Dredd 3D – A Review

Summary
A murder investigation goes wrong when Judge Dredd and up-and-coming agent Anderson get locked inside an apartment complex run by Ma-Ma, the local drug lord.

Review
This movie is basically RoboCop on steroids. As lame as that sounds, it’s surprisingly AWESOME! The storyline is a little intricate, but the visual make up for it. Paying attention to the dialogue is key, but you don’t have to nitpick everything.

I can’t vouch for the 2D showing of this film, but the 3D version was wonderful. Almost every shot involved 3D effects, unlike most “3D movies” shown today. You’ll be dodging blood splatter, broken glass, and bullets from your seat. Very, very fun. The color palette used was also unique. The closer to Ma-Ma’s lair, the darker and more vibrant the colors get, like a trippy filter. Towards the beginning of the film there is a scene were Dredd and Anderson are talking in a kitchen. The camera is behind a table, and pots and pans are hanging above their head. The way this scene was shot, along with the color scheme, made me feel like I was right there. Behind the pots and pans was a neon sign. I found myself, and other audience members, trying to physically duck under the pots to read the sign. Just add shaky cam and it would feel like you’re the camera man for a documentary.

Like living in a comic book, the visual effects for Dredd 3D were top notch. The storyline was quick, clever, and never ceased to have a dull moment. Downtime between all the awesome gives you time to collect yourself before jumping right back in. 4/5 stars.

Resident Evil: Retribution – A Review

Summary
Alice returns to the Umbrella headquarters after an explosion in the last movie (Resident Evil: Afterlife) renders her unconscious. In this movie, she is forced to duke it out with The Red Queen with the help of an unlikely friend…

Review
T-minus 2 hours until the bomb explodes and 1 hour 36 minutes until the end of the movie. Coincidence?
Like all Resident Evil movies, this one is full of action and semi-decent acting. Also, two groups of people must meet up and escape together. A great video game series that became a good movie series while still keeping the “video game vibe”.

Technically speaking, I whole heartedly enjoyed the special effects and crazy fighting sequences. Anyone can argue Alice does a superb job at kicking butt. Props to the stunt actors involved in these movies.
The slow-mo intro credits were no slouch either. It had been a year or two since the last movie, so showing the last few minutes of Resident Evil: Afterlife helped me to remember what had happened. I don’t what movie it is, rewinding an action sequence in slow motion always looks cool. A great way to entice and educate first time Resident Evil viewers.

There is, however, a weak point in this movie. The “emotional drawl” is absolutely ridiculous. SPOILER ALERT
THEY’RE CLONES. YOUR A CLONE. SAVE YOURSELF! END SPOILER

Overall, Resident Evil: Retribution is a stressful movie. Common “cheesy” lines or actions give the movie the same feeling as playing the video game(s); enjoyable for some. A must see for RE fans, but a pass for the common action movie goer. 3/5 stars.

The Dark Knight Rises – A Review

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, CLICK HERE TO GO TO A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Batman + Bane + Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo + John Blake (Robin) + Sirius Black = The Dark Knight Rises (Click to enlarge)

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Summary

A masked mercenary named Bane arrives in Gotham City soon after Gotham’s White Knight, Harvey Dent, falls. Bruce Wayne must, once again, become the masked vigilante called Batman to stop Bane. The masked thief nicknamed “Catwoman” also makes an appearance.

Review

As I mentioned in my other post, The Dark Knight Rises ranks number 3 in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, with The Dark Knight at 1 and Batman Begins at 2. In all honesty, I was underwhelmed. The Bane storyline didn’t impress me too much, even leaving me a little bored. I know, I know, he “challenges Batman both mentally and physically, much more than anyone in the previous films”. However, there is an up side. If it wasn’t for Bane, Talia al Ghul would not be in this movie. A win/lose, I suppose. While I’m on the topic of Talia al Ghul, HOLY CRAP! The reveal of her identity was a nice surprise (though easily predicted via back tattoo) , along with the Robin/John Blake reveal. Scarecrow makes a nice cameo during “the people’s court” too. Awesome.

“What’s that Lassie? Batman is stuck in a well!” During the later half of the movie, our beloved hero gets trapped in a well and must climb his way to the top. While symbolic and (arguably) necessary for the movie, I found this to be the lowest point of the film. Pun intended. I don’t really have anything else to say about this. I just wanted to use the Lassie joke.

Anne Hathaway. Wow. When it was announce that she was going to play Catwoman, I was not impressed. After seeing the movie, I think very few could have pulled off the Catwoman role. My slight bitterness might be related to my view of her and her “normal” roles. To me, she is and will always be Princess of Genovia. While she didn’t completely shatter the princess type-cast, she proved that she can portray more than royalty.

As a stand alone movie, The Dark Knight Rises is every action movie fan’s dream. However, as part of the Batman Trilogy is proves to be the weak link. Whether or not you choose to see this movie is up to you, just keep in mind this little review.