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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a criminal defense attorney who works out of his Lincoln Town Car in Los Angeles, hence the title of the movie and book “The Lincoln Lawyer” by Michael Connelly. Mickey defends all kinds of criminals and all he expects from his clients is that they pay him. While he may be a rather shifty lawyer, he is a loving father to his daughter Hayley (Mackenzie Aladjem) and he obviously still cares for her mother Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei).
Now although he has many clients, none are really big money clients. That changes one day when Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a rich Beverly Hills playboy, is arrested for assault & attempted rape and he wants Mick to defend him. At first Mick believes that he will be able to easily get his client acquitted, but as he and his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) dig deeper, they discovery disturbing information about the case and it’s possible link to another.
In his quest to win the all mighty “Not Guilty” verdict, Mick has many obstacles (both professional and personal) placed before him that he must successfully navigate around, and treachery hiding in the shadows that he must bring into the light or else he may lose more than just a case.
While the entire cast was incredible, Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe gave equally amazing performances (this is especially true for any scene that they were both in). The characters were well-developed, believable and for the most part likable, heck I even liked the biker Eddie (Trace Adkins). The storyline was intriguing with a twist or two that I did not see coming and it also had some very nice humor sprinkled in. I did find that in a few scenes the dialogue seemed to be a bit unnatural for what was going on but it didn’t really detract from the overall scenes in question. Personally I hope this film does well enough that they make a sequel (I believe the book’s sequel is The Reversal) because I would like to see more of these characters in action.
Now although he has many clients, none are really big money clients. That changes one day when Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a rich Beverly Hills playboy, is arrested for assault & attempted rape and he wants Mick to defend him. At first Mick believes that he will be able to easily get his client acquitted, but as he and his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) dig deeper, they discovery disturbing information about the case and it’s possible link to another.
In his quest to win the all mighty “Not Guilty” verdict, Mick has many obstacles (both professional and personal) placed before him that he must successfully navigate around, and treachery hiding in the shadows that he must bring into the light or else he may lose more than just a case.
While the entire cast was incredible, Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe gave equally amazing performances (this is especially true for any scene that they were both in). The characters were well-developed, believable and for the most part likable, heck I even liked the biker Eddie (Trace Adkins). The storyline was intriguing with a twist or two that I did not see coming and it also had some very nice humor sprinkled in. I did find that in a few scenes the dialogue seemed to be a bit unnatural for what was going on but it didn’t really detract from the overall scenes in question. Personally I hope this film does well enough that they make a sequel (I believe the book’s sequel is The Reversal) because I would like to see more of these characters in action.
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If you enjoy the likes of Parker Palmer, Mark Nepo, Krista Tippett, Maria Popova, John O Donohue,...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 5, 2018)
Cool For Cats
Marvel's latest hotly anticipated superhero epic Black Panther, has arrived. Chadwick Boseman stars as the titular hero and gives a subdued, collected performance, which I didn't expect. The first time that we saw this character was in Civil War and while I understand he was on a revenge quest in that movie, he conveyed an sense of energy that is isn't present in Black Panther. I don't think that this was Chadwick Boseman's decision, but is instead based on what Ryan Coogler's vision of who Black Panther should be.
There are a lot of stand out performances in the film though Michael B Jordan, who is a Coogler movie staple at this point, brings us the best Marvel villain so far, or at the very least, the most believable motivation for doing villainous things that we have seen so far in the MCU. The rest of the cast bring their A game too, including Danai Guira, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whittaker, Martin Freeman and Sterling K Brown.
The costume design and sets where fantastic to look at, but some of the character CGI looked a but too bouncy and unrealistic. I also felt like the movie dragged a bit in the second act. While the soundtrack started off great and added to the excitement of certain scenes in the movie's first act, by around halfway through the movie, I was sick of hearing African drums and chanting.
Overall though, this is a pretty great entry into the MCU and although it isn't Marvel's best ever, it is also definitely not their worst.
There are a lot of stand out performances in the film though Michael B Jordan, who is a Coogler movie staple at this point, brings us the best Marvel villain so far, or at the very least, the most believable motivation for doing villainous things that we have seen so far in the MCU. The rest of the cast bring their A game too, including Danai Guira, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whittaker, Martin Freeman and Sterling K Brown.
