Contagion Movie Review 2011

Contagion, Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven trilogy) and starring Matt Damon along with an awesome cast including Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne and your bit on the side, Gweneth Paltrow.

The Story kicks off with a bang when Beth (Paltrow) returns home from a business trip in Hong kong and begins to suffer from severe sickness that she tends to pass off as a bad flu.

The cause of the infection is unknown to her and husband Mitch (Damon). 

The Infection takes a turn for the worse when Beth collapses and is hospitalized under severe protection as even the doctors seem bewildered to the cause of the sickness. Mitch gets his life turned upside down when he receives the tragic news that his wife had unexpectedly passed away with the cause of death unsolved.

Contagion gives a great plot to start with. A deadly virus that is rapidly spreading through America and the world. Scientists, Doctors, disease control, all seem confused when members of the public start dropping dead. The people you think might know the cause of death? Have literally no idea of the decent, or gravity this infection can have.....

It isn't long before the public get word of mouth about the killer virus, sending many into shear panic. Alan (Jude Law), a hilarious individual who labels himself a journalist, but many see him as a controversial character with nothing better to be doing than sitting around all day blogging.

Alan is your typical journalist, he is arrogant, inappropriate, and always looks to eavesdrop. Alan seems to get into trouble all the time, but when he claims to have a cure for this virus, all hell breaks loose.

On the opposite side is Dr.Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) and Irina (Daria Strokous?)

Dr.Cheever has his co.worker Irina hot on the trails of the virus, hoping to discover a cure, while at the same time trying to prevent herself from the sickness, as the death toll rises everyday.

The movie takes place in numerous locations telling the stories of people struggling to deal with the loss of family members, to the doctors and scientists under pressure to keep the story out of the media.

I felt Contagion could have done better. The introduction to the movie was quality, a great piece of acting, as we get a glimpse of the affliction the deadly virus will have through out. My only problem was I don't think it carried that same affection it had at the start. 

The movie had a great first half, with extreme tensity and realism, along with superb acting from Matt Damon and Gweneth Paltrow, but the movie needed more Gweneth Paltrow.

When I say it had superb acting, I mean from all of the cast, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne and Daria Strokous were all quality. I just wanted more from the movie, more action and less fussing around! It Just wasn't  there for me.

So Contagion was decent to watch. I would not tell anyone to avoid, simply because of the actors involved.

The story was a great idea, very original, but do not expect to remember it 24 hours later. The End of the movie killed it for me, I won't go into the end of the movie right now though! :)

Good plot, Great actors, got boring half way through, and I believe the end was rushed!

overall. 6/10

Do we really need another Remake??

"The Thing"Remake 2/12/2011

Halloween is approaching and I ask myself, as a movie fan of all genres, especially Horror, do we really need another horror remake?

The past 10 years have been great for any movie fan. We have seen the different types of movies that were brought to the big screen, and most I can assume were welcomed with open arms.

Action blockbusters, comedy/Romance, hard drama and true stories. 

Can we say the Horror genre has been so successful lately? I for one think not. Don’t get me wrong, we have had some new ideas of scary movies. Take the first "Saw" movie for example, which I think brought a little bit of life back to the Horror genre.

Horror movies cannot fade away as it is something that has to be continued to be produced just like Comedy and romance. Me and I am sure most have no problems with  horror movies being released as we might expect numerous ones this Halloween, even if they turn out to be crap, someone has to keep it alive.

But do we really need another Horror remake? I mean not just another one, but in general? Can’t the classics stay classics and be left alone rather than some up and coming movie director getting the privilege to revamp some movies that were good enough were they left off 20 years ago?

This Halloween will see the release of the most recent of the remakes, The Thing. Honestly I have never seen the original but I know this goes down, with many others as a horror classic.  I get what the film Industry are trying to do. Besides from the blatant obvious, which is to make money, but to also give movie fans something to be scared about this Halloween. 

But Let us take look at some previous horror remakes that I am sure read like a good idea at the time but for fans, most had failed to work:

“Halloween” remake was taken on by Rob Zombie back in 2002, my favourite one of them all was hacked to bits....literally! Rob Zombie’s love for gore was always going to ruin the character of Michael Myers, and a terrible actor replacing Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie did not help either!

