James Cameron returns after 12 years to bring back science fiction to a whole new futuristic level full of amazing visuals in this sci/fi epic called Avatar. Avatar takes place in the not too distant future where a paralyzed ex-marine named Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington) gets called to help the military with a mission on a planet called Pandora. The military gives Jake the chance to get his legs back by going undercover as an avatar to get in with these creatures called the Navi by leading them to death. As Jake is with the Navi, he meets a Navi warrior named Nyterri (Zoe Saldana) who teaches him their ways of their tribe. Later on, Jake falls in love with Nyterri while the military discovers that Jake has betrayed his own kind. Jake starts an all out war with the military where he must fight with his new race to save their existance.
Avatar is one of the best films I've seen in 2009. It's James Cameron best work since Titanic. Avatar goes beyond anything you've ever seen before. Avatar is the best concept that I've ever heard in science fiction. I found it extremely moving. The way James Cameron comes up with these things is amazing. The art & score in this film is beautiful. Those two subjects are glorious in which carries the whole film. Everything in this film is realistic which made it great & fun to watch. The characters were outstanding with very good dialogue. I was shocked with a run-time this big for this film would have such a fast-pace. From the start, you get right into the action as Jake gets right to the mission to explore a fantasy world. Avatar is just exciting as the film takes you on a ride through a planet that hooks to you where you can't take your eyes off the screen. I didn't get to see this film in 3-D but I'm sure its just as good as 2-D. The film has moments of gripping adventure & epic action sequences that will blow you away. When the action comes, its fast & furious where its a blast to experience. The ending battle sequence is adrenaline rush that you can't get enough where you keep begging for more. It's filled with everything that you could possibly want in a battle featuring heart stopping gunfights, high octane explosions, flying ships & robots with high amunition, & bow arrow fights. All the characters makes this film great * worth watching with their believable roles they take on. The film has a number of great actors including some lengendary ones like "Aliens" Sigorney Weaver & the hostile Stephen Lang.
The one that did the best job I think was Austrailian Sam Worthington who portrayed Jake Sulley. This dude gets better & better in every film he stars in. Sam was good in Terminator Salvation but was a little off in some lines. In Avatar he's close to perfection where he takes on an english accent that makes him seem American. Sam even kicks more butt this time around making him seem closer & closer to one of the best action stars out there. I can't wait to see him in his next starring role in Clash of Titans. I have a big feeling that Sam is going to very big in the future. Hope he reaches that goal.
Zoe Saldana is the next best who played Nyterri. I tell ya this actress is very talented in everything she does. In every film I've seen her in, she doesn't disappoint as she makes her films entertaining by watching her act. She is a beauiful african american woman who takes on a different language in here making it seem very believable in her own way. I was amazed of the way she spoke the language. That shows me that Zoe can do anything she sets her mind on. Hope to see her in more starring roles. Zoe has a big future in movie business heading towards her. To tell you the truth, I feel she is already there, she's that good. Everyone else is good too in their performances but I think those two stood out more.
Overall, Avatar is worth the price of admission where you won't want a refund. I don't know what to tell ya about the 3-D version but I'm sure its just amazing as I said before. So if you in great film-making sci/fi/action/adventure this is right up your alley. Grab some popcorn & strap yourselves down & enjoy a ride that you won't soon forget. Avatar is a pure of heart sci/fi epic advenure with fascinating concept filled with wonderful performances & plenty of epic action sequences that will leave you breathless that you want to experience all over again.
Daybreakers is a new fresh take on the vampire genre. It's 2019 & almost everyone is a vampire. The vampires have been stuggling to survive for their shortage dose of blood. A company that farms humans for blood run by a wealthy & powerful vampire leader named Charles Bromley (Sam Neill) sends his military vampire unit into the night to capture humans & drain their blood so that the vampire population will remain left alive. If the vampire's don't get enough blood in time, they will transform into bloodsucking monsters called Subsiders. Meanwhile, a young vampire hemotoligist named Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) has been trying to find a cure to end being a vampire. Later on, Edward comes across a two vampire hunters named Elvis (Willem Dafoe) who once was a vampire but found a way to change hisself back into human & his trusted sidekick named Audrey (Claudia Karvan). Together, Edward, Elvis, & Audrey race against time to fetch out the cure to save the human race in a battle between immortality & humanity.
