Did It Suck Movie Reviews

Archive for the ‘Thriller’ Category

Did It Suck Review 4 Stars     Time: 1hr 38min     Rated: PG‎‎

How do you stop a run-away missile when the drivers seat is empty?

Plot: Unstoppable is a 2010 Thriller from Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine.  It is loosely based on a true story about a runaway train in 2001, although the real story is far less dramatic than the movie; but, that is why we have movies.  [Read about the true story here]

Did It Suck? The entire movie is very much about the one, unstoppable, train but it has human interest stories as well that don’t detract in any way from the action and there are really no slow parts.  The story is pretty simplistic, the train is running away and needs to be stopped, and the plot basically follows the various attempts to achieve this.  I really liked the acting in this one, everyone really came across just as if they were employees of the railway, desperate to stop the train, and this really makes you connect more to them and want to cheer them along.

The action was great, with requisite crashes thrown in.  However, you would absolutely have to suspend belief for some of the scenes which I found hard to do (as I used to drive trains so know more than your average moviegoer).  However, it was still a thrill ride and no matter how believable it may be it was extremely enjoyable, and even if you don’t especially like trains I think you’d enjoy this.  Definitely Worth A Ticket.

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- Andy Hughes

Did It Suck Review:  3 Stars     Time: 1hr 47min‎     Rated: 14-A‎‎

The Riverton Ripper is back from the dead and he’s carrying a big knife.

Plot: My Soul to Take is a horror film written and directed by Wes Craven.  The film is the first film since Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) that he both wrote and directed.  Wes Craven now brings audiences his latest suspense thriller with My Soul to Take.  In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. (Cast list here)

Did It Suck? The move has a great story line that keeps you guessing who the real killer is right up to the end.   The movie was a little disappointing for me being a Wes Craven fan.  I’m not sure what happed with his direction making this movie, so much potential, yet so mediocre. The film has all the trates I’ve known to love about Wes Craven movies yet it falls short.  Most of the jump scenes were expected and the suspense was lacking the Wes Craven edge.  The acting was good for the most part and even with the slow pace of this movie it kept the audiences attention.  Overall the movie wasn’t that bad, however, I’m going to say Wait For The DVD.

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- Dan Kersey

Did It Suck Review: 2 Stars     Time: 1hr 49min‎‎     Rated: 14-A

Don’t look now but theres a monster in that little girl.

Plot: Case 39 is a 2009 horror thriller film directed by Christian Alvart and starring Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, and Ian McShane. The film was shot in Vancouver in late 2006 and was released theatrically in the UK, European and Latin American countries on August 13, 2009. The film was initially scheduled for American cinematic release in August 2008, but was delayed twice before its final release date on October 1, 2010.  Social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) is assigned to investigate the family of 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland), as her grades have declined and an emotional rift with her parents has emerged. Emily suspects that the parents have been abusing Lillith, and proposes to her department to take the child away from her parents’ custody. Emily’s fears are confirmed when Lillith’s parents try to kill her by roasting her in the oven at their home. (more here)

Did It Suck? As much as I like Renée Zellweger, and the good short roll by Bradley Cooper, this movie sucked in the horror/thriller/suspense category.  I would categorize it as a spooky drama with very little spook.  I did like the story and camera work and the acting was fantastic by all parties, unfortunately, this film is barely worth renting, Don’t Bother.

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- Dan Kersey

Did It Suck Review: 4.5 Stars     Time: 2hr 3min‎     Rated: 14-A‎‎

“This town (to-wn) is coming like a ghost town”, The Specials, 1981

Plot: The Town is a 2010 thriller starring Ben Affleck (who also Directed), Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner.  It is set in Charlestown, a suburb of Boston, MA, from whence we are told most of America’s bank and armoured car robbers hail.  The movie tells the story of Doug MacRay (Affleck) and his gang as they struggle through the murky underside of inner city life by robbing banks and holding up armoured cars.  Following a raid that doesn’t go quite to plan Doug follows Claire Keesey (Hall) who the gang had taken as a hostage, but released, to make sure she won’t be able to identify them.  They soon become lovers which makes things even more interesting with the FBI getting closer.

Did It Suck? With most movies I know what I am getting into, but this one was different; I knew the basic premise but nothing more.  I have to admit at 2h 5m long I was also getting worried before it started in case it really sucked, but I needn’t have worried.  Instead of being a full on cops-and-robbers action movie there is a lot of depth to the two main robbers and it gives an insight into their lives and what lead them to be in the positions they are in.  We see the loyalty and bonds that close friendship through hard times can forge, and how the possibility of a new and better life can start to break those links.  It makes it clear how the actions we choose, cumulatively, affect not just ourselves but those around us.  At the climax we are shown how even a ‘gentleman’ robber will become a violent psychopath if pushed too far.

If you’ve seen the movie Heat (1995) then you will almost certainly draw parallels between the two movies, although they are not identical, and if you liked Heat I am pretty sure you will like The Town also.  As to whether it is worth a ticket, I find myself, for the first time, on the fence.  I have no regrets at all about paying to see it, and it is a very good movie that was much better than I expected, but, the premise of this site is to let you know if the movie is worth seeing on the big screen.  I have to say that even though it is a great movie there is nothing you’ll miss by watching it on TV, so this gets a Wait for the DVD, but, with the comment that this was not an easy decision.

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- Andy Hughes

Did It Suck Review: 3.5 Stars     Time: 1hr 30min‎‎     Rated: 18-A

It’s always lunch time for zombies, and this time, there having it in 3D

Plot: Resident Evil: Afterlife is a 2010 3D science-fiction action-horror film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, and starring Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller.  After the events of Resident Evil: Extinction, the Alice clones (Milla Jovovich) attempt to kill Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) at his base in Japan. All the clones are killed in an explosion as Wesker escapes in an aircraft. The original Alice ambushes him, but Wesker injects her with a serum that neutralizes the T-virus in her system, eliminating her superhuman powers and making her human again.

Did It Suck? I had very mixed feelings on how to review this movie.  After seeing many 3D movies I have to say hands down it was one of the best I’ve seen in 3D.  The reason the 3D was so good is because the movie makers were using James Cameron‘s 3D Fusion Camera System.   The story was slow, dull, and lacked any real depth, however; keeping in mind that the film is following the original storyline, they did a good job with it.  Some of the action sequences were incredible moving works of art done in slow motion so you can take it all in.  What pushed me to one side of the fence over the other was the 3D and the artistic style this movie had.  At the end of it all, the 3D and beautifully done cinematography, made up for anything the movie was lacking.  For a zombie move it was  Worth a Ticket.

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- Dan Kersey

Andy’s two ¢ents …

As one of the other main reviewers for this site I have to throw in my comment!  I disagree that the story was in any way slow, dull, or lacked depth.  As Dan points out it is continuing the story from the first three movies and leaves the scene set for a 5th movie and did it very well.  By the 4th movie most franchises have completely run out of steam but this one did not, it kept me interested the entire time, no boredom here!

- Andy Hughes

Did It Suck Review: 3.5 Stars     Time: 1hr 45min‎‎     Rated: 14-A‎‎

- Richard Urysz

Review:     4 Stars     Rated PG

Putting Salt onto a wound really makes things…explode!

- Andy Hughes

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