RoboCop (1987)

RoboCop (1987)

9/10

Starring

Peter Weller

Nancy Allen

Directed by Paul Verhoeven

My sister and I bought the VHS tape of this movie when we were younger, and we watched it so much that the tape started to coil up. Later on, it began to skip, and pretty soon, the tape was worthless, and the movie was gone.

Who knew the future would hold such great things like DVDs and Blu-rays? Now, many of us have DVDs and Blu-rays of our favorite films.

The sad thing is, my sister and I were not even over 11, when we purchased this, we did not know it was a dark, adult movie. The joke on us was, many of the drugs, sexual reference and cruel theme went over our head, we just loved the action, shooting and that part of the plot we understood and could follow.

Robocop 1 is the best of the best in the entire Robocop series. It’s even better than the remake and stands as one of the most brutal entries in the franchise.

The movie focuses on a cyborg’s internal battle between his robotic side and his human side. It doesn’t shy away from making monsters out of practically everyone involved—from the group that saved Murphy’s life and turned him into Robocop, to the group determined to keep crime alive in Detroit. Almost everyone in the movie (except the cops, who seem to be the victims) has hidden agendas.

The plot is set in crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan, sometime in the future. A mega-corporation called Omni Consumer Products (OCP) has taken over the Detroit Police Department because the state can no longer fund it.

Police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is transferred to the Detroit Police Department and is brutally murdered by a gang of criminals. But his death isn’t the end—OCP brings him back as a superhuman cyborg police officer known as "RoboCop."

The downsides I noticed now, which I didn’t catch when I was younger, is how Robocop magically traces down the guys who shot him. He just seems to know where they are at exactly the right time which was very convenient. I liked the movie and the way it played out, but I’m not sure if it’s the editing or what, but there’s something about the flow that could’ve been done better. Then a lot of the characters feel one-dimensional, lacking depth and just there to move the plot along.

After Peter Weller’s incredible performance and the movie’s great reception, a sequel was made. However, it didn’t get the same applause as the first. Even then, the production company went ahead with a third movie, which was also not as good.

If you haven’t experienced Robocop yet, stop what you’re doing and make sure you watch this movie. If you liked the remake, you’ll love the original.

The Artist (2011)

The Artist (2011)

7/10

Starring

Jean Dujardin

Bérénice Bejo

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

The Artist is a fine film, I have to admit. I dreaded watching it because, although I like old black-and-white films, I’ve never been a fan of silent movies. So, this 2011 silent film felt like an attempt to bring back memories of an era I thought was best left with Charlie Chaplin.

When the movie started, I had to fight the urge to turn it off. But as the screenplay began to unfold and Jean Dujardin’s character, George Valentin, started acting, the movie quickly became captivating. I couldn’t help but laugh and grew curious to see how the character would make his comeback.

The movie’s screenplay is something you have to experience. This French/English film boasts a screenplay that was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
I’ve been asked why I talk so much about screenplays. Well, it’s because the screenplay is the backbone of a movie. It dictates how the story flows from beginning to end. The director’s job is to bring that screenplay to life on screen.
If you have a bad screenplay and a good director, you’ll get a bad movie. The same goes for a good screenplay with a bad director—you’ll still end up with a bad movie.
But with a good director like Michel Hazanavicius and a great screenplay (which he also wrote), you get a masterpiece in the making. And don’t even get me started on the movie’s score. Since it’s a silent film, the score is front and center. It has to be good and blend seamlessly with what’s happening on screen to avoid distractions. The costumes were also spot-on. While watching, I felt like I was transported back to the silent movie era.

The movie’s plot follows George Valentin, a once-famous and popular actor whose career takes a nosedive as silent films fall out of favor and “talkies” become the new trend. George fails to adapt, and soon, he becomes a shadow of his former self. The film shows how he’s helped by someone who idolized him during his heyday.

The Artist is a great movie. Don’t delay like I did—go see it, the black and white and lack of many words do not affect the quality of the movie.

I have to add, the movie suffers from pacing, especially at the start, where it feels slow and hard to get into. While the screenplay and direction are strong, the plot can feel predictable, sticking to familiar themes of an actor's fall and comeback. Also, even though the score and costumes are great, the movie doesn’t always balance its nostalgic vibe with a fresh and engaging story.

Its accolades include:

• Academy Awards: 5 wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
• BAFTA Awards: 7 wins, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay.

Ride Along (2014)

Ride Along (2014)

3/10

Starring

Ice Cube

Kevin Hart

Directed by Tim Story

Ride Along is a drag. The movie reminded me of Martin Lawrence’s Blue Streak (1999) and National Security (2003), both of which weren’t hits. Ride Along borrows heavily from every buddy cop movie out there—from the Lethal Weapon (1987) style of thinking they’ve got everything under control, to the Rush Hour (1998) vibe where they act like two misfits who shouldn’t be in the same room together. The movie just rides on the coattails of these buddy cop films and somehow thinks it’s got a solid screenplay locked down.

