T1Thousand

Whew. As the first animated movie of the year, this was pretty good. This is no Pixar, but I'm giving it credit for what it was. This is a movie about the Little Red Riding Hood story with a twist. I like how we get a story from each character--the wolf, the granny, Red, and the axeman. We have to find out who the real criminal is here. The animation was not bad, and neither were the visuals. The voice talents were fair, and overall I did not have any major complaints. This succeeded in what it wanted to do--it was an entertaining movie. It was also very funny. There is no way that someone could sit through this and not laugh at least once. It is actually that funny. I'm glad that I was not hoodwinked by the trailers (as with most movies), and that this did not turn into some lame picture. It was humorous and entertaining, and I think that kids will like this as well as some adults. If you could put up with Madagascar, you will most likely enjoy this =D

6.5/10 Stars

Wow. Simply wow. That is all I can say after having the luxury of screening this movie a day early. The visuals are gorgeous, the music is beautiful--everything is simply amazing. This movie takes us to the world of Narnia. I will say that as a movie, this is excellent. Those unfamiliar with the book will enjoy it. I did read it, and I will tell all of you who have read it as well--you will not be disappointed. Sure, some dialogue is left out; some scenes are cut and/or extended; and some things are not explained--but this is the MOVIE version of Narnia. If we want it exactly as the book, we might as well just read it again. This film stays true to the important and outstanding parts from the book, and I was simply awed. Tilda Swinton plays an excellent and very cold White Witch--she was indeed convincing. Her portrayal of Jadis is very well-done. The scenery, the magical creatures--just stupendous. People are calling this a miniature Lord of the Rings. Well of course--C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien were friends, so it would make sense. I have already said all I could say about this wonderful film. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful =)

8.8/10 Stars

I will begin this review by saying that I absolutely enjoyed Saw part one. I was surprised that it would be so different than the average horror/gore flick. I believe that it is the best movie of its kind in a long time. Now here is the sequel. If you know nothing of the first Saw or did not understand it, you will be confused, perhaps lost, and find this movie bizarre and maybe even dumb. But it is as genius as the first one. When the movie starts, we already know that we are in for something different than the first. It has a distinct feel and seems like a typical horror movie at the beginning. But as it goes along, the Saw feel returns and the tension begins. I cannot describe any more about the movie here without spoiling anything. The Jigsaw killer is awesome, his games are sick and twisted, and this movie is excellent. Forget what the critics say. I have come to realize that they cannot appreciate a movie like this for what it is. Look at their reviews for this and you will see what I mean. I mainly take into consideration how the screenwriter is a new guy (only other movie is Saw one) and he managed to come together with two first-time directors and produce a very different and interesting movie. Many experienced writers/directors cannot even do that. As the Jigsaw killer says: yes, there is blood here, and a lot of it. If you could not handle the first Saw, I do not know how your tolerance level will be here. There are a lot of moments of disgust. But if you enjoyed the first Saw, you will either find this too weird or outstanding. There is a lot of information about Jigsaw that gives us more of an understanding of who he is and how twisted his mind is. There are so many instances in which we even want to agree with him. I find that to be good writing on a character's part, and surprising to most, there are a lot of symbolic images here that involve the clock and the jigsaw piece that the killer takes from his subjects' skin. I'm glad I SAW this too along with the first one. It certainly lives up its predecessor (and most sequels do not), and I was afraid it would not. Go see this for yourself, especially if you liked the twistedness of the first Saw =)

8.2/10 Stars