Daybreakers brings back the horror in vampires that we've missed. Move over Twilight, theirs a new & better breed of vampire film come to knock you off the chart. I've been so tired of seeing vampire's sparkle when sunlight hits them, no offense Twilight fans. Vampires are mean't to disintigrate by ash which makes it more realistic where they fear the light. Thats just the way vampires are made & that should never be changed. Now on to the film, I thought Daybreakers was really good. I didn't really expect much from this coming out in a January release because most movies that come in that month are not that good but for Daybreakers it succeeded my expectations. Even though I wanted to see it, Daybreakers really suprised me by how good it turned out being low budget & all. The premise was well written with alot of potential to make this a classic vampire film. Unfortunately, Daybreakers fails on those terms where the second half of the script was changed. Instead of going all the way with scientific meaning they finished it off with action/horror elements which I thought kinda messed the movie up for me because i was dying to see how things turned out for the vampires. If they just stuck with one genre instead of mixing everything else into one, it would've turned out great. Daybreakers is still a fun & entertaining energetic ride that has enough to enjoy. The films run-time was just right I think. It was kinda slow in parts but didn't bother me because I found those parts quite interesting. The first 30 seconds into the movie draws you in where you will witness one of fastest scares ever seen on screen. I admit, I jumped up when that happened & still think I would when I see it again & again. There's no way you could see it coming as the sound screams putting you in full of fear. Throughout, the sounds raise high note that keeps your heart pumping. I loved the way this film looked. It had a dark atmospheric blue/white mood to it that made it more frightening & exciting to watch. I think the picture is what made me enjoy it more. Horror fans will be very pleased that their is enough blood/gore here involving decapitations, burnt flesh, exploding bodies, & just enough bloody violence to keep you satisfied. There's alot of people saying that they thought that Daybreakers needed more blood but I don't think so. I think it had enough where it almost went on a overkill with the gore at the end. Thats where most of the gore takes place which almost made me sick but still enjoyed it. Oh & be warned that their is one cool death scene that isn't easy to watch but its one of the most goriest kill scenes I've ever seen in a horror film. When the cure came in, I didn't really have a problem with it because It was something new & also thought it could be possible to work. I didn't really have any doubts about how the acting was going to be in this movie. I will say i was impressed of how much of these actors have come along in their careers. Ethan Hawke pretty much stole show for me. I think he's the only actor that could play a vampire for his part. Ethan looked like he had fun with his character while taking it a bit serious at times. This is a mjor comeback for Ethan & its good to have him back. Hope to see him play in more like this one. Second actor that I thought was good was the lengendary Sam Neill. Man, Sam is terrific & ceases to impress me in anything he takes on. I wish he was on screen more in his film because his presence was very powerful like it always is. Sam don't go away, you stay in movie business & you'll be on top of the list, welcome back. Final actor that I liked was Willem Dafoe. When Willem approcahed the screen I didn't expect much from him since I didn't know how he was in these kinda roles. Let me tell ya, Willem entertained the crap out of me with his funny lines & the way he curses. He used the F-word I don't know how many times. As much as he cursed, Willem still shines with his character especially when he takes action with his crossbow making him look badass vampire slayer. For the rest of the cast I can't say much because I really don't know them very well but I thought they were decent. Michael Dorman who played Frankie, Ethan's brother, I can honestly say I can see a future for him in acting. I thought he was pretty darn good. I think the least out of the bunch was Isabel Lucas. She's smokin hot & beautiful teenager actress & I know she's played in some films but here she just wasn't good for me. Even though she didn't have much screen time her presence was just terrible with nothing fresh about her. I thought her acting was way off like when she was trying to witness to her crew that she was surrounded & was being hunted, it didn't feel like she was frightened, It seemed like she was getting ready for that line waiting to happen. I think she can do better in more films because she's just now starting but if she continues to mess up like she did in this one, she needs to find another profession. Overall, Daybreakers is worth the time & money to go & experience. It's especially for vampire lovers & gorehounds. If you like action, sadly you'll be disappointed. Daybreakers is not nonstop action which I know everyone expects it to be. However their is one big action sequence involving a car chase shootout that was well shot. Oh & another thing, if your going to have a climax where it builds up