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Reviews
The Roommate (2011)
The Roommate: An Entertaining Thriller
I mainly went to see The Roommate because of Leighton Meester and Nina Dobrev since I am a fan of their CW shows (Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries). I didn't know what to expect other than a couple hours of entertainment and a thriller.
The beginning of the movie started off with a strange feeling. Lots seemed to be happening, making it feel as though the movie was moving too fast for any character development (not that you expect a lot of character development in a horror/thriller movie). But at the same time, there were some slow, boring parts where it appeared that the writers were trying to build the relationships Sarah had.
The Acting: Leighton Meester - She is one of my favorite actresses, and I think she did a good job with this movie. Some of the dialouge was a bit cheesy, but she pulled it off fairly well. She certainly remained very creepy throughout the movie. In the final scene, I thought she did an amazing job. I was impressed and she still remains one of my favorite actresses.
Minka Kelly - Although she was one of the main characters (the main protagonist, in fact) I didn't feel as though her acting shown through as much or that she had to reach to be in character. She did a good job in the final scene, but other than that, I cannot form an opinion on her until I see more of her movies.
Cam Gigandet - The only movie I have seen him in before The Roommate was Twilight, and I thought he did a decent job. Once again, I didn't think he had to stretch too much to be in character, but I would certainly see more movies with him. I was happily surprised with his acting when I saw this movie.
Alyson Michalka - I love her show Hellcats. I have seen some of her other works and have always been impressed. Once again, she delivers, and I enjoyed her acting and her character in The Roommate (even though she was only in the first half of the movie).
Nina Dobrev - Even though she did not have a large role, I enjoyed her short screen time. Her character brought in a new aspect of the movie, and I was disappointed when it didn't go anywhere.
Frances Fisher and Tomas Arana - I enjoyed their screen time and their characters and the different aspects and details they brought to the story.
Billy Zane - I haven't seen him in a movie forever (not since Titanic), and I was happy to see him in a movie again. I was not sorry for what happened to his character, but I was happy with his acting.
The Story: The story of The Roommate was nothing special. It was your average teen horror/thriller set on a college campus. It had the usual characters: the new girl in town, the party girl, the cute guy who just happens to have a crush on the new girl, and the crazy phsyco. It was the usual story, but it was still a decent and entertaining movie. Some things I wished were different are: the kitten side-story and the background. The kitten story brought nothing to the movie except a cute little kitten and to show more of Rebecca's phsyco side (as if we don't have enough of it from the other encounters in the movie). I wanted more background on Rebecca, more of an explanation of why she was the way she was then just a bottle of pills and the word crazy hung out there. That part of the story is weak with just the "crazy explanation." I was also hoping that they would draw on the background when they introduced Nina Dobrev's character and Rebecca's obsessive drawings. I just felt that the background was missing, making the movie weaker than its potential.
Camera and Editing: It was decent. It wasn't amazing, but I didn't have any real complaints about it either.
Acting - 7/10 Story - 5/10 Camera - 7/10 For those who did like this movie I recommend: The Silence of the Lambs and Shutter Island.
Takers (2010)
Take It Or Leave It
When I saw the previews for Takers, I was immediately taken in by the cast itself. Just one of those names would have drawn my attention, but grouping all of the actors together, snapped me in. I insisted on seeing it. The theatre was fairly packed, and when we left, it seemed that everyone was happy with the movie. Most of the audience couldn't seem to stop talking about it when it was over; and everyone cheered during Hayden's fight scene.
I did really enjoy the movie. I thought the acting was fair. The story decent and a bit different than I normally watch. The death scenes -- although this may sound strange -- I thought they were beautiful. The montage during the huge shooting scene was absolutely stunning. The only complaint I had about the movie was that the camera work was a little too shaky and made it hard to watch some parts.
Overall, I thought the movie was good. I would certainly watch it again, and it is one I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good action movie without expecting too much from the genre.
For anyone who enjoys this movie, I also recommend: Four Brothers and Fast & Furious Series (F&F if you are a Paul Walker fan).
