ISYS100 Movie Reviews 2013

A Few Best Men Review by Annabelle

    
 

From the makers of ‘Death at a Funeral’, comes this movie; a comedy which depicts a couple who meet and fall in love whilst on holiday, and who decide to get married in Australia. Xavier Samuel, stars as a Londoner named David who travels overseas to Australia to marry his ‘true love’ – ‘Mia’, played by Laura Brent. The rest of the cast consists of Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop, and Tim Draxl as the groomsmen and Olivia Newton – John as Mia’s mother. Rebel Wilson also stars in this comedy as Mia’s sister.

Unfortunately for David, his groomsmen cause havoc at the ceremony, ranging from taking the wrong bag (one that was filled with illicit drugs), dressing up the ram belonging to the Bride’s father and feeding it some of the drugs, to derogatory comments during one of the groomsman’s speech. There is even a scene where a best friend of David’s (after drinking quite heavily) drives a car into one of the large round bushes (ornament), causing it to roll down the hill and through the wedding reception. These are just a taste of the humorous events that took place during the movie.
I found this movie to be quite hilarious, despite other negative critics. It was a real laugh – out- loud comedy, providing quite a surprising plot and an interesting delivery to its audience. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie with its goofy characters and great selection of actors. The producer wanted you to expect the unexpected, and did a great job in confusing viewers on what would happen next.

I give this movie a rating of 4/5.

So Young review by Lin

Movie review – So Young

Youth is used to miss.

Film was telling a story about youth of other people, but looks like a story about us. To review the youth, we all seem to be the people in the story. Maybe once like Shiyong Zhao feeling consternating when facing difficulties and let the former lover leave with helpless. Maybe once like Kaiyang Xu to express his love bravely, but only can be regarded as friend. Maybe we ever like Zhang to like someone silently, but just put this wonderful feeling into the flower language. Maybe we had stood in the dark alone like Jing Lin, but clutching his bleeding wound silently walk away, also like Jie Shi refused to accept other sincere feeling cruelly, also like Wei Zheng desperate for love. We all have been crazy, either for ourselves or for other humans. We all have loved and have been hurt by someone else as well. We all laughed, cried and learn how to life in the final. Wei Zhen who is the protagonist in the film has said that hope our youth is immortal. But who can really get the ageless youth and the amaranthine time. Yuan Yuan died in train that never has chance to stop at station. Wei Zheng said that may be the youth of Yuan Yuan is immortal among them. The one who experienced it knows whether the youth is sweet or bitter. Youth is like a way cannot return back to the starting point.

We can through countless hurting to find that no one can really feel the pain from other person in this world, that just your own things, other people may sympathize with you, but they never know how serious about your injury. Yuan Yuan asked Wei about why you do not cry when you feel painful; Wei said that tears cannot let me forget it. Time is arbitrary; it makes us forget the past, include happiness and suffering. Once recall let us cry bitterly, years later, we have to face it with smile. Finally, Wei eventually mind her past, she has completely forgiven the man who has betray her before, forgiven the love that without reason and temerarious paying during youth. She had left the best youth to this man, used up all the laughter and tears, let the seed of loving germinate, although failed to open a flower finally, but how does this matter, even if there was no Xiaozheng Chen appearing in Wei’s life, Wei still cannot keep immortal youth for self. Just like the hometown is used to miss, the youth is used to recall. It is worthless when you have it, only after it runs out then we can get meaning of it. Whoever loved us or hurt us all is the worth of our youth.

Wei has asked Jing Lin that have you loved me, and then Jing Lin said that the love is like a river, everyone has felled the stones to across the river.

The end of the film Xiozheng Chen asked Wei:” can I love you once again?” , Wei just looked at him and told that youth is used to miss.

Role Models (2008)

This 2008 comedy about two energy drink salesmen, who find themselves in trouble with the law and have the choice between prison or community service. This movie stars Sean William Scott (wheeler), Paul Rudd (danny), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Augie) and Bobbe J. Thompson (ronnie), and directed by David Wain.

