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Ross (3284 KP) rated Once upon a Time in Mexico (2003) in Movies

Dec 19, 2017  
Once upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Once upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
2003 | Action, Drama
9
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Johnny Depp's CIA agent (0 more)
Willem Dafoe's Mexican accent (0 more)
The third instalment in the Mariachi trilogy (which I still don't quite agree with as El Mariachi and Desperado were basically the same film but with the title character being weak/strong) sees El happily together with Salma Hayek but on the run from banditos who finally tracked him down. Opening silly action sequence where they climb down a building while chained at the wrist and escape on top of a bus. Johnny Depp appears as a very naughty CIA agent, who is constantly building up empires/governments to watch them fall and profiting from the spoils. He becomes embroiled in Willem Defoe's coup of the Mexican Culiacan region, meanwhile tries to even out the balance in Mexico by killing all chefs whose Puerco Pibil is too good or not good enough.
Roles for Mickey Rourke as a fugitive, Enrique Eglesias as a down on his luck mariachi gigolo, Cheech Marin as ... Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo as ... Danny Trejo give this film a strong cast and a familiar Rodriguez film.
Further silly action scenes, exploding / remote controlled guitar cases and double/triple crossing complete an excellent fun ride of a film where belief has to be suspended.
(2)   
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Oliver & Company (1988) in Movies

Mar 12, 2020  
Oliver & Company (1988)
Oliver & Company (1988)
1988 | Animation, Family
7
7.5 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Cats and Dogs
This is a intesting fact that i didnt realze until now, that James Mangold wrote the screenplay for this movie.

The plot: In this animated update of the classic "Oliver Twist" tale, Oliver (Joey Lawrence) is an orphaned kitten taken in by a gang of thieving dogs, led by cavalier canine Dodger (Billy Joel) and owned by down-and-out pickpocket Fagin (Dom DeLuise). While pulling a job in the streets of New York City, Oliver winds up being adopted by a rich girl, Jenny (Natalie Gregory), and landing on easy street. But through a series of events, a loan shark threatens the peaceful new arrangement.

This is one of the weirdest cast ever. You have Joey Lawerence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin and Bette Midler. Such a weird cast.

Other than that, its a good movie.
(4)   
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Book of Life (2014) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019  
The Book of Life (2014)
The Book of Life (2014)
2014 | Animation, Romance
7
7.7 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Book of Life is an animated film with some big names lending their voices to the characters.

Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Cheech Marin, Kate del Castillo, and Ron Perlman are all part of the voice cast.

The movie had lots of movement, tons of bright colours, and great music.

The story was good, but I think maybe a bit ‘too much’ for children my sons age (6). He seemed to like it, despite some of the moments that made him uncomfortable or scared.

The tale is of good vs bad and bravado vs true courage and life long friendships.

This movie takes place in long-ago Mexico and revolves around The Day of the Dead. Two boys, one an aspiring bull fighter and guitar player named Manolo (Diego Luna) and one a would-be champion and defender of the town named Joaquin (Channing Tatum), are in love with the same girl, a feisty girl named Maria (Zoe Saldana).

We follow their life paths as the gods above, La Muerta and Xibalba, place wagers on the outcome of the love triangle.

Xibalba cheats in order to win the bet, and the remainder if the film is spent watching Manolo trying to reunite with his true love, Maria.

The movie is fast paced and the music really helps bring it together and help tell the tale.

I would give this movie 3.5 out of 5 stars.
  
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Planet Terror (2007) in Movies

Jan 22, 2021  
Planet Terror (2007)
Planet Terror (2007)
2007 | Action, Comedy, Horror
8
7.2 (22 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
If you seek a movie so absurdly over the top in almost every regard, then look no further.

Planet Terror is a glorious throwback to practical driven and blood soaked video nasties of the 70s and 80s, is super stylized to the point of self aware stupidity, and boasts a fantastic cast - a roll call of who's who in the cinema of Rodriguez/Tarantino.
Of course, Planet Terror is one half of the duos Grindhouse project, and for me, slightly takes the edge over Death Proof. Both films are great and gleefully brimming with tributes to the exploitative sub genre of its namesake, but Planet Terror is just balls to the wall fun, a blast from start to finish.
Its has badass female leads - Cherry Darling, a former go-go dancer with a gun-leg, and Dakota Block, a nurse who shoots trigger functioning syringes full of sedatives at anyone who pisses her off - Rose McGowan and Marley Shelton and both brilliant.
It has Bruce Willis mutating into God knows what. It has Tom Savini and Michael Biehn as zombie fighting sherrifs. It has Sayid from Lost collecting people's testicles in a pickle jar.
And Jesus Christ it has so. much. gore. It must have been a hell of a sticky set to work on to say the least.
To top it all off, it even opens with the now infamous Machete "trailer", with Danny Trejo and motherfucking Cheech Marin.

