thelordoffilm's Profile at Metacritic

Average User Score: 6.5

User Score 10

Funny People is a intelligent, funny adult film. Now a days the genre of comedy is now sex. We get a number of new movies every year trying to milk the success of Judd Apatow films. Some of them are good and I can name a few. However they need to rely on crude and vulgar actions to get laughs. We get so many of those antics to the point of feeling disgust for the characters, but when the third act comes up we have to cheer for them it's dumb. Apatow's movies are different there fresh in orignatly and the crude and vulgar comedy is kept to a restrictive level. Thus giving us time to know the characters in between the big laughs. The movie starts with George Simmons played by Adam Sandler, he's a successful comedian and actor. He has stared in many films and is a prodigy to all standups. He lives alone and does mostly everything alone. One day he's sitting in a doctors office getting the news that he's been diagnosied with a rare form of cancer. His doctor firmily says it, he needs to try out expermental medicine. We then meet Ira played by Seth Rogen who's a up and coming comic trying to get out of the deli that he works at. One day George performs at a standclub that he has'nt been in three years. He notices Ira's performance and takes him under his wing as a assistant. They form a friendship and where George goes Ira goes. He trys to make ammends with his famliy and with the girl that got away, played by Leslie Mann who is married to someone else. So when George is thinking the worst his doctor tells him your getting better and tells him get a hold of your life again. You must think in a clinched kind of way he changes his personality and treat people better and go for the girl right? wrong, he exploits his condtion and tries to go for the girl. These are characters in a realistic plot. With problems and smart dialouge. Yes theirs crude and vulgar actions but it's done in a way that everyday people talk, with your friends, with your spouse. Judd Apatow did a very mature film proving you can mix vulgar and adaptable characters. This movie is based on everyday people with the only difference is that there Funny People.… Expand

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Twilight

Average User Score: 5.1

User Score 5

I'm reviewing this movie because I saw the second one and I'm striving to become a film critic. I was really aganist reviewing beacuse I'm scared of my girl. She's a fan of course but, she told me to do it and to tell the truth. Twillight is about a human girl who falls in love with a vampire. The movie does has decent premise, however there are things that bogs it down. It has horrible paceing by the time these two lovebirds stay together, my daughter will be grauating and her mom hopefully at new house. The acting is kinda of there and not there. This is the big deal that people were wating for what a messs. Even the special effects are not to be considered cool or captivating. The main problem with Twillight is it's trying to hide a sterotype of vampires that includes sex, and violence, and blood on a teenage drama that is'nt really working out.… Expand

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The Box

Average User Score: 4.3

User Score 6

The Box must be one of the most absurd movies I have seen for the year of 2009. I must admit itâ€™s not a movie I would watch again. Iâ€™m recommending it but not recommending multiple viewings. Itâ€™s weird, strange, complex, and the plot is very crazy. The really strange thing about it is that I was entertained. Yes itâ€™s a bad movie but it wasnâ€™t a boring movie though. The movie stars a perfectly normal couple, Norma and Arthur, played by Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. They also have a normal child. One day while there sleeping a box is left at their doorstep. When they open it itâ€™s another box. This time thereâ€™s a small dome on top with a button. They push it to the side and not think much about it. Throughout the day different situations starts happening and some of them are not good. It affects there lifeâ€™s directly. Well a man comes later in the day knocking his name is Arlington Steward played by Frank Langella. He tells her about the box and makes a deal. If she presses the button she will get paid one million dollars tax free. The con of this choice is that someone will die that she doesnâ€™t know. If she doesnâ€™t press the button the family will get nothing. The film is based on a short story called Button, Button which was made into a The Twilight Zone episode in the 80â€™s. The director Richard Kelly who has made warped movies before (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) adapted it to the big screen. As you watch the movie you can see how this movie goes in so many directions. The movie has good ideals of the moral implication of the choice. Itâ€™s a good looking movie, thereâ€™s a lot foreboding and sometimes really suspenseful scenes. Kellyâ€™s likes to go to most strange by going to nose bleeds and very strange people. The movie is very silly and its ideals go right with them. However I admire the craft that went into it and Kellyâ€™s attempt to show existentialism. I also like the moral choices the characters are forced to make. Itâ€™s the not greatest movie but it was intriguing and kept me up for 119 mins. Donnie Darko fans might love it, others will hate it. A film like that has worth checking out right. MP *** 3/5… Expand

