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Dredd (2012)
A lot better than the first but it still could be improved upon
I have read some Judge Dredd comics over the years and watched disappointedly the 1995 movie, JUDGE DREDD . I do not claim to be a fanboy that knows the entire Judge Dredd Universe.
I loved the most of this movie is this interpretation of Judge Dredd played by Karl Urban. This Dredd is not half funny, half serious like the way Sylvester Stallone played him. This Dredd is serious all the time. Even the "humor" that this Dredd shows is more direct and cynical than goofy. You can get the feeling that this Judge Dredd came out of the comic and straight into the movie. The violence is to be expected of course, pretty bloody and a bit gory but again if anyone even read on Judge Dredd comic would not be surprised. Dredd's rookie partner, Judge Anderson, is played by Olivia Thirby and is pretty true to the Judge Anderson from the comics with her Psi abilities. She represents the humanity that Judge Dredd either lacks or unwilling to show in this film. She shows to be more compassionate and understanding toward the citizens of Mega City and the Mega Block called Peach Trees. She definitely is not a side-kick that Rob Sneider was in JUDGE DREDD. Most of the villains were believable and not entirely clichéd. Most important of all, Judge Dredd never removes his helmet once in the movie. The entire cast seems to work well together and flowed smoothly in this film with great screen writing to help.
Now my disappointments on this film. I noticed that other than the gigantic Mega Blocks shown in the movie, and the Judge's personal multi-faceted pistols; everything else look like a modern, crime-ridden city. The vehicles that people drove look modern cars you would see in the highway, Judge Dredd's motorcycle looks like a souped up Decati with machine guns hidden on the sides. Nothing looked futuristic like in the JUDGE DREDD movie and which the comics also clearly show. Minus Judge Dredd and Anderson and the rest of the Judges, this movie would look no different than scenes in TRAINING DAY, COLORS, 16 BLOCKS, etc. Other than the modern look of Mega-City One, the film does show the grittiness and anarchy that rules much of the streets and mega blocks. Looks like the environment of Earth of ELYSIUM or the sectioned off alien area of DISTRICT 9.
Overall I loved the film. I love the violence and how life is so cheap in Mega City One that this movie showed just like the comic. This Judge Dredd definitely has the look of the comic book. However maybe because of budgeting, the overall environment looked like a modern city with its streets and vehicles looking no different than bad area of downtown Los Angeles. Not much was spent of making Mega City One looking like a futuristic dystopian city of JUDGE DREDD. Hopefully in the next sequel there will be more futuristic look with maybe more characters from the comics like Judge Rico, The Angel Gang, etc. If this movie had the setting and background history of the 1995 movie combined, this movie would have been awesome and definitely a 10!
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Hollywood remakes-seems the trend continues... :-^
I do not like bringing politics into these movie discussions but seems some movies just beg for it to happen. One of those films is this remake of the 1962 movie, so if your politics are left of center, a believer of events in the Syriana movie, or hate anything that has Halliburton in it, then this is your movie.
As its own and not seeing the original prior to watching this, the film is not bad. My only complaint is why keep the same title as the original movie? Yes the bad guys run a company called MANCHURIAN GLOBAL but these dunder heads that wrote this script seems not to know the real meaning for the word MANCHURIAN (hint:has to do with the country of China).
Seems writers of today can not just come up with their own original ideas and have go and re-invent ones that have already been created. These "remakes" reminds me of the infamous sampling incident years ago with QUEEN/David BOWIE and VANILLA ICE from the song "Under Pressure". Just sample something of the original material and then add new or change the material/storyline and claim its an original all on its own.
This movie has its thrills, and if you like conspiracies this is one to get your mouth wet. IF the maker of this movie would have just changed the title into something, I think this movie would have stood on its own.
Again if you think Oliver Stone's JFK is "actual history", believe man has not landed on the moon, or believe alien technology is at work at Area 51, then you'll really get the tin foil hats to melt from watching this movie.
Max (2002)
this movie is not bad just takes a while to really get it
I am surprised to have watched this movie not just once but thrice. I at first really did not care for it especially when it talked about Hitler when he was an aspiring artist. I was not too enthusiastic but having sit through it, I was quite fascinated. The movie shows how young Hitler was struggling to get noticed for his artwork and talk about angst that Noah Taylor shows as Adolf in not knowing where to pursue his talents, politics or art.
