My Favorite Movies

My all time favorite movie. Entertaining all the way through.

The story was so unique that it kept me glued to the screen. I'm a sucker for Sci-Fi and there really was no dull moment in this film. There are a great variety of memorable characters and they are all played well by their respected actors. Gary Oldman plays Zorg and he is the greatest villain in my book. The dialogue was well written for him as well. As a matter of fact all the characters had great dialogue.

The special effects and graphics are well done and seeing the setting was candy for the eyes. There isn't a ton of action, but there is enough to satisfy the people who came to see it. The choreography of the action isn't too bad either, although it will seem pretty weak for die hard action fanatics. Nonetheless it will put a smile on your face.

If your in the mood for a great story with some nice effects and action, not to mention a pretty good soundtrack, then this film should be on your must see list.

There is nothing like a good helping of 2D animation, and Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall's Winnie the Pooh is just that.

Although drawing from multiple stories from A.A. Milne, the film's plot still seems just a tad light. This probably helps explain a brief run time of just over an hour. Nonetheless, Winnie the Pooh is pure enjoyment from the opening minute, through the closing credits, and then some. Heck, with a film as short as this, it isn't difficult to stick around to the very end.

Visually, the picture is soothing and pleasing, which is a nice considering this is a time where many animations look to CG and 3D.

The characters bring back pleasant memories. Yes, there are many parts to this production, but these characters, along with their personalities and humor, are what this film is all about. To top everything off, the soundtrack featuring Zooey Deschanel, along with the voice work are of high quality.

Winnie the Pooh is charming for both kids and adults. It's as simple as that. "Silly old bear."

Tetsuya Nakashima continues to impress with Paco and the Magical Picture Book, a family film not just for a younger audience.

The story is a little weak at first, but becomes clearer as the film progresses. Right from the get go the film is just so full of life and it is a blast to watch. There are a bunch of characters to get to know, and each of their backgrounds happen at various opportune times throughout the picture. The conclusion of this 1 hour 45 minute film is a little emotional and there are some dramatic parts, however even in these times, the film never loses it's flamboyant and dazzling style.

Visually, this film is a childish masterpiece. The settings are rich in color and the over the top characters are a perfect fit to the story. The same applies to the the camera work and scene transitions which are simply superb.

The CG and animation effects show up in bunches. While it may look just a tad cheap, it doesn't feel out of place at all. In the second half of the film during the play segment, the constant switching between CG and live action is flawless.

All the acting is good and it is hard to fault anybody, since it is all over the top characters. Ayaka Wilson is adorable as Paco and Koji Yakusho is able to carry this picture as Onuki. Jun Kunimura is hilarious as a transvestite and there is just something sexy about Anna Tsuchiya and Eiko Koike in nurse outfits.

On one final note, Paco and the Magical Picture Book is a film for kids, as well as adults, but there are a few things that may be inappropriate for younger eyes and ears. The "b" word appears more than once, and as I previously mentioned, there is a transvestite character.

Ryuhei Kitamura's style goes a long way, and Versus has plenty of it.

The plot is definitely light for a film with nearly a 2 hour run time; however, despite this along with its low budget and lack of multiple settings, the sci-fi fantasy concept, wacky characters, and stylized action keep things afloat from beginning to end.

When all is said and done, the action is the most memorable piece of this picture. Whether it be the plethora of guns, hand to hand combat, or swordplay, it all stands out because of its unique choreography. The lengthy and highly entertaining finale of a fight contains unique swords for both of the leads.

Tak Sakaguchi thrives more on his action than acting, but in a film where characters have no names, it all works out. Hideo Sakaki is a confident and effective villain. Minoru Matsumoto and Kenji Matsuda are the over-actors of the bunch and they just barely stay under the level of annoyance.

Versus is an action film that can be viewed as a cult classic. Zombies with guns anyone?

Johnnie To does an excellent job with this hitman movie. The story is simple and it is told well with great cinematography and minimal dialogue.

The movie is really slow paced with a few gun fights throughout. The shootouts are slow as well, but they are choreographed nicely and with the help of some great camera work they are masterpieces. One of the gunfights in this film is the best shootout that I've ever laid eyes on.

On a side note, those of you that our fans of Reservoir Dogs or City on Fire may enjoy the ending as it is pretty similar.

Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven is, hands down, one of the best heist movies to be released.

