21.Live Free or Die Hard
22.Magnolia
23.Krapp's Last Tape
24.Life
25.They Live
26.Fight Club
27.Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
28.Dirty Dancing
29.Soul Surfer
30.Bourne Identity
31.Dear John
32.Your Highness
33.The Incredible Hulk
34.Mamma Mis
35.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
36.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
37.101 Dalmatians (cartoon version)
38.Red Dragon
39.Easy A
40.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
41.Austin Powers in Goldmember
42.Tarzan
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Alright, so this was the first Die Hard movie I've ever seen. Usually I don't particularly enjoy movies that are full of car chases/gun fights/intense action sequences, but I actually kind of enjoyed this movie. I guess this is partly because I like movies where there is a big master plan that all fits together (in this movie, the hacker's "fire sale" plan, which just happened to fit together nicely), but also it's always fun to watch Justin Long cower behind (a seemingly invincible) Bruce Willis (who I've always liked onscreen) for 2 hours. Also, what other movie can a person survive being crushed between a cement wall and a hefty SUV (and remain pretty much fully functional), and another person die instantaneously after being shot with one measly bullet THAT HAS JUST PASSED THROUGH BRUCE WILLIS'S FREAKING SHOULDER? (Incidentally, in that scene, Brucey has just been shot multiple times, but does that stop him? Hell no.)
Verdict: This whole movie is basically 128 minutes of ridiculously overblown, past-even-remotely-believable, over-the-top action scenes, where Bruce Willis is basically untouchable-- and still manages to whip out quick comebacks throughout. All that being said...secretly, I liked it.
22. Magnolia (view trailer here)
About an hour into this movie, I was pretty into it. Two hours in, my interest was fading. By the final scenes, three hours since I'd started, I was pretty much over this movie. Honestly, I was disappointed by this film. It has a pretty solid cast, including Tom Cruise (at his very greasiest), John C. Reilly and Julianna Moore, but I found the plot to be kind of pointless, unfocused, and, for long stretches, boring. Also, there were more pointless (and long) monologues than I'd like to have to sit through. I'll give this movie this though: the first hour did have my attention, and certain characters (like the boy on the game show) had consistently interesting story lines. Overall though.... I was going to write a paper on this film, but that's definitely not happening anymore.
Verdict: Maybe I'm just not artsy enough for it, but I give this film a big ol' 2.5/5, because it was pretty much dead average, not evoking enough emotion for a really negative or positive score. ALTHOUGH, if you are going to watch this movie, I'll tell you this (spoiler alert!): This has one of the strangest endings I've ever seen in a movie. For real. It starts raining frogs. Srsly confusing.
In a word, this short film is... meticulous. It's an adaptation of Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape, a 6 1/2 page play that is shown in this hour long movie. Although I would say this was pretty well-done, I didn't exactly enjoy it. It was slow. Very slow. And watching an old man with a mustache eating a banana loudly (yes, it is possibly to eat a banana loudly) was not particularly pleasant. (Although, listening to Krapp's old recordings of himself reminded me of the "talking tapes" my family used to take out from the library when we went on road trips. Those were awesome.)
Verdict: Meh. English class is English class, I wasn't expecting much.
Alright, so this is one of the Blu-Rays in one of those series that BBC or someone does about nature, like Earth or Oceans, or any of those numerous ones. I'm an absolute sucker for these. I love watching them, or even just having them on in the background. My favorite one from this box set was the one on Yellowstone National Park. The imagery was awesome, the camera work was great, and all the baby animals were just adorable. In this set there was also one about the bears hunting salmon in BC, which was also pretty cool.
Verdict: If you're anywhere near to being a nerd like me, I highly recommend giving these a look. Seriously.
I watched and wrote a paper on this movie for my film class, so I can tell you all about how it portrays the decline of traditional masculinity in modern day America.... but I won't. Instead I'll let you know that this movie is a cheap, funny watch that, at 93ish minutes (I think) is a nice length (unlike, say... Magnolia). The main actor is actually a pro wrestler, and managed to convey some of his more epic lines in a hilarious "I'm-trying-to-act-serious-but-I-don't-really-know-how" way. Overall though, this movie was pretty enjoyable, and had a few funny moments. (Oh yeah, it's about an average, Joe McWorkingClass who finds a magical pair of sunglasses that lets him see the "real" world-- which is controlled and filled with aliens!)
Verdict: As far as a slightly-corny, late 80's sci-fi/horro/action flick goes, this one pulls if off pretty well. Good for a lazy night when you just want to sit back, relax, and not think too hard.
