Jack’s Movie Picks

The film follows D’Leh (Steven Strait), a young mammoth hunter who is the son of a hunter that abandoned the village. Growing up, his only friends were Tic’ Tic and Evolet, with whom he falls in love. In one day during the mammoth herds, D’Leh accidentally kills one mammoth and is hailed a hero until he tells the truth. At night, a group of raiders come in and kidnap several of the tribe, including Evolet. The warlord leader takes a liking towards her. His main henchman, One Eye, believes that the girl is a witch who has seduced his master (his later actions hint that he might possibly be attracted to the girl as well.) During their travels to save their people, D’Leh falls into a trap-hole where he finds a trapped Sabre-Tooth. Despite being scared, D’Leh saves the cat by letting it free. D’Leh and Tic’Tic keep on walking through the desert finding the village of the Naku tribe. Just when the Naku are about to attack them, the Sabre-Tooth appears, but D’Leh confronts it. Recognizing him as the one who saved it earlier, the tiger spares him and protects him and Tic’Tic from the tribe. The tribe acknowledges D’Leh as the fulfiller of the prophecy that someone who speaks to the Sabre-Tooth would appear (and would be their savior). D’Leh also learns the fate of his father from Nakudu, leader of the Naku. Nakudu had met his father and learnt the Yagahl’s words (their language) from him.

Other tribes of the area, on being convinced that the prophecy had been fulfilled, join them. D’Leh learns that Evolet and the others are being taken to the “Mountain of the gods” where they would be forced to build altars and pyramids for a mysterious god-like figure. Determined to rescue Evolet and the rest of his tribesmen (and all the other slaves), D’Leh and his friends organize an attack. D’Leh kills the tyrant god, leaving all spectators awestruck. Evolet frees herself by stabbing the warlord with an arrow. The dying warlord, out of spite, shoots an arrow at Evolet from behind killing her. However, she comes back to life to fulfill the prophecy of Old Mother, who revives her with her last breath. Nakudu, fulfilling D’Leh’s father’s wishes, gives him seeds. D’Leh and the rest of the Yagahl bid farewell to the Naku and return to their village. The film ends as D’Leh and Evolet observe the growth of the seedlings.

The Movie it’s damn enjoyable, the special effects are pretty dame good. The story is kind of weak talking about eight or so prophecies that are all to be fulfilled by the one guy, but the story’s pace is good. All in all I would call it a good popcorn movie well worth the admission. If you don’t take movie serious you will enjoy it all the way to the end. Anyway I’ll give this movie a 3 1/2 out of 5 so out and have a great beginning to a great year at the movies.

As a adolescent, David Rice (Max Thieriot) lived with his father William (Michael Rooker). Due to her status as a Paladin, David’s mother Mary (Diane Lane) left him because she knew he was a Jumper.

When David falls through the ice covering on a river, he discovers that he is a Jumper. Using this ability he leaves his childhood home behind. He decides to set himself up in New York City, using money he has stolen from the local bank. Over the course of the next eight years, David (now played by Hayden Christensen) lives life to excess, traveling all across the world and living a consequence-free life.

This all changes when he meets, Roland Cox (Samuel L. Jackson), (a jumper hating Paladin) who has been tracking him for several years after investigating the mysterious bank robbery David had accomplished. Roland uses a variety of advanced technologies to inhibit David’s ability to Jump while trying to kill him, but David manages to escape. After David tracks down Millie (Rachel Bilson), his childhood friend, he encounters Mark (Teddy Dunn),who attended David and Millie’s school. The two get into a fight after Mark insults Millie. During the fight, David Jumps with Mark into the bank vault from his robbery 8 years before, and leaves Mark inside. After this, David Jumps back to Millie, and uses his considerable wealth to fly her to Rome for a holiday. After interrogating Mark in jail, Roland sets out to find David.

While the two are exploring the Roman Colosseum, David meets a young Jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell) (who had been tracking David since he noticed him jump at the bar in London). After being attacked by Paladins, they Jump to his hideout (Griffin since it is one of his Jump Sites, David by entering Griffin’s Jump Scar). Once there, David learns about a centuries-old war between Jumpers and Paladins, and about how Griffin is trying to track down and kill as many of the Paladins as he can.

Fearing for Millie’s safety, David returns to Rome to see her safely on a homebound plane, but is arrested by the police for trespassing. While in custody he is visited by his mother, Mary, and warned that the Paladins are on their way. After receiving a warning to run, David puts Millie on a plane to Detroit, and then Jumps to his father’s house to check on him. Unfortunately, William is dead, killed by Roland for refusing to sell out his son.

While working with Griffin, David Jumps to Millie’s home in order to take her to safety. After David arrives at Griffin’s hideout, Griffin panics, telling David that the Paladins have technology that allows them to travel through the scars left after a jump. Roland arrives minutes later with a team of Paladins and attacks the group. Griffin kills the team with a flamethrower and fights against Roland one-on-one; Roland eventually retreats back through the jump scar into Millie’s home, taking Millie with him.

