The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

I don't know about you, but personally I had my reservations about whether or not the final nail in the Nolan Batman trilogy could live up to the standards that have been set thus far.  That is not to say that the series has been flawless up to this point, because it hasn't, and even though I gave The Dark Knight a near perfect score, there were elements of that film that simply didn't work for me and times I really felt the story dragged out.  But with the The Dark Knight Rises Nolan has managed to fix the flaws of the prior films and bring us a finale that not only satisfies but also provides easily the best written story a comic book film has ever had.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years to the date of the death of Harvey Dent (aka Two Face), who is still being held up as a pillar of justice by a city who is completely unaware of the evil he became, an evil persona that was instead placed on the shoulders of Batman at his own behest to attempt to keep hope alive in the hearts of Gotham.  It's also been eight years with no sighting of Batman, as Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has retreated into the depths of his newly re-built mansion to sulk, unable to continue his life after the events of the prior film.  It's here at a annual Harvey Dent benefit that we meet Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway) Gotham's resident cat-burglar, sent on a mission to retrieve Bruce Wayne's fingerprints for first step in a plan that will bring Batman and Gotham to its knees.

Wayne's run in with Kyle and news of a new threat to Gotham named Bane (Tom Hardy) rekindles his desire to shed his now Howard Hughes reclusive lifestyle and return to the world of the living.  But the return of Batman comes with a cost as Wayne quickly finds everything is pulled out from under him and has to rediscover the will that he lost eight years ago to save Gotham, and himself for the last time.

In terms of trilogy closers The Dark Knight Rises is right up there with Peter Jackson's Return of the King, and as a comic book film it has the deepest and most well constructed story I've seen.  There were aspects of the previous two films that made it difficult for me to call them perfect.  Firstly I've always thought Nolan made poor choices when casting leading ladies, Katie Holmes... Maggie Gyllenhaal... both actresses bland performances were difficult to get behind, and when their character (Rachel Dawes) ultimately met her demise I couldn't say I cared.  Anne Hathaway being cast a Selena Kyle (Catwoman) sent similiar shivers down my spine being another actress I can't stomach, but I'll admit Nolan finally got it right.  Hathaway still wouldn't be my ultimate choice for the role (I still think Eva Green would have been fantastic) but in the end she really did nail the part and did a pretty fantastic job, as did Marion Cotillard as Miranda.

My second biggest issue with the Nolan Batman franchise has been flow.  Batman Begins didn't suffer from this so much, but it was clearly evident in The Dark Knight, with two big named villains it almost seemed like the story tried too hard at times, trying to give them equal screen time, establish their characters and then mold them into the story.  It was quite evident at times throughout that film that the story drags a little, that simply isn't the case here.  With an even greater ensemble of characters, the Nolan brothers completely succeed in meshing everyone together in a very powerful story that flawlessly weaves emotional and action into a story-line that I never felt once dragged on.  And in comparing all the villains in the series Bane is easily the best, even though Tom Hardy sounds like he's imitating Sean Connery behind a Darth Vader mask.

Honestly I could go on and on for paragraphs describing why everything simply worked so well, and how each performance was spot on, but in the end that's really not necessary.  The fact is The Dark Knight Rises is the best superhero film ever made to date, and this is because, simply put, it doesn't feel like a superhero film.  The Avengers was good, but Nolan's Batman series, and especially this final outing, has succeeded in taking a comic book series and making it about as plausible as a comic book series could possibly get.  In laymen's terms The Dark Knight Rises is just as much a certified drama genre film than a comic book film, if not more so.

In the end, it's going to be hard for anyone to top the overall caliber of The Dark Knight Rises, and the trilogy as a whole.  The upcoming Superman film shows some promise but only time will tell regarding that.  If Warner Brothers had any sense whatsoever they'd think long and hard about picking up where Nolan has left off (the ending of this film offers a variety of opportunities).  I don't think rebooting a series anytime in the next five years would be a wise move, so unless their willing to wait a while it would be interesting to see if they choose to continue the series.

10/10

Read More

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

 Originally Reviewed

Saturday March 3, 2007

I thought I would pick something special for my 200th review, and what could be more special than quite possibly the greatest action/adventure film ever! No, not Die Hard, but Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! What film could offer better action, adventure and the tag team duo of two of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen? Indiana Jones is unarguably the greatest fictional character in film, and who better to play his father than the original James Bond, Sean Connery, the man who help spawn a multi-billion dollar franchise!