This is a remake of the 1960's rat pack movie by the same name; Soderbergh just does a brilliant job at modernizing it, which in turn makes this a very successful adaptation. At just under 2 hours, there is never a dull moment. The film does a nice job with pacing and it explains everything it needs to in good amounts and at appropriate times. There is no wasting time on every little detail and it makes what seems like a really difficult and complex task look easy and laid back.

David Holmes' soundtrack is also worthy of note. The upbeat jazzy tunes work wonders with the film's style and pace.

The all-star cast, more than likely, eats up all of this film's budget and it doesn't go to waste. All actors work well with their respective characters and this is a huge plus. Geroge Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, etc. The list goes on.

Ocean's Eleven is a great combination of a lot of things and it is a film worth checking out. "All right, you proved your point. You broke into my vault. Congratulations, you're a dead man."

Typical high school baseball team must challenge the most brutal baseball team ever. Hilarious! No thinking involved. The funniest movie that I have ever seen. No joke! A couple of the highlights include the screen turning pink while the main character breaks into a song and one character dieing twice and everytime he comes back to life he is played by a different actor. Fans of Kitamura will also recognize many of the actors from Versus.

The various trailers for this film are spectacular and this leads to speculation that everything good about the film is in these trailers. Well, Guillermo Del Toro has come a long way since the first Hellboy and not only did he put time and effort into the trailers, but he definitely put time and effort into the film. The trailers don't do this film justice.

The story for this second go has a great sci-fi fantasy concept working for it and Del Toro goes all out with it. This film has everything. Action, comedy, drama, and even a little bit of romance. Not only does this film split these genres into nice amounts, but the timing of them is great too.

Del Toro is no amateur when it comes to CG effects and creature costumes and he is not afraid to use them either. There are a constant amount of various creatures throughout the film, whether it be CG or costumes, and this keeps the film highly entertaining.

As far as the action goes, there is plenty of it and it is well done. Luke Goss shows off his fighting skills, and I kid you not, the fights that he is involved in are pretty fast and furious. Like Jet Li and Jackie Chan fast.

Not only is the concept and the effects great, but its all the little things as well. The camerawork is fantastic. You can tell that Del Toro plans out his shots. The way that the camera shakes when Hellboy fires his hand cannon is a clever idea as well.

The variety of characters are all nicely cast. One of the only minor let downs is that David Hyde-Pierce's voice is absent from Abe Sapien, since Doug Jones decides to do it all this time around. Not a huge problem by any means. Coming into this film I was iffy about Seth Macfarlane voicing Johann Krauss, but he pulls it off and actually makes this character one of the more enjoyable ones of the film.

Some people may not enjoy the Hellboy stories and characters, but this film is just so d*** good. Watch it!

This is a great combination of sci-fi with a dash of western. One of my favorite all time sci-fi films along with The Fifth Element. This is a great continuation of a series that was canceled way too early for its time and I wouldn't say that watching the Firefly series is a prerequisite for this film, but I would highly recommend it. It will help you understand the atmosphere and the character relationships much more. But, like I said it is still possible to pick up what is going on without having seen the series.

The story for this film is superb. It has everything a sci-fi fan needs, with the exception of other alien races. Anyway, the story moves at a nice pace and it balances out the many characters, especially the Serenity crew, nicely without losing any of them in the shuffle.

The acting is also well done. Each character has their own personality and traits and it is easy to pick up on them. Fans of the Firefly series should know what each character brings to the table.

Firefly wasn't known too much for its action, since it was a more slow paced series, but Joss Whedon finds the time and place for some great action in this film. The choreography for River's fights were better than I expected.

The CG is great as usual. It is candy to the eyes to see Serenity soaring through space or flying through the skies. This movie as well as the series has some of the more memorable space visuals that you will see for a very long time.

This movie will always be one of my favorites and it was just too bad that Firefly wasn't given more of a chance to unravel, thanks to the "Box Fox" network. Then again, if the series did become a huge hit then this movie may never have been made. This is a highly recommended movie for all sci-fi fans.

Sort of following the same formula as his previous film, Waterboys, Shinobu Yaguchi both writes and directs, Swing Girls, which is a comedy drama to remember.

A bunch of unlikely high school girls come together to form a successful jazz band. Sure, that may not sound like anything special, but it is the delivery of the story that will blow most people away. This film delivers on all fronts. The humor is laugh out loud hilarious, the pacing is moderate and comfortable, and the camerawork is more than adequate.

