Sunday 16 December 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

I have become a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy over the past year or so, I remember sitting down for more than eight hours in front of the TV to watch the trilogy. I instantly felt a sense of disappointment because I didn't get to watch them in the cinema, but what could I do, I was too young to understand what was going on. So you guys could imagine how excited I was when I heard that The Hobbit was out in theatres. I could finally have the Lord of the Rings style experience I have been longing for such a long time. I went and watched The Hobbit yesterday, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. It was not better than Fellowship of the Ring, but that is expected. That aside, It still maintains that standard that the Lord of the Rings movie were known for. 


This is the kind of movie that you would want to watch in a cinema rather than at home, unless you have an amazing surround sound system, because the music in the movie is just eargasmic!! The battle scenes in the movie were epic and the stunts were perfect. The story is very interesting, and I loved the fact that I got to witness Biblo Baggins' early adventures. There is a substantial amount of humour in this movie, coupled with a lot of action and a dash of suspense. The cast was just as stunning as ever and I think that Martin Freeman did a fantastic job portraying the young Bilbo Baggins. A handful of the original cast from Lord of the Rings reprised their roles, including Frodo! The locations that the movie was shot in were just jaw dropping, they define the word beautiful. I also loved the CGI in this movie. My only complaint is that I didn't get to see the dragon, Smaug. Plus I felt that this movie followed the same rhythm of Fellowship of the Ring. Some people say that the ending was abrupt, no it was not, trust me! 



This movie didn't let me down, and I think it was a great start to The Hobbit trilogy. It satisfied me as a movie lover and a Lord of the Rings fan. The production is great, you could see that a lot of work was put into it, I really recommend that you go and watch this movie even if you were not a Lord of the Rings fan, because its just a good movie, that is all. 



"Home is now behind you. The world is ahead"

Ahmed 

Monday 10 December 2012

Back to the Future Part III (1990)


When I first heard of the Back to The Future Trilogy, my first thought was "man this is going to be horrible." And that was where I was gravely mistaken. The Back to The Future Trilogy is one of the most ingenious and imaginative movies I have ever seen. The first two were outstanding, but many people have complained about the third part, like it was the black sheep of the herd or something, why?
The reason here is that the third movie was based in the Wild West  rather than in the 50's or in the future, this  disappointed the fans since the second movie ventured into the future and provided a more realistic image of it, which was a relatively new idea back in the day. And there are a couple of annoying characters in the movie, like Clara, god she just annoyed me for some reason. But nonetheless, it's still a Back to The Future movie, the comedy, the storyline, the dialogue, and the production of the movie were all fantastic. It answered a lot of questions and provided a satisfying conclusion to this amazing trilogy.
As a movie, it is a blast! But compare it to the first two, then it won't really be as good. But I highly recommend it, because I really enjoyed it and guarantee that you will enjoy it too. This is the kind of movie I'd be happy to pop into the DVD any day!  
"You're not thinking fourth dimensionally"
Ahmed

Ted (2012)


I really can't stop laughing every time I remember a scene from this movie, I got into so much trouble in class for laughing randomly. My teachers actually think that I'm crazy! But all that aside, Ted was a brilliant movie, The idea is just genius in my opinion. Moreover, Ted is such a loveable teddy-bear!

There were moments while watching this movie when I actually fell on the floor with laughter. One of the reasons why I loved this movie was that I had watched it on the night I finished my 1st term finals, so you could imagine how all that laughter dissipated all that stress away from my brain. The cast was just fantastic, Mark Wahlberg was exceptional, The scene when he was reciting  the "white trash names" to Ted was just badass. Another scene that made me stab myself from laughter was when Ted's stalker, Donny, was dancing in front of the TV, not sure why but I found it hilarious! I really liked the fact that Seth Macfarlane voiced Ted, being a huge Peter Griffin fan, that just added to the charm of the movie. Sam Jones was just hilarious as ever. Also, the CGI on Ted just fascinated me. The only negative thing I can say about this movie was that the plot was to cliché, that is all.

Keep in mind, this isn't a kid's movie, I'm saying this because a lot of families were taking their children to watch the movie with them! But if you want to laugh, I would really recommend watching this movie, think about it, it's a badass, party loving, weed smoking, smartass, talking teddy bear, what could go wrong? It has definitely gone down as one of my favorite comedies of all time, and it has a great soundtrack!
"DEATH TO MING!!!"

