Jack's Movie Picks

Well, I am back from a long hiatus, due to the birth of the  newest member of my family. My new daughter. So I am back and ready to start with my personal reviews of what movie, TV show etc..That I’ve seen seen I been away & I’ve seen quite a few. I’ll start off with the latest movie of The Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. First I would like to say that I really enjoyed this movie, the action scenes in which there where many were all intense. My favorite was when Optimus really showed what a leader should be all about, some one that can kicks ass in a 3 on 1 fight. It reminded me of the 80’s anime show in all it’s glory. The story itself wasn’t bad it could have been better. The only thing that I didn’t really like and I thought didn’t belong was the transformer that transformed into the sex crazed girl. It reminded me to much of the terminator merged with species the movie. It just did not feel like anything form the transformers universe. They should have put a little more thought into that part of the movie. I say if you can transform into a human why not have an army of them and infiltrate top government positions and skip all this crap of going after the small fry. They could have done much better. Other that that devastator could have been a bit more like the 80’s character. He just ended up looking like the blob no substance. If you didn’t understand the  construction vehicles combining  you would never have guess that was the mighty devastator. Well the movie wasn’t perfect but it was enjoyable, so I would give this movie a 3 1/2 out of 5. So check it out and let me know what you think & enjoy.

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.

Kenichi History’s Strongest Disciple also known as Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple in the US release.

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.

OK, I am back and ready to start giving reviews on some new films & show that I have seen lately! To start off this is my review of Jet Li’s latest film called war. Jet Li is someone that I would say is like what Nicolas Cage is to me, an actor that shows himself in the right film that’s made for him once in awhile. He has this one dimensional acting that is hard to like but every once in awhile he is in a film that fits him perfectly and this film War is one of them.The film pits Jet Livs. Jason Statham. After his partner Tom Wynne (Terry Chen) and family are killed apparently by the infamous and elusive assassin Rogue (Jet Li), FBI agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) becomes obsessed with revenge as his world unravels into a vortex of guilt and betrayal. Rogue eventually resurfaces to settle a score of his own, setting off a bloody crime war between Asian mob rivals Chang (John Lone) of the Triad’s and Yakuza boss Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi). When Jack and Rogue finally come face to face, the ultimate truth of their pasts will be revealed. This film really surprised me in many ways, like having a plot twist that is hard to figure out which ends up surprising you in the end. I think the story could have been fine tune to give it a tighter performance but I do think that the action was good. I do give this film a 3 1/2 out of 5 well worth adding it to your DVD action collection. So go out rent or buy and enjoy…

This movie entitles as “Blood Hunter” ballances between thriller and horror and has quite a lot to offer. First of all, no B, unknown actors, but chicks like Lucy Liu and others in the cast. Second, the story isn’t this classic cliched poem about zombies, but a fairly original thing.

Sadie (LUCY LIU) is an investigative reporter who has stumbled upon an underground cult that is attracting the young hipsters of Los Angeles. When these kids start disappearing then turning up dead, she wants to understand why. In the midst of her investigation, she herself falls prey to the mastermind behind all the gruesome murders and nothing is the same again. When Sadie awakes in the dark, pushing her way out into the light, she discovers she’s not alive, but she’s not dead either. As she traipses through the seedy underbelly of downtown Los Angeles, her senses are reeling — she must feed to quench her thirst and blood is the nourishment she needs. How can she kill innocent people to satisfy her craving? Why is she alive when she should be dead?

This is one of the worst films that I ever seen, first there is absolutely no story to this film other than a revenge plot. Then there is no character development, you can’t figure out who are they? Or where they come from or where there going or what they want other that killing and drinking blood.There is no action, no suspense in one word there is NOTHING to this film. I can’t think of one good thing to say about this crap! I have seen better stories on a crackerjack box. This movie almost beats out my worst film of all time and that was Ernest goes to camp where 15 min was enough so I left the theater. I will give this film 1 out 5 and that’s because of Lucy Liu and not because of her acting if get my meaning.

