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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Men in Black III (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Fifteen years after bursting onto the scene, award winning actors Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back in black in Men In Black 3! Alien-busting agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are here once again to protect the galaxy, and the people of Earth, in this action-packed, hilarious and attention-grabbing adventure that is sure to redeem itself from its previous sequel flop.
Men In Black 3 features a time travel plot, with a comedic twist, that focuses on the relationship between Agent J, and surly old character, Agent K. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have fantastic and seamless chemistry that makes it easy to dispel disbelief and emerse yourself into this secret world of aliens among us.
The film starts off with what seams like a casual conversation, between wise cracking charismatic Agent J and always grumpy Agent K, but soon leads to Agent K stonewalling J’s questions about K’s past by stating, “Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to.” As Will Smith’s character persists, our curiosity grows, and a conspiracy of a cover up and clues to Agent K’s dark past unfolds.
Meanwhile, one of the most feared criminals in the galaxy, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), has just escaped from a maximum security prison that was built on the moon to detain him. Boris wants nothing more than to seek revenge on the person responsible for his 40 year incarceration and kill the man responsible for the loss of his arm, Agent K. Through a murderous rage Boris secures a time travel device and jumps back in time to 1969, where he rewrites history by killing K in hopes that his Boglodite alien kind will fulfill their mission to use and destroy present day Earth. The only person aware that time has been altered is, of course, Agent J who ends up traveling back in time to stop Boris the Animal. In doing so, Agent J unites with the younger Agent K (Josh Brolin) and has to work together to ultimately save mankind. Josh Brolin’s performance was spot on. He gave an uncanny impression of Jones, right down to the mannerisms and facial expressions. He was very entertaining to watch.
When I first heard about a third Men in Black movie, I didn’t expect much out of this 10 year dormant franchise. Mainly because the second movie left so little to be desired, due to its horrible storyline and less than stellar performances by the lead characters. I honestly cannot remember a single enjoyable moment from Men in Black 2, someone must have neuralized me!
Barry Sonnenfeld is back in the director’s seat, hoping to redeem himself from the disaster that was Men in Black 2. He attempts to return to the original formula that made the first Men in Black movie fun, original and entertaining. Proving to have succeeded in creating a more worthwhile storyline, there are however moments within the movie that seem a bit thrown together, times in the plot that could have been expanded upon but may have ended up on the editing room floor.
Kudos to the special effects and art direction team for once again creating amusingly and outlandish aliens that were the real stars of the show. The special effects, such as Boris’ dart spitting spider-like creature that lives inside his hand, were particularly gruesome.
Both Sonnenfeld and Smith, who serve as producers, were aiming at providing more substance to the third installment. They wanted to delve into the relationship between J and K and why K has such a bitter and distant persona, especially after having been partners for 15 years. The real reasons will shock you. I won’t spoil the surprising end, but it was a touching twist that I did not see coming. It made me appreciate both characters and had me walking out of the theater feeling pumped up from all of the action, giddy from all of the laughs and moved from the heartfelt ending. They pulled it off without being sappy, a well rounded action comedy, suitable for the whole family.
Men In Black 3 features a time travel plot, with a comedic twist, that focuses on the relationship between Agent J, and surly old character, Agent K. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have fantastic and seamless chemistry that makes it easy to dispel disbelief and emerse yourself into this secret world of aliens among us.
The film starts off with what seams like a casual conversation, between wise cracking charismatic Agent J and always grumpy Agent K, but soon leads to Agent K stonewalling J’s questions about K’s past by stating, “Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to.” As Will Smith’s character persists, our curiosity grows, and a conspiracy of a cover up and clues to Agent K’s dark past unfolds.
Meanwhile, one of the most feared criminals in the galaxy, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), has just escaped from a maximum security prison that was built on the moon to detain him. Boris wants nothing more than to seek revenge on the person responsible for his 40 year incarceration and kill the man responsible for the loss of his arm, Agent K. Through a murderous rage Boris secures a time travel device and jumps back in time to 1969, where he rewrites history by killing K in hopes that his Boglodite alien kind will fulfill their mission to use and destroy present day Earth. The only person aware that time has been altered is, of course, Agent J who ends up traveling back in time to stop Boris the Animal. In doing so, Agent J unites with the younger Agent K (Josh Brolin) and has to work together to ultimately save mankind. Josh Brolin’s performance was spot on. He gave an uncanny impression of Jones, right down to the mannerisms and facial expressions. He was very entertaining to watch.
When I first heard about a third Men in Black movie, I didn’t expect much out of this 10 year dormant franchise. Mainly because the second movie left so little to be desired, due to its horrible storyline and less than stellar performances by the lead characters. I honestly cannot remember a single enjoyable moment from Men in Black 2, someone must have neuralized me!
