Nutshell Review (First of 2011)

Okay, so maybe I didnt uphold my promise to make the "best movies of 2010" list... but owh well, i was lazy, sorry.

For now, a nutshell review of 10 movies that I've watched in the last 48 hours (some new and some old). This will only be a quick review as I cant write 5 paragraphs for each movie right? Or can I? The fact is I wont. So bare with me.

1. Black Swan (2011)


To start off, let me point out that this is a really good movie. Easily one of the best movies of the year despite it being only the third month of 2011. The movie revolves around an obsessed ballerina trying way too hard to be 'perfect'. Natalie Portman definitely made the movie better than it already is. Her portrayal of Nina (the obsessed chick) was phenomenal. Its was so believable to the extent it got a little disturbing.

The movie itself was stunning. And succeeded brilliantly in setting a 'dark' theme throughout the whole movie. Everything was almost (I dare say) perfect. Definitely an instant classic.

Rating: 9/10

2. The Fighter (2010)

A story about "Irish" Micky Ward's way to winning the welterweight boxing champion and how his half-brother, Dicky Eklund, helped him achieve that goal (plus other shit they had to go through). The pivotal point of this movie would have to be Christian Bale's acting. Most of the emotional vibes were from Bale and the amount of muscle he lost from being the Dark Knight is just amazing. His portrayal of Eklund being addicted to drugs and his subsequent repentance was emotional to say the least.


The story was great, well-paced and plot development was just as good. If there were to be a weak point in this movie, it would have to be Marky Mark's acting. He wasn't bad. He was just his usual self (lacking in emotion). But the movie is a definite must watch. Especially for boxing fans.

Rating: 8/10

3. The King's Speech (2011)

A serious yet witty tale of how King George VI overcame his speech impediment with the help of an optimistic 'doctor'. The title doesn't fool you, it is indeed about the king's speech. Those who can't stomach lengthy scripts and long dialogues should avoid this movie.


I, personally, felt it was riveting and very interesting as a whole. The techniques and methods used by the 'doctor' and the King's reluctance and temperament just adds to the atmosphere.
I am surprised by how much I enjoyed watching this movie despite its non-stop dialogues.

Rating: 8/10

4. Brothers (2010)

I felt this movie was brilliant in capturing the right emotion for the right scenes. The scenes in this movie are believable and some that a few might have been through (albeit less dramatic).
A good watch and definitely a good movie. The emotion can get a little overwhelming at times.

Rating: 7/10

5. Date Night (2010)

Pretty sub-par and farfetched storyline. Tina Fey was great but Steve Carrell was kinda annoying. enjoyed this movie but didnt really laugh my ass off.

Rating: 6/10

6. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)


A decent laugh but nothing more. Maybe for those older viewers who want to experience slight nostalgia and dreams of going back in time during their glory days.

Rating: 6/10

7. Youth in Revolt (2009)

Your typical indie teenager movie. Michael Cera has become somewhat of an indie icon. With his usual role as a dork-ish guy in love with a pretty girl and goes thru shit trying to win her heart. A good and fun watch (if you dont mind indie-ish movies).

Rating: 7/10

8. Exam (2009)
What could have been a much smarter and intelligently-told story turned out to be a dull and predictable movie. I was a little disappointed and how little impact the twist at the end had on the whole movie.

Rating: 5/10

9. Fight Club (1999)


I know I'm guilty at being a little slow to watch this classic epic. Superb movie. It is fun in its own way. Slightly Mindf*ck. Great plot development. great acting. enjoyed every minute of it.

Rating: 8/10

10. Dead Poets Society (1989)


It was great how the story tried and succeed in developing each character to a certain extent. It ticked all the boxes in the emotion department. Great movie, definitely.

