From a special survival trip returns our very own %Limbo Hengoku to tell us about the movie After Earth.
After Earth Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi Age Certification: PG-13 Director: M. Night Shyamalan Writers: Will Smith Notable Actors: Will Smith, Jaden Smith Release: 5/31/2013, English Plot Outline: A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, a millennium after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help. Review Acting: 5/10 The acting was was okay and fairly believable. Will Smith did fairly decent in this movie but he was boring to watch. Jaden Smith, in comparison, was les enjoyable. His acting was subpar and wasn't really believable to me, but he did have some good moments. Writing: 2.5/10 The story is interesting, but the execution of it was horrid. The characters are not introduced properly and there is no character development at all. The characters were just boring and the plot was really slow. Some things just didn't make sense. There are some conflicting messages and some unnecessary scenes. Sound/Music: 5/10 I didn't really like the soundtrack, but it did fit most scenes appropriately, yet failed to influence the moments positively. The sound effects were average. Visuals: 7/10 The visuals were okay but didn't really add to overall experience. However, it did have some good shots of the characters and scenery. The predators did look kind of cool, too. Additionally, the special effects were decent. "Feels": 3/10 I did not get emtionally invested at all. I didn't bond with any of the characters either. I was, however, rooting for the protagonists' father-son-bond, but that's about it. If you're looking for a movie with feels, then After Earth isn't for you. Personal Experiences: I honestly did not like After Earth at all. There's just something at the end of it I can't get over. The fact that Will Smith stands up and his first reaction is to salute his kid like a soldier shows me that their father-son-bond (the thing that you're supposed to be rooting for the entire time) hasn't been growing at all. Will Smith saluting his son just shows me that he respects him as a soldier and that's it. I thought I was supposed to root for their father-son-bond and I was supposed to watch that grow. I like a good survival movie as much as the next guy but in the end, the only survival scenario was sitting through the entire movie. Overall Rating: 4/10 Would I recommend it? No, I wouldn't recommend this movie. Do yourself a favor and skip After Earth, it's just boring. Michael Bay produces almost as many Transformers movies as %Limbo Hengoku produces movie reviews. Let's see if Bay's newest creation can hold up to the criticism of TVBF's serial reviewist.
Transformers: Age of Extinction Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Age Certification: PG-13 Director: Michael Bay Writer: Ehren Kruger, based on Transformers by Hasbro Notable Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci Release: 6/27/2014, English Plot Outline: A mechanic and his family join the Autobots as they are targeted by a bounty hunter from another world. Review Acting: 3/10 The acting was bad and most of the time not believable. Stanley Tucci had a couple of good parts, but in the end, he was wasted. Writing: 2/10 The story wasn't interesting and the characters were not introduced properly. They were bad and not likable and didn't really develop well either. There are so many unnecessary scenes that I've lost count. Sound/Music: 5/10 The soundtrack for Transformers: Age of Extinction was average but, to me, it didn't really influence the moments in a positive way. It did, however, fit the moments right. Visuals: 3/10 The visuals in Transformers: Age of Extinction were, surprisingly, not great. The special effects were garbage and they looked worse than in any of the other Transformers movies. The transformations looked sketchy and even the CGI looked like crap. Some parts you would think were a screensaver. "Feels": 1/10 I did not get emotionally invested at all. I didn't care for the robots or humans at all. If you're looking for a movie with good feels, this movie isn't for you. Personal Experiences: Honest to god I wanted to like this movie, but in the end, I ended up hating it. One of the things I was looking forward to were the dino bots but I didn't get that. Another thing that annoyed me were the constant explosions. You'd be surprised at how bored you get watching things blow up all the time. I think that's Micheal Bays mission, to see how bored people can get watching things blow up all the time. Transformers: Age of Extinction concentrated too much on the human characters, but they were boring and I didn't care about them. Even the Autobots were boring. In addition, there was that stupid, garbage Michael Bay humour that I'm sick of at this point. Overall Rating: 3/10 Would I recommend it? No I would not recommend this monstrosity. But if you like hollow characters on top of more hollow characters and special effects that are not as good as in the previous movies, as well as lots of explosions, you'll like it. But if you need anything more than that, you're gonna hate it. Do yourself a favor and skip this movie. Michael Bay produces almost as many Transformers movies as %Limbo Hengoku produces movie reviews. Let's see if Bay's newest creation holds up to TVBF's serial reviewist.
