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Darren (1599 KP) rated A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Tale of Two Sisters starts with Soo-mi Bae in a hospital with a doctor trying to convince her to tell her story. We flashback to when sisters Soo-mi Bae (Lim) and Soo-yeon Bae (Moon) move to the country home owned by their father Moo-hyeon Bae (Kim) and their new stepmother Eun-joo Heo (Yum).
The two sisters don’t like their new stepmother and to make matters worse the two discover that they are being haunted by a spirit, but is the spirit guiding them to uncover a truth or does it have another motive?
A Tale of Two Sisters really makes you wonder what is going on because once the big reveal happens you are left wondering what just happened. Everything is very well created with the suspense building up through the early part of the film and returning to the high level by the end of the film. This story does need a re-watch because you will want to check out everything that is finally reveal.
Actor Review
Kap-su Kim: Moo-hyeon Bae is the father of the family who does seem to end up becoming pretty much a background character to the three female characters. I feel this character falls to the background too much to get a high enough rating.
Jung-ah Yum: Eun-joo Heo is the stepmother of the family who doesn’t seem to like the two girls, she has a past that is hidden but once it gets discovered we see hat she is capable off. I think she makes for a very good menacing performance throughout while looking very normal to her husband.
Su-Jeong Lim: Soo-mi Bae is the eldest of the sisters who always protects her younger sister from the new stepmother, she learns more about the stepmother’s past but has past that ends up helping with the final reveal. This is a good performance showing the fear and the caring side being used throughout.
Geun-young Moon: Soo-Yeon Bae is the younger sister who always looks at her big sister for protection, constantly following her around the house, we learn about why she is being haunted and needing help as the film unfolds. This is good performance that ends up have a big secret.
Support Cast: A Tale of Two Sisters really doesn’t have much of a supporting cast but the very few we have all do what they need to do.
Director Review: Jee-woon Kim – Jee-woon gives us a very good horror that will keep you guessing until the very end where you will be left wonder what did happen.
Horror: A Tale of Two Sisters has real horror moments when they happen that will shock you.
Mystery: A Tale of Two Sisters creates a mystery about what is happening and what is the secret behind the stepmother.
Thriller: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps you guessing to what will happen by the end of the film.
Settings: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps all the action of the film in an isolated country house which adds to the horror because the girls have no where to go or no one to see.
Special Effects: A Tale of Two Sisters uses the effects for the haunting which are the only need for them.
Suggestion: A Tale of Two Sisters is one for the horror fans to try which is don’t go and watch remake first. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Girl at the end of the bed nightmare.
Worst Part: You will need to double check the twist.
Scariest Scene: Girl at the end of the bed.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Tagline: Every family has its dark secrets.
Overall: Horror film that is filled with suspense filled scares but a final twist that makes you wonder what really happened.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/12/25/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-a-tale-of-two-sisters-2003/
The two sisters don’t like their new stepmother and to make matters worse the two discover that they are being haunted by a spirit, but is the spirit guiding them to uncover a truth or does it have another motive?
A Tale of Two Sisters really makes you wonder what is going on because once the big reveal happens you are left wondering what just happened. Everything is very well created with the suspense building up through the early part of the film and returning to the high level by the end of the film. This story does need a re-watch because you will want to check out everything that is finally reveal.
Actor Review
Kap-su Kim: Moo-hyeon Bae is the father of the family who does seem to end up becoming pretty much a background character to the three female characters. I feel this character falls to the background too much to get a high enough rating.
Jung-ah Yum: Eun-joo Heo is the stepmother of the family who doesn’t seem to like the two girls, she has a past that is hidden but once it gets discovered we see hat she is capable off. I think she makes for a very good menacing performance throughout while looking very normal to her husband.
Su-Jeong Lim: Soo-mi Bae is the eldest of the sisters who always protects her younger sister from the new stepmother, she learns more about the stepmother’s past but has past that ends up helping with the final reveal. This is a good performance showing the fear and the caring side being used throughout.
Geun-young Moon: Soo-Yeon Bae is the younger sister who always looks at her big sister for protection, constantly following her around the house, we learn about why she is being haunted and needing help as the film unfolds. This is good performance that ends up have a big secret.
Support Cast: A Tale of Two Sisters really doesn’t have much of a supporting cast but the very few we have all do what they need to do.
Director Review: Jee-woon Kim – Jee-woon gives us a very good horror that will keep you guessing until the very end where you will be left wonder what did happen.
Horror: A Tale of Two Sisters has real horror moments when they happen that will shock you.
Mystery: A Tale of Two Sisters creates a mystery about what is happening and what is the secret behind the stepmother.
Thriller: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps you guessing to what will happen by the end of the film.
Settings: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps all the action of the film in an isolated country house which adds to the horror because the girls have no where to go or no one to see.
Special Effects: A Tale of Two Sisters uses the effects for the haunting which are the only need for them.
Suggestion: A Tale of Two Sisters is one for the horror fans to try which is don’t go and watch remake first. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Girl at the end of the bed nightmare.
Worst Part: You will need to double check the twist.
Scariest Scene: Girl at the end of the bed.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Tagline: Every family has its dark secrets.
Overall: Horror film that is filled with suspense filled scares but a final twist that makes you wonder what really happened.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/12/25/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-a-tale-of-two-sisters-2003/
Darren (1599 KP) rated All Cheerleaders Die (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: All Cheerleaders Die starts with a look at head cheerleader Alexis (Cooper) who literally thinks she has the whole school under her finger but while performing she dies. The girls hold auditions for new role in the squad which Alexis old friend Maddy takes a chance with a deeper quest to get her own revenge on Terry.
Once a member of the cheer-leading team we see how she starts pushing them away from the football stars including the captain Terry (Williamson) who ends up causing the deaths of members of the team, but when Leena (Smit-McPhee) a witch brings them back to life, but now they have a craving for human flesh and target Terry for the ultimate revenge.cheerleader
All Cheerleaders Die starts off very slowly for my liking trying to introduce the characters and tease at a massive revenge angle before anything happens. Once the cheerleaders get killed the film steps up and unloads all the horror comedy. I would like to see less from the start and more from the end because that is the part of the film you want to watch. I think this is a real entertaining film that really does keep you guessing just what will happen next.
Actor Review
Caitlin Stasey: Maddy is the newest addition to the cheer-leading squad who has been against the team captain of the football team for years. When she is killed she comes back with the rest of the team to get revenge on the football team. Caitlin does a good job in the leading role taking a more risky role that goes against most horror clichés.
Tom Williamson: Terry is the captain of the football team and an all around asshole, when he gets into a fight with his girlfriend he runs the cheerleaders off the road killing them all. When they return he ends up becoming the target of their vengeance. Tom creates the asshole persona really well in this film that could make this the most entertaining part when he gets what he deserves.terry
Sianoa Smit-McPhee: Leena is the witch who likes to work with dark magic but when she sees her friends die she brings them all back to life where she doesn’t understand the power she holds. Sianoa does a good job in this role being a completely different image to the rest of the cast.lenna
Brooke Butler: Tracy is the lead cheerleader who lets Maddy into the team, she is dating Terry but she is very insecure. She ends up thinking everyone is her friend but they turn on her quickly. Brooke does a good job in an early role for the young actress with a brave performance.
