A_Random_Guy_22 Reviews

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

Barking up the right tree.

[7/10 · 7 February 2014]

Based on a 60's short 'Peabody's Improbable History', DreamWorks and director Rob Minkoff ('The Lion King') bring the original characters up- to-date in this wonderfully charming and colourful romp.

The story tells of Mr. Peabody, a talking canine (voiced by Modern Family's Ty Burrell), and his adopted "pet" son Sherman. An incident on Sherman's first day of school leads to Peabody inviting Penny and her parents for dinner, hoping the kids will reconcile their differences and avoiding potential loss of custody over Sherman. In an attempt to impress Penny, however, Sherman accidentally reveals the WABAC - Peabody's time travelling machine and ends up rewriting history that will have dire consequences in the future if not set right.

I hadn't seen the original cartoon until I saw the film, but I caught the introduction episode on YouTube after and there were several scenes/dialogue that's been re-used in the movie. Even though it holds no nostalgia for me, it's a great little touch.

The vocal talent is also great. There's the aforementioned Burrell, but also some other well-known names including, but not limited to, Stanley Tucci, Patrick Warburton (Kronk from 'The Emperor's New Groove'), Mel Brooks and Stephen Toblowsky. Their indistinguishable voices really liven up their respectable characters. And, while, Robert Downey Jr. was originally cast as Peabody, Burrell does a commendable job here.

After being less than impressed with prior DreamWorks entries 'The Croods' and, more recently, 'Turbo', I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I initially thought I would. The humour is very child-friendly and it's still a step down from what I like to call the "old" DreamWorks ('Shrek', etc.), but it is great family entertainment.

The story is on the predictable side, but has a great message and will keep parents and older siblings entertained, while the zany energy and characters will keep the kids amused. They might even pick up a thing or two about history.

7/10.

Frozen (I) (2013)

Can I just say something crazy? Disney is back.

[10/10 · 16 January 2014]

Not since 'the big four' have Disney ever been so on top form. Their previous entries (Wreck-it Ralph, Tangled, etc.) were all good but, for me, never reached greatness. 'Frozen' is a genuinely funny and charming movie with fantastic songs and a wonderful message.

Inspired (very) loosely by Hans Christian Andersen's story, 'The Snow Queen', Frozen tells the story of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, who lose their bond over the years. At Elsa's coronation of Queen, her magical ice powers are inadvertently unleashed. Fleeing in fear, she unknowingly sets off an eternal winter, covering the city of Arendelle in snow. Anna takes it upon herself to reunite with her sister, reconcile and put an end to the curse. But it proves problematic for several reasons.

It might sound a little been there, done that, but Disney turns their own clichés on their head. I was surprised by an outcome several times during this movie - something that I can't honestly say about a Disney film since the 90's.

I literally can't fault it. The animation is flawless, every detail is impeccable whether it be a strand of hair on a character's face or one of the countless snowflakes seen during the film. Stylistically, it's the same as 'Tangled', but here the imagery is much more striking.

Princess Anna and Queen Elsa are voiced respectively by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel. I'd never heard Bell sing before this, but her singing voice is beautiful. And as for Menzel, once again, she is on top form. I have heard her sing in 'Wicked', 'Glee', 'Rent' and more, yet her voice is still stunning and continues to surprise me. No less for a woman in her 40's.

Frozen has that magic spark that's been missing from most Disney movies for so long and much, more more. It is guaranteed to delight children and adults alike and thaw even the coldest of hearts. I'm not ashamed to call it a future masterpiece and I believe it will set a new standard for Disney the same way 'The Lion King' did 20 years before it.

A perfect 10/10. Bravo, Disney. Bravo.

Carrie (2013)

Take Sissy Spacek to the prom instead.

[4/10 · 20 October 2013]

Having followed this film from its initial announcement up to its release, I can assure you it's not at all what we were promised. Several interviews with the cast and crew members claim it to be a more faithful adaptation of its original source; the 1974 novel penned by Stephen King. It's not. No, Screen Gems and MGM's 2013 revamp of 'Carrie' is more akin to that of the 1976 film, which featured numerous changes from the book - all of which are still present here. This is only a minor gripe as its not an issue, per say, I just don't appreciate being misled. On we go.

Moretz plays the titular character and, whilst a fantastic young actress, she was definitely lacking something here and her performance is just short of believable. Most of the time, it just came off flat. I said from the get-go she was a miscast, but I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt - and she just didn't quite pull it off for me. It would've been advisable to hire someone a tad older with more experience, but I digress.

On the completely other hand, Moore delivers an absolutely brilliant performance as Carrie's psychotic mother, Margaret. Fantastically creepy, and while she may be no Piper Laurie (1976's original), her superb portrayal is the best thing in this movie - and one that longs to be in a better film.

