The Wolf of Wall Street - Noodles Review

10 out of 10 Noodles

Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese can never go wrong together. Scorsese is a legendary filmmaker. The late Roger Ebert (arguably the world’s most renowned movie critic) even said that Scorsese has given us a classic each decade with Taxi Driver in the 70s, Raging Bull in the 80s, Goodfellas in the 90s, and The Departed in the 2000s. It’s my pleasure to say that he’s continuing that tradition with The Wolf of Wall Street. The Wolf of Wall Street is the basically biography of legendary stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who is an incredibly greedy and despicable, yet ambitious guy. My favorite quote of his is in his narration when he says, “the year I turned 26, I made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was just three shy of a million a week.” That just shows how arrogant and confident this man is. But that’s not it, because he also lives a life filled with drugs and sex. This movie is gratuitous and insanely realistic about that; it doesn’t hold back at all and you’ll know what I mean when you see this movie. It explores that world of rich Wall Street brokers who are extremely corrupt, and it does so in such detail. You witness the arc that is Jordan Belfort’s life from his start as an innocent and ambitious stockbroker looking to make his way up in the ranks, to the peak of his life where everything is bizarre and extreme, all the way to his tragic fall from grace. Along the way, he’s accompanied by some diverse interesting characters, sharp quick-witted comedy, and probably one of the most engrossing and fast 3-hour movies I’ve ever seen.

This film is so entertaining and filled with such colourful characters. At the front of it all, we obviously have Leonardo DiCaprio with yet another Oscar-worthy performance. He’s such a vibrant character in this movie and his energy resonates so well that it’s contagious to the viewers. He plays his role so well that you stand behind him and love him because he’s so fun and silver-tongued, but at the same time hate him because he’s such a despicable person. While I expected a great performance from him anyway, this is one of those times where I started to not even see him as Leonardo DiCaprio. He was so phenomenally invested in the character that every word that comes out of him is gold. And then there’s Jonah Hill, who plays his best friend and right-hand man, Donnie. If you thought his Oscar-nominated performance in Moneyball was good, then this will blow you away. Jonah Hill has greatly matured as an actor and he’s absolutely spectacular in this movie. Like DiCaprio, he got lost in the role and you started to not see him anymore, but instead just see that character he’s portraying. On top of that, there’s an extreme amazing supporting cast. Margot Robbie (who most people will end up thinking is the hottest woman on the planet) plays Belfort’s wife, and she absolutely nailed the east-coast accent. Matthew MacConaughey’s there for a short time and he’s awesome. Rob Reiner, Kyle Chandler, Jean Dujardin; they’re all incredible, and add immensely to the completion and hilarity of the overall movie.

And this movie is hilarious. It’s that sharp and quick type of comedy that you have to sort of think of about. It’s almost like a Tarantino movie in that respect. There are so many laugh-out-loud scenes and even some where you feel like you shouldn’t even be laughing, but you do so anyway. The movie goes by so fast because of all the crazy and outrageous scenes. It’s a long story but it’s so high octane that you don’t really even feel the length of it up until the end. On top of that, this film is still a serious character study and biography of this man Jordan Belfort, and there are some very serious scenes in which the tone gets really dark. While there’s so much fun going on, the film doesn’t shy away from the consequences and what negative results can come from living such a lifestyle. In that, Scorsese so seamlessly blends these elements together and retains a consistent focus throughout the entire film. It’s astounding how well the tone can change so drastically, yet the perfect focus can still be there, and it continues to show why Martin Scorsese is such a legendary director. He brings such great style to the movie, with vibrant shots and utterly bizarre scenes that just confuse you but draws you in. It’s a really hypnotic film as it all the bizarre things that go on just draw you in and keep you invested, despite the long runtime. It’s fast-paced and the writing is stellar. There’s quick and realistic dialogue, as well as so many great memorable monologues. It almost felt like Pulp Fiction wherein it keeps you so entertained for so long just because of the witty dialogues and great words that come out of every character’s mouth.

The Wolf of Wall Street blends such great elements together and everyone involved in the movie works so well together. The serious drama and starkly opposite vibrant comedy blend so seamlessly, while still holding focus. And the directing of the movie complements the writing to the point where the momentum of the film just never stops. The writing works perfectly with the actors as they sell every word they speak as if they’re selling you a stock share. The Wolf of Wall Street really sucks you in and shows you the lifestyle of these characters, sparing nothing as it displays the great successes, the bizarre occurrences, and the dire consequences. I gotta say: The Wolf of Wall Street is my favorite movie of 2013, and it gets 10 out of 10 Noodles. I can’t think of a single flaw. Jordan Belfort once said, “If you give people a good enough ‘why,’ then they’ll figure out the ‘how.’” Well, I just told you why this movie’s great; now figure out how you’re gonna see it.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Noodles Review

8 out of 10 Noodles

   This is the movie I wanted to love the most this year. From the first trailer I saw of it so long ago, I was greatly looking forward to it. I really didn't know what to expect from it; you really don't know what the story's gonna be about until you actually see the movie. That kind of ambiguity really intrigued me. What also intrigued me was that it looked as if Ben Stiller was veering away from strictly comedy into a more serious role in this movie. It almost reminded me of Jim Carrey when he went and did Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And while Carrey was much better in that movie than Stiller is in this one, I think I enjoyed Walter Mitty's adventure more. So, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is about a guy who kind of lives a boring lifestyle, which leads him to be ultimately the biggest daydreamer in the world. He literally freezes and imagines some spectacular things going on, usually including him as a hero. And we get to see everything he imagines and how people perceive him when he zones out, all from Walter's perspective. From the trailers, these dreamlike sequences seemed really cool and I thought they'd be an awesome highlight. However, in the film, sometimes they're a bit drawn out. They do result in some cool or funny moments though. One of these is even so outrageous that some people may not like it. But it was just so ridiculous that I was laughing so hard; you'll know what I'm talking about if you see it, because it involves conversation of another film that came out in 2008. Anyway, Walter Mitty works for Life magazine as a negative asset processor. He gets all the negative slips of film and process them so they can be photos in the magazine. And this time the one photo that they have to use for the cover is missing, so Walter decides to track down the photographer so he can get ahold of the picture. From there, his real adventure starts and this movie greatly picks up. He starts to go into his fantasies a lot less since his actual life is becoming so lively and epic.
   This is testament to the directing of the film, which is done by Ben Stiller himself. I was really amazed with so many shots in this movie. The cinematography sometimes has such a large and epic scale, and then other times it has a really interesting and visually artful take. Some scenes really even gave me goosebumps because I really felt so sucked in and moved by some of the shots and sequences in this film. His acting isn't bad either because he plays a convincing Walter Mitty. He's hardworking and determined but also a bit quirky and awkward. Kristen Wiig's character, Walter's love interest, was also played well; I think this is the best she's ever been since it's the first time she wasn't playing an outrageously absurd character, and instead a desirable and somehow inspiring woman. The strongest role in the movie, however, is the small amount of time that Sean Penn is onscreen. He plays the photographer that Walter is tracking down, and he's really in this character; he's so interesting and laid back, really encapsulating the presence of a photographer. Then, of course, there's the downsides. There are a few corny characters in this movie. Adam Scott, whom I know as the jerk older brother from Step-Brothers, plays an incredibly cartoony character in this movie. It's made in such a way that he's such an unrealistically mean asshole. I understand that he's supposed to be an antagonist but he really didn't fit. As with a couple other characters, like Walter's weird sister or Adam Scott's bearded friends who just act like henchmen. This sort of disrupted the tone of the film as well.