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Gone Baby Gone

Average User Score: 7.6

User Score 10

Gone Baby Gone is a scary and haunting film with great performances and intense suspense and tension. Who would know Ben Affleck could direct a film. A movie dealing with child abduction and how it surrounds the people involved. A child is kidnapped and the family hires two private detectives because they can talk to people in the neighborhood that won't talk to the cops. Things start going out of the ordinary when multiple secretes are reveled. It leads more to dangerous situations. One of my favorite movies and a big surprise from Affleck.… Expand

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A Nightmare on Elm Street

Average User Score: 5.1

User Score 1

Why was this movie necessary I ask myself, to make money, to boast special effects? I don't really know because the movie never explains why. Is it for entertainment, no I don't think so. I know what exactly why it was made for. It was made to dig in the pockets of fans of the series and give them a horrible product. I would know I was one of them yesterday and my wife and everybody else in the movies was. Wes Craven's original A Nightmare on Elm Street was a fresh idea. It was a new vision of horror back then. It had nightmarish visuals and gore, and one of the most charismatic horror icons ever Freddy Kruger. This remake is a perfect example of what made that original movie so much better. Let's compare scenes shall we. The famous scene where Freddy stretches the wall above Nancy's head and looks at her, the original is creepier due to its realistic effects. The remake has CGI and ruins a perfect scene where it's suppose to be tense and suspenseful it turns out that Freddy has his own line of wallpaper. Let's talk about the acting and casting choices now. The girl playing Nancy is Roony Mara a weird gothic chick who looks like she's going to throw up at every scene. Then we have Kris played by Katie Cassidy who the only thing she does is stare in the distance and "acts" (notice the quotations) dramatically. Then the boys who play every other high school kid out there are nothing really new and engaging. They say all the same thing it's not real it's just a dream yadda yadda. The original cast their appeal was that they look like everyday people kids next door their dialogue was realistic and their roles were written well so we can adapt to them. Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy, the only thing I say about that is we miss you Robert Englund where the hell are you? I do admit Haley tries to give his own style but he just falls short he so poorly written in this movie. The filmmakers said they wanted to remove all the comical stuff and make Freddy scarier. Are you trying to say Englund wasn't scary, watch Wes Craven's New Nightmare where Robert Englund goes serious and scares the crap out of you. You know what Freddy being comical is what made Freddy famous you always can tell he enjoyed what he did to people. It was black humor; this "serious" (more quotation marks) Freddy is as boring as a burnt pretzel. CGI, good looking actors, impressive cinematography does not make a good movie. Did Samuel Bayer saw the original movie did he send his actors to see it. I don't think so. This movie so bad that Wes Craven should re-release his original and basically say a statement this is how it's done people. I told five or six people not to go see it hopefully they listen to me I don't want them to see an incompetent, lazily directed film. It's just going to dig into their pockets.… Expand

