Buttered Popcorn: Buzzmans Movie Review Thread

[stevsta]

You've inspired me to download UP. Hope its good dawhg

dude up was great the first 15 minutes of that movie seriously got to me.

up is def one of the top movies pixar made

 

[Buzzman]

Grown Ups (2010)

Plot: After their high school basketball coach passes away, five good friends and former teammates reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Story: Why would any studio greenlight a documentary of Adam Sander and his friends on vacation is beyond me. They haven’t been funny in years, and don’t do anything here to argue against it. They do stupid things and expect you to laugh, but no one’s laughing at kissing an 80 year old woman, it’s disgusting. It got better later on but it was basically over when it started to get funny. The movie just never got going and ended exactly where you would expect it too. One redeeming factor they had was about rich kids being spoiled. They really need a good slap to the face, unfortunately you didn’t get to see it.

Characters: Everyone essentially plays themselves here. Had it been made 10 years ago, it probably would have been hilarious, but now, they all seemed to have lost that magic from their haydays. David Spade is probably the funniest one in the movie but he’s also the crudest, so it’s no coincidence. Kevin James is the disappointing one here. He’s never been hilarious but he’s been funny in most of his films, but apparently putting a bucket of chicken makes you funny. Other then Sandler and James, the rest of the gang needs to go back to stand up or in the hole they have been sleeping in the last five years. Mr. Steroids was the funniest thing in the movie in his brief 15 seconds of screen time, which tells you something.

Others: The film was 90 minutes too long. Nothing was all that funny about it. How did this make 100 million dollars? The Sandler brand was used wisely here. You have to think they made this for a quick buck and a good time for themselves, because they sure as hell didn’t do it for the audience. It was crap.

Overall Score: 3/10

 

[Buzzman]

Killers (2010)

Plot: A vacationing woman meets her ideal man, leading to a swift marriage. Back at home, however, their idyllic life is upset when they discover their neighbors could be assassins who have been contracted to kill the couple.

Story: I'm in the minority here. I enjoyed things in this movie. While the plot is terrible when you watch the entire thing and get to the ending; it’s quite an enjoyable experience until then. The idea that anyone could be a killer out to collect the contract put out on our couple is interesting to see unfold. It creates a “who is it” mentality. The action pieces and kills are good to watch and more then make up for a lot of the cheesy dialogue you hear. It was all going well until that damn ending. While it wasn’t a big surprise, it felt like a cop out on why a contract was placed in the first place, and a plot hole at the start of the movie.

Characters: Both of our leads might be two of the most unlikable people to anyone over 18 years old. I don’t find many people that actually enjoy them, so when you make a movie and have only one of them as their annoying self, you did a good job. Kutcher doesn’t stand out, he just plays his role good enough. Heigl on the other hand, is inconsistent. She’ll be annoying, then make a funny joke, then go back to being annoying again. She seems to play the same person in everything she’s done so far in her career. You also can’t have a movie with Tom Selleck and not make fun of that sweet stache, it’s a classic and doesn’t go unappreciated.

Others: While its not a great film, it does do things right which can make it an enjoyable watch, but the poorly written ending and dialogue hold it back. It never gets a chance keep its momentum going with the mystery because a little side story that was just unnecessary. If your into action-spy movies there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one. If you just can’t stand either of the two leads, you’ll have to pass on this.

Overall Score: 6/10

 

[Herm]

Cop Out



Overall Score: 3/10

im glad i saw it for free is all i know. i love Kevin Smith films and Tracy Morgan is usually funny, i made it through 30 minutes and had to turn this movie off. It just didnt get any better. I can usually give anything a shot and i was shocked i had to end this one. I expected more than a bored Bruce Willis and 20% funny morgan.

 

[Buzzman]

Inception (2010)

Plot: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one's mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.

Story: The story of the perfect crime is as good as it sounds. The way they get it done, is another story. They shot the film with the fact in mind that the audience is smart enough to follow and understand. The film starts to get complex as they dig deeper into the mind. You begin to wonder what reality is yourself. They manage to take multiple worlds and fit them into one so it makes sense. Every scene is important and reveals something that is needed to understand how “Inception” works and how it can be done. The way the crew manipulates there “victim” using his own dreams and interpretations against him is brilliant and watching the plan unfold was stunning. The use of action scenes are genuinely used to illustrate the story, rather then the audience’s entertainment. Then an ending that makes you look back on the entire film and question everything is truly great work.

