Let me start this off by saying that I am a very big fan of the first Kick Ass, and I hold it very dear to me. It has remained one of my favorite superhero movies since my very first viewing. That being said, I may be taking some bias into this viewing with me. I will try to stay as fair to this as I can, though reading other's reviews makes me feel that being a fan of the original seems to have the opposite effect.
I don't see everyone's beef with this film. For some reason there are a lot of very negative reviews being written about this movie. I just don't get it. As far as the film on its own merits go, yes it does not live up to the first one, no it is not a perfect movie, but is it bad? Simple answer, no. It is just burdened down by the shadow of the first film that blew many audience member and critic alike away with its over-the-top action, surprising use of harsh language, and flashy colors.
Well, guess what? All those things that made the first movie so amazing are still here. Only thing really missing is Nic Cage's cheeseball brand of acting(love the guy, really I do). I personally found the humor in the same veins as the first being darkly comedic and slapstick heavy. The acting was all, for the most part, very strong including once again an amazing show from Chloe Grace Moretz as the fantastic Hit Girl and an incredible performance from Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
I cannot really think of any big issue I have with this movie. Do not go into this movie expecting it to be as good as the first, as it just isn't, but tell me the truth here. How many sequels on a usual basis surpass the original? Not many at all. This is still a strong, very fun film that should be enjoyed by anyone who likes stylized action or grindhouse flicks. Also, anyone who is a fan of the first should still check this out if not just to see Hit Girl in probably one of the coolest fight scenes I've seen in a while(Mother Russia is such an awesome villain).
I would gladly see this film again and I will give it a 7/10 for just being a really fun movie.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Blog Revival + Upcoming Reviews!
Hey guys, I'm back, after 3 years of hiatus, yeah... Anyways I have been re-inspired to ramble on and on about the things I like, hate, or just couldn't care less about, and so I am back in action! Even though no one will really read this, of course.
Just a bit of news, I have recently seen a number of this summer's films and I am going to share with you all my impressions of these million dollar feasts for the eyes. Expect top see soon a review for the following pictures:
-The Conjuring
-2 Guns
-Elysium
-We're the Millers
-Kick Ass 2
These are all upcoming reviews, and there will be much more on the way after, so keep checking back, if you actually care about what this random fish says.
Just a bit of news, I have recently seen a number of this summer's films and I am going to share with you all my impressions of these million dollar feasts for the eyes. Expect top see soon a review for the following pictures:
-The Conjuring
-2 Guns
-Elysium
-We're the Millers
-Kick Ass 2
These are all upcoming reviews, and there will be much more on the way after, so keep checking back, if you actually care about what this random fish says.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
My tops
This is just a big garbled mess of my favorite rides.
Top 10 coasters as of Nov/10
1. Intimidator (Carowinds)
2. Maverick (Cedar Point)
3. Phantom's Revenge (Kenywood)
4. Apollo's Chariot (BGE)
5. Shiekra (BGA)
6. Goliath (SFOG)
7. Manta (SWO)
8. Kraken (SWO)
9. Rip Ride Rockit (USO)
10. Thunderhead (Dollywood)
Top 5 favorite coasters of all time:
1. Big Bad Wolf (BGE)
2. Flight of Fear (KD)
3. Kraken (SWO)
4. Apollo's Chariot (BGE)
5. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Top 5 favorite dark rides:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Harry Potter Forbidden Journey
3. Curse of DarKastle
4. Haunted Mansion
5. Amazing Spiderman
Top 5 favorite water rides:
1. Splash Mountain
2. Journey to Atlantis
3. Jaws
4. Escape from Pompeii
5. Dudley Do-right's Ripsaw Falls
Top 5 favorite rides:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Splash Mountain
3. Big Bad Wolf
4. Intimidator
5. Flight of Fear
Top 10 coasters as of Nov/10
1. Intimidator (Carowinds)
2. Maverick (Cedar Point)
3. Phantom's Revenge (Kenywood)
4. Apollo's Chariot (BGE)
5. Shiekra (BGA)
6. Goliath (SFOG)
7. Manta (SWO)
8. Kraken (SWO)
