ShaneJayHayes

Boondock Saints is an essential piece of work that any budding independent film director or producer must have in his library. This film shows how to make an independent film and make it for the budget you have available. Amazing acting all the way around, great effects, great locations and a solid story. This is how your first independent film should look and feel when you are truly ready to start shopping it to distributors. Boondock Saints, Donnie Darko, In the Company of Men, all these films are essential, all them them made careers!

Take whatever the published "budget" was and cut it by 30% to 50% and that is what they really made the movie for. Now can YOU make a movie with Dafoe in it for that price? Of course you can you just have to do your homework, and that homework starts right here with this movie.

I was so bummed when I finally saw this film. I had read the book as a child and absolutely was enthralled with it. I had wrongfully assumed that the movie would have that same kind of excitement and adventure for me.

The CGI was well done (Kong producers should have asked these guys for help!), the story was alright, the acting was exactly what I expected.

Story: My first question for the film would be...what in the world takes so LONG to get the story really moving? This IS the Chronicles of NARNIA right? Well I was afraid the actors would age on screen before my very eyes at the pace the first act was going. There was TOO MUCH (I know you don't hear that often) character development. I didn't ever think they were all going to get through the wardrobe.

Once they did the story picked up a little and it felt a little better from there. However it never had that adrenaline rush of excitement one usually gets from movies of this style.

As for the acting, hey they are kids, they did pretty darn good for kids. Not all kids are Dakota Fanning.

I would recommend this film only for families with children and for those who have not read the book. Why? Kids won't care that the acting is mediocre or that the first act moves like molasses. They will be happy with pictures of snow and hide and seek games. Why people who haven't read the book? Because if you have read the book you will be disappointed (assuming you have a pretty decent imagination) and if you haven't read the book and you are of adult age, you probably aren't going to read it now so you might as well see the movie.

It was with great excitement that I went to go see Peter Jackson's King Kong but it with great disappointment that I left. While some comments and reviews have focused only on the amazing CGI they seemed to have been focusing only on the CGI done on the ape Kong himself.

While watching is becomes tragically apparent that the majority of the CGI budget went to making Kong look amazing. It worked, he does look amazing, great textures, great movement and okay lighting. What it appears most people haven't notice is the remaining film school quality CGI that dominates the remainder of the film.

The brontosaurus scene is tragic at best. The lighting is terrible, it looks entirely goofy and just plain bad. Years ago Jurassic Park did it better than this, yet we get cartoon animals with HARSH lighting really BAD green screen effects. I guess I just don't get it.

Besides the very in your face, cheese-ball dialog and the horrific CGI 60% of the film, I guess it could be alright. If you don't mind sitting through a 90 minute film stretched for no reason to 3 hours. I mean who edited this thing? What is with the initial scene featuring Kong and Darrow? Why do we have to watch the stupid ape yell and scream and swing the girl back and forth for 2 minutes? That doesn't seem to propel the story, it was just ridiculous.

These are my opinions and I realize that the average person has no desire to think about films in a critical way. They want the popcorn, the buttery fingers, and the $8 hot dog. They want a movie that numbs the mind, well this is their golden ticket.

To say the Magnolia, was simply a movie would be utterly ridiculous. Magnolia is a FILM of the highest caliber. Incredible direction, acting and writing have come together in a beautifully complete package unlike anything you've ever seen. Magnolia has heart, and lots of emotion. It is not for everyone though, some people, the young for example, may not enjoy it as much as the rest of us.

An incredible story is built around numerous characters, all with there own unique characteristics and quirks. The acting is incredible and successfully pulls the viewer into the lives and emotions of the characters.

The soundtrack will blow you away, at times it is like watching the greatest music video you have ever seen, and at other times the music pulls you in and almost makes your heart weep. This movie will leave you thinking, but it will also leave you feeling strangely fulfilled. Everyone should see this film, not everyone will like it, but most should. BEWARE it is very long (3 hours), so have lots of free time. See it more than once and you will enjoy it even more.

Casablanca is the consummate Hollywood film. It is superbly directed, acted, and filmed. Bogart is amazing, the characters are deep and engaging.

This is easily one of the greatest films of all time. The story is timeless and meaningful, full of heart and should endure for another fifty years with no problems. A true masterpiece and the benchmark by which all other films should be measured. If you haven't seen it, you are at a profound loss. If you have then you know the greatness of this film.