Support Cast: All Cheerleaders Die has a supporting cast that all play their part be it the football players or the dead cheerleaders who become disposable characters for the main ones to learn their powers.
Director Review: Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson – The pair bring us a horror comedy that is fun once it all gets going.
Comedy: All Cheerleaders Die has solid comedy throughout which is mostly to do with the reactions of the cheerleaders to what is happening to them.
Horror: All Cheerleaders Die has plenty of blood splatter for all the kills for what the cheerleaders get up to on their revenge path.
Settings: All Cheerleaders Die using the settings all around the high school with the hang outs being away from public viewing which all work for the film.
Special Effects: All Cheerleaders Die has solid special effects with the problems being all too CGI for my liking.
Suggestion: All Cheerleaders Die is one I think the horror fans will enjoy because of the fun gore filled storyline. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Final battle against Terry.
Worst Part: Slow starting.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Left open for one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Tagline: You can’t kill their spirit
Overall: Horror comedy that has laughs and blood for all the fans to enjoy
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/01/01/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-all-cheerleaders-die-2013/
Once a member of the cheer-leading team we see how she starts pushing them away from the football stars including the captain Terry (Williamson) who ends up causing the deaths of members of the team, but when Leena (Smit-McPhee) a witch brings them back to life, but now they have a craving for human flesh and target Terry for the ultimate revenge.cheerleader
All Cheerleaders Die starts off very slowly for my liking trying to introduce the characters and tease at a massive revenge angle before anything happens. Once the cheerleaders get killed the film steps up and unloads all the horror comedy. I would like to see less from the start and more from the end because that is the part of the film you want to watch. I think this is a real entertaining film that really does keep you guessing just what will happen next.
Actor Review
Caitlin Stasey: Maddy is the newest addition to the cheer-leading squad who has been against the team captain of the football team for years. When she is killed she comes back with the rest of the team to get revenge on the football team. Caitlin does a good job in the leading role taking a more risky role that goes against most horror clichés.
Tom Williamson: Terry is the captain of the football team and an all around asshole, when he gets into a fight with his girlfriend he runs the cheerleaders off the road killing them all. When they return he ends up becoming the target of their vengeance. Tom creates the asshole persona really well in this film that could make this the most entertaining part when he gets what he deserves.terry
Sianoa Smit-McPhee: Leena is the witch who likes to work with dark magic but when she sees her friends die she brings them all back to life where she doesn’t understand the power she holds. Sianoa does a good job in this role being a completely different image to the rest of the cast.lenna
Brooke Butler: Tracy is the lead cheerleader who lets Maddy into the team, she is dating Terry but she is very insecure. She ends up thinking everyone is her friend but they turn on her quickly. Brooke does a good job in an early role for the young actress with a brave performance.
Support Cast: All Cheerleaders Die has a supporting cast that all play their part be it the football players or the dead cheerleaders who become disposable characters for the main ones to learn their powers.
Director Review: Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson – The pair bring us a horror comedy that is fun once it all gets going.
Comedy: All Cheerleaders Die has solid comedy throughout which is mostly to do with the reactions of the cheerleaders to what is happening to them.
Horror: All Cheerleaders Die has plenty of blood splatter for all the kills for what the cheerleaders get up to on their revenge path.
Settings: All Cheerleaders Die using the settings all around the high school with the hang outs being away from public viewing which all work for the film.
Special Effects: All Cheerleaders Die has solid special effects with the problems being all too CGI for my liking.
Suggestion: All Cheerleaders Die is one I think the horror fans will enjoy because of the fun gore filled storyline. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Final battle against Terry.
Worst Part: Slow starting.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Left open for one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Tagline: You can’t kill their spirit
Overall: Horror comedy that has laughs and blood for all the fans to enjoy
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/01/01/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-all-cheerleaders-die-2013/
Darren (1599 KP) rated All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane starts with a teenage house party where one of the cool kids tries to hit on the beautiful Mandy Lane (Heard) but when one of the boys chasing her dies in an attempt to impress her we see how close Mandy is to Emmet (Welch). 9 months have passed since the accident and Red (Himelstein) is arranging a party at his family’s ranch which will include the invitation of Mandy Lane.
We watch as a group of high school friends head off to a ranch for a weekend off fun with plenty or drinks, drugs and sex with all the boys after Mandy Lane. We watch as the friend go through the traditional high school relationship issues and adding in the alcohol we get everything elevated to the next level. The weekend away takes twist when somebody starts picking off the friends before we learn that there is a bigger motive behind everything that happens.
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane really is just a bogged standard slasher film for the most part, but it does have an interesting twist you don’t see coming. The characters are very painful generic and the story just follows everything you would expect to see in a slasher film. The film tries something different with the ending which is the only positive about this film otherwise it really is just offer nothing new. (5/10)
Actor Review
Amber Heard: Mandy Lane is the gorgeous girl that all the high school guys want to be with but she is very independent not falling for any of the guys lines. She strikes jealousy between the friends who each believe they are in the driving seat to get her. Amber does a solid job in the role but clearly only works because of how beautiful she is. (6/10)
mandy
Anson Mount: Garth is the ranch hand on the ranch that all the girls fall for but he ends up planning babysitter to all of the high school kids who can’t handle their drinks. Anson does a basic job as the older wise protector of the film but doesn’t do enough with the whole story. (4/10)
Whitney Able: Chloe is the insecure member of the friends who thinks all the girls need a perfect skinny body to impress the guys. Whitney does end up being the very generic character that we are all expecting to get what is coming to her early on. (5/10)
Michael Welch: Emmet is Mandy’s old friend who is the guy picking off the popular kids to make them pay for what happened after the party incident. Michael plays the killer well using no remorse through the film. (6/10)
Support Cast: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane has a supporting cast that is basically there just to be disposable and only become helpful to make Emmet look more crazed.
Director Review: Jonathan Levine – Jonathan does a solid job with the horror film because it follows the same old routine but throws you out of the comfort zone with the ending. (5/10)
Horror: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane follows all the slasher ABC style very easily. (8/10)
Settings: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane puts our characters in an isolated location for the horror to take place where the killer can get away with whatever they wants. (7/10)
Suggestion: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is one for the horror fans to enjoy otherwise it will just end up being very average. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Final Twist.
Worst Part: Nothing new in the opening part.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Most Slasher films.
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $750,000
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Tagline: Everyone is dying to be with her. Someone is killing for it.
Overall: Just another slasher that we have seen too many times before.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/10/02/movie-reviews-101-halloween-midnight-horror-all-the-boys-love-mandy-lane-2006/
We watch as a group of high school friends head off to a ranch for a weekend off fun with plenty or drinks, drugs and sex with all the boys after Mandy Lane. We watch as the friend go through the traditional high school relationship issues and adding in the alcohol we get everything elevated to the next level. The weekend away takes twist when somebody starts picking off the friends before we learn that there is a bigger motive behind everything that happens.
