Ben's Movie Reviews and Upcoming Releases
Ben's Movie Reviews
My Rating System
Due to frequent harassment, I have changed my rating system to just stars, now its like everyones elses. Ratings are out of SIX stars!
Reviews - Coming Soon...
Reviews
Phone Booth starring Colin Farrell, Forrest Whittaker, Katie Holmes, and Kiefer Sutherland
a very good movie. I didnt see this in the theater, but I wish had. I didnt think a movie with one setting could've had much plot, but was I ever wrong. Farrells obviously a terrific actor, and I've always been a fan of Whittaker. This movie is very suspenseful because of its simpleness, we've all heard ringing payphones on the street, I'll never answer one again.
Rating: *****
From Hell starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham
Crap, was i surprised. Outside of movies I am fascinated with serial killers, especially Jack the Ripper. This was not what i expected, it was slow and rather tedious. But i cant give it a fair rating because this film has the distinction of being the only movie ive ever falling asleep while watching for the first time. I gave it half a star because Heather Graham is hot.
Rating: 1/2*
Matrix Reloaded starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Jada Pinkett Smith
If ive said it once, ive said it a million times, Anticipation and hype kills movies. I loved the Matrix, its probably my favorite non-Star Wars movie, but i was waiting for this for too long and no movie could live up to that. In its own right it was incredible. The effects, while no longer groundbreaking, are still amazing, and the acting was great. The fight scenes were second to none. The only flaw i saw was it was not as logical as the first, but hey, whose picky.
Rating: *****
Matrix Revolutions starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Jada Pinkett Smith
No movie could live up to the expectations set by the first two in this series, the ground-smashing original, and the digital masterpeice that was the second installment. However, Revolutions holds its own. If possible in the Matrix world, its more down to earth. less kung-fuing 300 hundred Agents Smiths, and more hero realizing destiny. Did i love it? Yes. Did the ending piss me off till i screaming as i exited the theatre? Of course. Dont worry, they left it possible for a fourth.
Rating: ****
Old School starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell
This is one of those love it or hate it movie. I hated it. It was alot of build up with no punch. The best part was the Snoop Dogg cameo. The actually funny parts were few and far between, and hardly worth the filler between. The comedy stylings of Will Ferrel, while not old, were very predictable in this movie. Dont lose sleep by staying up to watch this.
Rating: *
Blue Crush starring Kate Bosworth, Matthew Davis, and Michelle Rodriguez
This is a good date movie, the empowerment and success of the female lead roles will appeal to her, and the cute chicks in bikinis will appeal to him. As a movie though, the aforementioned bikini-clad chicks do not save this movie. Its very predictable, underachieving underdog suffers hardship after hardship, but shows all of them up by persevering and succeeding. And who are "them" exactly?, i still dont know.
Rating: *
SWAT starring Colin Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michelle Rodriguez
This movie is very good, action-packed, however if any movie is predictable, its this one. Of course the disgruntled cop who was fired in the beginning was going to turn out to be the bad guy. Duh! However, it was humorous at times and very exciting, a good movie.
Rating: ****
Freddy vs Jason starring Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Monica Keena, Kelly Rowland
Very Bloody, the way i like it. These two titans of terror kick the shit out of each other. Its pretty damn cool. My fave Jason holds his own, Freddy has his moments too. There also was a good nude scene, a horror staple. I wouldnt mind paying to see this film again.
Rating: ****
Jeepers Creepers 2 starring ....I have no idea
A very cool movie, the creeper is great. Cool deaths and some cute chicks. Overall however, this movie was not as good as the first one, the creeper looked cooler in the first one. I must say that i really liked the ending and am looking forward to the third (on rolls the trilogy craze).
Rating: ****
Sasquatch! starring Lance Hendriksen
Dear god this sucked. We (my buddies and I) rented this movie in hopes to see some cheesy horror and get some really bad lines to mock, not to mention the standard B-movie nudity. First of all, the movie plot was bad, the characters were bad, the acting was bad, there were no dumb lines, the sasquatch lookd too fake (but not fake enough to be funny), and the nudity was a side view silhouette. And there were too many effects, it seemed like the videographer just learned how to use a camcorder. Every visual effect possible was overused, fade-ins, fade-outs, blurry dream like sequences, screwing with the axes, and everything else you can think of, it made us nauseous.
