Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Movie Review

Rating: 8.5

Scott Pilgrim vs. The world tells the story of Scott, a teenager dating a Chinese high schooler, Knives Chau, who still hasn’t recovered after his former girlfriend cheated on him. One day, Scott falls in love with Ramona Flowers. He must break up with Knives and defeat Ramona’s evil exes in order to win her heart.

I didn’t expect very much going in to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the world. I expected a good fun time move that I would forget in 2 hours. But I got a lot more than that. This is the film that stands out than any other films out there. It is different. It is unique. And it is original.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the world is an excellent film for what it needed to be. It was a fun time where I never had to look at my watch during the entire course of the movie. Edgar Wright, the acclaimed director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the dead, did a magnificent job directing this movie. The visuals look great. The comedy was hilarious. The battle scenes were epic. The storyline was great. And the performances in this film were phenomenal.

With an ensemble cast of such up and coming actors as Michael Cera, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, and Brandon Routh, Scott Pilgrim is a film full of great performances. Everyone portrayed their respective roles very well especially Michael Cera, who portrayed the main character Scott in this film. He carried the film from the beginning to end, and portrayed Scott to perfection.

However, the main character is nothing without his/her supporting actors. Supporting actors including Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin, and Alison Pill, who helped Michael Cera carry the film. They all did great in their parts. A lot of them helped with the comedy aspect of the film. A special mention must go to Mary Elizabeth Winstead who was both good in both comedic and dramatic scenes.

The only complain I have for this film is that I hoped the battle scenes would get more epic as the film goes on. But it didn’t. They are all equally epic, which is not actually a bad thing at all, except the last battle scene with Gideon which is the most epic battle in the film.

The action scenes in this film are shot perfectly. They aren’t intense, real, action scenes you would normally see in an action movie. They are shot in a kinda cartoon-ish way. The visuals look like some video game we played as a kid which is all fun to watch. The film flows very well with all the gimmicky sequences, songs, and battle sequences the director put in.

All in all, Scott Pilgrim vs. the world is not a masterpiece by any means. It was just a well directed, acted, and written film. I recommend it to anyone who wants to escape reality and have fun for a couple of hours. The film is very well made, please see it if you haven’t already.

Whale Rider Dramatic Monologue - Kahu, Pai

I am about to perform the last act of the show , the most important one, the one I have been practicing for weeks, and he is not here. My Paka is not here. Can’t I be the most important thing in his life just for one night, this one night? Why can’t I matter just for this one night? I wish he would love me the way I love him.

My name is Kahu. I am named after the great Kahutia Te Rangi, the golden master, the original whale rider, who led our tribe to the land of Aotearoa ions ago. I am a proud descendent of Koro Apirana, whom I call Paka, the big chief of our tribe and town, Whangara.

I am a girl longing to be loved by my grandfather. The leaders of our tribe, since the time of my ancestor Paikea, have always been males. I understand that it is a sacred tradition for a grandfather to pass on his knowledge to his grandson; teach him how to fight, how to guide, and how to lead his tribe.

But it wasn’t my fault that I was born a girl. I didn’t have a choice. I am here now and I can’t change that. Why can’t I be the chief of our tribe like my Paka? Because I am a girl? I have the determination to learn the Maori culture and I have more leadership than the local boys. I have the courage, the strength, and the determination. What else does one need to become the big chief?

I love and respect my tribe and would do anything to save it, even if it costs my life. I believe in the power of the whales. I have a special connection to them passed down by my ancestor, Paikea. So what if I am a girl? If it is meant to be, it is meant to be. It was my born right to become the leader of our tribe. There is no changing that.

Women can do anything these days.  But according to Koro Apirana, it is not the Maori way. Women can’t do jobs that men do. Women can’t be tribe leaders. All we can do is cooking and gardening. But why? We can handle the pressure. We can handle the responsibilities.  We can do anything.

I understand that it is against the Maori culture for a female to become a tribe leader. But this is not the old days anymore. This is the present. Things change, people change, and rules change as well. We have to adapt the Maori culture to fit the modern society, not the other way around. It is the time for equality, justice, and fairness.

It doesn’t matter what I think or what any women think we can do. Men still think we are not capable of doing hard work. We have to show them what we can do and prove them wrong. So I’m not going to argue with Paka or any of the boys and prove that I am meant to be the tribe leader. I am going to do it. I’m going to learn all about the Maori culture. I’m going to work hard and learn about Maori leadership and the traditions passed down from our ancestor, even if Paka tries to stop me. Let it be done.