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane really is just a bogged standard slasher film for the most part, but it does have an interesting twist you don’t see coming. The characters are very painful generic and the story just follows everything you would expect to see in a slasher film. The film tries something different with the ending which is the only positive about this film otherwise it really is just offer nothing new. (5/10)
Actor Review
Amber Heard: Mandy Lane is the gorgeous girl that all the high school guys want to be with but she is very independent not falling for any of the guys lines. She strikes jealousy between the friends who each believe they are in the driving seat to get her. Amber does a solid job in the role but clearly only works because of how beautiful she is. (6/10)
mandy
Anson Mount: Garth is the ranch hand on the ranch that all the girls fall for but he ends up planning babysitter to all of the high school kids who can’t handle their drinks. Anson does a basic job as the older wise protector of the film but doesn’t do enough with the whole story. (4/10)
Whitney Able: Chloe is the insecure member of the friends who thinks all the girls need a perfect skinny body to impress the guys. Whitney does end up being the very generic character that we are all expecting to get what is coming to her early on. (5/10)
Michael Welch: Emmet is Mandy’s old friend who is the guy picking off the popular kids to make them pay for what happened after the party incident. Michael plays the killer well using no remorse through the film. (6/10)
Support Cast: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane has a supporting cast that is basically there just to be disposable and only become helpful to make Emmet look more crazed.
Director Review: Jonathan Levine – Jonathan does a solid job with the horror film because it follows the same old routine but throws you out of the comfort zone with the ending. (5/10)
Horror: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane follows all the slasher ABC style very easily. (8/10)
Settings: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane puts our characters in an isolated location for the horror to take place where the killer can get away with whatever they wants. (7/10)
Suggestion: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is one for the horror fans to enjoy otherwise it will just end up being very average. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Final Twist.
Worst Part: Nothing new in the opening part.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Most Slasher films.
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $750,000
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Tagline: Everyone is dying to be with her. Someone is killing for it.
Overall: Just another slasher that we have seen too many times before.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/10/02/movie-reviews-101-halloween-midnight-horror-all-the-boys-love-mandy-lane-2006/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Allegiant (2016) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Divergent: Allegiant starts with Evelyn (Watts) closing the walls, has something to do with the last one. Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are on the outskirts and Four is going to try and change the mind of Evelyn. When Evelyn starts acting the same as the former leader Tris and Four along with the other friends Caleb (Elgort), Christina (Kravitz) and Peter (Teller) plan their escape.
Over the wall they only find destruction before being rescued by David’s (Daniels) people the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who created the world they started in. This time Tris gets the chance to save the world not just a city, but can she trust everyone around her this time?
Divergent: Allegiant is the third instalment of the franchise with at least one more to go, great. This time we meet yet another group of people who want control of the city that Tris ends up having stop. The plan seems very familiar oh yeah it is the basic plot of Batman Begins, wanting to spread gas in a city to kill/infect everyone. I am getting tired of these because what happens is they hire a well-respected actor only to make them the BAD GUY yet again. Simply put this is nothing new.
Actor Review
Shailene Woodley: Tris having opened the box to the outside world last time escapes the city only to learn that the city is part of an experiment to find genetic perfection which is why they search for the Divergent in the first place. Tris is the most powerful Divergent, purest if you like that must represent the success of the experiment. Shailene is working her way through the contract where we know she can do better.tris
Theo James: Four for is the boyfriend, fellow Divergent and son of the new dictator of Chicago. When he escapes he finds himself being separated from Tris for not being pure finding it hard to adjust to the change. Theo improves from last time out but let’s face it his body got him this role.
Naomi Watts: Evelyn is the new dictator in Chicago that has continued in the ways the ruler before had, she is ready to fight anyone who goes against her. Naomi is wasted in this role where you would expect to see a lot more from her.
Jeff Daniels: David the running the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who have been watching Chicago for years, he sees Tris as the first case of purification to come out of the city proving their experiment has been working at last. Jeff is the star of the show without being too impressive.david
Support Cast: Divergent: Allegiant has a big supporting cast with some returning and a few more added but it is hard to keep up with who is work with who.
Director Review: Robert Schwentke – Robert gives us some very good shots but the story is very bland.
Action: Divergent: Allegiant has very basic action sequence you would expect to see now in the young adult genre.
Adventure: Divergent: Allegiant continues an adventure I guess.
Mystery: Divergent: Allegiant add mystery to where everything is going but really is milking it now.
Sci-Fi: Divergent: Allegiant brings us into a sci-fi of the future but too bright for the bleakness.
Thriller: Divergent: Allegiant doesn’t really keep us on the edge like it should have done.
Settings: Divergent: Allegiant continues to expand the world in this universe without really giving us enough.
Special Effects: Divergent: Allegiant has some good effects without being anything breath taking.
Suggestion: Divergent: Allegiant does improve on Insurgent but still going the wrong way, skip. (Skip)
Best Part: Peter is so funny.
Worst Part: More of the same.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Yes
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Hunger Games Mockingjays.
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute
Tagline: Break the boundaries of your world
Overall: Yet another bland sequel to a franchise which has gone on too long.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/03/28/divergent-allegiant-2016/
Over the wall they only find destruction before being rescued by David’s (Daniels) people the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who created the world they started in. This time Tris gets the chance to save the world not just a city, but can she trust everyone around her this time?
Divergent: Allegiant is the third instalment of the franchise with at least one more to go, great. This time we meet yet another group of people who want control of the city that Tris ends up having stop. The plan seems very familiar oh yeah it is the basic plot of Batman Begins, wanting to spread gas in a city to kill/infect everyone. I am getting tired of these because what happens is they hire a well-respected actor only to make them the BAD GUY yet again. Simply put this is nothing new.
Actor Review
Shailene Woodley: Tris having opened the box to the outside world last time escapes the city only to learn that the city is part of an experiment to find genetic perfection which is why they search for the Divergent in the first place. Tris is the most powerful Divergent, purest if you like that must represent the success of the experiment. Shailene is working her way through the contract where we know she can do better.tris
Theo James: Four for is the boyfriend, fellow Divergent and son of the new dictator of Chicago. When he escapes he finds himself being separated from Tris for not being pure finding it hard to adjust to the change. Theo improves from last time out but let’s face it his body got him this role.
Naomi Watts: Evelyn is the new dictator in Chicago that has continued in the ways the ruler before had, she is ready to fight anyone who goes against her. Naomi is wasted in this role where you would expect to see a lot more from her.
Jeff Daniels: David the running the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who have been watching Chicago for years, he sees Tris as the first case of purification to come out of the city proving their experiment has been working at last. Jeff is the star of the show without being too impressive.david
Support Cast: Divergent: Allegiant has a big supporting cast with some returning and a few more added but it is hard to keep up with who is work with who.
Director Review: Robert Schwentke – Robert gives us some very good shots but the story is very bland.
Action: Divergent: Allegiant has very basic action sequence you would expect to see now in the young adult genre.
