Site Update August 17 2016

Hello World!!!

It's been a while since the last site update. There have been a lot of things happening in my life and that prevented me from putting out reviews that I would of been proud of. But now it's back, and it's going to be rebooted. I'm starting over with the numbering system. There have been too many reviews in the past that I am not proud of. A lot of them I wrote just because I felt I needed to, not because I wanted to. So, from now on here is what is going to happen. Every Sunday, you can expect a new review on the site. I am also bringing back the Wednesday Night Ramblings. So that's 2 posts a week, minimum. If there is time and if I feel up to it there may be an extra review here and there. But the goal is to write quality stuff, not just fluff to fill up space. I'm going to be working harder than ever to bring out the best of myself.

One thing I'm looking forward to is announcing the next review during the Wednesday Night Rambling. And since this is Wednesday, allow me to present the next review. Coming on Sunday, August 21st;

Royal Rumble 1994

We're starting things off with a WWE review. It's a weird event with a lot to talk about.
Hope you all enjoy reading this blog. Looking forward to the new future.

Movie Reviews #61 - 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Plot: Former undercover cop Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) is brought back in by customs to catch an international drug dealer in Miami.

Review: Two years after the first film, Paul Walker came back for the terribly named 2 Fast 2 Furious, he was basically the only cast member from the first film to return. You can’t really blame them; this movie was weak and forgettable. The plot felt like they were trying to copy the first one but without any of the charm of that original film. It also had a somehow even weaker villain Carter Verone played by Cole Hauser. It’s strange as Hauser is generally a good actor, but it really felt like here he was just sleepwalking. He was supposed to be a threat and I didn't quite understand if he was meant to be a South American drug dealer, and it didn’t matter to the story anyway.

            Our hero Brian had the whole movie to himself without a strong co-lead like Vin Diesel as he did in the original. This time he has enlisted Roman Pearce played by Tyrese Gibson to help him out. Tyrese is of course completely different from Diesel, their characters are completely different, and when he was in badass mode he was a good addition to the film. However, when he started getting into 'gangsta' mode and be funny, he just did not work. His comedic antics did improve in the franchise's future sequels, but at this point he hadn’t perfected it. Eva Mendes plays a fellow undercover agent Monica Fuentes and potential love interest for Walker, unfortunately she was just there though. It felt like they needed a love interest, and that felt like that was the only reason for her to exist.

            This movie had to also shoehorn in some street racing, isn't that meant to be the point originally of The Fast And The Furious films? It didn’t make all that much sense to be honest, but at least we got Ludicrous and his crew added to the movie, they were a decent comedic addition and made the cast feel larger and more complete. At one point near the end they help orchestrate this distraction that feels like it came from a kid’s movie, with stupid cops who just aren’t cool enough to catch these smooth criminals.

            Ultimately, this movie will be forgotten not long after watching it. There were some half decent action scenes but nothing that was as good as in the first one. They tried to go bigger and crazier with some of the action but it did not have the impact that the first did and felt silly for the most part. Of course the series becomes even more insane as time goes on but they totally own it with those films, whereas here they are sheepishly trying to repeat the formula as the first one was such a big hit.

Score: 4.5/10

TV Reviews #15 - Smallville Season 1 (2001-2002)

Review: Smallville was a show that was a big deal back in the day when it first started. There hadn’t really been anything like it before, and it brought the superhero TV show back to audiences. As is customary for me, I hadn’t seen the show until recently, which is 15 years after it premiered. Did the show live up to all the hype?

            There’s no denying that Smallville was a cheesy show, it was basically Dawson’s Creek mixed with X-Files. Most of the story for this first season was based around teenage problems and the villains/monsters of the week. They seemed to be more of a distraction for Clark to deal with, rather than anything else. Many episodes begin with someone gaining or using their powers to do something bad, usually brought on by the kryptonite that landed in Smallville with Clark's arrival. The rest of the episode would be people trying to convince others that these super powered people really did have these abilities, which was essentially what almost every X-Files episode was about. The villain would somehow find out about Clark`s secret (his own abilities, which he learns throughout the season) and by the end of the episode they would accidentally get themselves killed, get amnesia or something else to keep the status quo.

Interspersed would be teen problems of Clark wanting to tell Lana how he feels, or Chloe wanting to tell Clark how she feels, or the usual teenage dramas. In that respect, I never understood what Clark saw in Lana, she’s pretty but other than that she didn’t have much personality or much else to actually offer. She also constantly questioned Clark and made a big deal about the smallest thing he would do or not do. Clark should have chosen Chloe; she was better than Lana in every way described above, they are complete opposites.

Lana is the worst

            The most interesting character of the show by far was Lex Luthor, where you know that at some point he will turn evil, but at this juncture in the series he is a good friend of Clark’s. However, you know there is a dark side to him, his relationship with his father is layered with distrust and deceit but it was also a challenge for him to rise up and better himself. Some old school Shakespearean things are absolutely at play with their dynamic as father and son.