 

Did you think it was going to fall?

Characters: Cobbs (DeCaprio) is a very great character. The movie reveals little pieces of his background bit by bit so when you hit the climax, you understand head on what has been eating at him this whole time. DeCaprio gives an outstanding performance. The rest of the cast hold there own. While none are as key as Cobbs, all play important roles in this crime from building the dreams to waking them up, all are just as important as the other and with that, they are one. They depend on each other. That chemistry is there and makes everyone look great.

Others: The action sequences were some of the best on film. The entire motel scenes with the rotating hallway and no gravity looked fantastic. The entire snow part of the movie felt like a James Bond level to me and had me smiling all the way through. Chris Nolan did a fantastic job, and I would say this is his best work to date. He somehow manages to beat the expectations we have come to expect from him. The only real question left to ask is, can he top it?

Overall Score: 10/10

 

[stevsta]

Inception

Plot: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one's mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.

Story: The story of the perfect crime is as good as it sounds. The way they get it done, is another story. They shot the film with the fact in mind that the audience is smart enough to follow and understand. The film starts to get complex as they dig deeper into the mind. You begin to wonder what reality is yourself. They manage to take multiple worlds and fit them into one so it makes sense. Every scene is important and reveals something that is needed to understand how “Inception” works and how it can be done. The way the crew manipulates there “victim” using his own dreams and interpretations against him is brilliant and watching the plan unfold was stunning. The use of action scenes are genuinely used to illustrate the story, rather then the audience’s entertainment. Then an ending that makes you look back on the entire film and question everything is truly great work.

 

Did you think it was going to fall?

Characters: Cobbs (DeCaprio) is a very great character. The movie reveals little pieces of his background bit by bit so when you hit the climax, you understand head on what has been eating at him this whole time. DeCaprio gives an outstanding performance. The rest of the cast hold there own. While none are as key as Cobbs, all play important roles in this crime from building the dreams to waking them up, all are just as important as the other and with that, they are one. They depend on each other. That chemistry is there and makes everyone look great.

Others: The action sequences were some of the best on film. The entire motel scenes with the rotating hallway and no gravity looked fantastic. The entire snow part of the movie felt like a James Bond level to me and had me smiling all the way through. Chris Nolan did a fantastic job, and I would say this is his best work to date. He somehow manages to beat the expectations we have come to expect from him. The only real question left to ask is, can he top it?

Overall Score: 10/10

def cant wait to go see this movie got my tix already

 

[Maynard]

did u watch the book of eli yet? i dont see a review so i cant discuss it yet. i am an hour into it and see no point to this film. The only thing holding my interest is the action and that it reminds me of fallout 3

 

[Buzzman]

did u watch the book of eli yet? i dont see a review so i cant discuss it yet. i am an hour into it and see no point to this film. The only thing holding my interest is the action and that it reminds me of fallout 3

I thought it looked alright and when all my dumb friends said ti was amazing I kept putting it off because they usually have bad taste. But then I read Dells review and he seemed to look it was pretty good himself. So I have it downloaded just have to watch it now. The one thing that concerns me is the religious aspect of he movie. I cant stand the way some people act with that in mind.

 

[stevsta]

I thought it looked alright and when all my dumb friends said ti was amazing I kept putting it off because they usually have bad taste. But then I read Dells review and he seemed to look it was pretty good himself. So I have it downloaded just have to watch it now. The one thing that concerns me is the religious aspect of he movie. I cant stand the way some people act with that in mind.

the movie was ok nothing special imo

there was too little action and a lackluster script and plot for me to get interested in it

however

some of the fight scenes in it were really great though if you get/rent the dvd there was a extra showing how they choreographed the fighting scenes
with denzel

 

[Maynard]

i finished book of eli and i thought it was stupid. the religious aspect didnt bother me at all. the story would have been fine if it had some sort of character build and dialog. like stevsta said, the dialog was weak and couldnt carry it, and the action wasnt good enough to carry it. It had some cool action early on, but as it went on it was just blow up shit that wasnt even good for blow up shit standards

the spoiler dell didnt want to reveal was nothing big at all. when revealed your just like...ok. It didnt impress me at all but did explain a few things.

the telling of the back story was poor too. it was done in about 2 mins of screen time with some references here and there.

i wasnt expecting much so i wasnt let down. but thats 2 hrs i wish i had back

 

[Buzzman]

Despicable Me (2010)

Plot: When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds himself profoundly changed by the growing love between them.

