As a foodie, I was disappointed by the film. You would think a movie about a chef and his restaurant would feature more "glamour" shots and scenes of food and food prep but there wasn't a focus on that - in fact it felt very minor. Food was not the focus in this movie, just a plot device for the characters and the story. In fact, you could interchange Adam Jones' job to any high demand occupation and you would end up with the same plot.
In movies like "Chef" or "Jiro Dreams of Sushi", you get the sense the creators of the film have a genuine love for food. Characters and plots are driven by the food that they make and are secondary to the film's focus. "Burnt" just felt like a really long and melodramatic episode of "Kitchen Nightmares". And the rival chef character wasn't really needed in my opinion. This just felt like a movie that had much more potential but was changed to make it more appealing to a mass audience.
Overall, "Burnt" is an ok film. If you're looking for a solid drama film and are interested in the cooking/food service industry, it's a film to check out. For all you foodies who are looking for a movie to fill your visual bellies; look elsewhere.
A little disappointed when the overall message made itself apparent about half way through the film. Its obvious Bird (and, of course, Clooney) are big on making positive changes for our environment/society, etc but I started to roll my eyes when their social commentary started playing a part in the overall plot. The ending almost felt like one of the commercials big name companies market to make themselves look like "your friendly corporation".
However, what made this entertaining was the action scenes - something Bird is very capable at doing and pulls off very well (as we've seen in Mission Impossible 4 and The Incredibles). He knows how to balance elements of action and humor while keeping an adventurous sort of pace; it was done well in this film. I also thought the contraptions were fun and the world of "Tomorrow Land" was creative. Another thing I liked was the girl who played Athena - she played the role quite well and, for some reason, reminded of a small Audrey Hepburn.
Overall, Tomorrowland is a pretty good action/sci-fi film that kids and adults can enjoy. It has great action scenes and a good helping of funny moments as well. The social commentary can be a bit preachy but it does not ruin the film.
Good first half (pacing, build, etc.) but the second half gets a little predictable and somewhat corny. Has the feel of a 1980's thriller (Terminator, Road House) and the awesome soundtrack helps to emphasize this feeling.
Overall, a solid action/thriller that's worth checking out; a nice throwback-feel film and decent acting by some of the main cast.
Previous comments hit this one on the mark - a very pro-American feel and not much emphasis on the character of Chris Kyle. Cooper does an excellent job and some scenes are very well-paced and intense. However, the film falls to many war movie cliches. It felt like a mix of Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker.
This movie does a superb job at capturing the various emotions and moments of growing from an innocent boy to a maturing young adult. Linklater skillfully brings the audience along Mason's journey into adulthood through clever, subtle editing and the well-written dialogue. Much of the cast does a stellar performance with this film (Coltrane, Hawke, Arquette, and Lorelei Linklater to name a few) and we truly care for all these characters. The only thing I can think of that might turn people off is that, if you're not familiar with Linklater's structure (dialogue driven, walking-and-talking, etc.) you might find the film to be slighty dragging. However, Linklater does not go too overboard with this and I feel he allots just the right amount of time for each scene.
Highly recommended - this is the one of the best coming-of-age films I have watched and it is a wonderful journey that everyone should participate in.
Didn't expect much going in and the movie met that expectation. Bay does nothing to try and deviate away from the tired formula of the last three films. There are still a significant amount of confusing, jumbled action scenes filled with machine parts and explosions, women are still conveyed only as objects of desire, and some transformers continue to perpetuate ethnic stereotypes. Other flaws include actors being mis-cast (Wahlberg plays a robotics engineer from Texas...with an East Coast accent), tons of plot holes, and an overall feeling of a rushed and predictable action film.
If you are looking to turn your mind off and just want to watch a bunch of things happen on a screen, this is the movie for you. People who want to actually enjoy a good film, stay clear of Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Captured both the heartache and humour from the novel pretty well. The acting by the main cast was good, Shailene Woodley really gives it her all, making the character of Hazel Grace believable and lovable. Some good parts in the book were left out, as well as some imagery which could have been effective especially in this format. However, it doesn't ruin the film.
Fans of the book will enjoy the movie, general audiences might view this as your typical teen-romance-drama.
I felt the movie had both standard conventions as well as interesting deviations of the horror genre. The paranormal plot point was your typical "restless ghost disturbing the normal family" but the use of a mirror as the antagonist was unique. The acting was pretty good; I felt both the child actors did very well. Overall, a decent horror flick with an eerie atmosphere and enough jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I heard this movie tried to capitalize off of the horror video game "Slender Man" so I went in thinking this was going to be a horror film. It's not at all what I expected and definitely not as scary as I thought it would be. I would place it as more of a thriller than horror. I won't spoil anything but if you plan on watching this one, don't expect it to be that scary.
Narratives are typical drama plots that don't really give the audiences anything new and the acting can be a little cheesy but it's presentation is thought-provoking and unique.
Probably one of the very few films that presents a truly unique and realistic look at the Asian American experience. One of my favorite AA films and highly recommended for those interested in Asian American cinema.
Comments 26 - 40 of 40
Movie comment on Burnt
Withnail33
As a foodie, I was disappointed by the film. You would think a movie about a chef and his restaurant would feature more "glamour" shots and scenes of food and food prep but there wasn't a focus on that - in fact it felt very minor. Food was not the focus in this movie, just a plot device for the characters and the story. In fact, you could interchange Adam Jones' job to any high demand occupation and you would end up with the same plot.In movies like "Chef" or "Jiro Dreams of Sushi", you get the sense the creators of the film have a genuine love for food. Characters and plots are driven by the food that they make and are secondary to the film's focus. "Burnt" just felt like a really long and melodramatic episode of "Kitchen Nightmares". And the rival chef character wasn't really needed in my opinion. This just felt like a movie that had much more potential but was changed to make it more appealing to a mass audience.
