jnguyen46117 Reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

The Lincoln Lawyer: 8/10

[8/10 · 13 May 2011]

Perhaps people will view Matthew McConaughey, who has a handful of bad movies on his resume, differently after seeing The Lincoln Lawyer. His performance did not carry the whole movie, but it certainly helped the film's predictable premise: a lawyer who deals with small criminals on a daily basis for money, but after running into a high profile client, Mick Haller's life was turned upside down. The contents are formulaic: lawyer represented client for assault, got him out, and got him back in jail for murder. It may be entertaining to read but it is really repetitive if you see over and over again. We'd seen this many times on TV, but The Lincoln Lawyer extended to a movie thanks to the writer, John Romano. Written with a lovely balance of courtroom drama and the characters themselves, the script is the film's greatest strength. Although, I found myself thinking at times that the film is a little messy with the plot.

And maybe another strength of the film is the quirky camera angles of newcomer director Brad Furman. And let's not forget why Hollywood will not treat Matthew McConaughey the same after this film. He was always playing the charming guy in the funny movies, but here he got to show both his charms and his acting skills in the film. The Lincoln Lawyer maybe messy and hard to believe, but as far as I'm concerned, Matthew McConaughey's charms and wit will win anyone over.

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

The Man Who Wasn't There: 8/10

[8/10 · 29 April 2011]

I wished Billy Bob Thornton hadn't narrated the film because he was supposed to be a quiet character that kept everything to himself; a fine character crafted by the Coen brothers. Letting him narrate was probably the worst thing that you can do in this film. The genre is not well known now and it is obviously dated, but the Coens decided to do it anyways. They tapped on an unfamiliar genre and still succeeded to make it entertaining. Now given that it's not perfect (slow pacing, dull directing) and it may not be one of their best, The Man Who Wasn't There still has a great script and is a great tribute to the genre.

There's an audio review of this film, check it out.

The Ladykillers (2004)

The Ladykillers: 8/10

[8/10 · 29 April 2011]

It tried to be serious at times but ended up too funny to be serious. The quirky character by Tom Hanks is probably one of the Coens' best ones, he is well-developed, humorous, and weird-looking. The rest of the cast is also one of the best ensemble of the Coens' career: stupid, Chinese, bowel issues, and black. Now the story may be used many times before but the writers obviously did some tweaks to it that made it so original. The script isn't perfect, in fact, it is probably a lower level script of the Coens' career. But I think that the film showed more of the directing side of the brothers than the writing side. The imaginative scenes, the cat, and the teeth all demonstrate how well they can transform simple things into beauty. The Ladykillers isn't better than the original and it is definitely flawed, but Tom Hanks' likable character and the bold directing made the film worthwhile.

Unstoppable (2010)

Unstoppable: 8/10

[8/10 · 20 April 2011]

With Tony Scott's commercial-like directing (with the zoom-ins of the face, which is brilliant for these kind of movies) and the cast of Washington and Pine, Unstoppable is indeed entertaining in the most from beginning to end. Following the story of train 777 that went off by itself because some idiot couldn't do his job correctly, the film don't offer much of a storyline other than the conductor's (Pine) marital problems and Frank's (Washington) relationship with his daughters. But making up for every flaws, we have a intensely shot film with the charms of cocky Denzel Washington. The film made sure to use a lot of news broadcast to tell the viewers what's going on without having to explain itself, smart move. It won't be fun for someone who is light-hearted, but it is an absolute ride for someone who prefers it.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code: 4/10

[4/10 · 17 April 2011]

The Da Vinci Code (the book) may not be as accurate as it would like to be, but the compelling evidence and convincing writing of Dan Brown's may leave some audience wondering. The book was a ride, the movie, however, can be a little bit mocking. For those who haven't read the book, The Da Vinci Code is about a murder linking path of finding the Holy Grail. Jacques Sauniere was murdered inside the Louvre museum in France, but minutes before his death, Sauniere decided to leave some clues for his granddaughter to solve (just like the old days). The clues weren't leading to his murderer but apparently Sauniere's granddaughter (Sophie) and his colleague (Professor Langdon) were on the path of finding The Holy Grail. The path proved difficulty considering Langdon was wanted for 4 murders (which he didn't commit) and the person who Langdon thought he could trust (Sir Leigh Teabing) betrayed him. It's a great story on paper, but apparently failed to deliver on screen. The source materials is first-class, and considering Ron Howard and Tom Hanks are in this, it would be better than the book.

