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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
This isn't a bad film all in all, it certainly fills a more traditional (?) magical gap in recent releases.
The best thing about The House With A Clock In Its Walls is definitely Cate Blanchett, she plays eccentric beautifully in this one and I don't think there were any of her scenes that I wasn't fond of. She bounces well with Jack Black, and their little moments of bickering are amusing and express their playful friendship really well.
Jack Black is very, well, Jack Black in this. He's a good comedic actor, but his roles are always quite similar in ways. That's not a negative thing as such, I like that he's consistent and you know you'll enjoy his performance.
We've been blessed with some great performances from kids in films recently, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying in The Meg and Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna in The Predator, were both brilliant in their roles and were blessed with some great scenes and lines. Owen Vaccaro in this portrayed the awkward Lewis with conviction and was on point for what the film set out for him, but what he was given was on par with the film as a whole. It was good, but it didn't have any oomph behind it.
The story itself seemed to be jogging along nicely in the background, but I'm always left wondering about the baddie reveals. Would the film have felt better if there was less lead up and more of the spooky bad guy moments? I'm honestly not sure, but he seemed to appear and then disappear in a puff of smoke. I wonder how much screen time he had in total?
I will say this... I don't ever need to see "baby" Jack Black ever again. It was creepy, the graphics were horrendous and it was completely inaccurate to the events that were about to unfold, as was evident with the rest of the town who we see experiencing the same thing.
Based on the book The House With A Clock In It's Walls by John Bellairs.
What should you do?
It's not a bad family film to go and see if you've got a couple of hours to spare.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the magic would be too cliché, I'd like a topiary winged lion please.
The best thing about The House With A Clock In Its Walls is definitely Cate Blanchett, she plays eccentric beautifully in this one and I don't think there were any of her scenes that I wasn't fond of. She bounces well with Jack Black, and their little moments of bickering are amusing and express their playful friendship really well.
Jack Black is very, well, Jack Black in this. He's a good comedic actor, but his roles are always quite similar in ways. That's not a negative thing as such, I like that he's consistent and you know you'll enjoy his performance.
We've been blessed with some great performances from kids in films recently, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying in The Meg and Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna in The Predator, were both brilliant in their roles and were blessed with some great scenes and lines. Owen Vaccaro in this portrayed the awkward Lewis with conviction and was on point for what the film set out for him, but what he was given was on par with the film as a whole. It was good, but it didn't have any oomph behind it.
The story itself seemed to be jogging along nicely in the background, but I'm always left wondering about the baddie reveals. Would the film have felt better if there was less lead up and more of the spooky bad guy moments? I'm honestly not sure, but he seemed to appear and then disappear in a puff of smoke. I wonder how much screen time he had in total?
I will say this... I don't ever need to see "baby" Jack Black ever again. It was creepy, the graphics were horrendous and it was completely inaccurate to the events that were about to unfold, as was evident with the rest of the town who we see experiencing the same thing.
Based on the book The House With A Clock In It's Walls by John Bellairs.
What should you do?
It's not a bad family film to go and see if you've got a couple of hours to spare.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the magic would be too cliché, I'd like a topiary winged lion please.
Sin City (2005)
7.5
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
8.2
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
The year is 1955 and a newly orphaned young man named Lewis (portrayed by the incredibly talented Owen Vaccaro) arrives in the small town of New Zebedee, Michigan to live with his estranged uncle Jonathan (Jack Black). Upon his arrival he discovers that his Uncle Jonathan and his neighbor/friend Florence (Cate Blanchet) are frantically attempting to find a mysterious clock in the wall of the house, with the clock’s dark purpose still a mystery.
The character of Lewis is your stereotypical weakly newcomer, who has no friends and has no athletic ability what-so-ever. This is portrayed in an extremely comical scene in the beginning of the film where his new classmates are picking basketball teams and would rather take a kid on crutches over Lewis. This one scene did an excellent job of making Lewis very endearing and the underdog you want to root for. Not only is Lewis having a hard time fitting in at school, but he is finding his home life is also a bit unsettling. Lewis and his uncle have a few odd interactions, and eventually he finds out his eccentric uncle is actually a warlock, or as Lewis lovingly likes to call him, a man-witch. After they finally have a heartfelt talk and realize they are both “black swans” in life, his uncle reluctantly agrees to train Lewis to become a warlock. The training sets in motion a series of events that not only grow Lewis as a more powerful warlock-in-training, but also as a person. Ultimately, Lewis must use his new-found magical gift and the power of his new family to prevent the clock from carrying out its devious plan.
