Tag Archives: Movie Review

March 1, 2013 · 12:30 pm

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

By: Morgan Guess

Staff Reporter

A love story between a zombie and a human seems far from practical and a little on the silly side. Presuming Warm Bodies to be a sick spin off of Twilight, I was floored when exiting the theater. It was not a traditional Nicholas Sparks love story, but an elusive tale with a steamy corpse played by Nicholas Hault. Hault stars as the lead zombie who doesn’t remember much of his previous life besides the first letter of his name, “R.”

When on a raid with his undead brothers, R discovers Julie, a blonde beauty with a gun searching for pharmaceuticals for her colony in post-apocalyptic Montreal. During the attack, R kills Julie’s first love Perry but is conflicted during the process. This is, of course, a zombie movie so there were a few scenes of brain munching that allows the undead to connect with humanity through the victim’s memories. At the raid R falls for Julie the moment he sees her and feels the need to protect her from his dead, flesh-hungry friends. R hides his human companion in his airplane home, which is filled with random trinkets, including a record player that’s spinning, making him feel more “alive.” R’s narration added humor to the somewhat serious story and resembled the thoughts of a human teenager. R transforms as he learns to care for, protect, and love Julie, who is skittish to the kindness but eventually learns that the undead can indeed be saved. The growing love between the two leads alluded to one of the classics, Romeo and Juliet, making it hard not to enjoy the romance.  The love becomes infectious as R’s friend Marcus and the rest of the undead begin to care again. Spoiler alert: Through many adventures, the movie came to its climax when the corpses teamed up with the human colony to defeat the “bonies” or skeletal zombies too far gone to ever care again. During the chaos, Julie and R soon discover that they have sparked the cure that can bring the zombies back to life. When the undead become no longer a threat to humanity, the cement wall concealing the small colony comes crumbling down thanks to the love between R and Julie.  They all live in peaceful harmony and eventually discover that the cure for the undead was simply a human’s touch and love.

Although many may regard Warm Bodies as just another abnormal love story, there are many underlying themes that make this romantic comedy a hit.

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December 14, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Film Review: Breaking Dawn Part 2

By: Lauren English | Staff Reporter

The drawn out mega saga has finally come to a curtain call. Twi-hards have been building this movie up to appropriately finish their ongoing fantasy of a world where vampires do exist and fall in love with less-than-supernatural humans. I am not a Twilight fanatic, but I was very anxious to see how much movie magic it would take to transform Kristen Stewart from an awkward, clumsy teenager to a gorgeous, graceful vampire. The movie starts right where it left off in Part 1 of Breaking Dawn as Bella awakens to a new life. Right from the beginning, I was so captivated by Kristen Stewart’s beauty and control of her emotions. As soon as I began to get in the moment of the movie, I was taken out of the supernatural world by the sometimes humorous writing of Melissa Rosenberg, the screenplay writer. Bella was physically and verbally abusing Jacob because he imprinted (connected to someone’s soul to be eternal mates) on Renesmee, Bella’s daughter, when Jacob calls the baby by a nickname, “Nessie.” This seems to infuriate Bella, and she screams in a manly voice, “You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster!” I don’t think I was supposed to be laughing at that point, but I could not handle the unachieved mix of comedic timing and seriousness of the scene. I decided to keep an open mind. The plot builds up as the Cullen’s cousin Irina sees Renesmee and seems to think she is immortal. Irina then travels to tell the Volturi that this baby will be a threat to the existence of vampires everywhere. As Irina rallies the Volturi to destroy this potential threat, Bella and the Cullens, together with any allies they can assemble, are preparing to fight a crucial, ultimate, battle to protect their family. The Cullens’ army is made up of vampire friends and family from all over the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the exotic ethnicities and cultures shown in the vampires. However, the movie was less than extraordinary when it came to the action aspect of it. Through the whole movie, Edward and Bella never really go back to their playful kind of love. It is always serious and focused; so I really missed that sense of playfulness. Of course right after I was hoping for something a little more teen-esque, the film delivered a nostalgic closing. This was the ending I was hoping for. Overall, Kristen Stewart delivered an amazing performance as a protective mother, and Robert Pattinson was an awesome father and husband. I would recommend this movie to anyone who has a craving for a great supernatural love story.

