Quantum of Solace

I walked into the new james bond movie knowing that i really liked the previous 'Casino Royale' but also realizing i hardly remembered anything from the previous other than the opening freerunning scene. I liked how 'Casino' took a much darker realistic approach on the james bond franchise which in the past tended to include implausible scenes with cheesy dialogue and action.

'Quatum of Solace' continues this rebooted trend even further with loads of brutal violence and dark themes. Themes such as rape, bitter revenge, and James Bond's tendency to kill rather than bring people in these days are more well-received because of the overall darker tone of the movie.

I found the action disorienting at times, especially the opening scene (it was hard to tell who was doing what with the close-up fast editing style). However, past the first scene i thought the action was great and not particularly hard to follow. Likewise, this movie has plenty of gritty action, much in the mold of the 'Bourne' movies. While some did not like this supposed imitation i welcomed it. I felt Marc Forester did an excellent job at directing everything. Lush visuals, with great shots showed an experienced director was behind the camera.

The story was the main problem. It was hard to follow at times. Who was chasing who was confusing. Is that the CIA or MI6 after Bond? I did not feel the story was extremely weak, just the weakest part of a film i did in fact really enjoy.

All in all, i really like this latest installment into the james bond movie. It is darker, more violent, and altogether more real than the other ones, so not being a huge fan of the older cornball james bond movies i cannot complain one bit.

Pineapple Express Film Review

Being of fan of Judd Apatow films, I was really looking forward to 'Pineapple Express.' Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen (who also starred), wrote this film, also having written the very funny high school comedy 'Superbad.'

This film is hilarious. Though its hyped as a action/comedy it is the little moments of dialogue and interaction where this film truly shines. Seth Rogen does a good job using his previous pot smoking experiences. However, the true star in this film is James Franco. He is spot on as the clueless drug dealer, Saul Silver. I would say his performance is Oscar-worthy. He is just that good and that funny. He is reminiscent of Brad Pitt's character Floyd in 'True Romance,' though he adds a lot more to the character since he has more air time.

The movie is far from flawless though as the action scenes are where the film droops. Most of the action scenes are fine but the giant one at the end is where it gets a little long-toothed and is a little over-the-top from the rest of the movie. Without giving anything away I found the actual ending scene with the conversation as being the funniest part of the movie.

In the end, I'd recommend this movie, whether you are a stoner or not. The humour works either way. Not that everyone will enjoy this film however, I'd recommend it to people who like raunchier comedies such as 'Superbad'.

Step Brothers Film Review

'Step Brothers' is the first comedy I watched this summer. I didn't have extremely high expectations for this film since I am not a huge fan of Will Ferrell at all. I feel that he has been in a recent decline since the actually funny 'Anchorman'. Or potentially it is that the stupid improvised humour that make up his films is getting old.

This movie does indeed have its funny lines. However, the lack of a significant plot in any form drag it down greatly. Also, there are large chunks of this film where there are no laughs and many jokes/ploys are reused. Much of the humour was in the fact that O'Reilly and Ferrell are adults saying things that kids say only swearing while they did it. This was not particularly funny to me at any time. The movie is too long. Towards the end I was just wanting it to end.

This film had it many bright spots where i laughed. The overall experience though was a little tired, felt done before many times, and was not especially memorable.

The Dark Knight film review

I had extremely high expectations for this film. I have liked every Christopher Nolan movie I've watched up to this point including the prequel 'Batman Begins.' Likewise the trailers for this movie made it look spectacular.

I attended the midnight showing to a full house, and two and a half hours later i left amazed and breathless. This movie was magnificent. Not only the best superhero film of all-time but one of the best overall films of 2008. It appeared to be more of a crime drama than a standard super hero romp.

The acting was incredible. Heath Ledger was unbelievable as the joker. Every since watching Heath Ledger in the 'Lords of Dogtown' I knew that he could act. What he does in 'TDK' is take it to an entirely new level. He is completely crazy and I feel a better joker than Jack Nicholson was. I was a little skeptical prior to this film, feeling that maybe some of his praise was overdue and only given out due to his death. However, none of his praise for this film is unwarranted. He deserves an oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
Also, Aaron Eckhart was extremely good as the complex Harvey Dent. His performance appears to be getting a little overshadowed by Ledger's but it was very excellent nonetheless.

The humor in this film is profoundly dark and honestly laugh-out-loud funny. This contrasts well with the gritty world that Nolan creates oh so well in the movie. Overall, this is an epic story that extends well beyond the hype surrounding it. I will probably go and watch this film again just to be sucked into the interesting world of Gotham City once more. The film is nearly perfect and the only complaint I could maybe find is that some find it a little too long. I did not mind the length however.

Overall, extending well beyond the typical superhero movie fun-time campy adventure Christopher Nolan has created a masterpiece film.
Everything about this film shines: the script, dialogue, direction, action, and the sheer number of unforgettable scenes and moments that are present throughout it

Consensus: Go see this movie now!