Collateral (2004)

Collateral (2004)

Collateral has a great and captivating story line along with some of the best work by the cast and crew. A hitman kidnaps a cab driver and makes him drive him around town to make his hits. It seems like a relatively easy plot but somehow it’s quite original.

The thing that makes this film work so well is the cast and crew. Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are both at their best. Jamie Foxx was nominated for plenty of awards for his role and I think he really deserved that. His performance is only rivaled by his performance in Ray. Tom Cruise didn’t get that much praise for his role but it is personally my favorite performance of his, very intense and real.

Besides the acting you also get, in my opinion, Michael Mann’s best directing as well. It might not be his best film but I think the directing stands out more than any other. But what I liked even more than the directing and the acting is the cinematography. It’s very dark very similar to The Godfather but even darker, almost like the whole film was done in the shadows, its fantastic.

The film is two hours long and I think that was perfect, it never really draws out or anything, it stays tense and interesting the whole time. My only complaint about the film is the ending. I like the actual ending but the minutes leading up to the final scene seems a little to ridiculous to a point. It doesn’t ruin the film, if anything it just makes you say “yeah right”

******Spoiler******

Tom Cruise is chasing Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith through a building, though he’s quite a ways behind them and can’t see where they go he guesses which way they go and what train they go on. He thinks about which way to go at every turn but is still confident he made the right choice every time and stays ready. I guess it is possible but I don’t think it would happen. again it doesn’t ruin the film, its just a small complaint.

****End Spoilers*****

I think most people will enjoy this film, especially fans of Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and Michael Mann, or just action films in general.

9/10

Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Horton Hears a Who is one of my favorite animated films, it’s truly hilarious and a lot of fun.

Steve Carell and Jim Carey lead in the film and both do fantastic. Jim Carrey is probably at one of his bests, he gives a Horton a personality that I don’t think anyone else could come close to. All the supporting cat does great as well, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen, Amy Poehler, Isla Fisher and so on. My personal favorite character is Vlad played by Will Arnett, doesn’t have the biggest role but its important and all of his scenes are hilarious.

The animation is great, its very cartoonish but very detailed. I haven’t read the book so I’m not sure how it compares but I can’t imagine it letting fans of the book down. It does seem to have an undertone of religion and other things like that but I don’t think its meant to be preachy like some might say, just watch it for what it is, don’t read into it.

My only complaint about the film is when they all start singing at the end. It might be because I don’t like the song but I think it was to pressured, like they were trying to hard to end it fun and light hearted so they had them sing. It in no way ruined the movie I just wish they had done it a little different.

I suggest this film to anyone, both young and old. It didn’t seem to be that popular but I think it should have been and I think most people who watch it will really enjoy it.

9/10

Along Came Polly (2004)

Along Came Polly (2004)

Along Came Polly is not Ben Stiller’s best film nor his best performance but I really enjoyed it. It’s not that original but it is still somehow fresh. It is pretty well written and there are plenty of memorable and distinct moments that make it more recognizable and original than the storyline itself would make it seem like it would. The bathroom scene, the ferret and the basketball scene are a few of these moments.

As far as acting goes, Ben Stiller does what he usually does. He makes you laugh and believe his character but doesn’t actually act wonderfully, which doesn’t seem to make sense. His performance is similar to that in There’s Something About Mary. Jennifer Aniston also gives the same performance as almost everything she’s done, which isn’t good but it works out fine all together. The best character and performance in the film is Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He has a very strange role in comparison to most of his other work, and he does it great. He was very hilarious and did really good, he kept the film more watchable, though he had a small role. Hank Azaria also had a very funny yet even smaller role that added more character to the otherwise average film.

Any fan of Ben Stiller or Jennifer Aniston will most likely enjoy Along Came Polly. It’s nothing extremely special and it’s not the funniest movie, but it has a good story and has many good laughs. Definitely worth watching if it’s on TV or something, but not really something you need to run out and rent, unless, like I said, you are a big fan of Stiller or Aniston.

7/10

The Apartment (1960)

The Apartment (1960)

Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder team up again for brilliance. I don’t like The Apartment quite as much as I do Some Like it Hot but it still is one of the greatest films of all time.

It is very clever, sweet and funny, and has fantastic performances by both Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. The supporting cast all does good as well. Along with the great acting, The Apartment has outstanding writing and directing by legend Billy Wilder. As I said it isn’t my favorite Billy Wilder film but it is one of the best, which automatically means its one of the best films ever made. Billy Wilder is a genius.

I first heard of the film while watching the films from the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest films of all time. Since then I have suggested it to many people and watched it a few more times. It’s a great way to get into classic films and a great way to stay into classic films.