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April 13, 2012 · 1:30 am

Hunger Games Movie and Book Review

by: Morgan Guess

Staff Reporter

Over the past several months The Hunger Games trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins, has become a worldwide phenomenon. The Hunger Games was published in September of 2008 and became popular among young adult readers.

The story is set in the ruins of future America that has been divided into districts. Due to the past rebellious acts against the government by the districts, the Capitol hosts an annual Hunger Games event in which one boy and one girl from each district must compete for their lives in an arena created by the evil masterminds of the Capitol. The event is viewed on national television and serves as punishment and as a constant reminder of past rebellious acts, their consequences, and the Capitol’s sovereignty in its citizens’ lives.

The story follows a survivalist girl named Katniss Everdeen through the rough conditions of the games after she volunteered to take the place of her younger sister, Prim. Katniss struggles for her life, and even love, throughout the trilogy. The movie adaptation of the first book in the series brought The Hunger Games to life on the big screen on March 23. The film sold $152.5 million  on opening weekend across America, making it the third largest grossing movie ever on an opening weekend.

The actors chosen to play the main characters of The Hunger Games really stepped up to the plate. Jennifer Lawrence, a no-nonsense  Kentucky native, brought raw emotion and a type of intensity to the screen that embodied the heroine Katniss Everdeen in every way. Experienced actor Josh Hutcherson portrays her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark, the local baker’s son.  Katniss’s best friend, Gale, is played by Australian actor Liam Hemsworth. The three actors’ chemistry is apparent on screen.

In comparison to the best-selling book, the film was almost spot-on, missing only a few minor details. The movie’s magnitude brought the terrifying games to reality just as the book did. Despite its two and a half hour mark, the movie never dragged but kept the anticipation and constant action rolling.  The Hunger Games not only addresses the female audience through romance but the male audience as well in action.

When compared to other young adult novels such as the popular Twilight saga, The Hunger Games appeals to a much broader audience and has something for everyone. The Hunger Games is a must-read book and must-see movie (in that order) for men and women of all ages.

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March 2, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Movie Review: The Woman in Black

by Amelia Passer

Staff Reporter

Don’t let the title for The Woman In Black fool you; it is in no way related to the popular Will Smith movie, Men In Black, which I was able to figure out within the first five minutes of the film.
The film is actually a horror movie starring Daniel Radcliff, but don’t let Radcliff fool you into thinking the movie has anything to do with the Harry Potter series, which took me a little longer to figure out.
The movie is centered on Radcliff’s character, Arthur Kipps, a widow whose job is settling the estate of a recently deceased recluse in a small town far from his home. While in the small town, a series of inexplicable children’s deaths occur. Little does Arthur know, the small town is haunted by a crazy woman in black spirit. Throughout the movie, Arthur must find out what is happening to the dying children and who the woman in black is. He is accompanied by a father whose son has recently died and his wife, who claims she has the spirit of her son inside her.
As far as horror films go, this movie is successful in setting up suspenseful, jumpy moments, though, I had to repeatedly remind myself that Radcliff’s character is not a wizard and is incapable of wand work.
There were definitely moments when I gasped and jumped a little in my seat. The movie creates many of the “stereotypical” ghost story moments: dim light, creepy noises, and dead children. On the side of originality, I think the movie succeeded in creating a new story audiences haven’t heard before, which is very rare for scary movies today. The movie was exemplary as far as plot is concerned; it established character development well. I was impressed the film wasn’t centered on blood and guts.
Personally, I thought for the sole purpose of frightening audiences, The Woman In Black succeeded. I’m certain that if I first watched the movie by myself in the dark, I would’ve been scared. But, because I saw the movie in theaters, I was unable to choose the people in the rest of the theater; therefore, I was taken away from the film because of screaming, texting, and obnoxious people.
If you haven’t yet seen The Woman In Black, I would recommend it. I think it’s definitely one of the scarier films of our generation. But like most memorable scary movies, at the end, you’ll probably be unsatisfied. I wouldn’t see the movie if you’re expecting a happy ending. I can’t say that this movie will scare everyone that goes to see it, but coming from someone who thrives off of thrill and theatrical suspense, the movie definitely gave me chills.