Planet Terror is a ride as soon as the opening credits start. An absolute must for any horror or grindhouse fan.
(2)   
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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Machete (2010) in Movies

Jan 19, 2018  
Machete (2010)
Machete (2010)
2010 | Action, Mystery
8
7.2 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Fun Watch
Machete was a bit of a miss for me. I understood the direction that directors Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez were heading for. I just didn't quite...get it. As a salesperson, I'm taught to push the "why", not the "how". For me, the "why" of this film left a lot to be desired.

It's not that I didn't like Machete, rather it didn't hook me. Half cheesy action film, half telenovela, it definitely has some shining moments. Danny Trejo (Machete) plays a tough badass as he does in most films. His hardcore attitude makes him instantly lovable and they give him more attitude than ever in this role. Not only does he destroy a lot of tough guys, he manages to find time to slay the ladies as well. Oh yes, the ladies love Machete and Machete loves the ladies.

Props to Robert De Niro as well in his role as The Senator. Hearing his country accent makes you almost forgot this was the same guy that said, "You talkin' to me?" (Taxi Driver is on my list for this October!). You're supposed to hate him as he plays a villain, but you can't help but love him at the same time.

A handful of action sequences left me with raised eyebrows. My favorite in particular was Cheech Marin in the church with the double shotgun action. Talk about money!

Fun movie and worth at least one watch. Seeing Machete seek revenge on The Senator after being double-crossed (the plot) managed to keep me entertained but not quite jumping-for-joy excited. I give it a solid 76.
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Machete (2010) in Movies

Jul 27, 2020  
Machete (2010)
Machete (2010)
2010 | Action, Mystery
7
7.2 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
B-Movie Exploitation Film
Machete- is a intresting B-Movie Exploitation action film. I like how Machete was in Spy Kids and that film was PG and now this film is R. Just like how he want easy and really did no killing in spy kids and in this one is full blooded revenge person.

Instead, during the filming of Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse, Rodriguez shot lobby cards and sequences from parts of the original script in 2006 for a fake trailer featuring Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Jeff Fahey.

Jessica Alba won a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress, along with her other roles in The Killer Inside Me, Little Fockers and Valentine's Day.

The plot: After nearly being killed during a violent fight with a powerful drug lord, a former Mexican Federale known as Machete (Danny Trejo) roams Texas streets as a vigilante and sometime day-laborer. Hired to perform a covert hit, he is double-crossed and forced to go on the run. Machete may be down, but not out, and he carves a path of blood, bullets and broken hearts in his quest to settle the score.

The supporting cast is intresting and never thought that this people would work together. For Example Steven Seagal, Linsday Lohan, Don Johnson and Robert De Niro all working together. Never thought that any of these people would work together. Well i could see Don Johnson and Robert De Niro working together. But the rest, nope. But it did and it actually worked really well.

Its a fun action B-Movie exploitation film.
(5)   
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Machete (2010) in Movies

Aug 8, 2019  
Machete (2010)
Machete (2010)
2010 | Action, Mystery
9
7.2 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
This is the film your parents did not want you to see as a child. Violent, vulgar, and more than a little offensive Machete is shocking, not just for the eyes but also to moral sensibilities. Yet, it is also undeniably funny.

This make believe movie trailer highlighted in the movie Grindhouse was, due to its popularity, turned into a full length feature packed with ridiculous fight scenes and some of the most simplistic dialogue of any modern action film. The visuals stay with you. The action is impressive. This is not just another trip to the movies but a wild chaotic journey at the end of a giant blade.

Director and co-author, Robert Rodriguez, has mixed classic Tarantino styling, the wild world of B movies, and his own flair for dramatic character creation to create a film that is violently astonishing. The fight scenes are engaging from weapon selection all the way to last man standing, and do I really need to tell you who that man is? Of, course not.
Machete is not just your typical anti-hero, he is the vision of an anti-hero with ladies and one-liners in tow. While Danny Trejo (Machete) steals the show he is not the only big name appearing on this cast list. The film is packed with stars such as Jessica Alba (Sartana), Michelle Rodriguez (Luz), and Lindsey Lohan (April), who all play critical characters in this bizarre tale. And so far as the men go, there are also quality performances from Robert De Niro (Senator McLaughlin), Don Johnson (Lt. Stillman), Steven Segal (Torrez) and Cheech Marin (Padre).