Transformers: Age of Extinction Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Age Certification: PG-13 Director: Michael Bay Writer: Ehren Kruger, based on Transformers by Hasbro Notable Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci Release: 6/27/2014, English Plot Outline: A mechanic and his family join the Autobots as they are targeted by a bounty hunter from another world. Review Acting: 3/10 The acting was bad and most of the time not believable. Stanley Tucci had a couple of good parts but in the end he was wasted. Writing: 2/10 The story was not interesting and the characters were not introduced properly. The characters in Transformers: Age of Extinction were bad and not likable. They didn't really develop much either. There are so many unnecessary scenes that I've lost count. Sound/Music: 5/10 soundtrack for this movie was average but to me it didn't really influence the moments positively. But it did fit the scenes right. Visuals: 3/10 The visuals for Transformers: Age of Extinction weren't great. The special effects were garbage and they looked worse than in the other Transformers movies. The transformations looked terrible and even the CGI looked like crap. Some parts you would think were a screensaver. "Feels": 1/10 I did not get emotionally invested at all. I didn't care for the robots or humans. If you're looking for a movie with good feels, this movie isn't for you. Personal Experiences: Honest to god I wanted to like this movie, but in the end I ended up hating it. One of the things I was looking forward to were the dino bots but I didn't get that. Another thing that annoyed me were the constant explosions. You'd be surprised at how bored you get watching things blow up all the time. I think that's Micheal Bay's mission, to see how bored people can get watching things blow up all the time. This movie concentrated too much on the human characters and they were boring and I didn't care about them. Even the autobots were boring as well. It also had that stupid garbage Michael Bay humor that I'm sick of at this point. Overall Rating: 3/10 Would I recommend it? No I would not recommend this monstrosity. But if you like hollow characters on top of more hollow characters and special effects that are not as good as in the previous movies and lots of explosions, you'll like it. But if you need anything more than that, you're gonna hate it. Do yourself a favor and skip this movie. Our very own #Calyxium took to the cinema to watch the new Marvel blockbuster Guardians Of The Galaxy. Let's see if it holds up to the criticism of TVBF's finest.
Despite being a huge Marvel, superhero, and sci-fi fan, I regarded the buzz for Guardians of the Galaxy with a lot of scepticism. Two of the heroes are a giant tree and a talking raccoon, for goodness' sake, and I consider myself well past the age when it is appropriate to find anthropomorphic foliage and furry critters charming. Imagine my chagrin, therefore, when I find myself forced to say that the walking plant and the talking raccoon really do steal the show. Guardians of the Galaxy Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action. Age Certification: PG-13 / 12A. Director: James Gunn. Writers: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman, based on the comic book by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Notable Actors: Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana. Released: 31st July 2014, English. Plot Outline: Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill - an intergalactic scavenger and outlaw - finds he's bitten off more than he can chew when his newest score is being hunted by the terrifying Ronan the Accuser. Review Acting: 6.8/10 The acting in this film is incredibly polarized. On the one hand, the performance Bradley Cooper gives for his character is outstanding. Rocket, ironically, is by far the most believable, human character and Cooper delivers perfectly. Likewise, against all odds Vin Diesel (playing a sentient tree!) manages to bring the character of Groot to life and make him seem considerably more human than any of the human characters, although how much of that is Vin Diesel and how much is excellent CG1, I have no idea. Chris Pratt as Peter Quill does the best he can with the writing he's given, and pulls off most of the comic moments very well. In contrast, Zoe Saldana's performance is flat and mediocre, Lee Pace as Ronan is another pedestrian supervillain with confused and unclear motives, and does nothing to inject life or menace into his character. Michael Rooker, best known for his role on The Walking Dead, gives an astonishingly poor performance, over-acting to the point of disbelief, and delivering one cringe-worthy cheesy moment after another. It's all downhill from there, with the rest of the supporting cast only adding to the embarrassing cheese-fest. Writing: 5.6/10 When the writing is good, it's wonderful, but when it's bad, it's dreadful. This is a long entry, so I'm splitting it into sections to score individually.
