Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

The movie first starts off at Blackwood Manor during a period when candles were used to provide light in a home. We hear the ringing of a bell and that triggers a maid to be dispatched, she is doing so cleaning duties in the home. Once she hears the bell she realize that she is needed and she goes to see what the owner of the house needs. We see the maid grabbing a candle which provides her with the light that she needs to make her way through the house being that it is dark through out the house. She starts to make her way when she hears the owner of the house a man calling for her. As she is looking down the stairwell and beginning to make her way down, we then see Lord Blackwood continue to look back at an old fireplace. The maid makes her way to the middle of the stair case and then we see her fall due in part to a tripwire that has been set in place. We can clearly see that Lord Blackwood is in a state and he does not want to harm this woman, but he stands over her and he is following what the voices (we hear) are more or less telling him to do. He takes a tool and he uses that tool to remove the teeth from his maids mouth, as Lord Blackwood starts to remove her teeth we see that a majority of his teeth have been moved from his mouth as well. Once he does this he gives them to the creatures and he begs these creatures to give him back his son. However, the creatures are not interested in the teeth and also not interested in keeping whatever arrangement they made with Lord Blackwood, then we see Lord Blackwood being  attacked by the same creatures he beg to give back his some.

We then cue to the president day and we meet Sally (played by the beautifully Bailee Madison) she has been sent to live with her dad Alex (Guy Pearce) for a while by her mother and she is not happy about this change. Sally meets her dad's new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) who she gives a hard time due to the fact that she is not happy with the new change in her live and it doesn't help that her mother has been telling her things that we are sure her mother shouldn't. The family arrives at Blackwood Manor and the home is not like any home, Alex with the assistance of Kim are doing a restoration on the home and then they plan to sell the home. While all this is going on Sally is trying the best way she knows how to accept the decision that her parents have made, she is still not giving Kim any leeway whatsoever. Sally roams the house and she starts to hear voices and these voices say that they want her to play with them and that they want to be her friend.

As the story continues to develop we see that this is not the case, we see the grounds keeper Harris (Jack Thompson) tell Alex and Kim that the house is no place for a child and that they so need to get Sally out of that house. Harris gets attacked by the creatures as he tries to warm and also seal up the creatures after Sally unknowing releases the due to her being curious about who and what they things are. Things start to happen to Sally and she starts to realize that these little creatures are not her friends in fact that want to hurt and do worst to her. Alex doesn't believe his daughter even though we can see that he truly does love his daughter, Kim has grown fond of Sally and after she visits Harris and starts her own research she knows that the best thing for Sally is to removed her from the house. Alex soon realizes that Sally needs to be removed from the home and he and Kim decide to pack a few things and get Sally out of the home. This all leads to a fateful confrontation between Sally, Kim, Alex and the creatures within the home who are hell bent on keeping getting Sally no matter what. Kim uses all the strength that she has to fight to save Sally and Alex also fights to get to his family due in part to the screams of Sally and the screams of Kim that he hears.

I recommend this film it isn't your usual horror film, it has twist and turns and we see the heroine being a strong little girl that continues to fight and remain strong no matter what her father or anyone else believes. Troy did an excellent job with the direction of this film and Guillermo (and Matthew) style is so evident you can tell that this is so a film for grown ups.

Miramax
Director: Troy Nixey
Writers: Guillermo del Toro (screen play) and Matthews Robbins (screen play)
Stars: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, and Bailee Madison
Running time: 99 minutes