Acting - 7/10 Story - 7/10 Camera - 4/10
Eagle Eye (2008)
Keeps You On Edge
I thought this movie was absolutely amazing. It had action and suspense and kept you on the edge of your seat. I love movies where the main characters always seem to be in immediate danger, and Eagle Eye had a lot of that. The acting was excellent, and Shia's just getting better in each movie that he's in.
A couple scenes were a little unrealistic, but overall, the action and excitement that made the movie so entertaining, allowed people to push the unrealistic parts aside.
Plenty of people have been saying that the ending wasn't "good enough" or it should have been better. I disagree. I think that the "good guys" won, even though plenty of people refer to them as the "bad guys". Having a main character die at the end would have added something more, but I think that the ending was good too. If you kill off a lead character, someone's going to be mad and then none of the women fans would buy the DVD! Overall, I think this movie was sweet. It had great acting, awesome action, kept you on the edge of your seat, and added a little bit of suspense. I would recommend it to anyone who likes action or suspense movies.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
Amazing Journey - Adventure Movie
First off, I went into the movie expecting to give it a six, maybe. The previews had looked enjoyable, but by noon of opening day, the movie only had a c+ rating. I don't normally go to movies if I think they are going to be cheezy. But my younger brother (8) wanted to go, so we went with my dad. I normally take awhile to be drawn in by a movie and the characters; I was into this movie after the first scene with Max running from the dinosaur.
As for performance, Brendan Fraser was amazing, with his likely hero character, Trevor. Josh Hutcherson, who played the nephew, Sean, was absolutely amazing. His acting in Bridge to Teribithia, Firehouse Dog, and RV was awesome, and he has still improved from there. As long as he continues to get better, I will definitely look forward to seeing him in future movies. I can't remember the name of the actress that played Hannah, the mountain guide, but I think she was also really good, acting as the pretty but tough chick.
The movie is charming from the beginning, starting with the excellent 3-D effect of Trevor spitting into the sink. Journey is well-scripted with some cheezy one-liners, but yet brings humor to the audience. If you don't compare it to books or other movies, it is very enjoyable with great acting, humor, and eventually turns into a race against time.
I was not expecting to cry in this movie, but when they found Sean's dad, Max, dead, I was glad to be in a very dark room with over-sized glasses covering half of my face. Josh Hutcherson acted that scene very well as well as Brendan Frazer.
So anyways, I walked into the movie, expecting maybe a six, and came out with a ten+. It is worth the extra three dollars to see it in 3-D, and I am going to see it again in a couple days time.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
An Amazing Sequel
I shall attempt to keep any spoilers hidden.
Prince Caspian is a wonderful sequel to the amazing fantasy story, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This movie includes a darker age, more violence, more action, and definitely more humor.
Though at times it sways from the storyline, it keeps its watchers on the edge of their seats during the action, and listening intently during emotional sections, as well as a lot of laughter during scenes with Reepicheep and the others.
As it is, I would recommend this movie for ten years of age and up as it is much darker and slightly scarier than the first film.
All I can say is: Keep the trilogy going.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)
Excellent Spin-Off
You know when you see a movie or a show and you're obsessed within minutes? That's how I felt about this show.
Many people have been saying that Headly was not a good choice for Sarah Connor, but I think she did a good job for having such big footsteps to follow.
I think Dekker is doing a great job as John Connor. John's personality is quite believable as he "doesn't want to run anymore."
Another actress people were questioning, was Summer Glau because she weighs, all of what, 93 lbs. But since she is playing the part of a terminator/protector, she should be stronger than she looks. Plus it would be hard for her to follow in Terminator 1&2's footsteps.
I like the addition of Derek Reese as a character, Kyle's brother, John's uncle, and wanted for murder. My favorite scene with him is probably in the two hour finale when he shot a man threatening John with a gun.
Another scene that was so amazing, and I'm glad this was included in the show, was in the last episode when Derek figures out he's John's uncle and brings him to the park where they see a younger version of Derek playing baseball with John's father as a kid. (Kyle died in Terminator 1 before John was born so this is John's first sight of his father.)
Due to the ending of the last episode of the season, I'm demanding that FOX returns the show with a second season as I think this show deserves it. Crossing my fingers . . .