Reviews by PvtCaboose91

"Nothing is more reliable than a man whose loyalties can be bought with hard cash."

I picked up a copy of The Ninth Gate and viewed it solely for the presence of Johnny Depp.

Depp is an accomplished actor whom I admire. He always chooses his film roles with great care; hence I was ambitious to see this one.

Roman Polanski is also an acclaimed director who has been at the helm of many classic films. Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby are among his best work. For this genre, Polanski was in his element; a demons and angels oriented horror film with strong themes of satanic rituals and gothic mystery.

Dean Corso (Depp) is a cynical, morally corrupt rare book hunter with a strong reputation for recovering rare books. Corso soon becomes involved with demonologist Boris Balkan (Langella). Balkan is a man who owns one of the three surviving copies of a piece of text supposedly written by the devil several centuries ago. He pays Corso to seek out the final two surviving copies of this piece of text in order to verify which copy is genuine.

During Corso's travels he realises that he is involved in a conspiracy that also involves a group of enigmatic individuals who are leaving many people dead.

The plot is original; and only someone like Polanski would agree to get behind the camera on this sort of a project. The atmosphere is chilling and sometimes terrifying. This is to be expected in a Polanski horror movie. But the final 5 minutes destroy the whole experience. It was so sudden, so weird, so unexpected. It offers no explanation to the events that have just unfolded, instead completely losing the plot and ending it with some weird nonsensical religious mumbo jumbo that doesn't make a lick of sense. I was none the wiser as to what was occurring during those final minutes. I wish Polanski hacked this atrocious ending out of the movie because it would have done some good.

There are no surprises in saying that Johnny Depp's performance was incredible. Although working with some shockingly bad material towards the ending he never breaks focus; instead continuing the meek, confused, almost clueless character that he was when the film opened. Depp never plays the same kind of character twice. This is a great career move because therefore he is never typecast. If he played the same character for most of his movies then the concept of a book detective would confuse the audience. He skilfully proves accomplished when any role is thrown in his direction. Depp looked so adorable during some of his scenes.

Direction from Roman Polanski was exceptional. For scenes that required it, Polanski was very artistic and created an atmosphere that is both moody and eerie. He presented the audience with an encyclopaedic arrangement of filming techniques, both old and new, assembled by a master of his craft.

The build up to the disappointing climax was slow but intriguing. Each new clue leaves us guessing until the end when all is revealed (although not conclusively).

The Ninth Gate was a good vehicle for Johnny Depp to nail yet another character. It's a good thriller that is vastly flawed, albeit entertaining. Worth seeing for Depp aficionados.

"Here's how it is: The Earth got used up, so we moved out and terraformed a whole new galaxy of Earths. Some rich and flush with the new technologies, some not so much. The Central Planets, thems formed the Alliance, waged war to bring everyone under their rule; a few idiots tried to fight it, among them myself. I'm Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity. She's a transport ship; Firefly class. Got a good crew: fighters, pilot, mechanic. We even picked up a preacher for some reason, and a bona fide companion. There's a doctor, too, took his genius sister outta some Alliance camp, so they're keepin' a low profile. You understand. You got a job, we can do it, don't much care what it is."

Joss Whedon, modern master of television, was asked for another TV show. He had successfully made Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel; both of which became hits. And so Whedon conceived the sci-fi western of Firefly. Tragically the show was cut down in its prime; its cancellation being announced before half the episodes had been aired.

It was a major error for Fox to cancel Joss Whedon's Firefly after only the first season had been made. They gave the show an appalling time slot, and as a result it didn't get the ratings it deserved. But when this show hit DVD - popularity followed. The massive fan following then turned into a worldwide phenomenon. And this is all with good reason.

The show follows the crew aboard a space ship. Captained by Mal Reynolds (Fillion), the crux of the show's plot extends from the sub-plot of Mal and his crew accepting two fugitives aboard their vessel. Although there are differences between them and Mal, they are accepted as they are seen as assets for the jobs that the crew pull off.

So you can add me to the endless list of people who loved Firefly. When I first heard of it I felt it to be impossible for a show to be as good as it was hyped up to be. So I purchased the DVD I decided I'd watch the first episode that evening. As it turns out, I watched the first four episodes one after the other because I couldn't get enough of it!

And why is Firefly so darn special? It has witty humour, fantastic characters, relatable plots, exciting action, innovative concepts, attractive females, numerous sex scenes - the list will continue to go on. Each episode is as superb as the one preceding it. All the episodes have a high sense of excitement and adventure - this is truly the wild west that has been transplated into a science fiction setting.