HANNA

Hanna (played wonderfully by Saoirse) is a young woman, correction a teenage girl who has been raised and trained by her father (played wonderfully by Eric Bana) on how to be able to defend herself, as a smart soldier. The father and daughter team live in a remote area in the woods of Finland cut off by civilization and survive on the natural resources of their surroundings. Hanna has lived an unlikely life not like other regular teenagers in her age group, her up bringing can be as mention above is that of a trained assassin. One with perfect ability to handle themselves in hard terrain and still keep her sharp wits about her. Hanna is then sent into the world by her father on a mission, but her father never prepares her for the world outside the one he has raised her in. Hanna has the ability to move across Europe stealthily and she also eludes the agents that are after her. However; she does get distracted by tagging along with a family and seeing how the other side lives, a part that her father never showed her. As Hanna is getting close to nearing her target, she is faced with some revelations about her existence and some secrets that her father kept from her. This all leads to a confrontation with her father which thus leads her to the ultimate show down with her target (played cunningly by Cate Blachett). Who is an intelligence operative that is also harbouring secrets of own that can destroy her as well.  I recommend this movie as a must to seen, and a must own... I was going into this movie with some expectations and I must say that I was greatly surprised and the movie kept me on the edge of my seat. This was and is an excellent thriller Wright did a great job in the direction he took and went, even the fight sequences were precise and believable, the cast was on point and kept the audience (myself included) wanting more.

Focus Features
Director: Jon Wright
Writers: Seth Lochhead and David Farr (screen play)
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett
Running time: 111 minutes

Tron: Legacy 2010

Tron: Legacy is about a young smart and savvy tech 27yr son of Kevin Flynn, a man that has developed a virtual word outside of reality. Kevin (Jeff) goes missing his son Sam (Garrett) an adult starts to look into his fathers disappearance, Sam then discovers his fathers virtual world which he has been pulled into. As Sam goes through his journey in the continued search of his father, he encounters dangerous programs and also games that resemble a gladiator type theme. Sam finds an ally in his search someone that is close to his father and has been helping to protect his father. Father and son finally meet and see each other for the first time in years, and the emotion is overwhelming and very powerful. Father and son then decide to embark on a mission to stop Kevin (with the assist of Clu who Kevin created) who created the universe and who is now more advance and more dangerous then every before, with his weapons, vehicles, and a landscape that is out of this world. They also have to contend with out witting a villain who will stop at nothing to ensure that they do not escape this realm. This is a two thumbs up, way up... Jeff did an excellent job as a young Kevin and a father that aged over time. Garrett was a perfect cast choice to play the young and savvy Sam who stop at nothing to find his father and bring him home. I totally recommend this movie, and with the holidays vast approaching (yes I said it), this is a must to have in your dvd collection.


Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writers: Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (screen play)
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde
Running time: 125 minutes

Fast Five

Fast Five

Where do I start... This movie was action from start to finish, and seeing all the characters from the first 3 movies (minus Tokyo Drift) was a very pleasant bonus. Lets start with Dom (Vin's character) being breaking out of prison or prison bus, we knew it was coming but man wow what a start no complaints about that. Brian (Paul's character) with the help of Dom's sister Mia (played by Jordana Brewster) and members of Dom's crew break him out of prison. Que to the trio doing their best to elude the authorities that are hot on their trial looking for them. They are doing their best to ensure that they remain free and not behind bars for the rest of their lives. Now the group find themselves in Rio and they are thus backed into a corner and the only way to get themselves out of this mess is to pull off one last job, bigger than they have ever did before. Before they can have the freedom and peace that they so want, they need to confront a dangerous business man and also the federal agent (played by Dwayne Johnson) who is also hot on their trails. As the story progress' federal agent Hobbs learns that it is getting harder to separate who the criminals and non criminals are. Hobbs then has to rely on his instincts in order to corner and capture his prey. All leading up to the explosive finale and fight between Dom and Hobbs, that ended with Mia asking both men to stop. We see Dom realizing that it is time to put an end  to what's going on. As the group is in transport to be arrested and taken into custody, they are ambushed by Joaquim's men and he is not giving up until everyone in Dom's circle is killed. Dom has the hard task of trying to decide if what he is doing is right and if it is the right thing for his new found family that has grown. We see lines crossed and old and new relationships develop and grow strong, and we see new allies being developed. I so totally recommend this movie as I stated above action from start to finish. the storyline fits perfect and the actors deliever it and bring their a-game, and now that it is out on dvd it is a must have in every one's dvd collection.

