Film Reviews - AvPGalaxy's Own Critics!

[gameoverman]

Plot

Well, do movies need plots?  Not really.  It's the story of one man's journey, a very strange journey into the sub-conscious.

VFX 78%

The whole thing looks like a nightmare.  There are some really gross stuff happening and some weird creatures, fantastic sequences and strange people.  The settings themselves are familiar yet bizarre.

SFX 95%

Very atmospheric and dark, whether it's a baby crying or strange industrial sounds.  I think it's one of the best unconventional soundtracks.

Acting 96%

Perfect casting - actors with unique qualities.  I like that.

Violence

It is not violent but potentially very disturbing.

Overall 97%

A masterpiece of surrealism.  I am a big fan of David Lynch and this is one of his best movies.

[gameoverman]

Plot

This is based on the book by Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) called Lair of the White Worm.

An archaelogist unearths a strange skull, and it turns out it is connected to an ancient legend.  A strange woman arrives in town looking for the skull.  This woman, it turns out, is some kind of vampire, snake-like creature and she worships a giant worm (which the skull is of).  She is also looking to sacrifice a virgin and only the descendant of the original man who slayed the worm can stop her.

VFX 88%

Ken Russell has a very distinctive style, some scenes are very dreamlike and others are like a wild acid trip.

SFX 82%

The score is kind of over the top and campy from what I remember.  It has a really cool folk song in it though about the ancient legend of the worm.

Acting 96%

Hugh Grant - plays upper class twit, perfect for the role.
Amanda Donohoe - a super-sexy, seductive, predatory female who sacrifices virgins and will bite your penis off with her vampire teeth.  Awesome.

Others - that girl at the beginning, I was like wtf.  Some really eccentric performances, here.

Violence 70%

The violence is kind of over the top and funny.  Not extreme or brutal.

Sex 85%

Alot of naked chicks, some brief orgy scenes and alot of weird erotic stuff.

Overall 87%

I don't know how anyone could resist seeing this movie based on the cover.  You'd think, oh one of those movies..  The thing is it bad or a cult movie.  It's a very cult movie, if you like that kind of movie.  Sit back, have a drink or drop some acid and enjoy this hilarious and weird movie.

[SiL]

Isn't that the one with Hugh Grant in it?

[gameoverman]

Isn't that the one with Hugh Grant in it?

Yes, I did mention that in the review.  It's his greatest role, I think. 

[Ratchetcomand]

The Spirit Review



Plot: 8%

The movie is based on a comic book and the movie is about a rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the dead as the detective known only as the Spirit to fight crime. After he finds his nemesis, the Octopus that wants the Spirit dead so he can have his Immortality then wipe out all of Central City. The movie feels like it does not even have that much of a plot at all and everything in this movie was too silly to be taken serious. The story sucked so bad that I walk out in the last 30 Min's of the movie.

VFX: 95%

The cinematography is amazing and I love how everything in this movie looks. It much like Sin City but it not in black & white, the movie has a old 40's style to it. Everything in the movie looks awesome, one of the very few good things about the movie.

SFX: 82%

The Spirit soundtrack is done by David Newman. The music is very nice, the movie has a 40s jazz sound married with iconic heroic music and even a touch of the spaghetti western much like A Fistful of Dollars. Nothing else to say about the music really other then it awesome.

Acting: 10%

Gabreil Macht is a good Spirit but everyone else in the movie sucks. Samuel L. Jackson act so stupid as a bad guy that I feel like I was watching Mr.Freeze again on the Big Screen but with a different actor. Scarlett Johansson in the movie act like crap that she did not care if she was acting or not in the movie

Sex: 70%

You see a good amount of naked girls in this movie but you don't see their full bodies though. There was like one or two sex scenes if I recall since I have not seen the movie since it cameout.

Violence: 25%

Nothing really violent at all other a few scenes of blood and Samuel L. Jackson use a Toilet against the Spirit. There is also a scene where they kill a cat just for the fun of it. Seeing Sarah Paulson and Eva Mendes without a shirt on is the only reason to see this movie.

Overall: 9%

This movie was awful and I'm Glad that I saw it for free without paying any money for it (I had a free ticket), I really wanted to like this movie since I love the look of the movie but the movie was so silly and stupid to like this movie. The movie is full of stupid jokes, lame fight scenes and bad acting. You should just buy the Dark Knight on DVD or wait for Watchmen to come out in another few months from now.

