Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Directed by:
Phil Lord
Chris Miller

Written by:
(in alphabetical order)
Judi Barrett(book)
Ron Barrett(book)
Phil Lord(screenplay)
Chris Miller(screenplay)

Cast:

Bill Hader – Flint Lockwood (voice)
Anna Faris – Sam Sparks (voice)
James Caan – Tim Lockwood (voice)
Andy Samberg – ‘Baby’ Brent (voice)
Bruce Campbell – Mayor Shelbourne (voice)
Mr. T – Earl Devereaux (voice)
Bobb’e J. Thompson – Cal Deveraux (voice)

Synopsis:

Inspired by Ron and Judi Barrett’s beloved children’s book of the same name, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS follows inventor Flint Lockwood (voice of Bill Hader) and brainy weathergirl Sam… Inspired by Ron and Judi Barrett’s beloved children’s book of the same name, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS follows inventor Flint Lockwood (voice of Bill Hader) and brainy weathergirl Sam Sparks (voice of Anna Faris) as they attempt to discover why the rain in their small town has stopped while food is falling in its place. Meanwhile, lifelong bully Brent (voice of Adam Samberg) relishes in tormenting Flint just as he did when they were kids, and Mayor Shelbourne (voice of Bruce Campbell) schemes to use Flint’s latest invention–a device designed to improve everyone’s lives–for his own personal gain. Mr. T. voices by-the-books cop Earl Devereaux, and James Caan voices Flint’s technophobe father, Tim. [RottenTomatoes.com]

[---]

I’d have to say honestly, that this was truly a good animation. Well, I didn’t see it in 3D but it still was quite good.

The humor in this movie was slapstick and easygoing. What more could you want from a childrens movie. Well, I’d have to say that it even fits for grown-ups. Hell, even I liked it.

The story was kept simple yet humorous, with a parallel storyline. The characters were rememberable and funny. And well they weren’t cheesy.

Also, the animations were kept simple and everything went smoothly.

But I have one complaint – in some occasions the humor went over the line. A la cake in the face, or a foot in the ass joke.

I don’t actually know why I liked this movie so much. Was it the great company or a half-empty cinema..I guess both.

Anyway, I think it’s time to find your inner child and go and see this movie. It’s worth it. I promise.

Trailer:

Rating: 9/10

Saw 6 (2009)

Director:
Kevin Greutert
Writers:
Marcus Dunstan (screenplay)
Patrick Melton (screenplay)

Cast:

Tobin Bell - Jigsaw / John
Costas Mandylor – Hoffman
Mark Rolston – Erickson
Betsy Russell – Jill
Shawnee Smith – Amanda

Synopsis:

The makers of the Saw films continue to make Rube Goldberg roll over in his grave with this sixth film in the series. SAW VI finds Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) the target of a FBI investigation, but that won’t stop him from continuing the murderous mayhem started by Jigsaw. [RottenTomatoes.com]

[---]

At first this movie seems to be just like another gore filled sequel of the “saw”. Lots of blood, lots of screaming, but then a story starts to unravel. Actually quite a compelling story. I’m not saying, it’s thought through, but it WAS quite interesting.

Through quite violent scenes we are told the history of the mysterious ‘jigsaw’ and how it all comes together.

But there was something that humored me quite a lot. The so called ‘fine print’. If you mange see through the  blood, sweat and tear then you’ll see that actually this movie is quite harsh critique towards the system of health care in the United States. Also a huge ad ofToyota Prius. I remember laughing out loud when i saw Prius written in big letters across the screen. I mean, if you want people to buy these ‘green’ cars then make them look like normal cars. It’s like with humans. They may be smart in every different way, but if you don’t look good, no girl wants to go out with you. I’m not agreeing that this is a good thing, all I’m saying it’s the world today.

Then there is acting. It was quite awful. The cast was weird, since everyone looked like someone really famous, but really wasn’t. The editing was standard hollywood gore movie style. Lots of flashing, and in between the flashes there was again some blood. Nothing special.

All and all, I recommend you to go and see this movie if you like gore, but if you want to see a good movie, I advise you to take a pass on this one.