This comedy created for a more mature audience explores both the changes that people have on each other, but do so in a humourous way to entice the audience. As the choice for community service over prison was a no brainer, Wheeler and Danny are forced into 150 hours of being a "father figure" for two young boys. As neither has children or any useful skills for child raising and mentoring, the humour relies is based on there attempts to become a suitable "role model". But with a very strict manager at the business and both Wheeler and Danny unable to pick up these skills easily, they are left to the mercy of the manager to decide whether prison will be there next stop or will they be able to continue the program.
Stars 3.5/5

Daniel

District 9 Review- Michael Cesarini

                                                                     District 9 Review

Unlike other films built upon aliens interacting with planet earth District 9 has a new take, in modern day South Africa we are introduced to aliens who have inhabited the land for 28 years. Their conditions are somewhat comparable to those which exist in third world countries, despite the alien’s major physical differences some of their actions and circumstances are similar to that of humans. Multi- National United is a group in the film responsible for managing the aliens, however they are quick to focus on their weaponry rather than wellbeing. This is reflective of the greed humanity holds and the desire for self-benefit, controlled by business. Neil Blomkamp cleverly develops empathy for the aliens, by drawing similarities between themselves and humans such as their willingness to protect their children. Overall the film is a contextually relevant take on alien invasion and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a similar genre.

Stars: 3/5

Shooter Review by Bradley Graves

Shooter Review

I want to firstly take note to the people have been reading our page thanks for viewing and hope you have enjoyed our groups reviews. Okay to business! This week I’m reviewing Shooter which starts Mark Walhberg as Marine scout sniper Bob Lee Swagger to stop an assassination attempt against the President of the United States of America. Shooter was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day).

It all starts off with our hero Swagger on a covert mission with his partner in camouflage picking off targets but after being screwed by the military the mission goes south and they are left to survive in Ethiopian mountains by themself with no support. Years later is found in the mountains alone with his dog until he is reached by Colonel Johnston who is played by Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon Movies), who asks for his help into trying to stop an assassination attempt on the President. Now being one of the best snipers he is picked for the task of “how would you do it” what he doesn’t know is that this is a set up which has been planned.

Determined to prove his innocence Swagger (Wahlberg), is pretty much on his own against all the law enforcement agencies in the country, but there are people in the shadows, faceless people who want him dead. Swagger does have some help a rookie out of training FBI agent Nick Memphis portrayed by (Michael Pena) and his best friend’s widow Sarah Fenn played by (Kate Mara). They start to help Swagger by trying to help and unveil the truth behind this set up.

While they are trying to help Swagger, they are also putting their life on the line, with agencies and these organisations that work in the dark are looking for any sort of connection to Swagger so they can use it to lure him out into the open. There is a great scene where Sarah has to defend for herself in her house hold which is a tense scene, she does show a lot of fight. 

Shooter an immensely satisfying movie it delivers each and every minute of the movie. The action is impressive like military weaponry, tactics, explosions, and those super intense sniper scenes will have you on the edge guessing who is who? Shooter is action movie with modern day conspiracy faceless people controlling key figures in government to get their ways. This movie has a solid direction and is easily enjoyable for the people who enjoy action movies and conspiracies.  

Rating 4/5 

Bradley Graves

Inglorious Bastards review by Ali

Inglorious Bastards Review

Quentin Tarnatino, is the first director I know that made a spin-off of world war 2 history into a   2½-hour, four-language epic., Inglorious Basterds, is an alternative history of World War II from the writer-director of Pulp Fiction. As with all of his work, Tarnatino creates several different characters with several different storylines that merge fantastically together, but the amazing part is how they merge and sometimes crash and burn in the end.

The film moves between French, German and English dialogue and takes us through five chapters. First, in 1941, we see a Nazi, Colonel Hans Landa (played by Austrian Christoph Waltz), known as ‘The Jew Hunter’, discover and kill a Jewish family in France; only the youngest daughter gets away.

Then we’re introduced to the ‘basterds’, a gang of eight Jewish-American soldiers who, while deep undercover, roam Nazi-occupied France, murdering German soldiers and collecting their scalps. They’re led by a Tennessee hillbilly boy, played by Pitt, whose change of English accent shows Pitt’s calibre as an actor. Pitt is lively but he disappears for a long time and is upstaged by Waltz, who gives a teasing turn of sly comedy and cruel charm. His scenes are the film’s best. For the film’s final chapters, we leap to Paris in 1944, where the two stories collide.

The girl who fled the Nazis, Shoshanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) is now running a cinema which plays films by directed by Germans, because of the German occupation at the time. A Nazi private, Frederick (Daniel Brühl), takes a shine to her, which lands him a nasty ending. Shoshanna cinema is to host Fredrick’s film about his gun-toting heroics being immortalised in a film produced by Goebbels a big-time German director, who decides that Shoshanna’s cinema is perfect for the premiere. Shoshanna and the ‘basterds’ decide that the screening is their chance to strike and this is the epic scene where all of the characters plots combine together for a brilliant ending.

Although Tarintino’s signature of a bit over the top blood and gore is seen all over this film, it’s not much of a deterrence, because of the good writing skills seen in the plot and the perfect acting especially by Christoph waltz who speaks in 4 dialogues throughout the film. I give this movie a well deserved 4/5 stars.