Rating: 7.5/10

Top 5 Worst Movies of 2010

As we come to a close to 2010, We welcome 2011 with open arms. And with hopes in our hearts that 2011 will bring great movies to cinemas across the world. So here's to 2010, thank you for bringing us some really epic movies, and some that are better left in 2010 FOREVER. Here's

Criticize This!'s top 5 Worst Movies of 2010

Note: I have not watched ALL the movies released in 2010 (I have a life -gasp!-). But these are the five that I most regrettably watched.

1. Repomen (2010)


An interesting concept but terrible execution. The movie was poor to say the very least. The acting was very corny - the black and white besties, backstabbing -. We've all seen that, executed in a much better way. Towards the end the movie got confused. It didnt know what to do, so it threw in a so-called 'twist' which totally ruined the movie. I actually felt this movie had potential to entertain me due to its excessive mindless violence and pretty interesting concept. But unfortunately, it did not. It let me down on so many levels. The scope of the movie was very narrow, signs that showed the lack of imagination. I was really hoping for good things for this movie (especially after peers recommended it), but sadly, it ends up in the 2010 Worst Movies list.

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)


As remakes go, they usually never do justice to the original. And this remake is another perfect example. The directors got the most vital part of the movie wrong - Freddy -. It just was Englund's Freddy. In fact, it was no where near the original Freddy. It was an insult. It was laughable. As for the acting, its like a teen flick plus Freddy. Deaths were boring and unimaginative. Dull and predictable. I was deeply disappointed as Freddy was one of those horror characters that really spooked me as a kid.

3. Karate Kid (2010)


Again, another remake. What shall I say about this movie? Its a movie about a kid learning Kung-fu to join a tournament to beat his bully. Yes, Kung-Fu. And the movies is called Karate Kid. A huge disappointment. Usually Jaden Smith is a pretty good actor, but not in this movie. He appeared whiny and annoying (to me at least).

4. Legion (2010)


A laughable movie. Everything in it is very fake. There is no sense of realism in this movie. The storyline lacked any solidity to it. A very poor take on the Apocalypse. Even God would be disappointed in this movie.

5. Dear John (2010)


A very very very very Corny love story with very minimal variation. Some love it, and some dont. I, on the other hand, hated it. It was boring, dry and lacked originality. It wasn't even at the slightest bit, fresh. Poor acting didn't help either. One I regretted watching (I actually skipped from time to time - yes, it was that boring).


Honourable Mention (because 5 bad movies is always never enough):
These are the movies that let me down (after having such high expectations),

1) Let me In (2010)

I was hoping for a superb horror flick but I ended up disappointed by draggy storyline and very slow pace.

2) Clash of the Titans (2010)

The trailer fooled me. Fooled me Good.

3) Prince of Persia (2010)

I love the game. Hate the movie.

4) The Other Guys (2010)

It was only funny when The Rock and Jackson weren't dead.

5) Gulliver's Travels (2010)

Was just hoping for more from Jack Black.

Those I didn't Watch, And thank God I didn't:

1) Skyline (2010) - Trailer told me that this movie was filled with C-grade actors acting out a B-grade Story.

2) Avatar: Last Airbender (2010) - Again, Trailer saved me from watching this Epic failure.

Well Folks, Thats my Worst Movies of 2010. I know, I know, There are definitely far worse movies that I've missed. But thats exactly it. I missed them because they are THAT bad.
Fortunately, Coming Soon - Criticize This!'s Top 5 Best Movies of 2010.

Gulliver's Travels (2010)

Jack Black's latest adventure takes him to an island far beyond anybody's imagination where its inhabitants are little people (literally). The island is called Liliput, your typical olden day kingdom - The King, Queen, Princess, at war - . And that is where Lemuel Gulliver (Black) comes in and shakes things up.


If there is anything to take from this movie, its that Jack Black is evidently a one-note guy. His acting is monotonous and repetitive from movie to movie. Which can be a good thing for some people, but in his case, its not. Its boring and tiring to watch the same 'rocker' act in every movie he acts in. It did not fit in well with the movie. Its almost an insult to the original Gulliver's Travels. But I guess that would be a little too harsh on the comedic rocker.


