a bit on the dull side, I did however love the ending of this movie, it’s not what you’d expect.

Despite the great ending, the movie desperately needed some good scare scenes and the suspenses was like riding a roller-coaster at 1/2 speed. It was an OK film but  defiantly a renter.

-Dan Kersey

Review:     4 Stars

As an anticipated movie, Law Abiding Citizen got the job done without the letdown.  Gerard Butler who recently stared in Gamer, has a much better movie roll in this drama/thriller. Gerard’s character, (Clyde Shelton), is a man that has lost his family to murder only to watch the killers make a deal with the Judicial system that didn’t meet up with Clyde’s expectations of real justice; heads roll from there.

Smart and well thought through movie,  unfortunately the trailers give a lot of the suspense away to the anticipation of Clyde’s next move.  Never-the-less,  this movie has its wow and ‘OMG’ moments.

Final thoughts … It was a tough decision on this review because there wasn’t much that I didn’t like in this film and I didn’t feel too bad paying to see this movie, but even with ‘all’ the ‘excellentness‘ this film has to offer, there’s really nothing anyone’s going to miss on a smaller screen if they wait for the DVD.

-Dan Kersey

Review:     4 Stars

For a movie with a rating of 14A Pandorum has more than its fair share of chills, jumps and spooky moments, though some of them were predictable I still got a kick out of it.  The story is well thought out, flows nicely, and has a few twists in it that surprised me.   The end was a little bit of a disappointment, but not enough to detract from the movie as a whole.

I noticed some scenes reminiscent of both Alien and Event Horizon.  For people who enjoyed these movies they will probably like Pandorum as well.  There seems to be a limited showing of this film in some areas so if you get the chance to see it on the big screen I would take it.

-Andy Hughes