Eli Roth, better known for his less kid friendly movies such as Hostel and Cabin Fever, did an astounding job of bringing the film to life. While there are certainly intense moments that may not be entirely suitable for younger viewers, it brought enough scares and creepy moments to entertain both young and old alike. The level of intensity is comparable to other kid friendly horror titles such as the Goosebumps series and this film does a good job of mixing up the lighter moments, jump scares and the use of creepy props to bring both a sense of terror and wonder to the screen at the same time. I do have to say, the scene where a bunch of spooky dolls come to life hit a bit too close to home considering my wife has a very large doll collection. After seeing this film, walking into her doll room will never be the same again.
Owen Vaccaro does an extraordinary job in his role of the quirky and nerdy Lewis and Jack Black is his usual zany self in the role of Uncle Jonathan, but he also does a great job with the more serious moments as well. Cate Blanchet, however, was one of the biggest surprises. Her talents are usually seen in dramas and playing more serious characters, so it was nice to see her in a more fun and playful role. All the characters have an excellent chemistry from the moment we are introduced to them, and that captivating chemistry carries through to the very end.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls certainly kept me entertained throughout. The characters and story were interesting, and the suspense and thrills were scary enough to elicit the occasional jump. While I hesitate to say it’s fun for the whole family as once again, some of the scenes may be a little too frightening for younger audiences, it certainly is a great movie for kids who are a bit older or who are not easily spooked. If you are a fan of lighthearted Halloween movies and can overlook a few silly and unnecessary moments, then this film has the potential to be an instant family classic and one that you will likely want to watch every Halloween season. Hmm, suddenly, I have a craving for homemade chocolate chip cookies and when you see the film, you will completely understand why.
The character of Lewis is your stereotypical weakly newcomer, who has no friends and has no athletic ability what-so-ever. This is portrayed in an extremely comical scene in the beginning of the film where his new classmates are picking basketball teams and would rather take a kid on crutches over Lewis. This one scene did an excellent job of making Lewis very endearing and the underdog you want to root for. Not only is Lewis having a hard time fitting in at school, but he is finding his home life is also a bit unsettling. Lewis and his uncle have a few odd interactions, and eventually he finds out his eccentric uncle is actually a warlock, or as Lewis lovingly likes to call him, a man-witch. After they finally have a heartfelt talk and realize they are both “black swans” in life, his uncle reluctantly agrees to train Lewis to become a warlock. The training sets in motion a series of events that not only grow Lewis as a more powerful warlock-in-training, but also as a person. Ultimately, Lewis must use his new-found magical gift and the power of his new family to prevent the clock from carrying out its devious plan.
Eli Roth, better known for his less kid friendly movies such as Hostel and Cabin Fever, did an astounding job of bringing the film to life. While there are certainly intense moments that may not be entirely suitable for younger viewers, it brought enough scares and creepy moments to entertain both young and old alike. The level of intensity is comparable to other kid friendly horror titles such as the Goosebumps series and this film does a good job of mixing up the lighter moments, jump scares and the use of creepy props to bring both a sense of terror and wonder to the screen at the same time. I do have to say, the scene where a bunch of spooky dolls come to life hit a bit too close to home considering my wife has a very large doll collection. After seeing this film, walking into her doll room will never be the same again.
Owen Vaccaro does an extraordinary job in his role of the quirky and nerdy Lewis and Jack Black is his usual zany self in the role of Uncle Jonathan, but he also does a great job with the more serious moments as well. Cate Blanchet, however, was one of the biggest surprises. Her talents are usually seen in dramas and playing more serious characters, so it was nice to see her in a more fun and playful role. All the characters have an excellent chemistry from the moment we are introduced to them, and that captivating chemistry carries through to the very end.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls certainly kept me entertained throughout. The characters and story were interesting, and the suspense and thrills were scary enough to elicit the occasional jump. While I hesitate to say it’s fun for the whole family as once again, some of the scenes may be a little too frightening for younger audiences, it certainly is a great movie for kids who are a bit older or who are not easily spooked. If you are a fan of lighthearted Halloween movies and can overlook a few silly and unnecessary moments, then this film has the potential to be an instant family classic and one that you will likely want to watch every Halloween season. Hmm, suddenly, I have a craving for homemade chocolate chip cookies and when you see the film, you will completely understand why.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) in Movies
Jun 16, 2022
The Therizinosaurus and Pyroraptor sequences. (2 more)
The final dinosaur battle.
