I wasn't expecting much out of this film, but it turned out to be a gem. The characters were unique and lovable, the animation drop-dead gorgeous. The plot is simple, yes, and the moral message delivered in a very heavy-handed way, but for a sweet, holiday themed children's movie, it's lovely. Watch it.
gorgeous movie with great character development and fantastic themes. merida is a strong, independent, inspiring character, with just enough flaws to still be relatable. the lack of romance was a huge relief to me. I loved the fact that the focus was on the character and her family instead.
and @normanerikson: why does she need to be 'saved' by a prince? it seems like you completely missed the point of the film.
the charm of this movie isn't that it's well acted or well written - because it's not - but rather that it's fun, relatable, and nostalgic. I loved it.
a funny and clever adaptation of one of my favorite plays. colin firth and rupert everett make a great team. overall, really enjoyable to watch, especially if you read the play first!
It's... really bad. Gratuitous bloodshed with very little attention to all the thematic messages that a premise like this has the potential to touch upon. There's no depth; it's an hour and a half of increasingly ridiculous (and even boring) violence with no payoff of any kind. I just don't understand why this film has so much critical acclaim. The cinematography, acting, and writing were all subpar. The most it has going for it is shock factor.
Painful to watch, which I guess is the point. Unflinching portrayal of a cruel, bleak world, with a dogged protagonist whose strength, stoicism, and love for her family stands out as a beacon of humanity and decency within an otherwise irredeemable society.
Jennifer Lawrence delivers a fantastic performance and the aesthetics/tone of the film were haunting - even, at times, beautiful. Admittedly, I didn't enjoy watching it - the subject matter is heavy and there's not really any sense of hope to cling to. But that comes down to my personal tastes rather than some flaw within the film.
Excellent movie even if you haven't read the books. They treated the material and the message with respect, rather than making a spectacle out of the gore/violence or playing up the romance in an attempt to pander to a teen audience. It was just executed amazingly well and it exceeded all my expectations. Plus, the film is gorgeous on a purely aesthetic level, and the soundtrack is great.
Very heavy religious themes (obviously) but speaking as someone who's not religious/spiritual at all, I still enjoyed this film a whole lot. Good story, lovely animation and music. Definitely worth watching.
I've never read Twelfth Night, so I don't know how much this film draws from the play, but I can say that I enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece, but it's cute and funny. Great for some lighthearted entertainment.
Not just a violent thriller, not just a satire of crappy assassin flicks, but a little of both, with an actual plot and depth to it. Really enjoyable and engaging, and most definitely worth watching.
This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I really can't talk about it objectively because I just loved it so much. It's not the best animated film I've ever seen, but it holds a special place in my heart.
What made this film work for me (as a person who doesn't typically enjoy crime/thriller films) is the slow buildup of tension/violence, so that the film starts slow (slow does not mean boring) and then the intensity heightens and heightens until you're watching with bated breath. Great acting and cinematography, great attention to atmosphere. It's just a really, really well put together film.
If you're going to do a film set in an important time in French history, it's probably a good idea to put some thought into depicting the political intricacies of that period, rather than devoting two hours to the fashion-related escapades of a shallow impersonation of Marie Antoinette. The film relied on aesthetics to mask its dull, superficial plot. Don't waste your time on this one.
really good for its genre - I don't normally enjoy romcoms but this one is clever and unique. a breath of fresh air. however: I didn't like its portrayal of women, and that definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the film. still, worth watching.
while the concept is touching, the acting's not great and neither is the writing. everything happened too quickly for me to feel any emotional investment. certain scenes were unnecessary and definitely would have been better spent developing the lead characters and their relationship, getting the audience to care about them. not worth watching unless you're really curious.
very believable depiction of both the buildup and breakdown of a relationship (though admittedly the break up part was far more believable than the getting together part, possibly because that's the side that got told with more detail and emotional depth). I wasn't emotionally affected, but I appreciate that it's well written, beautifully shot, and great in terms of character development.
So much fun. Lots of clever dialogue, a very sarcastic lead character, gorgeous animation, some nice sentimental moments without going over the top. Of course, I have a thing for both animated films and dragons, so I might be biased.
best thing about this film is the setting, which was beautiful. the story started strong and the shifting emotional relationships are interesting enough to keep you watching, but it's nothing amazing. however, it's nice to see polyamory represented without judgment in a relatively mainstream film. overall: worth a watch.
liked the film, was really impressed by the little girl's acting. she was very believable and as she grew increasingly invested in (and upset by) the story being told, so did I. worth a watch.
excellent cast. a whimsical fantasy supported by a backbone of real, believable familial conflict. the father/son storyline packs an emotional punch - at least if you can relate. If not, you might be bored by that subplot. I was far more moved than I expected to be by this film.
horribly written and acted, and full of cliches, as the other comments note. BUT: definitely entertaining. I really enjoyed it. the trick is to set aside the part of you that wants to critique it for quality, because then it'll drive you mad. also, watch it with friends.
Comments 1 - 23 of 23
Movie comment on Rise of the Guardians
peggypotts
I wasn't expecting much out of this film, but it turned out to be a gem. The characters were unique and lovable, the animation drop-dead gorgeous. The plot is simple, yes, and the moral message delivered in a very heavy-handed way, but for a sweet, holiday themed children's movie, it's lovely. Watch it.Movie comment on Brave
peggypotts
gorgeous movie with great character development and fantastic themes. merida is a strong, independent, inspiring character, with just enough flaws to still be relatable. the lack of romance was a huge relief to me. I loved the fact that the focus was on the character and her family instead.and @normanerikson: why does she need to be 'saved' by a prince? it seems like you completely missed the point of the film.
