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)
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)