to be a big action set piece, please finish the rest of it. I was getting pumped & ready to see an explosive showdown but instead it stops with barely anything exciting happening. I thought the ending was really lame at that. Other than the terrible ending, you still are in a treat throughout the film with plenty to go around. Daybreakers also offers a sequel coming from the ending. I really don't see it happening in which this looks like its just going to keep going on with no changes. Daybreakers is a popcorn film thats sure to entertain no matter how you think it might turn out. I hope to own it to my horror collection when it hits shelves. So go out & have yourselves a bloody good time. Daybreakers is an exciting smart vampire scifi/horror film filled with good character development, gushes of bloody violent sequences mixed in with some good well executed action that was close to being perfect but failed by not having more going for it. I still give Daybreakers 4 stars for the comeback of vampires & being a fun entertaining horror movie, nothing more & nothing less.
The Book of Eli stars Denzel Washington portraying a lone warrior named Eli who is being led by God on a mission for 31 years in an apocalyptic world to deliver a book that's earth's last key of survival. On Eli's quest, he comes face to face with cannibals, rapists, & thugs who are just asking for trouble. Quickly Eli despenses them in killing them off one by one by using weapons of combat & martial art fighting skills. Later on, Eli heads to a town where an outlaw named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) & his gunmen featuring (Ray Stevenson) who have been searching for Eli's book that wants possesion of it's power. Carnegie makes an offer to Eli to join him by handing over the book so they can rule the world together but Eli refuses & makes matters worse for him as Canegie threatens to kill him. Now, Carneigie wants Eli's head where he ends up hunting him down everywhere he goes till he gets the book. Eli must do whatevers necessary by fighting to keep the book safe from Carnegie & make sure he reaches the destination before time runs out.
I just got back from a screening of The Book of Eli & it was totally awesome. From the trailer's, I thought it wasn't going to be that great or have alot going for it but I tell ya after it was over, this film became on my top list. i felt real inspired by the events that took place in the film such as the engaging plot, thrilling action, & wonderful acting. I loved the stylish look of the film which I thought made it that much more fun to watch. Like the way the Directors used that certain use of color to make the world to make it look dark & scary b/c the world might look like that way one day in a wasteland. From the start The Book of Eli pulls you in to the story by gripping you as you go on an exciting adventure with Eli on a quest for survival. I was really surprised of how much enjoyed this film. I didn't think it was going to have alot of action but it did & it was nonstop pretty much all the way through as you see Denzel kick butt through explosive shootouts, brutal killing with a machete & bow & arrows. This film brought a mix of genres into one where one point it feels like a road film,western with guns blazing, & superhero film which I thought made the film better to watch. There's also alot of shocks in this film. There was two in the very begining where a cat comes in & Denzel nails with his crossbow. It went through slow-motion style & then let loose fast into & killed the cat. So cat lovers will be slightly hurt b/c of that part. The last shocker was Eli surrounded by these cannibals & one of them comes up & touches Eli & Eli warns that guy not to touch him again or he wont get it back. Out of nowhere, he brings his machete up real fast & slices his hand clear off. Man, I wasn't expecting that at all. I was surprised of how violent this film was considering the fact of the rating. Its rated R for some brutal violence & language. I really think they messed up that part b/c theres gore to b ehad here also. The movie should of been just brutal violence instead of just some. Thats why I wasn't too sure if this movie was going to have alot of action/violence b/c of rating. Anyway, I can tell ya its violent enough where you see hands & heads severed, bloody shots, grisly images, sexual & rape scene, quite a bit of strong profanity. The Book of Eli is also very entertaining so you don't have to be worried bout being through boredom. The film was almost perfect in my opinion if only they only put more thought in the premise. In the third act, it becomes to slow down a bit & reveals a twist that you don't see coming asking yourself "what the heck is going on?" where things don't quite don't add up making it seem impossible. The twist still shocked me but I was hoping that it would have more to it than what they gave us but I thought i was still satisfying. It's different in a case that i haven't heard before but in a good way though making it intriguing. I just wish the twist was very unique & intelligent but no movie is perfect so I guess thats why they through that in there but I still liked how it worked out. Oh & after you watch this film, you may want answers to questions that were left unanswered throughout the film. So the film is not without it's flaws but what movie isn't.
