PREDATORS Review

There hasn't been a decent 'Predator' movie since the original. Danny Glover's sequel was pretty awful and to be honest I didn't even bother with either 'AVP' or 'Requiem'. So to finally see some promise in a 'Predator' related film is a breath of fresh air. From what sounded like a dream script written by Rodriguez in 1995 comes this sequel that is actually worthy of being talked about in direct relation with the original film. 'Predators' echoes the 1987 film quite heavily, from its jungle like atmosphere to the team of killers, even elements of the music are the same. This is an ensemble effort with a clear lead and it plays out much like what we expect but with a twist in the original concept of our human protagonists being in predator territory. This widens the scope of the film considerably and adds reason to introduce more alien characters as well as new kinds of predators. What lifts the film above being a kind of rip off from every other monster film is the caliber of acting Antal has assembled here. I am always weary of Brody, but here he does well and we can see he is completely committed to the role. Its also nice to see Alice Braga getting some serious screen time and Topher Grace turns in one of the best performances in the film. It is not only the banter between these players that keeps the film moving forward at a perfect pace, but it is the way in which most of them have been carves out as individuals in their own right. We aren't necessarily always getting the stock characters here and that is what I found most refreshing about this. Do we need the story to be fleshed out a little more? Yes. Why were these specific people chosen? It gives an explanation, yet it doesn't make much sense. It is made to sound more random when it is obvious from the get-go each has been chosen for a specific reason. What is going on within the predator community? All of this is vaguely explained through Laurence Fishburne's brilliant yet comic turn as the player who has been and seen more than anyone else. It is an interesting piece and easily the most intriguing piece of the film, but the rest is full of gory, bloody deaths and fast-paced action sequences. Not to mention the film is gorgeous to look at. The colors and tone are pitch-perfect. No, the new 'Predators' might not always give us the answers to some of its loose ends, but it is good fun and what more could you ask for? Its the best 'Predator' film in 20 years.

PREDATORS Review

There hasn't been a decent 'Predator' movie since the original. Danny Glover's sequel was pretty awful and to be honest I didn't even bother with either 'AVP' or 'Requiem'. So to finally see some promise in a 'Predator' related film is a breath of fresh air. From what sounded like a dream script written by Rodriguez in 1995 comes this sequel that is actually worthy of being talked about in direct relation with the original film. 'Predators' echoes the 1987 film quite heavily, from its jungle like atmosphere to the team of killers, even elements of the music are the same. This is an ensemble effort with a clear lead and it plays out much like what we expect but with a twist in the original concept of our human protagonists being in predator territory. This widens the scope of the film considerably and adds reason to introduce more alien characters as well as new kinds of predators. What lifts the film above being a kind of rip off from every other monster film is the caliber of acting Antal has assembled here. I am always weary of Brody, but here he does well and we can see he is completely committed to the role. Its also nice to see Alice Braga getting some serious screen time and Topher Grace turns in one of the best performances in the film. It is not only the banter between these players that keeps the film moving forward at a perfect pace, but it is the way in which most of them have been carves out as individuals in their own right. We aren't necessarily always getting the stock characters here and that is what I found most refreshing about this. Do we need the story to be fleshed out a little more? Yes. Why were these specific people chosen? It gives an explanation, yet it doesn't make much sense. It is made to sound more random when it is obvious from the get-go each has been chosen for a specific reason. What is going on within the predator community? All of this is vaguely explained through Laurence Fishburne's brilliant yet comic turn as the player who has been and seen more than anyone else. It is an interesting piece and easily the most intriguing piece of the film, but the rest is full of gory, bloody deaths and fast-paced action sequences. Not to mention the film is gorgeous to look at. The colors and tone are pitch-perfect. No, the new 'Predators' might not always give us the answers to some of its loose ends, but it is good fun and what more could you ask for? Its the best 'Predator' film in 20 years.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Review

I haven't read Stieg Larsson's novel from which this is based or any of the Millennium Trilogy, but I have heard quite a bit about them and this film lately so my venture into renting this was one of pure curiosity. To put what I thought of this film simply would be to inform you that I will be purchasing this very soon. Going in I had no idea what to expect story or character wise. In only seeing the cover art I assumed (wrongly) this was some teen indie about outcasts and how they were picked on and dealt with issues. The last thing I would have expected was a grand murder mystery tale that hearkens back to novels of old. 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is a great mystery both in the case its two main protagonists are trying to solve and in the characters themselves. Having no knowledge of these actors past roles I thought Noomi Rapace was terrific in the part of Lisbeth Salander who has been made out to be one of the greater female characters conceived in a long time. I truly wish I could see how well Rapace filled out this character from page to screen-simply from watching an interview with her I could see the transformation she went through and can imagine she inherited every quirk and trait from the character Larsson created in his novels. It is unclear as to how Salander will really be incorporated into the more intriguing aspect of the story (the Vanger family mystery) for the first hour or so of the film, but we always have a sense that careful attention need be paid as there is certainly reason for things that happen that we don't necessarily see the purpose of. These effects are aided by the tension filled pace of the movie, at two and half hours this isn't a short film, but never did I feel like the film drug or did I catch myself looking at my watch. What really makes this stand out is the odd pairing of Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who is played with a certain amount of rugged yet stand-up guy qualities by Michael Nyqvist. It is easy to see why Viggo Mortensen would be good choice for the role in the Hollywood versions of these films. The partnership and possibly romantic involvement of these two is not only odd to us but to them as well it seems, but they work well together, so well in fact it is that bond of intelligence and determination that creates the believability of them getting along and becoming more than just co-workers. There is some pretty brutal violence and rape scenes in the film and without giving much away it can be said that the theme of the film focuses around people affected by such violence. These elements set 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' apart as not only a murder mystery but as a film in general. We can only hope that Hollywood keeps these themes and scenes in tact, for they not only set it apart but create the heart and emotional impact of the story.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Review

