100% Badass

Hell Ride (2008)

God Bless Quentin Tarantino for commissioning Lary Bishop to make this movie. God bless the Weinsteins for coming up the with the (small) budget.

It's about time somebody made a real biker movie again, but amped up to even more sleazy, ridiculous, and glorious levels than anything produced during the Golden Age of the Motorcycle Movie, 1966-1974. I would put this one up there with The Wild Angels as one of the best biker flicks ever put to celluloid.

The plot and story arc and simple, tight, and move like a French TGV train: fast! It's a short movie and it flies by. Every frame stuffed with action, menace and bad-ass attitude. All the characters are interesting and well-portrayed, if sleazy, intense, and uncompromising.

There's plenty of sex and the body count is high, but none of it feels gratuitous: these are violent people walking a razor's edge, tieing up lose ends that have been plaguing their lives for many decades. It's all an organic part of the tale.

Larry Bishop pulls off the lead role with cool detachment, and Michael Madsen is great, doing what he does best, all cocky swagger and easy dominance of the screen. Great performances all around. David Carradine doesn't have much to do, but at least he is here. Great to see Dennis Hopper on a motorcycle once again! Wearing the fringe jacket! Maybe for the last time? I hope not.

Do notice the trademarked Tarantino shot of looking up from inside the small enclosed box. I guess Larry got permission from Quentin to do that. Or maybe Quentin himself filmed it; I believe he did a small amount of second-unit shooting on this film. You'll know it when you see it, it's in the last scene of the movie. I just had to laugh when I saw that shot. The Tarantino stamp all the way. If I didn't know any better, I could have been convinced that Q. actually directed this joint.

If you are in any way, shape or form, a fan of biker movies, or Quentin Tarantino, or extreme film-making, or classic drive-in movie fare, you MUST check out this ride. This is one HELL RIDE you will not soon forget.

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Jet Li's & Fraser's Duo Its Rocking!!!

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

My one-word summary pretty much says it all for me. Mummy 3 is, like the previous installments, a fun distraction from all the bad news that the front page of the newspaper reminds us of every day.

Frasier is back as Rick O'Connell. Leaner and meaner from the last time we saw the character in 2001, Frasier brings the same A-game to what is essentially B-movie fun. Much has been made of Maria Bello replacing Rachel Weisz as Evie. Yes, Maria is no Rachel, but still, she is more than up for the challenge.

Everyone involved seems to be having a lot of fun. It was great to have John Hannah back as Jonathan, he is always great to have around to lighten the atmosphere. Luke Ford is believable as Alex O'Connell. He has many of the same traits and physicality of Frasier's "Rick" that you believe this is what Rick and Evie's could would look like and act like.

The effects, like in the previous films, are good enough to tell the story, but will not win any academy awards. Many miss that point; these films are supposed to appear lower budget and have predictable stories. They are homages to the films that the Indy series is steeped in. There is nothing highbrow here, but there is plenty of entertainment for a much needed distraction.

Jet Li does a lot with saying very little. His Emporer is much like Imotep in that he spends a good portion of the film not in flesh form. He is given much more screen time than I thought he would. I did think there was a martial arts geek moment missed when the fight between Li and Yeoh was not longer. These are two of the greats and it would have been fun to see them go at it longer.

The story is pretty much the usual fare for the Mummy films. We have an opening prologue that sets the stage and then our heroes stumble into the middle of everything and some how come out on the end. Simple, but fun story telling.

All in all, great way to spend 2hrs just sitting back and watching the O'Connell's and Co. take on another adventure.

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One of the best films about sex in a long time

Young People F**King (2008)

With its provocative title and the general controversy surrounding it thanks to Bill C-10, director Martin Gero's debut film "Young People F-cking" has gotten a far wider release in Canada than most films of this sort do, getting the chance to compete with the likes of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008's summer season. I can't think of a film more deserving.

"Young People F-cking" is honest, real, unpretentious, sad, and funny all at the same time. Its script is one of the best I've come across in quite a while, using a unique narrative which takes the 'six phases of sex': prelude, foreplay, sex, interlude, orgasm, and afterglow- in that order, and applies them to five different couples (well... four couples and a threesome). The film progresses through the six phases in order, cutting back and forth between the five couples, 'Friends', 'Couple', 'Exes', 'Roommates', and 'First Date', and observing their interaction with each other.

These stories vary in quality but even the weakest; the Roommates story, is involving and fun as long as you remember that while Gord is exaggerated, there ARE many guys like him around. Martin Gero and Aaron Abrams are smart enough not to play all of the stories for laughs, with the 'Exes' story maintaining a wistful, slightly sad tone albeit one punctuated by humor. The 'Friends' portion of the script is also remarkably true-to-life and the only one other than the 'First Date' story that I could personally relate to. My favorite story within this film was the 'First Date' portion starring Callum Blue and Diora Baird; it's hilarious, insightful, and never boring in the slighest.

