Review - Cloverfield

"Cloverfield" is a most unusual and heavily hyped sci-fi movie. It takes place over a couple of days in New York City. We begin the movie with a going-away party for a young man who is moving to Japan for a new job. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose. Things begin to explode, people begin to panic...and the characters find themselves in a race against time...and something else.
This movie had been previewed for months...with very little information given about the movie itself. In the back of my mind, I started wondering, "Am I witnessing another "Snakes On A Plane"...or will this movie actually live up to the hype?" The short answer...kind of. Imagine if the people who shot "The Blair Witch Project" made "Godzilla". You now have a pretty decent idea on what "Cloverfield" was like.
I liked the idea of the first-person perspective on the movie...and how there was still interaction between the characters and the surroundings. However...there were times where another characters perspective would have been appreciated. And it leaves the movie-goer with many questions about what actually happened.
All in all...not a great movie...but a good one. The characters were likeable and well played, the story moved along well, and unlike "I Am Legend", the special effects were a lot better.

Review - National Treasure: Book Of Secrets

I was a big fan of the first National Treasure movie, and thus I was quite enthused when word of a sequel reached my ears. And I'm glad to say, that the sophomore jinx didn't hit Book Of Secrets.
The movie is enough that you didn't have to see the original to follow this story...as a matter of fact, this movie barely makes any reference to the original (quite an unusual turn of events). Ben Gates' great-great grandfather has been presented as a possible co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With the assistance of his father, his sidekick Riley, his estranged girlfriend Abigail, and his mother Emily...Ben goes off on another incredible search to protect his family name.
There are some excellent performances in the movie...and with a cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Ed Harris, and Helen Mirren, that is pretty much a foregone conclusion. The story is entertaining, and carries on at a good pace. The ending of the story almost guaranteed a sequel.
All in all, an excellent movie!

Review - I Am Legend

I'll admit it...when I first saw the trailers...I was intrigued. I had already rented an earlier version of this movie off Netflix (The Omega Man, with Charlton Heston in the title role). Still, I put off seeing this movie.
It wasn't terrible. Granted...we've come to expect so much better from Will Smith...but it wasn't entirely Will's fault this time around. The special effects for such a big-budget film were not very impressive. In fact, they were quite underwhelming. The story is about the same as Omega Man - a military scientist is the last man alive in New York City after a man-made disease wipes out the majority of the human race. Most of those unaffected by the disease are now more animal than human...unable to tolerate sunlight (or any bright light for that matter). It is interesting to see how a person would stand being the only person left on Earth...and what it might do to their psychological state.
Decent characters...decent story...bad special effects. I Am Legend isn't the best movie you could spend money to go see...but it isn't the worst, either.