Kris Deering

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Kris Deering  |  Jun 01, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 2/5
Park Chan-Wook made quite the name for himself internationally with his superb "revenge" trilogy. He's probably best known in the US for the middle of the three films, Oldboy. This time around Chan-Wook takes on a different type of film, though the knack for heavy violence is still present. I'm a Cyborg revolves around a young girl who is committed to a mental hospital after attempting suicide at a factory. There she meets several interesting characters with various mental issues and a young man who hides behind a mask. The girl thinks she is a cyborg and talks to various electrical items throughout the hospital and the film takes on a bit of a fantasy role with interesting visual displays that reminded me slightly of the French film, Amelie. Overall this is a slow building film but by the end you realize the full heart of the characters. People looking for a film similar to Chan-Wook's more popular offerings may be disappointed, but this was still a very interesting character piece on its own.
Kris Deering  |  May 26, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 4.75/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 3/5
I'm always a fan of period drama and despite the rather lackluster reviews, The Other Boleyn Girl was quite entertaining. The film is based on the true story of two sisters who started quite the scandal with King Henry VIII after his queen fails to give him a male heir. Anne Boleyn is propositioned as a mistress for the King to give him an heir but he becomes captivated with her married sister, Mary. From there a downward spiral commences as the King is pulled from one to the other which eventually tears the kingdom apart resulting in the annulment of his marriage with the queen, a separation from the Catholic Church and a string of failed marriages. It was these events that set things in motion for Queen Elizabeth and the feud between the Protestant Queen and the Catholics. If I had to complain I would say the PG-13 rating seemed to tone down the film a bit more than it needed to be. This film focuses on very adult themes that would have been better served with an adult rating in my opinion.
Kris Deering  |  May 26, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 3/5
Audio: 2.75/5
Extras: 2.5/5
I grew up with this trilogy and looking back I am almost surprised that my parents let me watch these films at such a young age. These films cemented Stallone's status as an action icon and "Rambo" is a name everyone knows. Just in time for the release of the new (and quite entertaining) fourth installment is the original trilogy on Blu-ray. I still consider the first film to be the strongest of the series and I love the message it sends on the treatment of Vietnam Vets after their return home. It is always disturbing to see how those troops were treated. The second and third film suited the Reagan years perfectly and continued to fuel our fear of the Russians during the Cold War. I like the second film a lot more than the third, but even the weakest one is good popcorn fun.
Kris Deering  |  May 26, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.75/5
Extras: 4.25/5
Stallone is definitely doing his best to defy the odds. I never thought that Rocky Balboa would be a good film but I was pleasantly surprised. I thought he may be pushing his luck with Rambo but instead he delivered what I feel to be the best installment in the series since the first film. This is a no hold bar action film that not only turns up the body count and gore, but delivers the best production design and tone of the sequels. Rambo has turned hard in his later years and when a group of activists that he delivered into war torn Burma turn up missing, he joins a group of mercenaries to get them out. The story is simplistic in nature and doesn't try to get too political, but it does shed light on the unfortunate events of that volatile region. Stallone proves that he is still every bit of the action star he used to be and rumor has it another Rambo film is in the works.
Kris Deering  |  May 26, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 4.75/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Dreamworks brings their first animated film to Blu-ray with Bee Movie. Honestly, this is one of the weaker Dreamworks animated films and aside from the colorful animation I didn't think there was a lot for kids here. The film takes on an environmental approach in some ways and the themes of the film don't seem to take the entertainment of kids in stride. Jerry Seinfeld plays Barry, a young worker bee not content to spend the rest of his life working in the hive. When he journeys out into the real world he befriends a florist and finds out that people have been selling honey. The film then focuses on the slavery of bees and then the catastrophic events that could unfold if bees stopped pollinating. While the film does have a few fun moments, it didn't really appeal to me as a story. The animation is jaw dropping at times with some very cool three dimensional moments, but it couldn't make up for the slow script and dull comedy.
Kris Deering  |  May 22, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
I had a strong feeling going into this film that I wouldn't be a fan. I am not big on Ferrell's brand of comedy (though I did love Stranger than Fiction) and Heder hasn't done anything particularly good since Napoleon Dynamite. The comedy is a bit too over the top for me, and they borrowed a lot from comedies of the past. There are some good laughs here and there, but not nearly enough of them to warrant a purchase. I would stick with a rental on this one.
Kris Deering  |  May 22, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 3.25/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Twister is one of those big budget popcorn films that audiences just flock to during the summer movie season. I was just as excited as everyone else to see it, since the special effects looked amazing in the trailers. Years later the film is still a fun ride, but with technology and special effects where they are now, this film doesn't have the technical flair it used to. For those who haven't seen it (if there are any), the film follows a group of storm chasers who have developed a measuring device for tornadoes. The bad part is, they have to get right in the path of the twister to use it. ILM did some phenomenal work on the special effects for the time and this is still a pretty intense ride.
Kris Deering  |  May 22, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 3.75/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3/5
I've been in the Navy for 13 years now and I've been to sea on several occasions during that time. Fortunately for me that time was spent under the water as I am a proud submariner. Peter Weir's Naval epic may not show the life of a modern submariner, but I think it is a testament to enduring life at sea and the comradely that blooms from it. The tale pits an English boat captain against a faster and more capable French ship, but the day to day struggle of the ship's crew is really the focus of this masterful film. The production values are stunning and I'm actually shocked we haven't seen more films like this since after seeing how well they executed it this time around. Here's hoping for more!
Kris Deering  |  May 22, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
John Woo had definitely done some great action work over the years. But I will be the first to admit that not all of his films grab me. While I found this one entertaining, it was never one of my favorites by him. Probably because I went through a basic hate relationship with Travolta films for awhile. After Pulp Fiction it seemed like every other movie out there had him in it, and he always acted exactly the same. Since I've had a bit of a break from all that now, I will say the film sat a bit better with me this time around, but I still think it is one of Woo's weaker titles.
Kris Deering  |  May 22, 2008  |  0 comments
Video: 3.75/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4/5
V for Vendetta was different than I expected. Its tones on fear and controlling population through it touch the nerve of a lot going on in our own country, though probably not quite to the extent of what is portrayed here. It is a theme that has been in more and more media lately including an excellent book I just read from Michael Crichton.

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