The one thing I enjoyed most about this film was the acting that came by surprise from everyone on screen. I can tell ya that Denzel stole the show 100%. Denzel gives the best performace of his career there was no doubt in my mind that he was going to succeed through his acting ability b/c he's always great on screen, doesnt matter wat he takes on. he really kicks butt in this one. it was good to see denzel take on something different & he did exceptiionally well with it. like to see him take on more roles like this one.
Gary Oldman is who came in second for me with his great performance taking on a psychotic bad guy. Gary went over the top sometimes just like he always does on a character like this. He's really good at it though. I enjoyed his character of how abusive & hardcore he was. I have to say that this is his best performace I've seen by him. Gary did what he had to do & that was make the audience dig what he had to offer which was entertaining.
Mila Kunis has came along ways from her acting skills. Mila is really on target here as she plays herself as a sexy & stunning character. I admit from seeing her in her last action flick Max Payne, I thought she wasn't too good so I thought could she be the same way here. Nope, she wasn't. Mila gives the best performace of her career also where she shows the audience that she has star power willing to do anything when she sets her mind on to it. This was a very good start for her. Hope Mila keeps it going b/c I have a feeling if she does, she's going to be a very good actress one day. She just needs to keep doing way she's doing & she'll get there where everyone will be a fan of hers which by this film they already are.
Lastly but certainly not least is the biggest surprise in the film, Ray Stevenson. Witnessing Ray in Punisher War Zone, I knew he had acting skills but wasn't sure if he was quite there yet realizing that that was his first American film. Ray starring in this changed my mind about the subject as he brings a fresh new taste to his acting where he gets more lines than his last film. I can tell ya, that Ray is on his way to Hollywood being a talented actor. It was good to see him talk more & above everything else stick with the action genre which suits him well. Ray kicked butt in this film hunting down Eli with automatic machine guns & his character was so believalbe of how he was risking to get what he wanted. Hope to see Ray stay with the genre of action & take on a role where he's the lead actor & see just what he can do to make up for the Punisher role giving more lines & embrassing the audience with his phenomal acting ability.
There were more actors that gave into their characters but they had smaller roles like the sexy Jennifer Beals that we haven't seen in a long time playing a belivible blind woman who was really good. Her heart was set on emotion for her daughter doing everything to protect her from Gary.
Michael Gambon who we haven't seen play in a film like this was given probably one of the smallest roles of the film that gives a surprisngly appearence. While Michael was on screen he was cool & funny with jokes making the audience dig his character.
Michael McDowell was only at the end who didn't really do much with his character so I couldn't really get into him as much as the others.
Overall, The Book of Eli is fantastic piece of filmaking with great acting, score & action. This film is especially very good movie for Christians if they can handle quite a bit of violence & language. It asks you about faith & how you think the world will be with it against good vs. evil. So if your into religion, breathtaking action or just want to be entertained. I recommend you go see this. To me, I think everyone will dig this film as it brings something new to the table with its twist. The Book of Eli is a breath of fresh air to kick off action films for 2010. The Book of eli is sensational, visually stunning, action-packed, engaing, & well made film. I give The Book of Eli 4 1/2 star for being the closet film to perfection.
Eli: They will kill to have it but i will kill to protect it.