There are a lot of things that are exaggerated and a little unbelievable, however, this is what makes a seemingly emotional drama all the more entertaining. This picture never gets boring and even the predictable ending is jazzed up entertaining.

Each of the main characters has their own personalities and each is shown well and easy to pick up on. This, in turn, makes for a unique group of individuals all with the same goal.

The acting is a bit over the top, but it doesn't hurt this film in any way. All the characters have great chemistry and it really does feel like they are close friends in real life. Heck, they probably are.

Swing Girls may sound corny, but this is one film that is just highly entertaining and enjoyable to watch. "There are 2 kinds of people in this world. People who swing and people who don't."

One of the best movies ever made, in my opinion. A great story with some superb acting make this a classic. This movie had a bit of almost everything. Suspense, action, humor, you name it. You should always find this film in my personal movie collection.

As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the story is great. It is interesting and entertaining all at the same time. What many people will find attractive in this film is the twist and turns that appear in the plot as the movie unfolds. Although plot twists can actually hurt films sometimes by making the viewer lost and confused, this film actually has twists that are somewhat easy to follow. You shouldn't get too lost in this film and if you do, you will be back on track pretty quickly. Not only are the twists pretty easy to follow, but they have a little complexity to them as well. They aren't just out of the blue surprises that are lunged in your face to grab you attention. They fit nicely into this story and work to perfection.

The acting was very well done, as I mentioned in the first paragraph. Tom Cruise fits in nicely and Emmanuelle Beart was enjoyable as well. There were a good number of characters played by great actors and they don't get lost in the shuffle. They actually throw a whole team at you right at the beginning of the film, but the story does a good job at making the characters easily recognizable and memorable. I consider that a great accomplishment when a movie is able to do this in a short period of time. I have seen movies that have failed miserably at this.

One thing to note about the action is that it didn't come in the form of gunfights or car chases. In fact, in a movie that is befitting for guns, there weren't many bullets fired at all. The bulk of the action consisted of a helicopter chasing a train, which I enjoyed very much. There was some nice CG used for this.

This is definitely a must see movie for fans who want an interesting story and sequels will have their work cut out for them to try and top this. If you want my honest opinion though, I don't think any sequel ever will.

Christopher Nolan's Inception knows no bounds as it becomes a science fiction thriller to remember.

With a run time well past the 2 hour mark, Inception delivers everywhere that it should. Built with layers, the story becomes so engulfing, especially in the second half, that time doesn't even matter. The complexity of the story's concept becomes quite clear through the storytelling, while at the same time it isn't simplistic enough to just sit there and watch. There is a lot to take in and pick up as there is a consistent level of intrigue and suspense throughout the entire production.

Deep within the dream, Nolan finds a way to incorporate action. Even though it may not be extravagant, as it doesn't have to be in this picture, it serves as a good change up from the rest of the film.

The performances aren't award winning, but everyone is still on the money. A lot of credit goes back to the writing and how the characters are utilized. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page may run the show, but Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Marion Cotillard know how to steal it from them when need be.

In the end, Inception does lack some explanations and it leaves the viewer pondering, but it still succeeds in all facets; thus creating a movie worth taking a look at. What's your totem?

Joel and Ethan Coen have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to The Big Lebowski because this film is a gem to behold.

The supposedly simple kidnapping plot ends up as a story that is pure enjoyment from start to finish. Sure, there is some nonsense and even some unnecessary scenes, but the perverse humor, dialogue, and predicaments that the characters are in more than make up for it all, resulting in a picture where everything is smoothly joined together.

The dialogue is worth noting and deserves its own paragraph. Filled with profanity and delivered wonderfully by its cast, there is no wondering why there are so many memorable lines from this picture. "Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."

From the leads to the small side characters, The Big Lebowski brings out the best in every one of them. Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Julianne Moore thrive with their roles. John Turturro, while brief in the grand scheme of things, is a show stealer. It's as simple as that.

When all is said and done The Big Lebowski comes highly recommendable. "The Dude abides."

Yuen Woo-ping shows that he is not only an action choreographer, but also a director as well.