I saw Bourne Utimatium last night and I can tell you that it’s one for the books. This is one of the few time where I can really say that I enjoyed the trilogy of the Bourne each  movie equally. If movie trilogies followed in it’s foot steps people would say that Hollywood is out there for the fans telling greats stories rather having people say what is this big pile of crap. They will do anything to fool the customer into dishing out there hard earned cash. But more & more Hollywood is beginning to understand people are becoming the wiser and not getting easily fooled by those edited previews that seem to be better than the movie itself.

Plot:Matt Damon returns as the trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown in The Bourne Ultimatum. In the follow-up to 2002’s The Bourne Identity and 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy–the smash hits that have earned over $500 million at the global box office–acclaimed director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy) joins returning cast members Julia Stiles and Joan Allen and new additions David Strathairn, Paddy Considine and Edgar Ramirez.

All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was.

Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris, Madrid and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne–all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their cross-hairs.

I will give this movie a 3 1/2 out of 5, well worth seeing it or purchasing it to add to a find collection. Enjoy

The Last legion is a movie that shows how a fresh new outtake on the a classic story should be done etc…If more writers understood that fresh means the same but different in the same sentence, there would better remakes of movies out there.

The Last Legion, based on Valerio Massimo Mandredi’s novel of the same name, is an action packed adventure drama set against the fall of Rome that tells the story of its last emperor, the young Romulus Augustus, who flees the city and all that he loves: his family, his home, and an empire that once stood for truth and honor, to lead a legion of supporters on a perilous voyage to Britain. The film, adapted by David Leland, is directed by Doug Lefler, produced by Martha and Dino De Laurentiis and stars Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, James Cosmo, Rupert Friend and Iain Glen.

Everyone who wants to see a fresh idea to the Legend of King Arthur should go and see this movie I give it a 3 out of 5.

Just finished watching the next soon to be release Marvel animation movie Dr. Strange. Doctor Strange is another legendary hero from Marvel comics who willing be making his way onto the big screen in live action soon. But too bad it’s first time out is only an animated STV movie , with almost no info about it over the Internet. The fantasy flick will be officially released August 14, 2007.The Animation movie is an origin story, it start off as Dr. Stephen Strange was one of the most gifted surgeons in medicine before his hands were left shattered and useless as a result of a car crash. Spending his fortune in pursuit of a way to fix his fractured body, the dejected doctor believed all was lost until the Ancient One offered him hope and healing in Tibet. Training mind, body and soul with the Ancient One and his pupils, Doctor Strange’s scope, power and compassion grows as he steps closer to his mystical fate. But to fully embrace his destiny and protect the worlds of magic and reality, Strange must face betrayal, death and the emergence of Dormammu the evil one in order to save the world as the Sorcerer Supreme. I liked the movie, it was ok but the problem with most origin stories is that most of the action is toward the end of the chapter and if the story can’t keep your interest you end up just fading out. Because I myself already new the background story I found it to be a bit slow, but for a new comer to the mythos of Dr. Strange I would say that you would very much enjoy it. I find marvel is and always do a great job in most of it’s comics movie making and if they stick to the basics of there original characters in the story telling they can never go wrong. I look forward to all the coming ups of the characters etc… I recommend and give this one a 3 out of 5 so please go out add this one to your collection.

I just finished watching this great frist pilot of ABC’s new mini series called the Fallen, this the story

Fallen (sometimes advertised as Fallen: The Beginning) is a 2006 ABC Family Original Movie. It stars Paul Wesley as Aaron Corbett, a good natured high school student. On his eighteenth birthday, he begins exhibiting strange abilities, such as the ability to talk to his dog, Gabriel, leading to the conclusion that he is Nephilim (half angel/half human).

Based on the novel series The Fallen. This series is one of the few original TV series that I ever seen. Now a days all that is on TV is either a cop drama or a lawyer drama. It’ about time someone begins to use there imagination and start show something base on myth or legend or just plain made up. They should just let the blood flow and relax in telling a story, so people can begin use there imagination and wonder what other possibilities are out there etc… The pilot of the series has good acting, effects & story that would have surpassed most big budget films in quality etc.I give it 4 out of 5. Everyone who enjoys Sci-Fi will certainly enjoy Fallen. 