    A major gripe of this movie is its tonal inconsistency, since the tone was all over the place for the first third of this movie. It sort of got out of it. The daydreams, even, kind of come out of nowhere and most of the time don't have time to get you connected to them. Just as well, the movie has some very cliched moments, and the movie overall has a lot of very predictable elements. As a result, the writing of the film isn't very strong. Even some comedic moments are hindered by this. But even so, the film does have a large share of funny scenes, whether they're subtle or laugh-out-loud. What I came to see this movie for wasn't the comedy, though; I came for an inspiring feel-good tale. And from the moment Walter makes his decision to go to Greenland, that's what we get. The location shooting is absolutely breathtaking and the transitions in this movie from scene to scene are even cool in their own way. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is probably the most visually stunning film of 2013 and the epic cinematography gives it such an ambitious feel. The real thing to this movie is Walter finding himself, and actually living life, and I can't tell you enough how satisfying that actually is to see. This movie polarizes critics and viewers as some can love it, some can hate it, and some can go straight in the middle. While I wasn't totally invested in the first act of the film due to tonal inconsistencies and some bad characters, once Walter Mitty embarks on his adventure, it becomes one of the most uplifting and awe-filled movies I've seen in a while. While it subtly disappointed me, it still impressed me to earn 8 out of 10 Noodles. The ambition of Walter Mitty's life should be no secret.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Noodles Review

9 out of 10 Noodles

            The movie I've been looking forward to the most in 2013 has finally come. And while it's still not the perfection I hoped for, it's still quite a treat. The second installation in The Hobbit trilogy (serving as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy) brings us back to Middle Earth with style and houses a grand feeling of adventure which is the main element I wanted out of this series. The Lord of the Rings, if you didn't already know, is collectively my personal favorite movie of all time. The trilogy perfectly captured the fantasy, wonder, and amazement of the lore from Tolkien's literary classics, as well as blending components of action, adventure, humor, and gave viewers moral senses of hope, friendship, courage, among tons of other things. The trilogy escalated from amazing character development to extremely epic in such a seamless fashion, that it's truly something to marvel at. That trilogy is taken from three 400-page books, whereas The Hobbit trilogy is taken from one 300-page book, with ideas from Tolkien's other books as well as new story elements that fans of the books won't see coming. As one of those people, I can say that it's pleasant to have read the book yet not completely know how all the events in the film will unfold. Though some die-hard fans (or hipsters) will say that it's too starkly different from the book, I say that that's what we should come to accept now. The outside story arcs that aren't in the book (such as Gandalf's personal quest to see if darkness has returned), all make sense and, for the most part, don't feel out-of-place at all. Desolation of Smaug has the right tone throughout the movie; it's the tone I was looking for in the first movie. In the first one, it held more of a familial tone, and while this film is still a fun-for-the-family movie, I feel like it definitely grew up and became more like a Lord of the Rings movie (and that's exactly what we all want!).

            Something that's consistent throughout all the Lord of the Rings movies (which includes The Hobbit movies) is the characters are so well done. And that is the case in this movie, too. The casting is so well done that the actors/actresses fit their roles so well. They look like essentially exactly what I would imagine them to look like while reading the books or thinking about the characters. Just as well, the acting is pretty much stellar. Martin Freeman proved to me in An Unexpected Journey that he is the definitive Bilbo. He kills it in this role and he nails every expression, mannerism, hobbit-ism, and line in the exactly the way that he should. Also, you can see that his character has grown. I like to see character growth, especially when it's not overtly-cliched. We saw in the first movie that he was still a homesick peaceful guy, even on the adventure. But he grew since then, and we can see here that he's grown quite courageous, as well as cunning. He even is responsible a lot of the time for getting the gang out of trouble in a bunch of situations. The company of dwarves is still well acted done and the leader, Thorin Oakenshield, feels even more heroic and leaderlike in this film. As well as Gandalf, but we all already know that he's an inherent badass. 

            And then we have the elves. Legolas, who was my favorite character in The Lord of the Rings trilogy for most of my life, is still awesome in this movie. His actions scenes make this movie so much cooler and appealing, since he's a such a fluid fighter with his bow-and-arrow and his two swords. However, it's incredibly noticeable that he's sort of like a different character in this movie. He's arrogant and sometimes comes off as a jerk. But I realized that this comes to play into his overall character arc over the span of the entire series, and imagine he'll grow into a more humble warrior in the next movie. The other elf is Tauriel, who, like Legolas isn't in The Hobbit book. However, unlike Legolas, she's not in any of the books whatsoever; she was completely made up for this movie. However, she definitely feels like she belongs there and she's acted well by the beautiful Evangeline Lily (plus she's got her fair share of badass action moments!). The one thing is just that there's a bit of a small romance and it feels a little bit forced and childish, so I don't think that really fit, but it was partly essential for some story segments to move forward. A lot of things in this movie, you can tell were shoehorned in by Peter Jackson, especially the involvement of Legolas and Tauriel, but it's executed in such a way that it feels like it belongs there. But the character who really belongs here is Smaug (his name's in the title, duh). In case you live under a rock, Smaug is the dragon who lives in the Lonely Mountain, which is where the Company of Dwarves is journeying to in order to reclaim it as their kingdom. Smaug, is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch; and let me tell you, they could not have picked anyone better. Cumberbatch is already one of my favorite actors and his voice is such a chilling an awesome one. He lends to Smaug just the right tone of voice and speaks so articulately; it's honestly amazing. Smaug just gives off the perfect vibe of arrogance and you can tell he condescends upon virtually everyone. He was such a memorable character and he was so menacing that I don't think I'll ever forget him as a movie antagonist. When Bilbo first encounters the incredibly huge Smaug in the mountain, it is the ultimate "oh shit" moment and it keeps you so invested throughout their conversation.

            The special effects, as expected, are also breathtaking. The dragon is designed so flawlessly, that you don't just feel like he's there; you KNOW that the dragon is right there about to roast some poor souls. The CGI in other scenes was mostly on point; however it did slack a little bit at some moments. The effects are done by WETA (pretty much the gods of computer-generated special effects); we can't just let them off so easily, so there's a minor gripe there. The orcs are done better in this movie though. One of my major gripes with the first movie is that firstly, the orcs were done with CGI, and secondly, I could easily tell they were. Thankfully in this movie, a lot of the orcs are done with makeup and prosthetics so there's a more realistic and gritty feel to them. The feel of the entire movie is much more exciting. One of my main problems with An Unexpected Journey was that it had pacing issues and a lot of it felt slow or uninteresting. But Desolation is turned on for pretty much all of it 161-minute runtime; in that, I mean that it's exciting and something's happening, almost all the time. When they get to Laketown, it slows down a bit, but that could just be in relativity because the rest of the movie there's so much stuff happening. I mean, hey, we can't have action every second of the film; so that makes sense.

            All in all, Desolation of Smaug a greatly welcomed installment to the series, and it's a great improvement over the first movie. It's moreso like An Unexpected Journey was actually just building up to the events of this film. This movie capitalizes on a lot of what it's got; the characters and action are spectacular, while the overall scope and tone are going in the right direction. Hopefully, the final film in the trilogy will veer towards even greater excellency, as there is still room to improve. However, The Desolation of Smaug as a movie is the opposite of a desolation, as it rightly earns 9 out of 10 noodles.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Noodles Review

8.5 out of 10 Noodles

            May the odds be ever in your favor... Just kidding, I'm not that cliche to start off a review with a generic quote from the movie. But for future reference, do not whistle four notes while holding up three fingers; you will get shot. That's not all I learned from this movie though. I learned that there's hope for The Hunger Games series. Actually, let me rephrase that. We all know that it's going to make big bucks from all those devout fans of the books and just the teen populace of the world, so: I learned that there's hope for the quality of the movies in the series. So, we left off in the first movie that Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games, and the way they did it gave way for people to get the hope and idea to rebel against the oppressive government in this world. Let's talk about the world for a second. The world that Suzanne Collins has established is actually really impressive and interesting. I really dig the lore and how everything came to be, as well as the overall atmosphere of it. This movie gets that atmosphere right. The tone throughout the beginning of this movie is spot-on and I was afraid that wouldn't get it right, because the first movie didn't quite do it. I liked the first movie to a certain degree; it did hit some good notes, but I personally don't feel like it did the source material the right amount of justice. Catching Fire, takes almost a 180-degree turn, because this is SO much better! First off, they build off of the good things in the first movie, and then they improve on some of the weak points, and I think that's a lot due to the new director because I could definitely tell that this was directed differently (for the better, though). The camera angles are a lot better, as well as the tone and placement of everything; especially the pacing. Pacing was a major problem for me in the first movie because I don't think I should be getting bored during a movie about a government-orchestrated fight to the death between teenagers in a post-apocalyptic world. But I did. Sigh. The pacing is much better in this sequel. I was invested throughout more of the movie. And here's what you've all been waiting for... wait for it... the violence in onscreen! In the first movie, almost all the violence was offscreen so we didn't even see what happened; it was moreso implied. That deters the viewers from caring as much for what happened. Being able to see the actual cuts, injuries, hits, and deaths, really adds more to the emotion and investment in the film.