At just over 80 minutes, Iron Monkey is non stop fun from beginning to end. The characters and story elements have a quirky feel to them, while also the right amount of seriousness to go along with it. The sound effects are playful, as well as the dialogue, and both fit the style of the film nicely. This picture really does just fly by.

The wire work martial arts comes in bunches with some great choreography, while the editing, as well as the high speed camera shots give the fights that hyperactive edge. There are also a variety of martial arts styles and moves to keep the film interesting.

Donnie Yen and Yu Rongguang carry this film with their acting and martial arts segments. Tsang Sze-Man and the beautiful Jean Wang also impress in the same departments.

Iron Monkey is a film that succeeds on many levels and is a martial arts picture that is easily enjoyable.

Before this, director Martin Campbell's resume wasn't all that impressive, but this James Bond flick is fantastic. This is and will always be one of the greatest James Bond films. To top it all off, this is also the inspiration for one of the greatest video games, by the same name.

The plot isn't anything really out of the ordinary, but that doesn't make this film less interesting or entertaining. The story works well in the James Bond universe and as soon as the film starts, it is as intense as can be. There is nothing more to say except that Bond is diving off a cliff to get a plane! Highly entertaining. There is even a small car race right after the Tina Turner opening credits. I am also glad to say that this film also has one of the great vehicle chases and it involves a d*** tank! While we are on the subject of action, the final fight is an all out brawl, which has nice choreography. I really enjoy seeing the hero and the villain duke it out without the guns.

Not only is the story good, but the characters, both good and bad, are highly memorable. This makes even the slow parts worth watching. It is hard to find a dull moment in this movie.

The acting is spot on. This is Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film and he shows that he can pull it off. The bond girls are as good as they are beautiful. Izabella Scorupco and Famke Janssen will have you drooling. Their accents are such a turn on. Sean Bean, Alan Cumming, Joe Don Baker, and Gottfried John round out some of the other major characters.

If you are a James Bond fan you have to give this a watch. After that, you can add this to your movie collection.

Rian Johnson quickly makes a name for himself with a fantastic movie known as The Brothers Bloom. This is a con movie that will con you out of your seat. In a good way.

The story is very intriguing and the storytelling just enhances it even more. At just under 1 hour and 50 minutes, this film feels much longer. It isn't because the pacing is slow or the story drags. It is the fact that there is so much twisting and turning, especially in the latter parts, that it seems that all of this can't fit in a film under 2 hours. There is also the fact that when the ending is near, the film finds a way to continue itself.

The humor may seem a little over the top at times, however it is funny and it isn't shouting at the viewer for a laugh. This isn't just a comedy after all. Everything seems naturally part of the movie. The editing, cinematography, and directing all play a part in this, as it does for everything else in this movie.

The stunning Rachel Weisz steals the show as the eccentric Penelope Stamp. Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi round the other 3 main characters, and all perform nicely. Other notable appearances belong to Robbie Coltrane and Maximilian Schell.

The Brothers Bloom is a film that takes the concept of conning and runs with it in a creative way. A superb watch for comedic adventure drama fans.

The SG-1 series may be over, but new material keeps coming out. Stargate: Continuum is the second motion picture after the series finale and once again, SG-1 fans will be pleased.

As usual, familiarity with the show is a huge must because there is no character background or even story history. The film jumps right into its own plot with the expectation that the viewer knows the background of the series. Does one need to be an aficionado? No. Just the general basics will do. The show will explain just a few things to help out.

Stargate and time travel. 2 fantastic concepts come together to form this motion picture. Time travel alone can create an interesting plot and it does once again here. The nice thing about the story is that it isn't all that difficult to follow. There is good enough explanation to explain the events of meddling with time travel and while not everything is given an exact answer, there are Carter's theories that are enough to satisfy the question.

The earlier parts of the plot are all character and story, with the time spanning over 1 year. Any SG-1 fan will not worry because the story is far from boring. Besides, the action comes out to play in the latter parts with some great CG and air battles reminiscent of Independence Day

The cast is all intact once again with appearances from Richard Dean Anderson and Don Davis to top things off. I will also add that Claudia Black just looks yummy in her Quetesh outfit. There is even a cameo from good ol' Ra.

Stargate: Continuum is a movie made for SG-1 fans and it will be a shame for those that pass this up. It is a most excellent watch.

"You know what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like this?" John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China is really something. Talk about an entertaining comedic action adventure.