Story: Despicable Me is different in that the protagonist is a villain. It gives it a chance to show some dark comedy that you don’t normally see in animation for kids. A lot of material is “despicable” but is presented in a humorous way that only the older audience will understand. That’s not to say it’s all like that. This is a family film at heart and you will have plenty of cute cliché moments that add depth to the main characters. The climax of stealing the moon felt a little anti-climatic and rushed with unfinished business left, but still ended on a good note.

Characters: Gru is supposed to be an evil villain that does nasty stuff just because he can, but all he really wanted was affection. He definitely plays the loves-you-but-wont-show-it character well and brings the laughs when he shows his inexperience with kids. Of the three orphan girls, Agnes is the favorite here. She’s funny, innocent, and because she’s the youngest, doesn’t think twice about showing her affections. Gru’s foe was the weak link here. Someone so dumb can’t be such a good villain. They obviously made him stupid to make the kids laugh but they already had enough of that in the film. A good villain would have made this much better. The minions will be everyone’s favorite characters. They speak gibberish, love to laugh at their friend’s injuries, and look so damn awesome. They definitely need there own spin-off.

Others: What a surprise, another animated film in 2010 that knocked your socks off (Toy Story 3 and How To Train Your Dragon if your wondering). They’re starting to overtake live action films in terms of quality story telling. Despicable Me doesn’t do anything ground breaking here, but provides a great family film for any age to enjoy. The 3D was really good. Not only did the colors enhance the picture, but they had a roller coaster ride that took full advantage and created a nice effect that you were actually on a ride. This was a great start for a film that will likely turn into a franchise with the critical acclaim and box office numbers it out up. Hopefully we can get an adventure that is up to par with this.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

 

[Buzzman]

Leaves of Grass (2010)

Plot: An Ivy League professor is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown, where his twin brother, a small-time pot grower, has concocted a scheme to take down a local drug lord.

Story: Here is a very unique comedy. You have twin brothers that took completely opposite paths in life. One is a philosophy professor and the other is a drug dealer. The catch? Both are geniuses. They have some of the most bizarre conversations that can go right past the viewer, but they never pull away too far though because they started the conversation while smoking a bong. Nothing is so confusing you can’t understand the basic point of the scene. The basic scheme is a matter of deception to help the brother get out of a drug deal with a crooked Jew. Near the end, things got a little unexpected with the solution, but it never got over the top bad. Its ending had a Coen brothers feel to it, if you know what that means.

Characters: Ed Norton is fantastic as both the professor and the drug dealer. They feel like two completely different people despite being played by the same person. Bill is the professor that has tried to deal with life through books and is a recognized person of philosophy. Brady on the other hand appears to have fallen into a life of crime, but he actually is just as bright, designing a state of the art machine that grows weed to perfection. Norton in a rare case feeds off himself and is a joy to watch. The fate of these two is ironic and poetic. Keri Russell as the English teacher felt out of place with her random lines of poetry. Richard Dreyfuss in limited screen time is great as the Jew who’s giving Brady problems.

Others: Leaves of Grass isn’t for everyone. In fact I’d go so far as to say most wouldn’t enjoy it. The plot is a little out there and the comedy isn’t obvious but its fueled by the characters and you get great performances here. Like I said earlier, this whole thing felt like a Coen brothers film. If you enjoyed Burn After Reading, this is for you. It’s very similar in pace and tone, but obviously set in a different story.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

 

[Buzzman]

Empire of the Sun (1987)

Plot: A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II .

