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.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Noodles Review

9 out of 10 Noodles

       Yup, I'm a Star Trek fan. Yes, I'm a Benedict Cumberbatch fan. How about we put those two together and see what happens? Well, this... the best movie of 2013 thus far. I loved the first movie (not the first Stark Trek: The Motion Picture) from 2009 that was sort of a reboot of the franchise but sort of not. The concept of it was that it opened a new timeline, sort of a parallel universe. This means that while everything in the original shows and movies did happen, all of the events in the new movies are also happening to the same characters in a different timeline (or parallel universe). This gives leeway for a lot of things as it gives the opportunity to the people making the film to create their own ideas for it, without altering any of the source material. Therefore, a lot of awesome shit happens in the new movies.

       The first thing you gotta talk about in this movie is Benedict Cumberbatch. He is absolutely awesome in one of my favourite shows, Sherlock, and he owns in this movie. He's menacing, smart, efficient; everything we need. One of my only gripes about the first movie was the villain. He didn't suck or anything but he just wasn't totally awesome and badass; and I understand that because that one was introducing the characters and the whole world. But they got it all right in this one because Cumberbatch = awesome. If he's in a scene, you even totally disregard anyone else in the scene because he literally steals every single scene just be being present. Overall, I think you get the point that he's intense. Kirk and Spock are awesome as well. There's a lot of really enjoyable moments concerning their relationship as shipmates. They banter back and forth, intentionally disregard eachother, and yet still work together and respect one another. That's a real buddy movie right there. Then there's Scotty who's the comic relief of the movie and Simon Pegg really does him justice. However, not all of the characters are as greatly important. It's not that they're irrelevant, but they aren't as perfectly fleshed out as they could've been (or Cumberbatch is just stealing all their talent).
      Speaking of talent, the director, J.J. Abrams showcases his pretty well in this movie. While some people don't like his many lens flares, I feel they add more to the film's style. One thing that doesn't need style to be great in this film is the action and epic things that happen. The movie is filled with adrenaline and barely ever gives you a breather. Plus, it's filled with tons of money shots! If you don't know what that is, it's a really awesome scene in a movie (usually depicted in the trailers) that you know costs big money but it just makes your jaw drop. Example from this movie: the scene in the trailer where the U.S.S Enterprise crashes into the lake. Yup, it's there and it is awesome. While there's awesome and relentless action, the story's pretty dense too. It's compelling, heartfelt, and fun. It even has layers, which we don't really see in action movies often today; while there's the action between the good guy and the bad guy, there's drama, politics, and other events going on that really add to the movie.
      If you know someone who says that they don't wanna see this movie just because Star Trek is dumb or nerdy, they are clearly either stupid or an asshole. This movie and it's predecessor actually make Star Trek a cool and entertaining thing for everyone to watch and undoubtedly enjoy. There's great and exciting action, a strong and compelling story, fun moments, and Benedict Cumberbatch absolutely kicks ass. Star Trek Into Darkness is, so far, the best movie of 2013, and it gets 9 out of 10 Noodles.