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.

Rock Jocks – A Review

Summary
Every night a secret group of people called “Rock Jocks” save the world from impending doom.

Review
The basic plot of the film is as follows: a group of government agents, named Rock Jocks, save the world nightly by destroying asteroids hurtling towards Earth. Hence the “rocks” in “rock jocks”.

Let’s see… A person controlling a laser armed, rocket boosted spaceship (in this case a satellite) floats around space and destroys debris? That sounds awfully familiar. Almost like that arcade game Asteroids… Don’t get me wrong, they served the story well, but in the end, however, something felt off. Many jokes required the imagination of a 13 year old boy, while others relied on the f bomb.

I do not recommended this movie for children or the elderly. Definitely NOT the elderly. The swear word count is over 9,000, like, seriously. It’s alright to have a few eff bombs here and there, but C’MON!!! Too much strong language can make a movie unenjoyable or distract the audience from the story. For example, there was a scene where a character dramatically breaks under pressure because he thought he was going to die. Minimal language was used. During plot advancing conversations, however, language was overused to the point where a specific character’s dialogue didn’t make any sense. When the creator/writer was asked during the post-movie Q&A why he chose to use such colorful language, he replied, “That’s how all my group of friends talk” or something just as pitiful in nature.

Without the constant language, this movie could have been enjoyable. If you like that sort of thing or it doesn’t bother you, great! You are sure to find something that will make you laugh. And if your not into that sort of thing, there is a scene where Felicia Day kicks some guy’s ass. ‘Nuff said.