Search

Search only in certain items:

Aladdin (2019)
Aladdin (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical
Guy Ritchie’s live action remake really was a hit for me. Not much of the story has changed which is fine. I went into this film excited but with a few weary doubts. I was for sure that nothing could compare to the 1992 two dimensional Genie I grew to adore. I then however convinced myself to treat the film as its own entity and not as a comparison. I mean come on, nothing can compare to a cartoon version of anything. You can animate just about anything but trying to flip the story to live-action and expecting the same results can be risky. In the remake it worked out well for the most part. Anytime Genie was his big blue self that’s when the CG that was used was extremely noticeable. I just have never been a fan of CG use on actors, it used to freak me out as a kid. I know it sounds strange but I quickly got over it and was able to really enjoy the film.

When the film was being discussed and or planned the stipulation at least for the two leads (Mena Massaud and Naomi Scott) was, they of course had to be of Indian or Middle Eastern descent, they had to be able to sing and dance and they had to be newcomers. I thought they were perfectly cast and had great chemistry. They also were both able to stand their ground and their performances certainly didn’t get lost playing along side Will Smith. Though he is incomparable to Robin Williams he did do an outstanding job at Genie and I think Williams would be proud of his rendition.

One of my favorite things Disney films have always delivered in any of their films has been the atmosphere and sets. The colors of Agraba are vibrant and inviting. You can almost smell the spices and feel the warm breeze flowing through the city. I am also pleased that Alan Mankin has returned to compose the music for the film. All songs have been kept the same with the addition of a few new songs so be sure to at least sing along with them.

In my honest opinion this live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin has been my favorite of the live-action Disney remade films so far. It is a two hour nostalgic film filled wth laughs, action, lots of parkour and good life lessons. Money or power can’t always buy happiness.
  
Black Christmas (1974)
Black Christmas (1974)
1974 | Horror
7
8.4 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Answer The Phone
With anethor remake coming out this friday, and that i already reviewed the 2006 remake. In going back to the oringal, were it alll started from. So lets take a little trip back to 1974.

Inspired by the urban legend "The babysitter and the man upstairs" and a series of murders that took place in the Westmount section of Montreal, Quebec, Moore wrote the screenplay under the title Stop Me.

The Plot: As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and the often inebriated Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive anonymous, lascivious phone calls. Initially, Barb eggs the caller on, but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb's friend Claire (Lynne Griffin) goes missing from the sorority house, and a local adolescent girl is murdered, leading the girls to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. But no one realizes just how near the culprit is.

Margot Kidder remembered shooting the film as being "fun. I really bonded with Andrea Martin, filming in Toronto and Ontario. Olivia Hussey was a bit of an odd one. She was obsessed with the idea of falling in love with Paul McCartney through her psychic. We were a little hard on her for things like that.

Black Christmas eventually gained a cult following and is notable for being one of the earliest slasher films. It went on to inspire other slasher films, the biggest one of all being John Carpenter's Halloween (which was apparently inspired by Clark suggesting what a Black Christmas sequel would be like).

Black Christmas has been included multiple lists in various media outlets as one of the greatest horror films ever made. The film ranked No. 87 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

A overall classic slasher horror movie based around a hoilday.
  
40x40

Bai Ling recommended Roman Holiday (1953) in Movies (curated)

 
Roman Holiday (1953)
Roman Holiday (1953)
1953 | Classics, Comedy, Drama
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"It’s a very personal choice because when I came to America from mainland China, I was an actress, but I never knew about Hollywood. I had heard of Hollywood but we didn’t have access to see Hollywood movies. A photographer was taking pictures of me and said, “You remind me of this actress named Audrey Hepburn.” I said, “Who is that?” He said, “Bai Ling, you have to watch her films,” and he found me Roman Holiday. That was the first Hollywood movie I’d ever seen. And it’s still one of my favorites, because it first introduced me to Hollywood — beautiful, romantic, very graceful, and elegant. I would like to remake it — I hope some director can help me, maybe Steven Soderbergh or Wong Kar-Wai. [Laughs] What I remember about those old Hollywood films is that when a leading lady and a leading man meet, they don’t have to say anything; you already know they’re in love. You root for them; you want them to be together. That’s the magic of Hollywood. I think somehow today we’ve lost a little bit of it, and you don’t care as much if two characters get together. But Roman Holiday makes you smile, makes your heart smile, makes your heart sing for these two people. Gregory Peck is gentle and elegant, the kind of tall leading man that I like. I think we should remake the film. Everybody in America, in Asia, and in Europe, would appreciate it. The beautiful, pure, romantic story — I wish I would play a role like that, because I have a romantic soul. I’d like to bring that purity to the audience, to have their fantasy fulfilled."

Source
  
My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009)
My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009)
2009 | Horror, Mystery
One of the avalanche of classic horror remakes to surface during the 00s, My Bloody Valentine (in "spectacular" 3D of course) isn't the worst of them by a long shot, but it still suffers from the soul-less-ness that the majority of them seem all to keen to pack in.

Its certainly more action packed and gory than it's 80s older sibling. The violence on display packs a punch for sure, some of it looks great, some of its looks terrible. The Harry Warden killer, much like the Michaels and Jasons of this remake era, is more of a machine than before. Relentless, brutal, faster, and pretty intimidating as far as these things go. It also packs in a fair amount of character development, which is a nice touch that gives the whole narrative some much needed gravitas, and the cast all do a good job with the by-the-numbers slasher-remake screenplay, with highlights being Jaime King and the ever reliable Tom Atkins.