Trailer:

Thanks for MCChillaKilla and saw6film for providing the videos

Rating: 4/10

9 (2009)

Director:
Shane Acker

Written by:
Pamela Pettler
Shane Acker

Cast:

Christopher Plummer - #1 (voice)
Martin Landau - #2 (voice)
John C. Reilly – #5 (voice)
Crispin Glover – #6 (voice)
Jennifer Connelly – #7 (voice)
Fred Tatasciore – #8 / Radio Announcer (voice)
Elijah Wood – #9 (voice)

Synopsis:

A new era in animated storytelling begins on 9.9.09. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Corpse Bride, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Nightwatch) join forces to produce wunderkind director Shane Acker’s distinctively original and thrilling tale. 9 stars Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer and Crispin Glover and features the music of Danny Elfman.When 9 (The Lord of the Ring’s Elijah Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they’ll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them. –© Focus Features [RottenTomatoes.com]

[---]

“9″ is an extremely good change in the modern world of animation. It turns the tables with it’s sadder and more deeper story and pulls us away from the fake dreams that everything is okay. I’m not saying now, it’s a animation for grown-up’s but that it’s just much more than a pure mainstream production to get your money.

From the first minutes I know it is something else, due to the style of the animation. It all seems so profound.

But I think it’s my duty to mention that the story seems really weak. Sometimes fully illogical. But there is that something that makes this movie special. I hope you know what I mean when I compare this movie to Portal, Matrix or even Half-Life 2. They all hold basically the same story.

And the story, all by itself manages to pull you in so deeply that you even start to care for the poor fellows.

It’s hard to say anything bad about this animation. Maybe only if you compare it with the “corpse bride”, what was a masterpiece on it’s own. I truly recommend it to all of you. Are you either 9 or 80

Trailer:

Rating: 8,5/10

G.I Joe (2009)

Director:
Stephen Sommers

Writing credits:
Stuart Beattie(screenplay)
David Elliot(screenplay)
Paul Lovett(screenplay)

Michael Gordon(story)
Stuart Beattie(story)
Stephen Sommers(story)

Cast:

Channing Tatum – Duke
Marlon Wayans – Ripcord
Arnold Vosloo – Zartan
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje – Heavy Duty
Christopher Eccleston – James McCullen / Destro
Grégory Fitoussi - Baron de Cobray
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – The Doctor / Rex Lewis
Leo Howard – Young Snake Eyes
Karolina Kurkova - Courtney A. Kreiger / Cover Girl
Byung-hun Lee – Storm Shadow
Sienna Miller – Anastasia ‘Ana’ DeCobray / Baroness

Synopsis:

Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “TRANSFORMERS,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” is directed by Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy,” “The Mummy Returns”) [RottenTomatoes.com]

If you want a movie with good acting/actors, compelling story, intelligent storyline and so forth then G.I Joe is sertainly not the movie for you. This movie consists of emotionless actors who can’t put enough emotion into their dialoge to make ma believe them.

First I though of telling you that this a pure breed action movie that doesn’t need a sophisticated story but after seeing Rambo 4, I cannot. Rambo is a pure breed but this movie is just a bad movie full of too much CGI. And sometimes not even GOOD CGI. I even managed to find some really awful editing.

One positive thing is that you will see lots of beautiful women AND in leather. Obviously what man wouldn’t like to see a goo looking woman with her figure emphasized. And that is basicly all one would like in this movie. Everything else is just pure bollocks.

A standard star-packed hollywood product. For example – Brandon Wayans (Scary Movie 1-2; Don’t be a menace to south central..); Channing Tatum (Step up 1-2; Public Enemies); Sienna Miller (Stardust); Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy 1-2); Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd rock from the sun; (500) days of summer)..

Oh, sorry, I almost forgot the mandatory funny “black” guy who always cracks a joke when things seem to get TOO serious.

It just must be an insult to drive an OPEL in France.

All and all it was quite a bad movie occasionally reminding me of the first X-men movie. Even the ending seems familiar.