Happy Together Review by Lin

Happy Together

People always miss a lot of things during their young age, having love as well as friendship. We always do not know how to cherish in our youth, when time take everything away, we just understand that we only really worth for a few days in our life, only a few pieces as well. Just like the name of the movie, happy together. We get together while we feel happy, then how about the sad moment. Even though this film is not the great work, it still has a profound meaning, about loneliness, about reunited, about time and the life as well. 

The whole movie put the point of view from plot to order the story of Yaohui Li as the main line for representing the story among three people named Baorong He, Yaohui Li and Zhang. Yaohui Li and Baorong He experiencing lingering, vindictive and quarrel then get separately ending after all. How Zhang uses his persistence and return to make Yaohui Li found place where the heart should stay. All these in my opinion are talking about just one story: a lonely man looking for a warm embrace and a place can be called home. For Yaohui Li the happiest in his life is that time during Rongbao injury, because only during this time he cannot go anywhere, because the injured Rongbao He will dependent on Yaohui Li at one hundred percent. Thinking of there is a person who is his loving waiting for him in home, do not need to laugh in the face, the heart is also felling happy. Zhang can make out from his voice, as long as there is Rongbao He in, the house is like a warm home for himself. Yaohui Li is such a spoiled object for Rongbao He, he always thought that no matter how far way he leaves him, as long as said that let us start again, Yaohui Li will return to his side and waiting for him. 

For Zhang, as if proving his existence only can through exploring the unknown land constantly until achieving the end of the world. But when he back home from the southernmost of earth, eating dumplings that make by his home, he seems understand why he have enough courage to walk so far that because there is always a place waiting for him to go back. In the films of Karwai Wong, everyone is lonely. Yaohui Li is lonely, because of cannot stand caprice of Rongbao He then chose to leave him, even though he reached the waterfall, but he knew that there should be two people who stand under a waterfall. Originally, such extreme beauty and passion in life should be shared with lover, not one person taste by self in loneliness. Rongbao He is lonely too, he profligacy that Yaohui Li give him, finally Yaohui Li choose to leave him. He lost Li Yaohui who always suffer himself with capricious, lost a person who always love him and also lost his emotional bottom line. When Rongbao He leaves Yaohui Li, although Li feels pain, but he ultimately can find a new life from Zhang. But the departure of Yaohui Li destroyed Rongbao He completely. Rongbao He pour on the sofa and crying until the whole body becoming twitch is his last scene in the movie. 

In this movie, everyone found a home to return to, just except Rongbao He. If everyone can face alone, then how to impressive film in an appropriate way, then the film how to excite person’s mind. Everyone in this movie is us. Every one of them, including Karwai Wang as well as our own is troubled by the same question: how we spend the best time of our life? What kind of attitude of life can make us calm in the face of ever-increasing time? The pain from the passing time all belong to the memory of youth, it is pain but also beauty

Gone in 60 Seconds Review by Annabelle

 

Gone in 60 Seconds is a movie about a man who is a retired professional car thief that in order to save his brother, must return to the industry and steal 50 cars in a short period of time.
Nicolas Cage stars as ‘Memphis Raines’ alongside Giovanni Ribisi as ‘Kip Raines’- two brothers who were involved in the car theft industry for years. However, Memphis decides to walk away from that life, while his brother Kip continues to work for stolen – car broker Raymond Calitri. After Kip screws up a job, his brother must step in in order to save him from getting killed by the famous crime boss. The job involves stealing 50 exotic cars in one night, while trying to hide from the police and compete against another gang who are also trying to complete the job. Memphis creates his own gang of car thieves, including Angelina Jolie (as Sara Wayland) and Will Patton who must work together in order to save Kip.

While this movie may satisfy the average car enthusiast, it lacks the action, including car chases that we saw in its predecessor (1974). Gone in 60 Seconds was also let down by a cast that was too big in size, as well as an illogical plot. However, these aspects are the movie’s only real downfall. It still provided a surprising sequence of events, and the producer was also able to deliver a movie that was still somewhat interesting and different to any other car movie out there. I give this movie a rating of 3/5, and would recommend it to anyone who is a car buff.

The Social Network-Review Michael Cesarini

The Social Network Review

I had mixed expectations going into watching “The Social Network” which is based upon the social network (hence the film’s title) Facebook and in particular its creator Mark Zuckerberg. From start to end the film essentially follows the beginning of Facebook to now and how it and the creator develop over time. The reason for my mixed expectations was I was unsure of how such a plot based on reality could keep an audience engaged for the full two hour length of the film. I was proven wrong. From the get go “The Social Network’’ is nothing but engaging. David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin team up to create a film less straight forward than what it initially seems, Zuckerberg continuously encounters problems be it in court, with the site, or those envious individuals willing to do anything for a piece of his success.