The movie was, in my opinion, decently watchable. Nothing to shout about, but it did not suck. Its those kinds of movie you watch on TV but isnt good at all but you still want to watch (instead of turning off the TV). There are some laughs in the movie but most of which are from Jack Black's antics rather than uttered humour (conversations and such). The CGI were good and seemed real enough.


Okay, maybe there isnt much to praise about this movie. Its your typical Jack Black Comedy, which has proven not to tickle everyone's fancy. To Black's fans, its a good movie, to neutrals, not so much. The movie lacks any aesthetic value, acting is only decent, the movie felt limited. It felt unimaginative. Either this, or Im just expecting way toooo much. Anywho, it is evident that Jack Black's antics can only bring him so far.


+ Computer Effects
+ Decently Funny
- Predictable
- One-Note Acting
- Not one of Black's Best

Rating: 4.5/10

Nutshell Reviews

Well, My 'reviews' have been non-existent for the past few weeks due to exams and the holiday season on top of my usual laziness and procrastination prowess (which I am not proud of). I've watched a couple of movies, so I really cant write a full-fledged review for each and everyone of them, so heres another NUTSHELL REVIEW.

1) Rapunzel: A Tangled Story (2010)


Some call it Rapunzel, Some call it Tangled. Nevertheless, it retells the classic story of Rapunzel, a girl with extraordinarily long blonde hair who is trapped in a tower by her evil 'Mother' while a dashing young man comes to her rescue. The typical Disney love story. But with a twist. This movie is on of the better animations of 2010. The storyline really worked and kept the audience interested from start to finish. The cute little Chameleon, Pascal, really stole the show with its adorable antics and cute gestures. Rapunzel portrayed a very innocent character with a whole lot of curiosity and naivety while Rider played out the typical egoistic man, full of himself - who is a thief by the way. And all this works perfectly to give a very brilliant movie that caters to both Children and Adults alike. Definitely worth the watch.


+ Funny and adorable
+ Thoroughly interesting
- Predictable

Rating: 7/10

2) Easy A (2010)


A clean-cut schoolgirl, Olive, relies on rumours that she is sleeping around to augment her social and financial status. One lie to her friend led to the whole school believing in that lie through rumours - which spread like wildfire. This movie is very witty and makes a whole of of reference to other things. Which works and fails at the same time. A person who doesnt get the references made, then they wont enjoy this movie. But those who do, definitely will. Simply because this movie's humour is based mostly on words and conversations rather than actions. A thoroughtly enjoyable movie and very funny to say the least. Olive's parents in my opinion really had me laughing my ass off. Superbly funny and sarcastic, they make grown-ups look cool. What I didnt like thought about this movie is the pace of it. I felt it went a little too fast, rushed if you will. But overall a good laugh.

+ Very funny
+ Nice Story
- A little rushed
- Predictable

Rating: 6.5/10

3) The Last Exorcism (2010)


A troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew. Cotton Marcus, a pastor who specializes in Exorcisms got what he least expected when he traveled to a small town to perform his 'final' exorcism. What was thought to be a routine 'exorcism' turned out to be fatal for both Cotton and his camera crew. This movie is in my opinion not scary enough, It is pretty terrifying but nothing that made me sweat. The fact that it was shot entirely with the 'through-the-camera' style added to the horror-factor. The movie was pretty interesting from start to end and the flow was good. But the ending was somewhat misplaced and probably poorly directed. But I guess the directors wanted to leave the audience thinking. Cotton Marcus's Last Exorcism is no ordinary Exorcism.