The Last Crusade is the 3rd adventure in the Indiana Jones saga, while it could be deemed that last crusade signifies Jones's final adventure it's more reasonable and accurate to believe that it refers to the final crusade of the knights who searched, discovered and then swore to protect the Holy Grail. Our adventure begins with a brief back-story into the life of the young Indiana Jones, as well as a look at Indiana's father and a passion of his that would span 40 years, leading into our present day adventure.

Indiana's father Henry was obsessed with the story of the Holy Grail, the cup of Christ. He spent most of his life researching the story, gathering facts and combining them together into a diary, a guide that would be useful in the search for this great artifact. Indiana hasn't spoken to his father for many years, but receives word of his father's disappearance on a quest for the Holy Grail.  In an attempt to find him Indy becomes entangled in one of the most dangerous adventures yet, and finding himself face to face with Nazis once again, who intend to procure the Grail for their own selfish gain!

I honestly cannot think of anything negative to say about this film. The cast is spectacular, the locations are breathtaking and the action is non-stop. While the previous two films were also nothing short of amazing, certain characters such as Marian Ravenwood, Short Round and Willie Scott could be quite annoying at times, but in The Last Crusade none of the characters really grade on your nerves as much. The story is gripping and well written even more so than the previous installments and it really helps get you into the film and almost want to run out and visit the locations. I would love to go to where they filmed the entrance of the cavern where the Grail was kept, which was like a castle carved into the face of the canyon!

Overall, The Last Crusade is a definite must see film...no it's a must own film, in fact you must own this entire trilogy, as it's one of the best film trilogies out there, don't try to argue with me I'm quite right on this one. So if you're the part of the 1% of the population who hasn't experienced this film or the Indiana Jones saga get off you butt now and run out and buy the Indiana Jones Trilogy and enjoy the best three adventure films ever made.

10/10

Read More

Kingdom of Heaven - Directors Cut (2005)

Originally Reviewed

Wednesday May 31, 2006

 

Kingdom of Heaven was one of my favorite films of 2005, the shear beauty and vastness of the film was amazing. This was one of those times I couldn't wait for the DVD release, and then became very excited upon hearing rumors of a 4-disc extended cut of film. So I bypassed purchasing the theatrical release (which I might now end up getting later on) in hopes the director's cut would soon follow and finally after a long wait it has, and it was definitely worth the wait.
 

 

After seeing the film back in 2005 upon its release date I was pretty shocked by the negative feedback it was receiving, mounted at the story, the film and its star Orlando Bloom. None of these criticisms really made any sense to me because I found the film to be highly entertaining; my only opinion of the critics' scorn is based upon their desire for another Gladiator type epic. Kingdom of Heaven is nothing short of an epic but it’s hardly the type of film to be compared to Gladiator, which is not a bad thing. Kingdom of Heaven stands on its own, it’s a different time period, it’s a different story and it includes characters that actually lived, although large parts of their lives were written for dramatization. The critics wanted to compare this film to Gladiator and in almost every review I read it continually began to be mirrored against Ridley Scott's past success, which is foolish when the two films aren't even remotely similar as far as subject matter, they are completely different films and shouldn't be compared. This review will concentrate on the new additions to the director's cut, to read my review of the theatrical version you are welcome to read it here: Kingdom of Heaven Theatrical Review but be warned it's one of the first reviews I ever wrote and is therefore rather mediocre.

 

First off I found the complete 180 turn the critics took after the release of this version very interesting, from pure hatred and disgust of the film, to pure praise and exclamations of it being an instant classic, frankly this confuses me. How can a film be crap and then be magnificent with the additions of a few more scenes, it only proves to me that the critics examinations in the beginning were very flawed. The director's cut is great but what has been added does not change the ambiance of the film, it doesn't change the outcome of the war, it doesn't change the underlining message of the story, it only adds additional information to an already griping story.

What the director's cut brings to the table is some background information that helps fill in some holes that may have left questions in the minds of the viewers. Additional scenes with the monk at the beginning give us a deeper look into his role in Balian's life and we learn he is actually the brother of Balian, or more likely a half-brother. These scenes are very beneficial in showing this jealous brother and Balian's motivation for the eventual murder of him when it is revealed he had the head of Balian's dead wife cut off.