Legion is an supernatural action/horror/thriller about God given up on humanity where he's tired of everybody sinning. God decides to wipe out the world for the second time. Michael (Paul Bettany), an arcangel of God doesn't like the idea so he falls from the heavens to protect the human race. When Michael arrives down on earth, he cuts off his wings & starts rounding up his weapons to begin his search for a woman who goes by the name of Charlie who is pregnant with the messiah, the savior of mankind. Michael finds a truck stop diner where Charlie is & a few other survivors that features (Denis Quaid) & (Tyrese Gibson) but some are not left alive. Michael notices that someone else has gotten to Charlie first. Thats when God sends his legion of angels to hunt down Michael & the humans. Michael is the worlds only hope for survival.
Legion was better than expected. From the trailers making it seem mediocre low budget, it was far from it. I found Legion to be hardcore intense supernatural action-packed ride. Legion seemed like a mix between Terminator meets the.Prophecy. You will probably agree with me on that as you witness Paul Bettany's character Michael fall from the heavens on a mission to protect a woman who is given birth to her unborn child who is supposely to be a leader for the future of the human race to go on. So Legion turns out to be Terminator with a biblical plague. Legion has dark tone that was just right for the film. The score was scary at times. There were just a couple of things that I wasn't satisfired with. First, is the plot area. Having viewed from the trailer, I noticed that the story was unexplained. When watching the film, I thought everything would come together. Unfortunately, it fails to do so. Everything in here was just so confusing & just plain dumb. Alot of unanswered questions that I was waiting for to be answered but they never were. Even though, the story was stupid, I still liked it. Legion is what we go to the movies for & that is to be entertained with excitement. The last problem I had with Legion was the rating. It's rated R for strong bloody violence & language. Okay, I get the language part because it had enough F-bombs for an R but bloody violence come on. I mean their were scenes with rarely any blood. The film was big on action than violence if you ask me that could've easily got away with a PG-13 if it hadn't been for the language. All, you can really go for in this is action sequences, effects, & acting which were all great.
The action in Legion notches high. Even though the action wasn't nonstop, it still fired with intensity involving gunfights, explosions, & a kick ass fight scene that you don't wont to miss. I had to favorite action scenes. One was in like 30 minutes in the movie where Michael & survivors were up on the roof of the diner shooting heavily protecting theirselves from the possessed. That sequence was a good 5-10 minutes long which was explosive & exciting.
Next, was the fight between Michael & Gabriel. That had to be the highlight of the film if you ask me. You witnessing them beating the heck out of each other using weaponry & massive fighting skills. That scene alone was epic for me unlike anything I have ever seen. I mean how often do we get to see angels battling it out? highly unlikely.
The CGI effects were the best I've seen in action film yet. Using effect on the angel wings were done nicely that made it seem very close to realistic. There were also some cool effects as the humans were being possesed that looked matirx style as an agent shifting to a human. I thought that was pretty narly. The cretaure effects were creepy enough to get the audience jumping out of their seats. The Ice cream dude that ws played by Doug Jones was really freaky as he flexed his body shifting hisself into some sort of spider looking thing. Psychotic Grandma was freaky climbing up on the celing. She had to give me cringes more than than the Ice Cream man. Maybe it was because I saw her side has a monster & got to see more of her. Anyway the effects made the film I thought that gave it a kick for the audience to cheer while being excited & scared out of their wits.
I do have to admit I was really suprised by the twist at the end that was very unpredicatable that I didn't see coming. The twist changes the whole aspect of the story, I felt that it made the film seem better. Even though the story was dumb & didn't make any sense, somehow I was really drawn into it by being entertained all the way through. There were some parts in towards the middle that dragged which you get to hear about the characters talking about their problems that I found interesting. I was really inpressed how much fun I had watching Legion. I never thought I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. From the start it gets right to the point & you just have a blast with it. Legion is one of those films that you don't care for story just go for what it has to offer. Now, for the biggest surpirse in Legion was the wonderful acting. Everyone was believable with their parts that had me drawn into them with their funny lines that were given & seriousness.
The one actor who stole the show for me was Mr. Paul bettany. As soon as he was on screen, you really get into his character with how serious he takes this film to make his own. I think this is Paul's first starring role as an action hero & he did great. Paul accomplishes everything an action hero would do & that is giving you a good show watching him kick ass & he kicks a ton in this. Hope that Paul takes on more roles like this in the future because I think they suit him very well. Paul keep it up & you will be at the top of action stars.