Let me compare with the original for one second. The 1976 film slowly builds Carrie's powers so when it comes to it, the prom destruction is a complete shock. But here? Oh, no. It was more like watching Matilda than Carrie. Levitating books, humans... you name it. By the time it gets to prom, the extent of her powers are no longer a surprise and it all comes off as rather tame actually. I certainly didn't get any satisfaction from it. They cranked the CGI up to 110, however. In this case, less is definitely more. Director take note.

The supporting cast do their best with what they're given, notably Portia Doubleday as Carrie's nemesis Sue, making the film not completely without its merits, but when it comes down to it, 2013's Carrie really just feels like a pale imitation of the 1976 film. It doesn't bring anything new or fresh to the table and it doesn't even feel like it tries to, which I suppose is fine if you've never read the book or seen any of the film adaptations. But if you have, you might be better off taking another visit to that prom.

Like going to your own prom and not being crowned anything, there's no real payoff. 4/10.

Orphan (2009)

Esther is one bad Mother F!

[7/10 · 24 July 2009]

We've seen Orphan many times before (The Bad Seed, The Good Son and, of course, The Omen), yet, somehow, Jaume Collet Serra manages to squeeze something fresh out of an old tale.

There's plenty of shocks and also some laughs and Esther's "secret" is, surprisingly, original.

Orphan doesn't hold a candle to the aforementioned films, but its better than the more recent ones like Joshua (which, coincidentally, Vera Farmiga also starred in, as well as having the same role (mother)).

Don't let the trailer fool you into thinking this is just another "evil kid" movie. Its really much more than that. This is definitely one of the better horror films to come along these days.

My audience loved it, and so did I.

Obsessed (2009)

A mindless, campy, fun thriller... and I loved every minute of it.

[6/10 · 29 May 2009]

Obsessed, while borrowing heavily from the classic eighties' Michael Douglas thriller Fatal Attraction, still manages to be its own film. How is that possible, you ask? Well, I'm not quite sure myself. It could be that the audience is too busy laughing and cheering to care or even notice. Let me explain. Obsessed is NOT a serious movie. It is a mindless, campy, fun thriller that you should take with a pinch of salt.

Derek Charles (The Wire's Idris Elba) is a successful executive vice president at Gage Bendix and happily married to Sharon (singer-turned-actress Beyonce Knowles). They're "the perfect family" as Lisa Sheridan, Derek's new temporary assistant put it. But when Lisa (Heroes' Ali Larter) becomes "obsessed" with Derek, everything he's worked so hard for is placed in jeopardy.

What follows is a crazy thrill-ride up until one of the most-talked about catfights in film history. Seriously, my audience cheered, laughed, whooped, etc. It was like being at a boxing match. That alone was worth the price of admission.

Lastly, I thought I'd comment on the acting since it seems most people have been put off this movie because of the fact that Beyonce is in it. You probably won't believe me when I say that this is probably her best acting to date. You really felt and believed her character. Idris Elba was brilliant as always, but Ali Larter completely steals the show as the psycho bitch from hell! Why do Blondes do bad so good? Obsessed isn't a film, it's an experience. It's one of those films you just simply MUST see on the big screen with a full audience. You couldn't possibly get the same effect at home with your family. It's most definitely a must-see in theatres, especially for someone looking for a good time.

With a rockin' soundtrack, great script and cast, Obsessed is a blast of stupid fun and, without a doubt, the sexiest – and most entertaining – thriller of 2009! I still think they should've gone with the original title, though: Oh No She Didn't! Also, I might add that, contrary to popular belief, this movie is not in the slightest bit racist.

Step Brothers (2008)

Ridiculous

[4/10 · 3 February 2009]

There is a difference between "funny" and "just plain stupid". I'm afraid to say that Step Brothers falls into the latter of the two. It has its moments, but the majority of it is just... well, stupid. And, let me tell you, I'm all for stupid comedies. This movie, however, just took the biscuit. The only time I actually laughed-out-loud was when Brennan and Dale tried to turn their separate beds into a bunk bed and it crashed. And then there was the odd moment where I smiled, but overall, the movie was just completely ridiculous and dumb ("Can you wash clothes in a dishwasher?") Yes, believe it or not, that is an actual line from the movie. It also began to drag towards the end and I found myself wishing the credits would just hurry up and roll.

By far Will Ferrell's worst movie (in my opinion, at least) and the humour in it mostly appeals to 13-year-olds (despite the R-rating).

4/10. And if you ask me, that's extremely generous. I could quite easily give this movie lower if I was feeling in a bad mood.

