Aug 28
LyfMovies, Reviews action, bruce willis, dolph lundgren, expendables, Jet Li, mickey rourke, movie, review, sylvester stallone
8/10 (=)
It was everything you were expecting it to be.
The best part of the movie was Eric Roberts. He was the best written (not saying much there) and he pulled his part off with as much machismo as he has ever had in a movie. As usual the bad guys always have the best parts.
I was honestly surprised by a few of things in the movie:
- The emotional moment half way through was done incredibly well, both acting and direction were remarkably passable, actually they were more than passable.
- The dialogue was hilariously stunted. It didn’t really go anywhere and didn’t really accomplish anything. There were fewer obvious one-liners than I was expecting.
- There was WAY more action in it than I was expecting. The trailer made it look like there was going to be a lot and guess what…there was MORE!
Stallone isn’t a half bad director. He’s not half good, but he’s not half bad, especially as an action director – quite capable.
I think a few actors in the movie were not given the credit they deserve – Jet Li: kept complaining about how short he is; Randy Couture was given absolutely atrocious dialogue that added completely zilch to the team and the movie (his fight sequence with Steve Austin however was unbelievable!); and I think they could’ve done more with the Arnold/Bruce/Sly scene…much more.
For me the biggest disappointment though was the script. Now, I wasn’t expecting anything remarkable, no Glengarry Glenross or Big Kahuna or The Last Boyscout, but I was hoping for more, I don’t know, connection I guess. I think Shane Black would have done a much better job with the simple story (look at his history people) and represented the genre that Sly and the boys were pandering to.
To conclude: if you ever liked anything by any of the actors associated with this movie then go see it. You will like it. This movie will not make you a better person. You will not have gained any new wisdom from watching it. You will however re-live the 80′s, 90′s and beginning of the 00′s and you will enjoy it!
Aug 27
LyfMovies, Reviews movie, mutant chronicles, review, sci-fi, steampunk
6/10 (?)
What an odd, wonderful and terrible movie. I saw a trailer for this quite some time ago and only finished watching it about a month ago (not one that my wife was at all interested in so I had to work through it myself). At first I was very much thrown by the style of it. Then, over time, it grew on me. You see, it’s the kind of movie that is a perfect time-killer. Not bad, definitely not great by any stretch, but has it’s market for sure.
And that market is …. ME! (and geeks like me)
It is the first movie that I’ve seen since discovering what “steampunk” is that actually incorporates that impossible and impractical style of technology and outfitting (I never watched Wild Wild West so give me a break, and I wasn’t aware of steampunk when I saw The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). It was that that made me love this movie. It is one heck of a violent movie with a very thin premise, with acting that does not apologize for itself.
If what I have written does not in any way intrigue you, then don’t watch it. If you are intrigued by it, then, if you have a lazy day or a hour-plus to kill, find it, watch it, shake your head and laugh. This movie will not change your life – at all.
other reviews…
Severian: What do you believe in?
Maj. ‘Mitch’ Hunter: I don’t get paid to believe, I get paid to f*** s*** up.
Aug 27
LyfMovies, Reviews 9-11, action, afhghanistan, green zone, matt damon, movie, review, suspense, thriller
6.5/10 (-1)
I generally love Matt Damon movies. The Bourne series were fantastic; I am excited about the upcoming The Adjustment Bureau. Good Will Hunting was the movie that launched his career (in my opinion) and rightly so – it was truly a good film. All that contributes to my disappointment from Greengrass and Damon with this movie.
The direction, cinematography, story and characters were ok. There was nothing spectacular about this movie. In fact, I would say that this movie had something to say …… 5-6 years ago! If this had been released shortly after the war began, then it would have caused the necessary stir and I would have overlooked the standard, nothing special other aspects of the movie. As it is, it was too little, waaaay too late.
Now, while the story lacked any kind of relevance now, it was still a fun ride. If there’s nothing else that interests you on the shelves, then rent it – it’s not terrible.
Aug 27
LyfMovies, Reviews action, book of eli, denzel washington, faith, movie, religion, review
7/10 (-1)
I was very much prepared to love this movie. Denzel was doing the majority of his own stunts, the story was intriguing, Gary Oldman is a GENIUS in everything he undertakes, and the action looked hot! I was let down a bit I will admit (as my -1 rating implies).
The action was hot! Gary Oldmas did his best. The story was wintriguing. However, the characters themselves were terribly 2-dimensional. The script wasn’t well developed which ultimately led to the trite, tired characters and the less than stellar ending. Mila Kunis was given a role that should have been developed more and also Ms Kunis herself should have been allowed to explore the character a bit more. The style of the film quickly made me want to gag – too many “unique” or “interesting” camera angles (they were all the SAME), and a color palette that bordered on black and white (which would have been an interesting, and in my opinion good, choice for this movie).
I was a little surprised by the lack of solid and interesting characters. But, it was enjoyable and definitely is a renter.
Aug 26
LyfMovies, Reviews action, comedy, jude law, movie, review, robert downey jr, sherlock holmes
8/10 (=)
It was everything I was expecting! Thank you Guy Ritchie for an exciting interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.
This movie had it all – good action, characters with depth and history, stylized cinematography that didn’t detract from the movie, an interesting story with good twists and a nice setup for a sequel.
I don’t know what more to say about this movie except to say GO RENT IT! You will not be disappointed 
Aug 26
LyfBooks, Reviews anansi boys, Book, fantasy, fiction, gods, Neil Gaiman, review
9/10 (+1)
…he shoots…HE SCORES!