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Iron Man 2

Average User Score: 6.8

User Score 8

Itâ€™s very refreshing to find a sequel to be actually good. The reputation of sequels is mostly that there bad or they surpass the first one. Iron Man 2 is the sequel that is actually good not as good as the first one but still worth to watch. Iron Man 2 begins that the world knows that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man. While this happen his ego went up way up. Heâ€™s a narcissist at his best. He shows off because he can show it off. A senator is pressuring him to give the Iron Man suit to the United States military, he proudly refuses saying him and the Iron Man suit is one and says he brought world peace do I dare say narcissist again? While this is happening, in Russia Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is building a grudge and a weapon to face against Stark. He wants revenge for something Tonyâ€™s father did. We get introduced to new characters as well, like the very sexy Scarlett Johansson as an undercover agent named Natasha Romanoff. We also get Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, a rival weapons manufacture. Trust me on this thereâ€™s a lot more. First thing first yes the action scenes dazzle and they most certainly thrill. One of the most amazing sequences is the race track scene. It was very good as well as the rest of the movie, director Jon Favreau taking the right decision to use as less CGI as possible for what its needed for. Itâ€™s not excessive and we know where all the action sequences are taking place. Itâ€™s not a hectic action scene where everything is blowing to hell and we donâ€™t know where everybody is at. Another strong point that the film has is Robertâ€™s performance; if Tobey Maguire is the best Peter Parker then Robert is the best Tony Stark. He fully embodies the role and makes it his own and he is so freaking funny. Iron Man wouldnâ€™t be Iron Man without Robert enough said. The rest of the cast is good but Robert steals the show. My main complaint of the movie is the poor handling of the subplots and Ivan Vankoâ€™s clichÃ©, poorly developed character. The subplots Iâ€™m sorry although very interesting they were annoying and they bogged down the main story. I really wanted to know more about specific things but I didnâ€™t appreciate everything shoved in my face. My other problem with the film was Vanko he was poorly written although cool with the action scenes he was a like fish out of water. He probably had only twenty lines for his role. I found him unnecessary, and his performance fit any kind of super villain role snarling, laughing, one-liners and one speech. They should have dedicated more time to him.… Expand

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Reservoir Dogs

Average User Score: 8.6

User Score 10

Reservoir Dogs was Quentin Tarantinoâ€™s first featured film. I have to admit it was a testament of how awesome of director he really is. Tarantinoâ€™s style of filmmaking is unique, he always reminds us in every one of his films how he loves film. With the music and camera angles and homage to other movies the man has the craft. Reservoir Dogs begins with a rotating scene in a diner where we are introduced to every character. We get a feel of how each characterâ€™s mood and personality. We donâ€™t know their names they have color coded names to protect their identity as well as they wonâ€™t give up anybody else. Why they have color coded names you ask, their planning a jewel heist. After that scene we get scenes of despair and blood and we figured out that the job did not go as well. A lot of people have complained about the movieâ€™s violence. That itâ€™s an exercise of brutality. I agree the movie is violent and itâ€™s the kind of movie violence that itâ€™s not for the faint of heart. Consider the scene with Michael Madsen that we all know the ear cutting scene. Some people will find it unnecessary but get this (SPOLIER) through out the whole film they talk about how Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) screw everything up and how he went psycho. We didnâ€™t see the actual event so to establish that Mr. Blonde is truly a psychopath that scene had to be put in. These are violent men and this movie was advertised as a crime drama film or gangster film. So when you go to the movies donâ€™t be surprise of seeing violence on film. The plot is told that we never see what really happen at the heist. The everything going to s**t scene is never portrayed. Instead we get the aftermath and back stories of different important characters. So the film is told in a unique way. Giving us our imagination to use to imagine what really happen. A similar movie that uses that approach is The Hangover. The dialogue of course is awesome Tarantino always makes great dialogue for his characters. This movie marked the entrance of a born filmmaker.… Expand

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Memento

Average User Score: 9.1

User Score 6

Memento is not the first film by Christopher Nolan but itâ€™s his first feature film. The film is a cult classic and reached critical acclaim. I was impressed with Nolanâ€™s work but the movie made me so frustrated. I have never seen a movie that got me that frustrated, maybe thatâ€™s why I found the movie still fascinating. Guy Pearce plays Leonard Shelby a man who has anterograde amnesia. He obtains the condition when his wife was raped and murdered the assailant struck him in a mirror that caused the injury. He goes and starts to do his own investigation to find his wifeâ€™s killer. His condition prompts him to leave several notes and pictures and he even tattoos himself notes to remember. All the important people he meets he takes their photographs and writes little notes of who there are, and if he can trust them. The films premise is ingenious, if only it was handled better. This movie goes back and forth so much it will leave you in a state of confusion and frustration. The movie is told backwards and there are a lot of transitions in the script. Every character in this movie is not what they seem. I wouldnâ€™t trust them. Although the film put me in a frustrated position with the plot, itâ€™s still a good film. Itâ€™s very strongly acted and I think the movie wouldnâ€™t have carried itself without Pearce and the supporting cast. I will put this clear as day why this movie lost stars with me. Iâ€™m saying this because the movie is a cult classic and people will tear me a new one for this. I wouldnâ€™t see this movie again because of its difficult narrative but the movie is very absorbing and it would attract people to watch it again for a better understanding. I also respect the craft that went into this movie. Itâ€™s frustrating as hell but maybe thatâ€™s why itâ€™s good.… Expand