Wild Hogs is a very good action comedy with John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and other familiar actors, which tells the story about group of bikers on their trip for adventure. It begins in Cincinnati, the dentist Doug Madsen is in crisis, bored with his middle-class life and missing his reckless youth when he was known as the Golden Biker. The aspirant writer Bobby Davis feels pressed by his wife and hates his job. The shy geek computer analyst Dudley Frank is unsuccessful with women. The wealthy Woody Stevens is married with a top-model. Together, the four middle-aged friends in their motorcycles self-call the “Wild Hogs”. When Woody loses his wife and is completely broken, he invites his friends to take a road trip to the Pacific, in a quest for freedom.After many incidents, they stop for a beer in a bar owned by the dangerous biker gang “Del Fuegos”. Their tough leader Jack steals Dudley’s motorcycle, and Woody decides to recover the bike back. Woody cuts the fuel pipes of the bikes and provokes an accident, exploding their bar, but he does not tell the truth to his friends. When they stop in the small town of Madrid without gas, Dudley falls in love for the waitress and owner of the local bar Maggie. However, the “Del Fuegos” traps them in the town and the “Wild Hogs” have to take an attitude. I will give this movie a 3 1/2 out of 5 so go see it and enjoy this movie also the DVD release has some hilarious out takes.

OK I have just finished watching the latest in the Simpson’s story line where they decide to do a full fledged movie. In the eagerly-awaited film based on the hit television series, Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created. It all begins with Homer, his new pet pig, and a leaky silo full of droppings – a combination that triggers a disaster the likes of which Springfield has never experienced. As Marge is outraged by Homer’s monumental blunder, a vengeful mob descends on the Simpson household. The family makes a narrow escape, but is soon divided by both location and conflict. The Springfield citizenry has every reason to be out for Simpson blood. The calamity triggered by Homer has drawn the attention of U.S. President Arnold Schwarzenegger (voiced by Harry Shearer) and Environmental Protection Agency head Russ Cargill (voiced by Albert Brooks). “You know sir,” Cargill tells the president, “when you made me head of the EPA, you were applauded for appointing one of the most successful men in America to the least successful agency in government. And why did I take the job? Because I’m a rich man who wanted to give something back. Not the money, but something.” That “something” is a devil’s plan to contain the disaster.

I could say that the film was entertaining but no more than the weekly shows. It had it’s moments but there have been much more funny episodes in it’s series. Is it worth paying to see it in the theater? answer no! I would wait for it on DVD & add it to my Simpson collection. I will give it this story a 2 1/2 of 5.

OK here is another one that I am disappionted with that I have just seen. The pilot episode  & coming series is a re-imagining of the original The Bionic Woman (1976–1978) television series, dropping the leading “The” from the title. The pilot episode is currently scheduled to air on Wednesday nights at 9:00/8:00c premiering on September 26, 2007 on NBC, following Deal or No Deal. The story start off with Jamie Summers struggling as a bartender and surrogate mom to her teen-aged sister, Jaime Sommers didn’t think life could get much harder. But when a devastating car accident leaves her at death’s door, Jaime’s only hope of survival is through a cutting-edge, top-secret technology that comes at a hefty price.With a whole new existence and a debt to repay, Jaime must figure out how to use her extraordinary abilities for good, while weighing the personal sacrifices she will have to make. Ultimately, it’s Jaime’s journey of self-discovery and inner strength that will help her embrace her new life as…The Bionic Woman Jamie Sommers is leading a normal life until she is involved in a devastating car accident. In order to save her life, doctors must use bionic body parts that give Jamie amazing abilities. The biggest problem I found is that the concept of this version really start of bad, there is no clear definitions of protagonist in this series, it gives you a head ache just thinking who, where & why. The characters are not well explained etc..They will have to greatly improve this series if they except it to last one season. The only thing that it has going for it is the effects on the bionics have improved. I give the pilot episode a 2 out of 5.