Jeff Goldblum
No chemistry between the cast. (2 more)
Not enough dinosaurs.
Human drama overshadows anything remotely dinosaur related.
You Can't Squeeze Gold From a Dried Up Fossil
Four years after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, dinosaurs now roam free and are a part of everyday life. Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) have been taking care of Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) while living in a cabin deep within the Sierra Nevada mountains. Biosyn Genetics now utilizes the dinosaurs as a means to try to cure the world’s most devastating diseases.
Maisie’s unique clone DNA is suddenly the world’s only hope for surviving against a swarm of de-extinct giant locusts that is growing in number, spreading from continent to continent, and attacking the source of the world’s food supply. Biosyn kidnaps Maisie along with Beta; the offspring of Blue, the velociraptor Owen trained, who reproduced Beta asexually. Meanwhile, with the help of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) recruits Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to break into Biosyn in an attempt to prove that they are the ones responsible for the giant locusts.
The big drawing point of Jurassic World Dominion is that not only is it the first time Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill have been together in a Jurassic Park film since the original, but you get to see them interact with the main characters of the Jurassic World films. The problem is that it wasn’t worth the wait. The highlight of the Jurassic Park films are the dinosaurs and it seems like Dominion purposely keeps its audience away from what they came to see for the majority of the film. To make matters worse, all of the human interactions fall flat. What little comedic humor the film tries to provide is met with blank stares and there seems to be more time spent talking about relationships between characters, teenager woes, and villainous characters who have suddenly turned a new leaf over actual dinosaur goodness.
Why anyone decided that Owen’s trademark pose of his arm being extended with his palm being the only defense between them and a wild dinosaur mauling them to death is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It’s done so often here and what’s even more frustrating is that it works every time. The film throws in these sappy and melodramatic excursions that simply aren’t worth the hassle. Claire and Owen attempting to be parents is excruciating and the way this film has decided to force Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant into an awkward, romantic fling is more uncomfortable than it is satisfying.
The film does offer a few highlights, but not nearly enough amongst its close to 150-minute runtime. The motorcycle chase in Malta is the film’s most entertaining action sequence and the pyroraptor scene on top of the ice is also incredibly thrilling. The three-way dinosaur battle during the finale of the film is cool, but it feels like it’s been done previously. As the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films progressed, they seemed to always try to be topping the T. Rex and yet were never really able to.
Dominion includes the Giganotosaurus; an apex predator that is bigger and meaner than the T. Rex. The finale sees the T.Rex battling the Giganotosaurus with the help of a Therizinosaurus. Earlier in the film, the Therizinosaurus and its long, sharp, finger-like appendages provide the only nod to horror and classic monster movies Dominion provides as it stalks Claire in the jungle near the main Biosyn facility.
The film spends a lot of time focusing on human drama that you don’t care about. Claire and Owen bounce around the world as they try to find Maisie. They’re taken to an underground dinosaur fighting ring by Barry Sembène (Omar Sy), who now works for the CIA. They go on a wild goose chase as they trail behind Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze), the man who kidnapped Maisie, and then Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman), a dinosaur smuggler that has a direct line to Biosyn.
What’s disappointing is more of the film could have been devoted to Santos and the dinosaur black market since they are two of the most interesting aspects of the film. Dominion tries to make up for it by making pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) the most intriguing new character, but her inclusion feels like it’s too little too late.
With Jurassic World Dominion, a Jurassic World film where dinosaurs are now free and interacting with the modern world shouldn’t feel this longwinded or this tiresome. There are a few action sequences that are worthwhile and Jeff Goldblum has a few great one-liners (“You made a promise to a dinosaur?”), but the film is a monumental disappointment overall.
The film has already made over $415 million at the worldwide box office, so the interest in the franchise is still there. But the chemistry between the cast is almost non-existent and it feels like the film is running on fumes as it tries to offer something new from what is otherwise dried up fossil fuel. If the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise is to continue, it desperately needs to go in a refreshing and unseen direction. Now that all of the nostalgia is out of the way, fans deserve a refreshing and unique adventure over what is otherwise a glorified rehash.
Maisie’s unique clone DNA is suddenly the world’s only hope for surviving against a swarm of de-extinct giant locusts that is growing in number, spreading from continent to continent, and attacking the source of the world’s food supply. Biosyn kidnaps Maisie along with Beta; the offspring of Blue, the velociraptor Owen trained, who reproduced Beta asexually. Meanwhile, with the help of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) recruits Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to break into Biosyn in an attempt to prove that they are the ones responsible for the giant locusts.