The costume design and sets where fantastic to look at, but some of the character CGI looked a but too bouncy and unrealistic. I also felt like the movie dragged a bit in the second act. While the soundtrack started off great and added to the excitement of certain scenes in the movie's first act, by around halfway through the movie, I was sick of hearing African drums and chanting.
Overall though, this is a pretty great entry into the MCU and although it isn't Marvel's best ever, it is also definitely not their worst.
Masters of Horror: A Horror Anthology
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Masters of Horror A selection of some of the finest horror writers of today were invited by Matt...
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) in Movies
Jun 15, 2021
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard picks up relatively soon after The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce attempts to take a sabbatical after the events of the first film. His sabbatical doesn’t last long, when Sonia, played by Salma Hayek, crashes his vacation to ask for his help to save her husband from the mob. After they locate Darius Kincaid, the crew gets involved in this ridiculous international situation with Antonio Banderas, playing a Greek dude named Aristotle. Aristotle is angry that the EU kept sanctions on Greece, so he decides to knock out Europe’s interwebs. It is as dumb as it sounds.
The comedy trio of Reynolds, Hayek, and Jackson is amusing, and helps move the film along. The plot is silly, and predictable, but overall enjoyable. One of the funniest parts was when Morgan Freeman made an appearance in an unexpected way as Senior. I liked that there was a little bit of Sonia’s backstory, and we got to see some of her previous cons.
If you watch the first film, right before seeing this one, as I did, you can laugh at all the references back to the first. That being said, some of the jokes were disgustingly crass, particularly when Sonia talks about attempting to get pregnant, and it was too much. Also, the use of the word Mother F-cker was so excessive, it just became annoying. While I liked having more Hayek in the film, she flips out way too often for it to be funny. Another issue I had was the use of multiple dream sequences. It’s funny the first time, but not after that.
This is the first big, dumb, fun action movie to grace us with its presence since theaters opened up, and it was a good start to the barrage of big, dumb, fun action movie season.
The comedy trio of Reynolds, Hayek, and Jackson is amusing, and helps move the film along. The plot is silly, and predictable, but overall enjoyable. One of the funniest parts was when Morgan Freeman made an appearance in an unexpected way as Senior. I liked that there was a little bit of Sonia’s backstory, and we got to see some of her previous cons.
If you watch the first film, right before seeing this one, as I did, you can laugh at all the references back to the first. That being said, some of the jokes were disgustingly crass, particularly when Sonia talks about attempting to get pregnant, and it was too much. Also, the use of the word Mother F-cker was so excessive, it just became annoying. While I liked having more Hayek in the film, she flips out way too often for it to be funny. Another issue I had was the use of multiple dream sequences. It’s funny the first time, but not after that.
This is the first big, dumb, fun action movie to grace us with its presence since theaters opened up, and it was a good start to the barrage of big, dumb, fun action movie season.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Prom (2020) in Movies
Jan 1, 2021
Ruined by James Corden
The Prom is the latest film from Glee creator Ryan Murphy, adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name. It follows Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman) who inadvertently causes her high school prom to be cancelled from wanting to attend with her girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose), in a school governed by a PTA that is very much against inclusion. Meanwhile on Broadway, four down on their luck actors (Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden and Andrew Rannells) pick up on Emma’s story and decide to use it as a perfect opportunity to garner some publicity for themselves by showing their support.
The Prom is obviously a personal movie for director Ryan Murphy, after growing up in Indiana himself, but unfortunately he doesn’t quite manage to pull this off. The story has a very important message about inclusion and you can’t deny how powerful this is, but I don’t think it has been very well executed. Yes the entire film looks amazing, the colourful and flashy outfits look wonderful and add some much needed colour when the story moves from Broadway to Indiana. The songs too are good and toe-tappingly catchy, with ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ from Andrew Rannells being a particular standout for me, and I’d be lying if I said the glitz, glam and catchy songs didn’t make me smile. Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman has a cracking voice and her performance here shows she’s definitely one to watch in future.