OK I have just seen another new pilot episode to a new coming series called CHUCK, this I thought with the primus of all the complete government’s secrets kept on computer being downloaded into a geeks ” nerds” brain. I thought there would be geek turn action man king of show, was I disappointed. The download did nothing special for the guy excepted making a target of the geek “nerd”  for all forms of governments etc. This first episode has a lot to improve on if it expects any long term on the network channel, otherwise it will end quickly etc. I will give it a 2 1/2 out of 5.

I have just seen the season pilot of Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles and I tell you it doesn’t look have bad, The only thing that I have a problem with, is that this time they decided to put in a female teenage terminator that is sent back to protect John Connor. Which when you see her fight the full size terminator and kick his ass, that’s  a bit of a problem right off, not because she is a female but because she is a small skinny teenage female terminator. Now if you look at it in the way a big truck small car crash together who do you think would win the collision. I think they really didn’t give much thought to it, it the way James Cameron would have. I think they just want to get in the love sick teenage demographic to watch the show, but if they are not careful they could end up hurting a great character, story etc…I am looking forward to the second episode. I will give it 3 1/2 out of 5.

OK, I have one thing to say about die hard 4 “Live Free or Die Hard” and that is John McClain is back in all his glory. This movie is an example on how to make a sequel to a franchise that has marked it’s way into the history books as one of the most rememberable characters and a great series of action movies. This movie has everything working, great story, great characters and a lot of great action scenes throughout the film. The only thing that I can say was a bit weak was the bad guy, he had a bit of weak impression on the audience, that would say get the fuck out my face before I ram your head up your ass kind of attitude etc… But the ending to the film was great. I say people should take a lesson from this film in making of sequels, which is don’t break what not broken and continue what is working. So I would give this movie a 4 out of 5, one of the best summer films I have seen. Hippie Ki aye Mother Fucker!!!>>>>>So go see it and enjoy!

OK this is my first movie review on my site. With the first I decided to go with the transformers the movie.  Now being a big old transformers fan I had my reservation on how this movie was going to come out. When it first was announced that Steven Spielberg was going to produce the franchise it was beginning to look good that he being a big fan himself I new that the money and talent was going to 100 percent dedicated to the making of this film, but then with the existence of the internet  you start to hear all kinds of rumours. Then you start to hear comments from big fans on what the hear say is around Hollywood about the film. Which you then start to imagine what kind of crap might be coming out. All that, can add to the down fall of a film that didn’t even have it’s first screening. There is a big problem in hollywood when they hire directors and get scripts from people that have no idea of where story comes from and why it’s a classic. That’s why disasters occurred, I myself can understand that you can always improve on a story,character etc..but improvement does not mean complete remake or different remake of a complete classic story or character. Minor changes can always be excepted etc.. and can also be understandable,but you can’t change something that’s a classic for no good reason that’s when an uproar can occur. Now anyone who understands the background story on the transformers understands that the basic story concept is about a war between robots that are good “autobots” against robots that are bad “decipticons” all for the planet called cyberton. This is a war that’s been going on for hundreds of years that has now spilled onto a new battleground earth. Now the review, I liked the movie a lot! What I liked about the movie was that, frist the concept of the movie was close to the original and second the fact that there where people dieing around each time there where battles, just added to the believable part that if robot fought in a populated area people would be there and they would be getting hurt. 3rd the transformation was amazing, and the action scenes where the best I have ever seen. You couldn’t asked for more on the action, the only thing that I really hated was the fact that the only character that was recognizable to the original character was Optimus Prime. The voice, his look you was almost perfect. The other characters were not that great , especially a character like Star Scream. The thing that defined Star Scream in all his transformers carnations was the fact that he was whinny,thrust for power back stabbing kind of guy. In this movie it was hard to distinguish him from Megatron. Also there should have had some other well recognizable decepticons etc., and while the beginning did start off great the ending was a little weak. While I liked this movie a lot, I think most of the reason for that was because I am a big fan of the transformers and Michel Bay know how to make an amazing action film. I will give this film 4 out 5 stars if your not a fan of the transformers and 3 out 5 stars if you are.

Welcome to Jack’s Movie Picks. Here I will be placing my reviews of what movie’s I’ve seen and recommending them the honestly or not.