            That is also thanks to the acting because that's also great. Jennifer Lawrence has obviously proved herself as a credible actress now. She's got an Oscar, is the frontrunner for one of Hollywood's currently largest franchises, and is a great onscreen presence. We know she's great as Katniss. But I was really surprised by her in the beginning of the movie. You really begin to feel bad for Katniss and she effectively portrays her post-traumatic stress and stubbornness. What really surprised me, though, was Josh Hutcherson. Wow, man, give yourself a pat on the back. Josh Hutcherson improved so much; I was literally impressed. In the first movie, I gave him a lot of crap since his acting was so wooden and ineffective. Back then he was just a pretty face. He's really improved, because I genuinely cared for his character in this movie, maybe even more than for Katniss at some points. Their little entourage in the Hunger Games is quite fleshed out and distinctive as well. It's inevitable that everyone's gonna love Finnick (or Aquaman as I called him). He's a humble yet confident guy who protects his old lady friend Mags; he's attractive and he fights with a trident. The guy is acted well, too, so he's definitely a plus. My favorite character, however, is Plutarch Heavensby. He's the gamemaster, and plots with President Snow (the real baddie) on how to get rid of Katniss; their conversation on how to get that done is probably my favorite scene in the whole movie. He's played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, one of my favorite actors, and I knew just from the trailers that I'd end up loving him. He surpassed my other favorite character, Caesar. Caesar, as well as pretty much all of the supporting cast is acted well. The only characters I sort of have a problem with are the career tributes (the tributes from districts 1 and 2). I understand that they're supposed to be formidable foes, but this movie honestly doesn't play them as anything else; it feels like they're just there to be bad guys.  

            Unfortunately, like the first movie, the pace slows down when the Hunger Games actually start out. This is a bit of a letdown because it's a little weird that the movie slows down when the "action" actually begins. Not only that, but the quality of the movie takes a bit of a dip as well. Yet by this point, it is a realization that the actual Hunger Games aren't the basis of the series. The Hunger Games event itself is a tool to help tell the story; it's a vehicle to propel the actual conflicts. That conflict is oppression and revolution. And this is one of the main reasons I like the book series. It's layered and has elements of politics on top of all this action and stuff. It's not just black and white wherein a good guy is trying to beat a bad guy; there's other components involved. Catching Fire really started to show that, whereas one of my main problems with its predecessor was the lack of this layering. So up to the Hunger Games, we have actual dramatic conflict occurring, and it keeps us intrigued most of the way leading up to the games. The scope of the film was great until then, and I really felt more connected to the characters before it happened. Speaking of scope, there are some moments in the film that really make it feel more epic, and truly escalate the experience; this is in part due to a great blend of sweeping cinematography and a strong musical score. The score in this movie is definitely much stronger than that of the first movie since the music is actually memorable. I guess we could sum up this movie that way, because it's overall just more memorable than the first installment of the franchise. Catching Fire is a more exciting and more layered film that not only houses more intrigue, but also more cinematic prowess. Despite it having some obvious conveniences and other downfalls, Catching Fire is definitely a step in the right direction for the series; a step toward 8.5 out of 10 Noodles. The odds are coming to be in their favor. 

Escape Plan - Noodles Review

6 out of 10 Noodles

    Rambo & The Terminator together in one movie! How could this go wrong? Well.... in a couple places. Sylvestor Stallone & Arnold Schwarzenneggar (no, I did not have to look his name up to spell it correctly) were THE two biggest action stars in Hollywood, and everyone wanted them to be in a movie together. It would be so awesome and badass! But, that was 20 years ago. However, we get that movie now, when they're both oldies (Expendables doesn't count because that's an ensemble action star movie). In Escape Plan, we have the both of them as the stars of this movie. I've always loved both of these actors (I might be more of an Arnie fan just for his one-liners); they brought us classics like Rocky, Rambo, Predator, Terminator, and many more. However, they've both had their fair share of misfires; and while this isn't exactly one of those, it's also not a modern classic, much less a generic action movie. The story goes that Stallon plays a guy who breaks out of prisons for a living. He literally gets paid to go to prison, then figure out how to break out, so that they can better secure the prisons. However, he gets sent to a really special prison this time, and there's definitely something wrong here... Additionally, I have to talk about this prison a little bit. It's really cartoony and unrealistic. Each prisoner has their own little glass case and the guards all have these black jabbawockeez masks; it's all really unbelievable. It really remind me of the movie Face/Off, which to me is an action classic. But one segment in that movie really threw me off when they were in the top secret, unrealistically secure & high-tech prison. This was like that, except for the whole movie... In this prison, Stallone meets Arnie and they team up to make... an ESCAPE PLAN! 

     I'm not gonna say this movie is bad, because it's definitely not. The acting was fine. You could tell Stallone is getting a bit rusty but he's still a believable actor (still like him better in The Expendables though). Schwarzenneggar, though, was probably the best part of this movie. He had those cheesy one-liners that we've come to expect from him (and I'm almost certain they did that on purpose as an inside joke to Arnie fans & '80s fans). They weren't memorable and they were pretty stupid, but his screen presence was actually gratifying. Also, Jim Caviezel's in this movie as the warden of this intense prison. Jim Caviezel will always be known as the actor who portrayed Jesus, but he's still pretty good in this movie as the asshole warden. He's sort of a comic booky character in that he's a villain who has somewhat weird maneurisms, but that fits, I guess, with this cartoony prison. He may have not died for our sins in this movie, but I still give him credit for standing out as an acceptable bad guy. 

    There's nothing wrong with the directing or technical aspects of the movie. It's all quite mediocre though. The writing could've been better in that the dialogue was rather generic. However, I was fine with all that. The one thing that mainly threw me off, though, was the concept of this super prison that the movie takes place in. It sort of took me out of the movie. In the beginning, the film shows Stallone breaking out of a regular high security prison and that was actually very cool. I was hoping to see more of that, but what can I say? I guess I was disappointed a bit. Nonetheless, Escape Plan is still an entertaining action movie, with its main redeeming quality being the fact that Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenneggar are actually starring in the moviee together. You don't have to rush to the theatre to watch it, but if it ever comes on on TV, it's worth a watch, because Escape Plan is still fresh at 6 out of 10 Noodles. 

