DC's Geoff Johns teases planned Green Lantern Corps movie: "It's a complete re-imagining"

Green Lantern Corps is definitely happening, this is not a drill.

There has been talking that a sequel to the Ryan Reynolds-starring 2011 film was on its way for a while now, but nothing's really been confirmed.

With Comic-Con in full swing, DCEU's Geoff Johns has now revealed that he has an idea about where he wants the sequel to go, and has said it will be a "complete reimagining" of the character's story.

"It's a complete re-imagining, just like I did Green Lantern: Rebirth in the comics," he told IGN.


Reynolds recently admitted he hasn't actually seen his – quite frankly terrible – Green Lantern movie, but Johns is confident that won't happen with the sequel he is planning.

"I'm going to be hopefully delivering a script that Warner loves and DC likes and they want to make it," he said.

"It's going to celebrate the mythology and reinvent it in a different way."

The script hasn't been given the go-ahead yet, but everything sounds pretty positive so far. Though, let's face it, it probably couldn't be worse than the first one.

Green Lantern Corps is scheduled to arrive in cinemas in 2020.

Source:
http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/green-lantern/news/a862128/dc-green-lantern-corps-reimagining-geoff-johns

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014 Movie Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014 Movie Review: TMNT is basically a much shorter version of Transformers. Michael Bay produced this film, and it shows. Megan Fox, lens flares, big action scenes, American flags, and Victoria's Secret product placement. Michael Bay might as well have directed this film because director Jonathan Liebesman doesn't feel nearly as involved as Michael Bay.

Unless you're already familiar with the franchise, the characters in this film are as forgettable as the characters in Transformers. Yes, this movie is made for kids and fans of the franchise, but it's also a reboot that serves as the first film in a new series, so shouldn't it be for non-fans as well? They'll probably enjoy the action, but good luck remembering the characters.

The third act action scene feels like it was ripped from The Amazing Spider-Man, more specifically, the skyscraper fight scene. Megan Fox's performance is as wooden as ever, but hey, she didn't get cast for her acting talents.

Will Arnett was pretty funny and the avalanche scene was pretty cool. The movie isn't completely terrible (the shorter runtime definitely helps), but it's also not that entertaining or memorable. If you like Transformers, you'll probably like this film. I don't!

These turtles are an empty shell. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return to the big screen, sadly, it's a rather dull and undesirable affair.

The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie from the '90s was not the greatest but nevertheless, it had heart, which is what the newest film is completely absent from. After the Turtles successfully hit the big screen in 1990 the franchise's sequels have been a huge disappointment. So growing up as a huge TMNT fan I've always wanted to see my beloved turtles get another shot at the big screen, but when I found out that Michael Bay was involved I quickly became skeptical ... sorry, a film requires more than explosions.

Yes, Mr. Bay was only a producer for this film, but even his presence reeks of bad a resume of garbage films. Of course, everything that Hollywood did to reboot our fighting reptiles did not redeem them, instead, it depletes them. Paramount did everything wrong with its direction (director Jonathan Liebesman), cast (Megan Fox), dialog, editing and action scenes. Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans) was a horrible pick for this film. He doesn't know how to rightly construct a film and failed at giving the turtles an even semi-worthy tribute. As for the cast, Fox can't act to save her life and was probably only picked so Mr. Bay and middle school boys could drool over her on screen. Fox's performance of New York's most admired new reporter, April O'Neil, is like a slap in the face to turtle fans.

But enough of me ranting, let's dig into the film itself ... The plot, as in the other turtle movies, is rather simple: Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and his evil foot clan are stirring up trouble and chaos in New York City. It's up to the turtles, Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Donatello (Jeremy Howard) and Raphael (Alan Ritchson) to team up with news reporter O'Neil (Fox), eat some pizza and take down Shredder. Sadly, what could've been turned into a fun adventure turns into a brainless, worthless mess of a film. Yes, the special effects are top-notch and make our turtles look more real than ever (better than those puppet suits from the '90s), but the overabundance of CGI and bloated action scenes wear this film down. Not to mention the poor dialog and sloppy editing that will leave you with a headache by the end.