Zuckerberg quickly gains the audience’s sympathy, with the film starting with him being dumped. It results in viewers craving his success, wanting to witness him achieve more with his life. What makes the film such a success is the fact it appeals to such a wide audience. This is so because almost everyone has an existing knowledge of what Facebook is and are familiar with the interface, yet few new how it came about. The result is a desire to discover its origins, the film delivers in an entertaining manner, with the audience holding uncertainties as to when and how the final form of Facebook we have come to love sprouted. Few films have the ability to make one re-analyse the plot weeks after viewing the film, “The Social Network” did just that, I highly recommend this film to just about anyone.

Stars:4.5/5

Superbad (2007)

Superbad

This 2007 comedy classic depicts the story of three high school seniors in America who try to become popular by supply alcohol to a party but since in america are not 21 and unable to legally buy it. This movie starring Jonah Hill (Seth), Michael Cera (Evan), and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fogell/McLovin) and directed by Greg Mottola provides endless laughs for the teenage and adult audience.

This film starts out with two protagonists, Seth and Evan who are best friends at school, who are both perceived as "uncool" and face some bullying by the other boys at school, but meet some girls who are popular and ask them to buy alcohol. They see this as there chance to become "popular" as well as having a positive relationship with the girls which they think could be beneficial for starting a sexual relationship. But as they are under the American age of 21 for buying alcohol they go to there friend Fogell who has a recently purchased fake ID. From here the laughs start with his fake ID with one name the start of there problems. They have run ins with some corrupt police who use the law in their favour to have fun and turn to stealing alcohol from a party of middle aged and already drunk people. Whether they make it in the end you will find out when you watch it, but I would definitely recommend it.

Stars: 4/5

Daniel

Iron Man 3 review by Bradley

Iron Man 3 Review

Okay, while it is still fresh in my mind I’ll do my best and give you an awesome review of Iron Man 3 without major spoilers, need to keep in mind that it hasn’t been released in certain parts of the world so lucky us. Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black.

I’ll put up what Iron Man 3 is about “Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?” (http://marvel.com/ironman3).

Iron Man 3 definitely delivered especially from the huge success from The Avengers, that said everything starts to center back into Tony’s (Robert Downey Jr) life and how he coping from a near death experience. Downey’s portrayal of Tony Stark is perfect, he really brings everything to it and it’s just enjoyable to watch him perform from start to finish. One thing that is noticeable is that he is now with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) they are living together and it is one aspect that really is where some of the heart is of the movie. There is a  moment where Tony just opens up to Pepper and admits how he is feeling and what is happening with him on the inside, this is where you get a feeling that Tony isn't well. The Mandarin has been behind a series of terror attacks "bombings" and one of these explosions catches Stark's interest when an explosion that injures one of Stark’s closest friends, he sends out an open threat to the Mandarin who is unpredictable (Ben Kingsley) which he does reply by blowing up Tony’s house which was just enjoyable to watch and was an epic scene it pretty much gets demolished. Now after Starks house being completely leveled, Stark is left with only his Mark 42 prototype suit, which is pretty banned up, now he will have to rely on his own skills and he is by himself trying to figure out what to do next. 

Aldrich Killian played by (Guy Pearce) brings an evil/mysterious atmosphere to his character even though he looks harmless on the outside. Tony’s best friend James “Rhodey” Rodes (Don Cheadle) reprises his role and is now the newly named Iron Patriot which is a cool name! He definitely has his moments throughout the movie. There is a great scene where Iron Man has to save 13 people that has been sucked out of Air Force One, while he can only hold on to four.

The movie defiantly has its moments from serious heart felt moments, funny scenes, and of course action... lots of action. Also it is more centred with Tony, Pepper and Rhodey, I found it satisfying that Tony finally finds the answer to a question which he has been haunting him “does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?”

This was really hard to rate because I’m a massive Iron Man fan and Robert Downey Jr is one of my favourite actors, so it would seem a little bias. But I'll say this, if you are a Marvel fan, Iron Man fan, Downey Jr fan it is simply a must watch hands down.

