"Battle: Los Angeles" - Review

The biggest disappointment of 2011 (thus far)

I hate admitting it, but I was actually very stoked about this film when I first saw the teaser trailer last year. But considering it was brief & without much detail, I now learned that the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" applies to not only things you assume will be bad, but also things you assume will be good; live and learn, I suppose.

My expectations were very high for this film, but all I received was a bunch of military/war film cliches that merely replaced the enemy country with aliens (if you can't name at LEAST 10 major cliches, then you can't call yourself a reliable source of film knowledge). There are also a lot of plot holes, the dialogue was overly cheesy & sometimes laughable, the CGI/visuals weren't impressive in comparison to recent visual achievements, and there are certain happenings that aren't just far-fetched, but unexplained as well (the ocean level lowering in a matter of hours, seriously? at least explain how!). If you want a simple action-packed blockbuster movie, without any depth, character development, deep dialogue, or lingering afterthoughts then you'll love this, if you're the complete opposite, then I'd highly advise to keep away, or at the very least, wait until you can rent it.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional "popcorn flick" when I turn off my serious switch, but this film just felt like a first-person shooter video game that I'm not able to play; not fun at all! It was inevitable, but here's my first negative film review.

Score: 1/5

"Rango" - Review

"No man can walk out on his own story."

I'm usually almost a strict "Pixar" fan when it comes to computer-animated films. "Dreamworks" has been a downhill slope for me after "Shrek 2" (with the exception of "How To Train Your Dragon" which I enjoyed), and the only non-Pixar computer-animated films that I've liked since the first two Shrek films have been "Bolt" and "Tangled" (both directly from Disney). Year after year it seemed like competition, both box office and critical was between the aforementioned studios. But I think they finally have a new competitor in this arena in "Paramount".

This film almost solely caught my attention from the theatrical poster. It looked so different from its competitors that I just had to see it. The trailer nailed that interest completely and it ended up not disappointing me at all.

It was released strictly in beautiful 2-D, and I can't emphasize enough on the "beautiful" because I was in awe almost the entire time from just how pretty this film looked. Many of the times I couldn't even believe this was computer-animated because of how realistic it looked. But this film isn't just an eye-candy treat. The storyline itself is simple but very effective and perfectly executed. The comedy is fresh, smart, and I was surprised at how many times I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire film. I'm actually surprised this is a PG rated film, but then I remember that kids won't understand most, if not, all of the innuendo and satire this film presents.

It actually reminded me a lot of what "Shrek" did in 2001 by providing a family film with the perfect ingredients to please both adults and kids alike. So don't feel "forced" by your kids or younger family member to see this film, because I guarantee you will enjoy it as well. It currently has my trophy for best film of 2011 so far; but I don't see ANY other animated feature dethroning it of best animated film of the year. I highly recommend this funny, lovable, and memorable film.

Score: 5/5

"The Adjustment Bureau" - Review

"If you believe in free will. If you believe in chance. If you believe in choice. Fight for it."

I first heard of this film back around Summer 2010 from a trailer at the theater. It was initially due for a September 2010 release but was delayed until March 4, 2011. Which was a disappointment considering this is the type of film I go for the most.

Was it worth the wait? Did it live up to my expectations? The answer is yes. Now, I didn't expect another brilliant "Inception" or a best film of the year, but I did expect a film that was smart, unique, thought provoking, and sparked discussion. It did all of the aforementioned for me. On top of all that, the casting was great and they all did a terrific job with their performances; the chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt was amazing too (and is Emily Blunt extremely beautiful or what? <3).

Sure the central theme of the storyline might have minor theology, but it doesn't do it in a preachy, annoying, or one-sided way. As an Atheist, it didn't bother me at all because it didn't put any labels on anything nor was it any obvious religion in disguise. To me, the film said that even if there was some form of intelligent design, that free-will and choice is still important and worth fighting for. That we don't NEED a specific "book" to tell us how to think or live.

The only complaint I have (if it even counts as one) is that I feel that if this film was a little more daring and had a little more depth, it could have easily been a new classic. That still doesn't stop it from being a very good film overall though, and easily one of the best films of the year so far. I recommend it.

Score: 4/5