Providing superb drama, good comedy, and some of the best and most entertaining observations on sex outside a Woody Allen offering, "Young People F-cking" is THE movie about sex for anyone in their twenties or thirties right now. I can't promise that the film would maintain its best strengths for those who can't relate to the events on screen. I expect that people over forty or so will enjoy the film less than younger people because after all even the politics of sex change, just like everything else.

Fresh, unique, relevant, and beautifully photographed and directed, "Young People F-cking" is unquestionably going to end up as one of the best films of 2008. It is just phenomenal.

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Surprinsingly good - definitely must see,

Taken [2008]

First of all let me start by saying that those of you who thought "The Dark Knight" was a great action flick, then you obviously do not know much of what a real action flick means. And those of you do not think that "Taken" was an entertaining film, well you do not know the meaning of entertainment. You would probably end up giving a boring depressing film like "Bridge to Terabithia" or "The Thin Red Line" which both had no base, no path and no justified ending a 10 star rating on the grounds of being 'depressingly' entertaining, but would probably give "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" a one star based on an unrealistic plot, excessive violence and entertaining.

"Taken" is a brilliant movie from the start. The movie character development was well crafted as it gives you an insight of what the characters nature are like. This was typified with Liam Neeson's character Bryan who killed people as a profession prior to retirement but deep down inside there was humanity inside of him. He loved his daughter greatly and regrets of not spending much time with her while she was growing up. But furthermore, it depicted the length a parent will go in order to ensure the safety of their child regardless of whether the child is an adult or not.

The action side of "Taken" was of high class. The fight scenes were well choreographed and it gave a sense of "Bourne Identity" type of edge to it. Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen who are the writers for "Taken" did a great job with the script. It was a fast paced film, with suspense, action, thrills, touch of humour but most important of all a realistic plot. Sure some areas within the film seemed far fetched, like shooting the police chief's wife in the shoulder and not being caught, but within the film it contains a very important message. That is sex slave trading does exist.

Lets face it slave trading or sex trading of people do exist in this world. Unfortunately our governments are more concerned with blowing up countries where the leaders do not have any weapons of mass destruction, rather than worry about the illegal sex trade that go on within their own backyard. For those people who are involved in those type of illegal work deserve to be shot dead in cold blood with no question asked. They are a disgrace to society and humanity.

Overall "Taken" would have to be the action film of the year so far. Way better than "The Dark Knight" and "Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Others like me have felt a feel good feeling inside after watching the film. The money spent on ticket not going to waste.

A must see film.

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Dark Knight - The best film of 2008 so far. A masterpiece.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Wow. Just wow. And I thought Batman Begins was excellent. This... this piece of art... its PHENOMENAL!! From the scale, to the acting, the atmosphere, the music, the action, it's all art. I have not experienced this level of greatness in the cinema for a long time. This film is the darkest Batman, as well as one of the darkest, violent and gripping films, ever made.

I'll start off with the actors. Christian Bale has done a tremendous job as our beloved Caped Crusader, who has a flawed personality that hangs on the balance between righteous and crazy. His perception of justice causes an emotional and personal shift, whether he is a rich guy who fights crime in a suit or just a regular guy who is sick of all the injustice in Gotham City and decides to give the psychopaths a dose of their own medicine. Because of this, and Bale's tremendous acting, the Bruce Wayne character is justified, and we, the audience, emphasizes with Bale's flawed hero more than Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George (shudder) Clooney, Kevin Conroy, or God forbid Adam West, ever will. If there was an excellent Batman, this is the real deal. The theme of righteousness and insanity is played well with his character here.

But of course, the real star of the show is the late and great Heath Ledger, who steals almost every scene he's in as the villainous Joker (Nicholson, step aside). This Joker is not like the other renditions; he is the best. Downright evil, corrupt, insane, psychotic, terrifying. In every sense of those aforementioned words. More scary than funny, he shows audiences the Joker is undoubtedly Batman's most nefarious foe and his perfect nemesis, challenging him all the way. With a cynical smile, he proclaims in a scene where Batman is a freak to the public, like the Joker himself. This also explains the balance of righteousness that Bruce Wayne is going through. The Joker is downright evil, and Ledger makes this performance legendary. I agree with the critics, sign me up for the petition where he deserves a posthumous Oscar win.

The rest of the cast is excellent and star-studded. Aaron Eckhart does his Harvey Dent/Two-Face character justice, with a strong sense of righteousness/betrayal/twistedness up his sleeve, as well as Bruce Wayne's rival in love. His acting is strong here. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a great replacement for Katie Holmes as Wayne's love interest Rachel Dawes, as she shows more sensitive and caring side towards Bruce, other than Holmes' nearly flat performance. Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler Alfred delivers, as well as Morgan Freeman as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Gary Oldman does an excellent portrayal of Lt. James Gordon, who aids Batman in his quest for justice. And a special mention goes to Eric Roberts as a crime lord, who surprisingly does a great acting job. The rest of the cast can take a bow, they can be proud of their being in this film.





