TTPK Tal reviews one of his all-time favourites, the highly successful and critically acclaimed The Dark Knight. The Dark KnightMovie: The Dark Knight
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller Director: Christopher Nolan Age Certification: PG-13 Writers: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer Notable Actors: Heath Ledger, Chrisitian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart Release: 2008 (Various), English Plot Outline: The Dark Knight shows how the Batman's presence in Gotham City has also allowed for the rise of criminals such as the Joker and the clash of their different mentalities. REVIEW Acting: 10/10 Even though Christian Bale's Batman is one of the worst, he is, in my opinion, the best Bruce Wayne ever, supplemented with strong performances by Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and outstanding ones by Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart. But it's time to get to the real star, Heath Ledger. He is the best Joker to exist on screen, with one of the finest performances on film ever. He sold his role as The Joker and this can be terrifyingly real for some people. Writing: 10/10 The script was brilliant for a dark superhero movie. The story was great, thrilling and had The Batman in ruins at times, offering great action, great plot progression and adequate pacing. The Nolan brothers' screenplay along with Nolan's and Goyer's adaptation of the comic book story is very well done. The Dark Knight does have some minor flaws like the opening scene and the hospital scene being forgotten quickly. Directing: 10/10 Nolan is a unique director, but he has things he always does like the disjointed story telling. Here, however, it fully works. Every time I rewatch, I see something new in the movie that I haven't seen before. Nolan directed The Dark Knight amazingly. Soundtrack: 8/10 The sound assets are great, but the soundtrack for the motion picture isn't particularly noteworthy. While not being bad, it's not great either and it's not something I'd go and listen to in my free time. Visuals: 10/10 The action is amazing, thrilling, constantly moving, perfectly paced and looks amazing. The disturbingly high budget helped alot with that. "Feels": 10/10 **MINOR PLOT SPOILERS** In The Dark Knight, you really feel the mental issues that both the main characters, villains and the characters to become villains are all really relatable with their own tragedies and character development. I can even relate to the Joker. Personal experience: The Dark Knight is my 10th favorite film. While I do see its flaws, like the bullshit ending, it still is an amazing movie you can watch solely for Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. Seeing this movie and counting 16 times, not getting sick of even a single moment really means it's great for rewatching. Overall rating: The Dark Knight gets a 10/10. Would I recommend to others: Very much so. Captain Amurica with yet another move review Toy Story 3Genre: Animated, Adventure, Comedy
Age Certification: G Director: Lee Unkrich Writers: Lee Unkrich, Andrew Stanton, John Lasseter Notable Actors: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenburger, Blake Clark, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, John Morris Release: 6/18/10, English Plot Outline: Andy is now 17 years old and hasn't played with his toys in several years. Now, as he's leaving for college, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest are uncertain about their future. REVIEW Acting: 10/10 The original cast of the first two films reprised their roles, which is great because who didn't see Toy Story as a kid and it felt like a true sequel instead of a reboot. The new actors also were great in their new roles, such as Lotso and Ken. Writing: 10/10 The script was written brilliantly for a sequel that is 11 years late. The story was great and was enjoyable to the very end and all the charm from the first two films was, amazingly, still here. Soundtrack: 9/10 The soundtrack in Toy Story 3 is amazing. When the scene is dramatic, so is the music and when it's calm, so is the music. It fit with the scenes very nicely and was just a pleasure to listen to. "Feels": 10/10 **MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS** Toy Story 3 is very childish, as expected, but there are some surprisingly dark scenes such as the scene where they almost got burnt in the furnace or when Lotso was interrogating Buzz. It just felt really well paced and the feels were real. Personal Experience: As someone who grew up watching the Toy Story films and Pixar in general, this movie had all the charm, wit, and personality that made the first two so enjoyable. This is one of the better Pixar movies to have come out in the last 5 years and is DEFINITELY worth watching. Overall Rating: 10/10 Captain Amurica Brings us another movie review Wreck-It RalphGenre: Animated, Adventure, Comedy
Age Certification: PG Director: Rich Moore Writers: Jennifer Lee, Phil Johnston Notable actors: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch Release: 11/2/13, English Plot Outline: After the 30th anniversary of his game, Wreck-It Ralph, the antagonist of retro arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr, starts to dislike being a bad guy and tries to change his life. Review Acting: 9/10 I feel like the voices of all the characters were done well and fit with their personality nicely. Writing: 9/10 The script was fantastic, with a surprisingly enjoyable story. It shows that Wreck-it-Ralph is more than just a love letter to gamers. Soundtrack: 8/10 The music in Wreck-it-Ralph is really fitting and there were a bunch of good tracks, some of which were themed around a retro video game, which was a nice addition. Visuals: 9/10 The animation is really nice. It's colourful and cartoony and it's a pleasure to look at. "Feels": 10/10 Wreck-it-Ralph has surprisingly dark moments which contributed to the overall feels of the movie and I really felt bad for Ralph and Vanellope. Personal Experience: When Wreck-it-Ralph first aired, I was starting to grow out of Disney movies because I didn't enjoy Brave and Cars 2 as much as the others, so I was skeptical going into it, but as a gamer and a fan of movies in general I really liked it and it's better than Brave, Cars 2, and Monsters University. Still, it can't hold up to the best of Disney (That would be The Lion King). Overall Rating: 9/10 Would I recommend it? I would recommend it to anyone who's a fan of animated movies, Disney movies, and to people who play video games because it's more than just a love letter to gamers but it's a well written movie with heart, humour, and a really good story that can appeal to all ages. +khRAIN has decided to join us with a movie review Howl's Moving CastleGenre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family, Romance