However this is where the positives stop. A large number of the songs sound the same and aside from the aforementioned ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ and the finale ‘It’s Time to Dance’, none of them are particularly memorable. The film is full of clichés and stereotypes and awkward dialogue and scenes – the cringeworthy and entirely unbelievable flirtation between Dee Dee (Streep) and Principal Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key) is possibly one of the worst things I’ve had to watch in quite a while. The cast are obviously having a lot of fun with this and it shows in the musical numbers, but some of the characters and performances are entirely unlikeable. I know Dee Dee is meant to be a self obsessed narcissist, and Streep is hamming her up to the max, but she is a horrible character and I couldn’t abide her. Scenes with her that are meant to be comedic to me came across as awful and repulsive. Whilst she does improve over the course of the rather drawn out run time, I’m afraid the damage is done in the first 90 minutes. And I felt very sorry for Nicole Kidman, who aside from a Chicago-esque number, seems to have been entirely sidelined.
But the worst part of The Prom is the decision to cast James Corden as the gay male lead, Barry Glickman. What was Ryan Murphy thinking? I’ve never been a fan of Corden, but surely anyone watching this can see he’s a talk show host, not a Hollywood musical star? Not only is his American accent terrible, his performance is completely unbelievable and overly camp and outdated. How Andrew Rannells could bear to work opposite James Corden in this role when he could’ve shone as Barry I will never know. Had it not been for Corden, I probably would have liked this a lot more.
The Prom is a glitzy mash-up of old school Broadway and cheesy high school musicals, full of colourful catchy tunes, neat choreography and a powerful message, it’s just a shame the characters and some of the casting are lacking in the substance to make this anything better than average.
The Prom is obviously a personal movie for director Ryan Murphy, after growing up in Indiana himself, but unfortunately he doesn’t quite manage to pull this off. The story has a very important message about inclusion and you can’t deny how powerful this is, but I don’t think it has been very well executed. Yes the entire film looks amazing, the colourful and flashy outfits look wonderful and add some much needed colour when the story moves from Broadway to Indiana. The songs too are good and toe-tappingly catchy, with ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ from Andrew Rannells being a particular standout for me, and I’d be lying if I said the glitz, glam and catchy songs didn’t make me smile. Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman has a cracking voice and her performance here shows she’s definitely one to watch in future.
However this is where the positives stop. A large number of the songs sound the same and aside from the aforementioned ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ and the finale ‘It’s Time to Dance’, none of them are particularly memorable. The film is full of clichés and stereotypes and awkward dialogue and scenes – the cringeworthy and entirely unbelievable flirtation between Dee Dee (Streep) and Principal Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key) is possibly one of the worst things I’ve had to watch in quite a while. The cast are obviously having a lot of fun with this and it shows in the musical numbers, but some of the characters and performances are entirely unlikeable. I know Dee Dee is meant to be a self obsessed narcissist, and Streep is hamming her up to the max, but she is a horrible character and I couldn’t abide her. Scenes with her that are meant to be comedic to me came across as awful and repulsive. Whilst she does improve over the course of the rather drawn out run time, I’m afraid the damage is done in the first 90 minutes. And I felt very sorry for Nicole Kidman, who aside from a Chicago-esque number, seems to have been entirely sidelined.
But the worst part of The Prom is the decision to cast James Corden as the gay male lead, Barry Glickman. What was Ryan Murphy thinking? I’ve never been a fan of Corden, but surely anyone watching this can see he’s a talk show host, not a Hollywood musical star? Not only is his American accent terrible, his performance is completely unbelievable and overly camp and outdated. How Andrew Rannells could bear to work opposite James Corden in this role when he could’ve shone as Barry I will never know. Had it not been for Corden, I probably would have liked this a lot more.
The Prom is a glitzy mash-up of old school Broadway and cheesy high school musicals, full of colourful catchy tunes, neat choreography and a powerful message, it’s just a shame the characters and some of the casting are lacking in the substance to make this anything better than average.
JT (287 KP) rated Vehicle 19 (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Paul Walker can’t seem to stay away from cars at the moment, in between Fast Five and the recently released Fast and Furious 6 Walker took the lead in Vehicle 19.
