"Red Dawn" Movie Review

Poster for "Red Dawn".

"A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers." (Source below.)

Directed by first time director, usually stunt coordinator, Dan Bradley and written for the screen by Carl Ellsworth ("The Last House on the Left", "Disturbia", "Red Eye") and Jeremy Passmore ("Special"). It is based upon the 1984 screenplay by Kevin Reynolds ( wrote the screenplay for "Fandango" better known for his directing "Waterworld", "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", "The Count of Monte Cristo", "Tristan + Isolde") and John Milius ("Apocalypse Now", "Dillinger", "Dirty Harry" - uncredited) with the story by Kevin Reynolds.

Screenplay is available here: http://screenplayexplorer.com/?p=1229.

Chris Hemsworth.

Starring Chris Hemsworth ("Thor","The Avengers"), Josh Hutcherson ("Journey to the Center of the Earth", "The Kids Are Alright", "The Hunger Games"), Josh Peck ("Drake and Josh"), Isabel Lucas ("Immortals", "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"), Adrianne Palicki ("Friday Night Lights", "Legion"), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Watchmen", "The Possession", "P. S. I Love You"). Their character names and stories are unimportant. 

I am mostly disappointed in this movie, but I'm not entirely sure how they could've made it better. It seemed pretty doomed from the start. 

I felt like there was information missing. I just wanted to know more about the enemy. I knew they were North Korean and a few Russians, but that was it. I didn't know enough about the lead bad guy to develop that certain amount of respect and dirty admiration you're supposed to hold for the dark antagonist. I knew I wasn't going to find out more about the awesome weapon they had, but that still irritated me. But who needs information in the middle of what could be the next Michael Bay wannabe action film. 

(L to R) Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson,
Isabel Lucas, Chris Hemsworth, and Josh Peck.

At least you can see the explosions in a Michael Bay movie. You can't even see any action because the director used the dreaded shaky-camera effect. I guess mostly to cover up a bad editing job, which was still apparent in the final product. Why, oh why, do they use that effect! It doesn't do anything for the film and it looks like you're trying to cover up bad effects and editing, but it just makes that more obvious. 

And if you're going to give me an action film that has tragic death scenes, DO NOT kill off the only actor who is shouldering the movie along! Kill off everyone else, but don't kill that guy off! That part was a surprise, but it mostly just ticked me off. I did not pay money to see the only actor doing a good job in the movie get killed off just before the end. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (L) and Chris Hemsworth.

And Josh Peck annoyed me to no end. And not just because of his bitchy character. All his acting involved was squinting. No matter what was going on. And Jeffrey Dean Morgan was only in it for fifteen minutes and he was the only one making me laugh. 

This movie was just a series of momentous annoyances to me. The whole thing was just uninspired. Although it has inspired me to see the original. I heard the explosions in it are visible.

I give this movie 2.5 out of 5 typewriters.

"The Avengers" Movie Review

"The Avengers" movie poster.

"Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is director of S.H.I.E.L.D, an international peace keeping agency. The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), The Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). When global security is threatened by Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his cohorts, Nick Fury and his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster." Written by WellardRockard (Link below.)

Anyway, I saw it late one night and it far exceeded my expectations. I loved it! It was the perfect amount of awesome!

My friends and I dressed up and everything (because we're awesome like that) and I was Black Widow, sort of. I couldn't afford a leather suit. But it was still fun and it was fitting that I celebrate my nerddom.

There are so many hot men in this movie that I can forgive Scarlett Johansson for looking like Scarlett Johansson and for being given a few terrible lines. Oh my god, the man meat in this movie, just thinking about it gets me drooling.

Chris Evans.

I think so far the one guy that has me the most intrigued is Chris Evans, the lovely that played Steve Rogers/Captain America. He's just incredibly hot and his character is so wholesome it makes me wish for the olden days of America, pre-Hitler and World War I and II.

Robert Downey Jr. was given the best and most snarky lines because his character is the awesome Ironman/Tony Stark. 

Tony Stark: [to Thor] No hard feelings Point Break, you've got a mean swing. 