We also receive background information on Godfrey, the father of Balian and how he was introduced to Balian's mother. Godfrey is actually the brother of the lord over the city, and his brother believes Godfrey as come to bestow his power upon his son, since Godfrey has no heir (having no knowledge of Balian being Godfrey's son).

The biggest addition cut out from the theatrical version, at the request of the movie studio, and in a way rightly so was the son of Princess Sibylla (Eva Green). In the original script Sibylla had a son from a previous marriage and at the death of her brother King Baldwin her son was to inherit the throne, later leading to instances that would see her husband Guy de Lusignan take the throne as depicted in the theatrical version. The reason for the movie studios’ having this cut was it did not fit into the storyline of Balian, and honestly I would have to agree. While this storyline does offer additional emotional pull for the character of Sibylla, it does not affect the main character of Balian, who never interacts with the son of Sibylla. So from that stand point I can completely understand why this storyline was cut, and in my opinion I could take it or leave as the arguments for its presence or exemption could be made either way.

Accompanied by these additional story-lines, the director's cut offers extended battle scenes usually even bloodier. One of the big questions I had after watching the theatrical version was what ever happened to Guy de Lusignan? They show him before the big battle being paraded on a mule but after that nothing else is said of him, well another nice addition is the additional scene with Guy after the battle, in a fight between him and Balian which sufficiently pleased my curiosity on his absence before and was a fitting close for the character.

Overall the director's cut version of Kingdom of Heaven is well worth the watch, the extended scenes definitely add to the overall experience of the film and does set it apart from the theatrical version as an improvement, whether or not the addition of Sibylla having a son makes the film better is up to the viewer it did definitely add a little more emotion to her character but it adds absolutely nothing to story of Balian. Are the additions to the film so great that they would take a piece of crap (according to the critics) and turn it into a magnificent masterpiece? No, it's an improvement but in my opinion it was a good film to begin with, it only made it better. Would the film had done better if the director's cut version had been released to begin with... probably not since for the most part people don't want to go see a three hour historical epic, but it probably would have received better reviews from the critics who originally scorned it.

If you enjoy the film I suggest you check out the two discs of bonus features, which contain some really interesting documentaries on the making of the film and some of the background of the story. Turns out most of the characters were real people and many of the events in the film did actually occur, including the surrender of Jerusalem over to Saladin by Balian. Of course many things were made up for dramatization, such as the relationship between Sibylla and Balian, which never occurred, and according to history Balian was actually a nobleman not a poor blacksmith. It's still interesting to see that the characters did exist and some of the main events did actually occur. This is a great film and while a little lengthy, even more so than the theatrical version, it is finally being told in the completeness that Ridley Scott originally intended. Definitely check this out whether you loved or "hated" the first version.

10/10

Read More

School of Rock (2003)

Originally Reviewed

Saturday November 25, 2006

A really good comedy that's enjoyable for the whole family is quite hard to come by now a days. You're either limited to animated films, which are geared towards kids and not always the forte of most adults, or you have the incredibly vulgar films which aren't appropriate for kids and sometimes simply not appropriate at all. It's not very often you get an exceptionally entertaining film and everyone can enjoy, School of Rock is one of those films.

Jack Black plays Dewey a washed up wannabe rock star whose recently been kicked out of his own band only weeks before the Battle of the Bands competition. His roommates' girlfriend is constantly at his throat about how much of a loser he is and tells her boyfriend to kick him out or she'll leave him. Not wanting to lose the only girlfriend he'll probably ever have Dewey’s roommate tells him he needs to come up with the rent money he owes him or he's going to have to leave. Desperate, Dewy attempts to sell one of his guitars but isn't able to find someone willing to pay a good price. Everything seems lost, until he gets a lucky break.

Dewey receives a phone call from a local private elementary school requesting the services of substitute teacher Ned Schneebly (Dewey's roommate). Dewey decides to impersonate Ned and make some easy money babysitting a class of kids for a few weeks, except these are no ordinary group of kids. Dewey's luck is about to change when he discovers that the kids in his class are musical geniuses. So taking his chances Dewey proceeds to form his new band for the Battle of the Bands competition, consisting of him and a group of classically trained elementary students.