Ahmed

Sunday 9 December 2012

The Amazing Spiderman (2012)


I received so much hate for loving this movie, many people told me that the Raimi films are much better and that this movie was "shit." But I stood strong and stuck to my opinion, The Amazing Spiderman was a wonderful movie, I was actually REALLY impressed with Andrew Garfield's performance and I thought that it surpassed that of Tobey Maguire's. The story was just sensational, and I loved the fact that it followed the storyline of the comics, unlike the Raimi films.

The cast of the film really worked hard and the end product was proof of this. The CGI in the movie was fantastic, and I was really happy that I got to know more about the how Peter Parker became Spiderman in a more detailed way, rather than in the Raimi films, which I felt was just sped up. The main villain of the movie, The Lizard, was just amazing, but I couldn't stop giggling at the structure of his face, because I thought that he was smiling the whole time, but that's not the point, the point is he was just amazing. I also loved the fact that there is a bit of humor incorporated in the movie, which in opinion just put the icing on the cake. Also, I forgot to mention, Emma Stone was just as stunning as ever!

People will think that I am comparing this movie to the Raimi films, but the truth is, I'm not. quite simply, I loved this movie, just as much as I love Spiderman. My eyes were stuck to the screen the whole time and I couldn't stop talking about it in school the next day. The movie is called The Amazing Spiderman, and yes,  the word amazing is really the right word to describe it :D
 
"Secrets have a cost. They're not free. Not now, not ever"
Ahmed

Saturday 6 October 2012

Men In Black 3 (2012)


I was so excited when I heard that a new MIB movie was coming out because I have always wanted to experience the pleasure of watching an MIB movie in the cinema. I have been a big fan of the MIB series for a very long time and for many reasons, it ranks up as one of my favorite trilogies of all time. This movie is just great, and it does not stick out as the black sheep of the herd in the trilogy, it just gives you one more reason to love the MIB movie series!

The thing about this movie is, it took all the good elements from the previous movies and multiplied it 100 times. The humor is just as amazing as ever, I actually had moments where I was rolling on the floor with laughter. Jemaine Clement did a fantastic job playing the main antagonist, Boris the animal. Boris' mix of humor and seriousness is the thing that I liked the most about him. I also loved the feeling of funkiness that was injected into the movie. One thing though, I was a bit shaky about the involvement of time travel in the movie, but I was terribly wrong for thinking that,  the concept of time travel is always a risky step in making a movie in my opinion, but it somehow worked in this movie.

But the man that made the movie for me, the man that I was most impressed with in terms of acting, was Josh Brolin who played the young agent Kay. I honestly praise this man, his portrayal of young Kay was amazing. It's not easy to portray a character that was played by an already respected actor(Tommy Lee Jones), and I honestly think that Josh Brolin had a big burden on his shoulders in terms of whether he could match the characteristics of Kay that Tommy Lee Jones had already established or not , but he pulled it off and did a great job!

This movie is an all in one package, Men in Black, Aliens, the 60's, Will Smith comedy, and a great production. This is a kind of movie that you truly enjoy, and the thrill ride is non-stop, this movie also answers a lot of questions and provides a satisfying conclusion. I also hear that there will be a fourth movie, and I'll say this from now, I will definitely  attend. Overall you guys, this movie AH MAY ZIIING!!!!


"Let's agree to disagree"
Ahmed

Sunday 23 September 2012

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

I remember watching this movie when I was 5 and I did not understand a word, but for some reason I loved it and I remember when I came back from school I'd play it on the DVD. But that has all changed, I understand it now, obviously, and my love for it grew stronger. I don't know why some people hate this film, there is nothing wrong with it, I felt that it provided a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and it had one of the best fight scenes that I've ever seen.

The production is just as good as the previous two films and the actors are still great. The storyline is very creative and the effects were just as amazing as ever. I also loved the fact that the movie was not predictable, I mean, who knew that Neo would actually die. This was a very risky step taken by the Wachowski brothers, killing the main character off is not easy, but I think they did the right thing. 

The final fight scene just blew my brain away, I have never seen such epicness since Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris! The setting was fantastic, the music was out of this world, the dialogue was very intense, and the stunts that were performed were fantastic. When Neo died, I won't lie to you guys, I actually cried. When the machines dragged Neo away I just got so emotional for some reason. 

