The Final Destination 3-D

The latest installment of Death citing its revenge on good looking teenagers...........but this time.......Death is in 3d!!!!

The Final Destination 3-D is the fourth installment of final destination series which involves a group of friends in which one of them foresees an accident and stops them from being involved in it. That is basically the entire plot from the tried and tested films so far. First we had a plane crash, then a motorway car pile up and finally a roller coaster crash. This time around? A speedway race car crash. The premise is the same but that doesn't mean there still isn't some entertainment to be had from this series.

First of all, the deaths are as cheesy and as brutal as ever including a swimming pool, an escalator and a hairdressers but the best deaths probably came right at the start when we see how the characters would have died had they been in the accident. Also this is the first film of the series to be presented in the latest gimmick to come around again, 3-D. As not being a big fan of 3-D I was expecting the film to be the worst yet but thought this new effect worked very well in making the deaths seem more creative than usual. The 3-d effects used in the first 15 minutes of the film were great but from there apart from the occasional effect it was as if the makers had forgot they were making a 3-d film.

Also wearing big uncomfortable glasses (which I have a picture of at the bottom of the review) for the entire film isn't the best way to enjoy a film. Overall I would say if you go to the cinema and see this film the 3-d option is probably the best however you will have to pay more. But if you wait and catch this film on DVD then definitely just watch the 2-d version as the effects will look terrible on the small screen.

Overall I have to say I did enjoy this film. The 3-d effects were a nice change but albeit a gimmick and would still much rather go see a 2-d film 9 times out of 10 for me. The film was good and I will be seeing it again when it comes out on DVD. If you are a fan of the series so far then you will love this installment as it is more of the same with more twists and turns than ever.


Rating - 8.0/10

Final Thoughts - 3-D isn't all that it is cracked up to be, but people being killed off by seemingly coincidental accidents is. Worth watching for a laugh and a scare.








RETRO - The glasses for viewing films involving horrible deaths.

Film Scores

Here is a list of scores I have given to the films I have reviewed so far on the website. This post will be updated whenever I review a film to add the new score. To see the whole review of the film, check the links on the right!

Terminator Salvation - 5.8/10

"An ok offering from the director of the Charlie’s Angels films that is better than T3 but doesn’t even come close to the greatness of the James Cameron movies."

Drag Me To Hell - 7.6/10

"Overall, a nice horror comedy from the used-to-be-king of horror comedy that is worth a watch to anyone who is a fan of this kind of humour that may not be for everyone."

Inglourious Basterds - 9.0/10

"Just when you thought Tarantino had gone stale he comes back with the war epic he has promised us for years, and boy was it worth the wait."

Harry Potter & the Half-blood Prince - 7.9/10

"Although it is the same format as usual, it is still another slice of great family fun from the undisputed king of the kids films, bring on the next one!"

The Final Destination 3-D - 8.0/10

"3-D isn't all that it is cracked up to be, but people being killed off by seemingly coincidental accidents is. Worth watching for a laugh and a scare."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The sixth instalment of every kids (and most adults) favourite series of films starring the richest wizard in the world. Can this latest offering still offer new things for children and parents to enjoy at the cinema? In a word, yes.

This film follows Harry (who would have guessed?) and his friends as they return to Hogwarts on the quest to be normal everyday wizards. However, with the return of Voldemort more and more people are seeking Harry to be the one that can save them all. Also as Harry finds a book mysteriously owned by the ‘Half-blood prince’, Harry becomes more intrigued and eventually finds the answers he seeks. Also we follow Draco Malfoy as his involvement in the series becomes its most important so far as we try and discover what task he has been set to do by Lord Voldemort.

Fans of the series so far (books or films) will see no problems with this film. It has all the popular elements of the series so far such as great special effects, exciting set pieces, intriguing storylines and witty one-liners. In this film it is particularly the character of Ron that provides the most laughs as his gets involved with girls for the first time and ends up under the spell of a love potion.

For the people who haven’t read the books but just watch the films I wont ruin the ending but lets say it is very unexpected and leaves for an intriguing final part , which is due to be released as two separate films to cash in while they still can presumably.

