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George Lopez: Long Time No See (2003)
George Lopez's Best Performance to Date
I'm going to admit to saying that I'm a huge fan of this show. Mainly because of the gripping story lines and competent acting from everyone, even George Lopez. A comedian who's not a great actor, but when he's asked to show emotion, he does it well. The second season of this show is most remembered for George's hunt for his deadbeat father, Manny Lopez. At the very end of this episode, George meets Manny for the first time. What was, at first, awkward small talk about what's going on in both of their lives turns into a heated argument about why Manny left George and his mother Benny and the way the argument plays out is so heartbreaking and at the end where George punches him in the face and delivers the line "THAT'S for my mother" just makes it all the more sad but fulfilling at the same time to see George get revenge for 35 years of nothing. It's definitely the best moment of the series and what made me fall in love with this show as I was growing up. The entirety of the second season was so excellent as it is, but this episode is a very satisfying ending.
Tom Wilson: Bigger Than You (2009)
Surprisingly hilarious
I was browsing on Netflix just to browse and I saw this. I couldn't believe that one of my childhood favorite actors actually decided to put out a stand up comedy special. Although it also made sense because let's face it, who isn't trying their hands at stand up comedy today? Even though I thought Wilson was great in the Back to the Future films, I wasn't expecting much from this special. Although... it turned out to be absolutely hilarious. The reason why I wasn't expecting anything great is because I felt he might be too reliant on Back to the Future references because he's so famous for playing the series antagonist Biff Tannen... kinda like another comedian *cough* Bob Saget *cough*. Although instead of having all his jokes be constant references to the BTTF films, he takes the persona that he's well known for (big angry tough guy) and applies it into his comedy and it works well in his favor. Although thankfully he doesn't use it too much to the point of this being Biff's Stand-Up Special. Another thing that I was glad was the absence of profanity. Now I don't mind profanity, it's just that 98% of all comedians are so reliant on it that it becomes distracting and really annoying. But Wilson is able to stay clear of profanity and it makes it even more enjoyable. Although it does kinda bug me that he had to do the clichéd thing of making fun of white people stereotypes and sex life but these moments only take up like 3% of the show so it's forgettable.
So overall, if your a fan of Tom Wilson or if you're looking for a comedian that is refreshing and appropriate for the whole family, this is a must have in your DVD collection.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Now i can understand why the film won only a single Oscar.
I started to admire the works of Kubrick at the age of 14 after seeing the movie Dr. Strangelove. And after seeing Full Metal Jacket, I became a fan of Kubrick. Then I was in my high school Cinema Studies class and the teacher showed us this movie. I've always wanted to see it because it had Kubrick as the director and I heard it was his best film. I was aware that it was a slow movie, but that didn't bother me. Little did I know that it would be one of the most boring and most pretentious films I have ever seen.
Before the fans of this film flame me, let me explain. I wasn't expecting a film like Star Wars. I was looking for a film that had a good storyline and characters that were interesting to watch. This film didn't have that. There was no storyline and the characters were really empty and void with no personality at all. That's not even the worst part. The worst part is the pacing. Now I love watching slow paced movies, but they need to have something going on that will keep me interested in what's going on. This movie didn't have that. You can take out about 70% of this film and not be missing any plot points whatsoever. A lot of the shots are either of spaceships floating in space, spaceships landing (very slowly), stars and planets, or landscapes. I'm sorry, but I expected to see a film, not a slideshow of art.
Now there is one thing that I can say good about this movie, and that's the visual effects. For 1968, they are absolutely fantastic and still hold up pretty well and the Oscar it received is very well deserved.
The overall problem with this movie is that it tries to hard to be intelligent. This isn't a problem necessarily, but if you don't have something to keep me interested in what's going on besides the pretty special effects, then you're insulting your audience and that's what 2001 does.
If you wanna watch a film that is both entertaining and genuinely intelligent, watch the original Planet of the Apes. It came out in the same year, has a slow pace, but it has 2 things that it has over this movie, an engrossing story, and well fleshed out characters.
Overall 2/10
First Blood (1982)
Criminally underrated.
A lot of people know the Rambo series as a ridiculous 80's action series. But what a lot of people tend to forget is that the first movie in this series was not a ridiculous action movie. It's a serious, dark, thriller that has a very somber tone and a sympathetic lead character. Almost everything that Rambo is known for nowadays is completely absent in this movie. From the multitude of explosions to the high body count to the unrealistic action to the ridiculous story line is completely absent. There are only 2 or 3 explosions (not to mention they are realistically done) and only one person dies throughout the whole picture. and the action, while there isn't a lot, it's realistic. Even the story line you believe can actually happen. It's for these reasons that make this my favorite Rambo movie. And not to mention the fantastic and heart breaking performance given by Stallone. Why the Academy didn't nominate him for Best Actor at the Oscars is beyond me. If you didn't like the other Rambo movies because of their ridiculousness and haven't seen this film, I highly recommend seeing it. It's one of my favorite post-war movies if not one of my favorite movies of all time.
