MSWallack

Member since 1/9/2008, last signed in awhile ago.

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Eragon

Review: Eragon
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"I've heard that the book Eragon is very good. I've heard that its sequel Eldest is not. Unforutnately, the movie falls into the latter category. Eragon (the movie) wasn't actually bad; it just wasn't good. Everything felt like something that I'd seen before. The worst part of the movie is that I'm not sure that I want to keep the novel on my reading list. I was disappointed when I missed Eragon in the theater. Thankfully, I saved myself some money and only had to be disappointed at the cost of a Blockbuster rental. " [More]

Equilibrium

Reivew: Equilibrium
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"I first noticed Equilibrium while walking through Blockbuster one day. The cover of the DVD states, in big bold letters, "Forget About the Matrix". As a fan of The Matrix, this intrigued me. But not enough to make me rent a movie I'd never heard of. I'm usually pretty wary of straight to video movies. Then I saw a brief, positive mention of the movie in (I believe) Entertainment Weekly. So, on somewhat of a whim, I decided to rent Equilibrium. I'm glad -- thrilled even -- that I took the risk. I enjoyed the movie so much, that I promptly went out and purchased the DVD so that I can watch it again and listen to the director's commentary.This is one of those movies where giving much of a description will give away too much of the plot. Thus, I will only offer a few very basic plot notes. The story takes place several hundred years in the future, following a nuclear war. Humanity is now ruled by a semi-mysterious, Hitler-like figure who has decreed that to a ... " [More]

Enchanted

Review: Enchanted
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"Maybe it's because I watched this movie with my 8-year old daughter who adores Disney princesses, but I have to say that Enchanted was ... well ... enchanting (I know, I know...too easy). The story was great fun and offered entertainment for both the kids and adults. And Amy Adams has star written all over her. I highly recommend Enchanted (not just for kids, either). I have a feeling that when the DVD is released, it will be on the frequent play shelf in our house. " [More]

Elf

Review: Elf
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"Cute and sweet. Probably the first film starring Will Farrell that I've enjoyed. " [More]

Ella Enchanted

Review: Ella Enchanted
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. Think of a cross between The Princess Bride and Shrek and you'll have a good idea of the fantasy world that the characters inhabit. The movie would get four stars if a few of the special effects weren't so glaringly bad. " [More]

Doom

Review: Doom
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"I have been a fan of the game Doom since it first came out, so I really wanted to like the movie. Alas, while it had some moments, it didn't have enough of them. Certainly not the worst movie of the year, but not worth a sequel unless they do a much better job. " [More]

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Review: Dodgeball: A True Under ...
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"This is a really, really stupid movie. But it is a really, really funny stupid movie. This was one of those rare comedies where the entire audience is laughing out loud for large portions of the film. I don't usually like to see comedies in the theater, but this one was worthwhile. The humor is often juvenile, but so what. It is very, very funny. " [More]

The Devil Wears Prada

Review: The Devil Wears Prada
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"While there were many enjoyable scenes, ultimately the movie was a bit of a letdown. " [More]

Déjà Vu

Review: Déjà Vu
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"A competent thriller that was better than I expected, but which just didn't do enough to engage me. The idea was both interesting and preposterous, but did lead to interesting situations. Somehow, I just felt that there was something missing. Denzel Washington at his "smarmiest". " [More]

The Day After Tomorrow

Review: The Day After Tomorrow
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"This is actually a difficult movie to review. As film goes, this one is certainly not a masterpiece; however, as disaster films go, this one is great. Leave real science (and your notions of whether global warming is real or not) at the door and just watch the movie for fun (and some cool special effects). Roland Emmerich is the best in the business at destroying major cities! Forgot about minor plot issues or sappy storytelling and just watch bad things happen. And tell me that you don't walk out of the theater feeling cold. " [More]

The Da Vinci Code

Review: The Da Vinci Code
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"I enjoyed the film version of The Da Vinci Code, but I didn't love it (and I certainly didn't feel about the film the way I felt about the book). On the whole, the film was fairly faithful to the book and didn't shy away from the subject matter of the book as many had feared it would. A few of the more complicated plot elements were simplified (e.g., one cryptex rather than two) and a few subtle changes were made that appeared to be designed to separate the film's villains from the Catholic Church. The biggest change involved the ending and, frankly, I have no idea why the filmmakers felt the need to make the changes that they did. On the "down side", I just never felt that Tom Hanks was Robert Langdon and Audrey Tautou had absolutely no chemistry with Hanks. On the positive side, the film looked great and it was fun to see the places that Dan Brown described so vividly brought to life. " [More]

Crank

Review: Crank
By MSWallack in MSWallack Blog
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"Jason Statham plays a character who is almost the diametric opposite of his character in the Transporter movies or, said differently, if the character in the Transporter movies was a drugged-out bad guy, he would be the protagonist of Crank. Ultimately, I enjoyed Crank, but I did not love it. The director made some odd camera choices (especially right at the beginning of the movie) that I didn't enjoy. Once the action got going (very over the top) the movie was a lot of fun. Plus, it had one of the most original sex scenes in recent memory. Recommended only for those who like quirky, off-beat humor mixed with violence. " [More]