Griffin prepares a bomb to use against Roland, but David won’t let him as this would kill Millie as well. David then steals the detonator and the two Jump across the world, through each other’s Jump Scars; until David manages to trap Griffin in a collapsed electrical tower which prevents him from Jumping. He then Jumps to Millie’s apartment, only to be caught by Roland and the Paladins. With great effort David manages to Jump a large portion of Millie’s apartment into a lake, shorting out the Paladins’ equipment. From there, he jumps a portion of the apartment, Millie, Roland, and himself into a library. David then jumps Roland into a cave in the Grand Canyon. Sparing Roland’s life, David states that not all Jumpers end up being evil…

Some time later, David pays a visit to his mother, Mary, in the process learning that he has a sister. When he confronts her about her being a Paladin, she tells him that she loves him and therefore will give him a head start. The film ends with David and Millie jumping away to an unknown warm location.

Frist I would like to say that I really enjoyed this movie. Science fiction and action have been rather strange bedfellows in way too many films in the past, but here they fit seamlessly together to form a smart, original, intriguing, and overall enjoyable movie-going experience. A superhero movie without any real “heroes” to speak of, Jumper bends multiple genres into a new aesthetically pleasing shape that was as welcome and refreshing to me among the sea of recent sub-par-to-horrible sci-fi action films as a bottle of water surely is to a man lost in the desert. If you’re looking to just enjoy yourself, jumper with it’s consant face pace will not disappoint. I give it a 4 out of 5, great for a collection, so go out and enjoy…..

The movie Meet The Spartans which is another movie that takes bits from other movies such as 300 and pokes fun at them.The warriors of 300 might have been able to hold their own,at least for awhile against an army of thousands, but can they defend themselves against this satire? From the minds behind EPIC MOVIE, MEET THE SPARTANS tackles everything from the action movie to YOU GOT SERVED to Britney Spears.This was a great mistake of mine to see this movie. The movie has a horrible plot which is almost pointless. The acting is horrid, none of the actors are likable characters either.The best way to describe this movie would be “Complete waste of time, A horrible parody to the masterpiece 300…I don’t even advise you to see this movie online for free. I tell you people could had made something of the movie if they only gave a bit more thought to the spoof and leave the parts that have absolutely nothing to do with the 300, like the part Britney Spears & happy feet etc….Just make clear fun spoof like the part where there is only 10 guys instead of 300 hundred or the dance battle or the oracle etc.. all that was great but as soon as they went off the beaten track it just became silly instead of funny and the movie just begins to die. I give this movie 1 1/2 out of 5 for some few laughs & I mean very few it could have been hilarious if only they really gave it some thought.

The film opens with our hero, still a young brave vying with his brother Nashoba for the affections of Catori. A rival tribe attacks, prompting Turok to fly into what can only be described as a “berserker rage!”

At this point it becomes obvious that this new ‘Turok’ is inspired more by modern Anime than recent American-made animated fare. Tomahawks fly. Limbs are severed and blood spurts in balletic slow-mo as warrior-born Turok ruthlessly cuts down these new enemies.So blind is Turok’s rage that when Nashoba tries to calm him Turok strikes him down as well, nearly killing him. Turok becomes exiled from his tribe and spends the next years as an embittered loner, living in the wild.

Turok’s act of violence plagues the tribe years later when a ruthless native warrior Chichak discovers them under Nashoba’s rule. He realizes these are the same natives that killed his own father years earlier. Chichak visits bloody revenge on the tribe, leading his warriors (armed with 16th or 17th century flint-lock rifles, marking this as post-Columbian) to attack. Nashoba’s son Andar tries to summon Turok to intervene and he does, reluctantly, but he is too late to save anyone except Andar and Catori.The ensuing pursuit leads Turok, Andar, Catori and Chichak into the lost land, where dinosaurs roam and it’s there that the adventure truly begins.

If that sounds like a lot of action and violence, consider that this is only the first act. In fact, the movie up to this point is pretty much all action, and it continues that way for the first leg of the second act as well, in which Turok and his friends struggle through one dinosaur threat after another.While traditional American feature animation tends to be toned down for the kids, I was surprised by the degree to which Turok is committed to serving older fans who may prefer ‘Ghost in the Shell’ to ‘Ultimate Avengers’. The action is intense and the violence displayed in a way that would make 300 Spartans cheer. The animation of this movie looks far more beautiful than I expected it to. It’s not ‘Tekkonkinkreet’ but it’s definitely a notch or two about recent direct-to-video comic features we’ve seen.Likewise, the commitment to showing Turok as a haunted but badass warrior marks it as a mature film. There’s no attempt throughout the movie to soften the character’s smoldering rage. To the end he is a Native American Jack Bauer, doing the bloody, dirty work to needed save the day.