9. Rip Ride Rockit (USO)
10. Thunderhead (Dollywood)
Top 5 favorite coasters of all time:
1. Big Bad Wolf (BGE)
2. Flight of Fear (KD)
3. Kraken (SWO)
4. Apollo's Chariot (BGE)
5. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Top 5 favorite dark rides:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Harry Potter Forbidden Journey
3. Curse of DarKastle
4. Haunted Mansion
5. Amazing Spiderman
Top 5 favorite water rides:
1. Splash Mountain
2. Journey to Atlantis
3. Jaws
4. Escape from Pompeii
5. Dudley Do-right's Ripsaw Falls
Top 5 favorite rides:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Splash Mountain
3. Big Bad Wolf
4. Intimidator
5. Flight of Fear
Friday, September 10, 2010
King's Island Review
King's Island really was a surprise to me. I went in thinking the place would have been worse than King's Dominion, but I walked away knowing it is about 2x better. For one, the operations at this place were astounding. Every single ride, with the exception of Racer, was running at full capacity with a limited amount of stacking. Lines were either very quick moving or non existent, and overall the staff was fairly friendly and seemed to enjoy what they were doing.
Now, onto the rides:
Diamondback: I personally love B&M's mega coasters, but this one kinda fell behind on the list for me. It felt really slow over most of the hills produce limited to no airtime. I highly recommend that anyone riding it sits towards the front, as that is where pretty much all of the airtime is. The back row, while good for the first drop, had an extremely bad case of the B&M rattle, and close to no airtime. This ride was really a let down for me. My current favorite of the B&M hypers, Intimidator, is significantly better than it. Even though it has a terrible back seat, and a bad case of the shakes, it's still a decent ride towards the front, therefore I give it an 7/10.
Beast: This was actually a pretty good wooden, and actually found myself returning to give it another ride later in the day, even in my tight time limit. It does have a bad case of over-trimmage, but even so it still packs a nice punch. The first drop when sitiing in the back actually has a small pop of air, and the rest of the track is just a fun mess of lateral-inducing turns and random tunnels. The big helix finale is also one of the most epic things I've experienced on a ride. This gets a solid 8/10.
Vortex: I am pretty much an Arrow fan-boy, so one could guess that this ride was a big draw to me. Those guessing that would be correct. Those guessing that I walked away loving every second of the ride would also be correct. It has a beastly first drop, several nice moments of airtime, good positive gs in the double loops and the batwing, and really nice hangtime in the corkscrews. This ride is also in really good condition, the track was really nice and smooth. This ride gets a solid 9/10.
Flight Deck: I was really excited about finally riding this, something to match the intensity of my long time favorite Big Bad Wolf. it did not disappoint at all. The swinging was intense, really good speed, nearly perfectly smooth, and with a couple pops of airtime. It was almost like the second half of BBW stretched out to be a full ride by itself. I love it, a solid 9/10.
Racer: Excellent racing woodie. While it's not quite the level of Thunder Road, it is much better than Rebel Yell. I give it a 7/10.
Flight of Fear: Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Premier rides and that FoF at KD is one of my all time favorite coasters, so you know I was excited about this one. I had heard though that this one wasn't as good as KD's. I now have to dismiss that as a lie. This one is slightly smoother, has a quieter launch, has all of its theming, music, and special effects still in perfect working order, and most importantly its track area is air conditioned. I was a very happy person while riding this one. Perfect 10/10.
Firehawk: Originally I was not even planning on wasting my time to ride this. Lets just say, I'm glad I changed my mind. From my past experience with Nighthawk, I was planning on this ride hurting like a mother, i couldn't have been more wrong. Firehawk was amazingly smooth! All the parts on Nighthawk that I'd consider rough were smooth here. All I kept saying the entire rides is, "It's Smooth!" I didn't even get the normal Vekoma headache getting off of it. While it is still no match for the greatness that is B&M's flying coasters, this one is really good. A good 8/10.