The biggest challenge is teaching these prep school kids about rock and roll, since most of them have never listened to it. The second biggest challenge is keeping this "class project" a secret from the principal and all the parents, if they ever found out what was going on, and that Dewey wasn't a teacher, he'd be busted.

Another rare occasion where I don't have a whole lot to say about a film because it really speaks for itself. A film with Jack Black and a group of kids shouldn't be a total surprise when it turns out to be an instant classic. It's a setup that almost always works, take Kindergarten Cop for example. It's the interaction between Black and the kids that make this film hilarious, as well as the numerous music scenes. Overall, this film is terrifically written, with great acting, a very entertaining ending, and it's important to note that these kids actually did play those instruments; so they are that good. Check this film out if you haven't already, its one of the few comedies that I can continue to watch and enjoy as much as I did the first viewing which makes it one of my all-time favorites.

10/10

Read More

Paranoiac (1963)

I simply can't say enough good things about Hammer's series of suspense films.  Each addition seems to improve upon the previous one in acting, story and overall suspense and Paranoiac is no different.  I heard quite a few good things about this film prior to viewing it and some have even listed it as one of their Top Ten Hammer films, if not at least one of Hammer's top thrillers.  With Paranoiac becoming the first Hammer film to be released on Blu-ray at the end of the month I figured it was time to see how it stacked up against the thrillers that preceded it and if it was worth taking the plunge in purchasing.

Paranoiac is the story of the Ashby family.  Eleven years ago John and Mary Ashby were killed in a plane crash, leaving behind three children who were cared for by their Aunt Harriet.  Three years after their death the youngest boy, Tony, took his life by supposedly jumping into the sea and drowning, although his body was never found.  Ever since that time the remaining members of the family have held a yearly memorial to remember their brother and parents, although through the years it's become a show put on by Aunt Harriet to keep up the family name.  The Ashby family was rather wealthy, yet the escapades of Simon Ashby (Oliver Reed) continually threaten the good family name.  Simon has become a loose canon, wasting away his monthly allowance from the family trust on boose and fancy cars, racking up debts without the slightest intention or financial ability to pay them.  All he cares about he receiving his cut of the family fortune which is soon to be divided among the remaining family members, but two people stand in his way.

His sister Eleanor has been in a state of depression ever since the death of their brother Tony, who was her best friend, Simon attempts to use this to delve her deeper into despair hoping to convince her and everyone else that's she's mentally unstable and therefore not fit for her share of the money.  Everything seems to be going according to plan until Tony shows up.  Thought to be dead for eight years Tony returns after saving Eleanor from an attempt at suicide and Simon's plans of inheriting the full family fortune are quickly dashed as Tony's return sparks new life in Eleanor, and cuts the slice of the pie even smaller.  As the time of the dispersion of the family fortune grows closer Simon begins to become more desperate and is willing to do anything to ensure that he is the sole beneficiary.

Paranoiac was ten years in the making as Hammer originally purchased the rights to the novel Brat Farrar, in which the film was based on, in 1954.  After a few cancellations and story changes Academy Award winning cinematographer Freddie Francis took the reigns in directing his first of five Hammer films.  Paranoiac is thought to be Freddie's best Hammer directorial and lead actor Oliver Reed's best performance before his mainstream career began to take off.  For those unfamiliar with Oliver Reed, you'll undoubtedly recognize him in his final role as Proximo in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, yet prior to that Reed had quite an extensive career in the UK.  Hammer is where Reed began his first leading roles and from these early films it's quite clear he had a wealth of talent.  As Simon Ashby, Reed's performance is nothing short of freakishly brilliant, in fact his performance oddly reminds me a lot of Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus in Gladiator, the young Reed even bizarrely looks and acts like Phoenix which makes me wonder if this film wasn't an inspiration for Phoenix's portrayal of Commodus.