‘Turok: Son of Stone‘ goes well beyond a pleasant surprise and into the realm of highly recommended. The filmmakers take full advantage of the perilous Lost Land, launching Turok from one adrenaline pumping threat to another. While the film may be too edgy for younger viewers and gamers, it deserves a spot on the shelf of any enthusiast who likes action-packed adventure. I give this comic to movie anime a 3 1/2 out of 5 so enjoy.

Vietnam veteran John Rambo has survived many harrowing ordeals in his lifetime and has since withdrawn into a simple and secluded existence in Bangkok, where he spends his time salvaging old PT boats and tanks for scrap metal. Even though he is looking to avoid trouble, trouble has a way of finding him. A group of Christian human rights missionaries, led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approach Rambo with the desire to rent his boat to travel up the river to Burma. For over fifty years, Burma has been like a war zone. The Karen people of the region, who consist of peasants and farmers, have endured brutally oppressive rule from the murderous Burmese military and have been struggling for survival every single day. This is the time when medical assistance and general support from the Christian missionaries is needed most. After some consideration, and due to insistence from his mentor, former military man Ed Baumgartner, Rambo accepts the offer and takes Michael, Sarah, and the rest of the missionaries up the river. When the missionaries finally arrive at the Karen village, they are ambushed by the sadistic Major Pa Tee Tint and a slew of Burmese army men. A portion of the villagers and missionaries are tortured and viciously murdered, while Tint and his men hold the remainder captive. News soon reaches the minister in charge of the mission and with the help of Ed Baumgartner he employs Rambo to lead a rescue effort. With five young and highly diverse mercenaries at his disposal, Rambo has to travel back up the river and liberate the survivors from the clutches of Major Tint in what may be one of his deadliest missions ever. Well I can honestly say that it was an enjoyable film to watch, there hasn’t been a shout them, blast them kick ass kind a popcorn movie in awhile. I can honestly say that I miss watching this kind of mindless beat the bad guys kind of movie. Sylvester Stalone was always great at delivering the underdog who can win type of film. The only beef I got against this film was the story was a bit week and didn’t really show the talents that John Rambo has as a former green beret, I guess the age of Sylvester Stalone has something to do with it. If you are a fan of Rambo then you will really enjoy this film. I give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 enjoy.

Here is another video game adapted to the movie screen…

Synopsis: Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) has been educated to become a professional assassin for hire, whose most powerful weapons are his nerve and a resolute pride in his work. 47 is both the last two digits of the barcode tattooed on the nape of his neck, and his only name.

The hunter becomes the hunted when 47 gets caught up in a political takeover. Both Interpol and the Russian military chase the Hit-man across Eastern Europe as he tries to find out who set him up and why they’re trying to take him out of the game. But the greatest threat to 47’s survival may be the stirrings of his conscience and the unfamiliar emotions aroused in him by a beautiful, damaged girl…

What make this adaption different from other video games adapted for the movie screen is that this one is really good, it up there with the first Tomb Raider, First Mortal Combat & Resident Evil to name a few and I mean few…..This one is definitely one of my favorites , the story is similar in style to the likes of Jason Borne in where betrayal is the primary theme. I say people who like kick-ass blood pumping action sure take a look at this movie & I just hope that they decide to make a second movie, it’s a great character! I give a 4 out of 5.

Bee Movie is a Golden Globe-nominated computer animated film. Its title is a play on the term “B movie”. Bee Movie is the first motion-picture script to be written by Seinfeld, who co-wrote it with Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin.

Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey.

Most of these types of films are great to watch for kids, but highly watchable for adults as well, which makes them pretty fun. Bee Movie also stars the famous voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger.I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite computer animation movies to date, it’s funny & has great music with good characters etc.. I say it’s up there with the likes of Toy Story.  Great for any collection, I give it 4 out of 5.

 At the heart of this take on the epic are the bookended battles fought by the Geat warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone), the first against Grendel (and his mother), the second against a dragon. Beowulf visits the Danish kingdom, where he eyeballs the queen (Robin Wright Penn) and promises to fight Grendel for the king (Anthony Hopkins). In between intimations of court intrigue, the rest of the characters do what they almost always do in movies set in Ancient Times, namely grunt, shout and eat with their mouths open. Eventually Grendel crashes the party, and Beowulf leads the charge, bouncing off beast and walls completely naked, his genitals hidden by convenient obstructions. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.
Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a unique vision of the Beowulf saga in a way that it has never been told before. “Beowulf” stars RAY WINSTONE in the title role and ANTHONY HOPKINS as the corrupt King Hrothgar, as well as JOHN MALKOVICH, ROBIN WRIGHT PENN, BRENDAN GLEESON, CRISPIN GLOVER, ALISON LOHMAN and ANGELINA JOLIE as Grendel’s mother.
Neil Gaiman (the graphic novel “Mirrormask,” “Sandman”) & Roger Avary (“Pulp Fiction”) have adapted the legend to the screen.