This movie is one of the few movies in which the repeat value is very high for me and I would pop this in the DVD player any day. If there is one word to describe this movie it would be EPIC. To sum up, this movie is a blast from beginning to end and I give it a 10/10. I highly recommend you watch it.

"It ends tonight"
Ahmed 

Monday 17 September 2012

1408 (2007)

This has to be one of the best horror movies I have seen in a while, not only is it a fresh new idea in my opinion, but the overall production of the movie is great! It's in the psychological horror movie genre, and let me tell you, this movie just messes up your mind and I promise that you will have a nail biting experience that will involve A LOT of goosebumps.

John Cusack in playing Mike Enslin, who writes about supernatural events, but he doesn't believe ghosts. So one day he gets a postcard from the Dolphin hotel that says "Do not enter 1408." so Mike happily accepts the challenge and convinces the hotel manager, Gerald Olin, to get him to spend the night in room 1408. Now, 1408 is a cursed room in which 56 deaths have occurred and the tenants survived for more than an hour. So everything starts off cool and quiet while Enslin is in the room, but of course that all changed when the clock started the countdown.

The thing that I liked about this movie is that it has a vintage feel to it which really adds to the fear factor, because everything just seems so sinister. Random phone calls from an operator, and of course when the clock plays "We've only just begun" as it starts counting down just freaked me out. It is that kind of horror movie where you get really paranoid while watching it. I was looking over my shoulder the whole time. The part where Mike gets hallucinations about the past tenants throwing themselves out of the window has to be one of my favorite scenes in this movie. The thing is, this movie plays with your mind, you never know if what Mike is seeing is real or just an illusion, which I really like.

I get chills all over me just by recalling a scene. Hell, I even got goosebumps just from writing this review! To sum up, you guys have to watch this movie, it is really really really worth watching, and I really hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Ps: Thank you for making my blog reach over 300 views, I never expected that to happen in so little time, you guys are awesome :')

"I warned you about 1408"
Ahmed

Sunday 16 September 2012

The Dictator (2012)



This was one of my most anticipated movies of 2012, mainly because it starred Sacha Baron Cohen, the man behind one of my all time favorite comedies, Borat. I finally got a chance to watch it a couple of months ago, because it was not released in Bahrain for some reason. I watched it through from start to end, and let me tell you this, I was not disappointed nor was I satisfied, and that is a very rare feeling for me when I watch a movie; because I either love or hate the movie, no exceptions.

The thing about this movie is that it is scripted, unlike most of Sacha Baron Cohen's movies like Borat or Bruno (which was disgusting by the way). So the comedy is a little low in this one. Another thing I hated about this movie is that it uses a lot of stereotypes which were really not necessary. Also, this movie is SO unrealistic, I know that it is after all, a movie, but come on man! At least try to make it look like he is being a realistic Dictator. And, I HATED Anna Faris' performance, I thought she was terrible.

There are of course, some positive points. Like the fact that there is actually a twist at the end, and the fact that there are several memorable gags in the movie (but not as much as Borat of course!), and Mr.Lao was just amazing and hilarious, to this day I laugh every time I recall one of his quotes. And I really loved Jason Mantzoukas' character, Nadal. Moreover, Edward Norton makes a cameo! These few bits and pieces all combine together to make an overall watchable movie.

The critics didn't give this movie much praise and I can understand why, this is a very stereotypical motion picture that is highly unrealistic and not as good as Cohen's previous films. When comparing it to his other movies, this movie is like the black sheep of the herd, but on its own this movie is actually very watchable. This is why I didn't like it or hate it. Anyways, I suggest u guys to watch this movie and tell me what you think in the comment section below.

"You are HIV...Aladeen"
Ahmed


Friday 7 September 2012

The Avengers (2012)

I honestly don't know what the hype on this movie was all about, I thought it was okay, like just okay. The thing is, i'm not a really huge marvel fan, and the movie was TOO predictable. In fact the only thing I liked about this movie was the special effects, they were mind mindblowing!

I had to wait till the end of the movie to see all the action, now its not like I was not interested in the story, but a 7 year old inside me really didn't care about the story but rather wanted to see the action ONLY! I hated the fact that the Hulk looks like the Hulk from the 2008 movie rather than the 2003 movie, now I don't know about you guys but I loved the look of the Hulk from the 2003 movie for some reason. Also, the movie focuses too much on Iron Man ( not that I hate Iron Man), its called the Avengers not Iron Man And The Avengers.