Hands down, one of my favorite movies. Naturally, I was pretty stoked when I walked into a lounge last night around 12:30 and a bunch of people just happened to be watching it. If you haven't seen this movie, you're missing out, and should get on that as soon as you can. If you have, you know I'm not lying when I say that this movie is awesome. I've read the book and, for once, the movie is even better.
Verdict: Best movie of the 90's, and possibly Brad Pitt's best role ever.
27. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (watch trailer here)Verdict: I'm assuming that most people have seen this movie, or at least one of the three. They're a bit on the nerdy side, but very well made and decent movies overall. Having said that, it really depends what kind of movies you like, and guys tend to dig this movie much more than girls.
I'm not too sure how I made it through almost 19 years without seeing this movie, but fortunately it was on TV and I made my brother record it and watched it tonight with a few friends. Although the acting is spectacularly poor, I can see why it's a classic. It makes you want to dance, and it's just not serious enough to be a nice light watch, but it actually has a decent plot to follow as well. There are more than a few awkward moments (mostly whenever Jennifer Grey is on the screen), a lot of good dancing, and a nice 80's-style soundtrack. Also, Patrick Swayze is a bit of a babe (ya know, in that greasy 80's kind of way).
Verdict: Definitely a movie more suited towards girls, but I'd say if definitely is worth a watch. Not only will you be able to join the majority in saying you've seen it, but it's a fun movie to watch, especially if you are into a) dancing or b) Patrick Swayze's surprisingly jacked torso.
29. Soul Surfer (view trailer here)
This is the movie about that 13 year old who got her arm bitten off by a shark while surfing a few years ago. While it had potential (kind of), it was super family-channel-ized. The whole film had kind of a cheery, too brightly colored, PG rated vibe over it that made it a little unbearable at times to watch. It had some unbelievably cheesy acting (surprise, Carrie Underwood cannot act that well), to the point where a lot of the movie was a little awkward to watch. However, it did have some pretty cool surfing scenes, and the whole shark attack aftermath was surprisingly intense. So yeah, it had a few redeeming moments, but much of it felt like it was aimed towards 12-year-old girls.
Verdict: Let's just say I'm glad I went on cheap-movie-day Tuesday... it was sub-par at best.
30. Bourne Identity (view trailer here)
For some reason, despite Matt Damon's pretty face/body and usually engaging screen presence, of all the times I've watched the various Bourne movies, I've never been able to get into them. I've tried, I really have, but I just can't get into them, and can barely recall the plots afterwards.
Verdict: Yeah... most people find these movies super good. However, I'm not feeling them. I think that it's the overwhelming stereotypical (in my opinion) secret organization/action flick vibe it has.
Again, Nicholas Sparks brings very pretty people together onscreen for an incredibly sappy romantic story doomed to be fraught with "good time" montages, sad moments, and people kissing in the rain. It was decent, but really similar to most of Nicholas Sparks stories-turned-movie. Channing Tatum is a babe. The story is trying a little hard. Typical romance movie.
Verdict: For everyone who loves romantic movies, this one's a perfect one. For those who prefer a deeper plot, etc... I'd pass.
I don't have too much to say about this movie, mostly because I still can't decide if I liked it or not. On one hand, it has James Franco and Natalie Portman, and I was laughing out loud a lot, which I don't usually do. On the other hand, it relied on cheap humor (including those of the "giant animal dick on a string" variety), and had a really stupid plot. So yeah... still undecided.
Verdict: Stoner comedies have the confusing combination of a stupid plot, lazy acting, cheap jokes... and inexplicable hilarity. Hmmm.
33. The Incredible Hulk (view trailer here)
I'm a sucker for superhero movies. Seriously, they don't even have to be that good, and I will want to watch them, and probably really enjoy every single one. So this movie didn't even have to try that hard to get my approval. While the Hulk is a bit of a boring "superhero" (I say that in quotes because, really, it's more of a supernatural inconvenience than a power per se) in my opinion, Edward Norton was pretty good as Bruce Banner, and this movie delivered a perfectly acceptable marvel comic movie experience.
Verdict: A good one for a nice casual summer movie night.
34. Mamma Mia! (view trailer here)
I've been meaning to see this for a while, mostly because Meryl Streep is in it, and I secretly like the song Mamma Mia! Overall, it was a bit disappointing. Parts were embarrassingly cheesy, and Amanda Seyfried, while pretty, is not cut out for musicals. However, Pierce Brosnan is a babe, and some of the songs are really catchy. Also, it's set on a Greek island, so obviously the scenery is so pretty it makes me want to jump on a plane RIGHT NOW and go there.