Story: You get a completely different perspective of World War 2 in the war film made by Steven Spielberg that no one really talks about. The story follows a young British boy’s journey to survive when he gets separated from his parents at the start of the conflict and then placed in an internment camp. Being just a child, he doesn’t realize the full extent of the situation he’s in that allows himself to keep his sanity and hope unlike some of the people around him. The Japanese soldiers aren’t brutal and inhuman, but are portrayed as they should be; a group of men who believe that are doing the right thing for their country. The ending scenes are brutal and honest of a boy who has been stripped to the bone.

Characters: Bale as Jim Graham pulls in a dynamite performance. You almost forget he’s just a child amongst men. Watching him beg to surrender or to get taken to the camp has the desperation in the screams. The obsession Jim as with planes gives him puts him in a interesting situation where he’s surrounded by Japanese fighter planes and has respect for the enemy. His desperation and ending scenes foreshadowed the actor Bale would become. The American Basie (played by a wonderful John Malkovich) is a greedy pig who uses anyone to benefit him. The line “you’d do whatever it takes to get a potato” sums up him to perfection. Only a child like Jim would believe him for so long.

Others: You won’t find any full no war scenes here. Its always confined to small areas such as Jim’s house or the internment camp. It doesn’t show the war as much as show how the war affected some of the people in the west. It’s a great film and another early Spielberg masterpiece that goes under the radar. If you’re a fan of early Spielberg or of World War 2, this is a must see.

Overall Score: 9/10

 

[Buzzman]

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2010)

*Note: The movie is in Sweden with English subtitles.*

Plot: A journalist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing -- or dead -- for forty years by a young female hacker.

Story: The film builds up both of our leads instantly, revealing a little bit about them to get your interest in them; either from their past or present. You don’t know anything but small details, giving them a mysterious first impression onto you. That sense of mystery is thrown around in the film. From the very beginning to the very end, there is always something lingering around and we don’t know why. That’s what pulls you into it. They throw little nibbles at you to keep you following, which eventually leads to a horrifying conclusion. The investigation they begin is a bit slow but it helps add depth to the characters and strengthens the conclusion. The climax was very disturbing but was great in execution, but the absolute ending was a bit underwhelming after everything that had just happened.

Warning: the film shows some very disturbing scenes that some might not be accustomed to or comfortable watching such as rape. Be prepared.

Characters: Lisbeth Salander is a broken character. She has been in a slew of trouble and horrifying luck, but you only know what’s shown on screen. There must have been dozens of terrible things that happened to her, but a broken character is a lot more entertaining then a fixed one. Her decisions are indifferent, but she solidifies herself as a good human being looking for a sense of warmth that she has never felt. The other lead is Mikael Blomkvist, who is here to kill time and make money until he goes to jail for something he feels is unjust. He is good at what he does, but he felt like a bystander once Lisbeth came into the investigation. He was more of the warmth she was looking for rather then the reporter who was hired. They are a strange duo that works with great chemistry. The Vanger family doesn’t get much screen time so you never really know any of them, but that seemed to add to the mysterious tone the film set itself up as.

Others: This film is a great standalone film that is actually part of a trilogy. Lets hope this doesn’t get diminished if the sequels turn out bad. It deserves all the praise its gotten its way. It’s a very smart mystery film that doesn’t shy away from controversy. I read the original English title was called “Men Who Hate Women”. Now I understand why they changed that title, but it fits directly with the movies tone. Women are shown as lower beings in this film in numerous ways (info in the spoilers, don’t read if not watched) , and I wonder if the author was showing his feelings or if he was trying to say something about the Sweden culture today. (I would have no idea since I don’t live in Sweden) It would be nice to have a sit with the guy.

 

Even at the end, Lisbeth is shown in the negative spotlight when Mikael told her he wouldn’t have done that, even to a killer. Harriot, as well, is shown as a coward and apologizing for something that wasn’t wrong. That whole theme of women was a very curious one.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

 

[Fox1994]

I'm still on page 1, and I'm gonna try and catch up, but the fact that you review so many fucking chick flicks is starting to bug me. lol. Probably because bitches actually believe in this shit. Guys don't believe in action flicks or pornos, why do bitches believe in this?