[severen76]

No no, don't buy The Dark Knight on DVD. It's a really bad transfer, I downloaded a screener before the dvd was even released and the quality of that is only a little bit worse than the dvd.

[Ratchetcomand]

But seeing The Dark Knight is a much better choice then go see the Spirit. The movie sucked so bad, I never seen so many bad jokes in a comic book movie since Batman & Robin again.

[War Wager]

Plot: 85%

Haven't seen the original, but I'm guessing the basic story is the same. On the 6th day of the 6th month in the year 2006, the Antichrist is born. His arrival basically spells doom for Earth as it is it's job to wreak havoc and chaos upon it.

VFX: 87%

The movie is shot wonderfully and does a good job of creating atmosphere and forboding. There are a few CG shots which were quite good too I think. A lot of colours tones are used to create different moods throughout the movie eg harsh greys for emotional scenes, real dark and gloomy tones for the more horrific ones.

SFX: 75%

The score is captured brilliantly in a very religious almost medieval way. Theres a great sense of evil, dread and a strange innocence in the opening theme which is played in the opening and end credits. Effects else where crank up the tension before assaulting your ears when you least expect it. You'll probably jump at least once.

Acting: 95%

Great performances all around. All the actors excel in their roles and really give career defining performaces. Mia Farrow is particularly creepy.

Violence: 64%

Theres not a great deal of violence here but theres a few bloody moments. Most notably the famous death scene in which lightning strikes a pole on a church roof, said pole crashes through a stain glass window and both pole and glass are impaled right into a panicking priest below.

Overall: 76%

I was quite surprised at this, as I didn't think it would be my kind of movie. Despite me not being that interested in anything religious, I was surprisingly intrigued and on-edge throughout the whole story. A totally watchable horror that does almost everything right and gives a nice cliffhanger ending. As for me, I would prefer this was a stand alone. All it needs is another lackluster sequel to rain on it's parade.

[gameoverman]

^And the original is a classic, so..

[gameoverman]

Script 90%

This is based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (he is called "John Merrick" in the movie), who had a severe deformity and because of this became somewhat of a celebrity in Victorian England.  The real story is fascinating, but you have to use dramatic licence for a movie.  Nevertheless, it does have great dialogue that is realistic and doesn't hit you over the head with sentimentality like most movies would.

Visuals 95%

The film is shot in black and white - the reason to emulate the period and give it atmosphere.  I think that was a good choice as it makes it look more timeless.  It really does give a good picture of Victorian London, though.

Makeup FX 99%

Using simple techniques, they sculpted the cast of bodysuit for the actor from an actual cast of the real Joseph Merrick.  The makeup looks so good, and allows the actor to express himself within it.

Score 90%

Not the greatest score in history, but a simple, understated score that doesn't try and manipulate and hits the right notes.

Acting 100%

Some badass British actors in this:

John Hurt - totally disappears into the role, he gives a touching and believable performance.
Anthony Hopkins - great job as the man of science who has sympathy for Merrick yet has moral dilemmas of his own.

Rest of cast is also great.

Overall 100%

Siimply awesome classic by David Lynch that is perfect from start to finish.  He has some interesting ideas about the immortality of the soul which is why I love the ending.

[gameoverman]

Direction 100%

Alex Proyas brings his great visual style to this.  He started out in music videos.  Just like the Strause Brothers.  But unlike them, he actually knows how to make a movie.

Script 100%

This is a great script because it moves the plot along at great pace and has excellent dialogue.  You really believe in this world and the characters are so distinctive and they all have their moments. 

Visuals 100%

This vision of a decaying metropolis goes one step further than Batman (1989) or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).  Gritty, rain-soaked streets filled with garbage and debris, a city filled with crime and nihilism.  It's the most dark, gothic setting you could imagine.

Score 100%

Holy crap - not only do you have a great orchestral motif, but a great rock score of the best 90s bands like The Cure, Nine Inche Nails, Joy Division, etc..

Makeup FX - 100%

The Crow's makeup is just as iconic as Heath Ledger's Joker.

Acting 100%

Wow - Brandon Lee is awesome in his final role.  Micheal Wincott, Ernie Hudson, etc - badass collection of actors.

Overall 100%

A classic.  Perfection.  They are remaking this - wtf?  Why remake pure brilliance. 

[severen76]

^^Yes.

[gameoverman]

It's 4:44 AM, I'm bored.  I'm going to do another review.