I believe this is an interesting combination, getting all the famous actors and their voices and making an animated movie with them looking as they do in real life. I really enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. This is how a legend should be told from beginning to end. The only thing that was a bit off was the fluidity of the animation, which I guess will improve with technology in time. I give this film a 4 1/2 out of 5, great for a collection so enjoy.

Dragon Wars also known as “D-War” is a fantasy drama based on a popular Korean legend.

Hmmm, exposition. O.K. Centuries ago in Korea there were giant serpents called Imoogi. A bad one, Buraki, had armored troops. A girl, Narin, had this glowing bubble, the Yuh Yi Joo, which turns Imoogi into dragons. But she and her lover-protector, Haram, sacrificed themselves without giving it up.

Deep breath. In Los Angeles an eruption suggests something big has awakened, something cranky. When Ethan Kendrick (Jason Behr) finds out, he recalls being taught as a child by the mystic Jack (Robert Forster) that he is Haram reincarnated. Narin is now Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks). Exhale.

Got all that? Good, because once Baraki starts to boogie, “Dragon Wars” rocks. Bulcos, winged carnivores, munch on iron-rich helicopters. References to Ray Harryhausen and Toho productions fly. One sequence evokes “King Kong,” but with heat-seeking missiles. The seams in effects and dialogue glare, but lend charm.

Baraki eats elephants, but he can’t outrun cars, which lets Ethan and Sarah reach New Mexico for a “Godzilla”-like rumble between Imoogi. “We’ll see each other again,” says Sarah to Ethan after the bout. Hoo-boy. Batten the hatches.

If you’ve been missing Japanese monster movies, take heart. “Dragon Wars: D-War” (from South Korea actually) proves the genre quite alive.

Now this movie starts off in the right track with a good explanation of the legend, but right after the explanation the story takes a wide left turn and starts getting off the beaten track. I hate when they get all into it and then for some reason or other, it begins to look and feel that the writers leave go take a nap and never wake up and then crap gets placed in so that a movie can be made & finished with. The movie becomes lost after they decided in the boy with girl love crap that has no strength in the core of the legend that was explained. I could of though of a million different ways this movie could have been improved. Anyway since I like the first half of this film in the explanation of the evil vs good legend I will give this a 2 1/2 out of 5. It is such a breathless, delirious stew, it’s impossible not to be entertained, provided — this is crucial — you have a sense of humor and love fantasy.

I’ve been a long time anime fan and I would like to recommend a great one. The one I would like to recommend is history’s strongest disciple Kenichi! It’s an anime series that is 50 episodes long and the story focuses on Kenichi Shirahama, an average 15-year-old weakling, whose life is upended with the appearance of the naive, beautiful, and strong transfer student, Miu F?rinji. After Kenichi witnesses Miu’s skills in martial arts, he joins the Ry?zanpaku dojo, a gathering place of those who are truly strong, which coincidentally also happens to be Miu’s home. After beating a karate student in a match, he is soon targeted by all the delinquents in the school. Since then, Kenichi’s daily routine is divided between his hellish training with the six masters of Ry?zanpaku, and his fights against the members of Ragnarok, a gang who views him as either a possible ally or an impending threat to their plans.

Let me start off by saying this is one of my favorite shows currently being aired. The basic story is cliche. A humble, picked-on nice guy type is put in a situation where he is constantly bullied and needs to become stronger to survive.

Although this formula is a bit overdone in anime as a genre and has a tendency to be campy, this show is an exception. The character development is solid focusing on the emotional and personality growth Kenichi goes through due to the fear and humiliation dealt him by the members of his karate club. Kenichi, having been a member for some time, has been relegated to the “punching bag/ gopher” of the club and is subsequently challenged by the rookie bully of the club loser must quit. This leads him on a road of personal growth and discovery that transforms kenichi from “weak legs” into history’s strongest disciple.

Animation: The art style is a little rough around the edges and a bit derivative with respect to the masters that train him. But it lends itself well to the character development and has great potential for future episodes. It also makes the various disciplines easier to relate to for the uninitiated. There is also a healthy dose of fan-service in the anatomical proportions and design of Miu and Hagane the female characters (think DOA physics) as well as fast paced and smooth fight scenes.

Characters: Are great and well developed emotionally, although I’d like a little more background on each teacher and how they all meet.

Overall: This show has so many little odd ball aspects which if taken individually would have poisoned any show, but when combined have formed a humorous and exciting story that will keep you hooked till the next release. This is a definite must see anime for those looking for an escape from the all too prevalent romance and drama fare popular this time of year. I give it a 4 1/2 out of 5.