What Lex lacks in hair he makes up in being interesting

            Finally, we have Martha and Jonathan Kent, the adoptive parents to Clark. They were the definition of the wholesome mid western American family, who prided themselves on values and hard work. Except that Jonathan would constantly lose his temper and get mad at people, most of the time it would be at Lex Luthor, for things he should not have or when people were being nice to him. Martha was the concerned mother who always worried, but of course by the end of every episode everything would ultimately turn out fine.

            The show had an innumerable amount of unintentionally hilarious moments, whether or not these moments were that way when first aired or whether it has just become that way when viewing it now. However, that was of course part of the fun of watching it for me. If you don't take it too seriously, it is actually an enjoyable experience. I’m looking forward to the future adventures in the town of Smallville and seeing where the show goes with this interpretation of Clark Kent the man who would become Superman.

Score: 7/10

Movie Reviews #60 - The Man from UNCLE (2015)

Plot: Two spy’s, one American, one Russian, must stop terrorist from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

Review: This movie was extremely fun. Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer have great chemistry and back and forths. The action is the usual enjoyable Guy Ritchie style. The 60s aesthetics is very well done and you actually feel like you’re there. There’s no need to talk about this movie any longer, just go see it.

Score: 8/10

Movie Reviews #59 - X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

Plot: Mulder and Scully are brought back by the FBI to solve a case about a missing FBI agent.

Review: At this point, the X-Files had ended 6 years earlier. And this is how they bring it back? This seems like a way too understated way to resurrect the series. No wonder it took another 8 years to get the series back on television. If this were the first episode of a new series that would be ok, but this is not enough for a movie.

           

            The movie does not involve aliens in any way. It’s about a former pedophile priest who now gets visions of where a missing FBI agent went. Oh and also the agent was kidnapped by organ traffickers. At least Mulder and Scully have good interactions and the magic comes back. This movie just seems like a waste of time. It does not forward the actual plot of the X-Files series. Nor was it that interesting. This movie never had a chance since it came out around the same time as The Dark Knight. We’ll see what happens when I get to watch all of season 10.

Score: 4.5/10

Movie Reviews #58 - That Awkward Moment (2014)

Plot: Three friends decide to make a pact that none of them will get into a relation and enjoy the single life.

Review: This movie is a mix between old school teen movies and Judd Apatow movies. The main focus of the 3 friends (Michael B Jordan, Miles Teller and Zac Efron) is also the funniest part of the whole story. They have some good chemistry between them but they are not as funny as in the aforementioned Apatow movies. Other than that, the rest of the movie feels like the teen movies and go through similar beats. It’s a decent enough movie. It won’t blow you away but it’s a fun time for something to watch on a Wednesday night.

Score: 6/10

Movie Reviews #57 - The Fast and The Furious (2001)

Plot: An undercover cop infiltrates a gang of street racers in order to stop truck thieves.

Review: It has already been 15 years since the first Fast & Furious movie came out. In that time a lot has changed. The focus of the series went from street racing to heists and stopping international threats. And with at least 3 more movies to come, who knows where the series will go.

            The Fast and The Furious started off with fairly humble beginnings. The story was basically the same as Point Break, but instead of surfing it was focused on the world of street racing. While the story was one that we have seen before, the racing world was different enough that it felt fresh.

            The acting, surprisingly enough, was not that bad. Before he became a low-voiced one-liner machine, Vin Diesel actually spoke like a normal person. It was strange going back and seeing him this way, it was a pleasant surprise. Paul Walker was fine too. I wasn’t expecting an Oscar worthy performance, but he did what was necessary. The rest of Diesel’s crew were there to play their role, nothing more. The villain, played by Rick Yune, was bland and uninteresting; he and his gang were just a distraction. In the grand scheme of the movie they were unimportant and showed up to add a threat that was easily resolved. Of course it was necessary in this kind of movie to have some sort of villain, but I would have preferred he have some meaning and menace, instead he was just there. The truck driver near the ending heist kicked more ass than any these guys did.

            The street racing was thankfully real for the most part. There was some terrible blur effect CGI going on during some of the races, but when they pulled the camera away and showed the cars actually racing it was real. All of the crashes looked good and the races were well done.

            Of course, as in any Fast & Furious movie, there were huge leaps in logic. How could a hundred or more flashy and loud cars be able to close down a ton of roads in order to have a race and the cops only respond 20 minutes later? Even though the movie was hip at the time, there were many outdated elements. The music featured the likes of Limp Bizkit and Ja Rule. The main items that were being stolen from the trucks were DVD players. All of this though just made it more nostalgic and fun to watch.

            This movie was surprisingly much better than I thought it would be. When I first saw it back in the day, I wasn’t a big fan but it grew on me. It was just one of those fun dumb movies you can enjoy if you don’t think too hard. Another thing I learned, there was an after the credits scene! They beat Marvel to it.

Score: 7.5/10