DVD Reviews: 300 (2007), Knocked Up (2007), & A Scanner Darkly (2007)

300 (2007)

"A retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy."

The move is based of Frank Miller's *same guy who made Sin City* graphic novel "300". I have to admit, I was looking forward to this movie coming out b/c the graphics looked stunning from the previews. Of course, being the busy person I am, I had to wait to get it on DVD; which turned out to be a good and bad thing. Let's start off as to why I should have watched in the theater. From the very beginning, it had a very storytelling atmosphere along with great visuals. Compared to when I saw saw it, on my 15 in video game tv, I imagine watching it on a big screen would have been awesome. The story is very straight forward, very easy to follow even if you start watching from the middle. The characters are all solid and the dialog is believable, much like a story should be. Now, here's why it was a good thing I watched it on DVD. It seemed.... maybe to me, short. There wasn't much character development and the story just seemed to move quickly through. Honestly, I wasn't expecting any kind of fighting to begin till maybe toward the end of the movie. However, right from the start, there was fighting. *Maybe not the all out war scene shown in the previews, but more of a foreshadow if things to come.* Personally, I think there was too much hype about this movie. I mean, it was great, but, honestly, it boils down to that important question: Can I watch it again? Sadly, no. Plus, if you buy the regular edition of the dvd, expect the movie and nothing more. Prepare to pay the extra few dollars for the Special Edition, which I imagine would have been awesome

Rating: ★★★★☆ (If you're willing to pay the extra money for the SE, buy it. Otherwise, just rent it.)

Knocked Up (2007)

"Allison Scott. a 24 year old entertainment journalist, is on the fast track to the big time, but an alcohol-fueled hookup with responsibility-shirking slacker Ben Stone finds her professional priorities taking a back seat to having a baby. Now, as overgrown kid Ben attempts to assume the responsibilities of fatherhood, he makes the brave decision to stand by Alison. In order to make things work between the pair, however, there's going to have to be some compromise, and when Allison and Ben decide to take a shot at love, they quickly find that building a relationship from scratch isn't nearly as easy as making a baby"

I didn't know what to expect from this movie. I didn't want to watch in the theater and I didn't want to rent it. However, I couldn't avoid the constant talking of people around me praising the movie. So, I decided to find out what was so great about this movie.

The idea of this movie is so odd, but realistic, that you can't help but feel like it may have happened to someone you know. Pretty hot Allison and stoner bum Ben, have a one night stand that result in Allison getting pregnant. One thing that I noticed was the fact that Ben was a lot more responsible than I thought a stoner would be. XD He knew he had to make things right, from their "first date" and made some attempts to support Allison. That was the only sort of unreal moment of the movie, but everything else basically makes you forget about that little detail. It is considered a romantic comedy, but unlike other movies in this category, it seems to deter from the mold. *Boy or girl meet each other. One has a secret or problem that they believe will stand between their love, drama, secret comes out in the open, the other is accepting and willing to deal with it, followed by a happily ever after* Sound familiar? It should. Almost 50% of RC today fit that mold. This movie, however, seems to break that mold and still fall into that genre. It gives the atmosphere that this is really happening to someone right now. *well, kind of.* It's smart, funny, has plenty of swearing and a few topless/ sex scenes. *Fun for all! XDD* Now, here comes the big question: "It's a Romantic Comedy.... Is it a chick flick?" The answer is no. This movie was made for guys b/c the story seems to be best understandable by guys in their 20's to mid 30's. Most of the jokes in this movie aren't going to be easily understood by girls, but it still has this mood of familiarity shared by both genders. Simply put, don't be ashamed to rent this movie. You're no less of a man if you watch it alone. *Well, maybe you are b/c you are indeed watching it alone. XD*

Rating: ★★★★★ (It's a must see, even if you watch it just once. Solid and relate-able story mixed in with cool Special Features on the Unrated ver. make this movie something to consider buying. )

A Scanner Darkly (2007)

"Set in suburban Orange County, California in a future where America has lost the war on drugs, one reluctant undercover cop is ordered to start spying on his friends. He is launched on a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode. It is a cautionary tale of drug use based on the novel by Philip K. Dick and his own experiences."