Trailer:

Rating: 2/10

500 days of Summer (2009)

Director:
Marc Webb
Writers:
Scott Neustadter &
Michael H. Weber

Cast:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Tom Hansen
Zooey Deschanel – Summer Finn
Geoffrey Arend – McKenzie
Chloe Moretz – Rachel Hansen

Synopsis: Fans of HIGH FIDELITY and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND will be charmed by this quirky film that sheds a linear plot in favor of a memory-driven look at a failed romance. Joseph… Fans of HIGH FIDELITY and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND will be charmed by this quirky film that sheds a linear plot in favor of a memory-driven look at a failed romance. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (BRICK) stars as Tom, a greeting-card writer who dreams of becoming an architect and finding his true love. Zooey Deschanel (THE HAPPENING) plays Summer, a vintage-looking beauty whose ideas about love are entirely modern. As Tom remembers his 500 days with Summer, his mind jumps from moment to moment, largely thinking of the good times in their trouble-filled relationship. Indie darlings Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt are perfectly cast in this sweet, funny film that infuses the typical romantic tropes with reality. Anyone else would have caused audiences to hate Summer, but Deschanel is adorable enough that she still endears herself to viewers. Arthouse favorite Gordon-Levitt hasn’t played a traditional romantic lead since 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU in 1999, but here he proves equally adept at portraying Tom’s sweetness and his neuroses. Music-video director Marc Webb makes his feature debut with (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, and it’s easy to see influences of his past work.

[***]

For some reason I waited for this movie for a long time. Maybe it was the female actress Zooey Deschanel or maybe it was something else, but still some kind of need pulsed in me. It wasn’t like I had with one of my favorite movies “Revolver” or “Sin City”, it was something else. I knew it wouldn’t be some kind of masterpiece and I was right.

It’s actually quite a simple movie about, as the narrator says – a boy and a girl. But as you soon figure out, it is not another romantic comedy. The movie follows us through the relationship of Summer Finn and Tom Hansen, that more or less is about 500 days long (the actual relationship+breakup).

At first, even though I expected it, I was quite prejudice about Joseph Gordon-Levitt who kind of reminds me of DiCaprio. Not because of his looks but that if he tries to act out a role of a grown man, then he fails. Not that they are bad actors, quite the contrary. But they always remind me of small adolecant boys.

One aspect that makes the movie good is that it’s not linear. The movie jumps from time to time between different periods of the relationships bringing out the small niches of the whole thing. Making us understand the whole fabric of their story.

I bet this whole movie reminds us of one of THOSE relationships that we’ve had. Thinking that we might be together with the ONE, but then we understand it is all going down the drain. All we can do in these cases is that we can just learn from our mistakes.

All and all this movie has taken all the possible angles the genre and used it up just right. Thank god, someone hasn’t made the movie into a romantic one because it just wouldn’t fit to this idea.

It’s just one of those movies that you could just watch over and over.

PS. the soundtrack is in my opinion just one of the best I’ve heard in ages.

Trailer:

Rating: 8,5/10 (not because it’s a bad movie, but because it is not my type of movie)

Misc: David Lynch on watching movies on a cell phone

I have once tried to watch a movie on a cell phone and I agree with this statement. You will never properly experience the complete movie while watching something off a really small screen. I would make many weird and funny refences if I had any. It’s late and I’m going to bed. Bye.

Gamer (2009)

Directors:Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Writers: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor

Cast:

Gerard Butler – Kable
Amber Valletta – Angie
Michael C. Hall – Ken Castle
Kyra Sedgwick – Gina Parker Smith
Logan Lerman – Simon

Synopsis:

GAMER is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Humans control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online games: people play people…for keeps. Mind-control technology is widespread, and at the heart of the controversial games is its creator, reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). His latest brainchild, the first-person shooter game “Slayers,” allows millions to act out their most savage fantasies online in front of a global audience, using real prisoners as avatars with whom they fight to the death.Kable (Gerard Butler) is the superstar and cult hero of the ultraviolent “Slayers.” Kable is controlled by Simon, a young gamer with rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week. Taken from his family, imprisoned and forced to fight against his will, the modern day gladiator must survive long enough to escape the game to free his family, regain his identity and to save mankind from Castle’s ruthless technology. [RottenTomatoes.com]

If you cared to read the synopsis then you should have the overview of the whole movie (yes, even the ending). I warn you that even though this movie was hyped a lot, then it isn’t really anything special.