Sound/Music: 8/10 Although the music wasn't to my personal taste, it was a plot point and the music selections and timing perfectly punctuated the tone of the film, and of certain action sequences, as well as adding to the character of Peter Quill. Visuals: 10/10 I'd like to rate this higher. This was, without doubt, the best visual cinematic experience I've had. Avatar at the IMAX, eat your heart out. I saw this in 3D and was impressed by just how much 3D technology has improved in the last couple of years. The special effects were magnificent, the CGI and costuming were absolutely perfect, which was of particular importance in adding emotional depth to the characters of Rocket and Groot. Beyond that, the visual design for characters, costumes, ships and objects, and in particular the huge settings and starscapes were absolutely breathtaking. They were ingenious, creative, colourful and stunningly beautiful. "Feels": 3/10 Feels is something I really look for in a film. I want to emotionally connect with the characters, care about them, worry for them, hurt with them. I didn't get that here. This could partially be because I had part of the film spoiled for me before I watched it, but when that scene came I thought it was handled clunkily at first. There was only one moment when I actually connected with a character and felt something beyond the general humour and fun of the film. Personal Experience: [MILD PLOT SPOILERS] So far, this review has been pretty critical. I should stress that I hugely enjoyed this film, and I had a great time watching it. If I was only scoring "comedy", "fun", and "visuals" it'd be a resounding 10/10. Unfortunately that's not the case, and the film does have its problems. In spite of that, however, it's extremely fun to watch with non-stop, beautifully choreographed action, genuinely funny humour, absolutely amazing visuals, and some really great characters. I particularly enjoyed the ships that connected together to form the huge shield, and the visual design of Knowhere was as ingenious as it was gorgeous. While the outlaw crew of space cowboys isn't a new idea (*coughFireflycough*) it's still an incredibly fun premise to watch, and a nice change from the previous Marvel films. I was hoping to connect more emotionally with it, but the only moment I did, and consequently my favourite part of the film was watching Rocket have a vulnerable moment when he expresses his frustration at being constantly reviewed as a rodent when he had no control over his creation. This film set-up events for future Marvel films, and I will be really excited to see the Guardians of the Galaxy return, and see them tackle Thanos with the Avengers. I spent almost every moment of the film delighted, either by the action sequences, stunning design and visuals, or laughing. The moments that I didn't, however, I was cringing at the awful support characters, confused by the plot holes or annoyed by the lazy writing of poorer characters or character decisions that didn't make sense. Would you recommend this movie to others? I'd definitely recommend this film to others. Although I suspect it was aimed at a younger audience, and I missed some of the humour, there was plenty for adults to enjoy. It certainly wasn't perfect, but in spite of its flaws it was incredibly enjoyable, a 2 hour fun-fest of action, genuinely funny humour and the most breathtakingly-stunning visuals I've ever seen. I'd recommend it based on the visuals alone, but the film also brings plenty of fun, a couple of genuinely loveable characters and a lot of humour as well. Overall Rating: 6.7/10 Averaged from above scores. However, as I said, this film was incredibly enjoyable and I'd certainly recommend seeing it. +Factor has quite a different view on things. His amazement stayed earthbound when watching Gravity.
