Reviews by BAMF

Initial Thought: I really like Brad Bird especially with The Incredibles which he needs to hurry up and make a sequel to! So when I saw this I knew I had to check it out. The cast and story really caught my eye too. It wasn't something I would run to the theaters for though. I guess that's why I'm just now checking it out. Also a lot of my time is consumed with work and stuff. Either way it's time to see if this should have been better than a box office flop or not.

Characters/Acting: I'm surprised by how many people in this have also been in Smallville or Supernatural or both. This cast here is quite fantastic. You have it from George Clooney to Keegan Michael Key. Raffey Cassidy is absolutely adorable here as Athena. She is most definitely my favorite character in the whole movie. I find it very interesting that many Youtube stars are actually getting parts or even cameos in films a lot lately. They got fairly well known actors to play the parents of our main characters, yet they had such little screen time I felt they were cameos. I really like Britt Robertson and she doesn't disappoint here. George Clooney and Hugh Laurie absolutely did not disappoint here. I mean come on they are pretty legendary. Keegan Michael Key is so underrated. I found him quite funny here. I found everyone here entertaining even if their roles were so minor.

Story: Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory. I like how it starts off between two different ways of telling the story that would eventually end up the same way. There were elements here that seemed so familiar while others were foreign with originality. It seems this is the step forward with Disney as it's getting intense with it's storylines while still keeping the humor. The futuristic environment was pretty nifty to look at especially the giant pool set up. If only the world is advanced as the movies usually show them to be. It had some funny moments. There are some pretty good action sequences. Athena kind of reminds me of Hit-Girl with her fighting skills. There were a few twists and turns I wasn't expecting to see happen here. The ending was pretty good and has me hopeful they will still make a sequel.

Directing/Writing: Brad Bird has always been a fun director and writer. His directorial debut with Iron Giant was absolutely amazing. That is by far one of my all time favorites growing up. To me his worst movie was Ratatouille, but that honestly isn't even a bad movie. It just isn't a favorite of mine. As of the movies he has out I can officially say I've seen just about all of his work. I absolutely love Damon Lindelof as well. His writing is just Grade A material in my opinion just about all the time. The only exception was Lost which was still awesome though to be honest. This is the only work from Jeff Jensen though so I hope he collaborated well with these two. Everyone here worked well together for a enjoyable watch.

Final Thoughts: I really hope this defies the odds and gets a sequel. I really enjoyed this one and there is obviously more to tell. I enjoy futuristic films and this one is no different for me. I definitely think this movie is underrated and should have been given a fair chance. I recommend those who haven't seen it yet to just try it. It isn't bad at all.

Initial Thought: I remember seeing Searching for Bobby Fischer many years ago and loving it. I was sort of disappointed that it hadn't actually been about the infamous chess player. It did make up for it though. This however I've been looking forward to ever since the trailer. It looked amazing and to be Tobey Maguire's best performance to date.

Characters/Acting: The main cast are pretty excellent choices. I was also surprised to see some of the bit parts played by pretty good actors like Young Joan. So Tobey Maguire was absolutely amazing as Bobby Fischer. In my opinion he is deserving of an Oscar nomination here. I'm usually kind of indifferent to him, but he really showed range with this role. Liev Schreiber didn't do much for me here to be honest. He was just here and although his performance was good. Boris wasn't really all that interesting of a character in my opinion. Peter Sarsgaard was my favorite here with his charismatic performance. His character adds a bit of needed humor as well as a fun personality to watch. Michael Stuhlbarg seems to be playing the guy who gets picked on by the geniuses lately in films. Here I kind of felt bad for him when he just simply wanted to help.

Story: American chess legend Bobby Fischer and Soviet Grandmaster Boris Spassky enthrall the world with their intense battle of wills and strategy during the 1972 World Chess Championship. The progression of genius clashing with insanity was so intriguing. I like how realistic they made his breakdowns like the phone clicks and such. I never really knew how much of a prick he was though. It seems that a lot of intelligent people think little of others and therefore treat them like crap. I mean take a look at Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. I would have liked to see the match between him and the Father. Also I found it interesting how they did the matches at the end. I liked how the ending showed us the rest of what happened in his life through old clips and such. It makes me wonder how he had himself under control for the film Searching for Bobby Fischer.

Directing/Writing: Edward Zwick is a really well off director. The only movie of his I actually hated was The Last Samurai. I honestly can't remember why, but I was much younger and probably just bored with it. Every other film of his I consider amongst favorites. This is the first movie written by Steven Knight that I would say is amazing. Everything else is pretty good or just average. I haven't seen movies from neither Stephen J. Rivele nor Christopher Wilkinson, but they do have some pretty popular ones in their repertoire.