The big drawing point of Jurassic World Dominion is that not only is it the first time Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill have been together in a Jurassic Park film since the original, but you get to see them interact with the main characters of the Jurassic World films. The problem is that it wasn’t worth the wait. The highlight of the Jurassic Park films are the dinosaurs and it seems like Dominion purposely keeps its audience away from what they came to see for the majority of the film. To make matters worse, all of the human interactions fall flat. What little comedic humor the film tries to provide is met with blank stares and there seems to be more time spent talking about relationships between characters, teenager woes, and villainous characters who have suddenly turned a new leaf over actual dinosaur goodness.
Why anyone decided that Owen’s trademark pose of his arm being extended with his palm being the only defense between them and a wild dinosaur mauling them to death is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It’s done so often here and what’s even more frustrating is that it works every time. The film throws in these sappy and melodramatic excursions that simply aren’t worth the hassle. Claire and Owen attempting to be parents is excruciating and the way this film has decided to force Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant into an awkward, romantic fling is more uncomfortable than it is satisfying.
The film does offer a few highlights, but not nearly enough amongst its close to 150-minute runtime. The motorcycle chase in Malta is the film’s most entertaining action sequence and the pyroraptor scene on top of the ice is also incredibly thrilling. The three-way dinosaur battle during the finale of the film is cool, but it feels like it’s been done previously. As the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films progressed, they seemed to always try to be topping the T. Rex and yet were never really able to.
Dominion includes the Giganotosaurus; an apex predator that is bigger and meaner than the T. Rex. The finale sees the T.Rex battling the Giganotosaurus with the help of a Therizinosaurus. Earlier in the film, the Therizinosaurus and its long, sharp, finger-like appendages provide the only nod to horror and classic monster movies Dominion provides as it stalks Claire in the jungle near the main Biosyn facility.
The film spends a lot of time focusing on human drama that you don’t care about. Claire and Owen bounce around the world as they try to find Maisie. They’re taken to an underground dinosaur fighting ring by Barry Sembène (Omar Sy), who now works for the CIA. They go on a wild goose chase as they trail behind Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze), the man who kidnapped Maisie, and then Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman), a dinosaur smuggler that has a direct line to Biosyn.
What’s disappointing is more of the film could have been devoted to Santos and the dinosaur black market since they are two of the most interesting aspects of the film. Dominion tries to make up for it by making pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) the most intriguing new character, but her inclusion feels like it’s too little too late.
With Jurassic World Dominion, a Jurassic World film where dinosaurs are now free and interacting with the modern world shouldn’t feel this longwinded or this tiresome. There are a few action sequences that are worthwhile and Jeff Goldblum has a few great one-liners (“You made a promise to a dinosaur?”), but the film is a monumental disappointment overall.
The film has already made over $415 million at the worldwide box office, so the interest in the franchise is still there. But the chemistry between the cast is almost non-existent and it feels like the film is running on fumes as it tries to offer something new from what is otherwise dried up fossil fuel. If the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise is to continue, it desperately needs to go in a refreshing and unseen direction. Now that all of the nostalgia is out of the way, fans deserve a refreshing and unique adventure over what is otherwise a glorified rehash.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Sin City (2005) in Movies
Jan 7, 2021 (Updated Jan 11, 2021)
I absolutely adored Sin City when it first released way back in 2005, and I still do to a point, albeit a little less than I used to.
The main positives are of course the cast, and the style.
The cast is stacked - Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Michael Madsen, Clive Owen, Micky Rourke, Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Powers Boothe, Devon Aoki, Rutger Hauer, Michael Clarke Duncan, Carla Gugino, Jaime King... that's a fair ensemble if you ask me.
The style is of course a huge part of Sin City. It's neo noir black and white with splashes of colour translate perfectly from page to screen. 15 years later, the effects still look pretty decent and the overall look of the film is practically watching the graphic novels come to life, a strength that is bolstered by the cast involved.
It has a cheesy yet engaging screenplay - the runtime clocks in at over two hours, but never gets boring (just about), and the constant growly voiceovers and on the nose script beats could have potentially been laughable in anyone else's hands, but Robert Rodriguez somehow gets away with it.
The comics ultraviolence is well realised - the movie doesn't shy away from the grimness of proceedings. Some of the content however feels a little problematic in this day and age. The whole thing is plagued by a steady stream of misogyny, which would have probably been toned down if released today, but in my opinion, it's never glamorised. 95% of the male characters are grim shitbags, and the audience know it well.