Die Hard movie review

Rating: 9/10

Die hard is a movie I have been dying to see for years. All I heard about the movie was praise. Some say it was the best action movie ever. Some say it is the best movie of the 80’s. Some say this was Bruce Willis’ best performance. Last night I had the chance to see this film and I was not disappointed.

Die hard follows the story of John McClain, a New York cop, who visits his family in California on Christmas. He goes to the Nakatomi building to visit his wife where a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber takes everyone in the building hostage in order to steal 600 million dollars in the building. It is up to John McClain to stop the terrorists and save the hostages. The plot of this movie is the perfect premise for a good action movie. It is simple and easy to understand.

    

Die hard did not disappoint. It met my expectations and even surpassed it. Before watching the film, I expected a good fun thrill ride that I will enjoy and probably forget in a day or two. But no, this movie is not forgettable at all and it is not just a fun thrill ride. The movie has heart and that’s what actions movies or just movies in general lack these days. I almost cried in this film. Yes, I almost cried in an action film. The movie stuck with me. Every time I think about it, it gave me chills. It gave me that feeling where you are excited and at the edge of your seat.

Bruce Willis shined in this film. This might not be his best performance ever but this is certainly the role that brought him to the world’s attention. He showed the audience what he was capable of doing; the emotional scenes, funny scenes, and actions sequences. He was everything in this film and that’s what makes John McClain such a memorable character.

John McClain is just a normal person. He is no superhero. He has a troubled relationship with his wife. He nearly died a couple of times in the film. He is a dad. And this is why he is so easy to root for and relate to. You feel for him for the whole movie. You feel how hopeless and lonely he feels. He doesn’t know what to do yet he feels like it is his responsibility to save all the people. This is the reason why he is not a two-dimensional character and why this movie works so well.

Reginald VelJohnson was also great in this film as Sergeant Al Powell who believed in John McClain throughout the whole movie when no one didn’t. The storyline between Al and John was great. The chemistry between them was also great although they could only talk through radio. And when they actually met in person, you could feel their friendship that bonded during the movie.

Another performance that stood out in the film was Alan Rickman who portrayed the evil terrorist, Hans Gruber. Some might know him from the Harry Potter franchise. I thought Snape was evil, but Hans Gruber was even more evil. Alan Rickman was perfect as the leader of the terrorist group. He was menacing, scary, and even funny when the role called him to be.

The action in this film was non-stop. When they finished introducing us all the characters and building up the plot, it was all action from there.  The pacing in this film was perfect. I was not once bored. I did not look at my watch a single time. I was always at the edge of my seat, rooting for John McClain, and always curious to see what is going to happen next.

The music only added more intensity to the action sequences. It was perfect. The camera work in this film is also very well done. It is not shaking and moving like crazy where you can hardly see what is happening. It was nice and slow but fast when it needed to be. The direction was perfect. The writing was perfect. The dialogue was perfect in funny scenes and it was perfect in emotional scenes.

Die hard is easily one of the best action movies I have seen, maybe even the best action movie I have seen. It is not the type of movie that you would forget in two days. The movie sticks with you. There are some well written characters in this movie ranging from funny to evil. It was a good thrill ride with perfect direction, writing, and acting. I recommend anyone who hasn’t seen this film already to see it. You will not be disappointed. Everything about this film is great.

Drive Trailer Review

Drive is a movie starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan that is coming out in September. What i got from this trailer is that Drive has the potential to be a very good film. The trailer shows that Drive will be a fun action pack movie while also has a great emotional side to the story. Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan are among one of the best up and coming actors in Hollywood and i'm really interested to see these two star against each other in this film.

Ryan Gosling is one of my favorite actors. He has had a good career so far. I'm curious to see what he has to offer in this movie. He also has 3-4 movies coming in the next 2 years. He is a young actor with great potential. But he might be working just a little too hard. He has plenty of time. We don't want another case of Heath Ledger to happen.

Drive's trailer was absolutely a success. It tells us what the movie is about and the reason why we should go out and see this film. I'm pumped.

Drive Trailer:

Half Nelson movie review

Rating: 8.3/10

Half Nelson follows the story of Dan Dunne, a school teacher, with a drug problem he is trying to get rid of. He forms an unlikely relationship with one of her students, Drey, who one day finds out about her teacher’s drug habit. Complications rise as drugs overtake Dan’s life and Drey’s future is in jeopardy as she gets closer to her brother’s drug dealing friend.