Final rating: 9/10
Rambo (2008)
The perfect Rambo movie!
This is like what would happen if you took the first 2 movies and mixed them in a blender. You get the dark and realistic tone of First Blood and you get the balls to the wall action of Rambo: First Blood Part 2. Ya Stallone is 62 years old in this movie, but who cares? He's still got the chops to be a complete monster on screen. And who could forget that amazing action scene at the end with him on the back of that jeep mowing down everyone with a .50 caliber machine gun? One of the best action scenes in a movie. And the movie ends on just the perfect note. If there is something Stallone knows how to do right is make up his previous films and end them right. Rocky 5 ended the Rocky series on a dissatisfying note and Rocky Balboa ended it the right way. Same with Rambo. Rambo 3 ended Rambo on a dissatisfying note and Rambo ended it the right way. This is why I love Stallone. He cares about his work.
Overall, if you have not seen this movie, go see it. Is it the best Rambo movie? No, that's still First Blood. Is it the best action Rambo movie? Yes! If not his best action movie ever made! Final Rating: 9/10
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Very disappointing...
I'm a huge fan of the original play and of Leonardo DiCaprio and the concept seemed fascinating: Set the play in modern times but have the original dialogue. Needless to say but the final result was awful. What was wrong with it? Well let me tell you.
First, the use of Shakespearean dialogue in a modern setting took me out of the movie. It was very gimmicky and it didn't flow right. Second, the acting is pretty bad. Even Leonardo DiCaprio gives a very bland performance. Third, the direction and editing is really frantic and crazy. The beginning you are just wondering what is going on? This is especially bad because you are supposed to take the story seriously but it's so hard to do so because the way how the film is put together is laughably bad. and finally, the pacing is awful! I don't know how many times I checked my watch during the movie to see if it was going to be over soon or not.
The only good thing I can say about this film is the art direction and costume design. It's all very well done but that's nowhere near enough to save this travesty of a film.
Please, even if you are a die hard fan of Leonardo DiCaprio like I am and feel the need to see every single one of his movies, avoid this film at all costs. It's one of the worst films I have ever seen! 2/10
The Expendables (2010)
Cheesy and cliché? Yes. Wildly Entertaining? Oh yes!!!!
I don't get what everyone was expecting from this film. Stallone said multiple times before the release of this film that this is a tribute to the hard R action movies of the 1980's. Hence the ensemble of some of the most iconic action stars of the 80s and 90s being in this movie. Does it have hammy acting? Yes (Although Dolph Lundgren gives a surprisingly good performance and steals the show in the few scenes he is in). Does it have a cliché plot? Yes. But that is what action movies of the 1980s had.
Although I love this movie, there were 2 things that bothered me. One is the Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo. This would've been awesome, but it's ruined by the fact that it was spoiled in the trailers and the dialog in the scene is just awful! Another thing is that a lot of the cast doesn't get a lot of screen time. Everyone except for Stallone and Statham get like only 20 to 30 minutes of screen time. I hope in the sequel they fix this problem because that really annoyed me.
Overall, if you go in with an open mind, you might like this movie. It has its flaws, but overall, it's a very entertaining movie. Let's hope the sequel can fix some of the problems this one had.
8/10
Schindler's List (1993)
Best Movie of all Time
Perfect.
Perfect on every level from the acting to the script, to the cinematography, everything about this movie is 100% perfect.
I've watched this movie 3 times and there's nothing I would change. Even the insanely long running time of 3 hours and 15 minutes isn't a bad thing. Every scene feels important. I would highly recommend watching this movie. Although it is very violent and very heartbreaking so be warned!! But if you can handle strong violence and a difficult subject matter such as the Holocaust, then you must see it. It's my favorite movie, and I hope it will one day become yours too.
Rating: 10/10
Power Rangers Wild Force (2002)
It's not the best season of Power Rangers, but it's certainly not the worst.
The good: *Well developed characters *Good acting from most of the rangers *AWESOME costumes *AWESOME theme song *Memorable villains *Pretty interesting mythology *A very intriguing 6th ranger despite being poorly acted *Some great crossover episodes including the Time Force Power Rangers in one episode and EVERY SINGLE red ranger from every power rangers series from Mighty Morphin, to Alien Rangers, to Zeo, to Turbo, to In Space, to Lost Galaxy, to Lightspeed Rescue, to Time Force, and of course Wild Force in a 10th anniversary special.
The bad: *The mentor (Princess Sheila) is acted very poorly and very annoying (I know Power Rangers isn't known for it's acting, but seasons prior to this have had some really good acting (especially Time Force) *Merrick (the 6th ranger) is a really cool ranger, but his acting is wooden *The environmentalist message grates on my nerves and when the god of this mythology (in the form of a little boy) comes to complain to the rangers about how the Earth is being polluted, how mankind is evil for this, and when he takes away the rangers powers because they don't agree with him, that just came off REALLY fascist and really made me angry.
Overall the series does have some really high points to it, and some really, REALLY low lows. It's kind of a mixed bag for me, but the high points save it from being terrible.