I understand why a fair few people have an issue with Sin City and it's content, but personally, I find it to be a unique film with plenty of positives, a project that respects it's source material, and just about manages to avoid falling inside of its own arse.
The main positives are of course the cast, and the style.
The cast is stacked - Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Michael Madsen, Clive Owen, Micky Rourke, Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Powers Boothe, Devon Aoki, Rutger Hauer, Michael Clarke Duncan, Carla Gugino, Jaime King... that's a fair ensemble if you ask me.
The style is of course a huge part of Sin City. It's neo noir black and white with splashes of colour translate perfectly from page to screen. 15 years later, the effects still look pretty decent and the overall look of the film is practically watching the graphic novels come to life, a strength that is bolstered by the cast involved.
It has a cheesy yet engaging screenplay - the runtime clocks in at over two hours, but never gets boring (just about), and the constant growly voiceovers and on the nose script beats could have potentially been laughable in anyone else's hands, but Robert Rodriguez somehow gets away with it.
The comics ultraviolence is well realised - the movie doesn't shy away from the grimness of proceedings. Some of the content however feels a little problematic in this day and age. The whole thing is plagued by a steady stream of misogyny, which would have probably been toned down if released today, but in my opinion, it's never glamorised. 95% of the male characters are grim shitbags, and the audience know it well.
I understand why a fair few people have an issue with Sin City and it's content, but personally, I find it to be a unique film with plenty of positives, a project that respects it's source material, and just about manages to avoid falling inside of its own arse.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Tropic Thunder (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Deep in the jungles of Vietnam, one of the most expensive films in history is underway. The film is based upon a best seller by war hero Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte), and stars three of the biggest stars in Hollywood so naturally expectations are very high for the film to become a box office blockbuster.
Unfortunately the production is troubled by one gaffe after another and finds itself lost in budget over runs, issues amongst the stars, and more drama than a Shakespeare festival.
The film is “Tropical Thunder” and Director and star Ben Stiller has assembled a talented cast that includes Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. in a biting satire of the Hollywood machine.
Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, a declining action star who sees the war film as his big chance to break away from his recent failures and move into more serious work. Tugg is overshadowed by the presence of multiple Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), who prepares for a part so intensely that he literally becomes the character he is portraying. Toward that end, he has undergone a skin pigment procedure in order to portray an African American soldier.
Rounding out the group, literally, is Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), the star of flatulence based film comedy series and a man wracked by addiction to the point that he hides his drugs in a candy package and refers to them as his jelly beans.
After a staggeringly costly and impressive pyrotechnic display by the sets explosive expert Cody (Danny Mc Bride), the film is in danger of being halted by the money behind the film, an intensely angry Producer named Les Grossman (Tom Cruise).
In an effort to keep his film alive and salvage their careers, Four Leaf and the film’s Director decide to drop the cast in the thick of the jungle and shoot the film gorilla style with hidden cameras and various tricks to produce a grittier film and get the cast to start acting like the soldiers they are supposed to be portraying.
In a hilarious turn of events, the cast ends up trapped in the jungle and surrounded by members of the locale drug cartel. Convinced that it is all part of the film, Tugg and company blindly trudge along thinking all is going as scripted until things go hopelessly wrong, and force the cast to come to grips with the situation as well as their fragile egos and personal issues.
While the premise of the film is solid, and there are a good number of laughs in the film, for the most part “Tropic Thunder” is a hit or miss venture.
Robert Downey Jr. is amazing in his portrayal as he constantly steals his scenes with his expressions and one liners and almost single handled carries the film during some of the more tedious moments.
Stiller plays the patented Stiller character once again, the slow witted loser with a heart of gold, and despite his efforts, he is just not given enough material to fully push his character over the top, despite some funny moments.
The biggest disappointment for me was Jack Black who is sadly underused in the film. Jack is a very gifted and talented actor but he is given very little to work with, and precious few moments to let his talents shine. Owen Wilson was originally supposed to be in the film, and at times it seems that this part was written more with Wilson’s more subdued style of humor in mind.
Aside from the laughs, the film does have an abundance of celebrity cameos, and this truly helps the film. Sadly though, the plot really does not do justice to the premise nor talent in the film, and unfolds in a very unspectacular manner that had me expecting more.
This is not to say it is a bad film as I found myself laughing on more than one occasion, sadly it became fewer and father between laughs as the film unfolded to a very disappointing finale.