Adventure: Divergent: Allegiant continues an adventure I guess.
Mystery: Divergent: Allegiant add mystery to where everything is going but really is milking it now.
Sci-Fi: Divergent: Allegiant brings us into a sci-fi of the future but too bright for the bleakness.
Thriller: Divergent: Allegiant doesn’t really keep us on the edge like it should have done.
Settings: Divergent: Allegiant continues to expand the world in this universe without really giving us enough.
Special Effects: Divergent: Allegiant has some good effects without being anything breath taking.
Suggestion: Divergent: Allegiant does improve on Insurgent but still going the wrong way, skip. (Skip)
Best Part: Peter is so funny.
Worst Part: More of the same.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Yes
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Hunger Games Mockingjays.
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute
Tagline: Break the boundaries of your world
Overall: Yet another bland sequel to a franchise which has gone on too long.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/03/28/divergent-allegiant-2016/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Alone in the Dark (2005) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: I am going to first look at this only as a story, no opinions on the CGI or casting choices. If you were to look at the story as a solo idea you get a solid action horror. Now I hear people going ‘no its just crap’ so let’s look at the details. First off we have an idea of scientific experiment on children to create sleepers, but something goes wrong so we don’t see why it happened until more discoveries in the future. Then we have a search for hidden treasures of a lost ancient people. Add in a paranormal investigator, a secret government paranormal investigating team and the search for a truth. Now looking at those factors we should have a good story not special but enjoyable. Now with terrible casting decisions, awful CGI and a script that could have been written but a child everything goes south fast. As an idea for a story this is good, but as an execution of a story it’s bad. (5/10)
Actor Review
Christian Slater: Edward Carnby a paranormal investigator who has been trying to uncover the truth about his childhood, this puts him in danger as this time he has got closer than ever before. He must team up with his old organisation to final uncover the truth that has lost him the memories of his childhood. Slater strolls for this role without showing any of the skills that made him a star in the early 90s. (5/10)
slater
Tara Reid: Aline Cedrac assistant curator at the museum who also happens to be Edward’s girlfriend, she gets caught up in the middle of the battle after she uncover the location of the door. Going to take a deep breath before going for this one, just no how did this happen? Try your luck in romantic comedies. (2/10)
reid
Stephen Dorff: Commander Burke leader of a military team trying to keep the monsters away from the public, old partner of Edward but after seeing the truth he teams up with them to uncover the truth. Stephen can act and has proven it many times, just need to give him something to work with. (4/10)
dorff
Frank C Turner: Sam an old connection within the organisation that still communicates with Edward, he fills in the science gaps and you can guess what happens to him by the end. Basic supporting performance. (4/10)
fisher
Matthew Walker: Professor Hudgens scientist trying to open the door to the truth about the ancient people, he will do anything to get his answers including sacrificing anybody who gets in his way. As villains go this is generic one that doesn’t need too much to make them special. (4/10)
profes
Director Review: Uwe Boll – He not only managed to mess up a relatively easy story with awful CGI and lack of directing ideas. (2/10)
Action: Plenty of guns being fired, not sure if they ever hit anything as everything is in the pitch black. (3/10)
Horror: Doesn’t give you any scares, frights, well made with the acting. (1/10)
Settings: The settings used for the gun fights are used well, because they would make real settings for such a discover if someone wanted to keep it quiet. (6/10)
Special Effects: Terrible special effects that I only saw one good one and that was a soldier’s head split in two. (1/10)
Suggestion: I think if you are bored one night and this is on it would be acceptable to watch it as it slips close to the line of so bad you have to see. (Late Night TV)
Best Part: The idea
Worst Part: The CGI, Acting and Execution of the idea.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Actually has one sequel
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $10 Million
Budget: $20 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Tagline: Can mankind defeat the army of darkness unleashed by an ancient evil cult?
Overall: Not only did this film destroy the source material, it ruined any chance the video game had of returning.
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/11/09/alone-in-the-dark-2005/
Actor Review
Christian Slater: Edward Carnby a paranormal investigator who has been trying to uncover the truth about his childhood, this puts him in danger as this time he has got closer than ever before. He must team up with his old organisation to final uncover the truth that has lost him the memories of his childhood. Slater strolls for this role without showing any of the skills that made him a star in the early 90s. (5/10)
slater
Tara Reid: Aline Cedrac assistant curator at the museum who also happens to be Edward’s girlfriend, she gets caught up in the middle of the battle after she uncover the location of the door. Going to take a deep breath before going for this one, just no how did this happen? Try your luck in romantic comedies. (2/10)
reid
Stephen Dorff: Commander Burke leader of a military team trying to keep the monsters away from the public, old partner of Edward but after seeing the truth he teams up with them to uncover the truth. Stephen can act and has proven it many times, just need to give him something to work with. (4/10)
dorff
Frank C Turner: Sam an old connection within the organisation that still communicates with Edward, he fills in the science gaps and you can guess what happens to him by the end. Basic supporting performance. (4/10)
fisher
Matthew Walker: Professor Hudgens scientist trying to open the door to the truth about the ancient people, he will do anything to get his answers including sacrificing anybody who gets in his way. As villains go this is generic one that doesn’t need too much to make them special. (4/10)
profes
Director Review: Uwe Boll – He not only managed to mess up a relatively easy story with awful CGI and lack of directing ideas. (2/10)
Action: Plenty of guns being fired, not sure if they ever hit anything as everything is in the pitch black. (3/10)
Horror: Doesn’t give you any scares, frights, well made with the acting. (1/10)
Settings: The settings used for the gun fights are used well, because they would make real settings for such a discover if someone wanted to keep it quiet. (6/10)
Special Effects: Terrible special effects that I only saw one good one and that was a soldier’s head split in two. (1/10)
Suggestion: I think if you are bored one night and this is on it would be acceptable to watch it as it slips close to the line of so bad you have to see. (Late Night TV)
Best Part: The idea
Worst Part: The CGI, Acting and Execution of the idea.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Actually has one sequel
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $10 Million
Budget: $20 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Tagline: Can mankind defeat the army of darkness unleashed by an ancient evil cult?
Overall: Not only did this film destroy the source material, it ruined any chance the video game had of returning.
