non-review review | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: The Rite

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Darren

The Rite has an interesting premise and a somewhat novel approach to its material within the first half. On the other hand, it seems to squander that potential with a disappointingly conventional second half, one falls prey to the clichés and conventions of exorcism movies that we’ve already seen replicated elsewhere countless times before. It starts out as an interesting exploration of religious faith, but it ends up feeling like a waste of some good ideas.

Don't cross him...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: alice braga, anthony hopkins, Apple, catholic church, Colin O'Donoghue, Cooking, Demonic possession, Devil Inside, exorcism, Exorcist, films, First World, Fruit and Vegetable, home, Mental disorder, Michael, Mikael Håfström, Movies, non-review review, Pea soup, review, Rite, Rite Aid, rome, Soups and Stews | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Titanic (3D)

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Darren

James Cameron’s Titanic is still a breath-taking production, even sixteen years after the fact. Sure, its huge budget and even bigger box office returns, coupled with its enormous pop culture impact, have all combined to make it a bit of a target for movie critics in the years following its initial release. To be honest, while I wouldn’t rank it as anywhere near Cameron’s finest accomplishment, I’ve always admired it for what it was: a romantic historical epic, perhaps the most recent film like that which Hollywood has produced. Even a decade and a half later, Titanic remains one hell of spectacle and a well-constructed piece of cinema, with Cameron displaying a mastery of form and an innate skill for story-telling. Couple with the best post-conversion 3D that I have ever seen, there’s no reason for anybody with a genuine interest in the film to stay away from the big re-release.

Her heart will... go on, finish it...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: American Civil War, Brock, Cameron, film, george lucas, hollywood, jack, james cameron, kate winslet, Leonardo diCaprio, London, Movie, non-review review, Phantom Menace, review, rose, Royal Albert Hall, Sherlock, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, titanic, United States | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Wrath of the Titans

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Darren

Wrath of the Titans is effective spectacle, and certainly nothing less. It offers a large-scale canvas for director Jonathan Liebesman to offer us large-scale set pieces involving lots of mythical monsters, tonnes of fire and some decent action sequences. I’m one of the few people who enjoyed Clash of the Titans for what it was, and Wrath of the Titans isn’t an especially different beast. It offers the same level and quality of sound and fury helping distract from some storytelling problems. There are, of course, differences between the two films, both nothing especially drastic. While I wasn’t always engaged with the film, I did enjoy for what it was.

Giving the old man some stick...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: clash of the titans, film, Jonathan Liebesman, liam neeson, Movie, non-review review, Perseus, ralph fiennes, review, Sam Worthington, Toby Kebbell, Wrath of the Titans | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Scream 4 (Scre4m)

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Darren

Alright, Kirby, then it’s time for your last chance. Name the remake of the groundbreaking horror movie in which the vill…

Halloween, uh, Texas Chainsaw, Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, Amityville Horror, uh, Last House on the Left, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street, My Bloody Valentine, When A Stranger Calls, Prom Night, Black Christmas, House of Wax, The Fog, Piranha. It’s one of those, right? Right?

(beat)

I got it right. I was &@#!ing right.

– Ghostface and Kirby redefine the frame of reference

In many ways, Scream 4 feels like a fitting end to the Scream franchise. In fact, it feels like it has come something of a full circle from the first film, which was envisaged as something of an obituary for the dying slasher genre. In the years since, prompted in a large part by the success of the original Scream, the genre has been resurrected. Watching the grind of horror films released, it seems that Hollywood has been churning out nothing but empty roman-numeral-denoted sequels and hallow remakes, with very little thought or creativity. Scream 4 feels a like a reflection on the “success” that the first film wrought, and actually feelings like a fitting closing act.

It's going viral...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: criticism, deconstruction, Emma Roberts, feminism, feminism in movies, films, gender roles, Ghostface, horror, irony, Jill Roberts, John Carpenter, Kevin Williamson, metafiction, Movie, non-review review, review, Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Sidney Prescott, slashers, wes craven | 7 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Wild Bill

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Darren

Wild Bill is the charming directorial debut from veteran character actor Dexter Fletcher. The established actor, who has worked on projects as diverse as Band of Brothers, Press Gang and The Three Musketeers, also wrote the screenplay for this slightly quirky British domestic drama, which sees an absentee father fostering an emotional connection with his abandoned kids. It’s a fairly conventional plot, and Fletcher doesn’t cram too many surprises in there, but the movie is wry enough and has a thinly-cynical exterior that makes the pill easy enough to follow. It’s not quite a masterpiece, but it’s engaging and diverting enough to leave a pleasant impression.