As a whole Paranoiac easily tops The Snorkel and Maniac.  While the supporting cast isn't anything to brag about, Reed stands out as the best performance in any of the Hammer films I've seen thus far.  The story has more twists and turns than both previously mentioned thrillers combined, with there never being a dull moment, and even quite a few shocking moments such as the scene with Simon playing the organ and the disturbing masked character lurking next to him.  Overall, Hammer's thriller's once again top my list and Paranoiac becomes the first Hammer film I've seen that's truly worthy of a perfect score (which I rarely give out).  If you have an opportunity to check this film out take it, you may not love it as much as I did but I'm almost certain you'll get some enjoyment out of it.

10/10

Read More

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A Beautiful Mind is the semi-true story about a great math mind, the mind of John Nash. John Nash was undoubtedly a brilliant man, a code breaking machine. Although as seems to be the case with all brilliant minds there comes with it a brilliant curse. A Beautiful Mind follows John Nash though the torment of his mind. A man cursed, seeing things that aren't really there and becoming caught up in a conspiracy that's not all that it appears to be. The film displays how Nash deals with his experiences as well as how it affects those around him. For fear of spoiling the film for those who may not have not yet seen it I won't go into too anymore detail, but if you enjoy truly wonderful films you are doing yourself a disservice by not seeing this.

While A Beautiful Mind is "based" upon true events the story, as always, is exaggerated by Hollywood. Anyone interested in the complete account should check out the book that the film was based on also titled A Beautiful Mind, written by Sylvia Nasar. It's an interesting read, a little technical in places but it shines a light on John Nash where the film doesn't go. A Beautiful Mind sugar coats Nash's life quite a bit; in reality he was a pretty perverted guy, which actually makes you appreciate what his wife had to put up with a lot more than what's simply revealed on screen.  The book also covers his illusions and reveals they really weren't such a large occurrence in his life as the film suggests. But technicalities aside this is truly a great film whether it follows the actual life of Nash to a " T " or not.

Where A Beautiful Mind shines is it's all-star cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer (you hear that Univarn?), Paul Bettany and Josh Lucas.  Of course the two real shining stars are Crowe and Connelly, whose character relationship's are full of ups and downs.  The role of John Nash is in my opinion Crowe's best performance easily topping Gladiator.  It's in this film Crowe experiences the full spectrum of emotions and insanity, it's a role I couldn't imagine anyone else able to pull off.  Connelly is great as well as her character struggles to stay sane through her husbands irritating quirks and literal insanity.  Was her performance worthy of the Oscar she received?  That's debatable, personally I'd say yes, but I thought Crowe's was better and he robbed, still there's no question that she's an extremely talented actress.

Now it's time for my rant.  My only qualm about the film, which is not even about the film itself but more about how Russell was robbed of his Academy Award. How does a film that wins Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, not win Best Actor?  In this case the lead actor is not only the main focus of the story but is the defining factor that leads to the success of the other four major categories.  If someone else was cast in the role and did a mediocre job does anyone honestly believe A Beautiful Mind would have received any acknowledgment? 

While Denzel Washington is a great actor I can't help but feeling the Academy was somehow reconciling for some deep seeded guilt at an African American not winning the lead actor award for forty years and an actress never winning, then suddenly Denzel and Halle Berry both win in the same year!  Denzel had one an Academy Award for best supporting actor and probably should have one best actor for some other role in the past, Halle Berry's on the other hand was a complete gimme, she has more beauty than she has talent.  Obviously this was all more than simply a coincidence, which I guess is not a surprise win it comes to award shows but still does not devalue the fact that Crowe should have been a shoo-in winner.

Overall, for a time A Beautiful Mind was my favorite film.  A fabulous film, dark, dramatic, mysterious, well cast, well directed, with a haunting soundtrack, and the best Russell Crowe performance to date.  The only film to dethrone this one for my current all-time favorite is Cinderella Man which has everything A Beautiful Mind has and one thing extra... it's a highly inspirational film, where A Beautiful Mind can be downright depressing at times.

Available on DVD / Blu-ray

10/10

Read More

Gladiator (2000)

Happy 10th Anniversary to one of the greatest period epic dramas of the 20th century.  Believe me when I say it's simply a coincidence that my scheduled posting of this review happened to be within a day of its 10 year milestone, so when I was asked by a reader to postpone posting one day to commemorate it's release a decade ago I gladly agreed.  Gladiator was my first introduction to Russell Crowe, which is probably the case with most of you, it's a film that will go down as one of the greatest films of all-time (currently ranked #100 on IMDb.com) and was responsible for sending the careers of two actors into overdrive.