What set the original apart from this film is that the original was actually enjoyable and full of heart. Now, we get a dull and lifeless turtles film lacking any sense of human touch or emotion. I was not looking for a masterpiece when I went into this film, but I would like to have seen a little more effort put in than what was shown on screen. It is so frustrating when you want to see at least a half decent film created by the studio, but in the end, receive nothing. To make matters worse Paramount has already signed for another sequel in 2016. My hope is for other turtle fans to see that they deserve better and not stoop down to this rubbish. In the end, I'll just continue to re-watch the amazing '80s cartoon and the original on VHS. Hopefully, someday there will be a brighter future for our pizza-loving reptiles. Sorry dudes, no Chowabunga this time around.

Watched this with a couple of knuckleheads, we voted, ended up watching Turtles. To start, I absolutely love the old Turtle's live-action movies, they're really funny. Which gives the remakes a hard act to follow. I'm unsure how I feel on how they've changed the turtles, making them massive creepy half human turtles. It takes a much more realistic approach, whether it's good or bad I can't deliberate. If I had to compare the turtles from the 1990's movies and these ones, the old ones would edge it. By what they had to work with back then, they did really well. With what we have now, they did alright, I understand it must be hard to make a live action turtle that isn't creepy looking.

Megan Fox works as a great piece of eye candy when she's bent over out the window of the car, lord have mercy. As April though, not very fitting for the character.

Considering it's a Turtle's movie, it lacks humour, the action is great though. It's a good adaptation, I'd have preferred the original origins, like any turtles fan, but by no means is it bad. If they added a lot more humour and better casting, it could of been a lot better.

The biggest flaw I would say is Shredder, he feels like a massive robot, rather than a very powerful ninja. I don't like that all the characters seem to have quite big changes or altered origins, it takes a lot away from it. The majority of the target audience must be the old Turtles fans, and to change such big details, it hurts it's rating a lot.

If it wasn't for the nostalgic factor, I'm not sure I would have watched this movie, it seemed so generic. I'm glad I did though.

SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Review

SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Review: Nothing makes any sense in this movie. But it manages to be funny because it's so absurd. This movie is stupid, but it knows that it's stupid. They time travel, there's a dolphin named Billy that has a rap number at the end, it becomes a live-action superhero movie at some point, and when the Krabby Patty formula gets lost it turns into mad max all of the sudden. There's a point where a movie gets so absurd, that it becomes funny.

This movie was made for younger audiences but the reason so many people love SpongeBob is that it appealed to the older audiences. I would give a 5-star rating but after the part, they went out of the water the movie becomes a cash in on toys and other merchandise. I would go into more detail about why people love SpongeBob and why people didn't like this movie but honestly, I loved this movie all except the part when they became superheroes..... why did they make that part so unwatchable? They could've at least made it enjoyable

I have always loved SpongeBob, and I probably always will. And this movie just makes me love the series even more!! It is much better than the original SpongeBob movie, but please take into consideration, it does, in fact, take 1 hour for them to come out if the water, and when they do, they are only out of it for like 30 minutes, at max. So please keep that in mind when watching this movie for the first time.

The difference between the opinions of the fans and regular moviegoers is quite different when going to see a treat that was made for fans while offering some qualities to a regular moviegoing experience. This film fits in both bases, but the receptions vary between the two. However, there's always something for someone to enjoy from what the movie offers besides enjoying the reaction of your kid(s) or the person next to you definitely enjoy the film. Although in this kind of film, there are references and cues from the past episodes (like the first film at a probable equal amount) that the fans would realize more than those who don't watch the show. Overall, like I said before, "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" is something for everyone to enjoy.

It may be SpongeBob's second feature, but it's not a sequel to his previous feature back in 2004. When his first film, "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," was being made, it was set as the series finale to end the series on the big screen than on television. As of today, the series already ended 11 years ago; the new movie and the 4th-10th seasons are placed as a huge prequel setting taking place between the 3rd season and the first movie.

It's a typical time underwater in the town called Bikini Bottom, and what looks like that the main town gathering takes place at what they preferred as the town's heart, which was emphasized in this film, is the restaurant The Krusty Krab, home of the Krabby Patties - the underwater hamburgers. The joint is owned by Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and mainly spirited by the beloved fry cook SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) while the cashier Squidward Tentacles (Roger J. Bumpass) just work there as a pessimistic with no interest of doing anything there. Mr. Krabs's business rival, former best childhood friend, Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), the owner of the next-door neighboring, ultra-rarely-visited restaurant The Chum Bucket, visits the Krusty Krab on daily basis trying, and failing, to steal the Krabby Patty's secret formula - which was never revealed at all in the series besides fake inputs.

