Review: PACIFIC RIM (2013)

My Thoughts:

I saw this movie at the cinema about a few months ago so this is another retrospective review. Now I am an urban fantasy geek so ofcourse I love big monsters and a fight of good versus evil. The cinematography wasn't too bad but for some reason the movie makers still used good old fashioned props in lieu of CGI (computer generated imagery). I could clearly see the non-moving plastic bits. Although they clearly have CGI because the fantastical elements interacting with live actors has to be CGI. So I don't know the reasoning behind it, but it brought the rating of this movie down a notch. Though you couldn't rate it too low because when they did use CGI, the mixing of CGI with non-CGI elements is smooth and flawless. It was fantastic to watch! The plot was quite straight forward. Evil monster present. Beat evil monster. The end. But like I said, I am a fantasy geek, so I tend to forgive a lot just to get my fantasy fix. I find this movie entertaining enough to warrant... probably a 4. But not masterpiece enough to get a 5.

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 4
Script/Story Itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Plot = 3
Acting = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Pacific Rim (2013)
Starring Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Produced by Legendary Pictures.

Genre: urban fantasy

Pacific Rim (2013) Storyline:

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes - a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) - who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse. Written by Del Torro

Source: Info in the Pacific Rim (2013) Storyline was taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/ on 14/09/2013.

Movie Trailer:

Movie Links:
www.pacificrimmovie.com
wiki
imdb
facebook

Movie Review: MORTAL INSTRUMENTS

My Thoughts:

I haven't read the book so I can't compare the story in both media. I can tell you, however, that I found some of the characters in the movie are too stupid to live (TSTL). This discourages me from reading the book because I couldn't help wondering if they are even more of a TSTL in the book than they are in the movie. But not all characters are stupid. Take Magnus Bane for example, he seems to be one of the bad guys but he knows which side would keep him alive. So not all characters are TSTL. And then there's Jonathan Rhys Myers who plays the bad guy to perfection! Wonderful performance!! It seems that it's just the main characters who are stupid. WTF?!! And then as if that is not enough, the plot depends on some characters acting stupid to give the story a little bit more drama. Rather weak plot. However the world building and the CGI (computer generated imagery) which brought this fantastical world to vivid life is awesome!! The mixing of the CGI and the physical set and live actors is seamless! The flow of images looked smooth. The CGI team flippin' deserves a raise!

At the end of it, I enjoyed the movie. But I hope they would do a better job with the second movie, specially with the script and plot.

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 5
Script/Story Itself = 2
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Plot = 2
Acting = 3

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013)
Starring Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, Jemima West, Robert Sheehan, Godfrey Gao, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Directed by Harald Zwart.

Genre: urban fantasy YA

About Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013):

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series. Written by Sony Pictures Entertainment

Source: Info in the About Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013) was taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1538403/ on 24/08/2013.

Movie Trailer:

Movie Links:
www.themortalinstrumentsmovie.com
Wiki
imdb
official facebook

The book from which the movie was based from:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Book 1 of the Mortal Instruments series
Genre: urban fantasy YA

About City of Bones:

Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013!

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Source: Info in the About City of Bones was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256683.City_of_Bones on 24/08/2013.