Archive

Posts Tagged ‘walt disney pictures’

Fright Night

August 19th, 2011
Fright Night 

 

Fright Night

Rating: ★★★★½

Movie: Fright Night (2011)

Studio : Walt Disney/DreamWorks

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 106 min

Website : welcometofrightnight.com

Rating : R

Trailer : YouTube Preview Image



Review:

Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) has his suspicions that his next door neighbor Jerry (Colin Ferrell) is not quite what he seems. Sure, he’s charming and debonair, but his nightly activities are not exactly what you’d expect from a gentleman. And Charlie soon realizes that he may be a vampire, but no one will take the young lad seriously, not his mother (Toni Collette), his popular girlfriend (Imogen Poots). The only one is his best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who is actually the first to suspect something isn’t right. And so Charlie enlists the help of a Las Vegas magician and vampire expert (David Tennant) to rid the world of this creature of the night before it destroys the town and his family and friends.

I really enjoyed the cult classic 27 years ago and as I sat down in the theater, I grumbled something about ruining another memory for me, but I decided to keep an open mind. And I have to say that this remake did do the original 1983 film justice actually. It was not incredibly scary or gory film. If you are expecting Jason or Freddie type antics, then this isn’t it. But then neither was the original. They are both based more on suspense and the cat and mouse game played by Charlie and Jerry, but with a dose of hearty laughter and fun thrown in to keep the fear factor down to a minimum. Besides, being distributed by Disney, even though it’s a DreamWorks film, you knew it wouldn’t be too over the top.

Marti Noxon is a name you may recognize from another vampire project, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the series), where she worked with Josh Whedon, and in this film, you can see that that experience comes through in a script that is both scary and funny. In fact, I really did feel like I was watching an episode of Buffy, sans Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Scooby gang. But since I always liked that combination, I rather enjoyed it here.

Colin Farrell, IMO, did a much better job than Chris Sarandon did in the original. Sarandon played the part a bit too stuffy, while Farrell was able to bring a much more calm, much more subtle intensity to the character. Oddly enough, the role was originally supposed to go to Heath Ledger, who died before they could get started. And so Farrell got the part. It’s not the first time that Farrell has been part of the cast after the death of Ledger. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was Ledger’s last film and when he died in the midst of filming, the director had the idea to replace him with several different actors at different places in the movie such as Johnny Depp and Farrell.

Young Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots did well at their roles, although neither really stood out that much. Christopher Mintz-Plasse does a good job of providing a lot of the comic relief in the movie as the nerdish friend, which he is excellent at portraying.

The 3D was frightful in some places, although I do think that you could see the movie fine in 2D and not be too incredibly disappointed at the results.

All in all, we really did like this new version and thus give it a 4.5/5. It’s a solid afternoon or evening of fun and a bit of fright that will truly entertain. Sure, we did like some of the original better, but this one has a lot to go for it on its own and is actually a worthwhile remake.

Comedy, Horror , , , , , , , ,

The Help

August 13th, 2011
The Help 

 

The Help

Rating: ★★★★★

Movie: The Help (2011)

Studio : Dreamworks SKG

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 137 min

Website : thehelpmovie.com

Rating : PG-13

Trailer : YouTube Preview Image



Review:

On the brink of the civil rights movement in the south, a young college socialite named Skeeter (Emma Stone) asks Aibileen (Viola Davis), her friend’s African American maid, to share her life story after seeing her mistreated by the family. At first Aibileen is hesitant as the black culture frowned upon such association and speaking up at the time, but she bravely defies their advice and tells her tale. As her life unfolds before Skeeter, who transcribes it as she speaks, they become friends. And the revelations that are revealed by this woman and her outspoken friend (Octavia Spencer) ruffle the small Mississippi town’s perceptions on race and the treatment of humankind. Read more…

Documentary, Drama, In Theaters , , , , , , , , ,

Prom

May 4th, 2011
Prom 

 

Prom

Rating: ★★★½☆

Movie: Prom (2011)

Studio : Walt Disney Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 103 min

Website : https://disney.go.com/disneypictures/prom

Rating : PG

Trailer :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfx5j4


Review:

The big night is approaching for a group of high school seniors, each with their own trial and tribulations over the most important event of their lives. Prom is what Nova (Aimee Teegarten) has always dreamed about and she pictures the perfect night with the perfect guy. And she is determined as class president and head of the prom committee to make that happen, but when the guy she hopes will ask simply wants to carpool and not bring her to the dance, it turns her world upside down. All her planning may be for naught if she doesn’t even have a date. And to make matters worse, the principal assigns a trouble making, yet handsome loner Jesse (Thomas McDonell) who doesn’t believe in prom to help her or not graduate. Can this mismatched pair wind up finding happiness and will Nova get her happy ending? You’ll just have to see. Meanwhile other students are also getting ready for the dance of the year, but their quest is not without issues either. Mei (Yin Chang) and Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon) find that there are revelations that are revealed that threaten their relationship. And of course, no movie about a dance would be complete without the one bumbling nerd like character Lucas (played this time by Nolan Sotillo) who will do anything to get a date at all. Read more…

Drama, Family, In Theaters , , , , , , , , , ,