Meanwhile, up at the surface, a "pirate" named Burger-Beard (Antonio Banderas) sailed to Bikini Atoll - the island that pinpoints where Bikini Bottom's located, fetching a magical literature treasure. It's a book that tells the tale of the aforementioned underwater town, and what's magical about it is that whatever's written in the book comes true and affects the sea creatures.

Back down below, Plankton was at it again and gotten into a tug-o-war with SpongeBob for the secret formula, which disappeared in the blink of the eye. Mr. Krabs accused Plankton of the theft, but SpongeBob's the only eye-witness that Plankton's actually this time innocent. It gets worse when Krabby Patties have disappeared when the formula vanished. For some reason, the whole Bikini Bottom went into a dystopian chaos in a snap.

Without spoiling the entertainment value that'd show up during the second-third, the final third has our favorite main characters - SpongeBob, Patrick (Bill Fagerbkke), Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence) - went up to the surface when the formula was found being used by Burger-Beard, who has the magic book at the time. Their adventure gets bigger, or as SpongeBob put it "superpowered" when they've given themselves some powers, based on their standards, so they can stop Burger-Beard from writing another word in the magic book.

The film met the general expectations of being greatly enjoyable and funny. When coming to see it on the big screen, you'll find it most entertaining while showing more heart. Thanks to its entertaining value, consisting of great animation and putting the beloved characters into a greater spotlight especially going back to the glory days of the early seasons, the film's been put in a spot over its predecessor. From a fan's viewing, it'll be lucky to get a 5-star rating.

It was threatened by the general silliness aspect that'd come out of nowhere some years ago and it'd became a usual factor animated films today. Because of that factor, it'd done some contributions to some plot elements that are questioned but later turns out to be understandable if you give it some thought about it and find the reasonable notion. It just seems that the film was going into a unique direction that unveils new elements to the series and creates its own opportune moments.

1) Burger-Beard is accompanied by a flock of talking seagulls - or they may be his figments of imagination when crew-less. The seagulls seem to have a nice placement to the story at the okay timing, like representing any new young converts that are listening to SpongeBob for the first time. They also brought out some nice comic relief when trying some work to justify their presence in the film.

2) According to the trailer and the premise, Burger-Beard needed the formula as the secret page is the last missing page of the book. That element seems to be missing. It could've been useful and reasonable to exactly why he wants the tiny formula. This element seen in the final product is the only one that lacks a reason.

3) Throughout the film on SpongeBob's side of the story, it consists of moments of being faithful to his personality that was shown in the earlier seasons and the first film. This personality happens occasionally in the later seasons when just he'd lost most of his frivolousness. What I'm getting at is that his "later seasons personality" was toned down to being at his probably the most annoying yet (sorry) when overusing and repeating the term teamwork when it was already understood to us viewers on where he's going at with the usage of the term. He's probably calling out to Marvel's Avengers in their upcoming features by the incoming issues that could break up the roster. This could mean that SpongeBob probably represents many views on the superhero team-up to keep the awesome roster the way it is. What sort-of validated this point was when SpongeBob picked the "superpowered" amp with similarities and where each member stood. Furthermore, it's one of the reoccurrences throughout the film that shows the cleverness in the comical aspect, which is almost the same before but it has a target than general.

The latest SpongeBob feature is a treat for fans with excitement at first sight, while it's a great enjoyment for regular moviegoers. The aforementioned qualities are the enhancements to the treat that made it most entertaining, while just being generally great and funny. It'd done well to its elements that all great films used that requires deep thoughts on figuring out the notions.

To sum it all up in one sentence, "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" is this year's "The Lego Movie". (B+)

For the upcoming season(s) with the creator Stephen Hillenburg returning, I would like to see that the glory seen in this film is retained.