Gravity Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller Age Certification: PG-13 Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón Writers: Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón Notable Actors: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney Release: 10/4/2013 Synopsis: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after a catastrophe destroys their shuttle and leaves them adrift in orbit. Review Acting: 4/10 I really didn't find really any of the acting appealing at all, especially George Clooney's acting. He had one tone throughout the entire movie and it really bored me to tears. Sandra Bullock, to me, didn't really put up a great performance either. I could tell that her reaction was pretty fake and I found it really funny. Writing: 1/10 I was really disappointed about how the plot was made. I think it could've been written much better than how it is now. Also, the jump scares aren't really all that scary at all. I was not pleased with the writing and it could've been much much better. Also, there ware lots of unnecessary scenes, even a 10 minute scene that was completely pointless. Sound/Music: 7/10 For the many faults Gravity has, it does have a nice soundtrack to it, which helps add an effect to some scenes but not all of them. Visuals: 7/10 I did find the visuals appealing as well. I thought that they captured what space would look like and they did a very good job with it as well. "Feels": 1/10 I couldn't really bond with any of the characters. It's really hard to relate to a character lost in space because, well no one has been lost in space before and I can't see why Sandra Bullock would do some of the things she did in this film. None of the characters were really interesting, George Clooney's character was pretty bland and we get no backstory or anything, basically Sandra Bullock couldn't pull it off for me. Personal Experiences: [MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS] I found this movie to be pretty boring. I didn't like how the film exploited the silence and made it lose value, the silence factor could've been used much better instead of overusing it. Also, I didn't like how the plot was set up, if Houston told you were going to get hit by space debris you might as well get back inside before you die and get back to Earth. I would've liked it much better if they got hit by surprise because I found the way the writers did it to be incredibly illogical. The thing about the death of Sandra Bullock' daughter in this movie sounded so unbelievable and then they completely drop that scene and never focused on it until the very end of the movie. I found it weird that Bullock pressed one button and that she coincidentally pressed the right one. The writers could've made a more dramatic scene if she pressed a few wrong buttons first and then the correct one last. The jump scares weren't good and I don't think jump scares should be in a movie like this. There was really no point as to why George Clooney's character had to die. It was never explained and that was pretty disappointing as to killing off a character that could've had more development in the film for no reason. Would I recommend it? [MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS] Personally no, I found it to be kinda stupid really. The plot setup could've been avoided and killing off characters for no reason is kinda stupid as well. %Limbo Hengoku escaped the gravitational well to tell us about the outerworldly experience he had watching Gravity.
Gravity Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller Age Certification: PG-13 Director: Alfonso Cuarón Writers: Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón Notable Actors: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney Release: 10/4/2013, English Plot Outline: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after a catastrophe destroys their shuttle and leaves them adrift in orbit. Review Acting: 10/10 The acting was excellent and very believable. Sandra Bullock did a great job in this movie and so did George Clooney. Writing: 10/10 The story of Gravity was interesting and the characters are introduced properly. It had great character development. There are no unnecessary scenes either. Sound/Music: 10/10 The soundtrack was really fantastic. It fit each scene perfectly and positively influenced the moments perfectly. The sound effects were good, too. Visuals: 10/10 The visual of Gravity were out of this world. Everything looked so real and I felt like I was up there with the protagonists. The special effects and cinematography were awesome. I recommend seeing this movie in 3D. "Feels": 10/10 I did get emotionally invested in this movie because I was really feeling for Sandra Bullock. Throughout the movie I had this knot in my throat and I just kept rooting for her and in the end I was really happy for her. This movie as a whole was exciting, intense and emotionally stirring. Personal Experiences: Gravity was absurdly good. One thing I liked about it in particular is that everything was silent as things are getting wrecked by debris. Additionally, I liked that you experience things from Sandra Bullock's point of view and that George Clooney played the