Ron Howard was fantastic at getting the angles of the camera right and making sure there was a good amount of French in the film, but his story telling and directing of the actors were a bit lazy. The sets were mesmerizing and the art direction of the place is award-winning. The Da Vinci Code is such a good looking film but it lacked so much depth and wit from its source materials that we can't help but bag on it. You may be entertain with Tom Hanks himself or the fantastic storyline that revealed some secrets about Jesus, but that is about all.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead: 9/10

[9/10 · 21 March 2011]

Nick Frost and Simon Pegg were delightful in this parody-like British zombie flick. Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a TV store senior staff (or oldest) who had gone nowhere with his life. His 3-year relationship with his girlfriend just ended and he had no idea what his next move is. In the beginning of the film, you see the director trying to foreshadow upcoming events like flashing the news and the radio. After all of that, Shaun and his friends still got no idea that zombies were coming to town. Finding out that they were possibly going to die, Shaun decided to go to a safe place, The Winchester, the bar that he and Ed (Frost) always goes to for comfort. Also deciding to pick up his mom and his ex-girlfriend, Shaun battled through a pile of bloody zombies in a brilliant way. Walking through the streets as though they were zombies, hitting a zombie in a musical rhythm, and missing as he shoots the zombies are great work of director Edgard Wright. It's got a feeling of sensation from Dawn of the Dead, but it also has witty humor from its characters unlike most other zombie flick. Shaun is an uptight store manager that wants to get his life together. Ed is a fat loser who lives with Shaun and play video games all day. When they're together, funny. Even though I stress on how funny it is, Shaun of the Dead is still a horror film with much appreciation for the bloody gore and scares that a typical zombie flick has.

Audition (1999)

Audition: 7/10

[7/10 · 19 March 2011]

Aoyama had been a window raising a child for quite sometime after the death of his wife. Feeling lonely because his son kept bringing home friends, Aoyama decided to host an audition for a television show to find himself a wife. Eyeing through the resume, one caught his eyes. The resume of a ballet dancer, Asami. After asking her to dinner, Aoyama was convinced that he knows everything about her and wanted to propose. But not after Aoyama found out the hard way that the woman he loves is not who she said she was. Having her past victim tied up in her apartment and eating her puke as a meal, Asami is a character that will not get out of your mind. Cutting off her victim's leg while smiling and collecting tongues as a trophy, Asami can be viewed in many ways. The whole movie can be viewed as a revenge flick, a sadistic film only performed by a female, or a romantic idealism. Either way, director Takisha Miike's bold shots of the gore is much appreciated, he added much more to the slow-pacing of the film. Audition is one of those films that you can either hate or love, but no one will go out not remembering this.

Inside Job (2010)

Inside Job: 6/10

[6/10 · 26 February 2011]

Inside Job is probably the most informative, smart, stylish, yet hopeless documentary of the year. From Wall Street and the Bush Administration to Barrack Obama, Inside Job digs deep into the American "Crisis" and offers many, if way too many, facts and numbers. Financial executives make too much money off of the poor. They turned their back on society, caused the employment, and corrupted the system. Charles Ferguson was just trying to get that point across, but he done it in a fashionable time and elegance.

But perhaps Inside Job offers too many financial smarts that most viewers don't care for. A documentary has got to inform and give facts, and the film does that well. But I would like this to be an entertaining ride as well. Unfortunately, Inside Job failed to actually hook the general audience, set aside the interested.

OscarBuzz: Best Documentary. I personally choose Exit Through The Gift Shop for its great humor and intelligence. But the Academy will go for the safe choice which is this because Exit is quite controversial.

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Cedar Rapids: 9/10

[9/10 · 20 February 2011]

Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is a goody insurance agent who's goal in life is to actually help people. His companion, Roger, is successful and won the insurance award three times. Tim, in hope of getting an award himself, took Roger's spot after Roger died to go to the convention in Cedar Rapids. What happens at Cedar Rapids stays in Cedar Rapids? Well, Tim sure hoped so, because what Tim did, it was like The Hangover version but subtract Zach Galifinakis.

Ed Helms plays an emotional guy who had never been out of state and is afraid to use his credit card. And he does it well, considering his role in The Office is quite similar. But the stand-out in this film is how John C. Reilly is a playboy who always talk about girls. Although he doesn't get any, but he's hilarious. The film was helped by the smart writing that made the film almost as funny as The Hangover. Suceeded at the Sundance, Cedar Rapids had made its way into my list of Best Comedy of the Year.