Final Thought: This was a pretty awesome watch. Tobey Maguire really proved himself a contender here. I never thought very much of him until now. I definitely recommend this if you are a fan of chess or even Tobey Maguire. It was entertaining from start to finish. There was honestly never a dull moment.

Initial Thought: I don't really know honestly many reasons why I'm watching this. The main reasons are for Degrassi stars in horror and Robert Patrick. He seems to be doing a few Indie horrors these days with those stars. The poster isn't even all that interesting. I haven't heard many good things about it either. Either way I'm still watching it.

Characters/Acting: Chloe Rose and Luke Bilyk of Degrassi fame are my main concern to watch this. Robert Patrick is just an added plus to watch this in my opinion. I didn't realize Rossif Sutherland is yet another brother of Kiefer Sutherland who actually acts. Chloe was pretty amazing here. I can honestly say she has never disappointed me with her work. Robert Patrick of course continues to be a great actor.

Story: A teenager must survive a Halloween night from Hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. It has some psychological horror elements to it. It also feels like hints of The Strangers meets Halloween with kids. It started off well and then slowly began to lose it's mind. It did have a few good moments, but they are very scattered. I think I understood the ending, but I'm not entirely sure to be honest.

Directing/Writing: Oh this is from the director of Pontypool! No wonder people don't understand this. It was probably a different sort of horror like that one was. Pascal Trottier is also an awesome writer after seeing the supremely underrated The Colony. I didn't get the significance of the pink tint here. It didn't seem to add to the story, but kind of took away from it. From these two guys who made work I really enjoyed I was rather disappointed.

Final Thoughts: So that was a big mindfuck of a movie. Not sure what to really think of it as a whole. It's definitely super creepy with the music and the kids though. The only thing that really kept me watching was the acting and hopefully understanding the whole thing in the end. The latter didn't happen unfortunately. I wouldn't recommend this unless maybe you are on drugs or something like that.

Initial Thought: Oh my gosh! I have been waiting for this to come out forever! I've been excited about this since day one. The trailer only heightened my excitement. I haven't been able to check it out on release day, but now I finally have a little free time. I'm so excited. No more time to waste!

Characters/Acting: There is a nice selection of actors here with Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Jorge Garcia to name a few. Man I absolutely love all the characters here. Never saw Rainn Wilson taking on a badass character, but he actually pulled it off. Leigh Whannell's character was odd, but definitely amusing. He kind of reminded me of Brick Tamland from Anchorman. Alison Pill looks way more attractive than I usually find her. I even thought the kids were pretty fun.

Story: A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives. So the opening was kind of funny and yet a bit illogical. No matter about it though I am still entertained. The zombie idea here was very original. They are smart, fast, and can infect quite easily. They are probably some of the most dangerous kinds of zombies for this. I thought the gore with the kids was actually pretty tasteful while still being gross. There were maybe a few instances where they actually showed them get messed up. The last like twenty minutes were pretty golden. I never had a clue how it would end. Also make sure to stay after the credits for a little added joke.

Directing/Writing: This is the first film from Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion. They have some good writer/directors along with them that probably helped through a lot of the journey. You have the pretty good Indie director/writer Josh C. Waller who brought about Raze. We also have Ian Brennan who is known for his comedy chops with Glee. Then of course Leigh Whannell who has worked on the Saw saga and pretty much anything James Wan is involved with. These guys pulled together to make such a great and entertaining team. I surely hope if a sequel is made everyone here returns for it.

Final Thoughts: Man this was pretty fun! It wasn't quite what I was expecting though. That didn't really affect my joy for it though. The characters are all great in their own ways. It was totally worth the wait. I really hope a sequel gets made in some way. If you don't mind the dark humor that should be expected with a zombie children movie then I highly recommend checking this out!

Initial Thought: I didn't know this was a television series. I actually assumed it was based off of a book. Anyways I highly enjoy Kit Harington. So I decided I would go ahead and check this out.

Characters/Acting: It has a somewhat decent mixture of British actors. Among them I favor Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, and Elyes Gabel. The others are decent, but they really don't spark immediate interest. To my knowledge this has characters from the show as well as new characters for the film. Kit Harington was pretty awesome here. I wonder if he will ever play someone with short hair though haha. Peter Firth continues the recent tradition of making older actors come off as badasses. Elyes Gabel does make a pretty good villain. He isn't the type to really hold back which makes him pretty intense.

Story: When a terrorist escapes custody during a routine handover, Will Crombie must team with disgraced MI5 Intelligence Chief Harry Pearce to track him down before an imminent terrorist attack on London. I get that feeling of Mission: Impossible meets Bourne Identity meets James Bond. It's possibly due to the fact that it's British and deals with espionage haha. While it kind of feels like those three films it doesn't have quite as much action. It's more of the essence and similar plotlines. There are many twists and turns throughout. Some of which are very unexpected. The ending was very well done.

