Inspector Zach

good stuff, keep it coming! I love your ambition, becoming a movie critic has only been a dream of mine since I can remember... I too worked for my schools newspaper as a film critic, it was bittersweet- the feedback I got during my time was real encouraging. Anyway good luck and I look forward to reading your reviews on here and maybe in a magazine someday! :)

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:26:31 -0500

It means a lot thank you very much!

Project X (4/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:27:23 -0500

Here we go again. Another found footage film where you see everything through the eyes of a camera that’s being held by one of the characters. Hopefully this new fad of found footage will move on from Hollywood, but for now expect more and more of it. We begin with the cliche high school setting. Three geeky friends, Thomas (Thomas Mann), Costa (Oliver Cooper), and JB (Jonathan Brown), are the usual unpopular kids who are picked on by the popular kids. When Thomas’ parents go out of town, Costa the instigator seizes the opportunity to throw a huge party in order to gain popularity. A viral campaign to promote the party gets way out of hand when the party ends up on Craig’s list and several radio stations. Everything is going smoothly as nearly every young adult in Pasadena show up to Thomas’ house. When the ecstasy is brought out, everything goes downhill. Household items are broken, cars are smashed and submerged, dogs are tied to balloons taking flight, and then the guy with the flamethrower shows up.

When the movie really got moving, I found myself in stitches the entire time thinking that it couldn’t possibly get any crazier, but it always did. The three main characters have extremely funny chemistry. Most of the humor is nothing special but some of it is surprisingly clever. I wouldn’t rush out to go see this but if you find yourself with nothing to do and would like a good laugh, then this movie would be perfect.

The Cabin in the Woods (3.5/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:23:00 -0500

We begin with the usual setting of teens on a camping trip and then things getting weird. I know, you’ve seen it a hundred times so why this movie? Well, once at their destination, the group finds a collection of really mysterious objects and starts to snoop around. That’s about all I can say without spoiling anything. If you have seen the preview to this movie then you know about the one thing I can spoil. You’re lead to believe the victims are in some sort of controlled environment. This seems like it would be a huge give away but in fact, it is not. No matter how hard you try, I guarantee you won’t be able to figure out where this movie goes. Not only was I surprised at the plot (once revealed), I found myself in hysterics for quite a bit of the movie. Most of the movie is intended to be humorous with the horror side as a bonus. Some parts will jolt you in your seat but other than that you’ll most likely be laughing. It had a very small Hunger Games feel to it at first, but that quickly goes away. They have few things in common. This movie is way darker and twisted. You may find yourself rolling your eyes at some of the dialogue, but it’s to be expected in a movie like this. Overall, I found this to be way different and more outrageous than your typical “horror” movie and I do recommend it.

The Hunger Games (4.5/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:22:27 -0500

I haven’t been this excited to see a movie in a very long time. My expectations were fairly high since I enjoyed the book so much. North America, or Panem, as it is known in this series, is broken down into 12 districts. Each year, a boy and a girl ages 12-18 are chosen by raffle to compete in a fight to the death competition, known as The Hunger Games. When Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) little sister Prim is selected, Katniss volunteers as a tribute to replace her sister at the games. They fight in an arena controlled by The Capital, the head city of Panem. The Capital rules and The Hunger Games are their way of intimidating the suffering citizens of the other 12 districts, reminding them who is boss.

The whole premise of this series can be described accurately as just plain brutal. The book and the movie alike are perfectly paced. You will not get bored watching as the suspense is constant. The movie represents the book very well, with only a few minor, but necessary changes. The movie humorously translates how preposterous and oblivious the rich people of The Capital are. The way they talk and dress just further exaggerates their silly and inhumane manner. If you haven’t hopped on The Hunger Game’s bandwagon, I highly recommend you do. Even if you’re not a reader but go see the movie, I guarantee you won’t want to wait a whole year for the next movie to see what happens next.