Spy Kids 3: Game Over 2003 Movie Review

Spy Kids 3: Game Over 2003 Full Movie Review: The spy kids movies are a fine example of films that didn't age well but at the very least you could enjoy the first two for their low budget charm and for many a nostalgia factor. But spy kids 3D is nothing more than visual aids for the eye with visual effects worse than even the video games of the time. movies with low budget effects aren't always bad with Godzilla vs destroyah being a prime example but the film lacks substance.

When your film is a style over substance film with no style your in serious trouble. I will say however the film is watchable if your young having nothing in the means of being vulgar or offensive so maybe kids can get into it but in my opinion this film is awful.

I suppose I'm not really the audience for this since I don't really like Robert Rodriguez very much and among films of his I didn't like, "Spy Kids" is joined by "Planet Terror" and "Machete" as films of his I actively hate. All that said ... this might be one of the laziest films I've ever seen. The film is set inside a video game. It doesn't look like a video game. Even by early 2000's standards, the computer animation looks cheap and shoddy. The main villain in the film is played by Stallone ... a notably limited actor. So, of course, he is asked to play 4 different characters ... or 1 character and 3 alternate personalities of that character ... I don't know, he's terrible and I stopped paying attention.

It's really a wonder how Rodriguez managed to persuade Clooney, Stallone, Buscemi, Hayek, Paxton, and Elijah Wood to appear in this. Perhaps these people think that they need to become known to the next generation to further their careers. If the film was good, I could sort of understanding it, this is, however, the worst of the series so far. It's all set in a computer game (not very original) and the whole film just looks fake. I couldn't stop imagining the scenes being done on against a green screen background.

The best of the series, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over is an entertaining adventure into cyberspace. When Carmen Cortez gets trapped in a virtual reality game by a nefarious villain known as the Toymaker, her brother Juni goes into the game in an attempt to rescue her and shut it down. Surprisingly, Daryl Sabara (who's been one of the weaker actors of the series) really steps up and does a fairly decent job at carrying the film. And, Sylvester Stallone is especially good, playing multiple characters, and pulling off the comedy remarkably well. The special effects, however, are really cheesy, but kind of work given that the game takes place in a virtual environment. Still, a lot of the 3D comes off as hokey. But despite its problems, Sky Kids 3-D: Game Over is a fun romp that delivers plenty of laughs.

While it actually is better than the second film, this film is still underwhelming. First of all, the sets look either like something out of a lucid dream or a rejected final fantasy set.
Second of all, it's mindblowing to see how many celebrities were in this film(George Clooney, Elijah wood, and Sylvester Stallone), and last but not least, for all its effort put into the effects, it never feels real. Even for a kids movie, it feels kind of like stale bread.

If Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over is, in fact, the end of the Spy Kids movies, it's just about the most anti-climactic end to a series ever. Where the first two films were fun and enjoyable, Spy Kids 3-D is overbearing and obnoxious. The film makes the fatal mistake of utilizing 3-D technology that just doesn't work (it's those old red-and-blue glasses that should've been made obsolete in the '50s) and effectively infuriates those in the audience over the age of twelve.

In a prologue that's mercifully not in 3-D, we learn that Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) has abandoned the Spy Kid lifestyle in favor of detective work (he couldn't handle the pressure that comes with being a spy, apparently). But when his sister Carmen (Alexa Vega) is kidnapped and held hostage inside a cheesy video game, Juni has to pick up where he left off and venture inside the game to save her.

That simplistic storyline is a big part of why Spy Kids 3-D fails as horribly as it does. The teamwork aspect of the first two films, between Carmen and Juni, is almost completely absent here. And that was a big part of what made those films as entertaining as they were: the idea that this squabbling pair of siblings had to work together to solve a variety of complex and clever puzzles. Here, the majority of the film is akin to watching someone else play a video game, as Juni gets into car chases, fights robots, etc. With hardly a whiff of a plot to keep things moving, this becomes incredibly tedious almost immediately. While the special effects are admittedly quite impressive, they'd be more at home in an arcade.