Power Rangers Time Force (2001)
Power Rangers with good acting? Wow never thought I would see the day!
This is like the Anti-Power Rangers. It's not light-hearted, the characters are not bland, the story is well written, and it's not acted poorly. It has a dark tone (as much as you can get with Power Rangers), the characters are all interesting and well developed, the story is very engaging, and the actors are really good in their roles. Every actor conveys a level of emotion that has never been seen in Power Rangers. It felt like a really good drama TV show mixed with Power Rangers. It also ends on a great note. Probably the only moment in Power Rangers to make you shed a tear. If you don't like Power Rangers and have never seen this show, give it a watch. I think you might be surprised. My only complaint is that this was one season long. I wish it had at least one more season. This is without a doubt the best Power Rangers show of all time. I love Mighty Morphin but from a critic standpoint, this is the best.
Batman: Arkham City (2011)
Rocksteady should make every superhero game that comes out!
You thought that Arkham Asylum was amazing? Arkham City makes Arkham Asylum look like the video game version of Spider-Man the Movie. Everything you loved from the first game is intact with some enhancements and additions. I wont dare spoil anything for you but i just have to say that the story is incredible. One of the greatest Batman stories ever told in the last 15 years. The graphics are much more improved from Arkham Asylum which is incredible because Arkham Asylum looks incredible even to this very day. The gameplay is wonderful. You actually feel like your the Batman even more so this time around because you have an entire city to explore. While this game is incredible, it's not without some annoyances; one minor and one major. I was really disappointed that the Bat-mobile did not make an appearance in this game, but due to the location that the game is set in, I can see why it wasn't in it, but still, who wouldn't of wanted to cruise around Arkham City in the Bat-mobile? And my major complaint is that it felt too short. It clocks in at about 8-10 hours depending on the difficulty level, unlike Arkham Asylum which was about 12-14 hours depending on the difficulty level. But despite my minor complaints, this is worth the $60. Even though the game is pretty short, there are plenty of side-quests to go on and a lot of collectables (Riddler Trophies) to collect and a lot of challenges (PSN Trophies and Riddler Challenges) to complete that will keep you playing for hours long after you beat the game. Rocksteady (The game's developer) can do no wrong :) 10/10
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The best movie about Christ I have ever seen!!
Let's be perfectly clear that I am a Christian, but I have never been a big fan of Christian movies. I think most of the time they focus too much on the message they are trying to convey that they forget that they also need to make a good movie in order for anyone to take the message seriously. But I have always been a huge fan of movies based on famous stories from the Bible. This is one of the best films based on a story from the Bible I have ever seen. It is certainly the best Jesus movie ever made. Why is that? Because it's realistic. What Mel Gibson wanted to do was to show the brutality of how Jesus was tortured and eventually crucified. He doesn't candy-code it for little kids unlike almost every other Jesus movie (not saying those movies are bad, they just don't accurately depict Jesus' final hours). It's an R rated film and rightfully so. It's very violent and very hard to watch, but it's not gratuitous like an R rated action movie. It's artfully done. Besides it being realistic in the brutality of the violence, it has some excellent direction and great acting. Mel Gibson directs this movie excellently. The way how he shoots it is just beautiful. He should have gotten an Oscar nomination for this. James Caviezel gives probably the best performance of Jesus ever. He looks the part, he sounds the part, and he acts the part. The movie is 2 hours long but it's not dull. It keeps you interested the whole way through.
Now I would recommend this film, but here are some disclaimers, it's rated R for gory violence so it's not for children and not for people who can't handle gory violence. It also has Satan in it and he may look disturbing to some people. It even has demon children which some may also find unsettling. But if you can get past these things and you are at the right age, then I would highly recommend this film.
Scrooge (1951)
Why this wasn't nominated for best actor, best supporting actor, best adapted screenplay, best musical score, best director, and best picture is beyond me.
I am a huge fan of A Christmas Carol. I have ever since I saw the Mickey version when I was a young lad. This is the first proper live action version I have seen. I have loved it ever since I saw it as a young boy. Alistair Sim gives an excellent performance as Scrooge. Why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for best actor is beyond me. You really feel the pain that he is going through while he is witnessing his life fall apart literally before his eyes. Michael Hordern gives an amazing performance as Jacob Marley. It's so frightening to watch that it took me 5 years to rewatch the movie after I first saw it. The other actors do a fine job in their roles but nothing spectacular. The writing is fantastic. It stays true to dickens original text while adding things to enhance it. The score is wonderful. It sets the mood of each scene beautifully. The directing is also superb. The film is pretty much a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
If you are looking for a version that stays the closest to the book, this is not the version to watch as it changes many small things and adds scenes (especially the past sequence). But these additions actually enhance the story and the changes are so minuscule that it doesn't matter.
This is definitely the version that I love the most. If you are looking for a version to watch, this is the best one. But be warned, this is not a version for the younger audiences. They may find it very terrifying and unsettling (especially Marley's visit). I recommend it for kids 11 and older.
Overall this is my favorite film version and one of my favorite films of all time.