Nearly As 'Bourne'...

The Bourne Legacy
Score: 6.5 / 10



          This movie is a good enough movie to watch on your spare time, but it is not a great movie. This movie didn't live up to expectations, or at least, my expectations.

          It is as 'Bourne' as it can be, however lacks the minutes of action. The first half of the movie is considerably boring, up until the moment when Aaron Cross saves Dr. Shearing at her house. The second half was better, with more lively action and intensity & urgency of the situation, making the movie feel much exciting.

          Credit goes to the directing, and also the acting of several top class actors & actresses, especially Jeremy Renner. And the music is great too, without it the first half of the movie will be dull, and the second not as intense. The movie is as 'Bourne' as it can be, with the team having the intel, surveillance, and assets apparently trying to track down a man & a woman, seemingly looking for answers.

          However, the downside is that the action is lacking. Not by quality, but by quantity. I don't seem to recall much of an action. Beside the final chase, I only remember the scene where Aaron saves Dr Shearing at her house. And I don't see the necessity to have such a long scene in Alaska. I know what it meant to show (about Aaron's training), but taking that long for a scene such as that, just feels redundant.

          Credit also, perhaps to the writers, as I realize that it may be quite difficult to assemble a story, parallel to another one which is considerably a great one, without having to show the main character again. However, overall the movie lacked action, and didn't live up to expectations. It is a good movie, but it is below it's predecessor 'The Bourne Ultimatum' in nearly every aspect. It is good to watch if you have spare time though.

Not as we recalled...

Total Recall
Score: 6.0 / 10

          Someone who lives in the 1990s would have known about a movie titled ‘Total Recall’, as it was a blockbuster movie of the year 1990 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, this year, we had the privilege of watching a remake of said movie, which is best known for its complicated story line. Well, I came here with expectations, but I was fairly disappointed. The story was nowhere near complicated.

          Although, to be fair, I have to admit that this movie is well packed with fast-paced action movie-goers would love. And it also includes several jokes which lift up the mood a bit. The directing was well done. And the cast is full of talents with the likes of Farrell, Beckinsale, Biel, and also Nighy. The world of the movie, the setting, is also one to be admired of. Great vision by the director.

          

          However, other aspects went wrong. The movie lacks the drama a good movie should have. The characterization isn’t very good, especially for a first movie, where it should have had brought up the characters properly. Honestly, I didn’t get the feel of the characters besides the main character. The story wasn’t anywhere near complex. I understood the story well just by watching it once with no subtitles too.

                

          The movie basically went wrong where it should have gone right. Viewers perhaps had expected a great story line, but it failed to produce such. And not to say the movie is too short, but perhaps it lacks the drama, feel, and characterization which made the movie feel incomplete in a way. However, credit to the cast and actors, and also the fast-paced action which saved the movie from being a humiliation towards the original movie. This movie is worth watching if you have spare time to, like I do.

Simply A Novel...

The Hunger Games
Score: 7.5 / 10



          I have only recently watched this movie as I did not have the chance to watch it at the cinema earlier this year. And as preliminary comments, I believe that this movie has a great, great story. Not to forget that this is indeed an adapted from a novel, but a well adapted one indeed.

          There's nothing more to say about the story line. It is everything a novel should be with the deep, detailed characterization, drama, etc. But beside this, nothing else is made great. The action is simple and not so intense. Good for a novel but not so much a movie. I only managed one or two smiles in the movie as it lacks humor. I appreciate the directing which is actually pretty good.

          The story wasn't actually that perfect either as it lacks common sense, but as I criticize this, I guess I come to criticize the novel itself too. I found no logic in the sense that there can only be one survivor, where the ones from the same district must have had something more between them, than just to kill one another. I'd find it more interesting and logical had it been district-for-district than man-for-man. It would have been more fun to see the strategy of each district, utilizing their tributes effectively to win the games, and see more teamwork and relationship. But I guess you just can't change the story of a novel.  

          Oh, and also, the fact that when Rue was killed by another opponent, I somehow had a tingle in me to believe that Katniss may have been happier it happened. It certainly would, compared to if Katniss have to take Rue's life, should they both remain the last two standing. I guess, for the story makers, this part of the dramatization, and it certainly made it look more like a tragic loss than a necessary loss. The fact that the rules changed, it was a surprise, but not an unexpected one really. It had been coming, and it should have been like that from the beginning.

          Honestly, I never read the novel of this movie. I guess it was better that way. Had I read it before as I did with the Harry Potter series, I may have been disappointed coming to watch this movie. I can say that the story is slightly better than the Harry Potter series, but the action and humor that a movie should have is not yet present.

          I can see that they are already planning ahead, with the sequel coming  up next year, followed by the last novel which will be divided into two-part movies. Hopefully they will improve it to make it more a movie, otherwise it would be just like this one...simply a novel.

Past Movie: Flightplan (2005)

Flightplan (2005)
Score: 7.0 / 10



       I just recently watched a movie from the year 2005, titled Flightplan. It is a good movie with a great story line and characterization. When I watched the movie, all the way I felt anxious and curious as to what actually happened. It only lacked some action and some sense of humor but all that is covered up by the surprisingly great story.

       The opening of the movie is a bit confusing and boring. I wasn't into the story, until the time when the child went missing in the plane. From there on, the feeling of anxiety and curiosity was there with me, I even felt some sense of horror, which I imagined myself with some feeling of paranoia.

          And the movie was injected with some unpredictability, especially when the bad guys reveals himself. For some time, I had thought that the main character is suffering some sort of mental & psychological troubles, but surprisingly she was right in the end.

          There was even some moral of the story, that is "Never give up, and always believe in yourself, even when no one else does". The main character was, basically, against everybody in the whole plane. She had some support but only formally and by procedure. No one, not the captain, the crew, nor any single passengers believed in what she believed in.

          The movie is great overall. It only lacks action and sense of humors, but all that is covered by everything else being great, the story line, drama, unpredictability, characterization. I recommend you to watch this movie if you have not.