Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part II Trailer!!!

The trailer to the final installment of Harry Potter was released last night, so without further ado, here is the last trailer:

Ladies and Gentleman, your intermission will be ending shortly, 4 months to be exact.  Feel free to take this time to get back to your seats.

Silver Screen Review:Rio

In this edition of the silver screen reviews, I look at the new animated feature “Rio”. “Rio” comes to us from the mind of Carlos Saldanha, the director who brought us the “Ice Age” Trilogy. He returns to the big screen with a film he has been waiting to bring to life. But is “Rio” the next animated hit or does it crash and burn? Get ready to take trip through this review of “Rio”

Story:  The story of “Rio” is about Blu, a domesticated macaw, going to Rio and finds himself stuck to Jewel, a female macaw, and wind up in the adventure of a life time. The plot has no big surprises to it as you figure out how where the story is going.  Though “Rio’s” plot may be familiar; it is enjoyable and it certainly has its moments.  What did fascinate me was how paced the story was. It is surprising to discover that this plot runs about an hour and a half.

Character/Acting:  Like the story, there little to no surprises with the characters. Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway’s characters seem to follow there more usual character traits. Yet one thing that did impress me was the development of Blu and Linda, played by Leslie Mann. Both characters go out on an adventure and discover things about the world as well as themselves. The movie also features an enjoyable supporting cast  with the likes of Jemaine Clement, Jaime Foxx as well as George Lopez, and this is to name a few. The only  other issue I have  in this section is the characteristics of the animal cast seemed a little too human for my taste.

Directing:  Carlos Saldanha has finally brought his idea to life. Unfortunately, there were not many surprises when it came to the directions.  Besides the details of the city itself, I felt  there were no surprises in directing; however that is not to say he did a bad job. He was able to deliver with “Rio”, even though everything about this film fit his forte.

Everything Else:  There were things that I liked about the animation, and there were things I did not care for. I felt at times that animation was to cartoonish for my taste. The design for the characters seemed way too generic. I felt that some of the characters had the same design and I felt it took away from the animation. I am not going to count out the animation just yet because it did have some positive factors.  At some points, the animation was colorful and seemed to fit what the movie was expressing. So though it does not fit my preference, it did get the job done.

Overall:  Though there are no impressive surprises, “Rio” is an entertaining movie. Is it the best animated movie of the year? Not really. But if you are looking for just a fun movie, look no further than “Rio”. “Rio” gets 3 ½ hats out of 5.

Silver Screen Review:Hanna

Welcome to another Silver Screen Reviews: Pulse Edition. This week, I take a look at a rather independent looking movie, the movie known as” Hanna”.  Looking at this movie, I could tell that was not t going to be a big movie, but nonetheless, the movie did receive some decent publicity over the past couple of weeks.  So is “Hanna” a film worth your time or is it just a movie that may just passed by. Stay tune for this review of “Hanna”.

Story:  The plot of “Hanna” follows the character Hanna, a young girl trained by her father in being an expert killer out for revenge. The movie at its core is really about a girl trying to find herself as she enters an unfamiliar world for the first time, or something like that. I really did enjoy the plot; it did keep me compelled all the way through.  However, the story does suffer from a great deal of confusion as well as having very little understanding of the events of the film.  When reaching the conclusion of the movie, there seem to be no other way for the events to come together, but I think a little more thought in this plot would not have hurt.

Characters/Acting:  I found myself enjoying the three main characters. Hanna, played Saorise Ronan, was very intriguing character. Her character trying to be more human showed very distinct development that I thought was done well. This is the first film that I have seen Saorise Ronan in and I have that I am impressed with her performance. Eric Bana makes for great supporting character as well as Cate Blanchett making a good antagonist.  My only complaint about her performance was her accent. It was not as if it off nor was it not understandable, it just bother me.

Directing:  Joe Wright directed this film and there were some decisions I agreed with, while there were some I did not agree with.  As a whole, I agree and understand what he was trying to accomplish. However there were some minor details that I did not agree with. The minor details did not hurt the film, but I question why they were done in this matter.

Everything Else: Visually, “Hanna” is impressive to see. Its cinematography is gripping and distinctive. I also was impressed with the film’s soundtrack. I found myself following the rhythm of the beats. The music was most impressive.   At times, “Hanna” could be very creative, and though I question its creativity, it did not take away from the film itself.

Overall:   Hanna is a very interesting film, but it greatly suffered for its questionable details and its story. Other than that, “Hanna” is compelling as well exciting, it is something different to see. If looking for something unique, you might want to check out “Hanna”. “Hanna” gets 3 ½ out of 5 hats.

Silver Screen Review:Source Code

This week, I take a look at the new Sci-fi thriller, “Source Code”, directed by Duncan Jones. Who is Duncan Jones might you ask? Duncan Jones is the son of David Bowe who decided to make a career in filmmaking. His first film came out a couple years ago that was simply titled “Moon”. It was a severely underrated film that showed Jones’ creative genius. Now Jones is back with his second feature film. Will it show his creative genius and guarantee him fame?  Find out in this review of “Source Code”.

Story: The concept of “Source Code” is really interesting when you think about it. The majority of the films is shot in one location and the events only last eight minutes. Despite the story’s time span, the events never seem repetitive.  The story of this sci-fi thriller is full of twist and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire length of the film, which is only 90 minutes.

Characters/Acting: The movie follows Colter Steven, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, as he tries to solve the mysteries of the film’s events while we learn how he managed to get into the source code in the first place.  The development of Jake’s character transitioned well throughout the film considering  his character has to go through the same events over and over again. Jake’s performance is well done as he never stirs and always remains compelling.  The other actors in the movie have a good performances also, but my only issue is that some of the characters are not as in depth as Jake’s. Still it was really good cast.

Directing:  As I have already mentioned, I am very impressed with the work of Duncan Jones. One the impressive qualities I see in this director is his ability to make the audience think that the movie is going in one direction when in fact it goes in a completely different direction.  Another great quality in Jones’s directing is his ability to create such imaginative stories while being very subtle about it.

Everything Else:  The main theme of the movie combines time travel with “The Matrix”.  The sci-fi of “Source Code” does not throw you off, but it can be a little unbelievable at times. However, if you can suspend your disbelief, it should not bother you.  The effects as well as the visuals are both subtle and fascinating creating an outstanding atmosphere for this Sci-fi film.

Overall: “Source Code” is a great addition to the Sci-fi genre. Its story never tires and has well rounded performances. Duncan Jones really proves the importance of storytelling and how to combine it with great creativity. My only complaint about “Source Code” is that sometimes it could be a little confusing. Thankfully, it does not overshadow the wonderful storytelling of a creative Sci-fi movie. My hat is off to Duncan Jones and “Source Code” as I give it 4 out of 5 hats.