My Favorite Movies

A few months ago when I saw the 1st pictures of this production, I was a bit worried. Being a Frank Miller fan, the pictures looked disappointing. Another worrying fact was that the director had only 1 movie under his belt. All of this changed when I saw the trailer. This movie had a lot of potential to be a disaster (or in true Spartan fashion, to come home with its shield or on it) but in the careful hands of Zack Snyder, and the help of creator Frank Miller, turned into one of the most thrilling rides you'll ever experience.

First of all, though I'm a history buff, this movie never made the claim to be historically accurate. If that's what you're looking for, go read a book about the Battle of Thermopylae. But if you want to see a great action movie, this is it. This movie is style over substance; "300" takes a HUGE artistic license on the accounts of the Battle of Thermopylae and turns it into a visual feast. Snyder went to painstaking extremes to be faithful to Miller's vision and succeeded greatly. This film captures Frank Miller's look AND feel of his graphic novel.

The color palette gave a distinctive look to the movie that enhanced & enriched it vastly. The art direction was superb, as was the minimalistic costume design. The crimson capes the Spartans wore made such a contrast with the sepia backgrounds that it made them stand out even more. The VFX are top notch, you know they're there but are not distracted by them at all.

Music wise, I wasn't expecting much. Boy, am I glad I was utterly wrong. The same haunting music used for the trailer made its way to the final product. The already impressive action scenes were enhanced by an awesome sound score. Like its visual counterpart, the sound score is loud, aggressive, and testosterone ridden.

Speaking of aggression and testosterone, the action scenes have plenty of both. The fighting choreographies are beautifully directed & edited. Very worthy of the lean mean fighting machine the Spartans were. A minor detail that caught my eye was that the way blood was portrayed on the screen gave it a comic book quality. I'm not talking "Kill Bill" here but it sure looks stylized. Call me morbid or worse but I loved that look.

And last but not least, David Wenham's narration. Perfect delivery of his lines that elevated some scenes, making more memorable than they already were. A few cheesy lines but hey, it's a freakin' movie adaptation from a Frank Miller book.

Overall, AWESOME movie that delivers the goods; pleasing both the casual fan AND the hardcore fan that has previous knowledge of the book. Highly recommended, two thumbs up.

P.S. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

How can I begin to to describe the genius behind this movie? Thought provoking, this movie grabs your senses by assault. If you haven't seen it, run to your nearest video club and rent it.

This is one of those rare cases that the sequel is as good (I won't say better because the comparison is unfair; one being suspense/horror and the other action) as the original. Another classic 80's macho movie. Good casting, great cinematography, awesome action and of course LOTS of aliens. Kudos to Mr. Cameron.

How could you not love Amélie with all her quirkiness? Great comedy that with a touch of magic realism delivers a heartwarming story. Audrey Tautou is perfectly cast as the title character and the cinematography is great. Don't miss it.

BEAUTIFUL!!! One of the finest animated movies ever and the ONLY one ever nominated for Best Picture. Classic story combined with jaw-dropping animation. Thank God for the Platinum Edition so now we can watch every frame in glorious detail and listen to the soundscore with crystal clear precision. One of my favorite animated movies (YEAH, I'm a guy so what?), it brings out the kid in all of us. If it doesn't, well, you're dead inside.

THIS is the definition of epic!!! Truly a masterpiece by any standards, this movie has a little bit of everything for everyone. Drama, action, romance, suspense...you name it, they got it. Charlton Heston, in arguably his finest performance, commands such presence on the screen that you forget about everyone else. The sheer scope of this movie is awesome. It justly deserved every Academy Award it was bestowed. The SFX, costumes, sound score, acting; everything is flawless. The chariot scene is one of the most memorable scenes ever filmed. This is cinema at its best.

If you're reading this and haven't seen this film, get up, run to the nearest video club and rent it. Words cannot describe how powerful this movie is.

A few years ago, a barely known vampire hunter brought back comic book movies to the big screen. After that, Marvel's ragtag bunch of mutant outcasts made comic book movies profitable again. And then "Spider-Man" came out and threw superheroes into stardom.

DC Comics took a hint and in 2005 the Caped Crusader got the treatment he deserved. We got thrown into a dirty & realistic version of Gotham City unlike any seen before on the silver screen. We saw Bruce Wayne mature and become the Batman; though this Batman was way more darker than previous incarnations. He was more of a terrorist than a hero. In short, he truly became the Dark Knight (pardon the pun).