My only complaint I have about this film, and nothing against John Cusack but I think he was miscasted in this movie. The reason why I say this is because most of the actors in this movie have a European accent not necessarily a German one. Mr. Cusack is the only one in this movie talking like an American with an American accent.
Mr. Cusack does not attempt to use a European accent or anything to cover his American speak. I just felt that he was out of place in this movie with his American accent. For most people they may not care but I found it hard not to notice while everyone else around him sound different. I felt that Mr. Cusack just got off doing the CITY HALL movie and immediately got thrown in to this one. The idea of him being a German cavalry officer definitely took a leap of imagination with his straight American accent.
Other than this detail, I did find the movie interesting. The director tries to show us young Hitler as a very troubled man who's artistic abilities are just ignored and this does not help to tame the intense hatred that Noah Taylor brings out very effectively. At times the viewer would think that Noah was possessed with Hitler's spirit when Noah starts to rant and rave to the audience.
I must say that this film is not for the CRASH, BOOM, BAM action flick fans, but if history or pseudo-history interests you , then you might like it. I WILL SAY THAT THIS FILM MAY NOT BE HISTORICALY ACCURATE TO THE ACTUAL PORTRAYAL OF ADOLF Hitler. I think its more of a WHAT IF movie and as that it is quite enjoyable.
Night Stalker (2005)
The show is alright, the name should have been changed though :-/
I just want to say when I first saw the trailers I was expecting the same formula of the 1970's show of the dead-beat, crusty reporter dealing with the supernatural though it would be updated for the 2000's for the Generation Y crowd.
Unfortunately after watching several episodes, this show is more of HOMICIDE:LIFE ON THE STREETS with a little X-FILES or Millennium thrown in to make it "interesting". I will say as a show in its OWN RIGHT it is not bad. I am not really to much into crime shows since Michael Mann's CRIME STORY from several years ago.
I think if this show had a different name, it might have been better. The reason (in my opinion) why the series did not go to far was the TITLE. Many fans were disappointed because there was no vampire, or Jack the Ripper or invisible alien being that this "updated" Karl Kolchak has to fight. My other reason why this series did not make it was the lack of Kolchak getting in arguments with his current boss, unlike the original Kolchak did with his editor boss, Vincenzo. Kolchak's paparazzi tactics in trying to get the bottom of the story always got him in the hot seat with the cranky Vincenzo which was great and funny at the same time.
This type of conflict is NOT IN THIS SERIES AT ALL. No characters to conflict to the point of absurdity. The makers of this series just went off to tangent and wanted to make a serious television show with X-FILES/Millennium influences in mind. I think if fans of the old series try to forget the TITLE, then they may find the series enjoyable.
BE FOREWARNED FANS OF THE OLD NIGHTSTALKER SERIES, YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS UPDATED VERSION IF YOU ARE EXPECTING THE OLD CHARACTERS AND STORY LINES OF THE 1970'S MOVIES AND SHOWS.
Insecticidal (2005)
*SIGH *Where to begin?
To say this "movie" is awful is not enough. Too bad that IMDb does not contain negative numbers to rate this piece of trash. I originally thought at least prepubescent boys might like this movie for the female eye candy but looking at the laughable CGI I think they would hate this movie also. The plot is lame, acting is so bad where the "reality shows" are Oscar material compared to this. Did I mentioned the special effects or lack of? The CGI looks like it were done not on a Commodore 64, like the above commenter mentioned, but on a Tandy TRS-80. Especially the Praying Mantis, it looks like someone did not even bothered to look at an insect book, an Animal Planet documentary, or even the old b&w sci-fi movie, THE DEADLY MANTIS, to get an accurate rendition of the a praying mantis. Imagine a crudely drawn bug (ala 5 yo kid) with a Kermit the Frog head and you pretty much get the idea how bad the mantis was "created". I think everyone involved made this movie for some film class they are taking at the college they maybe attending. I can not believe they took themselves seriously when they made this barf bag of a film. I just want to say to future film students watch this as a lesson IN NOT WHAT MAKE and you will live a long happy life.