Tony Stark: Dr. Banner, your work is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster. 

Bruce Banner: Thanks.

Robert Downey Jr.

Tony Stark: Let's do a headcount: Your brother, the demigod; a super-soldier, a living legend who actually lives up to the legend; a man with breathtaking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins; and you've managed to piss off every single one of us. 

Loki: That was the plan. 

Tony Stark: Not a great plan. 

These are all from the trailer so I'm not ruining anything for anyone. 

Even Thor, played by the yummy Chris Hemsworth, has some funny lines:

Thor: He's my brother. 

Natasha Romanoff: He killed 80 people in 2 days. 

Thor: ...He's adopted. 

Chris Hemsworth.

I found this movie very entertaining and I cannot wait for "The Avengers: 2", "Ironman 3", "Captain America 2", and "Thor 2".

Maybe there's even a third version of "The Hulk" with Mark Ruffalo being arranged somewhere?

One can only hope.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/plotsummary.

Script available here: http://www.the-editing-room.com/the-avengers.html.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" Movie Review

"Snow White and the Huntsman"
movie poster.

"Snow White (Kirsten Stewart), imprisoned daughter of the late king (Noah Huntley), escapes just as the Magic Mirror Man (Christopher Obi) declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen (Charlize Theron) sends her men, led by a local huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queens men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William (Sam Claflin), learns that she is alive and sets off to save her." Written by G.C. Bendixen (Link below.)

This movie was very well done artistically, although it did remind me of "The Lord of the Rings" film series. Specifically as Snow White, the huntsman, and the dwarfs travelled, more specifically, over a range of mountains. 

Now, acting! 

Kirsten Stewart.

Kirsten Stewart didn't have that many lines for a title character, which is probably for the best. She did alright, but I can see where people get the impression that she doesn't act that well, because she doesn't. But if she keeps making movies like this, she'll do fine. 

Chris Hemsworth was wonderful as a beef cake. He had more room to 'move' with his character. But when they just randomly fall in love, it was kind of contrived. Unless it was completely physical, which it was not meant to be. It was supposed to be truthful and honest and 'love's first kiss' and mushy bullshit like that. But I got the impression that they just annoyed each other.

Chris Hemsworth.

Charlize Theron was splendid as Ravenna, the Evil Queen, but may have gone a little overboard on some of her lines: "YOU will DO this FOR me HUNTSMANNNNN!!!!!" That may have gotten to cult quote status now. I'm dead serious - she says it exactly like that.

Sam Claflin, who played William, the son of the Duke of Mehhhhh? (didn't quite catch it), was cute and decent. He was also in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", he played the guy who fell in love with the mermaid. Ironically, Ian McShane, who plays a dwarf in this movie, was also in "POTC:OST" (I'm not typing that again) as Blackbeard. Interesting....

Charlize Theron.

The dwarfs were some of the best cast people in this movie: Sam Spruell, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone,  Nick Frost, Eddie Marsen, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris, and Brian Gleeson. Unfortunately, they didn't have a lot to do, but they were funny and instrumental in the teaching of Snow White on how to fight and, apparently, dance. 

The clothes in this were amazing! Colleen Atwood once again proves that she's going to be a big contender for the Oscar on Costume Design. She's already got two: she won for "Chicago" and "Alice in Wonderland". She's probably gonna win again. I put my money on her.

I give this movie 4 stars.

Charlize Theron.

Favorite Lines:

Queen Ravenna: Lips red as blood. Hair black as night. Bring me your heart my dear, dear Snow White. 

Queen Ravenna: Do you hear that? It's the sound of battles fought and lives lost. It once pained me to know that I am the cause of such despair. But now their cries give me strength. Beauty is my power.

Mirror Man: My queen, you have defied nature and robbed it of its fairest root. But on this day there is one more beautiful than you. 

Queen Ravenna: Who is it? 

Mirror Man: Snow White.

Queen Ravenna: Come and avenge your father, who was too weak to life his sword.

Queen Ravenna: I shall give this wretched world the queen it deserves.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735898/plotsummary.