Neil Gaiman here again does what he does best – modern fantasy. He introduces his audience to history, mythology and fantasy without taking them out of their immediate comfort zone – the present. What I love most about Neverwhere, American Gods and Stardust is that he takes the fantasy genre and forcefully introduces it into the world we currently inhabit.
Thank you Neil Gaiman, thank you!
Anansi Boys is a story about Anansi and his sons. It is a story about gods and myths. It ultimately is a story, I think, about family. I don’t have the time or energy to write my own thorough review of this book, so I will include a paragraph from the wikipedia article and a link to a wonderfully written review that echoes my own thoughts.
From the wikipedia article:
Anansi Boys is the story of Charles “Fat Charlie” Nancy, a timid Londoner devoid of ambition, whose unenthusiastic wedding preparations are disrupted when he learns of his father’s death in Florida. The flamboyant Mr. Nancy, in whose shadow Fat Charlie has always lived, died in a typically embarrassing manner by suffering a fatal heart attack while flirting with women in a karaoke bar.
Here is a great review from William Morrow at SFFWorld: http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/215.html
If you enjoy fantasy books, then do yourself a favor and borrow this from your local library or, hey, support the author and BUY IT! I don’t believe you will be disappointed!
Aug 26
Lyf.:.O.D.S.:., Technology call, chat, google, phones, Technology
Not only can you chat via voice, txt and video from your Gmail account, but as of yesterday, Google has begun rolling out the ability to call landlines and cell phones…directly from your Gmail! Huzzah!
Now all I’m waiting for is GOOGLE VOICE IN CANADA! C’mon Google…bring it already!
The article from the Google blog here, and the link to the plugin download here
Aug 04
LyfMovies, Reviews drama, julianne moore, kids are alright, movie, review
8/10 (+1)
The first thing I want to say is that I was very surprised by this movie. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It had very charming moments, it was sensitive and yet in-your-face, the acting was outstanding all around. I can’t, however, recommend this movie.
Why? Well, I have a lot of conservative friends and family and if I recommend this movie I fear, maybe actually know, that it will offend them. Now, I’m not talking about the lesbian nature of the couple, nor of the difficult issues about marriage and family life. The offensiveness lies in the surprising amount of sex portrayed on screen. There was a lot. Now, I myself am a bit conservative on these matters, so let me say this: I didn’t personally find it as offensive as I did at first. The more I thought about it, the staging of it, the relation to the subject of the film, etc…I realized that it really couldn’t have been more tastefully done. I think what was offensive to me was more what it represented than what it actually was.
It’s not a pretty movie. Sure, there’s plenty of comedy to ease some of the awkwardness, and the end is good, but it’s an ugly movie that shines a light on the dark side of difficult relationships. I like it because there is hope in the end. I like hope. That’s one of the main things I look for in a movie.
So, to my conservative friends and family, take care – this movie will potentially offend you. To everyone else, this is a really well done movie.
Jul 27
LyfBooks, Reviews, Work, arts, theatre Books, human rights, paul rae, review, theatre
9/10
Wow. I don’t even really know where to begin. I picked up this book on a whim – I’ve not read much lately about theatre theory and so it intrigued me, especially as it deals with human rights, something that’s been a bit on my radar lately in regards to the G20 stuff that’s been happening.
The first thing I must say is that Paul Rae is a very skilled communicator, and thinks highly of his audience while not being blind to the fact that less educated [read "me"] people will definitely pick up this book. I think people interested in human rights and/or theatre should give this a read (it only took me 3 hours to get through, and that was with several distractions). It was an intense 3 hours though, one should be ready to give it one’s full attention.
Rae sets before his reader a good overview of where he’s taking them and how he plans to get there. Then, he begins the journey. It’s one that is informed, insightful, challenging and enlightening.
I guess what I am taking away from it, at this point and reading, is that human rights and theatre are complimentary but need to be careful how they associate; some theatrical devices don’t serve the human rights stories well at all and some human rights stories just simply can’t effectively be dramatized. There’s more to it than this obviously and I apologize to Paul Rae for such a poorly simple and obvious take-away. If you are interested in theatre and its wider reaches, then pick up this book and do a better job of recommending it than I do.
Some take away quotes for ya’ll:
“…poverty, resource scarcity and ecocide are linked to human dignity in ways that oblige a rethinking of the individualistic basis of traditional human rights.” (p.72)
“We are not free and the sky can still fall on our heads. And above all else, theatre is made to teach us this.” (Antonin Artaud, The Theatre and Its Double p.60)
Jul 27
LyfMovies, Reviews action, comedy, horror, movie, review, woody harrelson, zombieland
7/10 (=)
What a ride! This movie definitely delivered on the goods. Action, comedy, lots and lots of zombie blood and mayhem – simply perfect. Oh, and the title – an accurate statement about the movie – there are zombies and the world has been taken over by them so it is a zombie theme park basically. Tim Burton you could learn a lesson here!
I normally don’t enjoy zombie movies, however this makes zombie movie #2 that I really DO enjoy (Shaun of the Dead being the first). The movie is filled with decent filming gimmicks, a pleasant little cameo surprise that turns out exactly the way you expect/hope it will, and some actually decent (not great) characterization.
If you like zombie movies – watch it. If you like action movies – you may enjoy it. If you like comedies – give it a shot, but don’t count your eggs.
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