Barry Sonnenfeld is back in the director’s seat, hoping to redeem himself from the disaster that was Men in Black 2. He attempts to return to the original formula that made the first Men in Black movie fun, original and entertaining. Proving to have succeeded in creating a more worthwhile storyline, there are however moments within the movie that seem a bit thrown together, times in the plot that could have been expanded upon but may have ended up on the editing room floor.
Kudos to the special effects and art direction team for once again creating amusingly and outlandish aliens that were the real stars of the show. The special effects, such as Boris’ dart spitting spider-like creature that lives inside his hand, were particularly gruesome.
Both Sonnenfeld and Smith, who serve as producers, were aiming at providing more substance to the third installment. They wanted to delve into the relationship between J and K and why K has such a bitter and distant persona, especially after having been partners for 15 years. The real reasons will shock you. I won’t spoil the surprising end, but it was a touching twist that I did not see coming. It made me appreciate both characters and had me walking out of the theater feeling pumped up from all of the action, giddy from all of the laughs and moved from the heartfelt ending. They pulled it off without being sappy, a well rounded action comedy, suitable for the whole family.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Jun 3, 2019
Not as bad as expected
I can't lie, when I heard Will Smith was playing the genie in this I pretty much wrote this film off for good. Whilst it isnt quite the car crash I'd expected, it pales in comparison to the original animated version.
Naomi Scott is great as Jasmine and has a fantastic voice, and she outperforms everyone else in this film. Mena Massoud is enjoyable to watch but lacking in a bit of Aladdin's charm. Strangely I didn't hate Will Smith as the genie. Don't get me wrong I didn't love him either but I didn't want to cry everytime he was on screen (although I did cringe a few times). In fact the worst person in this film was Jafar. I really don't know what they were thinking, he isn't sinister or slimy, he's just laughable. Not a villain youd be afraid of.
The film itself follows the original plot fairly well, with a lot of nods and quotes to the original too. I do think the ending and final stand off against Jafar was a little poor. Whilst I wasn't expecting them to completely follow the original, there are some bits that I'm disappointed weren't included. And of course there's the songs. The songs really make this watchable although sadly they don't have quite the magic of the animated version. It also made me laugh that Guy Ritchie couldn't resist throwing in some of his trademark slow motion and camera angles. Not many, admittedly he has toned it down a lot but there's still a few Ritchie moments.
This isnt a bad live action film, but sadly it isnt a great one either. But all things considered it could have been much worse!
Naomi Scott is great as Jasmine and has a fantastic voice, and she outperforms everyone else in this film. Mena Massoud is enjoyable to watch but lacking in a bit of Aladdin's charm. Strangely I didn't hate Will Smith as the genie. Don't get me wrong I didn't love him either but I didn't want to cry everytime he was on screen (although I did cringe a few times). In fact the worst person in this film was Jafar. I really don't know what they were thinking, he isn't sinister or slimy, he's just laughable. Not a villain youd be afraid of.
The film itself follows the original plot fairly well, with a lot of nods and quotes to the original too. I do think the ending and final stand off against Jafar was a little poor. Whilst I wasn't expecting them to completely follow the original, there are some bits that I'm disappointed weren't included. And of course there's the songs. The songs really make this watchable although sadly they don't have quite the magic of the animated version. It also made me laugh that Guy Ritchie couldn't resist throwing in some of his trademark slow motion and camera angles. Not many, admittedly he has toned it down a lot but there's still a few Ritchie moments.
This isnt a bad live action film, but sadly it isnt a great one either. But all things considered it could have been much worse!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Bright (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Feb 8, 2018)
Orcz in da Hood
Fantasy-cop movie mash-up which probably sounded cool at the pitch meeting but doesn't really work as a full movie. Will Smith plays a careworn LA street cop saddled with an Orc (Joel Edgerton) as his partner, as this is a world where humans and fantasy creatures co-exist. The two of them end up contending with the anti-Orc racism of the LAPD and a cult of evil Elves seeking to use a magic wand to bring about the end of the world (Noomi Rapace and her cheekbones are well-cast as the baddie).
David Ayer seems much more comfortable handling the cop movie angle than the fantasy, but then at least this bit of the script actually makes a degree of sense. The movie no offers no clues as to how a world with Dark Lords and dragons and near-omnipotent magic wands ended up so closely resembling our own, with roughly the same history, countries, and cities (they even have Uber, for God's sake). And you have to wonder what kind of social commentary writer Max Landis is intent on when he implicitly draws parallels between Orcs (strong, dim, violent) and real-world ethnic groups.
Looking on the (wait for it) bright side, there is some snappy dialogue and good performances from Smith and (particularly) Edgerton, and most of the action is well-staged. One of those movies that works better if you just don't think about it, but let it wash over you; apparently a sequel is in the works and maybe they will address some of these issues there. David Ayer should definitely stick to writing his own scripts in future, though.