Overall, "Burnt" is an ok film. If you're looking for a solid drama film and are interested in the cooking/food service industry, it's a film to check out. For all you foodies who are looking for a movie to fill your visual bellies; look elsewhere.
Movie comment on Tomorrowland
Withnail33
A little disappointed when the overall message made itself apparent about half way through the film. Its obvious Bird (and, of course, Clooney) are big on making positive changes for our environment/society, etc but I started to roll my eyes when their social commentary started playing a part in the overall plot. The ending almost felt like one of the commercials big name companies market to make themselves look like "your friendly corporation".However, what made this entertaining was the action scenes - something Bird is very capable at doing and pulls off very well (as we've seen in Mission Impossible 4 and The Incredibles). He knows how to balance elements of action and humor while keeping an adventurous sort of pace; it was done well in this film. I also thought the contraptions were fun and the world of "Tomorrow Land" was creative. Another thing I liked was the girl who played Athena - she played the role quite well and, for some reason, reminded of a small Audrey Hepburn.
Overall, Tomorrowland is a pretty good action/sci-fi film that kids and adults can enjoy. It has great action scenes and a good helping of funny moments as well. The social commentary can be a bit preachy but it does not ruin the film.
Movie comment on The Guest
Withnail33
Good first half (pacing, build, etc.) but the second half gets a little predictable and somewhat corny. Has the feel of a 1980's thriller (Terminator, Road House) and the awesome soundtrack helps to emphasize this feeling.Overall, a solid action/thriller that's worth checking out; a nice throwback-feel film and decent acting by some of the main cast.
Movie comment on American Sniper
Withnail33
Previous comments hit this one on the mark - a very pro-American feel and not much emphasis on the character of Chris Kyle. Cooper does an excellent job and some scenes are very well-paced and intense. However, the film falls to many war movie cliches. It felt like a mix of Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker.Movie comment on Boyhood
Withnail33
This movie does a superb job at capturing the various emotions and moments of growing from an innocent boy to a maturing young adult. Linklater skillfully brings the audience along Mason's journey into adulthood through clever, subtle editing and the well-written dialogue. Much of the cast does a stellar performance with this film (Coltrane, Hawke, Arquette, and Lorelei Linklater to name a few) and we truly care for all these characters. The only thing I can think of that might turn people off is that, if you're not familiar with Linklater's structure (dialogue driven, walking-and-talking, etc.) you might find the film to be slighty dragging. However, Linklater does not go too overboard with this and I feel he allots just the right amount of time for each scene.Highly recommended - this is the one of the best coming-of-age films I have watched and it is a wonderful journey that everyone should participate in.
Movie comment on Transformers: Age of Extinction
Withnail33
Didn't expect much going in and the movie met that expectation. Bay does nothing to try and deviate away from the tired formula of the last three films. There are still a significant amount of confusing, jumbled action scenes filled with machine parts and explosions, women are still conveyed only as objects of desire, and some transformers continue to perpetuate ethnic stereotypes. Other flaws include actors being mis-cast (Wahlberg plays a robotics engineer from Texas...with an East Coast accent), tons of plot holes, and an overall feeling of a rushed and predictable action film.If you are looking to turn your mind off and just want to watch a bunch of things happen on a screen, this is the movie for you. People who want to actually enjoy a good film, stay clear of Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Movie comment on The Fault in Our Stars
Withnail33
Captured both the heartache and humour from the novel pretty well. The acting by the main cast was good, Shailene Woodley really gives it her all, making the character of Hazel Grace believable and lovable. Some good parts in the book were left out, as well as some imagery which could have been effective especially in this format. However, it doesn't ruin the film.Fans of the book will enjoy the movie, general audiences might view this as your typical teen-romance-drama.
Movie comment on Oculus
Withnail33
I felt the movie had both standard conventions as well as interesting deviations of the horror genre. The paranormal plot point was your typical "restless ghost disturbing the normal family" but the use of a mirror as the antagonist was unique. The acting was pretty good; I felt both the child actors did very well. Overall, a decent horror flick with an eerie atmosphere and enough jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat.Movie comment on The Tall Man
Withnail33
I heard this movie tried to capitalize off of the horror video game "Slender Man" so I went in thinking this was going to be a horror film. It's not at all what I expected and definitely not as scary as I thought it would be. I would place it as more of a thriller than horror. I won't spoil anything but if you plan on watching this one, don't expect it to be that scary.Movie comment on Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Withnail33
A must see for foodies. The story of Jiro and his family is both interesting and touching.Movie comment on Look
Withnail33
Narratives are typical drama plots that don't really give the audiences anything new and the acting can be a little cheesy but it's presentation is thought-provoking and unique.Movie comment on Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
Withnail33
A must-see for Tim and Eric fans. If you aren't fans of the show you won't get it at all.Great job! Thanks, Taquito!
Movie comment on Meshes of the Afternoon
Withnail33
creepy, mysterious, imaginative, brilliant :)Movie comment on Repo Man
Withnail33
Find one in every car!Movie comment on Chan Is Missing
Withnail33
Probably one of the very few films that presents a truly unique and realistic look at the Asian American experience. One of my favorite AA films and highly recommended for those interested in Asian American cinema.Showing items 26 – 40 of 40