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/11/09/alone-in-the-dark-2005/
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: This follows up from the first one so we have to remember unlike the Avengers and Dark Knight we are dealing with a teenage superhero. He has different problems like whether he wants a girlfriend or whether to go to college, you know the serious stuff. We have him putting out all the cheesy lines against the person he fights not taking anything seriously. While Peter is trying to figure out what his life holds next, the people against him start their own stories. We have the generic loner scientist who ends up having an accident, gaining powers and using them for evil, been there seen that in every Spider-man film. We also have the Harry Osborn who wants Spider-Man’s blood to cure his sickness and when he can’t have it he goes on a rampage against Spider-Man. It would be fair this is a slow moving film and it really is building up for the next chapter. (7/10)
Actor Review
Andrew Garfield: Spider-Man/Peter Parker while trying to figure out what to do with his life he carries on fighting crime, he has to decide whether to keep with his girlfriend when her father’s dying wish was to leave her so she couldn’t get caught up in trouble. He does ends up having to face the biggest battle of his life after his battles with Electro and Green Goblin. Good performance in a character that develops as the film unfolds. (8/10)
spide
Emma Stone: Gwen Stacy ambitious girlfriend of Peter, who wants to excel in her studies and gets that chance to but with Peter in her life she will always be in danger. Good supporting performance, but I always find relationships for superheroes only get in the way and annoy. (7/10)
emma
Jamie Foxx: Electro lonely scientist who has helped the city design a better power source. He feels like everyone is against him but when Spider-Man saves him he gets a boost of confidence. Just when things look good for Max he ends up having an accident at work and turning into Electro, who starts off just wanting help but when he feels betrayed by Spider-Man he wants to take out the web-slinger and the city. Good performance playing a very difficult character that really looks the part. (8/10)
eletrco
Dane DeHaan: Green Goblin/Harry Osborn an old friend of Peter who wants him to find Spider-Man so he can use his blood to cure his terminal illness. After both Peter and Spider-Man refuse for safety reason he finds out his company secretly has some stored away and he uses it and becomes the Green Goblin out to stop Spider-Man. Good performance from the always solid Dane. (8/10)
harry
Director Review: Marc Webb – Great direction creating a story that really is building to something bigger, creating some very memorable fight scenes and a villain in Electro like nothing we have seen before. (8/10)
Action: When the action happens it is all very good, with some great camera spinning shots of Spider-Man in battle. (8/10)
Superhero: A solid entry in the superhero genre. (8/10)
Settings: New York makes a great setting because without all the building Spider-Man couldn’t swing as much. (9/10)
Special Effects: Great special effects used throughout the film. (10/10)
Suggestion: This must be watch by all the superhero fans out there, it is creating a big picture without having to use separate films to add to one of franchise. (Superhero Fans Watch)
Best Part: Spider-Man battles Electro round two.
Worst Part: It does start slow, nearly an hour before we meet Electro.
Action Scene Of The Film: The final battles
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one planned
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $708 Million
Budget: $200 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 22 Minutes
Tagline: His greatest battle begins
Overall: Solid Addition to Spider-Man Franchise
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/09/01/the-amazing-spider-man-2-2014/
Actor Review
Andrew Garfield: Spider-Man/Peter Parker while trying to figure out what to do with his life he carries on fighting crime, he has to decide whether to keep with his girlfriend when her father’s dying wish was to leave her so she couldn’t get caught up in trouble. He does ends up having to face the biggest battle of his life after his battles with Electro and Green Goblin. Good performance in a character that develops as the film unfolds. (8/10)
spide
Emma Stone: Gwen Stacy ambitious girlfriend of Peter, who wants to excel in her studies and gets that chance to but with Peter in her life she will always be in danger. Good supporting performance, but I always find relationships for superheroes only get in the way and annoy. (7/10)
emma
Jamie Foxx: Electro lonely scientist who has helped the city design a better power source. He feels like everyone is against him but when Spider-Man saves him he gets a boost of confidence. Just when things look good for Max he ends up having an accident at work and turning into Electro, who starts off just wanting help but when he feels betrayed by Spider-Man he wants to take out the web-slinger and the city. Good performance playing a very difficult character that really looks the part. (8/10)
eletrco
Dane DeHaan: Green Goblin/Harry Osborn an old friend of Peter who wants him to find Spider-Man so he can use his blood to cure his terminal illness. After both Peter and Spider-Man refuse for safety reason he finds out his company secretly has some stored away and he uses it and becomes the Green Goblin out to stop Spider-Man. Good performance from the always solid Dane. (8/10)
harry
Director Review: Marc Webb – Great direction creating a story that really is building to something bigger, creating some very memorable fight scenes and a villain in Electro like nothing we have seen before. (8/10)
Action: When the action happens it is all very good, with some great camera spinning shots of Spider-Man in battle. (8/10)
Superhero: A solid entry in the superhero genre. (8/10)
Settings: New York makes a great setting because without all the building Spider-Man couldn’t swing as much. (9/10)
Special Effects: Great special effects used throughout the film. (10/10)
Suggestion: This must be watch by all the superhero fans out there, it is creating a big picture without having to use separate films to add to one of franchise. (Superhero Fans Watch)
Best Part: Spider-Man battles Electro round two.
Worst Part: It does start slow, nearly an hour before we meet Electro.
Action Scene Of The Film: The final battles
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one planned
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $708 Million
Budget: $200 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 22 Minutes
Tagline: His greatest battle begins
Overall: Solid Addition to Spider-Man Franchise
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/09/01/the-amazing-spider-man-2-2014/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Drag Me to Hell (2009) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
I’m just going to be honest. Drag Me To Hell is the movie we would have seen 22 years ago had Sam Raimi been given several million dollars, had Bruce Campbell been a woman and had there been no chainsaws handy. Not that this is a bad thing. I believe that Raimi fans will be quite pleased to see the cult and blockbuster director’s return to his roots.
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is a soft-spoken loan officer competing for the open position of assistant manager at the bank branch she works for. She has a predominantly sunny life with her boyfriend, Clay Dalton, (Justin Long) and a new kitten.
When an old woman in an Oldsmobile (Lorna Raver) comes to beg for an extension on her mortgage, Christine is unaware of how much her ideal life is about to change.
Desperate to impress her boss and prove her prowess over the only other candidate, Christine refuses the woman help. Angered and shamed, the woman curses Christine, calling upon the demon Lamia (voiced by Art Kimbro) to torment her for three days and then damn her soul.
Acting upon the advice of a Seer (Dileep Rao), Christine struggles to free herself from this terrible fate. She alienates herself from Clay’s parents, sacrifices her cat, participates in a séance, crashes a funeral, defiles the dead and is eventually forced to choose whether or not she can in turn damn her business rival.
But I wouldn’t want you to start thinking that you’re dealing with some far-too-serious classic horror revival (not that that would be a bad thing). Let’s not forget the projectile blood and vomit, the mud and maggots, the stapler to the face and ruler to the back of the throat; all done in that comical slapstick that only Raimi can produce. The utterly gory, disgusting images that make you laugh hysterically while simultaneously cringeing in disbelief. This is the stuff that made him a cult hero.
There are certainly some creepy moments, quite a few in fact. Things that pleased the horror fan in me very much. And there are plenty of scares to be had as creatures and characters launch themselves from the shadows. I only jumped a couple of times (and I scare easily) but that might have been due more to the people sitting around us than the movie itself.
Drag Me To Hell opens with a classic Universal logo, one that hasn’t been seen since the 70s. It was so appropriate that as soon as I saw it I was sure I was going to walk away happy. Then the opening credits began and I was blown away. They are so absolutely gorgeous that they almost deserve to be a short of their own rather than find themselves pinned to a feature. The special effects continue to be a remarkable strong point throughout the rest of the movie. Several scenes blew me away with their execution and look.