At first I though that this is going to be another anti-computer game movie where they try to tell you that games are evil and so forth. But no, it doesn’t say anything like that. Then another idea occurred. I remembered all those great movies about (not ‘of’) computer games like “wargames” (1983) and “Tron” (1982) and this movie doesn’t even get close to these.

It is quite a mediocre movie going into the same category as “Crank” but not as bad as that movie was. Well, you have all aspects of that kind of movie. Half-naked women, guns, blood, sex etc.

To be honest, after watching that movie I kind of wanted to play some “third-person shooters” but I couldn’t think of any that would resemble the one shown in the movie “Gamer”.

I realized one fact. That Gerald Butler won’t and can’t do a proper movie, that isn’t in SPARTA (Frank millers 300 reference). Well, there isn’t much to say about the movie, because it stirred no emotions. But still, I wouldn’t say it was a complete waste of time. A good one.

oh yea, it seems that the only main character is Gerald Butler, everyone doesn’t seem to last long enough that you would make any emotional connection to them, to start to care about them.

Trailer:

Rating: 5/10

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Director: David Yates
Writers:
Steve Kloves (screenplay)
J.K. Rowling (novel)

Cast:

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter
Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley
Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
Jim Broadbent – Professor Horace Slughorn
Robbie Coltrane – Rubeus Hagrid
Michael Gambon – Professor Albus Dumbledore

Synopsis:

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again [RottenTomatoes]

I finally took up the job of writing about the new Harry Potter movie. I know, since I waited for so long to write it, I won’t be getting a lot of clicks, but I’m not in it for the views. I just want to write.

For starters, I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I have read all of  the books and loved them all (well not the last one, because in my opinion, it was rubbish). I have also tried to watch the HP movies and seen 4 out of 6. Missed the third and the fifth. We’ll third, because I didn’t have any money on me at the time an the fifth, because forth deserved -10/10. It was just horrible. But still I wanted to give the HP movies another chance.

I sat down, and I have to say. The start was quite linear, there were no gaps and the acting+the CGI was great. And then everything started to go wrong.

- firstly, the director focused more on the romantic drool of the teenagers and not on the story it self

- secondly, it starts to leave huge gaps (not as big as the forth movie). I know it’s a long book, but that is not an apology.

- thirdly, the director or the producer (I don’t quite know who’s job it is) seems to take for granted the fact that probably most of the people who go to see the HP movies, have read the book. Think again. It has been a year (I think) since I last read the fifth HP book an I coudn’t remember a couple of things, and a huge amount of things were just not logical.

- and at last, fourthly I find that AGAIN the director thinks he can improve a thing that is already in perfect shape. Do you really think that you can improve a book that has sold millions all over the world, Mr. Yates?

As a fantasy movie on it’s own it would be a great one, well if you could lose those holes in the fabric of logic. But as a HP movie it was quite bad (not as bad as the forth)

Rating: 5/10 (I don’t get why IMDB gave it 7+ points and RT.com 83%)

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino (written by)

Cast:
Brad Pitt – Lt. Aldo Raine
Mélanie Laurent – Shosanna Dreyfus
Christoph Waltz – Col. Hans Landa
Eli Roth – Sgt. Donny Donowitz
Michael Fassbender – Lt. Archie Hicox
Diane Kruger – Bridget von Hammersmark
Daniel Brühl - Fredrick Zoller
Til Schweiger – Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Gedeon Burkhard – Cpl. Wilhelm Wicki
Jacky Ido – Marcel
B.J. Novak – Pfc. Smithson Utivich
Omar Doom - Pfc. Omar Ulmer

Synopsis:

Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.

Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own. [RottenTomatoes.com]

For those who don’t know then I’ll inform you that Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite movie makers in the whole industry. He has that special something in him that rubs off to his every film. And I like that. That quirky humor and those kinks. He has the ability to make the most preposterous storyline change in the middle of the most important scene of the movie. And I like THAT also. I do not mean like the standard Hollywood ‘twist’, where you knew the twist was going to occur in the beginning of the movie (so it isn’t such a surprise). More than once I found my self watching Tarantino movies and saying “what the f**k” in the middle of the movie, with a smile on my face. And that means good things. Since he managed to surprise me in a good way. So then to the movie.

Inglourious Basterds is different from all of the other Tarantino movies. After leaving the cinema two things occured. Firstly – the thing happening in the movie didn’t happen to random, normal people, as it usually does in Tarantino movies and secondly – the things that happened to the people in the movie were the historic scale. Not like in a random desert bar that is full of vampires (From Dusk Til Dawn).

For more then one time it seemed that some Hollywood prick took over the movie making, while Tarantino was on a break, doing something preposterous. Like a small child who likes to take apart piece-by-piece, that already works perfectly fine by itself. But thank god (Not that I’m religious), but the small child still kept something intact.

The whole movie was like a compote of a really good standard Hollywood war movie and a humorous Tarantino masterpiece sewn together by a really clumsy tailor.

But come on, who doesn’t like a movie where you can see Eli Roth with a psychopathic smile and a stare. It was just perfect. Brad Pitt kind of ruined the movie, because he was the only star that had a so called taste to him. When I first saw him on the screen movies ran through my mind – ‘Fight Club‘, ‘Meet Joe Black‘, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith‘, ‘Troy‘ etc.

So all and all this movie was worth me spending some money to go to the cinema and watch it.

Trailer:

Rating: 8/10

District 9 (2009)

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writers: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Cast:

Sharlto Copley – Wikus Van De Merwe
Jason Cope – Grey Bradnam – UKNR Chief Correspondent
Nathalie Boltt - Sarah Livingstone – Sociologist

Synopsis:

The film opens with an explanation of events that occurred 28 years in the past, when an alien ship settled above Johannesburg, South Africa. Several interviewed humans suggest that the alien ship became stranded after what appeared to be a command module fell from the ship to Earth. After three months of speculation as to the ship’s motives, humans cut their way in, discovering a large group of malnourished and leaderless arthropod-like non-humans. The creatures, primarily referred to as “prawns“—a derogatory reference to the Parktown prawn, a king cricket species found in South Africa^[4]—were eventually housed in a government camp inside Johannesburg called District 9 while various nations argued about their fate. Overcrowding and militarization quickly turned the area into a slum, with a massive black market set up between the aliens and a Nigerian gang, led by paralyzed warlord Obesandjo. As a result, a private defense contractor Multinational United (MNU), which also researches new weapons, was assigned to govern the area. [www.wikipedia.org]

The first moment I saw the trailer of this movie, many different emotions burst out. I really wanted to see that movie and see what was all the commotion about and how did they manage to deliver such an epic an promising theme to us, the viewers. The Trailer promises great things as if there will be a lot of action, a lot of emotions and a lot of other things that would make us gasp for air. But truth be told, after watching this movie I was disappointed. Why? Because it delivers very little of what it promises.

For example, it promises us great deal of action. Well in the movie we don’t see it, and I must say it is really good, because it would’ve just ruined the movie. They manage to keep it clean and orderly to maintain the atmosphere of the whole slum of ‘District 9′ .

The lack of too much action even gives us a glimpse of how humans would probably act in that kind of situation. Human is firstly out for him/herself an then watches what will happen next. We wouldn’t like to take care of those who are in need but for those from who we could benefit from. A great example – Enjoy Poverty (documentary)*. I won’t spoil it for you but I truly recommend you to watch it.

In conclusion this movie is quite an average. It evoked no big feelings and neither it made me regret of wasting my time. I thing I gained a lot more from watching this movie then I would have if I hadn’t.

This movie is surely not for everyone. If you like sci-fi then you won’t find much of it here, even though the tags says that.

The short film that ‘District 9′ is based on:

The Trailer:

Rating: 7/10

* – an article about the doc