Quick Movie Review

Let Me In (2010, USA) | Rating: 2/5
I heard about this movie through a friend and was told to avoid the American remake, but I got curious and wanted to compare. I know I didn't review the Swedish original movie as I didn't have much to say about it. It wasn't a bad movie at all, it was more so I didn't know what to talk about. It was a good movie and explored some new areas with vampires that not many mediums touch on. In the remake, it seems a bit lackluster in places. The characters aren't as interesting and they wanted to make matters a bit more gruesome. Chloë Grace Moretz didn't give her character much depth or offer the viewer some sort of emotional attachment compared to the original and Kodi Smit-McPhee's character was either bland or a little annoying. In short, the remake was unnecessary, so I suggest to watch the original Swedish version. There is an optional English audio track, so there's no excuses!



Grand Piano (2013, Spain) | Rating: 2.5/5
This is the second Elijah Wood film I've watched recently that I've never heard about. At least, not in mainstream movie news. I was intrigued by it because he's in it and the premise seemed simple, but somewhat interesting. The movie presents a slightly unique hostage take with a piano performance. Wood's character has been on hiatus from playing and is part of a special concert, but a threat shifts the atmosphere of his return performance as an avid fan or piano enthusiast threatens Wood's character through his phone. Despite the simplicity of the plot, there's some good tension going on, even if you can somewhat predict what is going to happen a few steps ahead of the movie. I thought the movie was entertaining enough, but probably isn't all that memorable compared to the last movie I reviewed of his, Maniac. Of course, it doesn't compete with The Lord of the Rings series or even The Good Son. If you're curious, I will not discourage anyone from seeing it.



The Dark Crystal (1982, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5
I know this Jim Henson classic has been a part of many people's childhoods, but I've actually never seen it until now. Since watching Syfy's Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge, it made me interested in watching more of his movies. I know this movie is one of people's favorite childhood movies and I can understand why. It might seem a little dated at times, but honestly the puppetry is still very effective to this day and the story is very simple for children. It isn't too dark, but it has a tiny sense maturity for an older set of children. The characters are easy to distinguish and feel the appropriate feelings for. I can also understand the nostalgic feeling this movie brings, even if you've never seen, but have seen something similar to it.



Frankie & Alice (2010, Canada) | Rating: 2.5/5
I don't really pay attention too closely to a lot of actors, but I may be wrong on this one, I think Halle Berry might've hit a little slump with movies lately. I remember seeing previews for this, but never spotted it in theaters, so I'm wondering whether it didn't do too well in the box office or it was simply a limited release situation. Nonetheless, I'm surprised my workplace had it in its collection and I proceeded to check it out. Even though multiple personalities have been tackled in movies, I thought it had a nice little variation on the subject matter. Halle Berry did a pretty decent job with the material given. The movie in general wasn't anything spectacular, but it is worth giving a chance. The subject matter does deal a little more than just multiple personality disorder, but other potential problems that Berry's character is facing with her family and past.



Son of God (2014, USA) | Rating: 3/5
This is probably a rare sight to see. A religious movie! Yeah, I saw this one with my church as a favor to my mom and it was pretty good. I vaguely remember this movie being taken from a television mini-series, The Bible. To the trained eye, you can tell that this was a made for TV movie by the way it is shot, but there are hints in the way the story flows that this was taken from somewhere else. I enjoyed the content presented in the movie, but the editing isn't very smooth as it feels like fragments from something bigger, which it is. I think I would rather watch the series to fill in the gaps and see the story flow more smoothly. Despite the progression, the content itself is enjoyable and the actors did a great job with their roles. I also want to applaud the casting director for the diversity as well. Too bad Exodus didn't do the same thing.


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