Movie Review: Brave (PG)

Movie Review: Brave (PG)


Disney/Pixar's latest film is sure to be a hit. Any movie with the Pixar logo above it's name is sure to make millions. That being said, Brave is no exception. Pixar's twelfth movie, Cars 2, was the lowest rated Pixar movie of all time. Brave came next, and Pixar redeemed themselves. I must note that every preceding Pixar movie hit #1 at the box office. I don't doubt that Brave will do the same.

Pixar has only made one other movie that focuses solely on humans (The Incredibles). We follow the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who doesn't want to be a princess. A bit of a tomboy and rebel, Merida runs across a witch and gets the opportunity to "change her fate". When magic and destiny tear her and her mother apart, Merida must learn to be humble and selfless to change her fate. Sound cliché? It's a classic Disney plot, not quite what I expected from a Disney/Pixar movie. But nonetheless, Brave offers enough heart, humor, and action to keep this movie-goer entertained. Not the best Pixar movie, but certainly not the worst. And besides, when has Pixar ever made a "bad" movie? Pixar movies are always classified under one of two categories: Good, and Great.

Pros

Stunning (and I mean stunning) visual effects. Merida's hair looks fabulous. After about ten minutes, you forget that the film is animated

Hysterical physical comedy; the movie is funny... really funny

Two words: Kelly Macdonald. She voices Merida, and is a joy to listen to. As an American, I found the accent awesome.


Cons


Predictible plot, cliché story line (the action and humor made up for that, though)


Conclusion


Please go see Brave while it's in theaters. You'll be glad you did. It's a rare movie that's actually entertaining for adults and kids alike.

My review: ★★★★✯ (4.5/5)

IMDB: 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 6.9/10

(IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores as of 6/23/12)

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13)

Hollywood's done it again. Yet ANOTHER remake of a classic story, and audiences are sick of it. Let me tell you why this particular fairy tale twist is worth the trip to your local theater.

In the movie Snow White and the Huntsman, director Rupert Sanders tackles his first film, and he's off to a good start. The main thing that sets this story apart from the classic tale is all the action. LOTS of action. And of course, the seven dwarfs are present, and serve as a comic relief. The Huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), is hired by the evil queen Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron (Hancock, The Italian Job), to hunt (go figure) for Snow White, played by Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga). Though it's hard not to think about Thor and Bella in this movie, I still managed to see different characters altogether. Snow White and the Huntsman contains just the right amount of twists and turns to add a slice of unpredictability, without butchering the original story.

Pros

A stellar performance from Kristen Stewart. Many people think of her as the emotionless girl from Twilight, but don't worry. You'll see expression on her face in Snow White and the Huntsman

Spectacular costumes. I don't typically pay close attention to character's attire in the films I watch, but something stood out to me in this movie. The costumes were fantastic.

Plenty of action and scary moments. The sword fights were great, and the sequences of Snow White traveling through the Dark Forest are creepy enough to make this a non-kiddie flick.

A great rendition of the Mirror.

Ravenna, the Evil Queen, was indeed, evil. Full of menace, vengeance, and pure anger, she made the perfect villain. The filmmakers made sure that you loathe her with a burning passion.


Cons

Not enough character development for Snow White. It's very difficult to read her mind.

Inevitable elements of predictability.



Conclusion

Snow White and the Huntsman is an action packed, visually stimulating movie that's sure to be added to my DVD library in the future. Be sure to catch this one in theaters.


4/5 stars

Movie Review: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (PG-13)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (PG-13)

Directed by Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is the story of a nine-year old inventor named Oskar (Thomas Horn). Oskar and his dad Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), have a very strong relationship. Thomas sets up games for Oskar, so that Oskar has to find clues to lead to a reward. Oskar is a brilliant little kid, and uses words I don't understand throughout the film. Unexpectedly, Oskar's dad is killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Tragedy sets in upon Oskar and his mom, Linda (Sandra Bullock). After a year of mourning and devastation, Oskar builds up the courage to enter his dad's closet, which hasn't been touched since "The Worst Day." Oskar finds a key, and spends the rest of the film trying to find out what it belongs to. He is convinced his dad left it for him, and wants him to find it. Oskar talks to numerous people around New York City, meets new friends, and has the biggest adventure of his life.

Conclusion
9/11 was an event that brought catastrophe to America. Few films have been made about it. On September 11, 2001, I was only four years old. Far too young to remember it. My mom says she remembers it like it was yesterday. The theme of the film is close to many's hearts, and many decide not to see a film about 9/11. It's a dangerous field for filmmakers; it's such a sensitive topic. I witnessed many people crying during the film, and if I were old enough to remember 9/11, I would have caused a flood. The movie is that powerful. That being said, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close draws most of the audience's attention to the story of a fictitious character, rather than to the attack itself. It was a well made movie, with great acting, cinematography, plot line, and characters. But the fact that it's about 9/11 can make or break the movie depending on your point of view. Please note that it's not an appropriate film for education about September 11. Again, the story focuses mostly on a fictitious character, and not much on the attack.

Pros


Extremely powerful, portrays 9/11 from a child's perspective.

Portrays the tragedy that occurred in our country in a powerful way

Isn't explicitly descriptive on the attack itself; there's no need to be, and the filmmakers knew that

Had the right dose of humor, and didn't stay super serious throughout the whole movie (That being said, none of the humor was related to 9/11 in any way)


Cons


Oskar has a foul mouth in the film. We hear a couple of obscenities roll off his tongue, one of which is in direct anger to his mother.

My review: ★★★★☆
IMDB: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 5.7/10


Reviews from imdb.com and rottentomatoes.com as of 2/5/12