Bolt SUCKS

I saw Bolt and believe-it-or-not this is the single WORST movie of the year. This is also the most predictable movie of the year. The makers on this movie (some of whom are responsible for the disaster, Cars) should have spent more time and money writing a good screenplay and less hiring A-list stars some of whom are horrible (Miley Cyrus), some have no screen time (Malcolm Mcdowell), and some of whom are too old for the part and should be working on Pulp Fiction 2 (John Travolta). The most annoying character of the year is also in this movie, Rhino the Hamster. Rhino's 6 scenes are too much screen time. Mcdowell's character has only 3 lines. Miley's character is in 4 scenes. There was no passion in the making of this movie just money making gimmicks (3D, Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Talking Dogs). All this movie is, is a non-creative rip-off of every creative movie ever made. Skip this movie and check out Homeward Bound a good movie that Bolt completely stole almost every "creative idea" it had from. Bolt could almost be considered a remake of Homeward Bound. Except Bolt has no stakes unlike Homeward Bound which features life-or-death situations. The only stakes in Bolt occur in the last 10 minutes. In fact I'm going to ruin the ending of this movie so you don't see it. Penny is trapped in a fire and Bolt tries, but fails to save her so he uses his super bark (think the end of Titanic when Rose blows the whistle) to get attention. The animation in this movie isn't nearly as good as Kung-Fu Panda or Wall-E (both highly superior movies). Instead of wasting your ten bucks on this piece of crap, rent Kung-Fu Panda, Wall-E, and Homeward Bound.

Bolt - 0 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 5: You Only Live Twice

You Only Live Twice gave Bond another life. I thought Thunderball ended it but You Only Live Twice revived it (what irony). First of all the title song blew me away. Add to that you finally get to see the face of Bond's nemeses Blofeld. It takes place in Japan, another plus. Also the final action sequence blew me away (unlike the never-ending underwater battle in Thunderball).

Sceptic: Great title song, villain, and action sequence, it can't possibly get any better!

Zach: But it can!

Connery is fantastic as always. but the best character besides Bond in this movie is Aki the Asian girl. She loves Bond and Bond loves her back. But, when Bond is forced to get married he is not allowed to marry her (heartbreaking). It all sums up to a pretty fantastic Bond movie.

You Only Live Twice - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Bolt is a SUPER movie

Last night I saw Bolt, the newest Disney animated movie. It's about a dog who thinks he's super because he stars in a TV show where he plays a superdog. One episode finishes filming with a cliffhanger, in which the Bolt's "person" Penny (played by the very annoying Miley Cyrus, who is actually very good here) is kidnapped by the green-eyed man, Dr. Calico. Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), of course, thinks the kidnapping is all real, so he escapes from the set and travels across the country to find Penny with the help of a stray cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Unlike most animated movies, Bolt is NOT predictable and is very heartwarming and entertaining. This film is great for kids, adults, and, yes, even dogs. This film is the second best animated movie made this year. It is not as good as Wall-E, but it comes very close.

Bolt - 4 out of 4

PS - A fun little tidbit of information: the green-eyed man, Dr. Calico, is voiced Malcolm McDowell, Alex from A Clockwork Orange!

-Ben

James Bond Series Post 4: Thunderball

Unfortunately Thunderball lost the gold streak of James Bond excellence. I thought Thunderball was rather a weak entry in the James Bond franchise. The main problem is the villain. Mr. Largo, a one-eyed "mastermind" is unskillfully played by Adolfo Celi. The action sequences were fine. The final one was okay but it lasted too long. There are two fantastic scenes, one takes place in a shark tank, and the other one is a street chase ending in an encounter in an outdoor bar reminiscent of a bar in Dr. No. There are other small gems including the pre-title sequence, but I stress the word small. This is by far the least strong Bond so far, but it could have been worse.

Thunderball - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 3: Goldfinger

Wow! I have never seen a movie like Goldfinger. The action, the villain, the opening theme, the girl... all perfect. I can't think of an aspect of this movie that I didn't like. The pre-title sequence is fast-paced and ends with a great one-liner (if you've seen this you know what I am talking about). The title sequence is one of the best songs in a movie I have ever heard. Goldfinger is a fantastic villain. The girl's name is Pussy Galore (no joke)! Goldfinger has so many memorable scenes in it. When it sums up, not only is Goldfinger the best Bond movie so far, it is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Goldfinger - 4 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 2: From Russia With Love

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of Turkey Day I have decided to write this post and any other posts I write, in orange until Black Friday when I will once again write in black! From Russia With Love is the second Bond flick. To get down to the point it is not nearly as good as Dr. No. So by default this is my least favorite Bond film so far. I felt this movie was a little bit boring, yet the final 30 minutes are fantastic. The Bond girl in this movie is not nearly as good as the one from Dr. No. The production values are significantly better in this movie than Dr. No. Connery is still fantastic as 007 as he was in Dr. No. From Russia With Love is not as strong as Dr. No but still can earn itself a recommendation.