Age Certification: PG Director: Hayao Miyazaki Writer: Based on Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Notable Actors: Chieko Basho, Takuya Kimura (Japanese voices); Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale (English voices) Release: 11/20/2004 (Japan) Plot Outline: Sophie, a self-conscious girl working as a hat-maker, unwittingly attracts the attention of the handsome wizard Howl, which also attracts the wrath of a jealous witch. After a curse transforms her into a 90 year-old woman, Sophie must go on an adventure to find a way to reverse the spell. Review Acting: 7/10. Although I had not previously known of Emily Mortimer, I enjoyed her charming interpretation of young Sophie. I also loved the voice for her counter-part, old Sophie, played by Jean Simmons. Simmons did an amazing job of incorporating the confusion and sass of young Sophie with the newly-gained wisdom of her older self. (I have not watched the Japanese dub, therefore I cannot review it.) Writing: 8/10 Miyazaki chose to change many aspects of Jones's novel in order to give Howl's Moving Castle a Ghibli-esque feel. However, any holes or confusion that resulted from a slightly complicated plot is quickly blown away by the spell-bounding overall story and the dynamic characters whom viewers will quickly fall in love with. Soundtrack: 10/10 It's Joe Hisaishi (a long-time partner of Miyazaki) at his finest. Featuring a beautiful soundtrack with songs such as "Merry-Go Round of Life" and "Cave of Mind", the music will leave you feeling eerie or elated at all the right moments. It wonderfully enhances the scenes. Visuals: 10/10 Exactly the top-notch animation quality that you would expect from Miyazaki and Ghibli. The animation is mostly hand-painted while using a touch of computer-animation to enhance it. Miyazaki can create truly breath-taking settings and graphics with this technique. "Feels": 9/10 I was completely engrossed in the story. The relationship between Howl (a handsome, but whiny, guy) and Sophie (a hard-working girl who is a tad insecure) is very believable and they're able to take great steps to change before the ending. Although I disliked Howl at first, I found myself rooting for both of them through thick and thin! Personal Experience: I was a great Ghibli and Miyazaki fan before watching Howl's Moving Castle (I have also watched titles such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke) and this movie definitely did not disappoint. Miyazaki's animation combined with Joe Hisaishi's music score created a beautiful story that made me want to watch it again after the first time. Overall Rating: 9/10 Would you recommend it? YES YES YES! +Factor with another movie review The Inbetweeners 2 Genre: Comedy
Age Certification: Rated R Directors: Damon Beesley, Iain Morris Writers: Damon Beesley, Iain Morris Notable Actors: Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas Release Date: 8/6/2014 Synopsis: Jay, Neil, Simon, and Will reunite in Australia for a holiday. Review Acting: 10/10 I loved how the four friends made their characters lovable, enjoyable, and gave themselves their own charm that added to the overall experience of the film. Writing: 10/10 Everything that was written (except for one line) was absolutely spectacular. There were no unnecessary scenes and almost no awkward and unfunny moments in the movie. The story is very simple, but that simplicity doesn't take away from the overall quality. Soundtrack: 6/10 The soundtrack that was used wasn't really meant to be relied on to add to the experience to the movie, not much here. Visuals: 6/10 Again, not much here since this movie doesn't rely on the visuals. "Feels": 10/10 I was very interested in the characters, they gave their own beneficial charm to the film. They avoided all types of cliches regarding how they would deal with the things that happen to them. I could bond with the characters very well, knowing how well they were described throughout the movie. I felt very happy after watching this movie and I'll never forget the experience I had with it. Personal Experience: I had lots of fun watching The Inbetweeners 2. I really loved seeing the gang on a new adventure and seeing them handle the problems that come their way in the usual way they confront them while keeping their characters perfectly. Would I recommend it? Yes, this is a very good movie and is exemplary in how comedies should be. Overall Rating: 9/10 A comedy diamond in the haystack. +Factor with another book review The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-TimeShelves: Mystery, Contemporary
Age range: Young Adult Author: Mark Haddon Published: May 18 2004 Pages: 226 Synopsis: Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched and he detests the color yellow. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favorite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally. Review Writing and Characters: 9/10 I liked all the characters in this novel, especially the main character which I could really relate to. He was just like me and I could understand how he does things a lot of the time. He did rarely get annoying but it didn't really ruin the experience and didn't make me not like the main character. The rest of the characters are pretty likable as well and don't get too annoying, or really mean to the main character. Feels: 8/10 I could bond with most of the characters in the novel and their actions were acknowledged as they should've been. Also, the book made me feel really entertained and interested in the main character unlike other books that make the main character blander than white bread and boring. The book went all out with what it used with material which is pretty cool and unpredictable. My Personal Experience I had a fun time reading the book and getting to know the characters was really cool and I had a great read through this book. I liked the choice of illustrations being in the book so I could get clear images of things, also there was no unnecessary filler written in the book. All in all, a great book Would I recommend this? Yes of course, I found it really nice and enjoyable to keep it simple. Give it a shot and see if you like it Overall Rating: 8/10 An interesting book to read. |
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