And then, of course, there's the 3-D aspect of the movie. Every single moment of the film that takes place inside the game (which adds up to at least an hour of screen time), is presented using "the very latest digital technology" (or so says the press notes) of 3-D effects. But really, this is about as effective as those old William Castle movies of the '50s - and just as annoying. Seeing through these flimsy glasses proves to be the first major test, as the blue portion of the glasses seems to have been tinted a little too darkly. Even if you're able to see properly, you'll immediately notice that supposed 3-D objects barely appear to leave the screen. And it's not like the technology to create effective 3-D images doesn't exist; James Cameron's Ghosts of the Abyss did a superb job of immersing the audience in a realistic-seeming 3-D world. Fortunately, Rodriguez seems to have predicted that most people wouldn't be able to sit through an entire movie wearing the glasses, and the movie is watchable without them. Background images have primarily been "enhanced," meaning it's actually preferable to view the flick without the aid of the glasses.

Spy Kids 3-D will presumably fare a lot better on home video, where the 3-D effects will be removed from the film. But even if that's the case, you'll still have to sit through a terminally dull storyline that makes Tron look like Citizen Kane.

Juni Cortez has decided to step down from the family business of being a spy to try and live a normal life; however, when he discovers his sister has been kidnapped by a new arch nemesis, the Toy Maker, he springs into gear and gets on the case. He will need to infiltrate a virtual reality video game, find his sister on level four, and help her escape the game by beating it.

Robert Rodriguez, director of Desperado, Machete, Spy Kids 1-4, Planet Terror, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Machete Kills, Sin City 1 & 2, and The Faculty, delivers Spy Kids 3. All of the special effects and action scenes are way overdone and rely too much on CGI and green screen. The acting was average and the cast includes Antonio Banderas, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, Mike Judge, Cheech Marin, and Carla Gugino.

We have been watching these movies as a family; and unfortunately, the first one has been the only one worth watching. This was absolutely terrible. My daughter was in and out of interest, though she did like some action sequences and thought some scenes were funny; but as a whole, this was awful.

Rodriguez's $39 million experiment with 3-D is so bad, it's funny. I was a fan of Reboot, keeping it all CG would have been better. The use of green-screen here reminds me of Cool World. Stallone and Montalban are worth seeing. It's basically a 74-minute cash-in packed with references to the series. Nice foreshadowing of Wood's role in Tron: Uprising. People disappear from the ridiculous final shot.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Movie Review: Overall, entertaining film, but there are very powerful instances which occur in the novelization which are simply glossed over in the film. Lawrence and Hutcherson give very emotional and powerful performances. There are instances where if you hadn't read the book, you will be pleasantly surprised. The pacing of the movie was bad, the storytelling was disorganized as they mulled over very climatic events. Id says this would be the worst out of Hunger Games series.

This is a slow and tedious movie, way too long and really boring. The only positives are the performances by the already established cast and few of the hunger games style fights sequences on offer, the special effects are sadistically cool. Did enjoy the execution in the end but they had to spoil that too by extending the ending in concluding the love story. Bad end to a mediocre four movie series.

Woah, what an ending! I did not see any flaw in the film. Well done at all levels. Only low are the mutts that seem a bit too willing to die to kill. No animal does that. But they could be under some influence I guess. I liked the style, the storyline not too predictable, the ending even if I guessed the shocker, or maybe more because they allowed us to guess it. And the very bucolic epilogue. I am impressed that a young author could have thought of all this, although I haven't read the books. There is an ending that is not a low point!

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" defiantly finishes the franchise with a bang, no not a bang something even more than that. "Mockingjay Part 2" defiantly gives the fans a more than satisfying conclusion. The plot begins at the same point "Mockingjay Part 1" left off. For all past deaths made as entertainment, and for the insidious modification of Peeta, Katniss deems to strike out on her own to take down President Snow once and for all, but being the Mockingjay, the living symbol of the rebellion now headed by Alma Coin, has its drawbacks. Recognition, for one, and she finds herself saddled with a team of expert warriors (which surprisingly includes the ailing Peeta) aimed to penetrate the Capitol that has barricaded itself behind Hunger-Game-style death traps. As she closes in on carrying out her private agenda through more deaths and mayhem, President Snow himself makes her aware of another threat to peace for Panem equal to himself, leaving her to consider how to truly end the bloodshed.