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February 3, 2012 · 12:00 pm

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Movie Review

by: Jenny Tran

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the Oscar nominated contender for Best Picture by filmmaker Stephen Daldry, is based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. The story, though rooted in the September 11 tragedy, does not focus on the event. Rather, the movie documents the story of a young 11-year-old boy Oskar Schell who suffers from the loss of his father at the World Trade Center. Oskar, played by Thomas Horn, is convinced his father, who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, left a message for him hidden somewhere in the city. This is the story of his quest to keep his father’s memory alive by searching throughout the Big Apple, the nation’s largest city, for a lock to fit a key.
As Oskar is exploring through his father’s closet, he accidentally knocks over a blue vase and finds a key in an envelope that is simply labeled “Black.” He ponders the true meaning behind the key: Was it left for him or his mother? Did it even have an actual meaning at all? He quickly looks up the name “Black” in the phone book and finds that there are 417 people with the last name “Black” in New York City. Oskar vows to himself that he will meet every person until he finds the key’s lock. As he searches for the lock, Oskar meets many sympathetic yet helpful strangers; however, one stranger stood out from the rest who becomes Oskar’s confidant. Oskar is accompanied by “The Renter,” an old man played by Max von Sydow, who rents a room in Oskar’s grandmother’s apartment. As they both become close friends, Oskar learns many lessons from this stranger, such as facing his fears and knowing when to intervene.
As his adventure continues, Oskar’s hope begins to falter and wants to stop until he notices that the stranger he has been sharing his journey with is just like his father. Oskar finally concludes that the stranger is actually his grandfather. Oskar confronts him, but before Oskar can receive any real answers, his grandfather moves out of his apartment and tells Oskar not to search anymore. However, Oskar does not give up. He continues his search until he finds the truth behind the key.
Tom Horn, the actor who played Oskar, who was discovered on the game show Jeopardy, delivers an incredible performance of a young boy searching for answers after his father’s tragic death. While many critics call his character selfish and spoiled, I call him a crushed, grieving character who finds his rite of passage as he overcomes obstacles and faces his own fears.
Stephen Daldry’s film meanders a bit, but the stellar cast, starting with young Horn, as well as the weighty nuances such as Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, make this a must-see film for the New Year. Daldry’s ability to remove the slight ambiguity of the original novel allowed the film to retain the precise symbolism for applying the message to all the hurting people in the world. Furthermore, the movie explores the importance of a three-word phrase that is continuously misused today, “I love you.” Suspend your disbelief on the unbelievable parts and stay to the end. I promise it will be worth it.

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November 4, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Movie Review: Footloose

by: Brittain Allgood

When it comes to movies that make you want to “cut loose,” the new Footloose really does the trick. Bringing the classic film up-to-date with new dance styles, this new rendition puts into perspective how everyone should have the right to dance how they want, when they want. When watching this film, I had the sudden urge to get up and dance along with them. Everyone who watches it will hum along to the timeless tunes while enjoying the dance numbers that this movie includes.

Footloose takes place in the small town of Bomont, Georgia, where everyone knows your name. Like any other town, the students enjoyed partying and dancing. One night after a big bash, four of Bomont’s brightest students were driving home when they crashed head-on into a truck. All four were killed instantly, and the entire town of Bomont was affected by the tragedy. The preacher of the local church was the father of one of the victims. He vowed to his family and to the entire city that from there on out, he would do everything he could to keep the children of Bomont safe. After the accident, the city council began to approve outrageous laws such as setting a city-wide curfew and prohibiting the purchase of beer on Sundays; however, the most outrageous law was prohibiting dancing in the city. At the time, these rules seemed fair and appropriate, but after a while, the children began to rebel against the laws. Although nothing changed, that is, until a new boy came to town. This Boston native decided that he wanted to make a difference in that city and wished to prove to others that he could succeed.