 “Friday the 13^th” which immediately went off track with its pursuit to have Jason Voorhees the serial killer instead of his Mother (the original storyline) on top of terrible acting and a desperate attempt to shear unnecessary blood!

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” which I might add was not the worst remake. Freddy was darker and scarier but struggled to improve off of the original movie that wasn’t great either. In my opinion

“Texas Chainsaw massacre, dawn of the dead, the Hitcher, the hills have eyes, and on and on and will continue to fail to live up to the original classics.

Horror movies that you can expect to see remade within the next year “IT” (the clown), Scanners, Hell raiser and Childs play....yes, Childs play! Oh and poltergeist! And I am sure many more.

So do we really need more horror remakes? Can’t the Cinemas just release a classic every year? I am sure if it did it would get a lot more views.

The Thing Remake is due out the 2^nd December. This will mark another Horror movie remake that should of never been.  Judging by the trailer and the actors in it?  I am expecting more horror from the Lion King 3D! God Help us all.

Don't be Afraid of the Dark Movie review 2011

Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes star in Guillemero del Toro's new screenplay horror remake, Don't be Afraid of the Dark.

Don't be afraid of the dark is a horror/thriller about a modern day American family who move into a house that is known to have plenty of history about it, but what kind? no one knows!

The father Alex (Guy Pearce) has to live up to the fact that his daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) is now his responsibility after the mother decided she could not look after her anymore. Alex is in the process of revamping the creepy home they moved into with the help of his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes).

Kim, who is an Interior decorator (hope I got that right) lends a help in hand with the house design, much to the anger of Sally, who can't seem to face up to the fact that Mammy and Daddy are no longer together anymore.!

The movie has a decent plot. The house they live in gives you the slightest hint of a mysterious past as the previous owner disapeard some years ago. Sally gets scared after hearing strange voices and discovering monster like creatures living in the basement. While loved up couple Kim and Alex are too busy decorating the house, Sally becomes prey for these creatures. The plot is for her to stay alive as these creatures, who feed off human teeth, are desperate for Sally to be theirs.

Don't be afraid of the Dark offers up some very jumpy scenes and scary moments as Guillermo del Toro shares his creepy imagination with us all. The first scene in the movie is typical horror, very old school, which is good might I add. Unfortunately I felt their could of been more of the same after a great introduction, and hoped for scarier parts through-out the movie but kind of let me down there as I love my Horror movies.

As for the cast, was very average, Katie Holms? I didn't feel she was as scared as she should have been. The little girl Bailee Madison is genius in the film and out-shoned Guy Pearce and Katie Holms. There is something about her face that creeps terrifies me sinister in this horror, and she isn't evil, she is sweet and innocent. Kind of like Haley Joel Osmen from The Sixth Sense,...weird looking kid but his face just suited the horror of the movie, in my opinion.

All round the movie was mediocre, not great. I know Guy Pearce is established a while but I wish someone better played the father, Alex. Don't get me wrong he can act, but just didn't think he suited this film, maybe just Horror genre in general.

So Don't be Afraid of the Dark is a good time for a day out or a first date, especially if that person is afraid of watching the bloody Gremlins! At the end of it all it is unfortunate to say it lacks in the Horror genre we would expect. You won't leave half way through it so that's always a good sign for a movie. (Piranha 3D I still do not regret leaving that day, you suck!)  But to watch it again is a big question, for me? No! for you? go see and find out.


6/10


Gerry_Cheesey

What's your Number? Movie Review 2011

(apologies for the text in 3rd paragraphaph)

There's not much that can be said about a movie starring Chris Evans (Captain America) and Scary movie's very own, Anna Faris (Scary movie trilogy I suppose).

Whats your Number? directed by Mark Mylod, the guy who brought us Ali G Indahouse makes an attempt at a romantic comedy.

Ally (Anna Faris) is desperate for true love. She is tired of meeting all the wrong men and is set out to find Mr. Right. The only problem, which is a disastrous one apparently, is that her previous ex boyfriend's have added up to a total of 19. According to Ally, this is a problem because if she does not find the right guy in number 20, she will never find true love.

Introducing Chris Evans character Colin. This guy is your modern day player, well so he thinks. Colin is a neighbour of Ally's who can't seem to keep the women out of his apartment. He uses them for the usual jazz and then tries to ditch them.