Wild at heart...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: andy serkis, bill, Charlie Creed-Miles, Computer-generated imagery, Danny King, Dexter Fletcher, film, Foster care, Jason Flemyng, Leo Gregory, Liz White, Marc Warren, Movies, non-review review, Press Gang, review, rise of the planet of the apes, Sean Pertwee, Wild Bill, Will Poulter | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Act of Valour

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Darren

Act of Valour is an interesting little experiment that almost undermines its own central premise. Using real-life Navy SEALs to portray fictional Navy SEALs, one might imagine that the directors were opting for a naturalistic approach to the somewhat conventional action film. On paper, it seems like an attempt to construct a film drawing on the raw experiences of people who have lived through events similar to those depicted on screen, and to harness that personality in a way that connects with the audience more faithfully than an actor giving a performance could. Unfortunately, the movie winds up feeling horribly staged, with the cast given naturalistic dialogue that sound painfully rehearsed, a blaring soundtrack and an impersonal approach to the action sequences. While it might have the right stuff at its core, the surface of the movie is almost impenetrable.

Not quite a blast...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Action film, Chuck Norris, film, Government, Jeff Fahey, Major Commands, McCoy, military, Movie, Navy, Navy SEAL, non-review review, roman polanski, United States, United States Navy SEALs, Waugh | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Hunger Games

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Darren

The Hunger Games is a solid science-fiction action movie that brushes fleetingly with greatness. Borrowing liberally from various sources of science-fiction cult lore, director Gary Ross provides an efficient little adventure movie that alludes to depths it seems afraid to explore. The result is a stylish little film, one constructed with considerable style and technique. It keeps the audience interested for most of its two-and-a-half hour run time. The problem is that it feels like it should be so much more than it ultimately ends up being. It lacks the killer instinct that it needs to define itself as a truly exceptional piece of work.

Straight arrow?

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, film, Gary Ross, Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen, List of characters in the Hunger Games trilogy, Movie, non-review review, panem, review, Ross, Ryan Seacrest, science fiction, stanley tucci, Suzanne Collins, truman show, United States | 8 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Devil Inside

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Darren

The Devil Inside is a cocktail of fascination, frustration and infuriation. Unfortunately it’s not a balanced one – though there’s just enough interesting ingredients to pique our curiosity, but the delivery is so slapdash and haphazard that these intriguing elements are swiftly brushed aside. The Devil Inside confuses provocative drama with shallow sensationalism, but the biggest flaw with the film is that – quite simply – it doesn’t work. I don’t mean that it doesn’t work as a film. The problem is more fundamental than that. I mean that it doesn’t work as a story.

No need to get bent out of shape...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Blair Witch Project, catholic church, church, Cocktail, Demonic possession, Devil, Devil Inside, exorcism, Exorcism of Emily Rose, film, games, hollywood, home, Horror film, Isabella, Movie, Movies, non-review review, r eview, rome, The Devil inside, William Brent Bell | 3 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Chronicles of Riddick

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Darren

There’s a good movie to be found somewhere inside The Chronicles of Riddick,I’m just not quite sure where. At the very least, you have to admire David Twohy’s ambition, staging a lofty large-scale science-fantasy with old-fashioned production design that we haven’t seen in years. Unfortunately, it’s a very tough type of subgenre to get right, and Twohy doesn’t necessarily come close. I can’t help but feel that Riddick himself is at the core of the problems with the would-be science-fiction epic, which gives any idea of just how deeply rooted those flaws must be.

Vin and gone...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Chronicles of Riddick, Colm Feore, David Twohy, film, Han Solo, Jordi Mollà, judi dench, Katee Sackhoff, Languages, Movie, non-review review, Pitch Black [Blu-ray], programming, review, Riddick, Thandie Newton, the chronicles of riddick, Vin Diesel | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Contraband

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Darren

Contraband is a thoroughly enjoyable little thriller, albeit one with several significant flaws. Indeed, “thorough” seems to be quite the word to apply to this smuggling caper, as director Baltasar Kormákur and writer Aaron Guzikowski seem intent to wring every possible thrill from the basic plot. While it can lead to some seemingly disjointed tangents, it ensures that there is always something happening, even if it feels like the movie never really develops its core ideas. Still, it’s a solid thriller with a wonderful cast and an interesting enough central premise.