Day 124 - Ender's Game (American)

"the film stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, an unusually gifted child who is sent to an advanced military academy in outer space to prepare for a future alien invasion"-Wikipedia

Strangely enough, I actually enjoyed this film on certain levels. It one of the better movies that have been released that were based on books. It's not the best film of all time, but it might entertain you for one sitting. The film does have good acting, especially from the young Asa Butterfiled. Also Viola Davis, Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Abigail Davis, and more. You really can't ask for a better supporting cast, so it leaves you to wonder why this film fails. 

My finger is pointed towards the director, editor, and screenwriter. Lucky for me, the director and screenwriter are the same person. Gavin Hood was also the director of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I found the movie to be too short and edited in the wrong way. I will suggest that you skip this film as it is a bad film and they are doubtful about a sequel. 

2/5

Little Info

This book the film is based on was written by a very controversial man and the film was boycotted by several LGBT groups as the original author is very vocal about his dislike of same sex relationships. 

Day 133 continued - Naruto Shippden: 7 The Last (Japanese)

"Hyuuga Hanabi, the younger sister of Hyuuga Hinata is kidnapped by the alien Ootsutsuki Toneri, and a disheartened Uzumaki Naruto must put himself together to help his new found love save her younger sister. Naruto's abilities are put to the test when he loses his most powerful form - the Sage of Six Paths cloak" - IMDb

I was so looking forward to this movie, but it was a letdown. Not only was the art and animation questionable. The story line was weak! I was finally able to see the romantic duo of Hinata and Naruto! The best parts of the movie come in the middle of the movie and at the end. I did like how Hinata was portrayed, but I wanted something more out of the story. I thought fans were cheated because we didn't get to see their wedding until the credits started rolling, but even then we only saw silhouettes of the characters as the wedding was going on. I suggest only fans of the series watch this film as it's not that good animation wise. 

2/5

Day 122 continued - The Deadlands (New Zealand)

After Hongi's clan is slaughtered, he commits to vengeance. With the help of a cursed warrior, the boy sets up to become a warrior and a true man. 

Not the worst film ever but clearly not the best. It was really interesting because it features a culture that I have never heard about. The Maori are an ancient people that reside in what is now known as New Zealand. I think the acting was there on the basis of the cursed warrior as his actor appeared to know what he was doing. I think the main villains and the star of the film were a bit lacking. The lighting was horrible, I understand that the director was probably going for natural lighting but it was really hard to see what was going on at times. Overall the movie is a not impressive enough to be anything better than alright. It's easy to say that this film is horrible because of the way the character act but that could be that you have never seen this culture and you find their actions repugnant. You have to take a step back and analyze not only this movie as a whole but also yourself.

2/5

Little info

Lawerence Makoare who plays the cursed warrior has done a lot of work on Western media. Just some of his credits are:

The Hobbit: The Desloation of Smaug

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring & Return of the King

Die Another Day

Xena: The Warrior Princess  (TV Show-2 episodes)

Young Hercules (TV Show-1 Episode)

Day 121 - Gallants (Hong Kong)

"Weedy office worker Cheung is sent to a remote village to secure property rights for his real estate company. Two martial artists run the village's teahouse, which was once the kung-fu school of their teacher Master Law. Law is in fact lying unconscious upstairs in a three decades-long coma, but he awakes when gym boss and local landlord Pong attempts to secure the teahouse for redevelopment. Law mistakes Cheung for a former student and starts training him in preparation for a martial-arts tournament at Pong's gym that will decide all their fates."- IMDb

A nice attempt to try to bring the old school effects of action films to the modern era. There were a few good moments present in the film but sometime it was over the top. The script needed to be better as did the pacing. At times it felt like the film was moving way too fast. Besides that the film was entertaining to watch. If you are interested in martial arts film then watch this one and be entertained

2.7/5

Day 118 - Ode to my Father (Korean)

"Amid the time of Korean War, a young boy's vow to take care of his family marked the beginning of a lifelong promise spanning 60 years." - IMDb

Probably one of the best Korean films I have ever seen. Hwang Jeong-min was an excellent choice for this film and I can't imagine any other actor in his spot. The whole movie can be summed up in two words: Journey and Promise. I think it was well written with historical events taken into mind. The emotion was there as was the acting. It was a very good piece of film that could have been improved but none the less the film was entertaining to watch.