+ Nice Storyline (- Ending)
+ First-person style is appealing
- Poor Ending
- Could have been more scary

Rating: 5.5/10

4) Dragonball: Evolution (2009)


The worldwide comic phenomenon that is Dragonball finally makes its way to the silver screen. It is something all Dragonball fans have been looking forward to for years. The movie revolves around a young warrior, Son Goku who sets out on a quest, racing against time and the vengeful King Piccolo, to collect a set of seven magical orbs that will grant their wielder unlimited power. Unfortunately, Son Goku went on a quest to send this movie down the pits of hell. There is nothing good about this movie. Its like a bad TV movie - and thats not even funny. The choice of actors are terrible and an insult to the comic. Not one felt like the characters in the comic. Accents were horribly obviously faked. CGI is horrible and acting is pathetic. The storyline was poor and flow was all over the place. If I had a choice I'd Kame-Hame-Ha this movie, along with its directors to Namek.

+ Jamie Chung
- Everything Else

Rating: 2/10


5) Tron: Legacy (2010)


The critically acclaimed 'sequel' to the original 1982 Tron tells of the son of a virtual world designer goes looking for his father and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's creation turned bad and a unique ally who was born inside the digital domain of The Grid (source: IMDB.com). To put it simply, its about a guy who goes into the digital world (The Grid) to find that his 'missing' father is actually trapped in that digital world because his father's creation - CLU - went obsessed with making a 'perfect' world in the Grid. Sam Flynn's rescue mission then ensues with flashes of futuristic weapons and gadgets enough to make a geekster wet his pants. I must admit the disc fights and the racing thingy was very very cool. The way they used the stick-cum-motorcycle was awesome. The whole futuristic element was amazing. The soundtrack by Daft Punk was also absolutely fitting and amazing.


Unfortunately, the rest was not. As most people would put it, the movie is like a body without a soul. The movie felt hollow. Everything (well, almost everything) was shot in the digital Grid - that said, the CGI is pretty good - . The movie just lacked that connection with the audience. Acting was just average and the movie felt like a bad rollercoaster, one that brings you down 2 seconds before the climax. The movie felt draggy and uninspiring. Its as if the directors focused a little too much of the body and not the soul of the movie. Definitely could have been better.

+ Futuristic Element (however, they became a little too repetitive after a while)
+ CGI and Soundtrack
- Storyline
- Average acting
- Draggy and beating around the bush a little too much

Rating: 6/10

Locomotive Magic

So, today, I decided to watch two movies. (1) Unstoppable... and (2) Harry Potter 7 Part 1 (yes, sounds like a motherf*cking cash cow). So on to the post-mortem.


1) Unstoppable (2010)


First up, was Unstoppable, a story about a genius who left a train pulling about four cargoes filled with some sort of highly flammable chemical unmanned. The train then 'decides' to pick up speed and goes on a joyride around highly populated suburban areas while the authorities wet their pants trying to figure out what to do. Well, what do you do in such a situation? You call on captain Kirk and Denzel, thats what you do!


Lame intros aside, the movie was pretty decent, quite good actually. Truth be told, I thought it was crap watching the trailer. But fortunately it turned out to be a good movie. Washington and Pine made a great duo on camera. They had the whole 'old-veteran vs newbie' thing going quite well. Who would have thought a story about a runaway train could be so intense? It was interesting from start (well, maybe 15 minutes in) to finish and as a whole it was a pretty decent movie, I would say.

The only fault I would say is the fact that the story is about a freaking runaway train (okay, it also about the two locomotive heroes). The story was predictable and really felt restrain to as what it could do with itself. But I dont blame the movie. How much can one actually make about a movie involving mostly a runaway train? The ending was probably a little corny, but they had to put something for people chuckle about at the end.


+ Good acting
+ Sufficiently intense
+ A decent joyride
- Predictable
- Corny
Rating: 6.5/10

2) Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (a.k.a HP7P1) (2010)


When I saw the trailer, I was impressed. Then I saw the words "presented in two parts". The first thing that came to my mind was.. "CASHCOW!!!"... And I dont think that I am wrong. I must admit though that I am NOT a Harry Potter fan. Also, this is my first ever Harry Potter movie... and it only took me 6 installments to convince myself to watch a nerdy wizard with normal teenage problems.