Half Nelson is a terrific movie. It depicts one of the world’s biggest problems today, drugs. Drugs kill people every day, and it also kills the people that love you. Half Nelson shows how hard it is sometimes for someone to overcome their drug habit, or any problems that people have every day. And sometimes, a friend goes a long long way which Half Nelson tells us in this movie.

I have no problems with performances in this movie. No one apart from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps stands out. The other actors, however, did a fine job and didn’t do any harm to the movie. They helped carry the movie well. This movie focuses on the lives of Dan and Drey anyway so Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps are in the spotlight. And they didn’t disappoint.

Ryan Gosling once again delivered a powerful performance as the troubled school teacher. He is extremely convincing on screen that I find myself caring for his character so much. Shareeka Epps also did a wonderful job as Drey, the quiet and mature school student. Shareeka Epps was brilliant in every scene she was in, whether it was a sad scene where she was crying, and a happy scene where she was laughing and cracking jokes. Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps carried this film to perfection.

I have no problem with this film. I think it was a well written piece of work. It was a slow film. If you had short attention span, you might lose yourself somewhere in the film. But that was not a problem for me. The story was so intriguing that I was paying attention the whole time. I was not bored. I was not looking at my watch. I was just sitting there, watching the film closely, and let the film show the magic.  

One small problem though, I wish the ending brings a little closure to the story. It was not that it wasn’t the Hollywood cliché that we see so often. It was a good ending but I just hope the filmmaker could give us a little closure, not left us hanging there, wondering, and surprised that the movie was finished. Another 2 minutes wouldn’t hurt anybody. Anyway I think it was still a good and realistic ending.

All in all, I think Half Nelson is a very well done film. It captivated the theme really well. It kept my attention the whole time. The script was wonderfully written. The acting was superb. The direction was genius. (I heard they filmed this movie handheld for most of the scenes) I absolutely liked this film. It sent out a good message. It’s a good low budget film that I suggest everyone to check out. 

Fargo Movie review

Rating: 8/10

Fargo follows the story of Jerry Lundegaard who Jerry works in his father in law’s car dealership company and has gotten himself in financial problems. He hires two henchmen to kidnap his own wife with hopes of his father in law paying off the ransom. While a pregnant police officer, Marge Gunderson, tries to find out the person behind this bloodshed.

I enjoyed Fargo. It was well written, well acted and well directed. From the moment the film starts and the score kicks in, you just know you are in for a chilling and relaxed drama/thriller. The film moves slowly and carefully introduces us the characters and the storyline. As the film progresses, it becomes more intense and intense.

Everyone did great in the acting department especially Frances McDormand, who won an Oscar for her role as Marge Gunderson, and William H. Macy. Steve Buscemi also did a great job as the funny looking tempered henchman along with his quiet but brutal partner, Gaear, played by Peter Stormare. Everyone nailed their roles in this film. They nailed the mannerisms, facial expressions, and especially the accent. I don’t know if the accent is right in this film, but it certainly is interesting to hear and even funny at times.

As I said earlier, I enjoyed Fargo. I think it was a well made film. But there was really nothing special about it. Yes, everything was great; the script and direction by the Coen brothers and the acting. But nothing stood out. When the climax of the film kicked in, I was at the edge of my seat. I didn’t want the pregnant police officer to die. I was really curious how the film is going to play out.

But between that climax and the last scene, the film lost my interest somewhere somehow. It just gave me a MEH feeling as the credits start rolling. I was not disappointed at the film. I thought it was a well put together film. But it didn’t really have an impact on me. I don’t understand the point of this movie. Everything just seems DULL.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the screenplay by the Coen brothers is incredibly well written. They created one of the likable and memorable characters of all time including Marge Gunderseon and jerry Lundegaard.

Maybe this is the type of film that grows on you.  It might improve upon a second viewing. But as of now, the film is just MEH. I don’t understand why people like this film so much and regard it as a masterpiece. Yes it’s well acted, directed, and written. And that’s about it. Nothing special. I didn’t particularly love this movie and I still liked it. I enjoyed the story and the characters. I think it’s a well crafted film that I hope will grow on me upon a second viewing. 

Adaptation movie review

Rating: 8.2/10

Adaptation follows the story of Charlie Kaufman, a Hollywood screenwriter who wants to be original and not follow all those Hollywood clichés. He one day was hired to adapt a nonfiction book called The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans into a screenplay. The book’s about John Laroche who is passionately in love with plants and flowers. As Charlie struggles with his adaptation, he turns to his less talented brother, Donald Kaufman, who is easy-going and doesn’t take everything too seriously.