Movie comment on The Cabin in the Woods
peggypotts
A really clever movie blending horror and satire. Highly recommended, even for people who don't typically do horror.Movie comment on The Breakfast Club
peggypotts
the charm of this movie isn't that it's well acted or well written - because it's not - but rather that it's fun, relatable, and nostalgic. I loved it.Movie comment on The Importance of Being Earnest
peggypotts
a funny and clever adaptation of one of my favorite plays. colin firth and rupert everett make a great team. overall, really enjoyable to watch, especially if you read the play first!Movie comment on Batoru rowaiaru
peggypotts
It's... really bad. Gratuitous bloodshed with very little attention to all the thematic messages that a premise like this has the potential to touch upon. There's no depth; it's an hour and a half of increasingly ridiculous (and even boring) violence with no payoff of any kind. I just don't understand why this film has so much critical acclaim. The cinematography, acting, and writing were all subpar. The most it has going for it is shock factor.Movie comment on Winter's Bone
peggypotts
Painful to watch, which I guess is the point. Unflinching portrayal of a cruel, bleak world, with a dogged protagonist whose strength, stoicism, and love for her family stands out as a beacon of humanity and decency within an otherwise irredeemable society.Jennifer Lawrence delivers a fantastic performance and the aesthetics/tone of the film were haunting - even, at times, beautiful. Admittedly, I didn't enjoy watching it - the subject matter is heavy and there's not really any sense of hope to cling to. But that comes down to my personal tastes rather than some flaw within the film.
Movie comment on The Hunger Games
peggypotts
Excellent movie even if you haven't read the books. They treated the material and the message with respect, rather than making a spectacle out of the gore/violence or playing up the romance in an attempt to pander to a teen audience. It was just executed amazingly well and it exceeded all my expectations. Plus, the film is gorgeous on a purely aesthetic level, and the soundtrack is great.Movie comment on The Prince of Egypt
peggypotts
Very heavy religious themes (obviously) but speaking as someone who's not religious/spiritual at all, I still enjoyed this film a whole lot. Good story, lovely animation and music. Definitely worth watching.Movie comment on She's the Man
peggypotts
I've never read Twelfth Night, so I don't know how much this film draws from the play, but I can say that I enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece, but it's cute and funny. Great for some lighthearted entertainment.Movie comment on Kill Bill: Vol. 1
peggypotts
Not just a violent thriller, not just a satire of crappy assassin flicks, but a little of both, with an actual plot and depth to it. Really enjoyable and engaging, and most definitely worth watching.Movie comment on A Troll in Central Park
peggypotts
This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I really can't talk about it objectively because I just loved it so much. It's not the best animated film I've ever seen, but it holds a special place in my heart.Movie comment on Paprika
peggypotts
If you're into animation, this is a must-see. Gorgeous, captivating film.Movie comment on Drive
peggypotts
What made this film work for me (as a person who doesn't typically enjoy crime/thriller films) is the slow buildup of tension/violence, so that the film starts slow (slow does not mean boring) and then the intensity heightens and heightens until you're watching with bated breath. Great acting and cinematography, great attention to atmosphere. It's just a really, really well put together film.Movie comment on Marie Antoinette
peggypotts
If you're going to do a film set in an important time in French history, it's probably a good idea to put some thought into depicting the political intricacies of that period, rather than devoting two hours to the fashion-related escapades of a shallow impersonation of Marie Antoinette. The film relied on aesthetics to mask its dull, superficial plot. Don't waste your time on this one.Movie comment on Crazy, Stupid, Love.
peggypotts
really good for its genre - I don't normally enjoy romcoms but this one is clever and unique. a breath of fresh air. however: I didn't like its portrayal of women, and that definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the film. still, worth watching.Movie comment on Starcrossed
peggypotts
while the concept is touching, the acting's not great and neither is the writing. everything happened too quickly for me to feel any emotional investment. certain scenes were unnecessary and definitely would have been better spent developing the lead characters and their relationship, getting the audience to care about them. not worth watching unless you're really curious.Movie comment on Blue Valentine
peggypotts
very believable depiction of both the buildup and breakdown of a relationship (though admittedly the break up part was far more believable than the getting together part, possibly because that's the side that got told with more detail and emotional depth). I wasn't emotionally affected, but I appreciate that it's well written, beautifully shot, and great in terms of character development.Movie comment on How to Train Your Dragon
peggypotts
So much fun. Lots of clever dialogue, a very sarcastic lead character, gorgeous animation, some nice sentimental moments without going over the top. Of course, I have a thing for both animated films and dragons, so I might be biased.Movie comment on Vicky Cristina Barcelona
peggypotts
best thing about this film is the setting, which was beautiful. the story started strong and the shifting emotional relationships are interesting enough to keep you watching, but it's nothing amazing. however, it's nice to see polyamory represented without judgment in a relatively mainstream film. overall: worth a watch.Movie comment on The Fall
peggypotts
liked the film, was really impressed by the little girl's acting. she was very believable and as she grew increasingly invested in (and upset by) the story being told, so did I. worth a watch.Movie comment on Big Fish
peggypotts
excellent cast. a whimsical fantasy supported by a backbone of real, believable familial conflict. the father/son storyline packs an emotional punch - at least if you can relate. If not, you might be bored by that subplot. I was far more moved than I expected to be by this film.Movie comment on Burlesque
peggypotts
horribly written and acted, and full of cliches, as the other comments note. BUT: definitely entertaining. I really enjoyed it. the trick is to set aside the part of you that wants to critique it for quality, because then it'll drive you mad. also, watch it with friends.