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

Gnomeo and Juliet: 6/10

[6/10 · 20 February 2011]

It spends a bit too much time working on the animation portion of the film instead of realizing that it has lots of flaws. The story of two gnomes tribes that hate each other's guts, red and blue. And as the title says it all, the story of Romeo and Juliet is basically the plot (but with few tweaks). We all know the story and heard it tons of times, so perhaps they thought that they didn't need to develop the story. Well, they're wrong. Instead of telling a story, we see lots of dancing and 3D show-offs and a lot of music. Despite the impeccable soundtrack by Elton John, we can't help but realize that nothing about this cliché is special. Gnomeo and Juliet has its flaws, but the story of Romeo and Juliet can be told in any shape or form and it would turn out great. With the gnomes version of Toy Story characters and smart writing added with Elton John's soundtrack, Gnomeo and Juliet is a kid version of Shakespeare's love tragedy.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)

Justin Bieber: 4/10

[4/10 · 20 February 2011]

Never been a fan of the Bieber, never will, not even after watching the film. Justin Bieber in 3D is probably some girl's dream, but my dream is to see an entertaining film. The movie's tour documentary premise as it was advertised was not there at all. Instead, all you see is not much of the popstar himself but his family and friends. This is not a character study of Justin Bieber, but they want to present him as this great inspiration that people look up to. The idea might sound great, but inspiration wasn't what I got out of this. It's more like they want to make you want to be the guy instead of inspired by him.

Throughout the film, we see him do his usual popstar stuff like doing his hair, taking off his shirt, saying "yo", and fist pumps. The movie's build up was the concert at Madison Square Garden where the popstar's career will rise. The concert was somewhat spectacular and great looking. But by the end, we learned nothing about Justin Bieber but that he has a talent for drums and the people around him are alright.

Mother (2009)

Mother: 5/10

[5/10 · 14 February 2011]

The first shot opened with the mother dancing in the middle of nowhere. The shot was the beginning of this tragic story of a mother trying to do everything she can to clear her son of murder. Yoon Do-joon is a boy who doesn't have the brains to know what he did. When caught in a murder case, he swiftly signed the confession papers even though he has no memory of committing the crime. His mother is desperate, wanting to get her son out of jail, tries everything there is possible to clear his name. But from when she was turned down by everyone to which she killed a guy, we didn't care for her anymore.

The first hour of the film depicts only on the situation itself without going anywhere. Yoon Do-joon's mother doesn't want to believe her son is guilty so she does everything she can. But you have to know that it gets annoying when she fails over and over again. It was frustrating to see but at the same time so intriguing to watch. Hye-ja Kim successfully portrayed Mother as a struggling woman who desperately wants to save her son. Mother doesn't offer much if at all and it is aimed for a specific audience, but at times when it didn't bore me, it was actually entertaining. But entertaining "at times" will not be enough.

Dogtooth (2009)

DogTooth: 9/10

[9/10 · 12 February 2011]

It is one of the most bazaar movie of the year, it is also one of the most funniest movie of the year. Right from the beginning, you see that this family is nothing like an ordinary family. The family consists of two parents and three teenagers, one boy and two girls. The boy is at an age where sexual needs are required, and instead of going out and fulfil those needs like a normal guy, his dad (who is nuts) hired a female security guard who will do the job. The reason you might think the father doesn't let his children go outside may be overprotection, but as for the idea goes, being overprotective does not allow you to keep your children inside for all these years, the idea does not allow you to play tricks on them. One of the many tricks the dad played was telling the children that the "cat" is a dangerous animal and if you go outside, it may eat you. That might sound silly, but the film took the idea so seriously that they had the actors bark as a way to scare the "cats" away.

Both the mother and the father knew what the outside world is like, but maybe they don't want their children to be involved at all. The film is nothing more than a heavy-handed metaphor about the perils of over protecting your children, but it was crafted nicely into this little dark comedy/drama that will make viewers uncomfortable. Some of the shots are really graphic, but the direction was fresh. Almost all of the shots of the film is shot on a tripod. The director had this idea of not moving the camera and set it in one place to take the shots. This might seem amatureous, but it was actually brilliant what the results was.