The writers must’ve been huge Martin Lawrence fans because I even caught traces of Nothing to Lose (1997) in this movie. Not to mention the Looney Tunes-style car chase—where have I seen that before? Oh yeah, A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).

The only thing this movie was missing was a man dressed as a woman (à la Martin Lawrence’s Big Momma series). Well, there was something close—a woman mistaken for a man because of her outfit and, of course, the beard.
These writers must’ve binge-watched Martin Lawrence movies all weekend before writing this mess. None of the jokes landed because I’d seen them all done better in other films.

The critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 17% approval, while the audience score is 70%. I’m siding with the critics here because the plot you’re about to read is as lame as it gets.

Ben Barber (Kevin Hart) is a fast-talking, childish-looking security guard who gets his dream come true when he’s accepted into the police academy.
His potential brother-in-law, James Payton (Ice Cube), is a detective who doesn’t approve of Ben dating his sister. When James finds out Ben is joining the academy, he takes him on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta to prove he’s worthy of marrying Angela, James’s sister.

The patrol starts smoothly but quickly turns into a real case that could finally close the three-year investigation James has been working on against a criminal named Omar (Laurence Fishburne).

There must be a part of Kevin Hart comedy that I never get, and ladies and gentlemen, this movie has been approved for a sequel. Why, Hollywood? Why?

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

4/10

Starring

Chris Hemsworth

Natalie Portman

Tom Hiddleston

Anthony Hopkins

Directed by Alan Taylor

Thor: The Dark World was released in late 2013, and I just couldn’t bring myself to watch it at first. I didn’t see the point in making the movie, knowing Thor isn’t exactly one of those characters with the coolest stories.

It wasn’t as funny as the first one, nor as clumsy or deep in terms of story, and if I’d never seen it, though, I don’t think I would’ve missed much.
The ending, where Thor defeats the threat and has to face his father, was a standout moment. The way the writers crafted that scene made me curious enough to want to see the next Thor movie and find out how things unfold.

The movie picks up after the events of The Avengers (2012). Like other films in the Marvel universe, the aftermath of The Avengers shakes things up. Thor’s loyalty is questioned—should he stay loyal to Asgard or Earth? He spends his days restoring order across realms and sneaks off to Earth at night.

Disney put its money to good use here. The effects were grand, Anthony Hopkins was out of this world, and I initially thought Loki would have a minor role. I was wrong—he plays a crucial part, and his performance is a highlight.

The movie starts by introducing a new threat to the universe: The Dark Elves. They existed before light and want to bring darkness back. Bor, Odin’s father, stopped them long ago, but now the planets are aligning again (supposedly a once-in-5,000-years event, though in superhero and sci-fi movies, it feels like it happens every year). The Dark Elves are rising once more to finish what they started 5,000 years ago.

Disney raked in millions from this movie and is planning another installment. It felt like a waste of talent, but hey, I’m not the writer. My other issues with this movie are that it takes a while to get going, and when it does pick up, we’re faced with the uninteresting, depth-free villains, the Dark Elves. The story is pretty predictable and doesn’t offer much new—it’s forgettable, honestly. The character development, especially for Thor, could’ve been stronger. Also, the death of Thor’s mother didn’t quite land for me, maybe it is because I liked Rene Russo and was not happy to see her killed off.

Marvel has its universe locked down, and the only thing that could make it better is if they somehow bring Spider-Man and the X-Men back into the fold. Wouldn’t that be great?

The sad thing is, that can only happen if they can get the rights back from Sony (Spider-Man) and Fox (X-Men), which I do not believe they will be able to achieve because Fox will milk the franchise.

The Poltergeist (1982)

The Poltergeist (1982)

7/10

Starring

Craig T. Nelson

JoBeth Williams

Beatrice Straight

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Poltergeist is a classic Steven Spielberg movie (he wrote the screenplay and produced it) released in 1982. It spawned two sequels, and a remake is set to be released in 2015. The movie is really good—it doesn’t rely too heavily on special effects, even though there are plenty. Instead, the focus is more on the story. The idea of a child being lost in a realm where spirits who failed to crossover dwell is engaging enough.
How the family reacts to the situation is also fun to watch: the panic, the distrust in the self-proclaimed medium, and the skepticism of the people who show up to help. The movie presents the concept of a poltergeist haunting in a way that feels real—like how many of us would react if it happened to us.
First, there’s the surprise, then the intrigue, and by the time you realize that spinning chairs, moving objects, and flickering lights aren’t a good thing, it’s already too late.

Poltergeist starts with a little girl, Carol (Heather O’Rourke), who becomes captivated by a voice only she can hear coming from the TV. The whole family is awakened by her discovery, and what seems like an overactive imagination quickly turns into a life-or-death situation. It’s only by sheer luck that the family survives.

The movie was a financial success and even went up against Spielberg’s other film, E.T. (1982), at the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects (it lost to E.T.).