Invertigo: This is the first time I have ever experienced this bad of headbanging on a ride. It tops the amount produced from the junior suspendeds tenfold. The seating arrangement is kind of fun, but the ride itself sucks. 2/10.
-Be back to finish the rest later!-
Now, onto the rides:
Diamondback: I personally love B&M's mega coasters, but this one kinda fell behind on the list for me. It felt really slow over most of the hills produce limited to no airtime. I highly recommend that anyone riding it sits towards the front, as that is where pretty much all of the airtime is. The back row, while good for the first drop, had an extremely bad case of the B&M rattle, and close to no airtime. This ride was really a let down for me. My current favorite of the B&M hypers, Intimidator, is significantly better than it. Even though it has a terrible back seat, and a bad case of the shakes, it's still a decent ride towards the front, therefore I give it an 7/10.
Beast: This was actually a pretty good wooden, and actually found myself returning to give it another ride later in the day, even in my tight time limit. It does have a bad case of over-trimmage, but even so it still packs a nice punch. The first drop when sitiing in the back actually has a small pop of air, and the rest of the track is just a fun mess of lateral-inducing turns and random tunnels. The big helix finale is also one of the most epic things I've experienced on a ride. This gets a solid 8/10.
Vortex: I am pretty much an Arrow fan-boy, so one could guess that this ride was a big draw to me. Those guessing that would be correct. Those guessing that I walked away loving every second of the ride would also be correct. It has a beastly first drop, several nice moments of airtime, good positive gs in the double loops and the batwing, and really nice hangtime in the corkscrews. This ride is also in really good condition, the track was really nice and smooth. This ride gets a solid 9/10.
Flight Deck: I was really excited about finally riding this, something to match the intensity of my long time favorite Big Bad Wolf. it did not disappoint at all. The swinging was intense, really good speed, nearly perfectly smooth, and with a couple pops of airtime. It was almost like the second half of BBW stretched out to be a full ride by itself. I love it, a solid 9/10.
Racer: Excellent racing woodie. While it's not quite the level of Thunder Road, it is much better than Rebel Yell. I give it a 7/10.
Flight of Fear: Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Premier rides and that FoF at KD is one of my all time favorite coasters, so you know I was excited about this one. I had heard though that this one wasn't as good as KD's. I now have to dismiss that as a lie. This one is slightly smoother, has a quieter launch, has all of its theming, music, and special effects still in perfect working order, and most importantly its track area is air conditioned. I was a very happy person while riding this one. Perfect 10/10.
Firehawk: Originally I was not even planning on wasting my time to ride this. Lets just say, I'm glad I changed my mind. From my past experience with Nighthawk, I was planning on this ride hurting like a mother, i couldn't have been more wrong. Firehawk was amazingly smooth! All the parts on Nighthawk that I'd consider rough were smooth here. All I kept saying the entire rides is, "It's Smooth!" I didn't even get the normal Vekoma headache getting off of it. While it is still no match for the greatness that is B&M's flying coasters, this one is really good. A good 8/10.
Invertigo: This is the first time I have ever experienced this bad of headbanging on a ride. It tops the amount produced from the junior suspendeds tenfold. The seating arrangement is kind of fun, but the ride itself sucks. 2/10.
-Be back to finish the rest later!-
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Scott Pilgrim Review
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is one of the best movies of the year. It is a non stop barrage of awesome fight sequences, one liners, and video game/music references. It is beyond awesome, and yet it has become a box office flop...
Ladies and gentleman, what's the problem here? Why is such a good movie failing? Go out there and watch it, NOW!
The acting is flawless, the plot is perfectly executed, and even though the first 30 minutes or so of the film may be a bit slow, I still found it to be entertaining with several good jokes thrown in. The rest of the film is fast paced and action packed. Everyone would love this movie, if they would just go watch it.