Captain Phillips - Noodles Review

9 out of 10 Noodles

   Wow. Oscar season really is starting early this year. That's always a good thing because it gives us more GOOD movies to watch over a longer period of time! And I guess you can already infer from that, that I really enjoyed Captain Phillips. Captain Phillips was one of my most anticipated movies of this year, mostly because it stars Tom Hanks, who happens to be my favourite actor. Recently, he hasn't been as much of a driving force in Hollywood as he used to be. Cloud Atlas was cool and all, but not many people watched it. His previous two films, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close and Larry Crowne, were of little appeal to me. However, Tom Hanks is back on his feet now and gives one of the best performances of his career (and with his repertoire, that's really saying something). Anyway, Tom Hanks's presence really gives this film a lot of initial credibility, as he's probably the only big name on the poster. But, the movie tells a true story of events that happened not too long ago, which brings more relevance to it. Captain Phillips is about an American cargo ship that gets overrun by Somalian pirates, and then the thrilling situations that ensue. This movie is gripping to the edge; there's not a boring moment present. An hour feels like 20 minutes with this movie, in a positive way though; and that's due to the great pacing and editing of this movie. It's directed really well by Paul Greengrass, who's known for directing The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93, and Green Zone. Paul Greengrass is the only director out there who has truly mastered shaky cam. A lot (and I mean A LOT) of movies nowadays try to utilize shaky cam effects, but it's always either overdone or poorly executed. Greengrass, however, makes it an art, and he's done it again here. In supplement to that, the cinematography is fantastic; there's tons of sweeping shots of the ocean and the boats, while there's also claustrophobic scenes within the confines of crowded areas. This truly adds to the intensity of the film.
   The intensity of the movie is capitalized by the acting. As I said, Tom Hanks gives one of his best perform
ances, and that means a lot for him since he's given probably a dozen stellar performances in his career, two of which have already won him Oscars. Even being such a recognizable actor, you still look past him being Tom Hanks and you just see the man, Captain Richard Phillips. Hanks gives such a realistic, emotional, and overall terrific performance that's capable of bringing up man tears. Even though he's the best though, the rest of the cast rounds up extremely well. The Somalian pirates, especially, impressed me. The four actors who play them truly look like the casting directors actually picked up some real pirates. Also, after a little bit of research, I came to find that this is the first performance each of them has ever portrayed. Yet, their acting was intense and convincing, that I just have to applaud them; especially the main bad guy, he was played so well and you could really see his point of view even though you weren't rooting for him. This whole movie is so convincing, that you feel like you're actually there as these events unfold. You can really feel the heat and sweat of each thing that happens and that's one of the main things I admire about this film. The acting and directing really shines.
   However, it's not a shiny day for these characters because this movie is intense as hell. Captain Phillips is a straightup thriller for most of the movie. I was either at the edge of my seat not able to catch my breath; or sitting forward always trying to anticipate what would happen next, always not knowing if these guys were gonna be alright. Once the shit hits the fan, this movie just grabs you and doesn't let you go until the end credits. You really begin to care for all these guys and get sucked into this. The style of tension in this movie is unlike anything I've seen this year. Sometimes it gets slow, but it's always suspenseful and heavy. The writing is incredible and you gotta tip your hat off to the whole crew for being able to take this true story and make it into something that we could all watch and get fully engrossed into. And the movie has such relevance because it chronicles such a recent event so well.
   The movie was so well made and so realistic that you really cared for everyone and everything that happened to them, really adding to why it's so thrilling. Captain Phillips is thrilling all the way through, spectacularly acted, smartly written, amazingly directed, and one of the most intense and emotional movies of the past couple years. At 9 out of 10 Noodles, Captain Phillips is one of my favourite movies of 2013.

Breaking Bad Series Finale - Noodles Review

10 out of 10 Noodles

   It's the end of an era, the end of an empire, the end of one of the greatest shows to ever grace our TV screens. Breaking Bad has come to an end. Usually, when shows end, its biggest fans are sad that its ending. But I can honestly say that I'm not depressed at all. I'm utterly satisfied and excited at the closing of this amazing show.

  Throughout the whole show, we've witnessed some of the greatest writing, acting, and character development ever; especially concerning the main character, Walter White. Watching the pilot episode and then watching an episode from the last season, one would believe that its two different characters. That was always one of my favourite things about Breaking Bad; it really evolved this character in every single episode. Sometimes you didn't even notice how much he's changed until you saw a scene from a past episode and realized, "Wow, that's a different guy!" It's so great to see this innocent guy decline into a ruthless, Scarface-type, intellectual badass. You really gotta tip your hat off to Bryan Cranston. I knew he was a good actor all along but he never really stood out. Then he came along and played one of the most interesting and intense characters in entertainment history to sheer brilliance. I can't even count how many times he says just the simplest things like "I am the one who knocks," that blow me away and really make you see how much of a true badass he is. Just as well, Aaron Paul, who plays Walt's partner Jesse Pinkman, has done the character such justice. It's very noticeable that he has very little dialogue in this final season, but he conveys so much emotion so well in this season with just his presence. He really has become such a damaged character and I just always wanted him to get out of everything okay.

   Just like how it's a given that this show has spectacular acting, it has fantastic writing. No, more than fantastic. It's phenomenal. Vince Gilligan has crafted a great and intense, yet condensed, masterpiece. Each episode was so intense and all of them felt necessary. Even the ones that seemed like "filler" episodes contained important character development and such. The writing of the end of this just blew me away though. Finales of big TV shows are hard to grasp. It's not easy to please everyone or do everything the right way. What I love about Breaking Bad, though, is that it ended on such a great note. It gave perfect closure to the show, tying up all the loose ends, giving essentially every character a meaningful conclusion, and stayed true to being intense as always with a healthy dose of emotionally heavy encounters.
    With this show, there's so many predictions of what we wanna see happen and what we think will happen. Everyone has their own thoughts, but it's written so well that a lot of the time what we wanted to happen will happen, but in a completely surprising manner. It pleases the viewers while at the same time being fresh and unpredictable. Breaking Bad is one of my favourite TV shows of all time, and is really a masterpiece. It's one of those things that'll perpetually keep you fascinated with what's going on in these realistically crazy situations. There's too many great things to name about it: the top-notch acting, the excellent writing, the direction (it's like that of a movie), the intensity, the replay value. You really get sucked into this story and get seriously emotionally attached. You'll never see what's coming next and the show always shotguns you in the face with something awesome and fresh. My jaw dropped to the floor countless times because Breaking Bad rightly deserves even more than 10 out of 10 Noodles.

If you haven't watched Breaking Bad, I urge you to do so because it is seriously so great. It might start off a little slow but I can't stress enough how truly amazing it is. I'd have to say Season 5 is my favourite but really every season is spectacular.

Prisoners - Noodles Review

8.5 out of 10 Noodles

We finally get an emotionally heavy movie this year to rival The Hunt, and this one's in English! If you didn't know, The Hunt is one of my favourite movies this year and it happens to be a foreign language film. I loved it so much though because it was so emotionally tense and real; I could really sympathize with the characters and get engrossed into the situation. Thankfully, Prisoners delivers essentially the same thing. And since it's an American film, more people will be able to experience it! So, to start it off, you should know that this movie is incredibly demanding. It puts a lot on your shoulders, so to speak, since it really takes you on this emotional and intense ride. It feels so real that you might end up thinking it's actually happening. It's one of those movies that seriously keeps you on the edge of your seat but also with your hand on your mouth, since it's so thrilling and real. Prisoners is a story about two normal suburban families that live on the same street and have Thanksgiving dinner together one year. That night, the two little girls of the families decide to go outside; however, they never come back. From then on; we have an extremely deep and dark film, filled with great cinematography, immaculate editing, top-notch performances, amazing dialogue, and some of the most intense emotional aspects of any movie in years.

If you wanted to see Wolverine go more berserk than he did in an X-Men movie, you've found it, because Hugh Jackman's portrayal in this movie is astounding. This is probably already my favourite performance of his to date. He's the father of one of these little girls that gets kidnapped and he conveys the disturbing depression and rage of the situation so greatly. You really feel like he's a real guy who would just do anything to get his daughter back. He's one of those guys who's just like, "the cops aren't doing enough, I need my baby girl back. Let's see what the hell I'm capable of." He's such a greatly layered character, that you understand what this situation is really doing to him, yet you're questioning if you should be on his side. What's so great about this movie is the layers and diversity of these characters. Terrence Howard's character, the other father, is a little more timid and is sometimes scared of how far Jackman's character is capable of going, yet you still know that he is wanting his daughter back. The moms, also, are played well (by Maria Bello and Viola Davis, respectively) in that one sort of wants to forget the event and move on, whereas the other is trying to hide all of her sadness. Another great performance in this movie is that of Jake Gyllenhaal's Detective Loki. It's a great plus that Gyllenhaal went through real police training for his last movie, End of Watch, and that he's proven himself to be able to act characters like this in movies like Zodiac. It all pays off because his performance in this movie rivals that of Hugh Jackman's, as he's the guy who's actually trying to keep everything under control and is the only one who is really trying to practically put together the pieces of this puzzle. Rounding out the cast is Paul Dano, who plays the prime suspect of this whole tragedy. His performance could split viewers, but I actually am on the side that really likes his acting. His character is chilling and mysterious, yet has an innocent look to him; which leads you to never know if he's really the sicko that did this or just some random unlucky guy. 

