Latest Movie/DVD you've seen, and what would you rate it...

I fully agree with your review thin man's hat - I agreed with everything you wrote there, especially this part :

Without this knowledge that the book was about monsters or vampire/zombie like creatures, I went into the film thinking it was going to be a bit of an action/disaster movie, really in a similar vein to movies like Independence Day, or Deep Impact. This idea was based on what was shown in the trailers, particularly the action scenes of the city, the planes bombing bridges, and the frantic mob.

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It really was something different to what I expected as well.

thin man's hat said:

I Am Legend is an interesting movie. All the previews and trailers are a little bit cryptic, and dont really offer a lot about what the story or plot is. Apparently it is a remake of an old film, which was based on a book, which unbeknownst to me at the time of watching the film, is apparently widely recognised as one of the most influential horror novels of recent times.

Without this knowledge that the book was about monsters or vampire/zombie like creatures, I went into the film thinking it was going to be a bit of an action/disaster movie, really in a similar vein to movies like Independence Day, or Deep Impact. This idea was based on what was shown in the trailers, particularly the action scenes of the city, the planes bombing bridges, and the frantic mob.

This view was not really accurate. I Am Legend is really a horror movie. All of the setup and the story about Robert Neville being the last man on earth is really just a vehicle to provide the horror material. While I did have some preconceived ideas about the plot, I went into the film with quite an open mind. Had I been less open, I would have felt quite misled and ripped off to an extent, because I think the marketing of this movie is inaccurate. It really is just a horror movie.

The most disappointing thing is that the premise of the story - that almost all of the 6 billion humans on the planet are wiped out by a virus that mutated from a supposed cure for cancer - leads to plenty of interesting ideas and issues, but none of these are explored in any detail. The scenes that are shown about the 'past' (which is really set in about 2009, the majority of the film is set in 2012), are really interesting and pose many questions. How did this virus come about? What happened to make things go wrong? How did Robert Neville get through the initial onslaught? How did he set up his fortress? What is happening outside New York? All these issues would be enough to fill a whole movie in itself, and really I Am Legend could be a bit of a sequel, as the makers really leave the audience to assume a whole lot about what happened between the initial disaster and the time we begin following Neville.

The story that is followed, is not really well developed. We follow Neville on his day to day life in the new world, and watch his attempts to find a cure for the virus. We learn that he was a Colonel in the US Army, and had been charged with trying to deal with the problem in its early stages. His efforts to find a cure dont really get much attention, or go into much detail. Again, there is not much attention devoted to Neville's character development either. Really, it is all about the monsters.

While there are some flaws in the story development, and I was disappointed that it was not what I was expecting, the horror scenes are very well done. This movie is scary. And it is scary on a number of levels. It is scary due to the downright, in your face horror of watching Neville being chased by these monsters. But it is also scary due to what I think was the very real way in which it portrayed the world in a situation where things went bad. The film allows you to feel what it would be like if everything went bottoms up in a big way, and it does not leave you with a feeling of optimism. The film uses all the classic horror techniques to keep you on the edge of your seat, and there are plenty of times you will find yourself jumping.

I Am Legend has very impressive sound and visuals. The mutants emit a horrible screaming, groaning sound, and the animation is not too bad. The images of New York deserted and overgrown with weeds are quite spectacular, but some of the CGI of some animals looks a bit cheap.

All in all, I enjoyed the movie despite it not meeting my original expectations. There are so many issues that could have been explored but weren't, which is a bit disappointing, but maybe they could make a prequel to address some of these?



The Good

The horror scenes are really well done, this is a scary movie
Spectacular sound and visuals

The Not-so-good
Disappointing and under-developed plot
Many issues not addressed in detail, or at all
Did not reach potential

Score

6 out of 10 - not a bad film, but did not reach its potential

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Damn....did you write this...cause if you did you should consider a career in movie reviewing!!

Totally agree with all that was said. There do seem to be a lot of holes in the plot...but at the same time i think they leave it easy enough to assume what happened that you dont need to see the whole story!

I also agree with the fact that the trailers were misleading....I was also expecting a disaster movie!!

Benny J said:

Damn....did you write this...cause if you did you should consider a career in movie reviewing!!

Totally agree with all that was said. There do seem to be a lot of holes in the plot...but at the same time i think they leave it easy enough to assume what happened that you dont need to see the whole story!

I also agree with the fact that the trailers were misleading....I was also expecting a disaster movie!!