This is the exact same thing that happened with Kick Ass, if it looks different or unique, people tend to shy away from it. This is something that depresses me. Very great talent has gone to waste due to this mentality. People, please wake up!
Scott Pilgrim vs the World gets a solid 9/10.
Ladies and gentleman, what's the problem here? Why is such a good movie failing? Go out there and watch it, NOW!
The acting is flawless, the plot is perfectly executed, and even though the first 30 minutes or so of the film may be a bit slow, I still found it to be entertaining with several good jokes thrown in. The rest of the film is fast paced and action packed. Everyone would love this movie, if they would just go watch it.
This is the exact same thing that happened with Kick Ass, if it looks different or unique, people tend to shy away from it. This is something that depresses me. Very great talent has gone to waste due to this mentality. People, please wake up!
Scott Pilgrim vs the World gets a solid 9/10.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Last Exorcism Review
I went out last night to see The Last Exorcism, for those of you thinking this is just another one of those recent "exorcism" flicks think again. This takes a new approach at exorcism I haven't really seen before.
The Last Exorcism follows the filming of a documentary where a priest is going out to show to the world that exorcism is nothing but a scam. To try to get people to stop getting exorcisms due to a rise in deaths related to the practice. He then picks one request to do as his "final exorcism," and then he and his film crew are off to New Orleans.
As a warning, this movie is a "shaky-cam" film, aka it was shot Blair Witch style. As with all the other "shaky-cam" films this one can mess with you if you have vertigo or bad motion sickness.
Overall I'd say this is a pretty decent movie. Acting was decent, though a bit cheesy at some points. The cinematography is fairly basic, exactly what you'd expect from a shaky-cam film. Where this movie shines is its musical score. While it doesn't use it a lot to preserve realism in the quieter scenes, when it does chime in it really works.
Now for the plot. For the majority of the film the plot stays easily followed and works completely. As soon as the last 20 minutes roll around though, the plot explodes in your face. The pacing becomes extremely frantic, the films logic gets thrown out the window, and it completely destroys what the documentary was trying to do in the first place.
If they had let it be, I would be saying, hey that was a pretty good movie. Thanks to that ending though, it lost some credibility with me. My hope is that when the DVD is released there's an alternate ending.
I give it a 6/10
The Last Exorcism follows the filming of a documentary where a priest is going out to show to the world that exorcism is nothing but a scam. To try to get people to stop getting exorcisms due to a rise in deaths related to the practice. He then picks one request to do as his "final exorcism," and then he and his film crew are off to New Orleans.
As a warning, this movie is a "shaky-cam" film, aka it was shot Blair Witch style. As with all the other "shaky-cam" films this one can mess with you if you have vertigo or bad motion sickness.
Overall I'd say this is a pretty decent movie. Acting was decent, though a bit cheesy at some points. The cinematography is fairly basic, exactly what you'd expect from a shaky-cam film. Where this movie shines is its musical score. While it doesn't use it a lot to preserve realism in the quieter scenes, when it does chime in it really works.
Now for the plot. For the majority of the film the plot stays easily followed and works completely. As soon as the last 20 minutes roll around though, the plot explodes in your face. The pacing becomes extremely frantic, the films logic gets thrown out the window, and it completely destroys what the documentary was trying to do in the first place.
If they had let it be, I would be saying, hey that was a pretty good movie. Thanks to that ending though, it lost some credibility with me. My hope is that when the DVD is released there's an alternate ending.
I give it a 6/10
Monday, August 30, 2010
Kennywood Review
I recently took a nice trip to Kennywood for my first time ever, and I must say, I am very impressed. The park while having a pretty ghetto feel to the place turned out to be very awesome.
The best way I can describe this place is like an European park in America. The entire park felt very rustic with old school flat rides and classic coasters you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else. In fact, there was only 1 ride I saw in the entire park that had air gates separating the queue lines from the boarding platforms. This is a very surprising thing to see in sue-happy America, especially when one considers that even Disney recently had to add air gates to the classic Space Mountain down at Magic Kingdom.