3/5

Day 117 continued - Gun Woman (Japanese)

"A brilliant doctor on a quest for revenge buys a young woman and trains her to be the ultimate assassin, implanting gun parts in her body that she must later assemble and use to kill her target before she bleeds to death." -IMDb

If you want to see a sexy Japanese woman who spends a lot of the movie nude kick ass then this is the film for you. The best scenes in the film happen at the end with the final battle. The whole film is slightly entertaining with the usual pink film flair. There is something about Asami that makes me want to watch her more, I think she has a good presence. 

1.2/5

Little Info

Asami was a former Adult Video Idol

Day 116 continued - Out of Inferno (Hong Kong)

"On the hottest day in 50 years, a serious fire incident happened to a busy commercial tower, a gaggle of fire fighters with an indestructible enthusiasm are going to save lives."-IMDb

Not the worst film I have seen but it could have been much more better especially with the cast they had and the director of the film. I did not like most of the film as most of the characters didn't seem real. I felt like the side stories were not as well detailed as they could of been. The terror of the characters was predictable. I felt like the directors were trying to step in another genre as they tend to stick with the horror aspect which a lot of people like. 

Day 116 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (American)

"When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect their home."

Absolute trash in almost every single way, as a fan of the series I was so disappointed. The script was poorly done, it was cheesy almost unbearable to watch. Meagan Fox was horrible, her acting was on the same level as a D rated celebrity. I don't know who made the choices in voice acting but I hope they don't work again in casting again. I swear if you are a loyal fan of the series then don't watch this film. Michael Bay has the shit touch even if he is just a producer on this film. Avoid it at all costs!!

0/5

Day 115 continued - Death Wish (American-1974)

"A New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks in which he randomly goes out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark."-IMDb

My kind of film! Not only does it feature a mainstream actor killing people, his killings have a purpose. He is killing the scum of New York City, in a way he is making the streets safer which in the film (and in real life) it appears the police can not. This film is the usual get revenge film but it is also more than that. It has heart, it is more realistic than the other revenge films I have seen. Charles Bronson was excellent, he added a great human element to his character. I do think that the other characters were a little underwritten but they don't really matter as much as the main cast. The director did a fantastic job with this film and I wouldn't mind watching another film of his. 

3/5

Little info

Jeff Goldblum's film debut

11 people are killed in the film

Day 114 - Penguins of Madagascar (American)

" penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private in their own adventure."-Wikipedia

A very cute animation movie but it fails to be funny for older people though it would surely be funny for young children who are the intended audience. I thought the script was alright, the plot was simple but its the characters that truly are the best thing about the movie. I thought watching the penguins was entertaining but sometimes it was a bit too silly for my blood. 

2.5/5

Cast

Tom McGrath (Skipper) is the director of all 3 Madagascar films but was not the director of this film.

Chris Miller (Kowalski) directed Shrek the 3rd and Puss In the Boots

Conrad Vernon (Rico) directed Shrek 2 and Monsters Vs. Aliens

Christopher Knights (Private) is an English voice actor and a Film editor

Benedict Cumberbatch (Classified) famous for his role as Sherlock Holmes on the TV show Sherlock

Day 110 continued - Wing Commander (American)

"Blair, a fighter pilot, joins an interstellar war to fight the evil Kilrathi who are trying to destroy the universe." - IMDb

A horrible sci-fi that lacks any type of real depth. I kind of like the idea of the film but it could have been used in a different way. Freddy Prince Jr was alright but he has poor acting abilities. Matthew Lillard, in my opinion did a much better job as the best friend of the main character. I did like the interracial relationship in the film with Matthew Lillard's character and another character. The direction was weak,  Chris Roberts had never worked on a live action film before but he did direct several Wing Commander video games before the film was ever made. So theres no real reason that the direction of the film should have been so poor. Skip this film unless you truly love space movies. 