Russell Crowe is Maximus the famous general of the Roman army.  The victory of one final battle, which solidifies Rome as the most powerful force and grants Maximus the opportunity to retire and return to his family.  But the emperor, Marcus Aurelius, has one last request of him, that upon his death he should go to Rome and be the intermediary of power, that rule might be given back to the people and the Senate.  But once Marcus's son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) learns of his father's plans to decline him title of emperor upon his death, he strangles him and takes his place as Rome's new emperor.

When Maximus is offered a place at Commodus's side, he quickly declines knowing all to well the demise of Marcus was no natural cause, and aware of the evil Commodus is capable of.  But one cannot say no to Commodus without reaping some punishment, and Maximus's punishment is his death, as well as the death of his family.  But he manages to narrowly escape execution, only to learn his family was not as luckily.  Beaten and half dead he is captured by a group of slave traders and sold to a man named Proximo who provides gladiatorial events for the viewing pleasure of the public. Maximus becomes Proximo's biggest seller, and with news of their scheduled events in Rome this becomes a perfect time for Maximus to seek his revenge on Commodus and help save Rome from the pit it has begun to sink into.

After the success of Braveheart in 1995, Gladiator was the first epic film to be worthy of comparison, and after it's release in 2000 a slew of period piece epics soon followed in an attempt to latch onto some of Gladiator's success.  As a film Gladiator is pretty flawless, the only negative thing I can possibly think of is a few scenes where it tends to drag a little (noticed more so in the extended version which really adds nothing to the story), but it's nothing that slows the progression of the film to any large degree.  Russell Crowe is of course brilliant, not only did this film garner him an academy award but it also solidified him as a bankable leading actor and skyrocketed his career to the top.

But another actor Gladiator helped to boost was Joaquin Phoenix.  I think in the midst of Russell's performance and recognition Phoenix gets overlooked.  While he did receive an academy award nomination for his role, Phoenix's portrayal of this vile, selfish character is as important to the film if not more than Russell's.  It's one of the better villain roles I've seen in the last 10 years, and Phoenix not only delivers the role verbally well, but he physically portrays the character brilliantly.  In my opinion he deserved an Oscar as much as Crowe.

Overall, Gladiator is a must see film.  It will go down in history as a classic among the likes of Ben-Hur and Spartacus.  Visually stunning, musically inspiring, and two amazing performances by two outstanding actors, not to mention a wonderful supporting cast.  No mercy is needed for this film, it's a champion all by itself.

10/10

Read More

Walk the Line (2005)

Originally Reviewed
  Tuesday March 7, 2006

Walk The Line is the Hollywood adaptation of the life of musician Johnny Cash, referred to by many as the Country Western Elvis, known by his fans as The Man in Black. Johnny Cash had a pretty rough childhood not unlike most musicians of this era, he was the son of a cotton farmer played by Robert Patrick (Terminator 2, The X-Files), who gives an exceptional performance by the way. Cash was fascinated by music at a very young age, although his father believed the jazz and blues he listened to, to be hollow and not suitable for making a living. John's older brother was the apple of their father's eye; he was a hard worker and had aspirations of becoming a preacher. When his brother dies in an accident John begins to feel like an outcast, his father turns to drinking and wishing that John had been taken instead.

John goes off to war where he begins to write one of his most famous songs, Folsom Prison Blues, the song which will be the bridge that connects him to fame. Throughout the rest of the film we witness the physical rise and fall of Johnny Cash, as he begins his career in the music business, meeting June Carter, getting addicted to drugs and almost dying from that addiction. In one scene in the film, Cash's father calls Johnny Cash just another "pill popping Rock star", frankly I would have to agree the only difference in his case is he did not die of it.

Walk The Line is a great film, it can be downright depressing at times if not most of the time but it's still a very well made drama. Joaquin Phoenix gives one of the best performances if not the best of his career playing Johnny Cash about as close as anyone could possibly do, all the way down to the singing. Not being a big Johnny Cash fan I actually found Phoenix's rendition of the Cash songs more entertaining, and preferred his voice to that of the late Cash who had a little more raspy tone. I felt Phoenix was an instant winner for the Oscar for this role, but of course he was wrongfully shafted as Russell Crowe was back in 2001 with A Beautiful Mind. On the other hand Phoenix's co-star Reese Witherspoon managed to win herself a first Oscar with her role as singer June Carter. I honestly have never listened to or can recall any songs by June Carter so I can't honestly account to the overall likeness that Witherspoon portrays her in the film, but I have to admit she did do a very good job and from what I have heard was very close in portraying Carter.