While the acting in this film is top-notch, so are the technical aspects. The directing of Denis Villeneuve is very David Fincher-esque (which is a huge complement since Fincher has directed some of my favourite movies of all time) mixed with a little bit of Clint Eastwood's flair from Mystic River. Just watching the movie makes you feel cold and your jaws feel worn out. It really gets you into the mood of this movie, as does the cinematography. Also, the editing of the movie is something to appreciate since most movies nowadays just incorporate quick cuts into all of their scenes. This movie takes its time with its scenes, which actually helps add to the intensity of the final product. And this movie would've fallen apart if its writing wasn't good, but thankfully it's great. The dialogue is all realistic, wherein you feel like a person in that situation would actually say that, truly adding to the realism, intensity, and other enticing factors that this movie has. Plus, the story and plot elements all fit together great. The crime is shaded and complex enough to keep you intrigued, yet accessible enough to understand it all when it's resolved.

All of these great elements make one believe that this movie is one that's easily watchable, since it's got so many great perks and aspects. However, it's a tough film, to say the least. When the shit hits the fan, this movie just becomes so heavy on you. The story and themes are very dark, cold, and incredibly depressing. Watching this movie is observing a family who's had their loved daughter suddenly and seamlessly stripped away from them and then witnessing how much that seriously affects them. For the two and a half hour run time, I wasn't bored at all. The movie throws so much emotion at you that you feel like you're a part of this all and you're always anticipating what's gonna happen next, while at the same time not even wanting to know. When a film can so masterfully engross you in such a tragic experience, it's quite amazing and quite exhausting. I can say that I really liked Prisoners because it is such a beautifully crafted film and it's so realistically and emotionally intense. It's a heavy experience and a depressing one which really affects its watchability factor, but it's ability to keep you locked in during this emotional ride makes it worthy of its 8.5 out of 10 Noodles. Oscar season has started early this year.

Top Ten '80s Movies

So I haven't been to the movies in awhile; therefore, I haven't been able to review any new movies. However, I've been watching a couple movies from the '80s, so since I haven't posted in awhile, I feel in the mood to list my favourite movies of the 1980s. So without further ado, here it is.

10. Predator (1987)
"GET TO THE CHOPPA!"
It only makes sense to start this list off with one of the best Arnold Schwarzeneggar movies. Predator is one of the best action movies of all time and it's one of the movies that's just filled with testosterone (meaning it's a manly good time). Arnie and a bunch of other soldiers are on a mission in the Central American jungle, until they find themselves hunted by an extra terrestrial warrior that we've come to know as the Predator. The Predator is one of my favourite movie aliens because it's just so awesome. I've always been into stealthy things; I'm a Metal Gear Solid fanboy, what do you expect? And the Predator is just so awesome in the way it stalks the the group of soldiers and kills 'em off. There's always that feeling of suspense when you don't know when this thing is gonna pop out and kill somebody. It's entertaining as hell, and the premise is interesting enough. Plus, it's got some of the best one-liners in film history. "Dude, you're bleeding!" "I ain't got time to bleed!"

9. The Shining (1980)
"HERE'S JOHNNY!"

One of the few horror movies I enjoy and appreciate is The Shining. Stanley Kubrick is a ground-breaking filmmaker. He pretty much redefined the sci-fi genre with 2001: A Space Odyssey, and later on he created one of my favourite movies, A Clockwork Orange. That's just a portion of his resume. He doesn't disappoint with this Stephen King adaptation. In one of my favourite Jack Nicholson performances, he plays a caretaker of an empty hotel during a harsh winter. However, insanity kicks into this easy job when he finds himself giving into cabin fever and provocation from ghosts of past hotel employees. Kubrick's direction is the main star here though. His extraordinary directing really heightens the tension in this film with the echoes of isolation and surrealism drowning you into this movie. And it's one of those movies that doesn't scare you with jump scares, but instead with cleverly frightening revelations.

8. Back To The Future (1985)

"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?"

This is one of those movies that you can watch over and over again. I like the second and third movies but they're just not quite as great as the original. Back To The Future is one of the quintessential '80s movies and it's filled with some of the best laughs in any film. The premise even sounds funny; Marty McFly goes back 30 years and accidentally causes his teenage mother to fall in love with him. He now has to figure out a way to make his parents-to-be fall in love while also figuring out how to get back to the future. A lot of what happens in this movie is so ludicrous, but that's one of the best things about it. It's so ridiculous that you appreciate it. It's almost impossible to not enjoy Back To The Future.

7. Rain Man (1988)
"I'm an excellent driver..." 

Talk about one of the best acting performances ever! Dustin Hoffman in this movie absolutely kills it as Raymond in this movie. He steals every scene and is able to make you laugh hysterically or even cry briefly. That Oscar was well-deserved. However, pretty much all the acting is great in this movie and it's one of my personal favourite Tom Cruise performances as well. He plays Charlie, whose millionaire father has just died and has entrusted all of his money and his estate to Charlie's autistic brother, Raymond, who Charlie didn't even know existed up until now. It's a very lovable film, and it showcases some great character development and bonding.

6. Amadeus (1984)
"I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink strokes, at an absolute beauty."
There's a lot of people that feel that they can't sit through this almost 3-hour period piece about classical music and quarrel. However, I enjoy it every time. Amadeus is one of those movies that critics use in comparison to other movies that aren't as technically brilliant; if you've ever hear "well, it's not Amadeus but..." then this is what they're talking about. Amadeus is actually told from the perspective of Antonio Salieri, who claimed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to be his rival. It's one of those movies that's astounding in almost every way. The production design and costumes are almost unmatched to this day, and the acting is superb, especially from the two leads. Just as well, the writing is superb, in which the dialogue is sophisticated enough to sound like they're speaking in the time period, but simple enough for us viewers to understand the actual conversations. Amadeus is truly one of the greatest films ever made but the only thing that holds it back from being an absolute favourite is its entertainment value. I enjoy it very much but to watch it, you have to sit down with it and focus on it for the entirety of its three hours. It's one of those movies that I can't really watch with friends because it's essentially not at all a popcorn movie; it's a beautifully made period piece that you have to be able to focus on. And if you can do that, you'll be seeing it for all its greatness.

5. Die Hard (1988)
"Nine million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill the one with feet smaller than my sister."
Die Hard is pretty much THE quintessential action movie. Sure, there are other awesome and great action movies out there, but nothing really touches the original Die Hard in being a true action movie. Like I said with Predator being filled with testosterone, Die Hard is overflowing with it, but it can also be watched by everyone not just manly men. It's really an entertaining, fast-paced, and clever movie that really redefined the action genre. Along with having a badass sarcastic hero and an awesome terrorist with the voice of Severus Snape, you know you're really in for something here. What's there to say about this movie that hasn't been said? It's the most actiony action movie ever and it's entertaining and thrilling to the end.

4. Aliens (1986)
"Get away from her, you bitch!"
You might be thinking about the last Harry Potter movie with that quote, but it's actually from Aliens when Ripley is in a giant mech fighting off the queen alien. No big deal, right? Actually, it's a huge deal because Aliens is awesome! I love Alien, the predecessor to this movie; it was claustrophobic, suspenseful, and it introduced one of the coolest creatures in cinema, the alien (or xenomorph, as they're officially called). I like that movie and this one almost equal because I can't really decide which one's better since they're so different. In Alien, we had one alien in the ship picking off the crew of the ship in a really creepy and isolated manner. But in Aliens, we have a whole troupe of space marines here to fight a horde of aliens. Whereas the first one's a sci-fi horror, this is an all-out sci-fi action. It's absolutely awesome and a lot of fun. It still retains the suspense and thrills but instead of making it scary, it makes it entertaining and actiony. And it's not one of those manly action movies; the hero is actually a woman, as Ripley is one of my favourite heroes in cinema. Additionally, there's a motherly aspect to this where she cares for Newt, a little girl that they found in a deserted alien-ridden colony. And of course, there's tons of great action, that is capitalized by special effects that are ahead of its time. "We're on the express elevator to hell, going down!"