From Russia With Love - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Happy-Go See This Movie-Lucky

When I review independent films, I feel like I'm helping a cause. Independent films are often overlooked by the general public. I urge people to venture out to their local art-house cinema and see films off the beaten path. I had a 30 minute car ride to get to my art-house cinema to see Happy-Go-Lucky, a British film Directed by Mike Leigh. This movie made me feel happier than maybe any other movie ever has. This movie made me look at the world in a different way. It is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen a very long time. I urge whoever is reading this to go and see this movie right now, no need to read the rest of this review. Check your local times, pre-order the DVD, whatever you have to do, just go see this movie. The movie is about probably the most optimistic person who ever lived. She is charming and Sally Hawkins plays her wonderfully. This movie is inspiring and lovely, it will change the way you feel about your life. This is one of the top 5 movies I've seen this year, so far and every person alive should go see this movie, it will bring a smile to your face.

Happy-Go-Lucky - 4 out of 4

Also, I've decided to wait to finish my Hitchcock series after I'm done with the James Bond series. My From Russia With Love review should be up soon.

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 1: Dr. No

The photo you see here is the first time the world saw the amazing Sean Connery as super-spy, James Bond in the film, Dr. No. You hear him say, "Bond, James Bond." Thus begins the legacy of one of the most iconic characters in film history. You can watch Dr. No and think, this is where it all began. I believe, everything was right about this film, the tone, the actors, the direction. This is truly an iconic piece of film making. Dr No, the main villain (played wonderfully by Joseph Wiseman) doesn't appear until far into this film. It is fun to try to figure out who is working for him, who isn't. Dr. No is truly an unique film experience, not regularly seen in today's cinema.

Dr. No - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Hitchcock Series Post 1: Saboteur

Saboteur is not one of Hitchcock's most iconic films, but it is somewhat well known. I was very hyped when I sat down to watch Saboteur, this would be the oldest Hitchcock movie I had seen so far. The performances were average, the plot was confusing. It didn't have that visual complexity I was used to from Hitchcock. Yet, if this was the first Hitchcock film I'd seen and if Hitchcock wasn't so famous, I might have been more satisfied with the film as a whole. Yet, Hitchcock's directorial magic was still developing at this time so I'll give Saboteur the benefit of the doubt.

Saboteur - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

I WANT MY BLOG POST BACK!

Hey. Ben here. Last night I saw Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie as a woman whose son has ............... VANISHED! I expected that to be the entire story, but I was dead wrong. There is a very disturbing, very affective subplot, but I don't want to tell you what it is about because that might give some things away.

I have always loved Clint Eastwood's films (my favorite is probably Mystic River), and he certainly does not disappoint. I think this is, other than Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood's best film. Not only that, I think this movie is one of the best movies of the year, and should get serious consideration when it comes to the oscars.

Changeling - A very strong 4 out of 4.

- Ben

Announcing Series Reviews!

Very soon I hope to begin a new type of movie review! I call them series reviews. They are not current release movie reviews but older movies all connected, whether it is by a single director, writer, actor, or maybe it is a movie series. I will have to consult with Ben to see if he wants to take part in this idea. I have two topics so far that are very possible for me to do very soon. Any suggestions of topics will be greatly appreciated.
Future Series
Hitchcock - I have a box set of 14 of his movies and I have seen others so far I've seen 10 of his movies
James Bond - I am receiving the set with all the official bond films as a gift for the holidays
-Zach

Bond, James Bo... Do I Really Need to Continue?

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd official film starring Bond, James Bond. It is a revenge movie, unfortunately it doesn't involve Uma Thurman and a samurai sword. Nor is there anyone named Bill in it. Oh, this is not a Tarantino revenge movie this is a 007 revenge movie. Though not as strong as Casino Royale "QOS" is still a pretty solid action film. The action sequences are fantastic yet there are not enough of them. It is too short and Daniel Craig is pretty good. In all it is not one of the best films of the year but it may be in the top 20.

Quantum of Solace - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Zach and Kevin Smith Make a Blog Post

Zack and Miri Make A Porno is one of the single most hilarious movie-going experiences in my life. This movie is touching, gross, hilarious, profane, and amazing. I think this movie may be just as good if not better than Clerks II, one of my favorite comedies. This movie is not only about sex and toilet humor, this movie is about love. It is also about making movies about love-making, but mostly it is about love. This movie has more heart than any of Judd Apatow's movies. Seth Rogan is absolutely fantastic in this movie, Elizabeth Banks is great, and every supporting performance is amazing. This is not only my favorite comedy of the year, but one of my favorite movies of the year, period. Kevin Smith is one of my favorite filmmakers and this may be his best film to date.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno - 4 out of 4

-Zach