When it comes down to what was missing, characterization was the one thing this film lacked. I didn’t feel very connected to any of the characters and certainly didn’t care about their plight. It seemed rather two dimensional. The characters are barely introduced and we aren’t ushered into their lives and minds before the action begins. We are just expected to care.
On top of this, Lohman’s acting wasn’t the greatest and Long, while doing a decent job, didn’t seem to fit the role terribly well. The cat-sacrificing didn’t go far for making me feel any sympathy toward Christine or her dilemma. This was all very disappointing since I feel as though everything else was so strong that had this been reinforced rather than left flat it would have been exceedingly excellent.
But it is worth a watch. If you love anything by Sam Raimi you will not be disappointed and if you’ve never seen any of his work then you might find yourself pleasantly surprised. This is one of the few things I have ever watched that was exactly what it promised to be.
Thank you, Mr. Raimi, for this excellent return to horror. We are all grateful.
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is a soft-spoken loan officer competing for the open position of assistant manager at the bank branch she works for. She has a predominantly sunny life with her boyfriend, Clay Dalton, (Justin Long) and a new kitten.
When an old woman in an Oldsmobile (Lorna Raver) comes to beg for an extension on her mortgage, Christine is unaware of how much her ideal life is about to change.
Desperate to impress her boss and prove her prowess over the only other candidate, Christine refuses the woman help. Angered and shamed, the woman curses Christine, calling upon the demon Lamia (voiced by Art Kimbro) to torment her for three days and then damn her soul.
Acting upon the advice of a Seer (Dileep Rao), Christine struggles to free herself from this terrible fate. She alienates herself from Clay’s parents, sacrifices her cat, participates in a séance, crashes a funeral, defiles the dead and is eventually forced to choose whether or not she can in turn damn her business rival.
But I wouldn’t want you to start thinking that you’re dealing with some far-too-serious classic horror revival (not that that would be a bad thing). Let’s not forget the projectile blood and vomit, the mud and maggots, the stapler to the face and ruler to the back of the throat; all done in that comical slapstick that only Raimi can produce. The utterly gory, disgusting images that make you laugh hysterically while simultaneously cringeing in disbelief. This is the stuff that made him a cult hero.
There are certainly some creepy moments, quite a few in fact. Things that pleased the horror fan in me very much. And there are plenty of scares to be had as creatures and characters launch themselves from the shadows. I only jumped a couple of times (and I scare easily) but that might have been due more to the people sitting around us than the movie itself.
Drag Me To Hell opens with a classic Universal logo, one that hasn’t been seen since the 70s. It was so appropriate that as soon as I saw it I was sure I was going to walk away happy. Then the opening credits began and I was blown away. They are so absolutely gorgeous that they almost deserve to be a short of their own rather than find themselves pinned to a feature. The special effects continue to be a remarkable strong point throughout the rest of the movie. Several scenes blew me away with their execution and look.
When it comes down to what was missing, characterization was the one thing this film lacked. I didn’t feel very connected to any of the characters and certainly didn’t care about their plight. It seemed rather two dimensional. The characters are barely introduced and we aren’t ushered into their lives and minds before the action begins. We are just expected to care.
On top of this, Lohman’s acting wasn’t the greatest and Long, while doing a decent job, didn’t seem to fit the role terribly well. The cat-sacrificing didn’t go far for making me feel any sympathy toward Christine or her dilemma. This was all very disappointing since I feel as though everything else was so strong that had this been reinforced rather than left flat it would have been exceedingly excellent.
But it is worth a watch. If you love anything by Sam Raimi you will not be disappointed and if you’ve never seen any of his work then you might find yourself pleasantly surprised. This is one of the few things I have ever watched that was exactly what it promised to be.
Thank you, Mr. Raimi, for this excellent return to horror. We are all grateful.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Grindhouse (2007) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Back in the 70’s cheaply made independent films often came into their own. The studio released films were drawing smaller audiences’ thanks in large part to the arrival of color television and a greater variety of entertainment that people could view in their homes.
During this time, the Blaxploitation era as it became known, saw many films become big hits thanks to the films modest budgets and subject matter that was quite different from the films of the day. Aside from Blaxploitation, there were also sexploitation films as well as action and horror films that embraced the urban and youth cultures of the time and were loaded with sex, violence, and anti-establishment themes.
The films were often show nonstop in all night theaters known as “Grind houses”, where repeated showings of prints caused them to have image blemishes as films were usually shown in a city for a week before the same print was whisked off to a new city for even more wear and tear.
Inspired by the classic exploitation films of old, Directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have teamed up to treat audience to a modern day ” Grind house” experience that comes complete with nostalgic intros and credits as well as movie trailers for exploitation films that the duo has not yet created.
The first film is “Planet Terror” and stars Rose McGowan as a Go Go Dancer named Cherry who is about to have a very bad night thanks to a deal gone wrong between a shadowy soldier (Bruce Willis), and a mysterious scientist (Naveen Andrews).
Before long, Cherry is minus a leg, and living in a town overrun by zombie like creatures, which forces her and a band of survivors to fight the deadly invaders to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The film is packed with gore, action, and enough cheesy lines to make even the most jaded moviegoer wince, yet all is done with loving reverence to the genre films that inspired it.
Rodriguez even includes little glitches in the film to give a sense of realism to the film. Were it not for the starts of today and some slightly better effects work, you could easily believe that this was a film from the era.
The second film is “Death Proof” and it stars Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike. A man who drives a souped up hotrod and spreads mayhem wherever he goes. While the film does not have much of the signature dialogue that marks past Tarantino films,
it does have its moments and is one of the most demented, and intense car chase stories you will ever see.
I have gone very light on the plot recaps as to be honest, the films both have paper thin plots and characters which do not really warrant much examination.
To do so would be to miss the point of Grind House as the goal was to create two modern exploitation films that were true in character and form to the films that inspired them. Yes, this film had a budget that could have created well over a thousand such films back in the day, and has more stars than Hollywood Bld. But despite this, still would be worthy of those famed theaters of old.
There were many times that I noted the bad acting, lines, and other problems in the films, but reminded myself that flaws were for the most part intended.
I compare the experience to watching “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, in that you need to be familiar with the types of film being featured in order to get the full benefit.
I for one really enjoyed myself and I loved the false trailers that were included in the film as it was great fun not only watching them, but seeing the big name stars who helped create them getting in on the fun.
If you set your expectations accordingly, than Grind House may be the most nostalgic fun you have had at the movies in a long time.
During this time, the Blaxploitation era as it became known, saw many films become big hits thanks to the films modest budgets and subject matter that was quite different from the films of the day. Aside from Blaxploitation, there were also sexploitation films as well as action and horror films that embraced the urban and youth cultures of the time and were loaded with sex, violence, and anti-establishment themes.
The films were often show nonstop in all night theaters known as “Grind houses”, where repeated showings of prints caused them to have image blemishes as films were usually shown in a city for a week before the same print was whisked off to a new city for even more wear and tear.
Inspired by the classic exploitation films of old, Directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have teamed up to treat audience to a modern day ” Grind house” experience that comes complete with nostalgic intros and credits as well as movie trailers for exploitation films that the duo has not yet created.