It's worse than religion.... Well, maybe.

Edit: Finished. Very impressed with your reviews. Saw some movies I need to see (Inception... seen a lot of good reviews... but yours made me want to actually see it), saw some I need to revisit (Empire of the Sun), saw some I need to avoid even though I at one time wanted to see them (Brooklyn's Finest, Predators).

 

[Buzzman]

I'm still on page 1, and I'm gonna try and catch up, but the fact that you review so many fucking chick flicks is starting to bug me. lol. Probably because bitches actually believe in this shit. Guys don't believe in action flicks or pornos, why do bitches believe in this?

I see a lot of chick flicks because my younger sister doesn't live with me and when she comes to visit I always take her to a movie and its usualy trash, but there have been some decent ones I enjoyed that i thought I'd hate like Eclipse and Killers.

Edit: Finished. Very impressed with your reviews. Saw some movies I need to see (Inception... seen a lot of good reviews... but yours made me want to actually see it), saw some I need to revisit (Empire of the Sun), saw some I need to avoid even though I at one time wanted to see them (Brooklyn's Finest, Predators).

Thanks. With predators though, a 6 isn't a bad score, there are far worse movies you could see. If you liked the first predators, you'd probably somewhat enjoy the new one.

 

[Maynard]

DL the girl with the dragon tattoo. Sounds like a good film. I just hope i can get the subs to work

plan on DL the Ed Norton film. Never heard of that one. I didnt care for burn after reading although i didnt watch the whole film. But i love norton so i will give it a shot

 

[Maynard]

started watching leaves of grass late last night. im about half way thru and its a great movie. Very funny. There is alot of obvious humor in it, but also alot of underlying humor as well. Brady says some of the most random funny shit that is just him being himself....he isnt trying to be funny its just how he is. Great writing and characters

the only thing that bugs me is the story itself...the scheme. Its not a big deal because the rest is done so well.

Fuuny thing about this movie is after 2 mins i knew i wanted to watch the rest. I say that because prior to turing it on i started watching Greenberg with ben stiller and after 2 mins i knew it was gonna suck. I kept watching though and ended up wasting 45 mins before i shut it off. what a dumb movie that was

 

[Maynard]

so i finished the leaves of grass film. overall a very good and entertaining film. The ending surprised me. I wasnt expecting things to play out the way they did. However, i thought the final 30 mins or so lost its inital appeal by moving away what made it great to begin with....the humor and witty/intelligent comedic moments it had.

highly recommenced checking it out...stoners will love it

 

[Buzzman]

Edge of Darkness (2010)

Plot: As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.

Story: This has Taken influences written all over it with the main difference being Taken’s father was looking for his daughter and in this one, the father’s looking for his daughters killer. The plot is utter chaos with things jumping from spot to spot without the slightest bit of explanation. The cover-up on why his daughter was killed is dull and been used countless time over. The films antagonist was such a dumbfounded man, there is no way he could have kept it a secret for so long. The situation with his daughter’s death is a giant clustertfuck( read spoiler ) and the happy ending felt out of place in such a violent film.

 

The daughters death was ridiculous in the fact that they shot her only for the dramatic effect, because later on you find out she was poisoned and going to die regardless, so why the fuck shoot her if you already poisoned her?

Characters: Mel Gibson returns for the first time in years to play Thomas Craven, the father of the murdered daughter. He should have stayed away. He mumbles through a horrible accent you cant understand and surprisingly doesn’t play an angry man very well. He just felt very old in this role. Danny Huston is, without surprise, the head of the corporation that killed his daughter. I don’t understand how this guy keeps getting cast as the bad guy. He’s not intimidating, nor smart, and is very one dimensional. You automatically know what you’re going to get from him. Can Anyone tell me what the hell Ray Winstone was supposed to be doing in this?

Others: Edge of Darkness all sub-par action with no substance. It tries to recreate the same tone and feel Taken did last year, but fails to establish any type of suspense. You already know what’s going to happen and who’s going to die. It wasn’t original in any sense and is a waste of time unless you’re a die hard Gibson fan who’s been itching for a fix. Otherwise steer clear and never look back.

Overall Score: 3.5/10