Well, I must say that the environment is somewhat confusing. First you're seeing buses and cars, the in 2 minutes, you see trees and wide plains. Then in 2 more minutes (yes you guessed it), we're back in a semi-modern society. Point of note, Im treating this movie as a stand-alone and not HP as a whole. The magical effects were kinda cool, all the blasting and waving of the wands. PHEW! Magical stuff! The guy with the flattened nose who had a snake for a pet was pretty cool too (a.k.a Mr. Voldemort).


What I didnt like though is the dependency of the movie on the three main characters. Eventhough it is understandable that 85% of the movie focuses on the trio, it would be nice to see better acting (especially from people who have acted as the same character in 6 previous installments of the same thing). I felt Emma Watson was stiff most of the time, Mr. Potter cant pull off a sad face. And the red headed guy seemed scary, like a druggie minus the drugs. The supporting actors gave life to the movie, especially all those 'bad' guys.

That being sad, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. From start to finish, I was'nt terribly bored. I took it as a build up to Part 2 - which we all know is where the real shit happens. The landscapes really added loads of emotion to every scene. To put it in simple terms, this movie was beautifully shot. And special effects are icing on the beautiful cake. Again, I am NOT a Harry Potter fan, but im not a hater too. So before you Pot-heads (pun intended) try to spellbind me with your imaginary wands, fear not, for I too am anticipating the final chapter to this epic wizardy tale.


PS1: Its probably that I didnt get most parts of the movies... hence the somewhat confused review. but... meh...
PS: I will try to watch HP 1-6 during the holidays... try...

+ Good special effects
+ Story is gripping at times
- Pretty poor acting (based on my expectations)
- Predictable and dull ending (they could have made it more intense)

Rating: 6.5/10 (not bad for my first potter movie, I would have given it a 7, but while I was writing this review... I realized there was'nt really much greatness about it - BUT, I did ENJOY the whole of the movie)

The Social Network (2010)

The highly rated Facebook movie. This movie takes you through the journey that Mark Zuckerberg went through to create and establish Facebook, lawsuits and all. I think that this movie's major selling point is that its about Facebook. Who doesnt have Facebook? Everyone uses Facebook, most on a daily basis. Even your mum has Facebook. Some peoples' pets have Facebook. Not surprisingly, even people without a laptop or a computer has a Facebook account. This movie has the potential to be one of the best movies of 2010 solely because people (the audience) can associate with the premise.

The story starts off with Zuckerberg being dumped by his then girlfriend, Erica Albright just to get the audiences' attention. From then on the Facebook Journey begins. The whole journey is really entertaining and insightful, especially for users of FB. Who would have thought a Harvard drop-out could be a billionaire at such a young age just by coming up with a simple online social network.


But as the story unfolds, not every step of the journey is easy.
A tale of deceit and manipulation depicts just how bad Zuckerberg's friendship with 'close friend' Eduardo became drenched with bad blood. A huge chunk of that was due to the inclusion of Napster's Co-Founder, Sean Parker.

The acting was superb by all means. The emotion and tension conveyed from each scene was really believable. One would think that a documentary-ish movie would be boring and dry, but The Social Network really is the total opposite, filled with emotion and legitimate character; and just the right amount of humour and brains.


At the end of the day, I feel that there really isn't anything to fault or dislike about this movie. Its great, its tense, its emotional on some grounds, its insightful and most importantly to most people today (at least to 500 million active FB users), its relevant. Its alot of premise (backstabbing, failed relationship, university life, etc.) all rolled into one and its based on actual events which as usual, makes it better than it is.


on a side note: It really makes you wonder how a simple idea can have the potential to be something extremely huge (ie. Facebook). I am sure most people who will (or have watched) watch this movie will go "Owh, why didn't I think of that?". However, I cant help but wonder just how long can Facebook keep this up. How many more years till people stop bothering about it an use a brand new social networking site? Only time will tell.

Rating: 8/10