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Friday, March 29, 2024

Month of Movies: The Sequel

So I’m back for the sequel of the updates. Sorry for the delay but life got in the way, but I’m back now with a lovely list of movies that I watched and my thoughts. Hopefully, that’ll make up for my absence… I know you missed me!

Taken (2008)
Director: Pierre Morel

Genre: Action/Crime
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser

Trailer: http://youtu.be/kZ02_Uzf7So

taken

I watched this because I was starting to feel like the only person in the world who hadn’t seen it. Taken follows the story of a retired CIA agent (Liam Neeson) who is back in action after his daughter is kidnapped while she’s in France. The story follows his epic journey and fights to find her and save her.

If you can get past the first 20 minutes or so of the film setting up the relationships then it’s a great watch. Liam Neeson does a great job in the protective father role and his fight scenes are impressive (although who knows how much of it he actually did). Although the ending is kind of predictable (of course), it’s a good action film although not on the same level as films like Die Hard.

In short: Liam Neeson, in Europe, kicking ass.
Rating: 7.5/10

 

Hackers (1995)
Director: Iain Softley
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie
Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ql1uLyuWra8

hacker

Geek Pride’s very own Laura suggested this film to me for my challenge so of course I accepted it. The story follows a group of hackers who are being framed for writing a computer virus.

The story was interesting and I was geekily intrigued by the whole hacking business but the execution of the film just let it down. It felt either cheaply made or just very, very, 90s. I also spent a good amount of the film wondering where I had seen the main character before until I gave in and searched only to find out he’s Sherlock Holmes in Elementary. Angelina Jolie also stars, showing a lot of skin in one scene, which is sure to amp up the intrigue for some guys or gals (Don’t say I don’t give you anything!). I didn’t find the acting to be great so that also let me down.

In short: A very geeky film but just executed poorly.
Rating: 6/10

 

Office Space (1999)
Director: Mike Judge
Genre: Comedy

Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Stephen Root.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/_IwzZYRejZQ

office space

I stumbled upon this film while searching around for films to add to my list. I am so glad I found it; it’s possibly a new favourite of mine. Office Space centres around Peter Gibbons who hates his job. After having enough he gets together with his co-workers to hatch a plan to get back at their greedy boss and their company.

What I love about this film is that the main character’s hate for his job is so relatable. Even if you’re in a job you love right now, you’ll have had a job that you absolutely hated. The film is full of laughs, even if they’re just chuckles, and the actors are great. The character of Milton is portrayed so brilliantly that you’re not sure whether to laugh at him or cry for him. I’ll definitely be watching this again.

In short: A great, relatable comedy.
Rating: 8.5/10

 

This is 40 (2012)
Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy

Cast: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann
Trailer: http://youtu.be/jz2m9aGjEgo

this is 40

This is 40 acts as a sort of sequel to Knocked Up and follows Debbie and Pete around their birthdays. I loved Knocked Up and I love most of Apatow’s work so I was looking forward to seeing this. There’s so much happening in the film to every character that it resembles family life pretty well; it’s mayhem.

It’s not as funny as Knocked Up but it still made me laugh. One thing I found annoying is when Debbie cries and she seems to do that a lot, or maybe it’s not a lot but I just remember it so well because it’s so annoying (sorry, rant over). I also enjoyed the appearances by Jason Segel, who was also in Knocked Up, Melissa McCarthy, whose bloopers are hilarious, and Chris O’Dowd. And I’m sure many people enjoyed the appearance of Megan Fox who has little clothing on in many scenes (Again, don’t say I don’t give you anything!).

In short: Fun family mayhem but not up to Knocked Up’s level.
Rating: 7/10

 

Life of Pi (2012)
Director: Ang Lee
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Adventure
Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain

Trailer: http://youtu.be/mZEZ35Fhvuc

life of pi

Life of Pi follows Pi Patel, and his interesting companions, in a lifeboat after the cargo ship they’re on sinks. The film follows the epic story of his attempt at survival while battling nature, in more ways than one. The movie touches upon zoology and religion which add an interesting element.

I should probably say that I read the book before watching the film so my review is a bit biased seeing as the book was fantastic. The film does the book justice, it can’t have been easy to adapt, but it also leaves out some parts of the books and also adds in other details not from the book.

The graphics are mesmerising, colourful and realistic and I’ve been told that it’s even better in 3D. One of the only negatives is that I found that the opening sequence was quite long and a bit unnecessary but that’s nitpicking.

In short: A great film but a better book.
Rating: 8/10

 

The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Directors: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart
Trailer: http://youtu.be/B8_dgqfPXFg

the butterfly

Noted as one of Ashton Kutcher’s better performances, The Butterfly Effect follows a childhood littered with blackouts. When the young boy grows up, he finds a way to go back to the blackouts and change the past.

The film has a very interesting concept and it’s definitely a good watch. Unfortunately, there are many flaws in the storyline, but if you’re willing to overlook these then it’s an enjoyable film. There are also several different recorded endings to the film, so if you find yourself interested after watching the film, make sure to find the alternative endings, they’re quite intriguing.

In short: An interesting film regardless of its flaws.
Rating: 8/10

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Director: Henry Selick
Genre: Animation

Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara
Trailer: http://youtu.be/8qrB9I3DM80

nightmare before

This was another film I felt like everyone else had seen and although it’s not really the right time of year to watch it, I thought what the hell and watched it anyway. The film is definitely not my usual pick but I’m glad that I watched it. The Nightmare Before Christmas is based on a story by Tim Burton about the king of Halloweentown who discovers Christmas and gets captivated by the concept but doesn’t quite understand it.

Tim Burton’s unique style mixed with music seems to make an appealing blend and make a truly original film. It’s very bizarre and at parts I found myself unsure whether I was enjoying or feeling uncomfortable but overall I really enjoyed. I found myself singing ‘What’s this?’ for a day or so after.  

In short: A unique animation with some musical numbers.
Rating: 8/10

This week I would totally recommend watching Office Space, you won’t regret it! So that’s the round up. If you watch any of the films I’ve reviewed, let me know what you thought of them 🙂

ScarlettNight
ScarlettNight
I'm a movie lover of all genres, particularly comic book films, as well as some television shows such as Community. I enjoy fiction writing and blog writing and I sometimes dabble in reviews.

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