0/5

Day 103 continued - Hercules (2014-American)

"Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) is the leader of a band of mercenaries comprising the spear-wielding prophet Amphiaraus of Argos, the knife-throwing thief Autolycus of Sparta, the feral warrior Tydeus of Thebes, the Amazon archer Atalanta of Scythia and his nephew storyteller Iolaus  of Athens. Hercules is said to be the demigod son of Zeus, who completed the legendary Twelve Labors, only to be betrayed by Hera, who drove him insane and caused him to murder his wife Megara and their children during a visit to King Eurystheus . Though Hercules's demigod heritage and the truth behind his labors is questioned by everyone, he does display unusual strength and skill in combat. "-Wikipedia

The best Hercules film I have ever seen, I think the Rock is also the best actor to play Hercules. His acting wasn't over the type, his muscles were real, and his presence was commanding. This movie is his best perfomrance to date. Yet his performance does not save this movie from the horrible hands of its director, Brett Ratner. Ratner simply knows how to butcher a movie, a lot of the acting was weak as the story was. I wished a lot of the characters had more depth. I didn't like a lot of the dialogue which seemed so forced at times. There didnt seem to be any chemistry between any of the actors either which brought the value of this movie down. Honestly I suggest you skip this film. 

1/5

Cast

Dwayne Johnson

Appearances:

The Mummy Returns

The Scorpion King

The Rundown

Walking Tall

Be Cool

Doom

Gridiron Gang

Reno 911!: Miami

The Game Plan

Get Smart

Race to Witch Mountain

Planet 51

Tooth Fairy

Why did I get Married too?

The Other Guys

You Again

Faster

Fast Five

Snitch

GI Joe: Retaliation

Pain & Gain

Fast and Furious 6

Day 103 - Rob Roy

" Liam Neeson stars as Rob Roy MacGregor, an 18th-centuryScottish clan chief who battles with an unscrupulous nobleman in the Scottish Highlands" -Wikipedia

I had a lot of problems with this movie, first off Jessica Lange looks so old even in this movie compared to Liam Neeson. I also felt like the film was boring at several parts and a bit predictable. I did like Liam Neeson and Tim Roth's performances. I think this duo get a great job keeping me entertained. I do like the time period and I still think this is a decent film. If you are interested in Scottish history then you will like this film. 

2.5/5

Cast

Liam Neeson

Appearances:

The Dead Pool

Next of Kin

Darkman

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Gangs of New York

Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

Kingdom of Heaven

Batman Begins

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Taken

Ponyo

After.Life

Clash of the Titans

The A-Team

The Next Three Days

Unknown

The Grey

Wrath of the Titans

The Dark Knight Rises

Taken 2

Anchorman 2

A Million Ways to Die in the West

A Walk Among Tombstones

Day 99 - Tale of the Mummy (British-American)

"Centuries ago, under the sands of ancient Egypt, a prince was buried and his tomb eternally curses so that no man would ever again suffer from his evil ways. But hundreds of years later on a greedy search for treasure, a group of archaeologists break the curses seal of the tomb. Every man vanishes without a trace, leaving behind only a log book - and a deadly warning of the legend of the bloodthursty TALOS. Fifty years later the log book ends up in the hands of the granddaughter of the head archaeologist, and she defiantly sets out to retrace his steps. "

One of the worst movies I have ever seen. The acting was a complete waste as was the direction and the script. Avoid this movie like you would a serial killer or the plague. There is nothing much to say about it. I felt like this was someone's student film from some low down college in the middle of nowhere even though there are quite a few famous actors present in the film.

 

0/5

Day 98 continued - 009-1:The End of the Beginning

 

"Marking the 75th anniversary of his birth, Shotaro Ishinomori's classic spy heroine manga "009-1" has been adapted into a live-action motion picture for the first time ever." _IMdb

 

 

Not one of the best Japanese movies I have ever seen but its not the worst one either. Mayuko Iwasa who plays Cyborg 009-01 is cute for sure but she could have been a little better acting wise. The direction was a bit poor, the script was bad and the story was too predicable. It was slightly entertaining but it was mostly dull.

 

1/5

 



Day 97 continued - Expendables 3 (American)

 

This should have been one of the best action films in history but sadly its not. I honestly hate the concept of bringing in a younger crew as all the younger expendables are such weak actors and personally not interesting enough. We have the entrance of Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammar, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas, and a few others. Each one of the old guys have proved their worth and I felt like there wasnt a need to add a younger expendable cast because that is not what we signed up for when we buy the ticket or DVD of this film. Besides that I felt like the film was missing heart and good direction. This happens to be the directors second feature length film, which kind of says a lot. If there was better direction, actually maybe one of the men in the film could direct as many of them having directed movies in the past. I would suggest this film to action film fans and really no one else. 

