The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

★★★★☆

Set in New York, a group of heavily armed men decide to hijack a subway car and hold everybody inside for ransom. They demand $1 million otherwise they’ll begin killing passengers. Lt. Zach Garber responds to the threat and tries to reason with the hijackers but time is running short and the mayor is isn’t sure about giving in. This wonderfully menacing film is what the remake could never amount to. Striking performances by Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw highlight this edge of your seat thriller that is somehow both calming and tense. It’s dark, gritty and reflects the realism of inner city commute. It’s not flashy and it gets down to business within the first 10 minutes of the film.

Green Lantern (2011)

★★★☆☆

Based off of the Marvel comic book hero; a test pilot named Hal Jordan nearly saves a dying alien who gives him a mysterious green ring with supernatural powers. Unwillingly, Hal becomes the successor of the alien who is part of an intergalactic peacekeeping squad. At the same time, an interstellar being known as Parallax is accidentally inserted inside Dr. Hector Hammond and soon Hammond as well as Parallax threatens to destroy humanity. Hal must find the courage to be Earth’s Green Lantern. This film could have been great but instead, it became a step up from Fantastic 4 but a step down from X-Men but Reynolds still keeps his sarcastic charm. The CGI was okay but what really bothered me was that it didn’t utilize its villains and heroes properly. I wanted to see Hector Hammond pose more of a threat, but instead I saw Hal beat up band guys in an alley. The film can be easily passed off as a great corny superhero movie but I wanted more.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

★★★★1/2

This riveting, brutal, honest and bloody story follows a group of newly recruited marines as they deal with the abusive and dehumanizing effects of basic training before they are shipped off to Vietnam. The second half of the story follows Pvt. Joker as an army journalist as he witnesses the bloody effects of the Vietnam war. Set in the 60’s in Hue, Vietnam. This was a particularly hard film to endure, especially the first half at basic training where you begin to feel how the recruits feel as their drill instructor harasses and abuses them. It’s a dark look into the eyes of war and is only strengthened by powerful performances, wonderful direction and apocalyptic atmosphere. This film is compelling and sticks with you the rest of your life and like any great film that shows the horrors of Vietnam, it’s a tough bite to chew.

The Rocketeer (1991)

★★★☆☆

Set in the 30’s, when a young airplane pilot discovers a secrete prototype jetpack, he dawns a uniform and metal mask and becomes a local hero. However, the jetpack belongs to famed aviator Howard Hughes and his high-flying stunts have captured the eyes of a Hollywood actor that moonlights as a Nazi spy. Now the young man must find a way to stop the Nazi spy from stealing the jetpack as well as killing his friends. Great action, great art direction and a particularly menacing villain played by Timothy Dalton make this flick fun for kids but for me, I wanted a little more action and I felt like there was no real danger but rather a plot that revolves around an easily able to fix mistake. For kids it works but for adults, it might be a little iffy.

Mimic 2 (2001)

★★1/2

Sequel to Mimic. Years after all remnants of the Judas breed insect have been destroyed, a mysterious creature begins lurking around the slums of New York. Soon one of the teachers of a local school who once worked on the Judas breed recognizes that it’s a mutated cockroach but this time it’s different, this time they have evolved to look human. Now, after being trapped in the school, which has become the nest, she must find away to save herself as well as the two kids she saved. This was one of my childhood favorites and I don’t understand why. I was somewhat bored by it because it seems like the film went entirely for mood and not direction. It felt like it was trying to be Guillermo’s work but it was an imposter with bad CGI.

Jonah Hex (2010)

★★★☆☆

The government in exchange for his freedom recruits a lone, mysterious bounty hunter with supernatural powers (named Jonah Hex) to find and stop a terrorist who wants to use state of the art technology to blow up the capitol. Making matters more interesting is that Jonah Hex has dealt with this madmen before; he was the one who slayed his family and rendered him with a serious facial deformity. Good action and decent performances save this film from becoming a bland action-packed western. I liked the plot involving new technology as the catalyst for the terrorist but Megan Fox felt completely unneeded. Overall, it wasn’t bad but certainly not the best comic book adaption.

