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The Human Race (2013)
B class sci-fi but better than most of the made for TV stuff
So yes, this movie is made to a budget, the actors aren't convincing, the special effects are cheap and the storyline is a little lacking.
However, overall it's a curiously enjoyable romp. The story develops the characters just enough for the viewer to connect to them and take an interest in their eventual fate.
Also of note is the use of non-stereotypical characters. The main characters involve a deaf couple, a cripple, a priest, a pregnant woman, and it goes on, the variety and effort to stick away from typical archetypal heroes is well noticed and appreciated.
It is a movie that most people can happily bypass, but by no means is it a waste of time... enjoyable. :)
Syrup (2013)
not so much a comedy as a satire
I suppose satire is a form of comedy, but if you're expecting laugh out loud moments, you're watching the wrong movie.
Syrup is a well written, somewhat edgy drama/satire/romance based in the cut-throat world of marketing. The characters are lost, afloat in a world where image is everything, where their very selves are naught more than a reflection of marketing thrust upon them by multinational corporations.
The crux of the irony in Syrup is even though the characters work in marketing, and play with the lives of others, their own lives are being driven by the same market forces.
This makes for a poignant, thought provoking and oftentimes tragic movie. The acting is fairly solid, with the leads putting in convincing performances. It does seem (to someone to hasn't read the book) that some themes are left abridged and not fully explored but this doesn't detract from the fact this movie is a good watch.
The Penny Dreadful Picture Show (2013)
a good entry-level horror movie
This movie basically has 4 plot lines running through it, the main plot (featuring Penny Dreadful) which acts as the showcase for the three other short movies.
The first movie is only minutes long and feels out of place in terms of length and quality against the other two.
The second and third movies are longer and the acting is solid, although both the premise and the level of horror/gore appear to be something aimed at a more teen audience, similar to the popular "Goosebumps" books.
It's probably a good ''family horror'', something you could watch with younger/more squeamish/easy to frighten viewers to introduce them to the genre. That being said, it's an enjoyable watch, what it is lacking in fright and gore it makes up for in production values and originality.
Welcome to the Jungle (2013)
some funny bits but falls well short of being good..
This is not an awful movie by any means, but it sure isn't very good either. Jean Claude Van Damme (JCVD) is genuinely funny in this although not being used to comedic acting, some of his scenes come off a little ''forced''.
The storyline is a little formulaic, it borrows a lot from Tropic Thunder (i.e: a jungle situation that is under control suddenly turns real); however comparing the two movies needs to stop at this point as WTTJ doesn't borrow the laughs or style of TT.
The plot is straightforward with very few twists, you can basically tell the exact plot-line from the beginning of the movie - it does have a few interesting scenes and more than a few laughs but ultimately falls flat.
Average movie, watchable..
Raze (2013)
Gritty Brawler....
Gritty brawler with some of the best fighting scenes since the Undisputed series. The plot is familiar, a tournament to the death amongst contenders who'd rather not be there, there's not much innovation in this film. However, where it doesn't innovate, it does brilliantly with its subject matter. The fights are all well choreographed and bloody. The thin veil of a storyline provides enough back story on the characters so that you get emotionally vested in the outcomes of the fights.
Of particular note is Rebecca Marshall, her portrayal of Chloe is outstanding, channeling a crazy/psycho vibe that makes you want to watch her next match to see how she kills her opponent, yet at the same waiting for her demise.
The weakest part of the movie is the ending.
Shimotsuma monogatari (2004)
Strange little adventure, not to be discounted by typical male audiences
After reading other reviews of this movie on IMDb i thought, ''bah! female friendship movie! Thelma and Louise in Japan! why would anyone without childbearing qualities want to watch this?!". However, the movie quickly engrosses even the most cynical of viewers with its offbeat direction style, quirky storyline and solid acting.
Yes, the movie centers on two Japanese girls in their teens and their begrudging yet growing friendship. The cast of characters is colorful, the direction style is eclectic (think Natural Born Killers, one moment a cartoon, the next a musical, the next a soliloquy sequence).
All these factors come together in what is an enjoyable, lighthearted and engrossing film. Although some of the scenes are clearly influenced by Anime and Kung Fu movies of yore, there is a lack of outlandish violence.
The mis-mash of styles really backs up a very solid story. Pleasantly surprising movie, definitely worth a watch.