The story for this hour 40 minute picture may sound stupid, but it is pretty darn unique. Whether it is the comedy or the action, there is never a dull moment in this film. The dialogue for the characters are nicely written, which in turn makes them highly memorable.

The martial arts choreography isn't of Jackie Chan or Jet Li caliber, but that doesn't make it any less fun to watch. The same can be said about the effects, although they aren't half bad.

Kurt Russell was born to play Jack Burton and this is why he owns this film. Sure, there are some good villains in Lo Pan and the 3 storms: Thunder, Rain, and Raiden ... I mean Lightning. However it all comes back to the comedic Jack Burton. Victor Wong, Kim Catrall, Dennis Dun, and James Hong also put on good performances.

What more is there to say? Big Trouble in Little China. Go see it.

Jack Burton: What's in the flask, Egg? Magic potion?
Egg Shen: Yeah.
Jack Burton: Thought so, good. What do we do, drink it?
Egg Shen: Yeah!
Jack Burton: Good! Thought so.

My favorite pre-1970s movie of all time. The story is well told (based on a true story) and the acting is superb. There are a ton of interesting characters that keep you wondering if they will escape or not. The movie is nearly 3 hours but it doesn't feel that long at all. The main theme will get stuck in your head as well, and thats not a bad thing.

Yohei Fukuda makes his directorial debut with OneChanbara, which is a live action movie stemming from the The Onee Chanbara video game series out of Japan. A high budget masterpiece this is not, but d*** is this flick enjoyable.

This movie feels like a combination of 2 films that I love. They are Kitamura's Versus and Iguchi's The Machine Girl. So naturally, I love this movie as well.

The budget is low and there isn't much to the story, but how can a man argue when you have beautiful women in sexy outfits kicking butt. There is a ton of CG in this picture and some of it is cheap looking. It is mostly when zombies explode or get cut up. Yet, it is tolerable. The rest of the CG is fantastic and it is all in the swordplay.

Speaking of swordplay, there is a lot of it. That and mini double barrel shotgun fun. People may complain about the shotgun not needing reloading, but look at the cover. This is not a movie to take seriously. As far as the choreography goes, it is better than you expect. The swordplay is fast and furious and so is the shotgun.

The run time is only 80 minutes. The first 10 minutes is one long action sequence and the last 10 minutes is the spectacular final fight. That leaves 60 minutes in the middle for a repeating cycle of zombie carnage and slow parts for the story buildup.

It is a little hard to rate the acting of the lead, Eri Oguto, since she doesn't talk much. She does a nice job at looking good and swinging the sword though. The same goes for female lead # 2, Chise Nakamura. Female lead #3 is Manami Hashimoto and she does most of the acting and talking of the three. All three are passable. I won't say anything about the male lead, Tomohiro Waki, since he is nothing special.

OneChanbara is a perfect film to just sit back and relax to. It will also only take up 80 minutes of your time. Try it if you like over the top Japanese action films.

To many people, The Sword of Alexander will seem like some cheap-a** stupid Japanese movie. To others this will be a highly entertaining comedic fantasy flick. Guess which category I fall into?

The story is over the top, but it has a lot of things going for it. Robotic spaceships, fantasy-like characters, nonsense comedy, and Japanese ninja action. Yes, that may seem like a lot to handle in a movie, but you will not be as lost as you think. Why? Narration, my good friends. This film has a narrator that seems to jump in at the right times and places to explain the story or event that just took place.

When you first turn on the movie you don't really now what to expect, especially with the opening credits happening at the 10 minute mark, while two alien spaceships are going at it in the background. Before this you get a taste of Kamikaze Girls with the film rewinding itself to fill you in on what you just saw.

This film runs at about 1 hour and 50 minutes, but it never feels that long. There just always seems to be something going on. There is quite a bit of action, CG, and more then enough characters to keep things fresh.

The CG isn't all that great, but it doesn't hurt this film at all. The action is nothing spectacular either, but it isn't horrible. It is even pretty bloody. To be honest, the style of the film looks to be made for a younger audience, but the blood alone makes this film feel R-rated.

The acting is over the top for most and it isn't a problem. This is fantasy after all. Hiroshi Abe is a good lead and Kyoko Hasegawa does a nice job of switching races. Meisa Kuroki of Vexille also sneaks in with a nice role and character.

If you like Gegege no Kitaro or Dororo, this film will meet your expectations.