Once again the director "Francis Lawrence" is very smooth with his style and truly is the perfect director for these films. He again brings very beautiful visuals to the screen with the locations and brings back the "games" in a perfect way. "Jennifer Lawrence" was exceptional as always but in this one, she defiantly boosts her performance as a character with PTSD. I can proudly say that this is the best she performed in the franchise and even up to "Silver Linings" and "Joy" standards. "Josh Hutcherson" is very good in this film as well. Although this is his toughest part in the role yet is defiantly not his best as I liked him a lot better in Mockingjay Part 1. "Sam Claflin" also boosts his game as Finnick Odair and with a lot more screen time then he had in "Mockingjay Part 1". This film has major character development and it's amazing to watch on screen. To see where Katniss began at the beginning of the movie to the end blows your mind. But unfortunately, the Secondary characters do not have a big character development they still do have some.

You can tell they spent every single penny they had wisely on this film. With an extremely high budget of an estimated $160 Million, the special effects are exceptional. The underground lizard mutts where very very well done in terms of CGI as well as the multiple explosions and the avenue of the tributes in snows execution scene. The Original Motion Score composed by James Newton Howard was one of the best in the Franchise. With the multiple standouts being, your favorite color is green, Sewer Attack, Rebels Attack, Snows Execution and the Medley. Once again the Pace in this film is perfect. The aim when Squad 451 got into the capitol was to make it feel like a ghost town and the pace at that point made it feel so much more like the ghost town they where going for. Then it starts to speed up with the majority of the action scenes in the middle at its climax.

Overall "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" is a more than satisfying ending to the franchise as it goes out with a bang. With exceptional acting, characters, special effects and a perfect score and almost no flaws apart from small pacing issues near the middle of the film. I give 2015's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" a 10/10.

Mockingjay Part 2 is a very dark and grim conclusion the epic franchise. First of all, I wouldn't recommend this movie for kids who haven't seen this movie for a family-fun movie night. Also, if you haven't seen the franchise and don't like gory stuff and jump scares that will make you jump out of your seat, wait for the DVD. Mockingjay delivers a steady storyline throughout the whole movie. It definitely will make you jump out of your seats for some parts. If you cry at movies you'll cry. Jennifer was top notch through the whole movie. Overall it was a good movie.

The Raven 2012 Movie Review

The Raven 2012 Movie Review: The obligatory brutal and visually bloody murder happens quite early in the movie. After that, there's only the race to save a maidens life that remains, as we see the main character trying to keep up and getting frustrated of being forced to sift through details.

It's a very "safe" adaptation, could have been a lot more bloody and much more twisted.
Also, it's rather sparse with lighting, I know they only had candlelight in that era and the atmosphere they created was fittingly gloomy and dimly lit, but I squinted quite often in a way that certainly did not "add to the experience".

Though it ultimately ends up becoming a fairly standard serial killer story - albeit one with a period setting - THE RAVEN does flirt with greatness at times, at least in the way it handles the character of Edgar Allan Poe. John Cusack is absolutely fantastic in the role, bringing together manic intensity, morose wryness, and melancholic brooding which compliment each other quite nicely, and it's not too hard to imagine the real man being too terribly dissimilar from this portrayal. Cusack is paired with Luke Evans for much of the running time, and Evans is good, too; he is a rather underwritten part, but he makes the most of the dogged detective type by adding an undercurrent of earnestness. It's quite a good-looking, atmospheric movie, with strong cinematography, production design, and costume design; in some ways, it feels not unlike a modern version of sorts of films Hammer made in its heyday. The movie's biggest stumble is in its mystery plot; there is certainly fun to be had in seeing how the film repurposes classic Poe passages, but they're ultimately in service of a fairly standard narrative, the likes of which we've seen many times before. The dialogue is also curiously hit-and-miss, sometimes anachronistic and peppered with clunkers, sometimes truly impactful and evocative. Overall, I appreciated the vibe of the movie quite a bit, and it's always nice to see a period horror movie set in America, so THE RAVEN is worth a watch (especially if you're a fan of Poe), but don't go in expecting a spectacular or surprising story.

The Raven is one of those films that looks good, has a great idea/concept behind it but ultimately fails to provide what fans of the genre desire.
The Raven hints at and advertises itself as a murder mystery but the key to a good murder mystery is being able to solve it without being told by the film until the end, exactly whodunnit.
The Raven does not do this until the very very end. Instead, the film plays more like an adventure film such as Indiana Jones, where the main character receives clues leading him or herself from one clue to the next.
It seems this murder mystery can't be solved by the audience nor by the characters involved... at least not until the very end.
And this is why the film ultimately fails. It's too bad because there was plenty of potential in this film to bring about one of the great mystery films of this decade.