The first film is “Planet Terror” and stars Rose McGowan as a Go Go Dancer named Cherry who is about to have a very bad night thanks to a deal gone wrong between a shadowy soldier (Bruce Willis), and a mysterious scientist (Naveen Andrews).
Before long, Cherry is minus a leg, and living in a town overrun by zombie like creatures, which forces her and a band of survivors to fight the deadly invaders to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The film is packed with gore, action, and enough cheesy lines to make even the most jaded moviegoer wince, yet all is done with loving reverence to the genre films that inspired it.
Rodriguez even includes little glitches in the film to give a sense of realism to the film. Were it not for the starts of today and some slightly better effects work, you could easily believe that this was a film from the era.
The second film is “Death Proof” and it stars Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike. A man who drives a souped up hotrod and spreads mayhem wherever he goes. While the film does not have much of the signature dialogue that marks past Tarantino films,
it does have its moments and is one of the most demented, and intense car chase stories you will ever see.
I have gone very light on the plot recaps as to be honest, the films both have paper thin plots and characters which do not really warrant much examination.
To do so would be to miss the point of Grind House as the goal was to create two modern exploitation films that were true in character and form to the films that inspired them. Yes, this film had a budget that could have created well over a thousand such films back in the day, and has more stars than Hollywood Bld. But despite this, still would be worthy of those famed theaters of old.
There were many times that I noted the bad acting, lines, and other problems in the films, but reminded myself that flaws were for the most part intended.
I compare the experience to watching “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, in that you need to be familiar with the types of film being featured in order to get the full benefit.
I for one really enjoyed myself and I loved the false trailers that were included in the film as it was great fun not only watching them, but seeing the big name stars who helped create them getting in on the fun.
If you set your expectations accordingly, than Grind House may be the most nostalgic fun you have had at the movies in a long time.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Drop It in Tabletop Games
Oct 22, 2019
Oh Dexterity games – how I love thee. Strategy means nothing if you don’t have the physical coordination/reflexes to back it up! Gone are the days of being outsmarted by my opponents, because a little physical luck at juuuuust the right time can change the entire game.
Did you ever play Connect 4? Who am I kidding, of course you probably did. Drop It is essentially an abstract version of Connect 4. In Drop It, players take turns dropping their pieces into the slot board in an effort to amass the most points. Each player has a set number of pieces in their specific color, and in various shapes. The rules of Drop It are simple – pick a piece and drop it (roll credits) into the board. You earn points for the highest level that your piece crosses into, as well as bonus points for touching various smaller areas across the board. Sounds easy enough, right? Well here’s the tricky part. If your piece touches another one of your pieces, even if by just a hair, it earns you no points. Similarly, if your piece touches another piece of the same shape (regardless of color), you earn no points as well. AND on top of that, certain areas along the bottom and sides of the board are colored and are not allowed to be touched by their corresponding colored pieces. If a piece touches one of those forbidden zones, then that player earns (you guessed it) no points. So all in all, not as simple a game as it looks, is it? The player at the end of the game with the most points is the winner!
Man, Drop It is a neat little game. When I first heard of it, I thought it would be the easiest game on the planet. But boy oh boy was I wrong. Although I’d say this game is primarily one of dexterity (and luck), there is definitely quite a bit of strategy involved. Because there are several placement restrictions, you have to be careful about which pieces you play at what times. The circles roll around on pretty much anything, so do you risk dropping one when it might just roll onto your square and negate those points? Can you drop your trapezoid at the right angle to have it span two other pieces and miss landing on yours in the middle? All while making sure it doesn’t hit the left side of the board here? It is way more strategic than meets the eye, and I love that. It keeps me engaged the entire game, and it elevates the game to a higher level than just simple dexterity.
Whatever strategy you choose must involve your opponents as well. Even though there is no real player interaction in Drop It, you’ve got to keep an eye on your opponents and which pieces they play at what times. If another player just dropped their square right in the middle of the board, you probably should not drop your square right now. Unless you don’t want points. Then by all means, drop your square right on top of that sucker. Are you able to keep a variety of shapes throughout the game, or will you get cornered for several turns because all you have left are your circles? You’re not only thinking of your strategy, but that of your opponents as well.
One other thing that I love about Drop It is that once a piece is scored, it is out of your mind. What I mean is that in some cases, dropping a piece causes those underneath to shift. You only score the piece that was just dropped – regardless of how it moved any pieces underneath. That definitely helps to keep the game moving because you are not having to constantly go back and re-score any shifted pieces. That would just be brutal.
Overall, I really like Drop It. It’s not one that I personally own, but it definitely is on my Wish List after having played it. It’s the perfect little filler game for in-between some meatier games. Although it requires strategy, the dexterity aspect of the game makes it more light-hearted, fun, and fast to play! Purple Phoenix Games is dropping a score of 14 / 18 for this little gem.
Did you ever play Connect 4? Who am I kidding, of course you probably did. Drop It is essentially an abstract version of Connect 4. In Drop It, players take turns dropping their pieces into the slot board in an effort to amass the most points. Each player has a set number of pieces in their specific color, and in various shapes. The rules of Drop It are simple – pick a piece and drop it (roll credits) into the board. You earn points for the highest level that your piece crosses into, as well as bonus points for touching various smaller areas across the board. Sounds easy enough, right? Well here’s the tricky part. If your piece touches another one of your pieces, even if by just a hair, it earns you no points. Similarly, if your piece touches another piece of the same shape (regardless of color), you earn no points as well. AND on top of that, certain areas along the bottom and sides of the board are colored and are not allowed to be touched by their corresponding colored pieces. If a piece touches one of those forbidden zones, then that player earns (you guessed it) no points. So all in all, not as simple a game as it looks, is it? The player at the end of the game with the most points is the winner!
Man, Drop It is a neat little game. When I first heard of it, I thought it would be the easiest game on the planet. But boy oh boy was I wrong. Although I’d say this game is primarily one of dexterity (and luck), there is definitely quite a bit of strategy involved. Because there are several placement restrictions, you have to be careful about which pieces you play at what times. The circles roll around on pretty much anything, so do you risk dropping one when it might just roll onto your square and negate those points? Can you drop your trapezoid at the right angle to have it span two other pieces and miss landing on yours in the middle? All while making sure it doesn’t hit the left side of the board here? It is way more strategic than meets the eye, and I love that. It keeps me engaged the entire game, and it elevates the game to a higher level than just simple dexterity.
Whatever strategy you choose must involve your opponents as well. Even though there is no real player interaction in Drop It, you’ve got to keep an eye on your opponents and which pieces they play at what times. If another player just dropped their square right in the middle of the board, you probably should not drop your square right now. Unless you don’t want points. Then by all means, drop your square right on top of that sucker. Are you able to keep a variety of shapes throughout the game, or will you get cornered for several turns because all you have left are your circles? You’re not only thinking of your strategy, but that of your opponents as well.