Super 8 (2011)

★★★★1/2

Review: Click here

Super 8 (2011)

★★★★1/2

Review: Click here

Mimic (1997)

★★★1/2

3 years following the elimination of disease carrying cockroaches by a genetically modified breed of insect, a new breed of insect has risen up from New York’s depths. Growing to human size, concealing itself in a protective mask that resembles a human head and feeding on humans; this new insect has kidnapped a young boy, killed several people and is out to colonize the world. Now, Dr. Tyler and her husband must find away to stop the insect menace before it spreads… or has it already? Great atmosphere, gorgeous set pieces, wonderful slimy makeup and slasher instincts highlight this movie as being a great sci-fi horror. It definitely can get under you skin sometimes.

Nightwish (1990)

★★★☆☆

Genres are mixed in this sci-fi/horror tale. A college professor invites his four graduate students to accompany him at his personal farm to investigate paranormal activity but when the students channel an evil spirit that unleashes their deepest fears, they must find a way to conquer themselves. Making matters worse is that there is the possibility that aliens are using the demonic forces to take over the world and the professor is in the middle of it all. As a small, indie made sci-fi horror film with appeasing special effects and one hell of a plot, it’s certainly not bad. The intentions are right and the cheesiness is there but the direction of the actors and actresses makes the film fumble. Still, it was fun watching it to see just how deep they tap into the human psyche when it comes to sleep and mentality.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

★★★★★

During the Korean War a group of POWs are brainwashed to carry out Korean terrorists plot but when one, who happens to be a Medal of Honor recipient, begins having nightmares of killing people it’s up to Bennett Marco (who was also brainwashed) to stop him from assassinating the vice-President. Marked by amazing performances by Sinatra, Harvey and Lansbury, this compelling thriller really holds you down as it spins you through loops of unexpected twists and double-crossing. Mixed with romanticism and beautiful cinematography, this film was a breath of nostalgic fresh air.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)

★★★★1/2

Joey and John are your typical American couple who love each other deeply, but when Joey brings her fiancé to meet her parent, their morals are put to the test when they find out that their daughter’s fiancé is black. Now, tasked with having to give them their blessing in a short time, they must find a way to put their prejudices aside for the wellbeing for their daughter. However, it seems like the families of both of the lovers have prejudices to work out. I doesn’t help that they have unwillingly agreed to have dinner together. A perfect film that plays out like a stage play with all around great performances by the cast and the supporting cast. As the film progresses you feel empathetic towards John as he is tasked with an even tougher decision. Awkwardness, laughs and nervousness is what hits you as you’re eyes are glued to the screen wondering what happens and how things will be solved.

Shock Waves (1977)

★★1/2

When their ship hits a strange “reef” while on their vacation, a group of tourists wind up on a seemingly abandoned remote island. But they soon discover that the island is inhabited by a Nazi scientist who went into exile at the end of World War II, taking with him his army of Nazi zombie supersoldiers. Now the group must find a way to fix their boat and evacuate the island before the ocean becomes their grave. I give a definite A for atmosphere and mood and general creativity for the zombies but the rest of the movie falls flat. It’s long, drawn out and not too much interesting stuff happens. If the mood were able to salvage this film, it would have been worth seeing. Otherwise, it’s forgettable.

Robin Hood (1973)

★★★★1/2

Disney’s take on the legendary story of Robin Hood, an outlaw who stole from the greedy king to give back to the poor over-taxed citizens of his kingdom, told through anthropomorphic animals. Having stolen the throne of his brother who had to leave his kingdom for an emergency, the greedy king decides to tax the citizens of the kingdom to the point of poverty. A childhood staple; this wondrous, whimsical and occasionally dark retelling of the famous tale is still funny after all these years. I found myself smiling at the same jokes and action sequences. This film is the definition of timeless.

Bicentennial Man (1999)

★★★1/2

After being purchased by a suburban family in the near future, android Andrew Martin yearns to become a human being after developing humanistic qualities such as sculpting, painting and a playful attitude. However, during his 200-year journey he is met with the deaths of his closest friends (his family) as well as the disapproval of being classified as “human” by popular vote. Though not as great as I remember, this is a still a very touching and imaginative tale of wanting to fit in with a brilliant performance by Robin Williams and beautiful direction by Columbus. It has heart, affection and warmth but seems a bit too fast-paced. It brings up the question, what defines being human?