The cinematography is possibly the most sublime scenes ever chosen. Gotham and Hong Kong are wide, and yet, there is this dark aura of crime and corruption all around them. It really blends in well with the film, giving it a distinct and unique look. Quite simply, this is the best Gotham city in any Batman rendition. Wally Pfister has done an excellent job.

To accompany the atmosphere is the tremendous music score by movie music maestros, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. With talents like these, the score is unforgettable. It is tension-building at times, and throbbing and glorious yet dark/moody during others. It deserves an Oscar.

The very loyal screenplay is written very, very well by Jonathan Nolan (director's brother), who has done a masterful job. The characters are (pardon the pun) rich in character and the story has not a flaw in it. For a comic book film adaptation, this film is not at all fantasy-like. It is quite realistic in a way and this is what gives the film more credibility. Also, the fact that the script is realistic is unbelievable, as you expect a superhero film when you walk in the cinema, and walk out realizing you have just seen an epic crime saga. Yes, CRIME SAGA. It deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence with "GoodFellas", "Heat", "The Untouchables" and even "The Godfather". I kid you not, this film has the power. The fact that this is an epic is further proved by the film's length - 2 hours and 32 minutes. Yes, it's that long. But it goes by so fast because you end up wishing for more.

But of course, none of this is possible without the genius that is the other Nolan, director Christopher. As per Memento, he knows how to direct a film. The dramatic scenes are engaging and the action sequences are crisp, thrilling, and will blow you out of your seat. Nolan's direction is tense, whip-smart, kinetic and smart. All of the action sequences are realistic, "boombastic", and CGI is used only when necessary (Steve Spielberg and George Lucas, take note). The new vehicle and some gadgets look cool and stylish and do not take away the film's credibility and realism. There are a lot of action sequences to boot, some of them combining themes from above. You will have to see them to believe them. The brothers Nolan have done it again.

In short, it's a masterpiece. One that will knock you out of your seat. It is the best Batman film ever, the best superhero film ever and the best film of 2008 thus far. If there ever was a possibility of a summer film winning Best Picture at the Oscars (like Titanic and Lord Of The Rings), this will join their ranks. It is rightfully deserved. Do yourselves a favor and see this piece of art. Repeated viewings highly recommended.

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Hancock - Solid popcorn flick

Hancock (2008)

Will Smith. That's all you've got to say, and you're guaranteed a big opening at the box office. Well, from the looks of it, Smith also guarantees you at least a mildly entertaining film, which is what we get in his latest movie, Hancock. In the hands of any other leading star, Hancock would probably end up being a below average film. It's Smith's charisma, charm, and unwavering likability that ultimately save the film. He can make you laugh, cheer, cry, and even root for his character (who is a total ass, as he is reminded a number of times throughout the movie) no matter what kind of shenanigans he may cause.

Hancock is not the generic superhero film and is probably one of the more ingenious ideas to come across a producer's desk in quite some time. To me, what it seems like is that the writers of the film loved the idea, started off extremely strong, and then began to realize that how hard it is to sustain a simplistic idea over the course of a full length motion picture (and it is because of this that Hancock is relatively short). The writers' plan to solve this problem is to throw in a totally unnecessary and badly handled plot twist to keep the audience guessing. The lack of a central villain also hurts the movie a lot. The character that serves as Hancock's enemy in the finale isn't even well acted. The person is laughable.

This is an action movie, so it should come as no surprise to see well done and original action in the movie. However, I felt the effects could have used a few more weeks of polishing in the editing room. The camera is also quite crampy. I also have problems with the film's score, as it does not add an epic feeling to the film like it should have. I felt like something was missing in the climax of the film (which is not the end). The action scenes, while entertaining and original, were not long enough to engage the audience like say, The Incredible Hulk, nor were they as jaw dropping as those in Wanted.


The film's strength rides on its three stars. Action veterans Will Smith and Charlize Theron both deliver winning performances as usual, and that should come as no surprise. Smith's charisma is enough to make anyone happy, and it's so easy to see why so many people love him. Theron is always a sight to behold (except in Monster, lol), and this film is no different. I enjoyed her performance the most, especially in the second act and the beginning of the third. Jason Bateman, who seems to be the bridge connecting the performances of Smith and Theron, is great as usual, and likable, marking a change from his recent turn in "Juno". There really isn't another performance to note, and part of Hancock's weakness is that there are really only three main engaging characters. It should also be noted that the kid who played Bateman's son was absolutely adorable.

Hancock is the classic case of great idea, and mediocre execution. I can see this idea being remade years from now, and pulled off even better. It's not a fault of Peter Berg, the film's director, as the real weakness is in the screenplay, which falters after an excellent and wonderful opening act. It's not a bad film by any means, nor is it great. It's in between "okay" and "good". Enjoyyy

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