Moreover, it is not a stretch to say that this film abruptly addresses some significant stereotypes. In fact Machete doesn’t just confront these issues, it wields a large blade of sarcasm in their direction. Giving a new base line for “over the top,” Machete is sure to be a hit with anyone who is not easily offended.
  
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) in Movies

Jan 23, 2021  
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
1996 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
8
7.8 (35 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
From Dusk Till Dawn is a good enough Tarantino/Rodriguez style crime caper for the first hour, carried by its cast and polar opposite characters. On one side of the coin, there's the wholesome Fuller family, played by Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and Ernest Liu. These characters are the good guys if you will, with just enough development given to be on their team. The other side of the coin serves us the Gecko brothers, played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino, two criminals who take the Fullers hostage on their way to Mexico. These two are fucking deplorable, Richie (Tarantino) being a dangerous psychopath with no regard for human life, and Seth (Clooney) just being an arrogant asshat who flits between condemning his brothers behaviour and encouraging it. They're so damn unlikable, but when the five characters are together, it provides us with an electric dynamic, one where they end up depending on eachother to survive.
Other than that, it's good enough. Sure it's stylish, but it's not a scratch on Pulp Fiction or Desperado in what's it's trying to be.

But then the twist kicks in, and Christ does this movie ascend to near greatness. When the Fullers and Geckos arrive in Mexico and head to The Titty Twister bar, shit hits the fan pretty quick, and it goes from good enough crime movie, to all out sticky gross gore filled vampire horror show in seconds. The mix of practical effects and CG is wonderfully balanced, and the aesthetic is hugely reminiscent of Evil Dead II. It's no surprise to see Greg Nicotero among the credits.
This second half is just a whole boat of fun, and is the reason why FDTD is rightly considered a cult classic. Tarantinos screenplay is great (casually ignoring the fact he wrote himself into a scene where he could have Salma Hayeks toes in his mouth) and the addition of actors such as Hayek, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Tom Savini, and Fred Williamson for this tongue-in-cheek, splatter fest of a third act is the cherry on top.

From Dusk Till Dawn is a blast for sure. Its stumbles here and there, but is another fine entry in the Robert Rodriguez catalogue.
(1)   
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Coco (2017) in Movies

Sep 29, 2021  
Coco (2017)
Coco (2017)
2017 | Adventure, Animation
10
8.4 (143 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
An animated masterpiece? I should Coco!
I had no great expectations of this film. In fact, I honestly went to see it solely because – with the lazy multiplex habit of milking films like Jedi, Jumanji and (God help us) Pitch Perfect 3 – this was the only film at my local cinemas that I hadn’t seen. But wow… just wow!

For this is a masterpiece, and with the Oscar nominations released yesterday, it almost seems a crime that it wasn’t included in the Best Picture list (it must surely follow its Golden Globes win and snatch the Best Animated film category… although I admit that “Loving Vincent” clearly looks like it took a lot more work!).

Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) lives in the quaint Mexican village of Santa Cecilia with his extended shoe-making family, including his grandmother Abuelita (Renée Victor) and his wizened old great-grandmother Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía, via a brilliant piece of animation). Coco was a child from a broken home, with music being the cause of all the trouble, and this has led to a multi-generational ban that Abuelita polices with fierce passion. Unfortunately, Miguel “has the music in him”, idolising the – now deceased – singing sensation and matinee idol Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt, “Doctor Strange“). Desperate to perform in the Piazza talent contest, held during the evening of the “Day of the Dead” festival, Miguel takes destiny into his own hands…. which might prove fatal as he is dragged, alive and kicking, into the ‘land of the dead’.

The film is a thing of beauty. Some of the scenes: notably the candlelit graveyard, the “petal bridge” and the first sight of the land of the dead are done with such majesty and art that they take your breath away. Literally jaw dropping! (Try to make sure you see it on the big screen). So there are similarities here with “Blade Runner 2049” which also had images that could easily grace the walls of any art gallery in the world.

Where the film deviates from “Blade Runner” though is the original story by Lee Unkrich (who also directs), Adrian Molina (who co-directs), Jason Katz and Matthew Aldrich. Whereas the sci-fi reboot was a bit flaccid, story-wise, Coco develops in a surprisingly non-linear way. The story you think you are on suddenly does unexpected switchbacks and gets very deep indeed.