Verdict: For all of you musical/Meryl Streep enthusiasts, it's not a hard movie to watch. Just cheesy. And I'm pretty sure it's an essential part of a girls night.
35. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (view trailer here)
I've never really liked the Harry Potter movies (they do the books no justice), besides the most recent one (but you can read on for more on THAT), but when I watched the 6th one last week I was all like, "WOW. I forgot that this movie is sweet!" This one actually almost compares to the book, in it's intensity and awesomeness (and by "almost," I mean as much as a movie can). Pretty much, you have to read the books (or at the very least, watch all the movies) to understand/appreciate these movies. And I think about 90% of people have. So there's not that much I can say about this one, as most people already have seen/made their own opinions about this one.
Verdict: So far, this one is the 2nd best of the 7 released movies.
36. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (view trailer here)
Continuing this Harry Potter movie trend, I watched this movie the same day I watched the 6th one (it was a good day). This movie is by far the best of the series and for about every minute of it I'm just like "Do NOT talk to me, I have watching Harry muthaf-cking Potter and his more awesome friends quest like superheros. DO. NOT. TALK."... Alright that's a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. I really really enjoyed this movie. It only took them 7 (maaaybe 6) tries to do the series justice.
Verdict: Yeah, you've probably seen this movie. If not, you should. I'm so so so (nerdily) excited for the final movie to come out in July. The trailer looks fairly epic/scary. Also, judging purely by certain parts of the trailer, I think I might cry at some parts. Embarrassing? Not at all.
37. 101 Dalmatians (cartoon version) (view trailer here)
It's been sooo long since I watched one of the old Disney movies. The animation is so sketchy (literally), but this story is a classic (although, not really as intricate as the stories nowadays). It's weird to think that this kind of animation is pretty much non existent now, as the movie industry is moving past those methods.
Verdict: I'm sure about every kid born in the 90's like me has seen this short movie. And how can you not love (or at least feel nostalgic about) a movie that centers around PUPPIES?
38. Red Dragon (view trailer here)
I missed the first about half hour of this movie, but from what I concluded, all you need to know about this movie is directly related to the actors:
1) Edward Norton is awful in this movie. And, his hair is bleached blondish... Also awful.
2) Anthony Hopkins, again playing Hannibal Lector, is awesome at this part. So eery, so good.
3) Oh my. Ralph Fiennes is most definitely made to be some sort of a jak-of-all-trades (and by "trades" I mean "means of killing innocent victims") supervillain.
 |
| Made to be evil. |
 |
| You can't really tell here, but behind those eyes is Voldemort in muggle form. |
Verdict: While a bit boring at parts, it seemed like a decent movie in the Hannibal series. (Seriously though, Ralph Fiennes is seriously disturbed/freaky in this.)
39. Easy A (view trailer here)
I'm a little bit embarrassed to admit that I really, really like this movie. Except I'm not really. It was the good. In my opinion, this is within the ranks of Mean Girls in the "classic chick flick movies that never get old, no matter how many time you watch it." Emma Stone is great in this one, and Penn Badgely is just adorable.
Verdict: If you haven't, see this movie. Boy or girl, doesn't even matter. If for nothing else, watch it for Emma Stone's hilarious movie family.
40. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (view trailer here)
Yeah, I've been watching a lot of Harry Potter lately. Almost everyone I ask says that this third movie is their favorite, and I've always stuck by the fact that it was my least favorite. However, after watching it again, I'm kind of confused why I thought this. This movie is actually really good, although a little long.
Verdict: You either like Harry Potter movies or you don't. My revised verdict is that this is one of the better ones.
41. Austin Powers in Goldmember (view trailer here)
Cheap humour! Mike Meyers playing multiple characters! Boob jokes! Beyonce! Need I say more?
Verdict: Austin Powers movies, while stupid, are funny. There's no denying that.
42. Tarzan (view trailer here)
Oh Phil Collins... you made one of the best Disney movie soundtracks ever. About 60% of my enjoyment derived from this movie is because of the music, and the other 40% is mostly the cute goofy animals. I'm not sure if anyone has not seen this movie, so I don't really know what else to say.
Verdict: Disney movies featuring animals are enjoyable, like, 98% of the time. This one is no exception.