A friend of mine,VML, gave me the recommendation to watch this movie even when I had already planned on watching it in the first place. It appealed to me b/c it was unique, movie wise and story wise. This is one of the trippiest movies I have ever seen. Period. It has a unique storyline with many different messages hidden through out the movie. I had to watch the movie twice to understand what hell was going on and to catch what had missed. The way the movie is presented makes it seem like something out of a comic book. It's kind of refreshing really. The actors also portrayed their characters very well. It kind of seems like a stoner movie, but it's a little more than that. Think Sci-Fi/stoner/psychological thriller combined into one. Understand? If not, don't worry. You weren't meant to. XD The plot and story are kind of hard to follow, but if you're persistent and pay attention, then the plot and message will be clear. To actually tell the story through this entry would be pointless b/c the movie can be viewed on different levels. Either way you look at it, this movie includes 3 main factors: Drugs, paranoia, and twists. *Oh yes, lots of twists.*

Rating: ★★★★★ (I recommend watching it before buying it. It may be too trippy for some. XD)

DVD REVIEW: Silent Hill (2006)

For those of you who have played the game, the story is fairly similar. However, for those of you who haven't, I'll give you a quick rundown of what the movie is about:

"Rose Da Silva and her husband, Christopher, awake almost every night to prevent their adopted daughter, Sharon, from sleepwalking towards a cliff. After rescuing her, repeatedly, she screams the same words, before passing out: Silent Hill. Sharon has no memory of any of the incidents and Rose is getting desperate. She decides to take her daughter to the town of Silent Hill, in the hopes that she will finally be saved from her nightly terrors. However, once they reach the outskirts of the town, she is distracted by a "passerby" and loses control of the vehicle, crashing it into the side railing. When Rose awakes, Sharon is no longer in the car. She now faces the dilemma of tracking her daughter down in the destroyed town, known as Silent Hill, while facing hellish demons that appear every time the sun sets in the town."

I will say this: You don't have to be a fan of the series to enjoy *or even understand* this movie. I only played the first game and that did little for me when I tried to understand what was going on in the movie. However, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the movie. In fact, I thought it was very good. *Story and Visual- wise* It's not very scary, however, there are a few scenes that are freaky and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The creators decided to remain true to the game, when it comes to the monsters and even the town as well, which is a good thing considering the other video-game-to-movie-adaptations. *Hint Hint House of the Dead, DOA, and Resident Evil ><* The story and a few characters are a little different, but that doesn't detract from the movie at all. For one, they decided to change the main character, Harry in the game, into a female. They also added a few more main villains that made the story a little more intense. The monster had a very creepy feel to them, but they weren't scary *Except maybe Pyramid- head* As I watched the movie, I couldn't help but feel like the the mosters were almost dancing *This was made more apparent in the Nurse scene at the hospital* This takes us to the ending. I must admit... that was quite bloody, but somewhat expected. The ending scene sort of makes sense, but if you don't pay attention to some of the earlier scenes, I can almost guarantee you that you will be lost. *Then again, it still won't make a lot of sense if you paid attention anyways, so don't be sad if you don't get it. You're not alone.* If you're a fan of the game or are just looking for a good thriller to watch, I highly suggest getting this DVD. Aside from the main feature, it has great special features that will help you better understand the concept and idea behind the movie.

Rating: ★★★★★ (Buy it. It will make game and general thriller fans very happy.)

DVD Review: Stranger Than Fiction (2007)

"Harold Crick is an IRS auditor who follows the droll daily routine, known as his life, to the tick of his watch. Every morning, he wakes up and begins his day the same way he begins everyday for the last many years. Everything is calculated and seemingly perfect in his life. Until one day, a voice begins to narrate his life and foretell his impending doom..."

I rented this movie a while back when I started to get back into the habit of watching movies again. *DevilMan really put me off movies for a long, long while XP*. Anyways, this movie is a "Smart Comedy" but it also has it's moments of "Stupid Comedy" moments. The story is very easy to follow and doesn't require a lot of intelligence to understand and appreciate the humor in this story. However, this movie is not all laughs. There are some dramatic moments as well, which is great, because it balances the movie out. *I don't want to be tired of laughing by the end of the movie* The characters are all portrayed very well and are quite believable *as to be expected by a nearly all start cast* In my opinion, I think this movie showed that Mr. Will Ferrell can portray balance comedy and drama and make the audience believe it. There are some things you need to be advised of, however. Because this is a comedic drama, it may bore you at some points. *I know I was bored during a few scenes* Another thing that may put you off is the ending. Though it's very "Happy Ending"-y, it just comes off as kind of cheesy.

Overall, though, this is a pretty solid movie that has a creative story, interesting characters, and a plot that will keep you guessing how our main character will be snuffed out by the end of the movie.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (Only buy it after renting it, just to see for yourself.)