You know how these things go though, and the simple fact is that this do over isn't as good as the original. It lacks the realness and charm (there's that word again) that the original had. There's a twist near the end that is designed to pull the rug out from under fans of the original, and it's actually a pretty interesting one, albeit executed poorly, and requires the viewer to really suspend disbelief in order to glaze over some gaping plot holes.

All in all, it's gory and fun enough to easily pass a couple of hours, and manages to feel like a homage to the original, rather than a straight up copy, and that I can respect, but ultimately, it's not a strong argument for the case of remakes.
  
40x40

Awix (3310 KP) rated The White Crow (2018) in Movies

Mar 28, 2019 (Updated Mar 28, 2019)  
The White Crow (2018)
The White Crow (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama
Left-field remake focuses less on vengeful undead Goths and more on cold war politics and ballet dancing. Talented, driven, arrogant dancer Rudolf Nureyev chafes against the Soviet system seeking to exploit and control him; a visit to Paris offers him the hope of freedom. (You know, the more I think about it, the more I suspect this doesn't actually have anything to do with that Brandon Lee movie...)

Solid, typically measured stuff from Ralph 'Little Sunbeam' Fiennes; strong performances and good photography, together with a thoughtful script, make this engaging even if you're not that into people bounding around doing plies and what-have-you. Sags a bit in the middle, but the scenes depicting Nureyev's defection are gripping. Oleg Ivenko isn't quite the full Rudolf, but he gets near enough (thanks everyone, I'm here all week).
  
40x40

Dean (6927 KP) rated Thir13en Ghosts (2001) in Movies

Jun 18, 2018 (Updated Jun 30, 2021)  
Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
2001 | Horror
Another cool Dark Castle entertainment horror re-make. Didn't know of the original until I saw some reviews mention it. This reminded me a lot of the House on Haunted Hill remake made 2 years earlier. It's fun, not too serious, has a good mix of humour and gore/kills. The cast is ok and well known with Shannon Elizabeth and Matthew Lillard, but it was a nice surprise to see Tony Shalhoub (Monk) appear in this. What really makes this film enjoyable in my opinion, along with House on Haunted Hill, is the set design, make up and ghoulish characters created. Both films have a great wacky house setting, good SFX and the ghosts in this look awesome. A great way to enjoy 90mins. So if you liked House on Haunted Hill you will like this just as much.
  
Show all 3 comments.
40x40

Dean (6927 KP) Jun 19, 2018

Yes I think the original was in the 60's or 70's.

40x40

Chrissie-ann (78 KP) Jun 19, 2018

I also didn't know this was a remake!

40x40

Erika (17789 KP) rated The Grinch (2018) in Movies

Nov 9, 2018 (Updated Nov 9, 2018)  
The Grinch (2018)
The Grinch (2018)
2018 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
The absolutely ATROCIOUS remix of 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch'. Worse than the Busta Rhymes version, which I didn't know was possible... (0 more)
As expected, there was nothing new to see here. The Grinch is one of my favorite Christmas stories, so I had to see this one.
This film reverted back to the original story, in contrast to the film in the early 2000s, where the commercialism was downplayed. There were some unnecessary plot points, and the Grinch was more mildly annoyed with Christmas. Benedict Cumberbatch was kind of perfect for the voice part and he was, by far, the most entertaining. I could have lived without the whole Cindy-Lou Who plot line, but I guess it had to be in there to stretch the story out to nearly 90 minutes. Again , another unnecessary remake, but I still enjoyed it.
  
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
2016 | Action, Drama, Western
7
7.4 (33 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Having seen most of the original and seminal Seven Samurai I can attest that the remakes are very good movies and carry the essence of the original very well without surpassing it.
It maintains the feel of the original western well and allows just about enough of an introduction to each character to become invested, although for others it's all left to the imagination.
If you have seen the original then you already know where the story is going and move on to guessing who survives at the finale.
All in all a good movie from the consistent Antoine Fuqua and an enjoyable watch, although I feel as though this remake didn't have to be remade at all, but Hollywood seems to insist on it these days with its unwillingness to indulge and invest in originality.
  
40x40

Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies

Nov 14, 2019 (Updated Nov 15, 2019)  
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu  (2019)
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Poke-tastic!
The only good film based on a game, ever! Both fun and a little crazy, if is good because it does not take itself too seriously. Ryan Reynolds once again stealing the show, a perfect casting and brings is own wit tho the picture.
Making a live action Pokemon film was going to be a challenge, but they have done a great job, from showing the world of life with Pokemon, to the more realistic looking pokemon, all in a gritty mondern film noir style setting.
It is just nerdy enough to keep fans happy, and has enough Reynolds and jokes to keep everyone else on their seats.
A great film, and lovely to see something that is not a sequel or a remake. It certainly is working hard to be the very best, like no video game film ever was.
  
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
1991 | Animation, Family, Musical
Be Our Guest
Beauty and the Beast- such a classic, with excellent songs like.."Belle", "Gaston", "Something There", "Be Our Guest" and "Beauty and the Beast".

The plot: An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle (Paige O'Hara) enters the Beast's castle after he imprisons her father Maurice (Rex Everhart). With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

Such a classic movie than their had to remake it. Grr. Like why disney, oh yea i know why $$$. What next a live action of "The Brave Little Toaster".