Welcome to my Movie Reviews page. I am an AVID movie buff. I like movies that have excellent writing as a foundation. The writing, combined with a talented director is a key for me. Some blockbuster films are good, but most films that I REALLY like are usually limited release, low budget, that don't get a lot of fanfare..
That doesn't mean that I shy away from the highly publicized ones.. it just seems to me that some movies don't have a lot to rely on besides big name actors, and special effects, and of course a lot of money. They realize early that it's bad, so they ramp up the marketing in hopes of breaking even. Many sequels fall into this category. Transformers 2 is a perfect example. A couple of Batman movies come to mind, as well as Godfather 3, Exorcist 2, etc etc. I think you get the picture
Special effects are great, but when a movie relies too heavily on them, I get bored.
Some examples of recent movies that I rate highly:
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises / History of violence
Clint Eastwood - The Changeling / Gran Torino / Million Dollar Baby
All three Jason Bourne flicks
Older movies that get my top rating: Deliverance / The Godfather / Jaws / The Sting / Pulp Fiction
Precious and An Education are a few recent examples of movies that would reach the top of my ratings scale. 9-10
The Hangover / Harry Brown and Avatar would fall into 6 - 8.
My ratings scale defined: I prefer to use a 1 through 10 scale - with 10 being a perfect movie.
9 - 10: Riveting. Never a dull moment, not one second of boredom, or mind wandering. Of course, there are different levels of riveting, hence the 2 point swing. Any movie that I rate in this window is a guaranteed excellent viewing experience.
6 - 8: Good - but not great. Enjoyable..BUT some redundancy and boring moments where your mind wanders, not enough to get bored - just moments. Movies that fall within this window are movies that I still consider paying the money to see on the Big Screen.
3 - 5: Mediocre at BEST. Many moments during this movie, you are wondering who in the hell came up with this idea? There are some intriguing aspects, that hold your interest, but boring moments, predictable plot twists, and lousy endings ruin it for you. DVD rental only.
1 - 2: A complete flop. This is the movie that 15 minutes into it, you've realized that you have made a big mistake. You hang for 10 more minutes hoping that it will take that sudden turn, but it just does not happen. If I rate a movie in this category, DO NOT waste your time, I promise you that going to a miniture golf course with your family for the 3rd time this week will be more entertaining..
I will review movies as I see them, and hopefully over time, get caught up on my favorites, and flops.
Dennis - 6/12/2010