The scripts are outstanding. There is humour aplenty; amusing dialogue, witty insults and characters that are developed superbly. Throw in some special effects that could rule all existing television programs, a faultless cast and some sublime direction from numerous contributors.

Another thing is that the cast are so lovable. Each character has distinguishable traits and a well thought out personality. Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds...unbeatable. Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cob...outstanding. It would take all day to list everyone in the cast that I liked. Each had something to contribute and there is no wasted space.

Music heightens the show's likability. The title song feels out of place, but suits the style. And the use of guitar music frequently reminds us we're in a western of the sci-fi universe. Even this music can't be faulted.

There is a reason why Firefly has won so many awards and has been voted so highly by many websites and publications. There's a reason why Firefly holds a firm 9.5/10 on IMDb with 20,000 votes (higher than The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, etc). There's a reason why thousands of internet petitions have surfaced demanding the immediate resurrection of Whedon's masterpiece. It's because the show is the pinnacle of perfection. I have never seen a show (or a movie) of such high standard.

Some may be underwhelmed due to the hype, some may just not "get it". As for me, Firefly is better than any movie, any TV show or any damn internet series in existance. I could watch the whole first series everyday until the day I die and still shuffle off this mortal coil with a smile on my face. Watch it non-stop until I die...would still not be enough to satisfying my cravings.

Go buy this series NOW. If it's on the TV, watch it IMMEDIATELY. Firefly is unbeatable.

"We weep for a bird's cry, but not for a fish's blood. Blessed are those with a voice. If the dolls also had voices, they would have screamed, "I didn't want to become human"."

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is a breathtaking piece of anime, and could be the best anime movie ever made.

The animation is as close to perfect as it could possibly be, and the CGI is incomparably exceptional as well. All the battles look incredible despite being animation, and each character has been finely detailed.

In the movie a cyborg named Batou (voiced by Akio Ôtsuka in Japanese, and Richard Epcar in the English dub) is a detective for a government covert anti-terrorist unit known as Public Security Section 9. Batou is investigating a gynoid(that is, a hyper-realistic female robot created for sexual companionship...or just a robotic whore in simpler terms) who has malfunctioned and has slaughtered her owner.

Batou and his partner dive deep down into the investigation as questions arise about humanity's need to immortalise its image in dolls. As they scrutinise the investigation closer they battle fierce Yakuza thugs, scheming hackers, government officials and corporate criminals to eventually uncover the scandalous reality behind the crime.

Like the first film, the movie questions the existence of the human soul and its place in a society filled with technology that is always advancing. The pacing is a lot different to the first film, with a greater emphasis on the philosophical aspects and emotive inspiration.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence sports some of the most breathtaking animation I have ever seen. Director Mamoru Oshii also seamlessly combines CGI with the hand-drawn creations, creating a unique visual experience.

Fans of the anime genre do not want to miss this one. Many people will pass up this one because it's "confusing" or "too convoluted". Stick with Michael Bay rubbish if this is the case.

For an action anime movie, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is one of the deepest, most meaningful pieces of digital cinema I have ever witnessed. This is not your standard anime movie, but something a lot more outstanding.

"And where does the newborn go from here? The net is vast and infinite."

Back when it was first released, Ghost in the Shell was looked upon as a thoroughly engaging and original piece of anime. Over 10 years on the film has lost next to none of its original impact.

But it's a shame the film is too convoluted, confusing, and rather boring at times too. I will admit to never being an anime fanatic but I certainly have enjoyed a number of anime productions.

Unfortunately, this original Ghost in the Shell feature is marred by its tendency to descend into pure philosophical drivel and confusing dialogue that screams multiple viewings. The whole film is very deep and is a complicated system of sub-plots that require your full attention, or you'll fall behind and be forced to watch the film a few more times to understand what the characters are saying.

Despite this flaw, the animation looks gorgeous. Director Mamoru Oshii has seamlessly combined fantastic anime with scenes of amazing CGI. And of course the film must get marks for its originality and its brilliant vision of the future.

Set in 2029, the world is a vastly different place. With upgrades in technology, humans can now be applied with sophisticated implants to enhance functions and allow direct interaction via the internet.

The film opens as a government police unit called Section 9 are investigating a complicated virus that has the ability to hack into cyborgs and control them against their will. Cybernetic government agents Motoko and her partner Batou become involved in the investigation and eventually begin to uncover evidence of a massive political conspiracy.

The film's vision of the future is nothing short of stunning. The imagery we're treated to looks gorgeous despite being an anime feature. The cyborgs and weaponry look especially stunning and realistic, accompanied by an equally brilliant sound mix.