The film was hilariously difficult to watch. At times they do these weird things that you can't help but laugh. And then you realize that the things they do seems so real and you feel the urge to yell because those things they did were so un-human. Watching Dogtooth was really hard, but it was a hell of a ride as well. The kids know nothing of life and they never will. This is a quote that the mother said when the girl asked her what a pussy was: "A pussy is a light." And this is when the boy asked her what a zombie was: "A zombie is a small yellow flower." Funny, but it's a perfect example of how nuts these parents are. Their dad wanted their behaviors and performances to improve, so he told them that their mom is going to give birth to two more children and a dog. That they were going to have to share their rooms, but if they wish not to share, their behaviors must improve. It will take their mother two months to give birth and she hoped to give birth as soon as possible. The dialogue is ridiculious, but not in a bad way.

Throughout the "ride", the film took you to some unexpected details and should not be spoiled. Direction-wise, it was daring. DogTooth is by far, no doubt the Best Foreign Language Film of the year.

OscarBuzz: Best Foreign Language Film, I haven't seen Biutiful but I think it woulnd't change my mind on who should win.

A Prophet (2009)

A Prophet: 9/10

[9/10 · 12 February 2011]

A Prophet is about a young Arab man sent to a French prison where he became a drug kingpin. Malik is Arabian (Muslim), most of his inmates are Corsicans so there was a big separation. Malik is known for siding with the enemies. He works for the Corsicans but at the same time bond with the Muslims. Malik is illiterate and has no support outside of prison so his life in jail is all he has. It seems as though Malik has a struggle of character once every five minutes of the film. If he's now doubting his decisions, he's getting his ass kicked by a Corsican. Director Jacques Audiard has done a fine job of creating this complicated yet fragile character that even if you can't understand him, you side with him. The film also demonstrates how a prison might make you do things that you'd never imagined. Filled with violence and gory details, finely crafted, and beautifully cinematographed, A Prophet is one of the best that the French film industry has to offer. (not to mention impressive performances out of the cast)

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Paranormal Activity 2: 7/10

[7/10 · 30 January 2011]

Based from a $15,000-budget film that became a worldwide phenomenon, the second film is about Katie's (from the first film) sister's family. It doesn't cover any more grounds than its original premise, but this one has a baby. Kristi, Daniel, Ali, and newborn Hunter lives in a multi million dollar house and suspected there was a ghost or devil in their house (or at least Kristi did). The movie is supposedly the sequel of Paranormal Activity, but director Tod Williams made it looked like this was before the events took place it the first film. I'm not saying that the idea is unconventional, but for outside audience this maybe hard to understand. The idea of setting Paranormal Activity 2 in the same time as the first is plausible, but perhaps they should spend more time convincing the audience of the setting changes than spending too much time showing footage of nothingness. It may build up the suspense but at the same time it held down the entire film. Days and days of tapes and we know absolutely nothing. The first 45 minutes of the film was the right move to keep the paranormal amount a minimum, but after the 45 minutes, we still see the minimal amount of scares. Ultimately the ending was surprising, but then again I found it still not convincing. Even though it has its flaws and it definitely can't match with its predecessor, Paranormal Activity 2 is enjoyable is so many ways.

Blue Valentine (2010)

Blue Valentine: 8/10

[8/10 · 22 January 2011]

It is the tear-jerker of the year, from the beginning to the end, Blue Valentine demonstrates great promise. Dean and Cindy met in unusual circumstances but both felt like they were in love at first sight. After years of marriage, flashbacks of their youth reminded them of how happy they were, unlike now. Dean works as a house painter and only work occasionally. Cindy pursues her career of being a nurse and feels that Dean is not giving his all to his "potentials". It isn't a new story, it isn't the best executed film, and it isn't easy to watch. But somewhere between the passionate relationship between the leads and how the story was told, Blue Valentine won me over.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Lost In Translation: 9/10

[9/10 · 8 January 2011]

Sofia Cappola is one of Hollywood's directors that can make silent pauses and no dialogue in between movies so irresistibly watchable. Her takes in writing and directing movies within movies isn't new, but there's something new in this, maybe it is in a foreign setting. Movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is going through a mid-life crisis. He went to Tokyo, Japan to promote a liquor drink that was going nowhere. Staying at a hotel and drinking at the bar downstairs everyday, he started seeing a newlywed who's also having a complication in her relationship, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). Perhaps the movie's main element isn't the top-notch award-winning script that shaped the movie in every way, or the stylish directing from Sofia Cappola, perhaps it's the unbelievable chemistry between Johansson and Murray (nominated for an Oscar). Lost In Translation really changed Hollywood's perspectives in some ways and Bill Murray/Scarlet Johansson is the best on-screen couple I've seen in years.