I did enjoy this film even though I did have low expectations for this film after the last one which I thought was the worst of the series so far but this film more than makes up for it and is easily in the top three of the series.

Rating – 7.9/10

Final Thoughts – Although it is the same format as usual, it is still another slice of great family fun from the undisputed king of the kids films, bring on the next one!

Inglourious Basterds

The self proclaimed ‘Saviour of Modern Cinema’ is back with more gore and black comedy to last someone a lifetime, but this time he’s gone and involved the Nazi’s.

‘I Think This Just Might Be My Masterpiece’ proclaims Brad Pitt’s character during the films closing scene after just slicing a swastika into the head of an SS commander. Only Quentin Tarantino can put a line like this at the end of his film and get away with it. As regards to ‘Inglourious Basterds’ being Tarantino’s masterpiece? Maybe. Although many believe he will never top the works of ‘Pulp fiction’ and ‘Reservoir dogs’ then this surely deserves a bronze medal (this coming from a huge fan of Kill Bill).

The film follows a group of Jewish soldiers from all over the world as they try and kill as many Nazis as they possibly can. No logic or reasoning just do to the Germans as they have done to us sort of mantra. We also follow Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) as she tries to get revenge for the death of her family at the hands of the Nazi’s. Both groups then lead to a plot to kill some of the highest German leaders whilst they are at a film premiere. Both groups are unaware of each other but ultimately meet up in the end.

First of all, this film has some remarkable scenes that stand out for me. The first scene of the film shows the interrogation of a French man and his family as to whether or not they are hiding a Jewish family which leads to them admitting they are. The entire scene is incredibly tense and terrifically performed by the actors throughout. We feel the pain of the man as he slowly realises the German knows he is lying to him. Also, the interrogator in the scene is Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) who is exceptional in this film and is by far the best actor in the entire movie. He has already collected the best actor award at Cannes and will surely get at least a nomination or two when the Oscar and BAFTA awards comes around. He is creepy and yet darkly funny throughout the entire film and plays the role to perfection. Brad Pitt is also a delight as Aldo Raine the funny yet dangerous American leader of the Basterds. The scene where he pretends to be Italian is genius.

Another scene worth mentioning is the final scene. I don’t want to give away what happens but the mise-en-scene and photography used is remarkable. The imagery what is portrayed in the cinema whilst being engulfed in flames is truly legendary filmmaking.

As you can tell by now I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I thought the acting was brilliant, storyline was ridiculous but great (what do you expect from a Tarantino flick) and the film itself was a tremendously enjoyable experience. Usually after you finish watching most films you say to you friends ‘Yeah it was good, but I wish they left that bit out’ or ‘They really didn’t need that scene’ whereas after I watched Inglourious Basterds I found myself saying ‘Wow, every part of that film was great, I wouldn’t change one thing about it, god I wish there was more’ which I think is the best way I can sum up this film to you.

Rating – 9.0/10

Final Thoughts – Just when you thought Tarantino had gone stale he comes back with the war epic he has promised us for years, and boy was it worth the wait.

Drag Me To Hell

The man who brought us ‘The Evil Dead’ trilogy takes a break from making superhero movies to brings us another slice of laugh out loud/scream out loud comedy horror.

Drag Me to Hell follows loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) as she tries to gain a promotion over a fellow employee. After being told by her boss to be more ruthless, she refuses a mortgage to a very scary looking old woman Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver) which then results in Sylvia placing a curse on poor Christine which involves a spirit that will torture her for three days before dragging her down to hell.

The plot is extremely simple, which in my opinion is good for this sort of film and does have some very good moments. Towards the start of the film when Christine is trying to get into her car we think the woman is going to appear any moment as we can hear her and then just when we think it’s safe, at that moment a handkerchief slowly floats past the car windscreen which calms the audience down. The camera follows the handkerchief all the way around the car until the camera is facing the backseat of the car at which point the old woman slowly leans forward out of the shadows to scare the crap out of the audience. This being one of the generally jumpy bits of the film, most of it will have you laughing like crazy. The moments when they do fight ultimately lead to comic violence such as the old woman being sick on Christine and a nosebleed which sprays like a hose pipe. This film is very reminiscent of the Peter Jackson splatter horror movies and will definitely be remembered as one.

