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Film Reviewer - Classic, Modern, Obscure, Genre... It All Gets Watched

[ June 2009 ] [ August 2009 ]

This past weekend I saw Year One. Year One stars Jack Black as Zed and Michael Cera as Oh. I never have been a big fan of Jack Black but I did enjoy Cera in Juno. The previews for Year One gave me the impression the movie would be funny. However I had been duped. Year One did have some funny moments but most of them were the ones included in the film’s previews.

My biggest issue with Year One was the film’s plot. The plot had no substance. I realize Year One is a comedy but comedies can still have substantial plots. For example Billy Madison (starring Adam Sandler) is goofy and funny but at the same time has substance to the plot.

Year One is about Zed, who goes place to place rambling on about how he is the chosen one. Zed thinks he is the chosen one because he ate an apple off the tree of forbidden fruit. This isn’t the only religious reference in Year One either. The story of Cane and Able is poked at. Zed and Oh also comes across a village where they sacrifice virgins to a fire in hopes God will make it rain. If you are sensitive about religion make sure to avoid Year One.

If I had to sum up Year One in one sentence I would say “Year One is your typical Jack Black movie”. Just because I didn’t like the film doesn’t mean everyone will dislike Year One. I’m sure Jack Black fan-boys would praise Year One. I think the bottom line is if you like Jack Black you should see Year One; if you not a fan of Jack Black don’t waste your time or money on the film.

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Posted By: Zachary Fenell - Category: No Category

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Movie Review- 21 (2008)

July 24th 2009 15:13

What makes you jump off the page? What life experience have you had? What makes you dazzle? These are all questions proposed in 21. 21 was released last summer. The film is based off a true story of MIT students who went to Vegas to count cards and win thousands of dollars. 21 stars Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, a MIT student who is looking for a way to get money to pay for Harvard Med. Campbell is recruited by his statistics professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) to join the team of MIT students who spend their weekends in Vegas playing Black Jack.

I find 21 to be brilliant on several different levels. Unlike most films, 21’s plot isn’t told in a simple linear manner. The movie relies on partial flashbacks to tell the story. If partial flashbacks are not used correctly, a movie can become confusing but this is not the case with 21.

What I enjoy the most about 21 is how the movie pits ordinary life against the thrills and excitement of Vegas. 21 inspires me to be different. I’m someone who wants to stand out. I don’t want to blend in and be like everyone else. I want to jump off the page and I want to dazzle. 21 moves me to seek those life experiences that will take my life from ordinary to extraordinary. And I feel any movie which can inspire is a movie worth seeing.

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Posted By: Zachary Fenell - Category: No Category

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Transformers 2- Good All Around

July 21st 2009 13:29

“That movie didn’t disappoint” were the first words out of my friend’s mouth as we walked out of the movie theatre Saturday night after seeing Transformers 2. Not only did Transformers 2 not disappoint, I felt the movie exceeded expectations (well, at least my expectations). I walked into the theatre expecting to see great action scenes which Transformers 2 did deliver. Not only did Transformers 2 deliver great action scenes but the movie was solid on many other fronts.

Comic relief could be found throughout the movie. A lot of the comic relief centered around Agent Simmons (John Turturro) and Sam’s college roommate Leo (Roman Rodriguez). In one scene Leo is in the passenger seat of a car as Agent Simmons drives while repeating to himself “One man, all alone…” Finally Leo has enough and says “Stop saying that, I’m in the car, you’re not alone!”

Other areas Transformers 2 shine at is picking relatable themes and stimulating philosophical thought. Teenagers can relate to Sam and Mikaela’s struggle to tell the other “I love you”. The Transformers 2 plot is also a great way to generate a philosophical debate about secrets in government. The transformers unit working with the government is kept secret and the movie makes you think about whether secrecy in government is beneficial or harmful.

Lastly, I have to give mad props to those in charge of special effects. The special effects in Transformers 2 were done very well. A lot of movies can get one or two elements of a good movie done well but then lack with the others. Transformers 2 stands out from those other films because Transformers 2 excels in several areas. I would go ahead and say Transformers 2 is a solid movie all around.

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Posted By: Zachary Fenell - Category: No Category

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Accepted

July 16th 2009 02:24

Accepted instantly became one of my favorite movies after seeing the film for the first time. I first saw Accepted in the summer of 2006; the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college. Accepted reminded me of all the good times I had as a freshman and made me excited to return to college in the fall. Three years later as a college graduate Accepted is still one of my favorite movies.

My favorite part of Accepted is the plot which questions the integrity of today’s higher level education. Lewis Black does an excellent job portraying a burned out college administrator who has grown irritated with the state of higher level education. He oversees South Harmon Institute of Technology (S.H.I.T), a college created from the desperation of Barnaby Gaines (Justin Long). Gaines is a clever high school graduate who was rejected to every college he applied to

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Posted By: Zachary Fenell - Category: No Category

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

July 12th 2009 17:38

The other day I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine for the second time in movie theatres. When I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine the first time, I hadn’t seen the original X-Men movie and I had only seen parts of X2. Between then and now I had a chance to see X-Men and X2, not to mention a chance to watch X-Men: the Last Stand again. Although X-Men Origins: Wolverine is only a prelude to the other X-Men movies, having seen all three movies gave me a greater appreciation for X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Like the other X-Men movies, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an excellent film. Any filmmaker would appreciate X-Men Origins: Wolverine for its’ great camera work and special effects. An ordinary viewer usually takes such elements of film for granted but there is so much work involved with camera shots and special effects

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Posted By: Zachary Fenell - Category: No Category

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