Movie Review: The Day The Earth Stood Still

I first learned about the film when I saw a clip from 1996’s Independence Day. Then, I learned about the original film is about a certain ‘being’ named Klaatu that came to Earth accompanied by a biomechanical robot named Gort, bend on destroying humankind for the sake of saving the planet against the never-ending attitude of humans against each other and its surroundings (i.e., war, racism, global warming, etc.) Usually, remakes like these have dominated Hollywood for some time now, and the bad thing is, most of these don’t do the original film some justice. I haven’t really seen the original film so seeing this film gives me a whole different perspective on the film. The movie starts out great actually, building up the tension and gives this creepy atmosphere on how humankind reacts to an event like an alien invasion. However, the second part of the film fails for me, ending to abruptly without any proper closure for all the characters. In the end, it feels like just like a big special effects blockbuster that probably some people will love. The underlying themes of the movie however was a good thing to notice, which pokes some realism into what is happening right now. Acting was only subpar, with Jennifer Connelly giving the most decent performance. Keanu Reeves as the emotionless Klaatu was rightfully emotionless. Even Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith’s performance was more convincing than Reeve’s. Overall, T.D.T.E.S.S. is still a fun popcorn flick and a nice film to see this holiday season. The Day The Earth Stood Still: 7/10.

Movie Review: Quantum of Solace

Yes, I know. It’s been weeks since this movie was shown. But with the amount of work I had to do, this is the only chance I could. Now onto the film - the first James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, Casino Royale, was actually one of my favorite Bond films. Of course, hearing that the sequel will come out by 2007, I was pumped and ready to watch it. The story continues one hour after the end of Casino Royale. The story goes from there, with revenge being the main theme of the film. Monologuing villains and Bond babes are still present, as with any other James Bond movie. How did I think of it? Same as everyone else which is too much action, literally from start to finish the action scenes went off the screen one by one. That doesn’t mean the action isn’t good, it’s just too much. Story was too thin, and not as deep as the last film. While some complained about the lack of gadgetry and the likeness of the film to the Bourne movie franchise, it was a welcome change for me. Grittier action is what I want (but that’s just me). Another weird thing about the film was the theme song. It was nowhere near any of the Bond songs I’ve heard previously. And the title? Very, very deep I must say. Time will come when all James Bond movies are named after words I’ve never bothered reading. ;-) Btu defnitely, new Bond girl Oolga Kkurylenko was definitely hot. Wish she showed more skin though. Hehe! Director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball) decided to go more into action rather than plot, and with a very short running time, what else can you show in the film? I think I'll re-watch my copy of Casino Royale. Still, it was fun action flick, but reeling from the heels of Casino Royale, this movie could have done better. Quantum of solace: 6/10