Devil (2010)

Devil: 6/10

[6/10 · 7 January 2011]

A group of people with each of them a criminal record got trapped in an elevator in a building. These people each have a purpose of being in the building at the time, but I guess you can say that the plot rely strictly on coincidence. We never got introduced to the characters themselves besides the detective because we weren't suppose to. As you can already guess {SPOILER}, most if not all of these people die in the end, but the movie never developed the remaining people for us to care for him. Co-written by M. Night Shyamalan, this is probably one of the few better scripts he delivered in the past 5 years. Though I find the subject controversial, director John Eric Dowdle (Quarantine) balanced the film with the same of amount of cinematic tweaks as the religion dialogue. Devil is a great looking religious film, but what it lacks is the force that can drives the film much further.

You Again (2010)

You Again: 1/10

[1/10 · 2 January 2011]

Marty was the loser whom everyone made fun of in high school including Joanna, her soon-to-be sister in-law. In Marty's opinion, Joanna sing-handedly ruined her life in high school. So the thought of having a sister in-law that was your enemy in high school freaked Marty out. She tries everything to get her brother to realize that Joanna isn't who he thinks she is. Doing everything in her power including destroying her brother's wedding and breaking her brother (literally), Marty, of course realizes that she did the wrong thing. In the end, they get married and lived happily ever after.

From the start of the movie, we see they all hated one another and by the end, predictably they made up. The so-called comedy is so dull for the most parts, that only the lowpoints scored giggles. The almost laughter that was probably the highest this comedy can get is between Betty White and Cloris Leachman near the end.

You Again's characters are obviously popular, but like the characters themselves, the movie gets old with the predictable story and cheesy dialogue.

RazzieBuzz: Worst Actress (Kristen Bell), Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay (if they have this category)

Catfish (2010)

Catfish: 7/10

[7/10 · 2 January 2011]

Chatting and texting with a woman which he never met in real life for 8 months, Nev Schulman was in love (on Facebook). His brother Ariel decided to film Nev's relationship with "Megan", a girl he met while doing some business with her mother online. Not knowing where the documentary was headed, Ariel's determination proved itself to be worthwhile. More than half of the film is a guy chatting with a girl online, so the premise may make some uncomfortable. But the last 30 minutes of the film unravelled some disturbing moments that you could only imagine. Catfish proved that online dating isn't helping anyone with a problem yet damages them even more. Perhaps the message isn't what a lot of people want to hear since the story might relate to them, but it is the damn truth.

The Tourist (I) (2010)

The Tourist: 3/10

[3/10 · 1 January 2011]

Even a kiss between the stars, Jolie and Depp, doesn't show a bit of emotion. The leads acted like they are being forced into a scene that is obviously uncomfortable and at the end, the film failed completely on demonstrating the chemistry between them. The Tourist's setting is somewhat wonderful, but it will be very useful if all the audience want to see is beautiful sceneries instead of a good developed story and fine acting.

(Nominating Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie's performances for the Golden Globes is by far a great piece of evidence that the show just wants they stars to show up on their red carpet.)

Gulliver's Travels (2010)

Gulliver's Travel: 6/10

[6/10 · 1 January 2011]

The story about a guy who unintentionally traveled into a world of little people called Liliput. Here, Gulliver (Jack Black) discovered that these people think differently about him than back at where he came from. Back in Mahanttan, Gulliver worked in a mailroom in a writing company and no one knows he exists, which is really typical for a movie like this. He had a long time crush on this girl who writes traveling articles. One day, he walked into her office ready to ask her out and predictably grabbed a packet for a traveling article which requires him to go to sea instead. While driving a boat to the destination, Gulliver fell asleep and went off course into a dangerous spin-off. Astonishingly, Gulliver came out alive but was tied up by the little humans by the time he came to. The little humans thought he was an enemy at first, but by the time the movie's middle appear, you'd already guessed the ending.