David Ayer seems much more comfortable handling the cop movie angle than the fantasy, but then at least this bit of the script actually makes a degree of sense. The movie no offers no clues as to how a world with Dark Lords and dragons and near-omnipotent magic wands ended up so closely resembling our own, with roughly the same history, countries, and cities (they even have Uber, for God's sake). And you have to wonder what kind of social commentary writer Max Landis is intent on when he implicitly draws parallels between Orcs (strong, dim, violent) and real-world ethnic groups.
Looking on the (wait for it) bright side, there is some snappy dialogue and good performances from Smith and (particularly) Edgerton, and most of the action is well-staged. One of those movies that works better if you just don't think about it, but let it wash over you; apparently a sequel is in the works and maybe they will address some of these issues there. David Ayer should definitely stick to writing his own scripts in future, though.
JT (287 KP) rated I Am Number Four (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Bland and flat for the first half then bells and whistles for the final act, it’s not awe inspiring stuff really, a Twilight for the Sci-fi genre. When their home planet is destroyed by Mogadorians, nine infant aliens with extraordinary powers and their guardians are scattered around the Earth hiding from certain death.
With the first three dead the leather trench coat wearing villains, complete with odd looking tattoos and piranha like teeth come after Number 4, John Smith (Pettyfer).
Hiding out in a small town Smith tries to fit in, experiencing everything that a normal everyday teenager would do, while trying to suppress hidden powers that he slowly grasps the responsibility of.
He falls for the shy blonde, Sarah (Agron) who hides behind the lens of her camera, and befriends the local nerd who believes that Aliens have abducted his dad, well help is at hand there.
It really is a film of two halves, with the romantic adolescents looking to find each other and rebelling the elements that threaten to tear them apart.
Caruso then suddenly ramps the action and visual set pieces up as the battle across town heats up with the Mogadorians hot on their heels. There is also the introduction of Number 6 (Teresa Palmer), leather clad and sexy she rides in on a shiny red Ducati to help save the day complete with her own set of unique powers.
There is no denying that the finale certainly lifts the film but by this time the only thing it will achieve will be waking the audience up from what was a boring opening.
A sequel is no doubt a sure thing, but do we really need another franchise of teen lust and super powers? We’ve already had Potter and Cullen!
With the first three dead the leather trench coat wearing villains, complete with odd looking tattoos and piranha like teeth come after Number 4, John Smith (Pettyfer).
Hiding out in a small town Smith tries to fit in, experiencing everything that a normal everyday teenager would do, while trying to suppress hidden powers that he slowly grasps the responsibility of.
He falls for the shy blonde, Sarah (Agron) who hides behind the lens of her camera, and befriends the local nerd who believes that Aliens have abducted his dad, well help is at hand there.
It really is a film of two halves, with the romantic adolescents looking to find each other and rebelling the elements that threaten to tear them apart.
Caruso then suddenly ramps the action and visual set pieces up as the battle across town heats up with the Mogadorians hot on their heels. There is also the introduction of Number 6 (Teresa Palmer), leather clad and sexy she rides in on a shiny red Ducati to help save the day complete with her own set of unique powers.
There is no denying that the finale certainly lifts the film but by this time the only thing it will achieve will be waking the audience up from what was a boring opening.
A sequel is no doubt a sure thing, but do we really need another franchise of teen lust and super powers? We’ve already had Potter and Cullen!
David McK (3236 KP) rated Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) in Movies
Mar 24, 2019 (Updated Jan 18, 2020)
With the original 1996 film being, essentially, a B movie writ large (and one of those guilty pleasures), this one had quite a bit to live up to.
This is set 20 years after that original (and was also released 20 years after it), with Earth having survived the first alien attack and now having combined alien tech with our own. With most of the original cast returning - bar Will Smith, whose cost (I expect) wa too much - this moves the focus onto the younger generation, who have grown up in the shadow of that original invasion.
It also ends in an absolute set-up for a sequel (or series): to date, no sign of that happening as that is pretty much the epitome of a 'meh' movie.
This is set 20 years after that original (and was also released 20 years after it), with Earth having survived the first alien attack and now having combined alien tech with our own. With most of the original cast returning - bar Will Smith, whose cost (I expect) wa too much - this moves the focus onto the younger generation, who have grown up in the shadow of that original invasion.
It also ends in an absolute set-up for a sequel (or series): to date, no sign of that happening as that is pretty much the epitome of a 'meh' movie.
Kaz (232 KP) rated I Am Legend (2007) in Movies
Jul 21, 2019 (Updated Jul 21, 2019)
A Good Film
Whilst I don't think this is as dark or delves as much into human psyche and the fight for survival as the original book by Richard Matheson does, I do think that this is a very good film.