One other thing that I love about Drop It is that once a piece is scored, it is out of your mind. What I mean is that in some cases, dropping a piece causes those underneath to shift. You only score the piece that was just dropped – regardless of how it moved any pieces underneath. That definitely helps to keep the game moving because you are not having to constantly go back and re-score any shifted pieces. That would just be brutal.
Overall, I really like Drop It. It’s not one that I personally own, but it definitely is on my Wish List after having played it. It’s the perfect little filler game for in-between some meatier games. Although it requires strategy, the dexterity aspect of the game makes it more light-hearted, fun, and fast to play! Purple Phoenix Games is dropping a score of 14 / 18 for this little gem.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Ten years is a long time in Hollywood. Ten years ago, to this day Avatar was yet to be released to the unsuspecting masses, with Titanic still reigning supreme over the global box-office and debutant director Ruben Fleischer surprised the cinema-going public with Zombieland.
Made on a tiny budget of just over $20million, it went on to gross over $100million globally and received unanimous praise. A sequel was widely expected in the years that followed but never materialised. That’s probably down to a few things; one being Emma Stone’s meteoric rise to fame, Jesse Eisenberg starring in some of the biggest and most celebrated films of the decade that followed and Woody Harrelson, well, being Woody Harrelson (that’s not a dig, we love you Woody).
Fleischer meanwhile went on to direct 30 Minutes or Less, Gangster Squad and Venom among a couple of other projects. The time for a Zombieland sequel came and went with the film’s core fanbase hoping that one day they’d get what they desired.
That day is now here with the release of Zombieland: Double Tap. With a cast of returning characters and the original director at the helm, things certainly look promising from a technical point of view, but has the ship sailed on getting this franchise off the ground?
Zombie slayers Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus (Eisenberg), Wichita (Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) square off against a newly evolved strain of the undead as well as combatting their own personal demons in an effort to survive the ongoing zombie apocalypse.
Despite the popularity of the film’s actors since its predecessor, it’s nice to see all of the lead cast slot back into their roles seamlessly. Granted they’re a little older than we last remember them, and a little wiser too, but these characters still retain the charm and humour that made the last movie such a success.
Harrelson remains the standout and that’s mainly down to a nicely written script, penned by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham. Between them they’ve worked on films like Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, Ant-Man, Deadpool and its sequel and Life. That’s a pretty impressive roster of films it has to be said.
Eisenberg and Stone are also nicely written with a good character arc that means we get to see opposing sides to their roles. Unfortunately, Breslin is underused throughout, reduced to a part that feels much more like a support role. Of the new characters introduced, Rosario Dawson and Zoey Deutch are thinly written but reasonably entertaining.
The movie makes a big deal out of introducing some new breeds of zombie flesh-eaters, but doesn’t really do anything with them
Thankfully, the script remains a real highlight over the brisk 99-minute run-time with some genuine hilarity. The screenplay’s attempts at emotion work reasonably well but fall flat on a couple of occasions – the basis of the previous film was its humour and no surprises, this is where the sequel excels.
It’s a nice film to look at too. While some of the landscapes look a little too artificial, the sweeping shots of desolate buildings and roads add a sense of scale that was sometimes lacking last time around. The opening sequence inside the White House is great to watch and sets up the rest of the film well.
Zombieland: Double Tap works best when our band of characters is bouncing off each other and it’s a good job as the zombie action is fleeting. Some action pieces are well choregraphed but for a film about the world being overrun by the undead, there’s a distinct lack of them. The movie makes a big deal out of introducing some new breeds of zombie flesh-eaters, but doesn’t really do anything with them until the final act and that’s a bit of a shame.
Nevertheless, Zombieland: Double Tap remains easy-to-watch and likeable throughout with a cracking cast of characters. Unfortunately, the world has moved on from 2009 and zombie films, TV shows and books are ten-a-penny nowadays (something nicely referenced at the beginning of the film) and while Zombieland 2 does an awful lot right, in the end it’s a decent sequel to a great film, and nothing more than that.
Stick around for a post-credits sequence that follows on from the predecessors “greatest cameo ever”.
Made on a tiny budget of just over $20million, it went on to gross over $100million globally and received unanimous praise. A sequel was widely expected in the years that followed but never materialised. That’s probably down to a few things; one being Emma Stone’s meteoric rise to fame, Jesse Eisenberg starring in some of the biggest and most celebrated films of the decade that followed and Woody Harrelson, well, being Woody Harrelson (that’s not a dig, we love you Woody).
Fleischer meanwhile went on to direct 30 Minutes or Less, Gangster Squad and Venom among a couple of other projects. The time for a Zombieland sequel came and went with the film’s core fanbase hoping that one day they’d get what they desired.
That day is now here with the release of Zombieland: Double Tap. With a cast of returning characters and the original director at the helm, things certainly look promising from a technical point of view, but has the ship sailed on getting this franchise off the ground?
Zombie slayers Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus (Eisenberg), Wichita (Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) square off against a newly evolved strain of the undead as well as combatting their own personal demons in an effort to survive the ongoing zombie apocalypse.
Despite the popularity of the film’s actors since its predecessor, it’s nice to see all of the lead cast slot back into their roles seamlessly. Granted they’re a little older than we last remember them, and a little wiser too, but these characters still retain the charm and humour that made the last movie such a success.
Harrelson remains the standout and that’s mainly down to a nicely written script, penned by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham. Between them they’ve worked on films like Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, Ant-Man, Deadpool and its sequel and Life. That’s a pretty impressive roster of films it has to be said.
Eisenberg and Stone are also nicely written with a good character arc that means we get to see opposing sides to their roles. Unfortunately, Breslin is underused throughout, reduced to a part that feels much more like a support role. Of the new characters introduced, Rosario Dawson and Zoey Deutch are thinly written but reasonably entertaining.
The movie makes a big deal out of introducing some new breeds of zombie flesh-eaters, but doesn’t really do anything with them
Thankfully, the script remains a real highlight over the brisk 99-minute run-time with some genuine hilarity. The screenplay’s attempts at emotion work reasonably well but fall flat on a couple of occasions – the basis of the previous film was its humour and no surprises, this is where the sequel excels.
It’s a nice film to look at too. While some of the landscapes look a little too artificial, the sweeping shots of desolate buildings and roads add a sense of scale that was sometimes lacking last time around. The opening sequence inside the White House is great to watch and sets up the rest of the film well.
Zombieland: Double Tap works best when our band of characters is bouncing off each other and it’s a good job as the zombie action is fleeting. Some action pieces are well choregraphed but for a film about the world being overrun by the undead, there’s a distinct lack of them. The movie makes a big deal out of introducing some new breeds of zombie flesh-eaters, but doesn’t really do anything with them until the final act and that’s a bit of a shame.
Nevertheless, Zombieland: Double Tap remains easy-to-watch and likeable throughout with a cracking cast of characters. Unfortunately, the world has moved on from 2009 and zombie films, TV shows and books are ten-a-penny nowadays (something nicely referenced at the beginning of the film) and while Zombieland 2 does an awful lot right, in the end it’s a decent sequel to a great film, and nothing more than that.
Stick around for a post-credits sequence that follows on from the predecessors “greatest cameo ever”.