What made this film great along with the outstanding acting were the musical performances all done by the actors themselves, if anything I think this is what impressed me most about this film. Having Phoenix and Witherspoon sing these songs in the way Cash and Carter sung them, but also add a noticeable uniqueness made the film so entertaining. The addition of a few familiar faces of the time such as Jerry Lee Louis and Elvis Presley, who were not done near as good, did add some different flavor to the film.

Something I found interesting was Elvis's whole part in the film. First off the guy who played Elvis was horrible, he didn't look like him, and he didn't sound like him. With all the Elvis impersonators around the world you think they could have found someone who actually fit the part. Aside from that, the film seems to suggest that Elvis was the guy passing out the drugs on the tour, I'm not saying this is not true, seeing how Elvis died of drug overdose, I just found it interesting that the film seemed to suggest that Johnny Cash became a drug addict due to the pills Elvis was passing around.

In the end, Walk The Line is a must see film.  The life of Johnny Cash has many similar aspects to that of other performers in times past but it still seems to offer some uniqueness. After watching this film I actually felt glad not being rich and famous because this story really shows the price of fame, not only what it does to one physically and mentally but also the effect it has on the ones you love. While Cash does begin to clean himself up and get his life back together somewhat, the fact of the matter is he would have died long ago had he not had some people who still cared for him stop him from drugging out, too bad some other musicians (most recently Michael Jackson) didn't have people like that to help pull them out of their addiction.

10/10

Read More

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Originally Reviewed

Saturday August 4, 2007

Matt Damon returns for his final stance as Jason Bourne, the rogue assassin on a mission to recover his past. The Bourne series, in my humble opinion, has to be the greatest action/thriller series of all-time. Nothing I have ever seen comes close to the consistency and continuous unbelievable action sequences as this series does. It's only fitting that the film to end this trilogy be penned "Ultimatum", because believe me this is the most "ultimate" action film you'll see all year!

The Bourne Ultimatum picks up right after the previous film and follows Jason Bourne on his mission to discover what in his past lead him to become the person he is today. His search begins when he hunts down a newspaper reporter who’s been publishing articles about him and the death of his girlfriend Marie. In an attempt to find out the reporter's inside source Bourne is spotted by the CIA, who have been tailing the reporter as well with the hope of also discovering his source..

The CIA gets spooked when they discover the reporter in is contact with Bourne. If Bourne comes in contact with this source it would mean the "man on a mission" would be holding all the cards and a large dark blot on the CIA could be revealed to the public, something that would completely ruin the lives of those behind this CIA secret convert group. But it will be quite difficult to stop a man who has been running for three years and is not ready to give up without a fight, not until the truth has been released and those responsible for his past are held responsible.

The Bourne Ultimatum is a thrill ride from start to finish and has little trouble out doing the previous two films in terms of action and suspense. Even with two near flawless predecessors, The Bourne Ultimatum is somehow able to stand supreme in an action series that compares to no other. There is literally never a dull moment in this film, the action sequences are flawless, the acting is great, the story gritty and the ending is completely satisfying. In short The Bourne Ultimatum is the best action film you'll see this year and probably the best you've ever seen.

What I love about this series is Jason Bourne is gritty and real, he's not surrounded by fancy cars, beautiful women and nifty gadgets (like some other well known action character). Bourne is pure blood, sweet and tears. It's my sincere hope that if this is Matt Damon's last stand as Jason Bourne that this be the conclusion of the series because it would be a shame to ruin an almost perfect trilogy by attempting to replace the man who gave him life.

In the end, see this film! It's definitely worth, a rental or a purchase, and two hours of your life. Amazingly it's been two years since I have handed out a perfect score to a new film, so my praise of this outstanding action film should not be taken lightly. I don't hand out 10's very often but I'm happy to put my stamp of approval and utmost praise behind the greatest action/thriller of all-time! 

10/10

Read More