However, the plot of this movie is much more than that. In the real world, the real Charlie Kaufman was asked to adapt Susan Orleans’s The Orchid Thief and this film is basically what Charlie Kaufman came up with. He makes himself the main character and creates a fictional twin brother, Donald Kaufman. It was very interesting to see how this film would play out. And it did not disappoint.

As for performances in this film, Nicholas Cage turned out to be surprisingly good. I wasn’t sure at first. But this has to be one of his finest roles to date. He portrayed both Charlie and Donald with such emotions and both of their emotions are completely opposite. Charlie is most of the time depressed and sad while Donald is living the time of life, learning as he goes along. I read somewhere on the internet that Nic Cage ignored all his acting instincts and played the part as the director asked him to. Maybe if he did that in every movie he stars in, we would have more good movies from Nicholas Cage…

Meryl Streep stars as Susan Orlean , a lonely  writer looking for something to be passionately in love about. She then writes a book about John Loroche, played by Chris Cooper, who has a passion for flowers. Susan Orlean writes about John’s life while not being able to live her own. They both did a great job portraying these characters especially Chris Cooper who won an Oscar for his portrayal of John Laroche.

This movie is a hard one to criticize. Most of the film, we get to experience the way Charlie Kaufman lives.  It was slow, boring, and depressing. Until that last act came, where Charlie seeks the help of Donald, the movie then suddenly gets faster and falls into a whole lot of Hollywood clichés which is the way Donald would adapt his screenplay. Basically the film was separated into two parts, the first is the Charlie part, slow and depressing, and the Donald part, fast, silly, over the top, and sometimes fun.

It was hard for me to truly enjoy the movie. It was too slow at times and too fast at times. There was nothing in the middle. But I think this is the way the writer, Charlie Kaufman, wanted his film to be; to be a parody of big Hollywood blockbusters. Although, it was hard for me to enjoy this movie, the movie had a huge impact on me; the message the film is sending and the characters in this movie. Everything is so intriguing and thought provoking. 

The theme and sub themes of this movie are so intriguing that I didn’t even care if I enjoyed the movie. I was fascinated by the real Charlie Kaufman, the way he chose to write his movie. He is a genius. This script is purely original. Charlie is so absorbed into searching for meaning, purpose, structure, and recognition that he forgets to actually live. He analyzes life. He thinks about what he should do in situations but doesn’t have the courage to do it. While Susan tried to see why John is so passionate about these flowers, but in the end, she just found that it was meaningless to her.

 I think what the movie is trying to say is it was meaningless to find the ghost orchid. The ghost orchid symbolizes the goal of any passionate life. However, Susan’s ghost orchid wasn’t about flowers. There are different “ghost orchid” for everyone. And to find the ghost orchid, it must come from out heart. You are what you love not what loves you.

There is always someone in the world that you want to be. You don’t want to be your old boring self as Charlie turns to his twin brother and loses his originality. Donald then adapts his book the way he would have adapted. This film is also about being true to yourself, be proud about who you are as everybody is different and unique in their own ways.  You are the main character in your life, not anybody else.

But to be true to yourself is often times a hard thing to do. There is always someone or something that will want to hold you down. The writer of this movie symbolizes this by creating the character of Donald. In my opinion, Donald represents the demands of Hollywood. As it is so hard to be original in Hollywood these days, writers and directors just cave in and turn into a clichéd and boring film maker who makes movies for money.

What I admire about Charlie Kaufman is that the statement I mentioned above is certainly not the case with him. He always comes up with pure and original ideas with his films including: Eternal sunshine the spotless mind, Synecdoche New York, and this film. This film is so twisted around the idea of reality and fiction that it has me confused sometimes. Charlie Kaufman creates himself as the main character. He then adapts screenplay about adapting screenplay. That’s just how much original Charlie Kaufman is.

As I mentioned, the film has so many heartfelt themes and subthemes. It had an impact on me after watching the film. But the fact still remains, I didn’t enjoy this movie while watching the movie. I did enjoy it to a certain extent, but not that much. I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I wasn’t able to enjoy both the message of the film and the actual film. But all in all, Adaptation is still a solid, well directed, and certainly well-written film. It’s an original piece of work by Charlie Kaufman. I urge you to see all of Charlie Kaufman’s written work and directorial work. He is one of the remaining filmmakers in the industry that is still original today.