Ghost in the Shell is a stunning thriller. Under the surface it cleverly inserts motifs that invoke philosophical thoughts in the audience's mind to do with the future and a human's place in a society that's becoming more and more reliable on technological advances. It has its fair share of quality action (with frequent gory violence), and it's highly intelligent science fiction. But like I've stated before, despite all this the film is highly boring and irritating at times.

Overall, I found Ghost in the Shell to be a highly impressive, visually stunning anime thriller. Not among the greatest anime productions, but worth seeing. Followed 9 years later by Ghost in the Shell: Innocence.

"You're dumber than you think I think you are."

This Roman Polanski effort is a true classic movie; Chinatown is an excellent, stylish, fascinating and gripping thriller that is based on the novel by Robert Towne.

Cleverly, the film has been made in a very 1940's style - the acting, the score, even the credits. Suffice to say, the plot is a lot more complex than anything one would have seen in a movie released during the 40s.

There isn't much I can reveal about the plot without the spoiling the whole thing, but I will try to write a brief outline. Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is a former policeman from Chinatown who is now a highly successful private investigator. A woman comes to him with a suspected case of marriage infidelity. While this seems like a very open-and-shut case of simple surveillance, Jake gets himself mixed up in one massive mystery that he struggles to uncover.

In tradition with many films of this style, the certain style is what makes it so brilliant. And the screenplay is what makes the movie work. That, and the actors.

Without work from Nicholson or Dunaway the film would have sunk without a trace. Jack Nicholson is absolutely exceptional here. His performance is just spot on, and displays such depth. Likewise with Faye Dunaway whose performance is just sublime.

And Polanski's direction...well, despite his personal life being a mess and being a wanted fugitive, he is one damn fine director! He crafted this stylish cinema noir exceptionally well.

Certainly I think the film is a tad overrated and the ruckus may be a bit hyperbolic, but nevertheless I found Chinatown to be a true classic. Driven by a fascinating screenplay and great performances, this is one not to miss!

"You picked the wrong day not to use the ATM."

Chaos is just another cop/bad guy thriller with a few good names attached. I never expected this to be anything more than it turned out to be, which is disappointing especially when you consider the talent involved.

When a cop is suspended after a questionable decision during a hostage crisis, a group of five men commence a bank robbery downtown and will only negotiate with suspended cop Conners (Statham).

But when the criminals escape and disappear, the police must now work to flush them out and discover what really happened.

Effective cop thriller certainly has its moments, but it's sorely lacking in many aspects. First of all; the script. By using so much cop slang throughout the running time, the plot twists aren't in any way understandable and the film wants the audience to think far too hard about everything. Now I detest filmmakers who spoon feed everything to the audience, but there's a fine line between spoon feeding and not letting the audience understand what the hell is actually going on!

There's also some weird, miss-guided guff about the chaos theory thrown in there just to give the film a more promising title.

The film's pacing is another issue. With little action, the audience is forced to sit through endless scenes of drama that attempt to make the film smarter than it actually is. Still, Statham carries the movie quite well and there are a number of highly impressive names here as well.

The twist at the end is also kind of redeeming, and the film ends with a climax that is both unexpected and unconventional. It's just a shame the rest of the film didn't carry such intelligence.

Overall, Chaos is worth seeing but you won't be regretting it if you give it a pass.

"I look at this town, and I don't like what I see."

Cop Land is a film that changed my overall view of actor Sylvester Stallone. For Stallone, he wanted to bury the type-cast action hero and star in something different. I was very impressed with the results here.

Sheriff Freddy Heflin (Stallone) lives in the pleasant town of Garrison, New Jersey. For years he has turned a blind eye to the police corruption that he has no control over; after all, Freddy cannot to anything to prevent this in a town full of cops. But as the stench of corruption worsens, Freddy finally realises that the town is filled with mob connections and murder and can ignore it no longer.

The cast is absolutely first-rate and cannot be flawed. Stallone, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Harvey Keitel, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport...the list goes on. All big names that I found to be exceptional in this dialogue-orientated crime drama.

The first half of the movie sells the premise exceptionally and presents us with strong movie-making. Unfortunately a section in the second half turns over to conventions and predictability, but this is worth it for the tremendously entertaining and extremely violent conclusion.

Writer/director James Mangold does an extraordinary job. He presents us with a very plausible plot, and some good twists. It's a shame, though, that some of the twists aren't properly distinguished.

Stallone proves very able at drama rather than action, and his dialogue is more understandable than usual.

Overall, Cop Land is highly entertaining and extremely well crafted. Marred only by traditional conventions that appear in this genre too frequently. It's a shame that this movie is so overlooked! Recommended.

"To a new world of gods and monsters!"

Successful sequel to the classic 1931 film Frankenstein is just as good as the original, if not even better.

