Movie Review - Watchmen

(WARNING: Incoherent rambling debating Books vs. Movies ahead. Skip to next paragraph for review.) Let me start by saying that, a year ago, I read the “Watchmen” graphic novel by Alan Moore. Since then, I have been wondering how you could turn a story that complex and dense into a movie that wasn’t at least 6 hours long. It turns out that all you’d need to do is eliminate pretty much every minor subplot, and greatly trim down some of what you do decide to leave in there. That’s not to say this was a bad movie, far from it. In fact, I liked it very much. However, I just can’t shake the feeling that the graphic novel was much more complete. That’s just a nitpick, though. Books of any kind can afford to be as complete and nuanced as the author wishes it to be. It’s one of the perks of writing books as opposed to making films.

All that being said, I liked Watchmen. It’s the story of a world where costumed heroes exist, only one of whom has any real super-powers. The movie takes place in the 1980s, during the height of the Cold War and under the constant threat of nuclear holocaust, and long after those costumed heroes have been forced by the government to either retire or work for them. When Edward Blake (one of those former costumed heroes) is thrown out of his apartment window to his death, the mystery behind who did it begins to unravel a larger conspiracy.

You know he dead.

Director Zack Snyder (300) did a fantastic job making this movie look great. A lot of the shots are pretty spot on when compared to the panels of the graphic novel. The casting is pretty good too. Jackie Earle Haley is great as Rorschach (a sociopath whose moral compass has no shades of gray). Ditto Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan (the only character with real superpowers). The rest are good too.

Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan

Now a warning for parents: this may be a comic book movie, but it is rated R for a reason. In fact, some media watchdog groups are saying it should have been rated NC-17. Watchmen is EXTREMELY violent and there’s plenty of cussing too. Also, since Dr. Manhattan chooses not to wear clothes (as evidenced above), there are a few shots of flaccid blue penis in the film. Also, there’s a sex scene and an almost rape scene. This movie earns it’s R.

Rating: 3*** out 4****
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Movie Review - The Wrestler : Rourke's comeback

If you’ve ever seen professional wrestling, you probably know that it is purely fictional entertainment. However, to deny the punishment wrestlers endure by calling it fake is doing them a great disservice. I watched wrestling religiously as a child and heard many stories of these performers touring in vans, driving from town to town, putting on magnificent shows.

The film exposes the lore of wrestling, and the film itself is driven by Mickey Rourke’s heartfelt performance. He captures the ruggedness of a pro wrestler and gives the average person a glimpse into the heart of a man clinging to fame as age and tough living robs him of his vitality. The story may appeal to the average viewer because it is simple, yet its simplicity makes it a powerful film. With the recent deaths of high profile wrestlers I always enjoyed watching wrestle, this film has given me plenty to think about when it comes to the world of wrestling.

The Wrestler is a film that reveals the human side of a hero, the character itself has many flaws and thus one can relate. If anyone is interested in viewing a film that accurately depicts the life of a wrestler, or better yet, if anyone wants to watch a magnificent film, then this is the film for you.

Move over Jason Bourne : Movie Review - Taken

I remember when I first saw Liam Neeson as Oscar Schindler in Schindler’s List; the man demonstrated his ability to perform in dramatic roles. Now with his newest action-thriller titled, Taken, Mr. Neeson adds a whole new dimension to his repertoire.

This film has all that a movie-goer needs: a massive amount of bullets, hand to hand combat, drugs, car chases, and a superman-like protagonist attempting to rescue a beautiful girl. Although there are some holes in the script, you should be able to immerse yourself in the film and enjoy the ride. So if you're a fan of the action and spy thriller movies like The Bourne Identity or Casino Royale, this should feed your appetite quite well!

Movie Review: Speed Racer

When this movie came out last summer, I skipped it because the trailer and the look of this movie did nothing for me. I thought it looked weird and the snippets of dialogue in the trailer made the movie seem melodramatic. Suffice it to say that I was surprised when I finally watched it and discovered that Speed Racer is a really good movie. If you disagree that it’s a really good movie, you are both a liar and a heartless human being on par with someone who would smother a newborn kitten.

Do you really want to be that kind of person?

Speed Racer tells the story of a racecar driver named (wait for it…) Speed Racer. The Racer family has a bit of a history in the racing world and that’s all I’m going to tell you because I prefer sending people in to a movie as blind as I can possibly send them.

The look of the film can be jarring at first, but once you get past it, you’ll begin to appreciate how remarkable it really is. The movie has ridiculous (in a good way) racing sequences, comic relief for the kids (although some of those moments can be a bit grating), and lots of heart. The finale of this movie is so well done that I struggled not to shit my pants with happiness.

Speed Racer has a 36% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I am just amazed at how wrong a lot of those critics were about this movie. At worst, this movie is okay. To think that 64% of critics flat out didn’t like it is weird because those scores are usually spot-on, I mean look at what they gave Disaster Movie.

IET Rating: (3 1/2)***1/2* out of (4)****

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Movie Review: Doubt

This movie was HILARIOUS. If you've ever wanted to see a movie where a nun and a priest take subtle (and not so subtle) shots at each other, this is the movie for you. This movie is just like "The Office" if "The Office" weren't a faux-documentary and Michael Scott was a suspected child molester. I never really "got" Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Meryl Streep before I saw this movie, but now I do. They both give really great, intense performances.

I.E.T. Rating: (3)*** out of (4)****

(Editor's note: This movie is NOT a comedy. It's actually a drama about a nun who suspects that the priest at her parish is a child molester. That being said, when the nun and the priest start tearing in to each other, it is hilarious.)

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Clint Eastwood makes our day, once again! : Gran Torino

"Go ahead PUNK, make my day"

This line is arguably one of the most recognizable movie lines of all time. Uttered by Clint Eastwood in the 1971 classic, Dirty Harry, Eastwood has etched himself into cinema lore by putting on many classic performances. Films such as Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby have solidified Eastwood's place in film today as one of the best directors of all time. Recently though, it is what he did in front the camera that caught my attention.

In Gran Torino, Eastwood plays a racist veteran who resembles that crazy old man who lives on every block, but, as the movie progresses, Eastwood's character surprisingly begins to wear on you and you begin to see Eastwood's brilliance as an actor. His character, Walter Kowalski, is near death and does not have a single thing to live for. He has lived in the suburbs of Detroit for years, and in the past decade the amount of Asian-American immigrants has increased tenfold to his chagrin. He demonstrates his racist views by calling them names such as "zipper heads" and "gooks," and to add further fuel to the fire he catches an Asian teenager named Thao trying to steal his cherished 1972 Gran Torino. Rather than blowing the kid's head off, he takes him under his wing and tries to make a man out of him, and as the story progresses both characters evolve and you can't help but take interest in both of them.

I can't help but feeling sad due to the fact that Eastwood has officially retired from acting. He states that he has done all that he can do in that particular field, and although I do feel a bit of sorrow, I am looking forward to his future projects behind the camera.