Walker plays Michael Woods whose recently jumped parole and heads out to South Africa to see his girlfriend, in the hope of rekindling their relationship. Picking up a rental car, a minivan, which is hardly fast or furious, it turns out to be the wrong choice as during his journey he’s chased down by the local police for the murder of a young woman.
The film for the majority of its entirety is shot from the inside of the car, with Walker rarely stepping out of the driver’s seat as he tries to navigate his way through a city he is totally unfamiliar with. Films that capture one location need to rely on a number of things, firstly the acting has got to be top draw and secondly you’ve got to pull out the tension and hook the audience.
Phone Booth and Buried which placed its protagonists in a confined space paid off pretty well, but here Vehicle 19 struggles and almost splutters as if gasping for more fuel. The problem is the despite Walker putting in a decent performance as a man with a goal who is pushed to the edge it lacks any real bite or conviction.
For the opening twenty minutes we see him converse with his girlfriend via phone, complain he’s got the wrong rental car and try to remember which side of the road he has to drive on. It’s dull, and when you compare it with Ryan Reynolds’s opening twenty minutes in Buried where he’s confined to a 6 foot box, Vehicle 19 is way off the mark.
Relative unknown director Mukunda Michael Dewil leaves it too late, and when Woods discovers a phone and gun in the glove box as well as a bound and gagged girl in the trunk many of us have already turned the ignition off. Woods is hunted by Detective Smith, a man with a terrifying accent that leaves genuine chills down your spine, for someone who only gets a minimal amount of screen time at the end he does leave a lasting impression.
It does have its rare moments and of course Walker gets to use his driving skills to full capacity as he’s perused through the townships and city streets by police cars that you’d expect would be able to catch up with a minivan.
It’s short but not so sharp, the surrounding locations begged for so much more than what was delivered. I’d much rather have seen Walker behind the wheel of a high performance vehicle…oh wait I can!
Walker plays Michael Woods whose recently jumped parole and heads out to South Africa to see his girlfriend, in the hope of rekindling their relationship. Picking up a rental car, a minivan, which is hardly fast or furious, it turns out to be the wrong choice as during his journey he’s chased down by the local police for the murder of a young woman.
The film for the majority of its entirety is shot from the inside of the car, with Walker rarely stepping out of the driver’s seat as he tries to navigate his way through a city he is totally unfamiliar with. Films that capture one location need to rely on a number of things, firstly the acting has got to be top draw and secondly you’ve got to pull out the tension and hook the audience.
Phone Booth and Buried which placed its protagonists in a confined space paid off pretty well, but here Vehicle 19 struggles and almost splutters as if gasping for more fuel. The problem is the despite Walker putting in a decent performance as a man with a goal who is pushed to the edge it lacks any real bite or conviction.
For the opening twenty minutes we see him converse with his girlfriend via phone, complain he’s got the wrong rental car and try to remember which side of the road he has to drive on. It’s dull, and when you compare it with Ryan Reynolds’s opening twenty minutes in Buried where he’s confined to a 6 foot box, Vehicle 19 is way off the mark.
Relative unknown director Mukunda Michael Dewil leaves it too late, and when Woods discovers a phone and gun in the glove box as well as a bound and gagged girl in the trunk many of us have already turned the ignition off. Woods is hunted by Detective Smith, a man with a terrifying accent that leaves genuine chills down your spine, for someone who only gets a minimal amount of screen time at the end he does leave a lasting impression.
It does have its rare moments and of course Walker gets to use his driving skills to full capacity as he’s perused through the townships and city streets by police cars that you’d expect would be able to catch up with a minivan.
It’s short but not so sharp, the surrounding locations begged for so much more than what was delivered. I’d much rather have seen Walker behind the wheel of a high performance vehicle…oh wait I can!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
May 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
A by the numbers origin story, with some great performances that elevate
Black Panther was introduced into the MCU during Civil War, with little time for much backstory. And Ryan Cooglers efforts to illustrate said back story works for the most part.
This film is filled to the brim with vibrant colours, and an extremely likable cast.
Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira (literally throwing wigs at one point), Daniel Kaluuya, and Lulita Nyong'o are all great, and really paint a picture of the tribal togetherness that is Wakanda.
The two villains are where the cast really shines however, and of course, mainly Michael B. Jordan.
Here we have a layered Marvel villain, someone who you can truly sympathise with, whose backstory is fleshed out enough to almost side with him. Almost.
Jordan does a great job of bringing Killmonger to life.
Similar props to Andy Serkis. After a tiny roll in Age of Ultron, he gets a chance here to play Klaue like and absolute psychopath, and it's clear just how much fun he has in to roll.
A few negatives.... The way that Klaue's story arc is concluded is hugely unsatisfying.
The CGI is dodgy in parts, especially during then climatic battle.
The last battle itself is fun for the most part, but the fight between Black Panther and Killmonger falls into the age old MCU trope of 'the-hero-fighting-an-evil-version-of-themselves-in-a-similar-oufit' (see Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Ant-Man for reference)
Martin Freeman's character seems and largely unnecessary addition here, but it's always fun to see characters from other MCU movies.
All in all, Black Panther can be bland in places, but it's done the important part of finally establishing Wakanda in the MCU, and I for one am looking forward to what other stories will occur there (fingers crossed for a Sub-Mariner story line in a sequel!)
This film is filled to the brim with vibrant colours, and an extremely likable cast.
Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira (literally throwing wigs at one point), Daniel Kaluuya, and Lulita Nyong'o are all great, and really paint a picture of the tribal togetherness that is Wakanda.
The two villains are where the cast really shines however, and of course, mainly Michael B. Jordan.
Here we have a layered Marvel villain, someone who you can truly sympathise with, whose backstory is fleshed out enough to almost side with him. Almost.
Jordan does a great job of bringing Killmonger to life.
Similar props to Andy Serkis. After a tiny roll in Age of Ultron, he gets a chance here to play Klaue like and absolute psychopath, and it's clear just how much fun he has in to roll.
A few negatives.... The way that Klaue's story arc is concluded is hugely unsatisfying.
The CGI is dodgy in parts, especially during then climatic battle.
The last battle itself is fun for the most part, but the fight between Black Panther and Killmonger falls into the age old MCU trope of 'the-hero-fighting-an-evil-version-of-themselves-in-a-similar-oufit' (see Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Ant-Man for reference)
Martin Freeman's character seems and largely unnecessary addition here, but it's always fun to see characters from other MCU movies.
All in all, Black Panther can be bland in places, but it's done the important part of finally establishing Wakanda in the MCU, and I for one am looking forward to what other stories will occur there (fingers crossed for a Sub-Mariner story line in a sequel!)
Nick Smallwood (0 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Mar 10, 2018
Black Panther was a great movie with very few negatives to it. Marvel movies being what they are, there are definitely similarities to be drawn between BP and other recent MCU entries, mostly along the lines of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok.
Ryan Coogler very adeptly introduces a brand new culture, a brand new nation, to the Marvel Universe, finally pulling back the veil on Wakanda itself after many hints and Easter eggs.
Fresh from his appearance in Captain America: Civil War, which is recapped very briefly in the beginning of the film, Black Panther comes home to be declared King after a quick action scene that shows Black Panther in action, shot VERY well while maintaining the Marvel humor shown in Ragnarok. "Don't freeze."
As the movie progresses and we're introduced to Michael B. Jordan's villain of the film, we are given an empathetic villain we can eventually sympathize with, albeit knowing full and well that he is still the bad guy who needs to be foiled.
Some character highlights of the film include Princess Shuri, a welcome addition to the MCU, the return of Ulysses Claue from Avengers: Age of Ultron and Everett Ross from Captain America: Civil War, and newcomer M'Baku, who was very tastefully adapted for the film without calling him Man-Ape.
The action scenes were well done, Wakanda showed cultural depth, the plot was well-developed and every scene that wasn't self-explained was eventually paid off later on.
This being a comic book film, it translated Wakanda well, and shows Marvel has found their groove. The distractions I have are few and far between, mostly just stemming from Killmonger's use of a Black Panther suit (Iron Monger, The Abomination, The Red Skull, and Kaecillius all come to mind as mirrored versions of the heroes) and some spotty pacing between some scenes.