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I did write it, thanks for the compliment

I would like it if they did a prequel for this you know, I reckon there is a lot that could be explored

I am going to see I am Legend tonight......I hope it is better than a 6/10

Richo said:

I am going to see I am Legend tonight......I hope it is better than a 6/10

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It is good richo...but you will see what we mean after you watch it!!

Great review TMH. Another aspect gossed over in the movie was the relationship between the head zombie and Neville. The zombie started to copy and learn from Neville and then was more interested in getting his girl back than killing Neville yet that really didn't come through in the movie. I am going to read the book i think it will be a ripper.

ps is was published in about '54 so the story has stood the test of time.

Great review of I Am Legend mate. I went into the movie with a lot of back-knowledge of the story and its history. They definately left a lot of unanswered questions that they could have filled in considering the movie was quite short at 90mins. I didn't find it very scary at all except the very real state of mind Will Smith protrayed as the last man on earth. I think it was one of his best acting performances to date. Was an entertaining movie, but I was expecting more. The only moving I am looking forward to more than I Am Legend is Cloverfield and have been following it very closely since its inception. The trailers for it seem to be getting better, but I'm just hoping the monster looks cool and like something we've never seen before because by hiding it, it is what is going to make the movie I think.

I am legend is loosely based on Invasion... the one Nicole Kidman did..

for me, it's a good movie.. there are three kinds of movies that will make you rate highest. IMO. LOL

1. well-done, well-scripted, well-directed, well-acted movies.
2. the answer to all the riddles movies. &
3. define your answer movie

Godfather, the unforgiven, city of god, wizard of oz, Clockwork orange, .. they are awesome movies to watch... you get what they are made of.. what they are expected, and they will deliver from start to end.

Shawshank, sixth sense, fight club, shutter are the ones that will make your mind blows. the answer is finally in the end..

Pulp Fiction, Broken Flowers, No country for old men, I am legend is basically no 3 kind of a movie.. there may be no prequel or sequel, but there's something we can get and define on ourselves on moviegoer's imaginations.




The latest one i watched is

Eagle vs Shark..

8/10 for art direction.
7/10 for script
8/10 for acting

it is another beautiful movie from New Zealand, I really love it, a movie that contains all sort of modern film arts...fantastic stop-motion kinda movie.. love as much as whale rider and river queen....regarding scripts..

watched the latest disney/pixar movie Ratatouille last night, its pretty good. nothing new really though, its the same formula every movie, still enjoyable though. 8/10.

i watched the condemned last night with Stone Cold as the main actor. was actually better then i expected. cant say it was a great movie, but when you go to watch one of those movies expecting poor acting and cheesy lines it actually turned out not to bad.

Saw AVP Requiem the other day. Got exactly what I was expecting an absolute gorefest between the Aliens, Predator & Humans! Awesome kill scenes reminiscent of Bishops death scene in Aliens. Not even gonna give it a score because it doesn't matter, its AVP go and see it for the hell of it!

I am legend- not my cup of tea didnt care for at all

silence of the lambs- I know its not new but I finally saw it all at once (it has been edited television versions i have seen before and just bits and pieces) great flick

do yourself a favour and watch american gangster. denzel and crowe, what a potent combination

Just watched the first showing of Cloverfield and loved it! Not completely original, but more original and novel than most. Awesome settings with the devestated Manhatten and pretty good camera work regardless of the shaky style. I thought it lived up to the height! And the teaser trailer for Star Trek?!? WTF! Never like it but a new one done by JJ Abrams?!?! Might just have to see that too! 4/5

how long was cloverfield? I want to see it but hate super long movies

only 84mins, but it did seem a little longer.

westriot said:

do yourself a favour and watch american gangster. denzel and crowe, what a potent combination

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I am with you there. Great movie!!!

Ja$e said:

And the teaser trailer for Star Trek?!? WTF! Never like it but a new one done by JJ Abrams?!?! Might just have to see that too!

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I thought the same thing seeing the teaser this arvo. Sylar from Heroes as young Mr Spock!
Cloverfield is pretty good. I like the hand held feel, kinda like Blair Witch. The ending is a bummer but fulfilling at the same time.

Here is my review of American Gangster. Good movie...

Movie Review - American Gangster
Exactly how much truth is in American Gangster is the subject of much conjecture. A whole bunch of ex-cops have sued the film's producers for defamation, as a significant part of the film, which is supposedly 'based on a true story', involves exploring issues of corrupt police. There have been further claims that much of the material regarding Lucas' mode of operating have also been drawn into question. Regardless of how much truth there is in the film, it is an interesting and impressive work.