Rating: *
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grinch, Emma Watson, John Hurt, John Cleese, and Alan Rickman
Admit it you saw it. I held out, but them my girlfriend made me watch it, and surprise surprise, I liked it. It was clever, dark, and not overly childish. Though some parts were dumbed down (like naming the Cerebrus-esque dog Fluffy), overall it was pretty good. And i soooo want to play Quidditch.
Rating: *****
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grinch, Emma Watson, John Hurt, John Cleese, and Alan Rickman
See above for my motive for seeing this movie. This chapter of the Potter chronicle was almost as entertaining as the first. Sequels are never the original, but it was still pretty good. The relationship between Potter and Valdemort is deepened and set for future epic confrontations. This movie is not on my top 20, but I'll see the third.
Rating: *****
Punch Drunk Love starring Adam Sandler
Oh my freaking god, this was horrible. I had to shut it off after less that half an hour. Not only did I not laugh, i didnt even crack a smile, except when i shut it off. It was disturbing and off-putting. I think id rather watch reruns of Sally Jesse Raphael (maybe i shouldnt go that far,) but it was bad, really bad.
Rating: *
Thirteen starring Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Sisto, Brady Corbet, Deborah Kara Unger, Kip Pardue
This movie was incredible, absolutely riveting. The acting was incredible, Wood as the thirteen-year old girl Tracy played the part so well. For once someone plays someone their own age. She defintitely hit the angst filled, peer pressured, young adolescent. Her role was memorable. I will purchase this movie and make my children (when i have some) watch it so we could understand each other more. Its been a while since a movie has felt this powerful, Watch This One!
Rating: ******
The Order starring Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Fürmann, Peter Weller, Francesco Carnelutti
A surprisingly good movie. The acting may not have been powerful and the story may not have moving, but it was a very good movie. Suspenseful, creepy, and just plain cool. Heath Ledger plays a demon-slaying priest of the Carolingian order who investigates a Vatican murder and uncovers a sineater, someone who eats the sins of other so they can go to heaven. Ledger is assigned the task of killing him because he embarrases the church by providing an alternate route to heaven. His acting is just fine, not a bad job. Worth seeing.
Rating: ****
Pirates if the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush
Hey, a great disney flick. Very entertaining; swashbuckling, skeleton crews, hot chicks, and a cursed treasure add up to a good movie. This movie had its funny moments, without resorting to typical Disney-esque tactics. It is the best movie EVER, based on a theme park ride. Oh yeah, Depp as the ex-captain-ed pirate on the brink of madness was really good. P.S. attn. Disney, take the pre-movie previews out of DVD's, thats why we buy DVD's, assholes.
P.P.S. The more i watch this (I bought it, you see) the more i love it. If Depp doesnt win the Oscar ill be pissed.
Rating: *****
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen starring Sean Connery, Petra Wilson, ...others
You can honestly never have enough comic book movies. This one was ok. The plot seemed kinda done, like something out of James Bond type movie. The acting was ok. The best part was seeing some of my favorite classical literature characters come to life on the big screen. Dorian Gray was pretty damn cool, as were the rest. While i have no doubt that the Nautilus from Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was impressive, the likeness of it in this movie was violating laws of physics, still cool though.
Rating: ***
Underworld starring Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman
I can sum up this move with one word.....eh! The graphics were very cool, vampires and werewolves are always very cool. But this movie could've been a lot better. I liked the acting work, but the plot was missing, it was just "Eh" throughout the whole movie and the ending was kinda anticlimatic. Worth watching though, Kate Beckinsale as a vampire is hot.
Rating: ***
Once Upon A Time In Mexico starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Willem DaFoe, and Enrique Iglesias
Surprising as sequels go. I liked. The mystique of el Mariachi was not diminished neither was the action. The addition of Johnny Depp solidified this as a hit. This movie continues to catalyze my fandom of Depp. There was enough bloodshed and gunfighting to make up for the little amount of hot chicks. Hayek only appears in a few flashbacks.
Rating: *****
Finding Nemo starring (voices of) Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Garret, Willem DaFoe
I resisted this movie also, but i work at Circuit City and we had it playing on several TV's and it captivated me. It is a very cute movie with many funny moments. Not to mention the visual effects are groundbreaking. I mean, you can see the little specks floating in the water. Worth seeing, even if theres no kids around.
Rating: *****