Kill Theory (2009)

Your friends are going to stab you in the back...

[10/10 · 1 February 2009]

To be honest, Kill Theory wasn't high on my "Must watch of '09" list. Actually, it wasn't on there at all. But, I had the chance to, so I figured I might as well do. Let me tell you, I'm glad I did. Kill Theory is one of the best Horror films in ages. I know what you're thinking. "If it's so great, then why haven't I heard of it?" You have your friends down at LionsGate to blame for that. Here they have a perfectly good movie on their hands and they won't release it for only God knows why. Perhaps these early good reviews might prompt them to, but don't hold your breath on it. After all, this is LionsGate.

Kill Theory is about a group of 6 college friends who head off to a secluded vacation home for fun and... well, I think you know. But, before they can get to any of that, they are targeted by a mysterious killer who forces them to kill off their friends -- or be killed themselves. Let's just say that there's a bloody, gory mess left behind.

Think you know who survives? Think again. There is no virgin blonde girl with big boobs who manages to easily defeat the killer even though her friends couldn't. The body count is completely random and unpredictable. I couldn't believe who survived, that being due to the fact that all the characters are developed so very well. I also couldn't believe the last-minute twist which is executed so well that I was left just gaping at the screen.

The acting is good and so are the production values, so half the time you don't even feel like you're watching a DTV flick.

Honestly, if LionsGate doesn't give this movie the treatment it deserves, then something's definitely outta wack. If they can give wide releases to crap like Disaster Movie, then they should have no problem with this solid slasher flick.

I highly recommend this movie if you're a fan of teen slice 'em ups or even if you're not. Fans of the Saw series should like it also since it has quite a few similarities to those movies.

Final Verdict: 10/10, 2009 looks set to be a good year for Horror with movies such as My Bloody Valentine 3-D (also distributed by LionsGate) and the reboot of Friday the 13th.

Bride Wars (2009)

If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the movie.

[5/10 · 9 January 2009]

Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) are two life-long best friends who've dreamed of a June wedding at the Plaza since they were kids. Well, it looks like their dream is finally coming true as their boyfriends have popped the question and now all that's left to do is book the venue. But, unfortunately, due to a mistake the venue made, they've booked their weddings on the same day and the next opening isn't until June 15th... 3 years from now. When they both refuse to move their wedding, it turns to "war".

But, that's just it, the only "war" was in the trailer (the bronze tan, the blue hair, etc.) and the movie overall was rather average. I went in with an open mind and low expectations and still came out disappointed. The first hour is OK, but the last half takes a completely different turn. The jokes stop and it becomes more serious; focusing on the two girls' relationship more than anything else.

The movie appeals mostly to teen girls, so if you're anyone else, this isn't really worth the admission price. And if you still want to see it, it's a rental at best. The trailer showed mostly everything anyway and it's pretty easy to guess how it ends.

Disaster Movie (2008)

Yes, it really was a disaster

[2/10 · 30 November 2008]

But we all knew that just from seeing the trailer, right? Or, at least, *some* of us did. According to my friend, the trailer was "piss-your-pants hilarious!" He's the reason I went to see this. No one else would be stupid enough to go with him and I didn't want him to go by himself because I expected the cinema to be empty. It pretty much was. The only other people there was a family of about 5 (who, I might add, walked out not even halfway through) and a couple of teenagers who somehow managed to survive it all. I salute their bravery.

I think this may be the first time I saw a "comedy" (and I use that term very lightly) in a cinema and no one laughed. Not a single giggle. Not even from the teenagers, who were surprisingly quiet. As for me, I just sat there completely stone-faced asking myself why I had used my free cinema pass on this. The answer? Because 1) there was no way in hell that I was paying £7.50 on this (pardon the pun) disaster and 2) because I didn't want, nay, couldn't let my friend face this alone. And what was the result? 90 minutes of the lamest jokes ever made. I don't think even my friend liked it, which was quite the surprise since he loved Date Movie, Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. Now, exactly what does that tell you? Besides the fact that my friend likes stupid comedies, of course.

Chances are, you have no intentions of seeing this. Good, because this movie is low even for spoof standards. If you go see it at the cinema, you waste your time and money. If you watch it for free online, you waste your time. Basically, you waste something valuable if you watch this movie. IQ points, for example. Much like the producers of this movie.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

Good, but this series should be laid to rest now...

[6/10 · 22 October 2008]

I was sorta/kinda excited for this. I thought the first two were pretty good for what they were. But since this was the first big screen outing, I saw it surrounded by tons of screaming girls. Every time Zac's face appeared, I covered my ears because I knew what was coming.