The Devil Inside (1.5/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:19:29 -0500

Being a fan of documentary and “found footage” movies, The Devil Inside was something I was looking forward to. This movie, being filmed as a documentary, is intended to show the viewer just how difficult exorcisms are supposed to be. In the beginning, text appears that makes it very clear to the viewer that The Vatican wanted nothing to do with this movie. You shouldn’t either. It appeared to me they were trying really hard to make a believer out of the average skeptic. Whether your beliefs are religious, paranormal, or non-existent, The Devil Inside will certainly not alter your views. The exorcism and possession bit has been vastly overdone recently and this movie is no shining jewel among the rest. Aside from the irritating camera angles and simplistic dialogue, there is no real terror to be found. As far as the plot goes, it was very scattered, unorganized, and overall a train wreck. The abrupt ending will leave you so infuriated; you might actually become something of a demon yourself. Beginning the credits with an advertisement for a website with information about the “real story” turns this monstrosity into a 90 minute promotion campaign. Overall the movie was entertaining, though not in the way it was intended to be.

Act of Valor (4.5/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:11:31 -0500

When you go to see this movie, and I promise you want to, keep in mind that Navy SEALs are not actors. What starts out as a routine rescue mission ends up uncovering a terrorist plot of astronomical size. That’s about it for the plot. It’s nothing extravagant but it doesn’t matter. All it does is symbolize how real of a threat terrorism is, and of course lead the viewer to the next firefight. Seeing real Navy SEALs working and performing in their element is just phenomenal. These men, and others like them, are the highest trained military personnel on the planet. Watching them operate the way they would on a real battle field is something every American should see. Knowing that the tactics and procedures you are seeing are very real is an eerie and unusual feeling. The SEALs even used live rounds while filming. It’s obvious that they aren’t actors, but they play a real role in protecting our freedom that’s more significant than some movie. The camera angels in the movie are very unique. Occasionally they even switch to first person which is a nice change up from the normal angles. For most of the movie, you focus on only 2 SEALs. You really only get attached to two characters because the movie mainly focuses on those 2. I feel like the movie as a whole would have made an even greater impact had there been more character development. Overall, I left the theatre 100% satisfied and in slight disbelief. The experience was like no other war movie, if you could even call it that, and it is quite moving.

Woman in Black (3/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:09:27 -0500

After the death of his wife, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent by his law firm to handle a job at deceased Alice Drablow’s mansion. Struggling with his own past, Kipps finds that the town of Crythin Gifford also has a past of its own. He feels that he is not welcome there and senses resentment. While in the Drablow home, Kipps begins to hear and see strange things. In Alice’s personal belongings, he finds old birthday cards discussing a boy, Nathanial. He finds that the boy’s mother, Alice’s sister Jennet, was declared mentally unfit to keep the child. Alice and her husband took Nathanial in as their own. In a horrible accident, Nathanial is killed and Jennet blames Alice for the whole thing. Eventually, out of grief, Jennet takes her own life and becomes “The Woman in Black”. She haunts the Drablow home and her ghost is out for revenge. Kipps soon discovers that he is not the target of the ghostly assaults.

These events set up the rest of the movie that ended up being better than I thought. The story was great and may not end up the way you think. As far as fright factor goes, not so much. The tactics used were similar to the ones you might find in the horror rides at the fair, hence not very effective. A few loud noises and unexpected movements will give you a jolt, but no deep and lingering fear. The ending was bold and took an interesting and unpredictable turn. Overall I was thoroughly entertained, but not frightened. I’ll admit it was weird seeing Radcliffe play any part but Harry Potter, but he did very well. Horror fan or not, this movie will satisfy most viewers as it becomes more of a mystery than a real horror flick.