I have come to the realization that I could never be a movie critic. The is largely due to the fact the I know not for what these critics search, but most of them seem to agree upon it. I went into The Raven with no expectations. I had seen the trailer and thought it looked like an interesting alternative history film. A little more mature, perhaps, than the forthcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which I happily hope to see this summer. The Raven received poor reviews. A 22% rating among the actual critics on Rotten Tomatoes and only a 55% of its patrons. This is, however, not enough to dissuade me. If a movie looks interesting to me, I see it.

I must say, I greatly enjoyed The Raven. It was suspenseful. It was entertaining. It was a unique play on the mysterious end of Edgar Allan Poe. Maybe I enjoyed it because I was a Poe-lover going in. Maybe it is because I am a student of history. I do not understand how someone could dislike this film so intensely unless they were looking for a mindless action movie with lots of explosions. I enjoy the crude fun of these movies like many others, however, this does not mean that the entire industry needs to be dumbed down for mass consumption.

The greatest tragedy of Edgar Allan Poe was that of his own life. His existence was wrought with pain, sadness, and tragedy for virtually its entirety. This fact is only overtaken by the perplexing mystery of his death. It is within this factually vacant space that we find this work of intriguing yet impossible fiction. It tells the tragic story of a man devoted to love, yet damned like no other. I thoroughly enjoyed it and fail to see what those so critical of it feel it is lacking. Sometimes the movie doesn't come to you. Sometimes you have to go to it.

This is not a biopic, based on a true story, or inspired by true events movie. It is more of a historical fiction where it takes place in the past and has characters that were real. The movie is a murder mystery based on the stories of Edgar Allan Poe with Poe helping the police catch the murderer. It does a good job of keeping you guessing and I didn't figure out the killer until the reveal. It was kind of like Seven where each murder gets worse and lead up to the final result that the killer was taking everyone. Overall a good mystery and John Cusack is good as usual.

The worst thing a horror movie can be is boring. And this delivers exactly that. A nut job kills people in the manner from Poe's stories because... I'm not sure. To get Poe's attention or something by the time it gets to be big reveal I couldn't give a damn. And when you get to the "I'm the killer" part it's pretty obvious because his character is so minor the only reason to have him was to be the killer. Luke Evans as the cop was boring and the only reason why he is even there was to get Poe connected to the investigation in the first place and serves no other real purpose. John Cusack plays Poe and god was it bad. And I like Cusack. He is just not the right guy for a period piece and his delivery is just way to dry for a tortured soul poet who suffers from substance abuse. Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp, or even Nicolas Cage would have been great choices. And then the romance with Alice Eve (though pretty to look at) was another useless character only to serve as motivation to keep Poe involved in the case because the killer made it personal by kidnapping her. The gore is rather bland you except for the pendulum part you never really see any of the serial killings. Just the aftermath. And Saw V did a much better pendulum kill. There really is no reason to give this movie a thought. There could have been something very intriguing and macabre fictional tale about Poe, and I hope one day we get it. Until then watch From Hell. They did it right.

The Raven follows the tale of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life - and death - in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe's darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer's mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe's brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe's love (Alice Eve) becomes the next target.

Before I started this review I did some research on this movie and I found out quite a lot of things about this movie and that's the stress and living hell that these film markers or who ever worked on this movie faced while the budget and the production went completely wrong. This stuff always happens, I mean loads of classic and beloved movies had a lot of things wrong with the budget or the production but it always paid off, but for this movie it didn't and while I didn't see it when it first came out because at the time was watching movies that took my interest. A week ago now I've seen the movie and to out thoughts together I can say that this movie isn't bad but wasn't that good, it's on the level of okay.

John Cusack is a great actor but at the beginning of this movie was a bit over the top with him chewing up the scene and that's only the beginning, but after a while, he actually began to act and for the most of the movie he did great in the role. Nothing Oscar worthy but still a solid performance and he did his best of what he can work with if only the movie had a better script.