Taking place just after the events of Frankenstein, this film again follows The Monster (Karloff) who survived the blaze in a burning windmill that supposedly killed him. He rises from the rubble to run rampage once more.

A shadowy scientist named Dr. Pretorius (Thesiger) is determined to make a mate for the monster, and teach him how to speak. Pretorius blackmails Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Clive), forcing him back into the laboratory to revive another corpse - this time a woman - that will become The Monster's partner.

This remarkable sequel has been regarded as better than the original, and I tend to agree. Bride of Frankenstein reunites most of the original cast, including Karloff and Clive among others.

Director James Whale also returns to the director's chair to craft this quality classic horror movie. Karloff's portrayal is perfect. He makes a tragic monster who is made a lot closer to the source material. Instead of killing everything in his path he acknowledges the kindness of others who wish to help, and his halting words of dialogue are haunting.

Colin Clive returns to the role that he made back in 1931, and still retains the character's intrigue as well as his determination.

Special effects and make-up look amazing considering that it's a film made over 70 years ago.

Overall, Bride of Frankenstein is classic horror balanced out with comic relief. It has dated badly, but the brilliance still shines through and makes for a very historic 75 minutes of viewing.

"Our column has made the farthest advance! We have outrun the other Panzers! The eyes of Germany are on us! The Fuhrer himself will decorate me. We have done it Conrad! We have done it!"

I will never understand why this war film was so heavily pasted by critics and audiences. Battle of the Bulge is a true classic, and stands among some of the finest war movies ever made. Granted it's no-where near perfect, but well made and with good production values.

The film chronicles the battle that took place in December 1944 between the Germans and the Americans. One of the main focuses of the story is the Germans recruiting English-speaking German soldiers to disguise themselves as Americans and parachute behind enemy lines to sabotage the defence.

Like most classic war films, the film also shifts its focus to a host of different characters on both sides of the offensive. I found the production most impressive, as all the uniforms look great, each tank looks accurate and every detail is crafted brilliantly.

There are very good performances all round, including Robert Shaw as a strict German officer, and Henry Fonda as an American who predicts the assault. The battles look most impressive, especially the epic scale (like the number of extras, and the realistic props) but when compared to today's war movies it seems pretty tame in terms of gore.

It all seems very antique, but still stands as a fine movie even by today's standards. The director of The Longest Day, Ken Annakin, does a damn fine job of bringing the film to life. However it wasn't without flaws.

First off, the script felt rather banal at times. I am amazed that all the Germans speak fluent English when planning their attacks and while present in a war room.

Also, the film runs far too long. The dialogue is interesting, but it's not much of a history lesson.

Nonetheless, Battle of the Bulge is a good war film. It's enjoyable and entertaining, but very dated at the same time.

"You realize we're all going to go to college as virgins. They probably have special dorms for people like us."

I doubt anyone would watch a comedy like this with hopes of it being a masterpiece. In all fairness, American Pie is not even close to being a masterpiece but at least it's a good slice of fluffy entertainment.

This American teen sex comedy is about a group of four teenagers; Jim (Biggs), Chris (Klein), Kevin (Nicholas) and Paul (Thomas). Like most American teenagers, all four are obsessed with sex. But they're in their final year of high school and they all remain virgins much to their dismay.

Despite trying desperately hard to lose their virginity, all four are unable to score with a girl. But the four guys soon develop a pact; that they will all lose their virginity by the night of their senior prom. But as fate would have it, the boys encounter overwhelming obstacles during their attempts at "becoming a man".

The film falls squarely into the coming-of-age genre. It is able to grasp the attention of its target audience because the portrayal of high school life is something that common teens can relate to.

Who knows, perhaps the film will invoke nostalgic memories in the minds of adults about their teenage years and the raging hormones of their youth.

I think the film succeeds in accurately portraying high school life, but the filmmakers are more concerned with raunchy gags rather that witty humour. I've never been an overall fan of sexual humour, so the film wasn't entirely to my taste. The use of humour that includes cracks about masturbation and other things in that vein get very tedious due to how frequent they are. I very rarely, if ever, found myself laughing.

The whole film is very stupid and embarrassing at times. There are some particularly explicit scenes (one including an apple pie...fans of the movie would know what I'm referring to), and a whole heap of foul language mixed in there as well.

The bottom line about American Pie is that it's a bit of simple light-hearted entertainment. It contains a disappointingly low number of laughs but contains a plot most of us can relate to. It's incredibly stupid and it's highly coarse at times as well. If you're a fan of these disappointing sex comedies then you'll probably enjoy it. If you want a bit of entertainment, you'll like it. But it's nothing more than an average film. Look out for a very sneaky reference to The Graduate.