It’s a great and original story, a great mix of comedy and drama. Sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious, but always amazing. I suggest this film to everyone. I think if you give it a chance there is almost no way you wont like it. The Apartment is one more film that proves Billy Wilder is one of the best directors in history.

10/10

Airplane! (1980)

Airplane! (1980)

Airplane! Is easily one of the funniest and most influential comedies ever made. Not the first parody film but it did take them in a new direction. It was done with more genius than almost every comedy made before and after, and it will remain a classic forever. It is jam packed with gags and one liners that would make Groucho Marx proud

There really isn’t anything bad to say about this film. Immature? Yeah, sure, but still funny to almost everyone regardless of taste. Its easily the best comedy of the 80s if not the best comedy ever made. It doesn’t get annoying like many other films in its style, it stays hilarious the whole time, and it will be hilarious for years and years to come.

I don’t think Leslie Nielson would be remembered the way he will be without this film. He plays one of the greatest comedy roles ever, and with the help of Robert Hays, Lloyd Bridges, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, this film becomes legendary. There is truly too many great lines to even begin picking favorites.

Now, is Airplane my favorite comedy? No. I’m not going to sit here and say I love it to death. Don’t get me wrong, I do love it and I do think it is one of the greatest comedies ever made, but at the same time, as far as comedies go, I wont call it one of my favorites unless I can watch over and over again. It does stay funny even after multiple viewings but they need to be pretty separated viewings, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just the only thing that keeps me from loving it a little more. Still genius.

If you haven’t yet seen Airplane! You have made a mistake. It is a must see by everyone. Make sure you are in the mood for a comedy though. It is one of the few full blown comedies that are both loved by almost everyone and seen as a classic.

9/10

Amityville Horror (2005)

Amityville Horror (2005)

Amityville Horror is definitely not the greatest horror film but I think its relatively easy to like. A lot of horror films are either really loved or really hated but I think this one is right around in the pretty good mark.

The story was changed a little from the original legend, but It stayed together still pretty well. I think some things were a little too much (talk about it later) but as far as the main story goes I think it was good.

Filmmaking wise, I think they did well. Good directing for a modern horror remake, and the cinematography gave it a really cool and creepy feeling. Most of the acting was good too, and a surprisingly great performance by Ryan Reynolds, which I wouldn’t expect out of him knowing his earlier work. The film is almost more creepy or eerie than scary but it gets the job done.

More of an old school style of horror film. More similar to The Shinning than many other horror films made in recent times. The bad guy is a house, not a random killer, it makes the film scarier and more ominous than a lot of others.

****Spoilers****

My main problem with the film was the stuff about the Indian burial ground in the basement. I understand they were trying to make everything make more sense and wrap it up better but I think it was too much. It actually made it less believable and more ridiculous. I think leaving out a better explanation makes it scarier and would have left you guessing and talking more. But not all films are the way you want them to be.

****end spoilers****

I don’t know how the film compares to the original because I haven’t seen it, but if you’re in the mood for an intense horror film I think this could be the right choice. Amityville Horror is not going to be liked by everyone but I think some will enjoy it. As I said it’s not great.

7/10

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood: Men in Tights is far from Mel Brooks’ best film, but it definitely is hilarious. As far as his films that parody other film franchises go, its no Young Frankenstein but it is better than Dracula: Dead and Loving it.

Not the greatest acting but few comedies ever do. There may not be any great performances but they are funny performances. I don’t think I would have thought that Cary Elwes was the right choice to play the lead in this film, but they made the right choice by picking him. He gave a very Princess Bride like performance that worked out well. Dave Chappell gave a good debut performance, though he definitely wasn’t as funny as he would become later on. Mark Blankfield as Blinkin I think is probably the most remembered character in the film and its for good reason, he is hilarious.

The film is full of great Mel Brooks style jokes and gags that would make The Marx Brothers proud. Some jokes are misses and are slightly painful due to how unfunny they are but those come rare, its usually consistently funny. It’s probably my favorite Mel Brooks movie after Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Though it is a little less liked and a little dumber, I think fans of those two films will still like this one.

Before you watch Robin Hood Men in Tights I would suggest you see at least one other version of Robin Hood, to understand the story they are making fun of. Im sure the film would still be funny who didn’t know the story but I think some knowledge of the legend would make it better.

Anyone who likes Mel Brooks, anyone who likes Robin Hood and anyone who likes comedies should give it a try. Some people might find it a little annoying and dumb at times but I think most people will at least get enough laughs to like it.

8/10