I haven't read Stieg Larsson's novel from which this is based or any of the Millennium Trilogy, but I have heard quite a bit about them and this film lately so my venture into renting this was one of pure curiosity. To put what I thought of this film simply would be to inform you that I will be purchasing this very soon. Going in I had no idea what to expect story or character wise. In only seeing the cover art I assumed (wrongly) this was some teen indie about outcasts and how they were picked on and dealt with issues. The last thing I would have expected was a grand murder mystery tale that hearkens back to novels of old. 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is a great mystery both in the case its two main protagonists are trying to solve and in the characters themselves. Having no knowledge of these actors past roles I thought Noomi Rapace was terrific in the part of Lisbeth Salander who has been made out to be one of the greater female characters conceived in a long time. I truly wish I could see how well Rapace filled out this character from page to screen-simply from watching an interview with her I could see the transformation she went through and can imagine she inherited every quirk and trait from the character Larsson created in his novels. It is unclear as to how Salander will really be incorporated into the more intriguing aspect of the story (the Vanger family mystery) for the first hour or so of the film, but we always have a sense that careful attention need be paid as there is certainly reason for things that happen that we don't necessarily see the purpose of. These effects are aided by the tension filled pace of the movie, at two and half hours this isn't a short film, but never did I feel like the film drug or did I catch myself looking at my watch. What really makes this stand out is the odd pairing of Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who is played with a certain amount of rugged yet stand-up guy qualities by Michael Nyqvist. It is easy to see why Viggo Mortensen would be good choice for the role in the Hollywood versions of these films. The partnership and possibly romantic involvement of these two is not only odd to us but to them as well it seems, but they work well together, so well in fact it is that bond of intelligence and determination that creates the believability of them getting along and becoming more than just co-workers. There is some pretty brutal violence and rape scenes in the film and without giving much away it can be said that the theme of the film focuses around people affected by such violence. These elements set 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' apart as not only a murder mystery but as a film in general. We can only hope that Hollywood keeps these themes and scenes in tact, for they not only set it apart but create the heart and emotional impact of the story.

THE LAST AIRBENDER Review

Without having much knowledge about the Nickelodeon series on which this is based, and when I say not much I mean I watched the pilot episode the day before going to see this so I would have some type of background info as to what exactly was going on. Watching the pilot though only made it clear that Shyamalan had crammed alot into this hour and forty minute movie. Coming into this unfamiliar with the world of airbenders, I wasn't put off as much with all the exposition that seemed to take place within almost every line of the film. Though I did see what was being done as the pilot I'd watched was crammed into the first five minutes of the film. Besides the fact that we are getting alot of information, so much that even by the end of the film Shyamalan is still trying to explain things about this world. The originality is there and I like the premise and atmosphere that this story has, but this is all due to the creators of the animated series. Where Shyamalan could have taken this world and created a sweeping epic he tries to over-do it and ends up instead having a film that feels less like an epic and more like a film that could have been made by amateurs with deep pockets. The effects look great and some of the set pieces are impressive, but then there are some of the shot choices as well as the acting. Several shots look elementary, and we know that Shyamalan is a gifted filmmaker we saw this with at least his first four films before they began to get completely ridiculous. I'm still not sure what was going on with 'The Happening' but the acting here is quite similar to the acting in that film. It is awkward, but again this is probably due to Shyamalans dialogue. Jackson Rathbone and Dev Patel get the worst of it, Patel playing like a kid impersonating every bad guy he's ever seen while young Noah Ringer is thankfully able to anchor the film with his sweet and subtle performance as the Avatar. There were specific sequences that made me hopeful for this film, when our gang of heroes fights off some fire soldiers in one of the earth regions it was a nice piece of film making that I wish could have carried through the rest of the film and while the final battle sequences have some epic shots and cool special effects (I've always thought water was a cool medium to manipulate) the film just never reaches the level you want or expect it to. This is a PG movie, but it seems it should be much bigger and slightly more serious than this final product. Shyamalan has exhausted his clout and the only way we will get a sequel is if this makes money, lets just hope if it does we get a better film and dare I say it...a better director.