So "Batman Begins" went on to being considered one of the best comic books movies of all time and the finest interpretation of Batman so far. Now the question that begged to be asked; could a sequel top it? And after that cliffhanger ending, can the Joker be brought to life and rival Jack Nicholson's portrayal? After 3 years of speculation, fans arguing about the casting of the Joker, etc we get the answer to the question. Hell yes!!!

Under Construction...

I stumbled upon this movie by chance. After a couple of people recommended it to me, I decided to give it a chance. Hey, it's Christian Bale after all.
Oh my God!!! This is one of the best sci-fi/action movies I've seen in years. The plot is not comlepletely original but it's great nonetheless. The action scenes & choreographies blew me away. The concept of the gun-kata was very cool. For an independent movie, the VFX are pretty impressive. If you like "Blade Runner" and "The Matrix", do not miss this movie. Highly recommended.

With John Woo behind the camera and John Travolta & Nicholas Cage as leading men, what can go wrong? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Barely known to American audiences, Woo cemented his reputation as THE action movie director; something his Asian & European fans already knew. With his dynamic & fast paced style, Woo delighted us with one of the best action movies EVER. The story is awesome, the chemistry between both protagonists is great and the action scenes are akin to poetry. YES, POETRY!!! Who would've thought about shooting in slow motion a kid listening to his headphones in the middle of a shootout?!?! A genius, that's who. There are so many cool things about this movie I can't begin to describe them. If you haven't seen it, run to the nearest video store and BUY it; don't rent it...BUY IT. It's THAT good.

Another great flick by Luc Besson. Crazy sci-fi film with enough known faces to pick the curiosity of enough people. Cool story, jaw dropping visuals & SFX, it's one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time. The visual style of this movie is beautiful & ecclectic; almost becoming another character. Overall, solid sci-fi/action flick with enough of everything for everyone.

If your reading this because you haven't seen it, how can you call yourself a movie fan? Arguably the best movie ever made, this movie is a gem by any standards. From the brilliant performances by all the cast members (main & supporting) to the flawless directing job Mr. Coppola did, this is more than a movie; it's an experience. The soundscore, art production, editing...in short, everything is perfect. If you haven't seen it, you should be sleeping with the fishes.

What can I say about this movie that hasn't been said already? Hailed as one of the best movies ever, it's as good or even better than the original. It chronicles the struggle of Michael as head of 2 families and to top that, it also portrays the rise to power of his father, Don Vito Corleone. Great casting, superb acting, incredible cinematography, beautiful sound score, flawless directing by Francis Ford Coppola and much more. This is an offer you can't refuse.

Michael Mann at his best. From the incredibly talented cast to the well crafted action scenes. Intelligent and beautifully paced crime thriller that makes your jaw drop. Though every actor in this movie is great, there's no doubt that it belongs to both Robert DeNiro & Al Pacino. Their famous face-to-face is priceless. Last but not least, the sound score is great.

ART!!! That's the best word to describe this movie. Great story, superb cinematography, haunting sound score, awesome fight sequences, and more. You could teach art classes with this movie; this is akin to visual poetry. Don't miss it.

As always, Luc Besson doing what he does best, great movies. Jean Reno in the role of a lifetime, Gary Oldman is superb as the corrupt DEA officer, but the real star of this movie is 13 years old Natalie Portman as Matilda. Good story, great casting, solid acting and awesome action sequences. A must have.

Modern masterpiece. Roberto Benigni is such a genius that he makes us laugh at something that's not funny WITHOUT disrespecting the memory of all the victims of the Holocaust. Beautiful movie.

Breathtaking!!! From the majestic opening sequence to the jaw dropping stampede scene, this movie is a jewel. Far superior to some (I'd say A LOT!!!) 3D animated movies that studios have fallen in love lately. This flick is full of heart and has a little bit of everything for everyone. Great plot, beautiful soundscore and some of the best traditional animation ever make "The Lion King" the crowning jewel of Disney.

I was skeptical to watch this film because I don't like the sword & sorcery genre and used to work at Borders so I was kinda sick of LOTR. Boy was I wrong. This movie is great by all standards; production, directing, sound score, VFX, etc. The attention paid to every little detail is astounding. People say this is the weakest installment of the trilogy because it's "slow"; I call it character development. This is a modern masterpiece and a major achievement in cinema. Truly a landmark film, highly recommended.