The rest of cast like Luke Evans, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alice Eve and Brendan Gleeson all did a solid performance, just like I said about John Cusack there all did the best of what they got I mean it's not like they did a terrible performance well actually they were good in the movie, not the best performance but still good in a way that I let them have a pass.

The cinematography in this movie looks great, every shot in the movie looked like it took forever to do in some scenes. The set, the costumes, and the makeup look pretty good. The final positive thing I can say is that the movie at least doesn't look cheap like some other big Hollywood movies.

Now for problems and there's a lot: The writing in the movie was pretty bland and blah, the movie also felt really short and I normally don't say that before in my reviews but I felt that the movie ended to quick and it rushed a lot of things to end it which I predict that most people wanted but for me I thought the movie may have improved in some way as it went along but it ended just like that.

The love triangle between Edger Allan Poe and Emily I didn't really care about and this is a bad thing. What I mean is that Emily is like a plot device, the whole movie is about trying to find Emily before it's too late, but here's the thing I don't care about Emily because she wasn't that development and she wasn't all that special to me, now the problem here is that the story is about trying to find her and solve the murder case, but if your movie audience doesn't care about Emily that means they don't care about the story or everything around it and they want it to be over because this nothing there to care about.

Entourage Movie Review

Entourage Movie Review: I didn't really watch Entourage when it came out but have come to appreciate it as more of a Hollywood parody-comedy since watching reruns and renting the DVDs. The best parts of the movie, as with the TV series, are the writing, banter between the main characters and cameos by the likes of Gary Busey. There are some funny and witty lines in it that made me laugh out loud if you can stand the endless array of adoration by desperate fans - we get it, women like movie stars, no matter how bad the movies are - and predictable plot twists.

I first viewed 'Entourage' before ever seeing an episode of the TV Series and followed it well enough to form the opinion that it was a middle of the road movie. After watching the entire series I found myself realizing the movie was warranted a re-watch. This time around it was better to understand and as result, the jokes/references made were funnier and just as well timed as featured throughout the duration of the series. The biggest mistake the film makes is simply by overusing unnecessary cameo's, most which felt more like an interruption rather than a comedic moment. Regardless of that fact, the film stays true to the series and perhaps provides a more fitting end to the story than it originally got.

The Final Swan Song Delves No Deeper Than What You Might Expect, The Cameos With Winks & Nods To The Silliness Of Tinseltown Add Onto The Groundbreaking Series But Don't Explore Anything New Other Than Babies & Marriage. Ari Gold Is The Regular Scene Stealer, Without His Manic Craziness, It Would All Be A Bit Boring. Still, It Is A a Feel-Good Thing, Like Hanging Out With Old Friends, Watching Them Finally Get Somewhere. Albeit Very Quickly & Easily. But, Had It Come Across All-Too Serious, Then It'd Lose It's Way & Fall Out Of Fan Favour. Enjoy It On Those Simple Terms & (Like I Was) You Won't Be Disappointed. Hopefully, It Is Left Here, On A Good Note.

The wife and I had followed the series on television and were naturally curious to see how the film turned out. The series had sort of rushed the ending a bit to try and pair everyone off or give them some sort of happy ending, with all of their dreams fulfilled, and then this movie seems to gut that idea in about 20 minutes, undoing virtually all the relationships and everyone is single and free to chase pussy again for another 'episode', which made this feel like less of a film and more like a longer installment of the TV show, which is fairly pointless.

So basically if you liked the TV show, you'll probably like this well enough, just don't expect anything all that new. After reading many user & critic reviews I have to ask why would anyone watch this having never seen a single episode of the show? This was clearly meant for fans who know the characters. Having said that, I was a big fan of the first several seasons, not so much the last couple. Overall I enjoyed the movie though. They basically fit an entire season into 105 minutes, which made for almost zero slow parts. The script isn't mind-blowing, but it's fun and that's what Entourage is all about. Was never a big E or Turtle fan and the continues. Drama and Ari were always my favorite characters and they definitely have the best scenes. Billy Bob & Hailey Joel Osment had some scenes as well. Some great cameos (Ed O'Neil, Kelsey Grammer) and some really lame one's (I canonesand Ronda Rousey). Hope they make more movies.