Moving on, the movie was pretty good. Probably on par with the original. The second beats both of them by a hair, though. Most of the songs were slow ballads sung by Troy and Gabriella. I didn't like that. I wanted to tap my foot to something! Thankfully, I was able to do that to Sharpay and Ryan's "I Want it All" which was in the same vein as "Fabulous" which I also loved.

Now, a little rant. I hated Tiara Gold. Her character was completely pointless as was Jimmie Zara's. They were both annoying and brought nothing to the story.

Overall, HSM3 was pretty decent for a threequel. But, I don't want another one. Disney's milking this thing too much now.

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Super... aw, forget it!

[2/10 · 5 October 2008]

Superman is my all-time favourite film and I immensely love Superman II. Superman III had its faults, but it was still enjoyable up to some extent. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with the fourth (and what we thought was the final) in the Superman series. First off, the "special" effects. One word: FAKE! We have Warner Bros. to thank for that for selling the rights to Cannon Films who, instead of using the $40 million Warner Bros. gave them to produce the film, used only $17 million and used the rest of the money on their other projects. Next up we have (drumroll)... the numerous plot holes e.g. people being able to breathe in space without space suits. Did I miss something here? Thirdly, the editing. Oh my, that poor, poor editing. The cuts were so noticeable, I was wondering if I was watching a Daytime TV edit of a Horror movie. And finally, the acting. Wow. It was like something out of a school play (and a bad one at that). But, I suppose the actors did the best they could with the (truly atrocious) script.

Superman IV doesn't even classify as a "so bad, it's good" movie. At least not when you compare it to the highly superior first two.

Some people have said that this movie is worse than Batman & Robin. Trust me, it is not. Not even close. However, both Superman IV and Batman & Robin are the worst of their series.

Scary Movie 4 (2006)

The absolute worst in the series

[2/10 · 7 March 2008]

The Scary Movie series really should've stopped at 2. After that, the movies just went downhill. Now, I must admit that I did laugh a few times during 3, however this latest instalment has no redeeming value whatsoever. There is no plot (even by spoof standards) and the jokes are painfully unfunny and downright cringe-worthy. I can't believe the people who voted this a 10. They must've seen a completely different movie. And can someone PLEASE explain the 5.2 rating on IMDb to me? This movie is bottom 100 material for sure! All the jokes were in the trailer (and even they weren't that funny). I'm only hoping that 5 will be a step up from this - which should be easy because this was about as funny as watching a person snore for 90 minutes.

My advice: watch 1, 2 and 3 back-to-back and forget this ever existed.

Minutemen (2008 TV Movie)

I LOVE this movie!

[9/10 · 3 March 2008]

I'm not a big fan of Disney Channel Original Movies (apart from the High School Musical films), so I was pleasantly surprised by Minutemen. I've only seen it twice so far, but it's become one of my favourite movies ever and definitely my favourite movie of 2008. The only reason it doesn't get a 10/10 is because it has that Disney Channel feel to it - and that's not a good thing in my opinion. But still, I can't wait to get the eventual DVD. I'll be there first day of sales! I don't know why some people don't like this movie, I mean, it's got a great young cast, a good story, good effects (for Disney Channel), so why the hate? Give this movie a chance. I'm sure you'll love it. I did.

One Missed Call (2008)

Hil-ari-ous!

[2/10 · 28 January 2008]

Despite negative reviews and the low rating here on IMDb, I came across a free movie downloading site and downloaded this. It was free, so there was nothing to lose, right? Wrong. I lost 87 minutes of my life + another 20 downloading this tripe. There's no character development whatsoever and the actors are horrendously bad and so is their dialogue. The plot gets very confusing towards the end and you find it hard to pay full attention 'cos you already know the outcome. I've never seen Chakushin ari, but I'm 99.9% sure it's better than this. It's not scary in the slightest and you can't help but burst out laughing during some of the scenes. That's the only form of entertainment there is in this movie. Unfortunately, I didn't watch it to laugh, I watched it to scream - and I didn't. Not once.

Trust me, miss this movie.

Epic Movie (2007)

Epic Crap

[2/10 · 16 November 2007]

Oh. My. God. I'm absolutely speechless for what to say about this movie, other than it's at the #1 spot on my bottom 100 forever. This is the only other movie that I've ever had to rate a 1, the other being A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge. But you couldn't ever compare Epic Movie to that. In fact, I still can't believe I wasted £7 quid on this. If anything, they should of been letting people in the cinema to see this for free. That's all I've got to say really, except for that I heard they're making a Fantasy Movie. I know, I can't believe it either... But I wouldn't be surprised if they followed it with Musical Movie or something really stupid like Disaster Movie.