The story is too predictable as I mentioned earlier, and that's the thing, movies in general today are too predictable, the story is recycled over and over again. Gone are the days when people actually were creative when it comes to movies. There are no twists and turns like in The Dark Knight Rises, and honestly I was yawning throughout the whole movie.

Yes I know there were very few negative reviews about this movie, and I have to admit, there were a few awesome gags, but is this where movies have come to, a few gags? The way I see it, yes they have, I've said it a thousand times, movies are means of profit instead of art nowadays. But hey, this is just one opinion, some people I know thought it was the best movie of the decade. well not for me.

"HULK...SMASH!!"
Ahmed

Friday 24 August 2012

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)


When I saw the trailer for this movie, first thing that came up to my mind was "how come Bane isn't massive?". And honestly I had doubts about the originality of all the characters, but that was when I saw the trailer only. This movie is so amazing and creative, I watched it in the cinema twice in a row, that's how good it is. I thought that Bane wouldn't stand a chance against the Joker in the previous film, but he delivered a performance that was just as good. 

I won't say anything about the story in case you haven't seen the movie yet, but I will say this, Batman met his match. Bane is physically and mentally stronger than batman, and Batman really has a hard time trying to defeat him. I have to say, Bane is one scary guy, his voice is that of a dying, old, posh Englishman, his body is that of a Soviet boxer, and his appearance is very sinister. Honestly, every time Bane shows up in a scene, I get a strange feeling of discomfort because I know that this guy is pure EVIL. I will forever praise Tom Hardy for playing this role 

Anne Hathaway was fantastic as Selina Kyle, although I liked Michelle Pfeiffer more, Anne Hathaway's performance was still exceptional! And I also loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance as John Blake, a determined, never-say-die police officer who works with commissioner Gordon to stop Bane from destroying Gotham. Morgan Freeman and Michael Cain return as Lucuis Fox and Alfred.

The thing that impressed me with this movie is the fact that it isn't action and gadgets, but rather about pushing Batman to his physical and mental limit, and it also has ALOT of twists and turns. You never know who will side with or betray Batman and you are in constant suspense all the time. I also loved how they fit in the Batplane in the movie. 

There are some negative aspects to the movie also, I hated the fact that it didn't follow the story-lines of the some of the characters from the comics, and the fact that bane isn't huge. but the positive aspects of the movie greatly overpower its negative aspects. To sum up, this movie is a thrill ride from start to end and if you haven't watched it, stop reading this and run to the cinema and WATCH IT!!!!

"Your punishment must be more severe"
Ahmed

Saturday 11 August 2012

Dracula (1931)


I've been wanting to do a Dracula review ever since I started this blog and I've always been putting it off again and again, but not anymore. One of the main reasons why I wanted to review this movie is because people tend to forget who Dracula is and how he became an icon. Unlike nowadays where there are only a handful of memorable movies, back in the 30's every movie that came out was memorable because every movie had a fresh idea, contrary to movies nowadays where the story is recycled over and over again.

When I first saw this movie I was just appalled. Everything was perfect, from the dialogue to the locations to the choice of actors. The main attraction in this film is Bela Lugosi who played Count Dracula, it was he who set the standards for Dracula from the way he dressed all the way to the accent that he talked in. Bela Lugosi perfected this role and no has or will ever surpass him in my opinion, you have to watch the film to know what I mean. Dwight Frye was fantastic as Renfield, Dracula's faithful servant, his laugh is very creepy and still haunts me today for some reason.

For today, watching the film was like watching an episode of Scooby Doo, but back in the day people actually fainted in shock at the horror that they saw. I can see why this has happened, watching the whole movie is like living in a nightmare, it's black and white with little music and the suspense is very high. It's the experience after the movie that scared me the most, I felt very paranoid for some reason, and when I went to sleep, I had a black and white dream with Renfield laughing and Dracula just staring at me, which prevented me from having a solid night's sleep.

This movie also shows how much work they used to put in movies, it amazes as to how creative people were in terms of introducing effects with very primitive technology, and it shows us how movies were art, not tools of making profit, you actually enjoyed what you payed for back in the day, unlike today (which is really sad given the fact that we have the most advanced technologies and highly talented actors/actresses).

Overall, you guys must watch this film, not only will it satisfy horror movie fans, but also movie lovers in general. As a matter of fact, watch the whole Universal Horror Movies from the 1930's and I promise that it will be an unforgettable experience.

"I am....Dracula"
Ahmed