Also.
Didn't expect it, didn't see it in trailers, so mild spoilers, but.
Battle Rhinos.
Awesome.
Ryan Coogler very adeptly introduces a brand new culture, a brand new nation, to the Marvel Universe, finally pulling back the veil on Wakanda itself after many hints and Easter eggs.
Fresh from his appearance in Captain America: Civil War, which is recapped very briefly in the beginning of the film, Black Panther comes home to be declared King after a quick action scene that shows Black Panther in action, shot VERY well while maintaining the Marvel humor shown in Ragnarok. "Don't freeze."
As the movie progresses and we're introduced to Michael B. Jordan's villain of the film, we are given an empathetic villain we can eventually sympathize with, albeit knowing full and well that he is still the bad guy who needs to be foiled.
Some character highlights of the film include Princess Shuri, a welcome addition to the MCU, the return of Ulysses Claue from Avengers: Age of Ultron and Everett Ross from Captain America: Civil War, and newcomer M'Baku, who was very tastefully adapted for the film without calling him Man-Ape.
The action scenes were well done, Wakanda showed cultural depth, the plot was well-developed and every scene that wasn't self-explained was eventually paid off later on.
This being a comic book film, it translated Wakanda well, and shows Marvel has found their groove. The distractions I have are few and far between, mostly just stemming from Killmonger's use of a Black Panther suit (Iron Monger, The Abomination, The Red Skull, and Kaecillius all come to mind as mirrored versions of the heroes) and some spotty pacing between some scenes.
Also.
Didn't expect it, didn't see it in trailers, so mild spoilers, but.
Battle Rhinos.
Awesome.
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated Starship Troopers (1997) in Movies
May 30, 2018
It is a great film and in the category of action Sci-Fi one of the best.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Starship Troopers is a great Science Fiction movie. It is based on a book by Robert A. Heinlein. In the future, mankind is exploring the universe and encroach upon the territory of alien bugs and war begins. The insects are only responding to a threat of their territory and are trying to fight off the invaders. The clever use of insects as the aliens makes this film stand apart from other space movies.
The cast is great. It is made up of great actors, many of who at the time were relatively unknown including Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey and Denise Richards, mixed with established stars like Clancy Brown, Neil Patrick Harris and Michael Ironside, taking minor roles. The star of the movie is hard to choose between Dina Meyer, Casper Van Dien (both of who suffered injuries while making this, Casper broke a rib and Dina suffered a concussion) and the bugs! However I am going to have to say the bugs are the stars. The use of real and CGI in this film is great. The bugs are a formidable foe and a very creative one. They are numerous and relentless. Cleverly the use of different species of bugs makes for some great surprises.
The battles are epic and bloody. This is not a film for the squeamish, every battle is like a futuristic opening scene to Saving Private Ryan. People die in horrific ways, bodies and limbs are ripped apart and even main characters don't always survive, something I always appreciate in a film as it keeps the viewer guessing.
But it is not all about war, there is a good amount of comedy and even romance in this movie. It is a great film and in the category of action Sci-Fi one of the best.
The cast is great. It is made up of great actors, many of who at the time were relatively unknown including Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey and Denise Richards, mixed with established stars like Clancy Brown, Neil Patrick Harris and Michael Ironside, taking minor roles. The star of the movie is hard to choose between Dina Meyer, Casper Van Dien (both of who suffered injuries while making this, Casper broke a rib and Dina suffered a concussion) and the bugs! However I am going to have to say the bugs are the stars. The use of real and CGI in this film is great. The bugs are a formidable foe and a very creative one. They are numerous and relentless. Cleverly the use of different species of bugs makes for some great surprises.
The battles are epic and bloody. This is not a film for the squeamish, every battle is like a futuristic opening scene to Saving Private Ryan. People die in horrific ways, bodies and limbs are ripped apart and even main characters don't always survive, something I always appreciate in a film as it keeps the viewer guessing.
But it is not all about war, there is a good amount of comedy and even romance in this movie. It is a great film and in the category of action Sci-Fi one of the best.