perfect astronaut. There is nothing I did not like about Gravity, it is now one of my favorite movies of all time. After it ended I wanted to watch it again because it was so spectacular. One thing this movie taught me is that space is scary. Overall Rating: 10/10 Would I recommend it? Yes I would because this is a movie every should see. If you're a space fanatic like I am, this movie will sink its claws into you, I promise. Captain Amurica is taking time out of his busy schedule fighting HYDRA to tell us what he thinks about his web-slinging pal, The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Amazing Spider-Man Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Age Certification: PG-13 Director: Marc Webb Writers: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves Notable Actors: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field Release: 4/16/2012(Tokyo), 5/2/2012(US), English Synopsis: Peter Parker is an average teenager who attempts to discover his father's secrets which lead him to his destiny of becoming Spider-Man. Review Acting: 9/10 Each character felt brilliantly cast and I felt with each character with the exception of the Lizard. This isn't an acting problem but more of a writing one. I didn't connect with him that well, he didn't express much personality and he wasn't fleshed out. Other than that, everyone was cast perfectly and played their roles really well. Writing: 9/10 The story was really good and well written but again, I feel like they could've fleshed out the Lizard more, but this is a minor issue compared to everything else and it was a great story that kept me interested. Sound/Music: 8/10 I'm not one to pick out music from the background of a movie, simply because I'm too invested in the story, but I felt like this movie had a good soundtrack and fit the movie and the scenes rather well. Visuals: 10/10 I loved the visuals and the action sequences. They were awesome and they felt really well made. It looked very impressively made and I give props to Marc Webb for the great visuals. "Feels": 10/10 [MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS] The feels were good in the movie. I really felt bad for Peter as Uncle Ben died and as Captain Stacey gave a dying wish to leave Gwen alone was touching and I felt for him. This was a great thing as I don't often have feels in these movies but this was well executed. Personal Experiences: I never read comic books as a kid so these kinds of movies are somewhat new to me but I love them all the same and this movie was no exception. One thing I did like is how they toned down the action sequences to focus more on the story. There's obvious action still and it was awesome but I loved the greater emphasis on story. It made for a nice change of pace with the usual superhero movies these days. Would I recommend it? Yes I would because it has awesome action, a surprisingly good story,and it has awesome visuals and effects. For the superhero movie fan this movie is gonna be awesome. If you're not you may still find entertainment in the story. This is a great movie I recommend for anyone to check out. Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Directly from the mind of %Limbo Hengoku stems this newest review for the animated supervillain movie MegaMind.
MegaMind Genre: Sci-fi, Family, Comedy, Animation Age Certification: PG Director: Tom McGrath Writers: Alan J. Schoolcraft, Brent Simons Notable Actors: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, Brad Pitt Release Information: 11/5/2010, English Plot Outline: The supervillain Megamind finally defeats his nemesis, superhero Metro Man. But without a hero, he loses all purpose and must find new meaning to his life. Review Acting: 10/10 The voices are really good and they all fit each character very well. Everyone did a great job. Writing: 10/10 The story is very interesting and characters are introduced. MegaMind also had good character development. There are no unnecessary scenes. Sound/Music: 10/10 The soundtrack was good and fit the scenes perfectly. It influenced the story in a positive way and the sound effects were cool too. Visuals: 10/10 MegaMind looked stunning and the visuals added to the overall experience. Not only that, the cinematography was awesome too. "Feels": 9/10 I did get emotionally invested because of all the heart it had. I really cared for MegaMind as well. I have never felt for or cared about a villain this much before. Aside from that, MegaMind as a whole had me happy the entire time. Personal Experiences: I really loved MegaMind and it's probably one of my favorite animated movies. In addition, I really liked the growing connection between MegaMind and the girl. One of the things I like were the romantic aspects of the story. I also enjoyed the superhero vibe Metro Man had and thought the villain was good. There is nothing I did not like about this movie. It was very entertaining and I loved it. Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Would I recommend it? Yes I would because everyone will feel for the characters and enjoy this movie. It is well worth the watch. The latest result of %Limbo Hengoku's entrapment in a time loop is a review for The Edge of Tomorrow. Let's check it out!