Speaking of the rides, the coasters in this park are magnificent. Steel Phantom is an amazing ride full of high speeds and a crap-ton of airtime. Sky Rocket, their new for 2010 coaster, is a very impressive ride from Premier that feels half like a classic Premier ride and half like a Gertslauer Eurofighter. Thunderbolt is the definition of a classic wooden coaster, and it now sits as my second favorite woodie, right under Thunderhead. Racer is the only Mobius woodie still alive in America and it is full of hand-slapping goodness. Jack Rabbit is a nice little wooden coaster with a devious double down into the ravine that packs a huge airtime punch. And finally Exterminator is probably the best themed wild mouse I've ever seen, plus its a Reverchon not a Zamperla (Reverchon makes these rides better IMO).
After that star studded line up of major coasters, you might be wondering, what else is there to ride at Kennywood, well my friends, the answer is a lot. They packed so many flat rides into this park that it almost feels like you're at a state fair instead of an amusement park. They have the awesomely classic Whip, a decent S&S Screamin' Swing named SwingShot, a giant Zamperla Disko named Cosmic Chaos, a classic, last-of-its-kind, Turtle, and my personal favorite, their Bayern Curve. Other than that there are several, not-quite-as-note-worthy flats such as their pirate ship and enterprise.
I didn't get a chance to try out their dark rides or water rides, but hey, that just gives me incentive to go back sometime. Overall, I give this park a 9/10 meaning, get your butt out there now and check it out.
Ride Ratings:
Phantom's Revenge: 10/10
Sky Rocket: 9/10
Thunderbolt: 9/10
Racer: 8/10
Jack Rabbit: 7/10
Lil' Phantom(yes I'm a credit whore): 3/10
The best way I can describe this place is like an European park in America. The entire park felt very rustic with old school flat rides and classic coasters you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else. In fact, there was only 1 ride I saw in the entire park that had air gates separating the queue lines from the boarding platforms. This is a very surprising thing to see in sue-happy America, especially when one considers that even Disney recently had to add air gates to the classic Space Mountain down at Magic Kingdom.
Speaking of the rides, the coasters in this park are magnificent. Steel Phantom is an amazing ride full of high speeds and a crap-ton of airtime. Sky Rocket, their new for 2010 coaster, is a very impressive ride from Premier that feels half like a classic Premier ride and half like a Gertslauer Eurofighter. Thunderbolt is the definition of a classic wooden coaster, and it now sits as my second favorite woodie, right under Thunderhead. Racer is the only Mobius woodie still alive in America and it is full of hand-slapping goodness. Jack Rabbit is a nice little wooden coaster with a devious double down into the ravine that packs a huge airtime punch. And finally Exterminator is probably the best themed wild mouse I've ever seen, plus its a Reverchon not a Zamperla (Reverchon makes these rides better IMO).
After that star studded line up of major coasters, you might be wondering, what else is there to ride at Kennywood, well my friends, the answer is a lot. They packed so many flat rides into this park that it almost feels like you're at a state fair instead of an amusement park. They have the awesomely classic Whip, a decent S&S Screamin' Swing named SwingShot, a giant Zamperla Disko named Cosmic Chaos, a classic, last-of-its-kind, Turtle, and my personal favorite, their Bayern Curve. Other than that there are several, not-quite-as-note-worthy flats such as their pirate ship and enterprise.
I didn't get a chance to try out their dark rides or water rides, but hey, that just gives me incentive to go back sometime. Overall, I give this park a 9/10 meaning, get your butt out there now and check it out.
Ride Ratings:
Phantom's Revenge: 10/10
Sky Rocket: 9/10
Thunderbolt: 9/10
Racer: 8/10
Jack Rabbit: 7/10
Lil' Phantom(yes I'm a credit whore): 3/10
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