However, Poltergeist is often seen as a cursed film. Some of the actors died under mysterious circumstances. Dominique Dunne, who played Dana Freeling, was murdered by her boyfriend, and Heather O’Rourke passed away after filming Poltergeist III. Some believe the curse stems from the movie’s use of real human skeletons for its effects.

My final take on this movie is that it might not scare you as much as intended, but it will definitely thrill you. The writing is solid, and the screenplay grabs your attention and doesn’t let go, but that is after the slow start, where it takes too long to build tension. Just when you think it’s all over and the family can finally escape to safety, you’re pulled back in to realize it’s only the beginning. That’s something I feel many modern horror movies are missing. One last thing about the movie is, as it goes on, the story becomes a bit more predictable.

Every Poltergeist movie released after this one failed to achieve critical or commercial success, so it’s clear this is the standout film of the series. Go see it, it is worth the time.

Halloween (1978)

Halloween (1978)

4/10

Starring

Donald Pleasence

Jamie Lee Curtis

P. J. Soles

Nancy Loomis

Directed by John Carpenter

No school like the old school. Remakes—not all, but especially remakes of horror classics—often end up with more blood and pointless screams because the new director thinks the original didn’t have enough.

I wasn’t born when John Carpenter’s Halloween came out, but I was around for Rob Zombie’s version. After seeing it, I was curious to watch the original and understand why it’s considered a classic. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy it much. It felt dragged out, relying too much on suspense, and since I’d already seen the remake, it didn’t leave much of an impression. I think seeing the remake before seeing the original messed my view of the movie and I can’t see why people think this movie is a classic.

Overall, I found it boring. I almost dozed off while watching it. I guess slasher movies have been overdone, with films like Scream, Friday the 13th, and This dominating the late ’70s and ’90s, making it hard for me to appreciate this one.

I’m a fan of old classics and was really hoping to love this movie, but I was just disappointed. I guess there’s a time for everything, and I guess the time for slasher movies has come and gone.

The movie is about a man named Michael Myers, who starts his killing spree as a child by murdering his older sister after she has sex with her boyfriend.
He’s locked up in an insane asylum but escapes 15 years later. Now, this psycho killer is on the loose, and with nowhere else to go, he returns to his old hometown to continue his killing spree without remorse.

Back in his hometown, Michael stalks teenager Laurie Strode and her friends, intending to kill them. Meanwhile, Michael’s psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis, suspects his patient’s intentions and heads to the town to stop him—but not soon enough, as Michael has already started killing again.
The movie becomes a race against time: Will Michael succeed in killing everyone he’s stalking, or will Loomis stop him?

No matter how I feel about this movie, Michael Myers will always remain a classic psycho killer. He spawned a franchise that lasted over 10 films, with the story evolving into a sibling rivalry between Laurie and Michael.
If you’re into slasher movies like I am, maybe you should try watching all the Halloween films. I will try, but not liking the start of the journey, even though I have to say, the acting performances in this movie are actually very good.

Halloween (2007)

Halloween (2007)

5/10

Starring

Malcolm McDowell

Sheri Moon Zombie

Tyler Mane

Scout Taylor-Compton

Brad Dourif

Directed by Rob Zombie

“If it ain’t broken, don’t try to fix it...” is what they say, but the Halloween franchise was broken, and Rob Zombie tried to fix it.
What he did was take Michael Myers—one of the first slasher icons (after Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960))—and gave him a backstory. When John Carpenter introduced us to the psychopathic killer Michael Myers, there was little focus on his upbringing or how external factors shaped him into the monster he became.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween is both a prequel and a remake. It answers questions about how Michael Myers became who he is, and after he breaks out of the insane asylum, the movie shifts into a remake of the 1978 classic. The movie lacked the needed creativity to be captivating enough for this movie to matter much.

To be honest, I still prefer this version to the original. While I don’t care much about the origin of this psychopath (the brief intro in the 1978 classic was enough for me), the prequel Rob Zombie added was a welcome touch. That said, it dragged on for over 30 minutes, which I did not care for. I got tired of waiting for Michael to go full psycho, but when it finally happened, it was cool. It felt familiar, like something I’d seen before, but still entertaining. The movie also had a lot of sexual content, most of which felt unnecessary, but I guess Rob wanted to stay true to the original while adding his own twist.

For those who don’t know, the Halloween franchise is about a man named Michael Myers, who starts his killing spree as a child by murdering his older sister and her boyfriend after they have sex.
He’s locked up in an insane asylum but escapes 15 years later. Now, this psycho killer is on the loose, killing without remorse. The safest thing to do when Michael Myers is after you? Kill yourself before he gets to you.

The acting in the movie is one thing I struggled with. The lead actors were great in their roles, but the extras were just... off. I’ve never seen such a large group of extras with little to no acting skills (except in some B-movies) like the ones in this film. That’s why I’d rate the movie lower.

If you’re ever in the mood to watch the entire Halloween franchise, don’t skip this one. In my book, it’s as good as the first.