The Edge of Tomorrow Genre: Sci-fi, Drama, Action Age Certification: PG-13 Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth. Based on All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka Notable Actors: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson Release: 5/28/2014, English Plot Outline: An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien race. His skills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to defeating the enemy. Review Acting: 10/10 The Edge of Tomorrow had great and believable acting. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt had great chemistry together and even the supporting cast was enjoyable in the movie. Writing: 10/10 The story is very compelling and the characters are introduced. They're also developed well and their actions are justified throughout. The premise was well executed as well. There are no unnecessary scenes in the movie. Sound/Music: 9/10 The soundtrack was okay, it fit each scene well and even influenced them in a positive way. In addition to that, the the sound effects were really cool. Visuals: 10/10 The Edge of Tomorrow did look great and added to overall experience. The aliens looked really cool, too, and the cinematography was decent. There are good shots of the characters and the action looked great. "Feels": 8/10 I did get emotionally invested because there are touching and very exciting moments. I related to Tom Cruise's character because if I was in his position I would react the same way. This movie actually had me happy the entire time. Personal Experiences: This movie is was really engrossing. First off, I just love the premise of this movie, it was really interesting. I enjoyed the execution of it and didn't want the movie to end at all. I found it really cool when Tom Cruise refined his situation on the battle field to the point where he's just going around and messing the enemy up. On the other hand, it was interesting seeing him just get wiped and restart the day over again. I found the last bit to be the least interesting part because it just concentrated on them trying to do the end game other than the death and reset, which, at that point, I was very attached to. The Edge of Tomorrow kept me on my toes and it kept me engaged. I can't find anything I did not like about the movie. Overall Rating: 9/10 Would I recommend it? Yes I would recommend because it's worth the watch. This is a solid sci-fi movie that even fans not interested in the sc-fi genre will like. The incredible %Limbo Hengoku has yet another review lined up. I wonder if he turns green while writing those!
The Incredible Hulk Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller, Action Age Certification: PG 13 Director: Louis Leterrier Writer: Zak Penn, Based on The Incredible Hulk by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby Notable Actors: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, William Hurt Release: 6/13/2008, English Plot Outline: Dr. Bruce Banner, thanks to a gamma ray experiment gone wrong, transforms into a giant green-skinned hulk whenever his heart rate gets too high. Meanwhile, a soldier uses the same technology to become an evil version of the original. Review Acting: 9/10 The acting was good and the actors are believable. Edward Norton was a really good Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk. He fit his role perfectly. Everyone else was good, too, but I felt like it could've been better. I also enjoyed the Hulk's voice over. Writing: 9/10 The story was interesting and the characters were introduced. There was decent character development and there are no unnecessary scenes. Sound/Music: 10/10 The sound track was enjoyable and fit each scene perfectly. It influenced each moment in a good way and the sound effects were cool, too. Visuals: 9/10 Everything looked great and added to overall experience. CGI was decent, but could've been better. "Feels": 7/10 I did feel emotionally invested because The Incredible Hulk had very touching moments. The relationship between Bruce Banner/The Hulk and Betty Ross was really touching. This movie as a whole was exciting and kept me at the edge of my seat. It pretty much had me happy the entire time. Personal Experiences: One of the things I loved about this movie was how they illustrated Bruce Banner dealing with The Hulk on a daily basis. I also loved the big contrast between Bruce Banner and The Hulk and also liked him as Bruce Banner. Furthermore, I enjoyed how, whenever Betty was involved in bad situations, The Hulk tries his hardest to protect her from any form of harm. I liked seeing Bruce Banner trying to cure himself and I love it when he "hulks out" and starts wrecking things. I'd say my least favorite part was when The Hulk and Abomination fought in all their CGI glory. It was entertaining and cool to watch but to me it was the least interesting part of the movie. But all in all this movie pleased me well. Overall rating: 8.5/10 Would I recommend it? Yes I would recommend because this is a movie that everyone should give a shot at. It's worth the watch. |
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