Dennis Quaid is the second best. From witnessing Dennis in G.i. Joe which was painfully bad acting on his part, I thought he was going to fail here as well. Unfortunately he took me by surprise by entertaining me with his awesome character. Dennis gets kinda drunk & out of of control which is funny & great because he had me rooting for him of how believable he was. Dennis takes action in some scenes using a pump shotgun to protect everyone with. Dennis has been out of action for while so it was nice to see him back in it. This is the Dennis Quaid I have missed & I'm glad he's back to his ole self & hope he stays that way so he can live on & one of the best actors out there.
Rising singer actor star Tyrese Gibson was really good as always. For me, this is his best performance I've seen by him. From the first time he makes apparence, he had me into his character by giving a powerful performance. I just love to see Tyrese in these action films where he takes charge. I'm so glad he's sticking with the genre because he was made for it & does very well everytime he participates in them. Tyrese also had a couple of scenes where he lets his badass character out with a vengence. Tyrese is defenitly made for the action type & acting given. By witnessing Tyrese in this, he has proved to me that he has what it takes to go all the way by reaching standards of great acting, Thats why he's on my top because he always brings everything to the table that really impresses me everytime I see him on screen.
The sexy & beautiful Adrianne Palicki was good also. I'm not really familiar with Adrianne but I found her to be quite a lead actress in here. She was believable as a pregnant woman but I had a small problem with her smoking. It seemed to me that she didn't care for her unborn child. I would love to see her star in more films & hope to see her step up her acting skills even higher next time.
Young Lucas Black had to be the one that really took me by surprise that gave a standout performance. From witnessing his acting Tokyo Drift, I thought he was alright because it seemed he didn't have much to work with. In Legion, he shines showing everyone that he is made for acting. Lucas was believable as son to Dennis Quaid & using emotional moments towards his character. I found that to be so belivable which I thought was going to be hard to come by for him but he ceased to impress me by it. I enjoyed Lucas in this giving everytime he had. I feel Lucas has a big future awiating of him in the future.
Charles S. Dutton had a small part but he was good. Glad to see Charles back in films. He's been out of them for so long. I think the last film he was in was 97's Mimic. Man, thats been way too long. Witnessing him on the trailer, I didn't think he was going to do good where he's been away from the acting business. Well, Charles doesn't disappoint. He really shocked me with his performace as a owner of the diner. Charles also is quite funny that had me laughing & excited a few times. I loved the part where Charles through a pan towards the Granny's head & broke her neck. I thought that was awesome. Never thought I would see something like that from him. Gave me qutie a shock of how cool Charles character came to be. Glad to have you back Charles. Don't go anywhere because you are exactly where you need to be.
The weakest of the lot was Kevin Durand. I say this because he doesn't come in till the last 30 mins of the movie. I've seen Kevin Durand in some films & found him quite good but in here he's just so cheesy using a british accent trying to match up with Pauls'. Sorry to say Kevin your not even close to Pauls' level. I did like seeing Kevin kick butt using his deadly angel wings & mace. I thought that was pretty cool but when he talks, its like ahhh want you to shut up. Kevin was better off just not saying a word. If you would've not talked I might've liked him better but he didn't so he sucked. One piece of advice Kevin, don't try to take on other languages in films, it doesn't work for ya. If you just stick to english you be better off.
Overall, Legion is worth checking out. To me, I think everyone should see it mostly for the fun share of joy it brings. I think you'll have a good time watching it just as I did. I know straight up that you'll be engaged by the intense action sequences that are very thrilling to watch. If your a fan of religion, fantasy, action/horor you should be satisfred for the most part. If you can just turn your brain off for a 100 minutes you should be good. Legion is mindless action packed fun from begining to end with a horrible story but everything makes up for it. I have to give Legion 3 1/2 stars for keeping me satisfired by being a really good cool supernatural action/horror popcorn blockbuster entertainer.