3. Blade Runner (1982)
"Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave."
Blade Runner is really the movie that defined science fiction for me. I absolutely adore this movie because it's such a deep movie. It doesn't use science fiction and the future as a back drop for cool action, but instead for philosophical themes. Some see it as an action film, but it's more of a sci-fi drama since there's not much action in the movie in comparison to what else there is. Blade Runner tells the story of a future where there are organic androids known as Replicants, of which are almost indistinguishable from humans. They're illegal on Earth and are, instead, used for dangerous tasks on off-world colonies. However, a couple of them have found their way to Earth, so Deckard (played amazingly by the legend Harrison Ford) is sent out to dispose of them, while questioning his own morals. This film is extremely interesting to watch and it's one of those futuristic movies that can make you think about the present. It's my favourite Ridley Scott movie (which is really saying something because he's responsible for Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Prometheus, Kingdom of Heaven, and American Gangster) and the direction is absolutely astounding. The set design and production of this movie are off the charts and the visual effects are way ahead of its time. If you ever see this movie, I recommend The Final Cut version; that version is structured the best, omits the cheesy narration of the theatrical version, capitalizes on some action scenes and important story parts, as well as adds some really significant scenes that add to the themes and questions of the movie such as the unicorn (which you'll still be wondering what it is even after the movie). It's one of those movies that's entertaining and incredibly crafted, but still leaves you wondering so many things. That's what a movie should really do.

2. Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981-1989)
"We do not follow maps to buried treasure. And X never, ever marks the spot." 

The theme song of Indiana Jones is always stuck in my head, but that's never a problem because I love it. Whereas Die Hard is the quintessential action movie, the Indiana Jones movies are the quintessential adventure movies. Each film in this trilogy can be watched and enjoyed by anyone in the family. They're witty, adventurous, intriguing, and filled with great action and humour. Essentially each movie can be watched without any real knowledge of any of the other movies. Personally, my favourite is the third film, The Last Crusade because that was the one I watched the most as a kid and it's got great banter between between Indy and his father, as well as my favourite relic adventure. In the first movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark (which is hailed by some as one of the greatest movies of all time), Indy is searching for the Ark of the Covenant. In Temple of Doom, he searches for three sacred stones in India. In Last Crusade, he and his father search for the holy grail before the Nazis can get their hands on it. I personally don't really like the fourth movie, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but that wouldn't even count here since that didn't come out in the '80s. However, each movie of the trilogy is amazing and entertaining. They're truly timeless films.

1. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
"Try not! Do or do not. There is no try." 
I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but Empire Strikes Back is not only my favourite Star Wars movie, but one of my favourite movies of all time. This is the movie where the universe of Star Wars really expands, as well as the characters (speaking of characters, this is the third Harrison Ford movie in a row). It's sort of the Dark Knight of the Original Star Wars Trilogy. It's sort of darker in the tone of the film and this is the one where Darth Vader actually becomes a relentless villain. The opening crawl of the movie even specifies that. And we learn how damaged Darth Vader really is in this movie. Just as well, some of Han Solo's best moments are in this movie, including one of my favourite moments of any movie. His banter with Leia and his character development in this movie is just as great as it was in the original. But in Empire, Han, Leia, & the gang split up from Luke. While they're trying to elude the empire, Luke is over in the Degobah System training with Yoda. Yoda's scenes alone (especially his monologue about the force) can make this the best and my favourite Star Wars movie. But there's also the central conflict in Luke in which he has to choose to save his friends or continue to train in becoming a Jedi. This is really the most personal and emotional of the entire saga. It holds great moral ambiguity and really makes Star Wars more than just an awesome sci-fi movie. And on top of that, we finally see an actually lightsaber duel! And it's not nicely choreographed like the prequels; no, Luke is just wailing at Vader with his saber and you can feel how uncontrolled he is. Empire Strikes Back offers the greatest height of emotion, morals, and (for me) entertainment, that the whole series has to offer; along with showcasing sci-fi elements ahead of its time, great witty dialogue, an awesome story, and one of the greatest and most important plot twists in the history of cinema.

The World's End - Noodles Review

8.25 out of 10 Noodles

   Just when I thought summer was over, I get a fun movie to put an end to it. I had mixed expectations for The World's End; I expect it to be funny and witty, but from an initial look, it's seems too similar to this summer's earlier apocalyptic comedy, This Is The End. I was a little worried that the familiarity and similarity would leave a bland taste for me. This Is The End was probably one of the funniest movies of the year (after Despicable Me 2, of course), so I was hoping the jokes wouldn't be too similar. However, The World's End isn't only a lot different from This Is The End, but, in my opinion, a lot better. The World's End is the unofficial conclusion to what is known as the Three Colours Cornetto Trilogy, which is comprised of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and this. They're all directed by Edgar Wright, written by Wright & Scott Pegg, and all star Scott Pegg & Nick Frost.They don't really have anything else to do with eachother, other than they're similar British comedy. If you're a fan of the first two, then you'll probably enjoy this one. I personally loved the wit and jokes of them, so The World's End was a lot of fun for me.
   In this movie, the five main characters, led by Pegg's character Gary King, partook in the Golden Mile as teenagers; which is a pub crawl challenge from their hometown in which you have to drink a pint of beer from each pub on this mile-long stretch, ending with the pub called The World's End. The gang wasn't able to complete the Golden Mile back then, so after like 20 years now, they come back together and head back to their hometown to take another crack at it. However, upon coming back, the crew realizes that the town they grew up in has been replaced with alien robots. It sounds ridiculous, right. It is explained competently, but the ridiculousness of this film is one of the best parts. And among the chaos brought upon by these robots, the gang continues to go on the Golden Mile, and the further the film progresses, the more drunk the guys get. And they play it so well that it's believable and hilarious. Simon Pegg kills it in this movie as the self-declared leader of the group. He's a complete loose-cannon and everything that comes out of the guy's mouth is comedy gold. The rest of group, too, are all great in the movie. They've all moved on in their lives. One's a lawyer, another's car salesman with a family; they all just feel like real regular people and seem like they all know eachother so well as if they were really best friends as kids, which adds to this film because you relate to them and care about them. My personal favourite was Martin Freeman's character, Oliver (or as he hates being called, the "O-Man!"), the real estate agent with the bluetooth who always says the acronym "WTF." The acting and character writing of this film are on point, which is possibly the main reason it's so funny. What I also liked about the comedy is that it's cleverly written. There's a lot of jokes that develop in the movie to be funny, and then there's also the subtleties that a lot of people will miss that are really hilarious.

   The comedy and entertainment of this movie is also due highly to the direction. Edgar Wright has his own style of direction in which he does quick cuts, cool zooms, long takes, all mixed together. And the choreography of the fight scenes were fun, too. An example is when the gang is in one pub brawling against a bunch of robots and Pegg's character keeps trying to finish his glass of beer, while also being preoccupied by the ongoing fight. Just as well, it has some dramatic scenes that would otherwise be really cheesy in any other movie. However, the relatable characters and clever writing make it fit right in. My only gripes for this movie are that the last third aren't as strong as the the first two. It's still good and entertaining, don't get me wrong, but I feel like it's not as fun or engrossing as the beginning; it got more action. That, and the movie's not really for everyone. A lot of people really wouldn't find the British comedy as funny; and there are those who won't understand some of the more clever jokes. But for me, this was a laugh-out-loud 8.25 out of 10 Noodles (I couldn't decide between 8 and 8.5 so I just went in the middle). Had I made my Top 5 Summer Movies list after seeing this film, it would've knocked Pacific Rim into the Honourable Mentions.
   