Deep? But this is a kids film right? Well, no, not really. Sure it has a lot of fun skeleton action, in the style of the re-constituting Olaf from “Frozen”, and a cute but mangy dog with a ridiculously long tongue. But the themes exposed here are FAR from childish. They encompass family, ambition, work/life balance, death and remembrance in such a fashion that parents exposing the film to young kids (I would think, up to 7 or 8 years old) should be ready with sensitive answers to “Mummy/Daddy, why…” questions so as to avoid significant anxiety and nightmares. The relationship between Miguel and his grandmother Abuelita, switching from violent outbursts to sudden loving hugs, might – I think – also confuse and disturb young children. Its UK certificate is “PG”, not “U”, for good reason.

So be prepared to cry. If you are anything like me, there will be a point in this film where you are desperately trying to recall the faces and voices of all of those people in your life that you have lost over the years. And some of the final jolts in this film will leave you almost as drained (almost!) as the start of “Up”.

As befits the subject matter there is a great score, with a mariachi feel, by Michael Giacchino, including a nice rendition of “When You Wish Upon A Star” over the Disney castle production logo. And there are some great songs, including the pivotal “Remember Me” which is now Oscar nominated.

Passport control at Heathrow was never like this.
Watch out for some nice cameo voice performances as well: Cheech Marin (from Cheech and Chong) plays the ‘border control’ officer, and Pixar regular John Ratzenberger (Hamm in “Toy Story”) turns up again playing Juan Ortodoncia, a character whose dentist fondly remembers him (LOL)!

With John Lasseter recently dragged into the #metoo scandal, and taking 6 months off to ponder on his “missteps”, one hopes this will not knock Pixar off its track too much. For with this evidence the studio shouldn’t keep trying to milk existing “Incredibles” and “Toy Story” franchises, but come up with more original entertainments like this. Because, for me, this rises into my top-three favourite Pixar films of all time (along with Toy Story and Wall-E).
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs Evil (2011) in Movies

Aug 7, 2019  
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs Evil (2011)
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs Evil (2011)
2011 | Animation, Comedy, Family
4
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Does anyone remember the original Hoodwinked movie? Nobody else does, either. Blue Yonder Films, the studio that brought you Doogal tries to pull another rabbit out of their hat by releasing a sequel to the twisted fairy-tale movie titled Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil. All of the original voice characters are present from the first film, except for Red (Anne Hathaway was replaced by Hayden Panettiere), and Kirk the Woodsman (Jim Belushi , who was replaced by Martin Short).

It doesn’t really matter if you’ve seen the first movie, as a storybook opening catches the audience up on the current situation. A short intro introduces the HEA (Happily Ever After Agency; shouldn’t that be HEAA?) staking out a Wicked Witch who is holding Hansel & Gretel (Bill Hader & Amy Poehler) hostage in her Gingerbread House. The main protagonist, Red Riding Hood (Panettiere) is off on training, and her former partner, The Big Bad Wolf (Patrick Warburton) is handling the situation with Granny (Glen Close).

Of course, the seemingly simple scenario changes to a conspiracy which has actually been masterminded by the hostages, in order to drag a secret from Granny. Granny is a part of the Sisterhood of Kung-Fu Bakers (the “Hood” in the film’s title), and possesses the recipe of a secret weapon known as the Super Truffle, which supposedly makes those who consume it invincible. The movie has a small army of all-star cast members, and each one makes the most of their parts.

Unfortunately nearly everything else in the film misses the mark, from the writing, direction, and even the animation. Many other computer-animated movies today feel a lot more organic, and although the visuals of this sequel are better than the first there are times when character movements appear more programmed than motion-captured. Most of the jokes in the movie require one to have lived during the 70s or 80s, and nearly all of them are groaners. Jokes like “Dog is your co-pilot”, and a backwards sign where “dyslexic” is clearly visible are just too obscure even for the average adult. Sure, this is a family movie that should have something for everyone, but the preview theater I was in had a large mix of children and their parents, and there was only one time when the audience laughed as a whole.

There are a few running gags that did receive a positive audience response. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong play two of the Three Little Pigs (hitmen for hire), and they received most of the genuine laughs. Another running gag was of a banjo-playing goat, who is constantly being fallen upon by other characters. This gag did get some chuckles, particularly from children, but was an obvious rip-off of “Scrat” from the Ice Age series, but just didn’t have the same charm. Most animated films either have amazing visuals, humor or heart, and the best ones blend these essentials together. Unfortunately none of these elements are present in Hoodwinked Too to make the audience feel for Red’s story, and the semi-warm victory at the end is simply “meh”.

You won’t be missing anything by skipping this film at the box office. It might be worth a rental when it comes out on DVD, but you and your family can still live a full and satisfying life without it.