2.6/5

Little Info

Sylvester Stallone offered a supporting role to Jackie Chan but was turned down as Jackie prefers to be the main act.  

Featuring

Sylvester Stallone

 

Film Appearances:

Rocky 

Rocky II

Rocky III

First Blood

Rhinestone

Rambo: First Blood Part II

Cobra

Lock Up

Tango and Cash 

Rambo III

Cliffhanger

Demolition Man

Judge Dredd

Assassins

Daylight

Antz

Eye See You

Rocky Balboa

Rambo

The Expendables 1 and 2

Escape Plan

Grudge Match

Jason Stratham

Film Appearances:

Snatch

Ghost of Mars

Mean Machine

The Transporter

The Italian Job

Collateral

Cellular 

Transporter II

Crank

In the Name of the King

War

The Bank Job

Death Race

Transporter 3

The Expendables

The Mechanic

Killer Elite

Safe

Expendables II

 

Antonio Banderas

 

Film Appearances:

Philadelphia

Interview with the Vampire

Desperado

Four Rooms

Assassins

The Mask of Zorro

Spy Kids

Original Sin

Spy Kids 2

Once Upon a Time In Mexico

Shrek 2

The Legend of Zorro

Take the Lead

Shrek the Third

Machete Kills

Automata

 

 

Day 94 continued - Lilo and Stitch 2

"A malfunction threatens to destroy Stitch and his friendship with Lilo!" - IMdb

The gang is back, now the animation is a bit weak compared to the first movie but the characters are still as lovable. I am a fan of Stitch as he is one of my favorite Disney characters. I do applaud the voice actors and the fact that most of them are from the first film including the main characters. Besides that there is not much to say but watch it if you are a Disney or a Stitch fan.


2/5

 

Day 89 continued - Captain America: Winter Soldier (American)

 

" As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with another super soldier, the black widow, to battle a new threat from old history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier."

Way better than the first movie, I think the Russo brothers did a good job with this film. I also like that the Black Widow had a bigger role as I like the character. It was nice to see some more characters being added to the franchise.  I kind of wish that more happened in the film though, I feel like it was a tad bit rushed. The effects were good as was the action, the introduction of the Winter Soldier was good as well. The appearance of Robert Redford was a little different but he did a good job. I actually was quite surprised that he would want to do this kind of movie. Chris Evans did a great job in developing his character and making it seem natural. Anthony Mackie who plays Falcon did a great job in his appearance, he made it like it wasn't the first time that he has played this character alongside Chris Evans. So there was some really good cast chemistry going on.

3.9/5

Little info

Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson wrote most of their own dialogue for the scenes they were in together

Nick fury states that his grandfather was a elevator operator. In real life Samuel L. Jackson's father was a elevator operator.

Anthony Mackie sent many emails to try to get a role in a marvel movie as it was his dream to do so. His emails caught the attention of kevin Feige who offered him the role of Falcon.

UFC champion George St. Pierre makes an appearance in the film

Day 88 continued - The Defender (Hong Kong)

"A corrupt businessman commits a murder and the only witness is the girlfriend of another businessman with close connections to the Chinese government, so a bodyguard from Beijing is dispatched to help two Hong Kong cops protect the witness. Complications arise when the bodyguard and the witness must confront their deep feelings for one another."

So far it is my favorite Jet Li Hong Kong movie.  You had all of Jet Li's wonderful action scenes but the script was a bit poor. The film was quite predictable and almost had the feeling of being a comedy. Everything seemed so rushed and nothing really is as interesting as it could be.  Also I think they used the kid poorly, he was also a tab bit annoying. I will suggest this film to you if you are a Jet Li fan.

2.8/5

Day 87 continued - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (American)

"A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier."

I thought it was a bit of a disappointment but it is better than the James Franco one. I wished some of the special effects were better but they did a good job with all of the apes. The cities almost seemed so real, so they had some better good designers making this film.  It was nice to see how things resulted in the world being controlled by apes that can be seen in the original films and Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes.  The writing could have been better but the character development was actually good. I would suggest fans of the series to watch this.

3/5

little info

This is the first Planet of the Apes film to be released on 3D

This was shot in 91 days

The sequel has been confirmed for 2017