Directing/Writing: I haven't seen any films directed by Bharat Nalluri, but I have seen a few episodes of Torchwood which were awesome. The writers here are all part of the television series. I hope they have a good format for filming like the Entourage group did. So while I never watched the show. Just like Entourage they actually did make a movie that both fans and unfamiliars could enjoy.

Final Thoughts: Okay so this was a pretty damn good watch. It has a good mixture of espionage and great storytelling. The characters are likable and well written. I kind of wish it had a quicker pace to it, but that's just a minor quip I had with it. I don't know about the show so I wouldn't be able to say if it relates well to those fans. For people who haven't and probably won't see the show I do recommend giving it a shot.

Initial Thought: I've been having this on my to watch list for quite awhile. I just never got around to checking it out. I finally decided to go for it due to the interesting plot and cast.

Characters/Acting: With a cast that includes Brittany Murphy and Michael Biehn how can you not be interested? It even has DJ Qualls, Jesse Bradford, and Gabriel Mann. All of whom I've enjoyed the works of. I would have like a bit more of DJ Qualls here. Brittany Murphy played such a great scream queen. I wish she could have been in more horror.

Story: In the small town of Cherry Falls a masked murderer is killing off the virgins of the local high school. So basically the opposite of pretty much every horror movie plot. I say that's pretty genius. Most of the kills are pretty basic and don't have much originality to them. I loved the twist reveal. The way they did it here was quite amusing. The last ten minutes are actually kind of exhilarating. I think this should have gotten a sequel. It obviously can't now unless they go in with a whole new cast.

Directing/Writing: I've never seen a Geoffrey Wright movie until now. I do however have Romper Stomper on my to watch list as well. This seems to be the only writing credit for Ken Selden. I wonder why that is. There are bits of the writing here that are kind of ludicrous like when someone asks their father if they are ashamed they are a virgin. I mean most of it is written fairly decent especially with the plot twists.

Final Thoughts: I actually really enjoyed this. That's mostly due to a well put together cast and a fairly original concept. The only thing I really found lackluster were the kills. Most of them were either off-screen or pretty brief. I think if you are a fan of slashers with a bit of originality then this one is worth checking out at least once.

Initial Thought: I never watched the series. I've always had an interest in it though. So when the movie came out I planned to check it out. I don't really have a good reason. I just prefer movies over shows occasionally. If this is good enough though I do plan to check out the series at some point in time.

Characters/Acting: I have no idea who the characters are obviously, but I am familiar with the actors. I do enjoy who I see here along with the countless awesome cameos. I like that a lot of people play fictional versions of themselves here. Some are quite hilarious while others I wish would go away. I'm really not a fan of Emily Ratajkowski for example. I just find her really overrated.I mean they go as far as to make the conflict of the movie be that everyone wants her. I would have to say Ari and Drama are my favorites of the entourage.

Story: Movie star Vincent Chase, together with his boys Eric, Turtle, and Johnny, are back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold on a risky project that will serve as Vince's directorial debut. I always enjoy a humorous look or pretty much any look into the world of Hollywood. Also I get a kick out of all the pop culture references I recognize. Okay so I really want to see the fake movie Vince made here. While this is an enjoyable movie I'm sure that one would be quite exciting too! The comedy blends pleasantly with the drama here. There are a few good plot points, but the overall plot was a bit goofy. It doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the film though. I thought the ending was a nice touch. There is a scene midway into the credits that was a nice touch.

Directing/Writing: Doug Ellin of course helms the movie made in continuation from his television series. Rob Weiss who wrote some of the series also returns to write this film continuation. I really haven't seen anything else from these two though. I definitely plan to see the show now. They've pulled me in with the fun and interesting story they pulled here.

Final Thoughts: So as a person with no real knowledge of the show I'm definitely intrigued. I actually thought this was pretty awesome. The cameos were cool and fun. The characters were all really likable. It seems like most fans of the series think of it as just a longer episode. For me I saw it as a well done film. I definitely recommend giving this one a look.

Initial Thought: I decided to go ahead and watch another Wes Craven film in dedication. Plus it's a take on zombies which are my favorite. So it should be interesting to see how they are depicted in this. Also you can't go wrong with a young Bill Pullman.

Characters/Acting: Good ole Bill Pullman when he was only starting off. It's always interesting to see really well known actors in their earlier horror film roles. Paul Winfield is always interesting to watch. Michael Gough whom I mostly know about because he played Alfred Pennyworth in Tim Burton's Batman films is here. So with a cast that includes these guys I expect enjoyable performances. Why have I not discovered Cathy Tyson before this. She is a stunning woman for sure.