Ally (Faris) seems destined for help. So in one scene she catches eye with Colin (Evans) trying to hide from a girl he had slept with the night before. The two have conversation, she ends up explaining how much she needs a man and leads on to think maybe she can track down one of her 19 ex boyfriends, hoping that he has changed for the better and maybe fall in love. Then guess what? Colin offers to help her these ex boyfriends of hers! yipeee!

The two then agree to make the most ridiculous deal ever, Alley to Colin" You help me track down all my Ex boyfriends, and I will help you avoid all yours."

That there folks is the story in a nutshell. How Chris Evans gets any work amuses me. seriously. As for Anna Faris, she has the Scary Movie trilogy, Whats your number? and nothing after that please god.

I did not set out to be too harsh on this movie. It wasn't just the fact Chris Evans is in it, but I am pretty sure that the film set out to be a romantic comedy that ends up lacking the romance. The chemistry between Evans and Faris could not be further apart. The movie lacks in clever jokes and witty humour. In my opinion the comedy was way too easy...just not smart.

Whats your number seemed to me like the writer or director made an attempt of taking characters from previous movies that were genuinely funny, trying to re-enact them with different actors and hoping for the same positive re-action that the previous movies got.

Does that make sense? for example take Kristen Wiig, the main actor from Bridesmaids. She gets drunk in that movie, she isn't the brightest spark but she is hilarious in a way. On the other hand Anna Faris gets drunk in the movie, she isn't too bright either, she lacks a lot of intelligence in a way that should be funny....but its just a let down. In truth she is just a genuine dimwit, and there's me thinking she was putting that character on when she played Cindy in Scary Movie. Oh how wrong was I.

As for Chris Evans, my little brother loves him, for the simple fact he is Captain America. I will be sure to tell him when he is older how wrong he was to think Chris Evans was any kind of super hero.!

My verdict, try avoid....if you want a romantic comedy, so see Crazy stupid love, or if you have seen that and you are just bored?  Still Do not go see Whats your number?....

3/10


Gerry_Cheesey

Warrior Movie Review 2011

Director and writer Gavin O' Connor must have seen the success and positive reception that came with fighting movies over the past few years.

The fighter, The wrestler and maybe going too far back but the blatent obvious, Rocky saga.
For those unnaware of Gavin O' Connor, his last movie "Pride and Glory" (2008) starred Edward Norton and Colin Farrell. It got a positive reception, I found it mediocre.

Warrior starring Joel Edgerton (King Arthur) as Brendan Conlon; a high school teacher supporting two kids. Brendan, a successful wrestler in the past soon struggles to make ends meat as he is faced with the possibility of Bankruptcy.

On the other hand, Brendan's younger brother Tommy (Tom Hardy) is the complete opposite; abandoned by Brendan as a kid, the consequences of come back to haunt Brendan when the brothers meet again 12 years later; through their alcoholic father Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte).

Paddy is portrayed as a depressive character with a boxing past as well as alcoholic problems. He is deeply hated by both brothers for his lack of support when they were kids, as well as his ungrateful attitude when his former wife and mother of the family was sick.

They say when family collide it is always brutal and in this case, it is. When both brothers hear of an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) competition offering the biggest purse in the history of the sport to the winner, it is indeed by accident the Conlon brothers apply for the same competition.

The perception of Tommy gives off a disturbed past we get to know little about, only his desire to win the commpetition and will destroy anything in his way to pursue it.

On the other hand, Brendan (Edgerton) is mind-set on the prize money but also the safety of his brother as the film slowly develops each characters personalities, blending a concept of mixed emotions, focusing on the will and desire of who wants it more.

A hard hitting drama that I wont say packs a punch, cliche'? but is definitley a movie in its own catagory. Tom Hardy and Joel Egderton were made for the role. Nick Nolte brings his fine acting to the movie and once you hear that voice struggling to get out from the bottom of his juicy throat, you just know something serious is going down!

Overall; Warrior is an all round fantastic movie focusing on the ever growing sport of MMA. A movie not just for fight fans (which I think is Men...mostly!) but for everyone who enjoys a good story full of lifes ambitions and a journey to winning something.


9/10