Ben Affleck is the new Batman!

This is probably the biggest news as of recent. I really don't know how I'm reacting to it but I'm just gonna write my thoughts. I like Ben Affleck a lot, especially with his recent work in Argo and The Town. The guy really knows how movies work; he's a good actor, a great director, and an Oscar-winning writer. We know that he's a big player in the film industry. But is he right for Batman? The first thing that's probably coming to everyone's mind is the atrocity that was 2003's Daredevil. A lot of people don't like that movie, myself included, but we can't completely blame Affleck for it. The movie's real downfall was the horrible writing and direction. Affleck had nothing to really build on. And we can also argue that he's had a couple other bumps along the road, like the absolutely terrible Gigli among others. But it's no doubt that Ben Affleck has redeemed himself after those years. I'm not saying that he's the perfect Batman but I really wanna see the guy succeed. I mean, he's bound to play a good superhero; he has the perfect superhero chin!
Another thing I'm interested in is how he's going to interpret Batman. The general public right now is more or less only familiar with the incredibly dark and grumpy Batman from the Dark Knight trilogy. A lot of people I talk to aren't even aware that there were other Batman movies before that, or even that the amazing Adam West show even existed. Now that there's another reboot of the character, it's interesting to speculate how the character will be done this time. Batman is a character with a lot of layers; he's damaged, he's rich, he contemplates whether the mask is the Batman cowl or the face of Bruce Wayne. There's a lot to go with, and Ben Affleck can be a diverse actor, so this could be his time to really shine. I personally think that he could actually play a good Bruce Wayne. He could fit the role really well, but putting on the cowl is the real story. Is he going to be a great Batman? I have no idea. He's played layered, angry characters before but the Caped Crusader is going to be difficult to pull off. I have faith in the guy but I'm not 100% just yet. However, I really hope that he can prove all the haters wrong (including the small shred of doubt that I have) and just wow us all as the new Batman. I guess we'll have to wait until 2015 to find out!

Paranoia - Noodles Review

3 out of 10 Noodles

    What a misleading title for a movie? Nobody's even paranoid in this movie at all so calling it Paranoia doesn't really make sense to me. Instead, they could've titled it Generic Conveniences. Know why? Because everything in this movie is written in so conveniently for the characters to succeed in the most generic way. So, I guess you can tell it's not a very likable movie. Before seeing this movie, the premise sounded pretty cool. One guy is spying on a company for a rival company but not everything goes according to plan and then shit happens. Plus, the CEOs of the companies are played by none other than two of the best actors in the business! We got Gary Oldman, one of the most diverse actors of modern cinema, and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones & Han Solo: 'nough said). On top of that, it stars Thor's brother, Liam Hemsworth, who's good in The Expendables 2 and The Hunger Games, but this could have been his breakout role as a leading actor! Sadly, it's not.

     Hemsworth's character in this movie is so unlikable; the only reason an individual would enjoy him in this movie is because he's an attractive guy. However, his acting in this movie is pretty bad. I found myself comparing him to Taylor Lautner's performance in Abduction but at least with that movie we knew it was gonna be bad. Just as bad as his acting are the choices made by his character. The whole plot is put into motion because he got fired from a company and then he decides to go out clubbing with the credit card that's issued by the company he got fired from that he still luckily has! How stupid is that! And then, through a sequence of events, they choose him of all people to be a spy; this irresponsible guy who just goes out clubbing after he's fired? Wow. The writing in this movie clearly is off-putting, but we'll get to that later. The chicks, too, that Hemsworth gets with in this movie are really weird as well. One tries playing hard to get even though he already got with her, while the other chick tries to seduce him while he's already trying to seduce her. The only semi-redeeming qualities of this movie are that Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford actually try in this movie. It's undeniable that they're phenomenal actors, and they are, for the most part, good in this movie for what they're given. Nonetheless, they're given crap dialogue and stupid plot points. I cannot bag on the writing of this movie enough; it is so bad. The dialogue is unrealistic and not enjoyable, while the plot is so convoluted and uninteresting that I kept wanting to stop watching the movie.
     Additionally, the directing of this movie is a huge weakpoint. It looked like a made-for-TV movie from the '90s. The directing and camerawork were horrible. Sometimes there was a person talking but half their face was off the screen. In another sequence, Hemsworth is running like a little girl, flailing his arms around and whatnot. There's no purpose for him to be running like that; who said that was okay? It's funny seeing how stupid it is, but it's not even supposed to be funny. And with it being a spy thriller with convoluted twists, you'd think that it'd be unpredictable, right? Well it's not. It had those cliche moments like when he has to break into a vault and he's failed two out of three attempts, with the next failed attempt triggering the alarms. And then it tries to build tension in that moment, but you already know he's gonna be alright and his last attempt is gonna get through. The movie has no suspense whatsoever, despite trying to be a suspenseful summer thriller. It's not suspenseful because you always know what's gonna happen and don't really even care for the characters. It's not summer because it's boring and uninteresting rather than being fun. And it's not a thriller because there are absolutely no thrills. The only thing remotely okay about this movie are the performances of Gary Oldman and Harrision Ford, and that sometimes even gets old since Ford never gets the chance to say "Get off my plane!" It's not worth seeing in the theatre or even worth renting. It's one of those movies that will be on cable and you'll have to think about if you actually have nothing better to do than invest your time in it. But you'll probably end up passing anyways because Paranoia barely gets 3 out of 10 Noodles.

Top 5 Movies of Summer 2013

Though I haven't written any reviews all summer, I have seen a bunch of movies. So to make up for it, I've decided to make a top 5 list for the summer (meaning June, July, August; I don't count May as summer), consisting of my favourite movies of the summer with mini reviews of each. I've decided to do it this way because making a full detailed review for every new movie this summer would just be too much work, & I really only want to talk about the ones I enjoyed. So without further ado, let's get started with the honourable mentions.

Honourable Mentions
This Is The End - A movie about the end of the world during a party at James Franco's house? Count me in. This movie is really funny and it's inevitable that you'll be entertained throughout the movie. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it is seriously funny with some clever moments as well as some jokes pointed at the actors themselves. If you can get past the raunchy humour, you'll enjoy it.
The Wolverine - The elephant in the room here is that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a huge disappointment. I, myself, am a huge comic book fan and love the X-Men comics, cartoon, and most of the movies. However, I pretend like Origins didn't happen. Good thing The Wolverine came around to help me forget the aforementioned piece of crap. This is definitely an awesome movie and it dives into some really deep shit with Wolverine's personal life. It could honestly be watched as a standalone movie because it's dramatic and has a central story. The action is great (except for the action scenes containing shaky cam) and so is the acting, especially Hugh Jackman's portrayal (we're at a point where he is the only man who can play Wolverine). It's a very solid attempt at giving Wolverine his own movie and I had a lot of fun.
The Conjuring - If you've read my Evil Dead review, you'll know that I'm not a big fan of horror movies. It used to be because I get scared so easily and it sticks with me, but now it's because so many horror movies nowadays are just absolutely weak in story, character development, acting, and all the technical components of film-making. Thankfully, The Conjuring was pretty good with those things, especially the directing. It had a really slow buildup with some good character development, which made me care about them when scary things happened and most of the scares were well done. And while I still wasn't able to sleep after watching this movie, I was joyed by how well it was crafted.