The film does have its moments but overall you find yourself thinking whether the director actually wants to scare you or make you laugh which is a weird place to be caught whilst watching a movie. The lines between horror and comedy become blurred and not in a good way which ultimately leads to confuse the audience. However, with all the moments the film does fall flat there is moments such as seeing a goat get possessed by a spirit which are generally very funny.

Rating – 7.6/10

Final Thoughts - Overall, a nice horror comedy from the used-to-be-king of horror comedy that is worth a watch to anyone who is a fan of this kind of humor that may not be for everyone.

Terminator Salvation

‘Terminator Salvation’ sees the first film in the Terminator series to be set during the machine war that the first 3 films were trying to prevent. We see John Connor (this time played by Batman - Christian Bale) trying to work out how to win the seemingly impossible war for the humans and we get introduced to Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a death row convict who signs his life over to Skynet after his presumed death by lethal injection. Another nice addition to the story is the young Kyle Reece (Anton Yelchin) who we already know grows up to be the father of John Connor. We learn many things about Kyle, such as how he grew up to be the man we saw in the original terminator movie and we wonder how John will end up sending him back in time.

The special effects really are something in this movie. Due to the fact of this movie being set during the war, we see more explosions, gun battles and psychotic machines than any of the previous films and all the set pieces are breathtaking. Also, scenes when the terminators are chasing the resistance you really do get the feeling that if they do catch you they won’t toy with you and maybe let you go, they are searching to kill.

However, with all the praise on CGI, the same can’t be said about the acting or plot of this movie. Many of the characters seem pointless and totally unneeded for the film, such as John Connor’s wife, Kate who may as well have not been in the film. The plot sags in the middle and has a predictable ending which gives the impression that the makers are already thinking about a possible sequel. This is one of the films that is definitely ruined by the makers need to leave the story open so you have to buy another ticket as oppose to letting the audience have a great full experience and then demanding you make more.

Overall, I reasonably enjoyed the film, with its great special effects that really need to be seen on the big screen and ok story. The choice of Christian Bale as the lead will split the vote for many and after his outburst that was famously caught on set you can see why. My personal highlight of a seemingly average film was the CGI cameo of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I won’t ruin it for people but it really is something.

Rating – 5.8/10

Final Thoughts - An ok offering from the director of the Charlie’s Angels films that is better than T3 but doesn’t even come close to the greatness of the James Cameron movies.

also...

Just a quick note, the first few films I review may have been at the cinema or on DVD for a couple of months now as I am now only starting the blog there is a couple of films I need to catch up on. However, most films from now on that I review will have either just been released at the cinema or on DVD. Any new film you want me to review tell me and I will be more than happy to. First review of the blog, TERMINATOR SALVATION.

Introduction

Hello all! This is my first ever blog and I am very excited to be starting one. My blog will be about film reviews, reviewing lots of the new films that are released in 2009. Hopefully you guys will enjoy these reviews and find my opinions on the films helpful to you and enjoy reading them. Since this is my first ever blog I think I should introduce myself. My name is Matt (that how I got Matt's Film Reviews , clever huh?) and I am from England. I am currently a university student in my 2nd year studying Film and TV Studies, hence the interest in films. I have studied film now for 5 years and would love to have a career somewhere in the great film world once I leave University. I might add more about myself at a later date but this blog isn't about me, its about FILMS!!! I will start adding reviews to this blog from this moment with some of the new films I have seen this year that have been released in the cinema or on DVD. Since this is the start I have many films I have seen this year and therefore will add many films very quickly. Once I have reviewed all the films I have seen this year I will add at least 1 new review per week. Anyway guys I hope your enjoy my reviews and I would love to hear from you and hear any positive or negative (please not too much!) feedback on the blog. Also any requests for new films to review would be great. Until next time...