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Reviews
The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
Pretty Good, Not Spectacular
To put my impressions in perspective, I never followed the show religiously. I caught episodes here and there and for the most part, enjoyed what I saw. A lot of episodes were very good but several seemed to miss the mark. Regardless, from what I heard, this was marketed as a standalone movie (no back-story required) and that's what I went into the theater expecting.
That expectation was met while there were some character elements that obviously relied on what was established during the series, they didn't play such an integral role as to alienate someone unfamiliar with them.
The story itself was somewhat bland the typical "X Files"/paranormal elements were much easier to digest for a mass audience than some of the episodes; pretty much the extent of the paranormal revolved around a psychic. The parallel plot was incredibly predictable in terms of where the characters were going to go and how they were going to change, especially in terms of the movie's title. This was made up with relatively unpredictable plot specifics, good suspense at parts, and an overall dark atmosphere.
The real problem in my opinion is that the movie took itself too seriously in its implications it tried to tackle themes that transcend the level of its story (which many films do successfully). The problem is that in this particular instance, the story in the first place feels somewhat forced.
Go see the movie for what it is, not what it tries to be, and you'll probably find it's a fairly satisfying way to spend some time.
6/10
The Dark Knight (2008)
Awesome
This is a fantastic comic book/superhero movie easily my favorite. The actors are very good, especially some of the minor roles. The action, gadgets every staple of Batman Begins is there in full force and better looking than ever. The movie is gorgeous.
The real highlight of this movie is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Some might be under the impression that all the talk and hype about his performance leading up to the theatrical release was because of his unfortunate early death. That impression, however, is definitely not accurate. Ledger's Joker is everything that was hyped and promised and then some. It is simply spectacular.
Thanks in a large part to Ledger, Dark Knight is surprisingly emotional. There are parts that are (unsurprisingly) dark. But the mannerisms of the Joker and what he thinks and what he says are extremely funny. He has the ability to instantly change the tone of a scene something that Nolan used to great effect.
My only real (but small) complaint is that there are a few problems with the otherwise strong story. Dark Knight's plot does not seem as controlled as Batman Begins the pacing of some sections is a little off. Also, Joker was an agent of chaos, destroying other's plans because he hates control, yet his actions were superbly planned "it's all part of the plan." This criticism may be superficial, but there's no need to get into the deeper philosophy of the movie here other than to say it is engaging and fun.
In short, if you love good action with a good story with great acting, this is definitely a must see. Ledger's performance is fantastic in my opinion, it deserves piles of awards.
10/10
WALL·E (2008)
A Cinematic Axiom
Rather than focusing on the basics of the plot (there are many resources for the curious), I'll focus strictly on my impressions. While the good far outweighs the bad, I mostly list the latter.
This movie has tons of good the plot (in the most general sense, more on this later), the characters, the animation, and the sparse presence of dialogue. What this movie does so well is tell a story visually. Of course, it complements the visual candy with sound but at its core, the images are so fundamental, so visceral, that they transcend language. The robots in many ways are more human than any human in the film.
Before I get to my main complaint, there is one other thing that really bugged me the use of live action. Pixar claims (at the end of their movies) that everything is hand-animated. In Wall-E there is, quite obviously, no such line and it's for the worse. The use of live action is incredibly out of place it doesn't enhance the continuity of the film. If anything, it is a non sequitur. It is never explained; frankly, I doubt if they could explain it very well if they tried.
My main gripe however is that the film falls prey to an axiom not the one in space, but the one in the plot. The significant flaw of the film is the premise the overall idea that humans may destroy earth works, but the one that a corporation gets enough power to destroy the earth does not. The following critique is economic, so if you don't enjoy Economics, skip. First, how did this corporation get so powerful? Government-enforced monopolies could make this plausible, but that in itself leaves a lot to be desired. Furthermore, if it was through the market that BNL got its power, the premise is nothing but ridiculous. After all, why would a greedy company that cares only about making more money let the earth become overrun with pollution? They would be able to make a fortune in providing clean, livable areas; definitely at a lower cost than providing the same on a hyper drive-equipped spaceship. Furthermore, on Axiom, why are there advertisements for people who are supposedly engrossed so much in their portable televisions that they don't notice the rest of the ship? At certain times in the movie, they do look up, yet can't even realize that they have a pool.