Masterpiece. Plain and simple. Compeling story with clever twists that'll make you suspect from every character and make your jaw drop. Gastón Pauls is great as young & naive Juan, but the movie belongs to Ricardo Darín; proving himself once again as one of the finest actors in Latin America. If you're looking for a con movie as good as "The Sting" look no further, this is a worthy heir.

P.S. Don't even bother watching "Matchstick Men" or "Criminal" ("Nine Queens" remake).

Classic 80's macho movie. Big guys, big guns and BIG freaking alien. Hats off to Stan Winston for creating one of the coolest characters in cinema. Thumbs up.

SUPERB!!! One of the finest crime movie in years. Tarantino came out of nowhere with this film and established a style that would be imitated throughout the following years. The cast is priceless, the acting is great, and the directing is awesome. The plot is great and the storytelling is incredible. Hats off to Mr. Tarantino.

For me, crime/drama doesn't get any better than "Se7en". This is as good as it gets. Morgan Freeman at the top of his game as Sommerset, Brad Pitt is okay; but Spacey...OH MY GOD!!! Not since Anthony Hopkins chilling depiction of Dr. Lecter a villian had been as demented & disturbing. And he's no more than 10 minutes in the film. And last but not least, David Finch does a superb job directing.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate...leads to suffering".

-Master Yoda

"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father".

-Lord Darth Vader

"I am a Jedi; like my father before me".

-Luke Skywalker

Classic story, great characters and superb animation. Perfect blend of traditional 2D animation with CGI. The jungle literally comes to life before your eyes. Oh, and some guy named Phil Collins wrote the soundtrack.

One of the coolest movies ever made. This is one of those rare exceptions to the Sequel Syndrome; this sequel is better than the original. FAR superior to the original. Though the SFX look dated by today standards, it was cutting edge back then. Clever story, great acting and awesome action scenes, this is a landmark action & sci-fi film. James Cameron really knows his craft. This movie gave us a some of the most memorable lines in cinema, along with one of the coolest villians that has ever graced the silver screen. Hasta la vista, baby!!!

I'm a military enthusiast, especially when it comes to combat aircraft, so this movie is a guilty pleasure of mine. This movie is a classic so I don't even have to write a review; if you call yourself a movie fan and haven't seen this, shame on you. Classic 80's macho movie, thumbs up.

P.S. I feel the need, the need for speed.

Brutal yet powerful look at the drug world.

Remember Johnny 5 from "Short Circuit"? Meet his smaller cousin WALL-E; a little robot with 10 times more soul than R2-D2 (I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan so it's hard for me to say that) but equally funny. Join the last denizen of Earth in a journey to the end of the cosmos and back; you will laugh, cry, and cheer for our little hero.

What happens when a little robot programmed to clean the planet is the last of its kind? He develops a personality...and what a personality. Little WALL-E's range of emotion is impressive, and considering his "face" consists of just a pair of binoculars eyes it's an impressive feat. But not just his eyes; his body language and vocals give a performance that would put a lot of so-called actors to shame. Add to the mix Ben Burtt providing WALL-E's "voice" and you've struck gold. The guys at Pixar outdid themselves (yet again) and created a gem of a film.

But though WALL-E is the soul of this film, it couldn't have been possible without the boundless imagination of the wizards at Pixar. Every little artistic detail is perfectly rendered; models, backgrounds, lighting effects, sound effects, camera angles, textures, etc. This is truly one of the best animated films ever made. The same could be said about EVE; her sleek & sexy design is infinitely better once all the artistic layers have been applied. And though WALL-E has an almost human like personality, she can hold her own against him. The same holds true for the rest of the supporting characters.

But not all is peaches & cream in this latest Pixar movie. This film does make some harsh observations on current human behaviors & trends, but it doesn't feel preachy. It does have a slight "2001: A Space Odyssey" feeling, but it is perfectly balanced with the more family friendly part of the story.

Overall, don't miss this movie. It's not just a beautiful movie and maybe one of 2008's best, it's one of the best animated movies of all time. Don't dismiss it because of this fact, remember that animation is just another form of storytelling. Another tool that artists use to communicate their ideas. Truly a heartwarming & beautiful film, you won't be disappointed. Boys and girls, old and young, this movie is for everyone.

One of the must stunning and gorgeous movies on a visual level. This is one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever seen. It also brings some philosophical & metaphysical arguments to the plot making it even better. Both Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra act their parts great; you suffer with them throughout the whole movie. Another important part of the movie is the art direction. This movie is gorgeous in all it's aspects. The VFX are beautiful, the paintings literally come to life before your eyes. Don't miss it, highly recommended.