American Gangster tells the story of how Frank Lucas grew to be an incredibly successful drug dealer in Harlem in the 1960s and 1970s. Using a new model of cutting out the middle man, Lucas purchases heroin direct from the opium fields in Asia and sells it on the street. Lucas is portrayed as a strong willed chap who has a sense of some sort of social justice. He learnt a lot of his trade from his old boss 'Bumpy' Johnson, who was also heavily involved in organised crime. 'Bumpy' laments early in the piece that the sense of community in Harlem has eroded, and no one looks after each other anymore. It is interesting then, that Lucas is somewhat inspired to look after himself, his family, and his community, by selling heroin in the neighbourhood.

Washington is very smooth as Lucas. He captures a real passive-aggressiveness, and manages to bring some sense of morality and care to what is on face value a hard headed, uncaring, greedy character. In fact, Lucas as played by Washington is almost likeable. His scheme for importing the drugs, and his system of distribution and sale is impressive. He is thoughtful, he understands people, and he looks after his family. These are all good things. However, lurking below the surface is a sinister side, and Lucas is at times very brutal in his work.

Meanwhile, a young do-gooder cop named Richie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe, has been appointed to the federal drug teams trying to break the flourishing drug trade. Crowe's performance is not as slick as Washington's, but he certainly seems to fit into the era very well. Roberts has a chip on his shoulder, as his ex-partner OD's on Lucas' 'Blue Magic'. Roberts, and seemingly the entire law enforcement community, has no idea who is distributing Blue Magic, and the story follows Roberts' investigations which eventually bring down Lucas.

American Gangster is a very good story. Lucas and Roberts are very interesting characters, with lots of tensions internally, and also between themselves. Lucas can seem kind and caring, but also hard, violent and cocky. Roberts is a very dedicated to his work, but is a hopeless family man. He also faces difficulty within the police, as corrupt officers (or at least 'not quite as honest' officers) do not trust him, and are openly hostile towards him.

The scenery and sounds of this movie are great. While I was not around in 1970s Harlem, the film seems to portray a very real picture. The sound in the movie is incredible, one of my favorite things about the movie. There is good use of music and the environments really come to life with good attention to detail. Cars, trains, people, all sound great, and you really feel like you are in the middle of it all. Also, the scenes from the far East are well done, portraying the hustle and the bustle of Bangkok (I think) and also the contrasting peacefulness and beauty of the opium fields.

Something that I was not a huge fan of in this movie was a lot of the up close, in your face scenes of heroin use. I suppose you have to expect a bit of it in a movie like this, but it seemed to get to a point where it was just too much. If you are squeamish, you probably wont enjoy the scenes of people pulling the belt tight over their arm. But this sort of disturbing, confronting image lends depth to the character of Lucas and the dark world he inhabits.

American Gangster is a long movie. But it is the sort of movie where you dont realise how much time has gone by. It covers a few years, and really draws you in to the story. Some people have compared it to the Godfather, and I think it is a fair comparison. There are certainly some parallels between Frank Lucas and Don Corleone. The supporting cast do a very good job of creating the feeling of 'the family' and the tensions between rival gangs. I think that comparisons to the Godfather are probably more appropriate to this film, than comparisons to Frank Lucas' real life. The film is apparently inspired by an interview with Frank Lucas from 2000. In reading this article, you get the sense that Lucas is not really much like the Denzel version. It is apparent that Lucas enjoyed the infamy that his story brought him, and thus you have to wonder how much truth there is to it.



Overall, this was a very entertaining movie. The performances are strong, and the story is very good - who cares if it is true or not. I think that 'thought-provoking' is not quite the right description, but American Gangster does make you think a bit. There are a lot of ethical questions involved in the way Lucas does his business and in Roberts' approach to his career, and there are questions of what is the greater good what is really important in life?

The Good

The story, the acting, the scenery.

The Bad

The in your face scenes of heroin use, Russell Crowe's US accent (at times)

Score

8 out of 10. It will probably win some Oscars, and is certainly an entertaining movie.

Saw Juno today and it is great. Lovable characters, great script & dialogue! Very funny, classic one liners, along the line of other quirky comedies like Napolean Dynamite, Chumscrubber, Thumbsucker etc. 4/5