The Hangover Part II (2011)

★★★1/2

The wolf pack is back! Yes, but this time Stu is getting married in Thailand and his friends Phil and Doug pressure him to not only invite Alan but to have one last drink for his bachelor party and things go bad. After waking up in a dingy hotel they soon realize that Stu’s brother in-law (his father-in-law “prized possession”) is missing and might have been kidnapped by a drug cartel. They must now find a way to remember the night before so that they could save Stu’s brother-in-law. This time Alan didn’t do anything… that they know of. It was great to see Mr. Chow in a bigger role and although the film has an abundance of laughs and raunchiness, it literally felt like The Hangover set in Thailand. They didn’t try to do anything new so it felt a little rehashed but it was still great to see the guys fumble over each other a second time.

Schindler’s List (1993)

★★★★★

Spielberg’s epic retelling of Nazi industrialist Oskar Schindler who, after witnessing the liquidation of the Poland ghetto, became concerned with how the Jewish were being persecuted by the Nazi Party. Afterwards he made it his mission to save as many Jews as possible from the Plaszow labor camp as he could, although at first he was reluctant to do anything but as time passed on he saw the evil that was the Nazi Party. Filmed in black and white, this movie was hauntingly compelling with scenes that would even the strongest person get teary. Spielberg doesn’t do justice to all the evils of the Holocaust but he really puts the viewer into the shoes of the Jews, which is something that is rarely achieved. Mixed with a fantastic score by John Williams and brilliant performances, this movie should be watched by everybody just so that they could get a taste of World War II. It really is just the tip of the iceberg.

Jurassic Park (1993)

★★★★1/2

Review here.

Dark Tower (1989)

★★☆☆☆

When a mysterious death occurs on the construction of a vast skyscraper, authorities believe that it was an accident. However, detective Dennis Randall believes otherwise, he believes that the tower is being haunted by a ghost and soon discovers that this ghost is attracted to the architect of the building, Carolyn Page. With the help of a psychic, Dennis must find a way to stop the ghost from killing Page and the rest of the people in the tower. Does it sound bland? It is. The characters are stale, the plot is mediocre and it tries to go for a Kubrickian style mood but ultimately fails. It comes off a being boring with less than a handful of intresting scenes.

Gangs of New York (2002)

★★★★☆

Set in 1863, a young man named Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points district of New York for one thing: to kill the man (Bill the Butcher) who brutally murdered his father years ago in a bloody gang fight. However, things have changed, the allies that his father had are now working for Bill and Bill has become untouchable. So Vallon decides to get on Bill’s good side and inevitably becomes his protégé, without Bill knowing who is really is. However, things slowly come to a boil and Vallon is beginning to resemble Bill himself. Sure it’s not Scorsese’s best film but I think it’s a movie that is overlooked by a lot of people. It has outstanding costuming and set design and the performances are great; Daniel Day-Lewis gives a chilling performance as the film’s main antagonist and I think DiCaprio exceeds in his as well. It’s a compelling story with rich characters and some brutal violence. Highly recommended.

eXistanZ (1999)

★★★1/2

When a famous game designer is marked for death by an unknown group of assassins, a marketing trainee is tasked with making sure that she stays alive. However, they must now play the virtual reality game that she designed to figure out if the game has been corrupted and who and why these assassins are targeting her. The problem is… they can’t trust anybody, not even their closest friends. Though I don’t think it’s Cronenberg’s best movie it definitely has his mark but I felt like the film was lagging in performance, probably because I was trying to keep up with the plot. It wasn’t a bad thing and I still found the film entertaining, I just prefer Cronenberg’s earlier films.

Trinity & Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie (1995)

★★★1/2

Narrated by William Shatner, this documentary dives into the history of the development of the atomic bomb from the Trinity test to the first Chinese atomic bomb in the 60’s. Using restored and declassified test footage from the government, the film really shows just how powerfully mesmerizing that atomic bomb was. It was frightening but at the same time it was beautiful. I felt like it was the Koyaanisqatsi of nuclear testing since the footage was cut so perfectly to the soundtrack. The story is interesting and Shatner does a great job but the scene-stealer here is the footage and the soundtrack of the near-apocalypse.