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Felon

Average User Score: 8.7

User Score 8

Felon surprise me a lot when I first saw it. The movie had a limited release and then it went direct to DVD. It plays a strong message about prison life and it's not a pretty picture. Stephen Dorff plays ordinary Wade Porter a working class man with a beautiful wife and son. He receives good news about future plans with his business. He has the perfect life until one night an intruder enters his home to rob. His first mistake was to chase after him outside of the house. He accidentally hits him in the back of the head with a baseball bat thinking he had a gun which he didn't. He gets charged with murder but the district attorney has compassion and lets him serve three years in jail but will be release on good behavior in fifteen months if he keeps that way. He goes to jail and that's when he enters a world that he really can't understand. He goes through a lot of crazy stuff especially a brutal and psychotic correctional officer. He then meets John Smith played by Val Kilmer who is a veteran in prison and at first a little bit distant to him. Throughout Wade's time there they form a somewhat friendship; and Smith starts teaching him ways to tolerate prison life. The key thing that makes this movie work is the performances which are very top notch. Val Kilmer we miss you on the big screen when are you coming back. Thunderheart, Top Gun, Tombstone, The Doors those were awesome movies where you great and hopefully Macgruber doesn't suck. Kilmer plays John Smith to the core and he's very imposing, Kilmer did his research. Dorff played a very sympathetic performance and convinced me all the way. I seriously thought he was a lost cause ever since from being the villain Decon Frost in Blade which he was pretty good. These two actors own the movie and they have great chemistry. The movie loses a potential fifth star because the prison scenes are very brutal and unforgiving and it's not an easy movie to watch. I understand prison life is not easy and I can't say I have experience it, I can only imagined it and hopefully never experience it. However, the movie would make audience feel a shock is coming on every reel when we're suppose to care more about the characters and plot not the next blow to the head. Although Felon surprise me a lot and it's worth to watch for the performances of Kilmer and Dorff.… Expand

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Average User Score: 6.2

User Score 5

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Image

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will always be remember for being Heath Ledger's last film, because of his timely death three different actor finish it for him and you can tell in the film the craft and dedication to finish it. Even only it had a better understanding of the plot. The movie begins of an old man named Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Lee) who has a daughter and a midget as a best friend and a street performer. They have an act where they go in the streets and make people pay to go through a mirror where it shows their true self's. We quickly learn through Parnassus that he made a deal with the devil to gain immortality but any first born child to turn 16 was to be offered to him. The girl, Valentina is about to be 16 in a couple of days. Parnassus is trying his best to see if he can stop the devil played by Tom Waits. One day while driving they find a man trying to hang him self which is played by Heath Ledger. They rescue him and he happens to lose his memory. Parnassus thinks it's a trick from the Devil, maybe to do another deal to save his daughter. They use him as a performer in their act. If I keep going with the plot, this review will last forever. The plot is so damn unfocused that I wanted to scream out loud. The movie has so many ideas packed into one. There's a love story involved with Valentina and one of the street performers named Anton. Then there's Heath Ledger's character that has his own back story and when that comes into the light it's even more confusion. The narrative left me frustrated and confuse, I couldn't get into it. The movie is very well acted and I have no complaints about that. Every single actor is being true to their character and they do it very well. I liked how Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp were there to fill in the shoes of Ledger. The special effects were very good and convincing but like I said before if only the narrative was more properly structured. The movie is worth to watch because of Ledger he was captivating.… Expand

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thelordoffilm's Profile at Metacritic