Will Smith plays an emotive, believable role. I particularly liked the interaction he has with Sam, his dog. This has a lot of emotional moments, and a few jump scares too
The only negatives I could comment on about this film, are firstly, I didn't like the C.G.I 'infected'. They looked too fake to be scary. Also, I thought the ending to this film was a bit rushed.
Whilst there are some changes from the book, I do think that this is a really good film adaptation
Will Smith plays an emotive, believable role. I particularly liked the interaction he has with Sam, his dog. This has a lot of emotional moments, and a few jump scares too
The only negatives I could comment on about this film, are firstly, I didn't like the C.G.I 'infected'. They looked too fake to be scary. Also, I thought the ending to this film was a bit rushed.
Whilst there are some changes from the book, I do think that this is a really good film adaptation
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Last Man on Earth (1964) in Movies
Mar 30, 2020
What It Takes To Survive
The Last Man on Earth- is a excellent, fantasic, phenomenal movie. Thats all about surviving and survival. Being the only human alive. The Last man alive. And Vincent Price is that man and he is perfect and excellent. He usually plays a villian, now you see him as a anti hero, someone good, but bad.
The plot: The survivor (Vincent Price) of a global epidemic battles a race of zombie vampires in an adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend."
This film is based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. Which would be later a film that would star Will Smith in 2007. A underrared film.
This film is excellent and fantasic. Plus you have Vincent Pricr which is a huge plus in my books.
The plot: The survivor (Vincent Price) of a global epidemic battles a race of zombie vampires in an adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend."
This film is based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. Which would be later a film that would star Will Smith in 2007. A underrared film.
This film is excellent and fantasic. Plus you have Vincent Pricr which is a huge plus in my books.
David McK (3236 KP) rated I Am Legend (2007) in Movies
Apr 4, 2021
Messing with nature is never a good idea
Will Smith as Robert Neville
The sole survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse in New York City.
This is actually the third movie to be based on the classic Richard Matheson novel, taking liberties (like the previous two both do as well) with that source material - there is a very different ending here (even in the alternate cut!) than that novel originally had.
It also, for large parts, an acting masterclass by the former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as he is onscreen alone for large swathes of the movie - only really sharing the screen in the flashback portions to the pre-pandemic time (hmm .... sound familiar? I'm writing this in 2021), when scientists believe they have found a genetic cure for cancer.
But, oh Sam ...
(I'll deliberately leave that obscure)
The sole survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse in New York City.
This is actually the third movie to be based on the classic Richard Matheson novel, taking liberties (like the previous two both do as well) with that source material - there is a very different ending here (even in the alternate cut!) than that novel originally had.
It also, for large parts, an acting masterclass by the former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as he is onscreen alone for large swathes of the movie - only really sharing the screen in the flashback portions to the pre-pandemic time (hmm .... sound familiar? I'm writing this in 2021), when scientists believe they have found a genetic cure for cancer.
But, oh Sam ...
(I'll deliberately leave that obscure)
Bostonian916 (449 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Aug 17, 2020
To say that I was nervous to watch this adaptation would be a huge understatement. I was concerned that Disney was going to attempt to remake the magic of the animated original, and the last thing I wanted to watch was that failed attempt.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was no effort made to recreate the original in live action form. While the story remained primarily intact, the execution and performances were both great in their own rite without attempting to ride the coat tails of the original. All the while, Disney was actually able to pay tasteful homage to the original without doing so distastefully.
Nice little movie. Will Smith actually did very well as the genie, which he found a way to make completely separate and original from the Robin Williams adaptation.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was no effort made to recreate the original in live action form. While the story remained primarily intact, the execution and performances were both great in their own rite without attempting to ride the coat tails of the original. All the while, Disney was actually able to pay tasteful homage to the original without doing so distastefully.
Nice little movie. Will Smith actually did very well as the genie, which he found a way to make completely separate and original from the Robin Williams adaptation.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
May 20, 2020
Visual effects (2 more)
Princess Jasmine
Stunt work
Rest of the casting choices (1 more)
Acting
The Genie of the disappointing live action reboot
Ok first off, I'm not saying the acting was awful but felt rugged, most of the casting choices seemed random, like picked out of a hat random & will smith as genie, although it he was entertaining, I couldn't look past his accent - having a genie with a street wise way of speaking after being Trapped for several lifetimes just couldn't be ignored (In my case that is).
The movie could've been a little more open to including previously used idea's, like talking animals...I mean it is only a movie after all an it would've helped recapture the magic.
Anyway, the overall outcome wasn't terrible just seemed to miss it's intended target, but I have seen worse.
The movie could've been a little more open to including previously used idea's, like talking animals...I mean it is only a movie after all an it would've helped recapture the magic.
Anyway, the overall outcome wasn't terrible just seemed to miss it's intended target, but I have seen worse.