Cloudy with a chance of Atlas

Cloud Atlas:

Story:

One good deed forever shapes the course of the future.

Review:

Cloud Atlas is probably one of the better movies I have seen in a while, minus some makeup effects that were extremely overdone. The story that jumps between multiple characters throughout separate centuries is an exciting and compelling tale that kept me engaged until the end of the very end.

It was a bit confusing at times, with multiple story jumps happening in a five minute span. If the story had instead been told chronologically, I think that would have made it easier to follow. Also, as mentioned before, some of the makeup effects were overdone and it shows.

The actors themselves were great and it was amazing seeing Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, and Hugh Grant do a bit of almost method acting to portray some of their characters.

The soundtrack was one of the best I've heard in the past year, with different compositions fitting each time period, and some compositions fitting all time periods.

The special effects were hit and miss. I only particularly liked the very futuristic CGI that was used for one of the sequences in particular, since they seemed to be the only effects in the film that fit the time period.

Overall Cloud Atlas is a delightful and fascinating film, the story can be confusing to follow at first, but after a while it becomes easier to follow.

I was definitely Miserables when I watched this film.

Les Miserables:

Story:

The intersection of a former convict and a poor mother spark a series of events that change their lives and the lives of those around them forever.

Review:

I'm not a fan of musicals, so Les Miserables was more or less just an average movie to me. I watched it with an open mind and did enjoy some of the scenes, but it honestly felt sloppy to me. The editing was too haphazard, transitions too abrupt, and the overall story and film is too short despite the two and a half hour run time. The musical numbers were okay and the actors did their best, but the overall movie failed to get any emotional content out of me. Tobe Hooper's directing style does not mesh well with musical adaptations.

Overall I did not like Les MIserables, and as such I can't recommend it to anyone.

Opinion: The future of films

So I was recently asked by a reader what my thoughts are on the future of films, and instead of giving a direct answer, I figured I would give my answer on here.

In the future of films:

New innovative features brought to us by technological advances. Movies with new directly interactive innovations, and movies that are still original in content. Even though new ideas and gimmicky innovations are coming out, people will still want their films the way they have always been, with a linear story that only ends one way. In fact, I think we are going to once again see the rise of movies that provoke our minds and intelligence. That we are merely in a state where we lack the original minds to push uniquely original content, and the more we discover in technology the more we will want original ideas placed on film in the style of film we have learned is the best way: as a linear story. As a film that gives us original plot, original characters, original settings, and original soundtracks.

Anger Management: the romantic edition

Silver Linings Playbook:

Story:

Pat, a troubled guy recently released from a mental health institution, meets Tiffany, a girl with a troubled past of her own. Together they embark on a journey that will change both of their lives forever.

Review:

For the record, I am not a guy that's big on romantic films. They tend to be cheesy, overly dramatic, and so cliched that only the sappiest of people can watch and enjoy them.

Basically they tend to suck. They are underwhelming, unintelligent, overly mushy films that as stated before only appeal to those of us who make out with our significant others in public areas for up to half an hour, making everyone else in the public areas feel awkward/uncomfortable/irritated/any other emotion that that kind of PDA causes.

So when I finally got around to watching Silver Linings Playbook, I was pleasantly surprised to discover an intelligent and witty romantic comedy that is enjoyably uncomplicated.
The genius of this film is that it's not made for dumb people, yet manages to not be complicated by the various subject matter involving emotional health in the story. It is, without a doubt, what romantic comedies should be: films that manage to be full of story and emotion yet simple and realistic.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are an amazing onscreen couple, and they seemed to genuinely spark.

That's not to say that the rest of the cast don't deserve praise. Chris Tucker was amazing as Danny, Pat's friend from the institution; Robert DeNiro was great as Pat sr., the superstitious sport gambler. There are obviously more cast, but I'm not going to go through an entire paragraph naming every actor/actress and every good job, so I will say overall that everyone did a great job.

Overall, I enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook. It's an actual romance film that manages to stray away from any other romance genre film, especially those stupid films based on Nicholas Sparks novels. Seriously, someone should tell him to stop writing. We all know his stories are the exact same formula just used over and over and over again.

Harvey Dent, can we trust him? Oh wait wrong movie.

Iron Man 3:

Story:

A post-alien invasion Tony Stark, fights his inner demons as well as a terrorist mastermind known as The Mandarin.

Review:

Several years ago, the first Iron Man film came out and was a tremendous box office success. It featured a rich guy fighting bad guys in a suit. A few years after that, Iron Man 2 came out, again with a rich guy fighting bad guys in a suit, as well as his military buddy in a suit. Again, box office success.

Both movies lead to the upcoming Avengers film, which featured several people with extraordinary powers/skills who united to fight an alien invasion of epic proportions. This film was the biggest success of the Marvel franchise, and even brought about the concept of multi-franchise crossover to the superhero genre.

