Green Zone
What happens when you mix a shaky camera with military conspiracy themes and horrible close-in action scenes? You get Green Zone, a movie set in Iraq starring Matt Damon – which is ironic since it looks very much like every other movie he has starred in the last 5 years. Maybe it’s the horribly shot action scenes, or it’s the overly intense thing he does with his eyes when he delivers... [Read more]
Red Cliff (2008)
Director John Woo’s Red Cliff is a dramatically poetic movie based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms a historical novel written by Luo Guonzhang. If you aren’t familiar with the Three Kingdoms story – it chronicles the ambitions of three men, love and the wonderful Generals that followed their lead. The three men are Liu Bei, Sun Quan, and Cao Cao. While Liu Bei is often depicted... [Read more]
Brothers (2009)
Brothers is the 2nd War themed movie of 2009 to emphasize the human psyche over guts and glory. Where Mel Gibson’s We Were Soldiers faltered at bringing home the sense of loss and devastation that the wives and mothers endure during wartime, Jim Sheridan nails it by keeping it personal in this film. There are no glorious shootouts, or supermen taking out hundreds with a pistol through... [Read more]
Inglourious Basterds
It starts out in the beautiful fields of a French landscape, with the usage of a gritty type of film and natural sounds. To begin a movie like this was reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and the flashback to Maximus and his family within the fields prior to his capture, breaking and enslavement. The inevitable calm before the storm. Although I knew the storm was coming, I didn’t... [Read more]
The Hurt Locker
Beyond war movie and beyond another critically acclaimed movie, The Hurt Locker is the living definition of thriller. Rare is it that I find a movie that has me breathing unevenly whilst gripping my seat wondering what could happen next. The direction is simple but brilliant in it’s own right, the acting is compelling and the reality of the so-called “War on Terror” is very... [Read more]
Tropic Thunder
If there is any movie to separate the people who take themselves too seriously from the people who “get it” then Tropic Thunder is it. Without boring you with the details as to why this movie was a good parody/comedy, how about I take the easy route and break down step by step the items that boosted and hurt this film. Good – Robert Downey Jr. in black face. About 10-20 years ago... [Read more]
Rambo
Burma, a country torn with the atrocities of Civil war is the target of the latest Rambo by veteran actor Sylvester Stallone. My feelings after seeing this movie are mixed, there is nothing negative for me to say about the special effects, plot or acting, but I have to warn you, strap in tight and leave the women and children at home. I’ve called other movies high testosterone before but... [Read more]
300
King Leonidas, reared and forged as a warrior and gleaned to perfection as a symbol of Sparta and her standards is the focus of Frank Miller’s 300. His tale is one of self sacrifice and unwavering loyalty, about 300 men who stood their ground before millions of invaders with the mantle of freedom as their guide. Along the way we are treated to treachorous countrymen, beautiful yet powerfully... [Read more]
Alexander
I don’t get it… why do people hate this movie so much? I watched this movie late after being turned away by the negative pruning by literally everyone when it was on the big screen. Myself being a history buff had looked forward to seeing this tale of the great conqueror portrayed by one of our better actors in Colin Farrell… but everyone kept saying the same thing “don’t waste... [Read more]