Safe House (4/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:05:40 -0500

From the minute Denzel Washington appears on the screen, you know it’s going to be a good movie. He plays a CIA agent gone rogue, Frost, who is accused of treason. After running for a decade as the most feared and respected intelligence agent in the history of the CIA, Frost reveals himself to the U.S. government. He is taken to a safe house to be interrogated but the safe house is broken into. Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is the keeper of the safe house and takes responsibility for Frost’s life. After escaping the raid it is Weston’s job to take Frost in, but Frost wants nothing more then to escape. The non-stop action in this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot creates many moments of suspense, but is also very predictable. Denzel Washington’s acting is brilliant and solid as usual, but partnered with Ryan Reynold’s character who is at the verge of tears the entire movie, makes for no real bonding development between the two. Only at the very end of the movie do you realize the significance of their partnership. Aside of the predictability of who is who, the ending will leave you shocked. Everything that goes wrong for Weston does, but in the end he prevails in the most disturbing and twisted way you could imagine. My only real complaint with the movie was that it seemed very disorganized. It was hard to tell where exactly things were taking place because it changed so much. You will definitely want to catch this before it leaves the box office, Washington’s performance is just too good to pass up.

The Grey (2.5/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:01:00 -0500

I did not enjoy this movie near as much as I had hoped. The plot proved to be absolutely absurd. Ottway (Liam Neeson) is a worker for an oil company in Alaska whose job is to hunt and control the wolf population. Consequently, this makes Ottway a wolf expert. He joins a plane full of ex-convict oil workers on a journey to Anchorage, only to end up stranded in the middle of the harsh Alaskan wilderness after their plane crashes. With only 7 survivors left after the crash, Ottway takes the role as Alpha-male to help lead his colleagues away from wolf infested territory. I have just described to you the entire 117 minute atrocity that is “The Grey”. The trailer portrays and action movie with intense action sequences and a great struggle for man’s survival. What it really turned out to be is 117 minutes of close up shots of wolf teeth, men wandering in the snow, then more wolf teeth. The wolves tend to surround the men and make loud, obnoxious noises until one finally reveals itself from the darkness. There is an awkward stare down between the two species and then the wolf slowly disappears back into the darkness. When the beasts do decide to actually attack, the camera angles are so close that you can hardly distinguish what is happening. Only when the attack is over do you see the result. As the movie progresses, the action slows down and the men begin to have deep philosophical conversations about various things in their lives. This part of the movie was the only part that was remotely entertaining. There are plenty of action sequences in the first half of the movie, but after seeing one you have seen them all. The ending is by far the most infuriating and abrupt ending I have ever seen in a movie and quite frankly, it’s just silly. I could tell within the first half hour that I was not going to be able to take this movie seriously and this ending was just the icing on the cake. It was a valiant effort as a philosophical thriller, one could call it, but it was very poorly executed. I suggest saving your money on this one.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (3.5/5)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:54:59 -0500

I’ll begin by saying that I have not read the book that this movie is based off of. That being said, I was completely unbiased and neutral going into this movie. As the plot unfolds, you find that the movie is not about 9/11, but about a young boy named Oskar (Thomas Horn) who is trying desperately to reconnect with his father. Oskar’s father (Tom Hanks) was killed in the attacks on September 11, 2001. Growing up, Oskar would be tested, going on expeditions set up all across central park by his father. After his father’s death, Oskar finds what he believes is a message left behind for him in secret. Oskar listens to a series of disturbing messages left on the answering machine by his father on the worst day. Keeping them a secret from his entire family, he uses them as motivation to fulfill the journey set before him. Throughout his expedition, he finds that his journey takes him way beyond is personal situation, and that he is not alone in his grief. Though not finding the answer he is looking for, his adventure does come to a surprising and unpredictable close after several major plot twists. At the climax of the film’s depressing moments, a window is opened up to both the viewer and Oskar that brings hope.

Aside from the drama-filled atmosphere, Oskar’s annoying yet genius character, and Sandra Bullock’s short screen time (sorry guys), this movie will take you on a very emotional rollercoaster ride. Between the tragic and heartbreaking scenes, there is knee-slapping humor guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The movie never makes is clear as to whether or not Oskar has some sort of social disorder, but it is implied. His character is extremely talkative and very condescending. Overall this movie was a heartwarming tale of a boy coping with the loss of his father and a neglectful grieving mother that will keep you thinking for days. I wouldn’t say it’s one you will want to see again and again, but it is one you want to see.