Jack Black did exactly what he was supposed to do, entertain the audience no matter what it takes (even if showing half of his ass and pissing all over the place in a PG film). But the movie cannot depend on Jack Black to carry it, it needs a better story and a good, surprising ending. In my opinion, with all of Jack Black's childish humor and fine special effects, the film was able to get some laughs out of me. Jack Black has got a charm with him every time he gives a performance so that was enough for the film to pass the 50% mark. Even though the film somewhat entertained me, Gulliver's Travels did not do justice to its source materials (books) and was too predictable that even little kids can figure it out.

The Fighter (I) (2010)

The Fighter: 8/10

[8/10 · 31 December 2010]

Based on a true story of professional boxer Micky Ward, The Fighter is about how Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) fights his way of family and friends to the championship title. Dicky (Christian Bale), Micky's half-brother and trainer, is a drug addict that always fail to show up for training. Their relationship is complicated because Micky wanted more than just a crackhead brother who doesn't know what he's doing. Supporting along that line come Alice (Mellisa Leo), the brothers' mother and manager, who also wants Micky to stay with her and Dicky instead of going to someone better. After meeting the love of his life Charlene (Amy Adams), who convinced Micky that his family's no good, he decided to go on and try something else. Success with the new manager and trainer, Micky got the shot of the title match.

Mark Walhberg who plays the boxer is to many critics the lowpoint of the film. Every time the camera focuses on him, it seems like he doesn't have anything to say. Perhaps the writing for Walhberg isn't as concentrated and too vague compare to his co-stars. Walhberg was suppose to carry the film with his role but instead it felt like his co-star Christian Bale did all the heavy lifting. Playing a drug addict who went to jail for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer, Bale (Dicky) was at his best. Emotionally understanding and physically confused by years of sitting on his ass, Dicky's only job was to train his brother into the championship. Bale gave up this amazing vibe that he knows what he's doing but at the same time too confused to do it right. The film, rather than focusing on Mark Walhberg, did a completely different character study on Christian Bale. Carrying along the heavy loads are Mellisa Leo and Amy Adams who played the mother and girlfriend of Walhberg. Leo and Adams had a chemistry in which both hated each other and both share the same goal of helping Dicky. Delivering explicit lines, Amy Adams is the best I've seen her in years. With two Oscar nominations already, she might even earn her third.

Though the cast is above average, the writing in some parts were off. It seems like the writers wanted the actors themselves to carry the film without dialogue. They thought they can depend on the actors, but it is impossible for the actors to do any good without a solid script.

David O. Russell finely crafted the film, but at times, it looked as if only the fighting scenes count. Focusing too much on the fights instead aiming to offer drama, he made the movie looked like an ESPN fight show. But set aside all of that, David O. Russell's got a talent in him and the fight scenes do look amazing. Perhaps his biggest contribution to the film is his directing of the cast.

The Fighter has a predictable plot yet it pulls out so much depth offered by the cast that we can say The Fighter is finely entertaining.

OscarBuzz: Best Picture (with 10 nod this year, it will be nominated), Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale, win), Best Supporting Actress (Mellisa Leo, Amy Adams, both have a good chance), Best Score, Best Cinematography

District 9 (2009)

District 9: 9/10

[30 December 2010]

Nominated for Best Picture and some audiences thought it should even win, District 9 is an instant science fiction classic that looks beautiful and entertaining.

In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the human are starting to get annoyed by the aliens and want them gone. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley, newcomer) in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends. Although this is his first official acting role, Copley is the best at it. Playing the role like he was an experienced actor, Sharlto Copley was unfortunately snubbed from the Oscar race.

The visual effect amazingly vivid and the make up is stunning, but perhaps what is more important is the writing. Writing alien/human interaction is obviously not new, but there is something incredibly refreshing about District 9's script that made the movie all the better. Nominated for an Oscar, Neill Blomkamp's first major writing job is quiet impressive and he's definitely got a career in writing ahead of him.

District 9 was absolutely deserving of the Best Picture nomination and perhaps the best science fiction film of 2009.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

G.I. Joe: 3/10

[3/10 · 30 December 2010]

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra will perhaps be appreciated by fans, but critics won't stand the laughable performances and the impassable storyline. Cool-looking action scenes will simply not cut it anymore these days, movies like Transformer or produced by Michael Bay will not be appreciated by critics and soon fans will forget them too. Therefore, producing a film with good storyline and great action is important. G.I. Joe failed to deliver both aspects in some way.

An insufficient amount action and confusing storyline made G.I. Joe a favorite at the Razzie.

RazzieBuzz: Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Actress