Story: An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies. Ah this has voodoo zombies. Some of the craziest of zombie lore if you ask me. These aren't the typical kind of zombies. They are the more realistic definition of their kind. Visually this was very intriguing. The ending was quite strange. This kind of seemed like Nightmare on Elm Street except with Haitian voodoo being the culprit.

Directing/Writing: So obviously this is from the Legend Wes Craven. It also happens to be inspired from a book by Wade Davis who is known for a few Haitian voodoo zombie books. This is written by Richard Maxwell and Adam Rodman both of whom I've never heard of. This honestly doesn't feel like Wes Craven except maybe the dream sequences.

Final Thoughts: I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this one. It was freaky that's for sure. It wasn't what I was expecting it to be though at all. It does make me a little bit nervous of ever visiting Haiti. This may not be for everyone. It wasn't bad, but I probably won't be watching this again though.

Initial Thought: I don't understand why there are three of these. They all follow different characters. They are linked by pretty much name only and dealing with 12 rounds of something or other. The first one was kind of lame with only a few saving graces. The second one was actually a little bit better. I'm hoping this surprises me and ends up even better. I mean WWE has been rising up on their skills with filmmaking lately.

Characters/Acting: Daniel Cudmore and Ty Olsson give me a little bit of hope acting wise. Lochlyn Munro on the other hand could go either way. He tends to make poor choices in film. It seems with each sequel the more well known actors become less. The acting for the most party it is pretty good. There are a few moments that seem to be lacking slightly though. I wasn't sure I would like Dean Ambrose, but he actually does give a nice charismatic performance. Roger R. Cross kind of plays the typical kind of villain. He does play it well though.

Story: Framed for a homicide by his fellow officers, a detective (Dean Ambrose) tries to expose the conspiracy to clear his good name. It's a pretty generic sounding plot if you ask me. The whole 12 rounds plot is completely changed up this time around. Instead of challenges it deals with 12 rounds in the main character's gun. That kind of disappointed me a little bit. They ended up making it a rather interesting plot device. The action is pretty good here. It has a few twists here and there. Some of which are kind of expected while others surprise.

Directing/Writing: Each entry in this trilogy is directed and written by someone new. This time we have Stephen Reynolds who wrote and directed Vendetta with Danny Dyer as the lead. I admit to being a fan of his, but I have never seen that movie. Nathan Brookes and Bobby Lee Darby who wrote See No Evil 2 spawn this piece of work. With that in mind I really am gaining hope for this movie. I enjoyed that film quite a bit. So I knew I would enjoy this and the team behind it proved that. They just seem to know how to make a decent sequel. Stephen Reynolds directed everything well for being rather unknown and not extremely experienced.

Final Thoughts: Even though it's formulaic and cheesy I actually really enjoyed this. It was cheesy at the right moments. It also seems to prove my point that these movies get better with each entry. Don't go in expecting it to be the same concept though as the first two. At this rate if they make a fourth one I expect it to be on my favorites haha. Anyways if you like WWE films and get a kick out of a little cheese with your action go for it.

Initial Thought: I didn't watch a Wes Craven film in dedication to him yet. So I chose this one because it was in my queue. I've always been a little curious about it and it does have the awesome Ving Rhames. Anyways it has its mixed reviews, but I figured why not see for myself.

Characters/Acting: It doesn't have too many people I recognize other than by the films they are in. It does however have the extremely familiar Ving Rhames and Bill Cobbs. Sean Whalen even got his start with this film. Mommy and Daddy were a creepy as duo of villains. Whenever Daddy put on the weird bondage outfit I kept wondering what the hell these two got going on. It shares a little bit in my opinion with that of The Hills Have Eyes (also a feature from Craven). I really enjoyed Fool as the main character. Most of the time little kids in these kinds of films are just ordinary. He on the other hand gave it a little extra. I really liked Roach and Leroy. They were pleasant to watch.

Story: Two adults and a juvenile burglar break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children and can't escape. This was a truly interesting little watch. It had some jump scares, unexpected twists and turns, a decent amount of gore, and some crazy dark humor. I wish most of the action wasn't with guns and the death scenes were a little more creative. It doesn't take away from the fun of the movie though. The ending was pretty much what I expected to happen, but it was fun to see how it came to be.

Directing/Writing: It is written and directed by legendary horror icon Wes Craven. If you haven't heard of him or seen anything by him you must be living under a rock. He is usually a pretty awesome creator with the Scream series and starting off the Nightmare on Elm Street Saga. He has had his bumps like the awful Cursed film.

Final Thoughts: This was an exciting feature. I am surprised by how underrated it is. It definitely screams early Wes Craven. It's fun, funny, and has a decent body count. If you enjoy Wes Craven's work I think this is worth a watch.