Unfortunately the production is troubled by one gaffe after another and finds itself lost in budget over runs, issues amongst the stars, and more drama than a Shakespeare festival.
The film is “Tropical Thunder” and Director and star Ben Stiller has assembled a talented cast that includes Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. in a biting satire of the Hollywood machine.
Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, a declining action star who sees the war film as his big chance to break away from his recent failures and move into more serious work. Tugg is overshadowed by the presence of multiple Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), who prepares for a part so intensely that he literally becomes the character he is portraying. Toward that end, he has undergone a skin pigment procedure in order to portray an African American soldier.
Rounding out the group, literally, is Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), the star of flatulence based film comedy series and a man wracked by addiction to the point that he hides his drugs in a candy package and refers to them as his jelly beans.
After a staggeringly costly and impressive pyrotechnic display by the sets explosive expert Cody (Danny Mc Bride), the film is in danger of being halted by the money behind the film, an intensely angry Producer named Les Grossman (Tom Cruise).
In an effort to keep his film alive and salvage their careers, Four Leaf and the film’s Director decide to drop the cast in the thick of the jungle and shoot the film gorilla style with hidden cameras and various tricks to produce a grittier film and get the cast to start acting like the soldiers they are supposed to be portraying.
In a hilarious turn of events, the cast ends up trapped in the jungle and surrounded by members of the locale drug cartel. Convinced that it is all part of the film, Tugg and company blindly trudge along thinking all is going as scripted until things go hopelessly wrong, and force the cast to come to grips with the situation as well as their fragile egos and personal issues.
While the premise of the film is solid, and there are a good number of laughs in the film, for the most part “Tropic Thunder” is a hit or miss venture.
Robert Downey Jr. is amazing in his portrayal as he constantly steals his scenes with his expressions and one liners and almost single handled carries the film during some of the more tedious moments.
Stiller plays the patented Stiller character once again, the slow witted loser with a heart of gold, and despite his efforts, he is just not given enough material to fully push his character over the top, despite some funny moments.
The biggest disappointment for me was Jack Black who is sadly underused in the film. Jack is a very gifted and talented actor but he is given very little to work with, and precious few moments to let his talents shine. Owen Wilson was originally supposed to be in the film, and at times it seems that this part was written more with Wilson’s more subdued style of humor in mind.
Aside from the laughs, the film does have an abundance of celebrity cameos, and this truly helps the film. Sadly though, the plot really does not do justice to the premise nor talent in the film, and unfolds in a very unspectacular manner that had me expecting more.
This is not to say it is a bad film as I found myself laughing on more than one occasion, sadly it became fewer and father between laughs as the film unfolded to a very disappointing finale.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Gemini Man (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Innovative and Intriguing, Double The Will Smith Fails To Push The Movie From Good To Great
Contains spoilers, click to show
So before I saw this movie I actually saw Will Smith on The Stephen Colbert Show. They rolled a clip from the motorcycle fight scene from the movie and I was taken aback by how fake some of it looked. And not the action of it but the movements of the younger Will Smith clone. On the show Will Smith said that this is the first film where the entire character of the young clone was completely digital and there was no MOCAP or digital de-aging. I'm not sure if it was this new way of having the character there that caused the movement to look so fake but some of the scenes had parts that were downright laughable. Since I knew this already I tried not to go into the movie with too high of expectations. And because of this and really giving it a chance I think I was more able to enjoy it then others who will definitely be turned off by it. I hate that for some people it will hurt there ability to suspend belief because that's one reason we all go to the theater. To get sucked into another world where anything is possible and forget about the real world for an hour or two. This really was a good movie besides that being it's greatest fault. There are even some scenes where it looks totally fine and really good. Most scenes like that are zoomed into his face during dialogue and the amount of detail they did was really fantastic. I mean Will Smith did a great job as this disillusioned assassin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead did a good job as a rookie agent meant to be surveiling him, and Benedict Wong was cool as Baron his friend and ex-colleague. Even Clive Owen did good as Clay Varris, head of a top-secret black ops unit codenamed "Gemini". The plot wasn't very complicated, Will retires and starts learning that people he killed were innocent and then people start trying to kill him before he can learn the truth. He finds out that a younger clone of himself is trying to kill him and he tries not to kill him as he tries to take down the man responsible for this. Nothing remarkable but there were some pretty good action scenes especially the finale where they fight in the town. As I said I give this movie a 6/10.