The worst part is that, while I am willing to excuse all of the above, they felt the need to have the "stay the course" line. Regardless of position (I am an environmentalist), I do not go to movies to be told what I should think. I want to see a good plot and a good movie. If politics I don't agree with make sense in the logic and context of the movie, I don't mind. But if, as in the case of Wall-E, those politics detract from the story and oversimplify the problem they address, I take issue with them.
The irony of all this is that on the one hand, Pixar lambasts people for being gelatinous vegetables that do nothing outside of cinematic entertainment. Yet they use the very medium they attack to make that point. Should we take their point seriously when this is the case? That being said, even for the aforementioned extremely annoying flaws, the movie is brilliant. It is a pleasure to watch as all Pixar movies are.
8.5/10
The Happening (2008)
It Happens
The non-spoiler part comes first, so if spoiler tags didn't scare you away, read on. I am a fan of Shyamalan's Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. I thought those, while not necessarily prolific, were very fun. The Village was more of a dud, and Lady in the Water was painful. I was hoping The Happening would be like his earlier works. I was wrong.
The good part of the movie is unsurprisingly, the suspense. MNS crafts it superbly. But the rest of the movie was just bad.
HERE BE THE SPOILERS The characters were not particularly strong -- the acting didn't feel natural (i.e. the girls in the first scene, Wahlberg teaching) and their actions didn't seem sensible. A large part of the story revolved around keeping a small girl alive after her father and mother died from the plants. Wahlberg and his wife take it upon themselves to protect her. Yet for some inexplicable reason, they let her watch people get killed over and over again, and, at Mrs. Jones' farmhouse, they bring her outside where they think the happening will kill them all. They want to be together when they die and the poor girl apparently has to suffer for their renewed love.
My other big problem was the plot and premise in general. Sure, having plants as the baddies sounds like it could be real fun, but the execution of said idea was just poor. At times, it bordered on self-parody (like when the officer and then the taxi driver and then a lady kill themselves in Philadelphia, in succession, with the same gun). And of course, what "the happening" actually is isn't explained (beyond some land equivalent of the red tide, which the plants use as a defense mechanism to protect against careless humans). There's a whole discussion throughout the movie about how science can't account for these certain forces. It's not convincing.
The culmination of all of this is, of course, in the ending, which was pathetic. The plants have rapidly evolved to kill off the pests that are humans, the incompetent and destructive would-be stewards of earth. The very last scene even shows this process happening again. So on one hand, Shyamalan establishes people as irresponsible/bad. Yet at the same time, Wahlberg's wife finds out she's pregnant. There is of course, a happy scene (it's a happy thing, right?) to make sure we as the audience realize that their lives are, for the most part, back to normal. But the next happening and the birth are very conflicting images and point to opposite conclusions. While this is not necessarily bad in concept, the concept is executed horribly.
So if you like Shyamalan, see the movie. If you like good suspense and can trudge through some bad plot to get it, see the movie. But if neither description fits you, heed the adage that (I paraphrase) "crap happens" and avoid at all costs.
4/10
Snakehead Terror (2004)
At least it's funny. Sort of.
First off, I checked spoilers but it doesn't take a whole lot of imagination to guess that this is your standard "crappy monster sci-fi watch for laughs only" movie and that it obeys every cliché of the "genre."
That being said, the premise was clearly lifted from Jaws -- small town terrorized by monster(s) who live in the water. And just like Jaws, the sheriff realizes said body of water is not safe and wants to keep people out, much to the protest of the financially-concerned town official.
But what Spielberg did right, this group did wrong. The plot is laughable. Some of the notable plot points:
-HGH-infused mutant fish have decided to crawl onto land.
-Teens try to save their town by shooting (yes, shooting) the fish.
-There's more of course that I won't get into.
The dialogue is bad. The blood and guts and gore (which are really the high point of the film) are also bad. The only redeeming quality of this film is the laugh-factor and even that is barely present.
Unless you're a fan of cheesy sci-fi/monster flicks, avoid.