Direction 65%

The guy who made this is a comic book artist and it shows in the visuals.  He adapted this movie from one of his graphic novels.  Only thing is, it's mostly about the visual effects and the actors are secondary.  I also think this was made to be a cult film, for fans of the graphic novel.

Script 58%

Dialogue is a little stilted and strange.  Characters reciting poetry at random moments for example.  Also because it's a French film with English dialogue.

Plot is kind of strange.  Maybe it's better to read the graphic novels.  Honestly I forget what this movie was about, some thing with Horus in a floating pyramid needing to possess a human body, make babies and there's this parellel dimension involved amidst a future involving eugenics and body modification....

Visuals 88%

Fantastic visuals for the most part.  This is one of the first movies with an entire digital backdrop.  The vision of a future New York is unique.  Pure eye candy.  And the design is just like a French graphic novel.  Only problem is those horribly fake looking cgi characters.

Acting 67%

They're ok - weird blue chick is hot, didn't care much for Nikopol,..  Then there is "John", some inter-dimensional being??  And Horus?..  Yeah, whatever..

Score 52%

Nothing memorable, I'm listening to it right now and it's ok but not great.

Sound FX 93%

Quite impressive, actually.  Very immersive of being in this futuristic city with flying cars and stuff.

Makeup 69%

Meh.. blue chick looks alright.

Overall 75%

Great visuals, weird story, interesting setting, it's almost a cgi movie except for a few actors.  I liked it.  I would like to see more films like this.

[gameoverman]

Direction 100%

James Whale was a genius, I mean this is a perfect example of a classic 1930s Universal horror movie.

Script 100%

HG Wells was still alive when this was made, I don't know if he had any input.  It's the classic story of his novel The Invisible Man.  It's very smart script too, and has epic dialogue.

Visuals 100%

If you like creepy black and white movies.. well the sets and costumes are really good.  Cinematography good for the time.

Special effects 100%

Genius how they did the invisible man effects - it still looks good today and they even used those techniques for Memoirs of an Invisible Man.  They were quite inventive back then, I like alot of these old-fashioned effects, I always wonder how they did them.

Acting 100%

Acting back in the 30s sometimes seems a little stagey, yet this is full of sincerity and they just give it their all.  Even the comic performances are still funny.  The guy who plays the invisible man has a cool voice, his name was Claude Rains and he pretty much makes that role.

Score 90%

It has a nice orchestral score that plays at the right times, old fashioned but it suits the tone of the movie.

Overall 100%

It's classic but the reason I like it is the black comedy, the dialogue, the cool effects, the acting and the story.  It's my favourite movie from the 1930s and my favourite Universal horror movie.

I have a movie blog now btw where I'm posting up all my reviews here (eventually) and talking about other stuff that has to do with movies - http://awesomemoviesthatilike.blogspot.com/

[gameoverman]

AVPR

Direction 5%

These guys need to hone their craft more - they simply don't know what the hell they're doing most of the time.  "Oh, let's just fix the camera on that actress' ass."  "You don't want to go near that thing"  "The skinned body is so cool - we have to get it in the movie."

AVPR has a cynical irony behind it, no sincerity.

Script 0%

Shane Salerno wiped his ass on a piece of paper and gave it to John Davis.  John Davis was thinking - "Wow this guy nailed it on the first draft!"

Visuals 4%

The cgi is pretty good in some spots - if only you could see it.  The whole film is mired in murky darkness.  Not to do with the lighting - as the cinematographer (the same guy who was DP for the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre) did a good job - but some kind of post-production "fix".

Special FX 25%

There is some good cgi as I mentioned plus an interesting look at the predator homeworld.  But the alien practical effects are just pathetic.  The predator looks good though.  The predalien is a joke of a design, but in execution it is better than the other aliens.

Sound FX 30%

I liked that they brought back many of the old school sounds.  The predalien with it's 'chainsaw roar' is not bad.  The alien squeals though are a bit much.  Other than that nothing really unique or special about the sound design in this movie.

Score 42%

It lacks sublety and has too many homages (much like the film) but it's a suitable score that is perhaps underserving of being attached to a film like this.

Acting 1%

The 1% is for the lead actress who in a better movie could make a great Ripley substitute.  Everyone else is a total bore and they are so fake and pathetic with every bit of dialogue.

Overall 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000%

This movie is a f**king disgrace.  f**k you Fox, Tom Rothman, John Davis, Strause Bros and Shane Salerno.  Fox wins, we lose!