December 20, 2011

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

This movie had me the moment it started. It's fun, exhilarating and downright impressive. The gadgets, the actors, the action scenes. I liked almost everything about this movie. It's a viewing experience I haven't had in years! I could not stay put and sit still because the moments in the movie begs for this response.

It may be a typical plot for these kind of movies, extracting something, intercepting something, fighting somebody. It's very predictable. But it's the execution that made me like this film. The stunts were very impressive because it had a well-thought out choreography yet it still maintained the sense of danger. It made the audience feel scared for Tom Cruise or Jeremy Renner. (This is very apparent especially when one person in a movie house is shouting her tonsils out every 5 or so minutes) A lot of times the trailer is much more exciting than the movie, but this is not one of those. The movie actually grabs you, and lets you experience what the characters are experiencing.

The cast was brilliant as well. Simon Pegg's character was definitely a highlight! The wit and the humor of his lines would not be as effective without his perfect delivery. I looked forward to the next thing he'll say or do. He was just excellent. I haven't seen the third installment of the movie but I am definitely looking forward to it. Jeremy Renner was also great. I became a fan of his when I saw The Town and he did not disappoint at all in this film. He played a thug in The Town, now a spy and field agent in this film. He wasn't all action and drama. He can be funny as well. He is just versatile. This is the first time I'm seeing the work of Paula Patton, and wow she is lovely! She's a good actress, and a badass spy! She also looked so beautiful in the film. Tom Cruise did the waiting of the film Justice. It's been a while since the last one, and the anticipation was definitely worth it. He still has it!

I also have to commend the writers. The script was brilliant in my opinion. The level of drama, intensity, action, and of course humor, definitely caught me. Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum are brilliant writers! This movie was just that good. (at least in my perspective)

I really hope there's a fifth installment and I hope everyone stays. The film impressed me so much. I can say that it's worth the time and the money. You won't even need to buy food because you'll be grabbing your chair throughout the film.

December 10, 2011

The Adventures of Tintin

I haven't been to the movies lately. As you may have noticed, the only fairly recent film I've seen is Tower Heist, and I watched it on its third or maybe fourth week. However, a while, ago, I was able to see The adventures of Tintin, although I'm not entirely sure if it's still on its first week.

To start of, I had no idea who Tintin was, or what the story was about. I was told that it's a comic book, but I was not familiar at all with it. I remember watching the trailer, but to be honest, I can't fully remember if I liked the trailer. The start was a little slow for me. I know it's a build up of Tintin's adventure, but it was still a little slow. In my opinion, it took a while to take off, but when it did, it really took off. Don't get me wrong. I liked the beginning - its subtlety and dialogue. It was, let's say, an ideal set up for an adventure movie. But, just to illustrate how slow the beginning was, one of my friends actually fell asleep during the movie. It's not bad, but I would have liked it a whole lot better if the plot developed a bit faster.

The movie took for me when Tintin was abducted by the antagonist. It's a shame that I had to leave the theater for a couple of minutes so I missed a tiny part of the film. But when I got back, Tintin has already escaped and from that point on, the real adventure began. The adventure part was far from being realistic but who cares? It's not meant to be realistic. Of course I knew Tintin would survive the chase, or the attempt of the antagonist to kill him; but, there were still scenes that made me hold my breath for a couple of seconds. I liked the character of Tintin. The whole dynamics of his character was very interesting, to say the least. I don't think his character showed much growth throughout the film, but I think his character was already dynamic to begin with so I didn't mind. His outgoing persona was definitely one of the key points of the film; and the film showcased it by letting the audience join on his adventure. (After all, this is "The Adventures of Tintin")

I also liked the comedic side of it a lot. I may have mentioned that I am easily amused by slightest humor. Every joke is worth a laugh in my world. It made the movie a lot more entertaining. I laughed so hard during the chase part when Tintin was trying catch up with Sakharine, then Sakharine was the one doing the chasing. It had pretty good action scenes for an animated film. Another element of the film that made it worth watching was Snowy. I generally don't like animals, but if I could get Snowy as a pet, I'd definitely grab the chance.

There was just one bit that I found odd. When he read the first clue, I already thought that there were three ships built with clues in it. Then I was a little shocked and confused when Tintin suddenly realized that there were indeed three ships mainly because I thought the clue already established that. That's a very miniscule detail though, so it didn't take away much. I just thought I'd mention it.

Apart from that, it was a good film. Maybe not the greatest film, but a decent one. I think it is one of the better animated films out there; although, I can't be too certain since I haven't seen the other ones. According to my research, the film received a generally positive feedback. In my opinion, it's worth watching, and I think the viewers will have a good time, at the very least. If the goal of the film was to entertain, then I'd say that it was very successful. From the looks of it, there will be a sequel. I'd probably go see it if there really is, but I won't mind if there isn't. I wish there really is a sequel though.