Rating 4.5/5 

Death Race 1 by Annabelle

Death Race (1) is about a prison named Terminal Island Penitentiary, and certain inmates who must take part in a pay-per-view broadcast, created by the warden (Joan Allen). These inmates, which includes famous actor Jason Statham, are chosen to participate in a modern gladiator game called ‘Death Race’ as the drivers. Each inmate is also given a female inmate to act as a navigator. Both drivers and navigators drive 3 races over 3 days on a closed track at Terminal Island. On the track, there are items termed ‘pressure plates’ that they must drive over in order to collect certain items; for example, running over a pressure plate with a sign portraying swords activates the player’s offensive weapons, while shields activate defensive weapons such as oil, smoke or even napalm. Skulls activate deadly metal traps which rise up from the track. Drivers use these weapons to kill the other players in any way they can.  Any racer that wins 5 races will be granted freedom by the Warden.  

At the end of one of the races, the most popular driver – “Frankenstein”- dies in an explosion, resulting from malfunctioning weapons (after his navigator was ordered to eject from the car).

Jensen Ames (played by Jason Statham), struggles to provide for his wife and daughter, and his situation is made worse after losing his job. After arriving home one night, Jensen is knocked out by a masked assailant. When he awakens, he finds himself covered in his wife's blood and wielding the weapon that killed his her; he had been framed for his wife’s murder. After being convicted and sent to Terminal Island, Ames gets involved in a fight with another inmate. The warden makes a deal; if he pretends to be Frankenstein (whose death has not been revealed to anyone but Ames himself), she will give him his freedom, and therefore his daughter. This is due to the high ratings that Frankenstein’s character gave the show.

This movie has removed the humour found in the previous movie ‘Death Race 2000’ (Death Race 1 was a remake of this movie).  While there are a lot of action and car chases, it lacks a good plot/story line, and also has a running time of 111 minutes (and yes, this is considered too long).  This coupled with a bad storyline means that the movie boils down to only a series of car races, with a majority of the scenes involving death or violence; so unless you can handle these aspects in a film, this is not the movie for you. Aside from these negatives, Death Race 1 still provides some level of entertainment to viewers as well as cheap thrills and perfect actors for the role.

Rating: 3/5

End of Watch Review by Ali

About half way through End of Watch, the two patrolman heroes played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena receive a call from a female cop in distress. What they find when they track her down offers the kind of jolt that mainstream Hollywood thrillers rarely provide.
 Director of End of Watch, David Ayer gives us street-level snapshots of the work of the LAPD as they go on patrol in search of the three major food groups: guns, money and drugs. Officer Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) is studying filmmaking. He has attached a miniature camera to his chest, along with that of his partner Mike Zavala (Pena) and he brings a camcorder out on patrol too. The things they encounter and film range from a gang member accused of intimidating a mailman to a wide-eyed junkie who complains that her toddlers have gone missing. (Where they've gone, when it's revealed, is heartbreaking.)
It seems that everyone in the picture, good guys and bad has a camera and is intent on immortalizing themselves on YouTube. This makes for jerky, hand-held shooting but also adds to the sense of reality.The bad guys are horribly written, possessing a vocabulary that doesn’t extend much beyond angry swearing and filled with the mindset of a Grand Theft Auto villain. Yet it doesn’t decrease particularly from the experience. You might not be able to make much sense of their enemies, but you still don’t want them to get shot which shows that the plot and characters are able to capture the audience’s attention mainly due to the use of the “found footage” technique which gives viewers the point of view of the characters, basically saying what they see is what the audience see. All in all Ayer’s violent, foul-mouthed thriller succeeds in moving more than most other cop films out there.
3.5/5

Ali

Limitless Review-Michael Cesarini

Michael Cesarini

Limitless 

Neil Burger’s “Limitless” is a film which is engaging because of the way it works on a potentially realistic basis. The magic drug in the film is the only thing not present in our current world and in the context of rapid scientific advancements, it does portray elements of the potential future. All of which is justified throughout the film, as to how it “unlocks” the brain.

When the concept of the film is addressed in isolation it seems ridiculous, however Leslie Dixon is quick to establish the central character Eddie in a world demanding intelligence be it through the stock market or with literature. It is with the use of these real world features that the film is able to play on the imagination of viewers and the sheer potential of the brain. The possibilities for the pills are endless Eddie makes financial gains, improves his love life and is constantly confronted by an endless array of opportunities in life. The moral dilemmas can also be related to real world situations, the film builds on the idea of greed and how much can one really gain without consequence. Eddie pushes these boundaries continuously and the ramifications are harsh and unpredictable.

The film is engaging and unlike any other I have seen, Bradley Cooper adheres to his great performances in past films and contributes to this one’s success. It will appeal to a wide audience by the way it provides an intriguing insight into the potential economic and social factors can have on someone’s life when given no limits.

Stars: 4/5