Now, Iron Man 3 has hit theaters, accompanied by new director Shane Black and the returning cast from the previous Iron Man films.

So, how does this installment stack up to the previous films in the storyline?

Well for starters, it is a lot more serious, while also being incredibly cheesy. While that isn't entirely foreign to the Iron Man series, it is a slightly irritating signature of Iron Man 3. Never will you hear so many jokes as this one had. It almost felt like watching a Brett Ratner movie.

The forementioned cheesiness also hinders the story, which is for the most part, the most darkly serious Marvel story in film. The jokes during moments which would normally be serious serve to undermine those moments (and there are many of those moments).

As far as acting goes, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Ben Kingsley all do their parts amazingly genuinely, with each character portrayed at their best.

Overall this is a delightful Iron Man 3 film, with what is possibly the most amazing ending action sequence in an Iron Man film and possibly in all the Marvel movies except for Avengers. The barrage of special effects just serves to be a visual treat, especially in 3D. Iron Man 3 just would have been better without the abundance of cheesiness.

That Awkward Moment When The Movie You Watch Is Worse Than Any Uwe Boll Videogame Adaptation

How to Avoid a Horrible Movie:

Have you ever had that time when you're in a horrible mood and just want something to cheer you up?

I bet that's a resounding yes from most of you.

For those of you that do have those moments, have you ever gone to the theater in the hopes that the film you watch there will bring your smile back?

Probably a few yes's.

And have you ever seen that movie that just makes your terrible day even worse? And that is a question directed to the average moviegoer as well.

Yep.

We've all seen these movies, whether they were the Grudge 2, Ghost Rider, Movie 43, or (shudder) Gigli. Movies like those are the worst offenders and it's surprising that they even make it to theaters and don't end up in the bargain bins at Wal-mart. They put us in such a terrible mood that we just want our money back for our tickets BUT NO WE CAN'T BECAUSE WE WATCHED OVER AN HOUR OF THE FILM. There's no way anyone can avoid making that mistake, right?

Wrong, and here's how you do it:

1. Always look up the track record of the directors and the writers before watching a film. Seriously, this can save you a lot of time and effort. The only reason I write generally positive reviews is because I always do background checks on the films I watch. Danny Boyle is almost always a safe bet, so is Marc Webb, Stephen Spielberg when he does sci-fi, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Zack Snyder, Judd Apatow, Tim Burton, and Spike Jonze. There are other directors I haven't named, but those people are the ones that come up off the top of my head. The writers also have a very big effect on how a film turns out, since the script is what makes the actors and actresses do what they do.

2. Always AND I MEAN ALWAYS see what critics have to say after the critic screenings come out. Reviewers love watching films and have a very educated opinion of the films they watch. As such, if they say a film is terrible then usually that film is terrible. There's always a newspaper or an article online that has a review of a film before it's out in theaters. If a film did not have a critic screening then it is more than likely a terrible film.

3. Always listen to what your friends have to say about the film, especially the ones you frequently watch movies with. The ones you enjoy movies with are the ones whose tastes are similar to yours, so the chances of you liking a movie that they liked are fairly high.

4. Check the Metacritic score. This one is usually the lifesaver. For those that don't know what Metacritic is, they compile a big portion of the movie reviews, then put a score out that is a calculated representation of the median/average score according to the reviews by the critics. If a movie has a score below 60 it is more than likely that terrible film that will absolutely ruin your day. Also check the user reviews, because they tend to have their own summed up score. If it's below 6, then it's probably bad. Granted, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS, but those good movies with low ratings are rare.

I know assumptions are bad, but if you really want to avoid a terrible film, you have to do some research before spending those $11 to $13 on that ticket.

Dude! Wait! You promised I could have you over for dinner!

Hannibal (TV series):

Story:

Wil Graham, special consultant for the FBI, is paired with Hannibal Lecter, a mysterious individual who seems to have more to himself than meets the eye.

Review:

This is the part where you roll your eyes because it's an NBC show. BUT WAIT IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD. The actors including Laurence Fishburne and Madds Mikkelsen give their all to provide a story about the bond between patient and doctor, or more specifically, predator and prey.

For a crime drama/thriller, the jarring content is surprisingly well delivered, moreso after the pilot, which was directed by David Slade of 30 Days of Night fame. The story gets more intense the more you get to know Wil and Hannibal as their bond solidifies.

One of my favorite components has to be the analysis of the crimes by Wil. His technique is so profoundly unsettling that all you can do is watch. The effects for these sequences are especially amazing and are a highlight of the show.

This actually is the best American series I have seen in ages, and is very recommended for those who like the Hannibal books or Hannibal movies.