The Footloose cast portrayed their characters very well and far exceeded expectations. Kenny Wormald played Ren MacCormack better than many expected. Everyone knows that no one can replace Kevin Bacon, who played the original Ren MacCormack, but even Kevin stated over Twitter that Kenny did an excellent job. Ren MacCormack is a student originally from Boston, but when his mother dies from Leukemia, he moves to Bomont to live with his aunt and uncle. He is a selfish, stuck-up city boy in the beginning of the film, but when he begins to have feelings for Ariel, we see that he is a dynamic character in that he begins to care for others as well as the city of Bomont. Wormald has definitely become the new heartthrob of the 21st century, stealing hearts with his dance moves and strikingly good looks. Ariel Moore, played by Julianne Hough, is a goody-goody preacher’s daughter in the beginning of the story, but after her brother dies in the car crash, she begins to rebel against everything that her dad has instilled in her. She gets lost in her relationship with God, her family, and her abusive boyfriend. Meeting Ren, she realizes that she has been living the wrong life and begins to mold back into the girl her daddy once knew. Julianne Hough- who knew she could act? This triple threat is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood, for she was able to move people with her words as well as her dancing. As tired as I am of seeing Dennis Quaid in movies, he did an excellent job of playing the over-protective preacher, Rev. Shaw Moore. The Reverend tries so hard to protect Ariel that it only pushes her away. He realizes the things that he has done and decides to be more lenient with her.

This movie had comical moments as well as serious, inspiring moments and to me, those qualities make a good movie. This is a film that I can watch a dozen times and still love. I highly recommend this movie to everyone above the age of thirteen, boys and girls.

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September 4, 2009 · 12:13 pm

Movie Review: The Time Traveler’s Wife


By: Taylor Rigney

German director Robert Schwentke proves in his latest movie, The Time Traveler’s Wife, that time traveling isn’t only for Zac Efron and Star Trek fans. With the help of screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin, who also wrote the screenplay for “Ghost,” Schwentke puts a fresh perspective on an otherwise overly-used plot.

The movie, which is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger, follows Henry DeTamble (Bana), a librarian from Chicago who is cursed with a fictional genetic abnormality that causes him to be involuntarily whisked back and forth through time to important events in his life. As you can imagine, life for Mr. DeTamble can be pretty burdensome, having to live with a constant fear of being plucked away from his daily activities and dropped into a different time period. However, just when Henry thinks he can no longer carry this unfortunate burden alone, cue Clare Abshire.

Clare (McAdams) has known Henry since she was six years old when he showed up stark naked (did I mention that when Henry time travels, he leaves his clothes behind?) in the meadow she played in behind her parents’ house. This next part gets kind of confusing: Henry doesn’t actually meet Clare until much later, when they are both adults, because he hasn’t yet traveled back in time to meet her as a child…. Just go with it…. The movie can explain it much better than I can.

Somehow, the two get past all the confusion of their meet-cute and fall in love with each other. The story hardly ends there, though. They eventually get married and go on to inevitably face some pretty troubling obstacles, because marriage is complicated enough without your spouse being some sort of time traveling freak. As Henry says to Clare in the novel, “I sometimes end up in dangerous situations, and I come back to you broken and messed up, and you worry about me when I’m gone. It’s like marrying a policeman.” Nonetheless, Clare is determined to make their marriage work, regardless of Henry’s nude clock surfing hobby.

As I see it, there are three very different types of people who will have three very different opinions of this movie. Critics, who tend to analyze every little aspect of films, will see an unrealistic and confusing story about a creepy, not to mention, naked, time-traveling stalker who lures in an unsuspecting young girl while she is playing in her back yard. They’ll also probably point out all of the many logical fallacies in the movie. For instance, the fact that there’s no such thing as time traveling, and that it’s certainly against the odds that you will ever encounter a male librarian as nice looking as Eric Bana.

Hopeless romantics, on the other hand, will be captivated by Henry and Clare’s heartwarming romance, the movie’s bittersweet ending, the journey that brings the characters there, and, of course, the lovely Eric Bana.
The third group of viewers will just be left confused and scratching their heads by the back-and-forth chronology of this movie, and these people would probably better enjoy something like “G-Force” or anything else Disney Digital 3D has to offer.

Because I fall into the hopeless romantic category, and I think Eric Bana is gorgeous, I give The Time Traveler’s Wife four stars. In spite of the confusing chronology and the nudity, language, and violence that earned it a rating of PG-13, this is one movie that is destined to become a classic.

Some advice before you go to the theater to see this movie: have some tissues on hand, and a little waterproof mascara probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

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