Transformers (2007)

3/5

Transformers was a really, really fun movie. It's a summer blockbuster action movie that delivers for the entire two and a half hours. The special effects and the fights just blew me away. Some of the scenes were absolutely hilarious and had me laughing and smiling. Even though the movie was long, it was varied enough in content and mood to keep you interested and entertained. I especially loved the shout-out to Bay's earlier movie, where a kid runs around with a camera shouting, "This is so much better than Armageddon!" Also, I hear fans of the original cartoons were very pleased with how it turned out. The music was excellent and kept your blood pumping strong. The multiple storylines weave together really well.

As expected, the dialogue was extremely corny the entire time. The acting was awful. There were a ton of minor characters that were worthless (the hackers), along with subplots that were worthless (sending out a code while trapped inside). It could have easily been a much tighter, better-acted, better-written two hour movie if they had tried a little harder. Also, the main actress was pretty hot, I guess, but her face was really weird. Most of the scenes went on for too long and, at two and a half hours, the movie definitely overstayed its welcome. Although it never really got to the point where it was boring, I definitely felt some of the scenes to be quite tedious and tiring. Some of the fights were too short and there wasn't as big of a climax as I expected there to be; also, some were really confusing because of how it was shot and it was hard to tell what was going on. Also, I didn't like how the Transformers were so alien; I really didn't like their new designs. Anyway, if this movie ever interested you or you thought it might be good, go watch it, because you will not be disappointed.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0418279/

Hustle & Flow (2005)

3/5

This movie was surprisingly entertaining, from its stunning opening shot and intro credits to the equally extraordinary closing shot. The beginning had a style that reminded me of Pulp Fiction without feeling like it was copying it. After the beginning, the filmmaking became pretty boring stylistically as the main story started to take over--which was fortunately pretty interesting in concept, although not particularly original. The script itself wasn't very good, but I loved Terrence Howard's accent, especially the way he said man (it made me think of Pacino in Scarface, not that they sounded similar). The directing was really good in some parts, albeit uneven overall. I'm interested in what this new director can come up with next. I'm also interested in new projects Terrence Howard takes on, because his acting was phenomenal. The music was absolutely extraordinary, and they captured the excitement of music-making exquisitely. Overall a very entertaining movie, if a bit uneven at times.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0410097/

The Departed (2006)

5/5

I just came back from seeing The Departed with Jed, Sameer, and Amar. This movie is phenomenal. It is a return to the genre the great master reinvented. I had ridiculously high expectations for this movie, and they were surpassed. It has the flash and fun of GoodFellas and Casino mixed in with the intensity and subtlety of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. This is the zenith of entertainment in art. This is why you watch movies.

First off, the characters are the most unique, off-the-wall screen presences I can remember. The acting is so absolutely amazing that they are actually able to pull this off. The colors, style, and subtlety pervaded every shot and scene that to list off each memorable part of the movie would be to describe every second of it. The script is consistently funny, the violence sudden and shocking, and the subtext omnipresent. Watch it if you want to enjoy a good time, or if you want to analyze it as cinematic art. Just watch it.

The introductory scenes were so bizarre; it looked like an abundance of b footage spliced together randomly. I feel like Scorsese didn't really have a vision for how he wanted the beginning to look. I might be wrong though. And after the first ten minutes, I was so absorbed in the movie that I couldn't generate any more fictitious reasons like the one above to not love the movie. In fact, why am I writing this review and not seeing it again?

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0407887/