Universal Pictures
Director: Justin Lin
Writers: Chris Morgan and Gary Scott Thompson
Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson
Running Time:130 minutes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the planet of the apes, is a film that you know is so going to have a sequel due to the ending and the way the film leaves the many open questions as to what the apes are going to do now that they have raised and over come. The film opens and takes place at a big drug company and this is where we are thus introduce to Will (James Fanco's character). Will is a scientist who has been working hard on a cure for Alzheimer's he uses the chimps as the subjects to test the medication on to see if it is successful. However, one of the chimps doesn't react well and attacks a board meeting and the experiment in turn is thus called off due in part to the events that transpired. But we all know that the scientist should have know this fact as well, once the animals gain this knowledge they are dangerous. Will's main goal is to ensure that the ALZ 112 works so that it can thus be tested on grandpa so that he is not out attacking his family lol!

We then meet a chimp who has been displaced, and Will is so touched by this. That he then takes this baby chimp home with him, and years go by and the chimp has grows close to Will and Will thus teaches the chimp new things and Caesar (the chimp) starts to grow and develop intelligently. We have Andy Serkis who delivers a great performance as Caesar and due in part we the viewer never know where the human and the animal end. We have the individuals that are the keepers i.e.e watchers of the plant enters Tom Felton who is so cruel and mean to the chimps, but we have to realize that this to all plays a part and a factor in the film. John Ligthgow's character is the dad and he has the mind deteriorating disease, and his role is just as important as all others to explain this vast story to us the viewers.

This all builds up to the action scene at the end, which is very dramatic and climactic as well. And we are left with the realization that Caesar is so smart, and we feel victory for the apes when they make there cross over. This is a must see and you will most like get what you were expecting when you see it.

20th Century Fox (presents)
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Writer: Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Novel by: Pierre Boulle
Stars: James Franco, John Lithgow, and Tom Felton
Running time: 105 minutes

X-Men: First Class

I must say, that is by far the best out of the x-men series. Right from the graphics to the special effects, the casting of the actors and actress to the story line (the list just goes on). I am a fan of the x-men comic books and graphic novel heroes in general, and this movie just shows that this particular genre is only getting stronger it is not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. No matter how many people flock to the Twilight saga's, and the Harry Potter's (no disrespect to that genre, I am just saying that the marvel comic super heroes is still on a high). When you get a great cast and a excellent production crew, director etc... you get a piece of work that is evident. We start with the evolution of Erik to Magneto the death of his mother surviving the concentration camps to zoning in on his ability (with the help of a crazy man I might add). To Charles to Professor X loving man kind as well as his follow mutant, and wanting both side to coexist together in the same environment. His decision to work along side the humans and show that mutants are nothing to be scared of and they need not to be hunted down like animals. Thus resulted in a confrontation that cost him more then he planned, but to attest it made him one of the strongest mutants to date. To Raven and the decision that lead her to follow Erik's calling and leave Charles behind and embrace her true ability and the beauty within it. We see a young Beast trying to adapt to the human world rather than embrace the strength of who he is, until he realizes that who he is is beautiful and strong. And the list goes on of characters within the movie, evolving and embracing their true nature and loving who they are and not being ashamed of what they are. X-Men: First Class explains in detail the reason for Erik and the decision he made to rage a battle against the humans, and Charles decision to try and save both mutant and mankind alike. Of the series this movie just does not show the beginning of mutant evolution, but also the ignorant behavior of mankind when (we) are scared and don't understand a people (pardon I know it is a movie review don't mean to get to deep). Its to bad that X-Man: Last Stand ended the way it did, with Charles, Jean and Scott all dying and Erik (and Raven among a few) loosing his power. However; I am sure that we have not see the last of the x-men. I am hoping that when the next picture comes out if they do flash backs to when they were young, that James will be Charles and Michael as Erik (and the same applies to the entire cast as well). Because this movie left if wide open to explore even more deeply the characters and the battles within themselves and outside that they face.

20th Centry Fox (persents)
Director: Matthaw Vaughn
Writer: Ashley Miller, Zack Senttz, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Story: Sheldon Tunner & Bryan Singer
Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, & Jennier Lawrence
Running time: 132 minutes