5. Pacific Rim

It was really between this and The Conjuring that were competing for the number 5 spot, but I just can't deny how much fun I had with Pacific Rim. The story is actually really simple, in which huge monsters rise up from an inter-dimensional portal in the Pacific Ocean. The movie drops you in the middle of it, in which it's been happening for awhile so we've created huge badass robots to fight the monsters. It's a decent enough premise to make the awesome concepts of battles between giant monsters & giant robots plausible. It's reason enough for us to get locked into this movie. The character development was alright, as was the acting. Charlie Hunnam plays the protagonist; and while I absolutely love him in Sons of Anarchy, he's not spectacular in the movie. He gets the job done and you root for him but you're gonna buy his action figure. Then there's Idris Elba. We already know he's awesome, because with every role he takes on, the film could be terrible but you know Elba is gonna perform greatly. However, not everyone comes to this movie for the characters. We came to watch giant robots battle giant monsters. And I'll tell you it's so awesome. The battles are so epic. The scale of these battles are humongous and it allows you to actually see the entire fight occur, as opposed to the Transformers movies where it's all in you face and you can't tell what's going most of the time other than the sound of clanking metal. No, with this movie you see it all, and it is absolutely awesome. 7.5 out of 10 Noodles.

4. The Hunt
This is a lesser known film (probably because it's foreign) but it's definitely a great one. The Hunt is a Danish film concerning the a man named Lucas, played by Mads Mikkelsen. You may know him as the Bond villain from Casino Royale or as Hannibal Lecter in the show Hannibal. He's a phenomenal actor and he really shows that here (I'd be surprised if didn't get nominated for this). In this film, he plays an innocent-minded teacher. What I love about this movie is that it's so grounded and real. You really believe that this guy, Lucas, is a real person and everything that happens in the movie is so believable. He's a recently divorced guy who's close to getting custody of his son; he's starting a new relationship; as a teacher, all the kids love him. His life is a pretty positive one at the moment, until... one little girl decides to tell a little lie and falsely accuse him of sexually harassing her. And even though there's no evidence of this, Lucas's life begins to crumble. It all happens so realistically and that's credit to the writing and direction of this movie. When I watched this movie, I literally sat forward in my seat, motionless, witnessing the events of the film unfold. There's no special effects or spectacular events; it's just pure raw emotion in an intensely believable situation. One of the best compliments I can give a foreign-language film is that I forget that I'm reading the subtitles because I'm so engrossed in what's happening. To me, this is one of the best crafted films of recent years. Not everyone can watch it because a lot of people would find it boring or uninteresting, but it is just beautiful to me. 9 out of 10 Noodles. 

3. Man of Steel
Truthfully, this and The Hunt are interchangeable at the number 3 spot because The Hunt is definitely a better movie but Man of Steel is just so entertaining. I mean, come on, it's not a bird & it's not a plane. It's Superman! Man of Steel was actually my most anticipated movie of 2013 and while I hate to say it, I was somewhat disappointed. I didn't get that special spark that I was hoping for, which I got from the Dark Knight movies. And I'm probably gonna compare it to that too. However, I still like this movie a lot. If you didn't know, Man of Steel is the reboot of the Superman franchise. It's actually a great start for the hero, but it's not perfect. Henry Cavill actually owns the role of Superman, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane is convincing as well. But the show is stolen by the fathers, Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent. Michael Shannon as General Zod was great, too, but he lacked the emotion and intensity that I was expecting to get from him (especially showcased in one of the trailers). He was great in the role, but he's not the definitive Zod. Nonetheless, this movie still housed a ton of awesome sequences. Essentially every fight scene in this movie is done well and I just can't deny how much I enjoyed every second of them. Director Zack Snyder's visual direction of this movie is so great. However, I felt at times that there was too many action sequences in comparison to how much time is spent developing characters and emotion and all that stuff. While the movie has it's emotional scenes, it's not wholly inspiring or at the caliber of emotion that I was hoping for. But it's more so on the level of action-packed summer movieness. But I still enjoy this movie a lot and I'm so excited to see where the franchise heads (especially with the inclusion of Batman in the sequel!). 8.5 out of 10 Noodles.

2. Despicable Me 2

I was seriously contemplating the high placement of this movie on my list, but I just have to stress how much replay value this movie has. I can honestly watch it so many times. There's never really a dull moment in this movie. If you liked the first one, I'm pretty sure you'll like this one too. Personally, I loved the first one and I might even like this one more. Despicable Me 2 is about the ex-villain Gru moving on from his life of crime and instead raising his family (of which the youngest girl Agnes is probably the cutest animated character. Ever.). Along the way, there's a spy conspiracy concerning a supervillain on his hands, as well as the outstandingly lovable minions. We all love the minions and the makers of this film realized and capitalized on that. There's so much more minion humour in this movie and it's great. Essentially all the humour in this movie is laugh-out-loud hilarious and the best funny parts are the really subtle things. It's actually rewarding in a sense. The second half of the movie is also filled with cool spy stuff (bear in mind that it's not Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol though) and it's all fun and entertaining, while still retaining all the laughs. It's fun for kids, teenagers, and adults: the quintessential family movie of this year so far and definitely the funniest. 8.5 out of 10 Noodles. 

1. Elysium 

I was really excited for Elysium since I absolutely adore writer/director Neil Blomkamp's first film District 9. It had a gritty, realistic feel to it; the character development and acting was great, as well as the action; and there were interesting themes of social commentary in it. Thankfully, Blomkamp has delivered that yet again with Elysium. This is one of those movies that you walk into not fully knowing what to expect. However, it all pays off since this is the best movie of the summer and possibly of the year. Elysium takes place about a century or two into the future and Earth is in a pretty bad, crumbling type, condition here. Don't expect the world of Back to the Future 2 because this Earth is overpopulated, polluted; it sucks. And in this film, there's essentially no middle class of society is really present. We have the poor class living on this tattered Earth. Then we have the rich class (politically "the 1%") living on this perfect habitat in a space station called Elysium. On Elysium, life is great: everything's clean, everything's high society, they listen to classical music and speak French. There's medical machines that can essentially fix anything (from fixing broken legs to curing cancer). Jodie Foster kind of runs the place. She's actually the secretary of defense, but you know she really runs things. We know she's a great actress, and she's good here. Some people may be bothered by the weird, almost unique, accent she gives her character but I kind of felt it added to her character. However, she's one of the antagonists of the film as she pretty much hates the poor people who illegally immigrate to Elysium.

   On Earth, we have Matt Damon's character Max. He's a really likable guy and easy to root for. He cracks jokes and kicks ass, but is also really determined to reach his goals. Matt Damon delivers here with probably his best performance since The Departed. Through a number of events, he's gotta get to Elysium so he gets an awesome robotic suit bolted onto his body. It's pretty graphic when this happens too, the guys who do it don't exactly look like professionals, more so like thugs in the slums. Also on Earth is Agent Kruger, played by Sharlto Copley. I have to tell you right now that this guy completely steals the show. He's an actor with incredible range, playing an innocent fidgety guy who becomes a determined fighter in District 9, and then playing an all out psycho (who is awesome) in this movie. He works for the Elysium government but he still lives on the slums of Earth with his guys. The entirety of Earth is essentially the slums and the movie spends a lot of time on Earth, which I actually enjoyed. The location filming is fantastic and the setting is incredibly engrossing. You felt like you were in this world with them and caring about what would happen. The action sequences were so cool too. It's not tame though, there's very detailed blood and gore. And there's the robots, too, whom I can't even tell if they're actual set pieces or special effects. Whichever it is, they look so real.
   Another real thing about this movie is the social commentary of it. Yeah, with District 9, Blomkamp gave us the themes of apartheid and racism, while wrapping them up in a really interesting and unique movie with aliens. In Elysium, we have the issues of immigration, healthcare, and class boundaries discussed in this movie. My dad would even point out how interesting they made it, like where a group of poor Earthlings take some illegal ships up to Elysium and Jodie Foster wants to deport them because they're technically illegal immigrants. It really makes you think about how society is in our world today. When a movie can do that, while still being an incredibly entertaining and engrossing sci-fi flick, you know it's gonna be awesome. And whether you agree with the societal themes or not, you have to admire how much passion Neil Blomkamp pours into this film. In 2013, it's pretty rare to see that and I really love it. Elysium is a fantastic sci-fi drama with some deep human elements, as well as some amazing action scenes and awesome sequences (there's a Bugatti spaceship... how is that not awesome?). 9 out of 10 Noodles.