Dark Shadows (2012) Rating : 2.5 / 5 "A lot of empty hole"

A lot of missing part and half hearted plot but with a good character execution, great costumes and great settings. Dark Shadows has a lot of holes that needed to be filled. The story is too rush, the mystery is not intriguing enough, the plot is nothing but a plug in plug out plot to make the story seems longer. However, from all the bad side, what makes the movie good enough to compete in the movie market is the cast. Johnny Depp "Barnabas Collins" is good, so do Helena Bonham Carter "Dr. Julia" and Eva Green the antagonist "Angelique Bouchard". They do really perform the best portraying the weird characters. The setting is amazing, Tim Burton is good in bringing a classic tale to new adapted darker theme just like what he did in Alice in wonderland. The costume perfectly fit the 70s time as well as the old fashion imperial age Barnabas Collins costume. Really love the way each setting and costume is crafted with full passionate. Well the comedy is not as hilarious as I could imagine. Dark Shadows is a remake of 70s  horror comedy soap opera, perhaps that is why you will find a lot of empty mysteries left behind because you just simply cannot squished all the story into  113 minutes movie.

There is absolutely a lot of mysteries being left out just to rush it to the end. Starting from the Dr. Julia, to mysteriously behaving teenage girl "Carolyn  Stoddard" and sad lonely young boy "David Collins". They are all just a plug in plug out plot to make the story longer. The ghost in the mansion is just lame. Barely anything being told about it. The nanny doesn't even solved the mystery why the Barnabas loves ghost is talking to her. Firstly the attention is being brought to the nanny "Victoria Winters" in the first part of the movie, leaving the audience with a great expectation that Barnabas Collins will be mystery. Then, reaching the half of the movie, the main attention turns to Barnabas Collins leaving out the nanny as a supporting character. But for ever what reason, suddenly Victoria Winters fell in love with Barnabas Collins while the whole story is telling about how Barnabas Collins is going to restore the family wealth. Overall the plot and storyline is weak. 

On the other side, the collaboration of Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp is great. Just like in Alice in Wonderland portraying a funny weird character, they also did it in Dark Shadows. Bonham as Dr. Julia and Johnny as the vampire "Barnabas Collins". They executed the character very well. Don't forget the antagonist Eva green, she does make Angelique as annoying and evil as it is but not neglecting the heart that the character is still in love with Barnabas Collins. The other characters are lacking of character development, perhaps not enough time to tell it. Or the writer just assume that everyone watching the movie has lived through 70s or at least have watched part of the Opera soap. Unfortunately, I haven't watched it and I feel a lot of empty plot being left out or just merely plugged in for a short amusement.

The setting is amazing, a lot of Tim Burton themed setting to please audience eyes. Barnabas Collins mansion is creepy magnificent huge and glamorous. The imperial design could still be felt in the mansion. In the town, the 70s atmosphere is surely convincing enough with the car, costume and architect. The forest is as dark as what you can find in Alice in wonderland. Tim Burton is the amazing in creating a new theme to fit the current taste of movie goers which is a little bit darker and serious. Quite amazed by the ghost scene that brings out the nanny from her room to the hall but disappointed heavily on the story line. Well directed movie as I can say. Well, here is the trailer for you to enjoy =>

The Cold Light of Day (2012) Rating: 2.5 / 5 "Not Bad"

To start with, The Cold Light of Day is not a great movie but as well not a bad movie. Just lack of emotional connection and uninteresting plot make it looks like straight to DVD movie or TV movie at least. Bruce Willis appearance just merely an accessories to make the movie seems to be interesting.  "A marketing strategy" perhaps. Unlike Catch 44 or Expendables, Bruce Willis did  not give any plus to Cold Light of Day. In fact, Bruce Willis character "Martin Shaw" is set to be forgotten in the first 30 minutes as it turns to saving family matter rather than discovering what Martin Shaw really is. A very conflict of intention from the writer isn't it? Sigourney Weaver "Carrack" as an antagonist is just ordinary. There is nothing special on the character Jean Carrack, in fact Jean Carrack is just like any other supporting character that you can find in agency themed movie like 24.

The plot of the story is okay, although some of the plot will tingle your sense of curiosity with several twisting, it fails to finish the execution. Hence, leaving the us either with half full glass of water. Just like eating a dinner but missing a closing sweet dessert. Yet, I have to praise the effort of it. At least it is acceptable but not extra-ordinary action thriller.  I think the story line is lacking of some crucial part which is Martin Shaw. If only the writer did push up the mystery element of Martin Shaw, The Cold Light of Day could have touched the high bar. Yet, in term of entertainment, the movie is a perfect choice for your weekend outing fun with your friends and family. However, if you expected it more like 24, Die Hard or Bourne, be prepared to be disappointed.

Bruce Willis as I said is just an accessories, perhaps without him, Cold light of Day would be straight to DVD action thriller. I don't know why Bruce have been in several movies with only short appearance lately or is not the main character. Age might have been restricting him to do more than he used to be. Reaching 57 years must be hard to perform his own stun and heavy action scene.  Well, expecting him to be back in hardcore action movie like Die Hard. Hope that the upcoming Kane & Lynch game adaptation movie (2013) won't let Bruce Willis fans down.


The action scene is intense enough, some of it might lift you up from the seat. Some it is perfectly shot and I like the anti-climax scene where the Shaw car was flipped over during the chase. The cinematography "rotating shot" is brilliant. As well as the main character falling from the roof scene.

Here is the trailer for you to enjoy =>

Vanishing on 7th Street (2010; Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller) Rating: 2.5 / 5 "Spooky "

Directed by Brad Anderson


Produced by Norton Herrick
                      Tove Christensen


Written by   Anthony Jaswinski


Starring  Hayden Christensen
                Thandie Newton
                John Leguizamo


Studio  Herrick Entertainment


Distributed by Magnolia Pictures


Release date 12 September 2010


Running time 90 Minutes

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Quick Synopsis

Several humans stuck in the middle of the darkness that is about to consume them. The way and the only solution is to stay near the lights. With the dark soul waiting in the darkness, they need to find a way to get out from the city.

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Review

Hayden Christensen (Luke) has gone through the pain of fighting the darkness in "Star Wars" and then come back just to find himself stuck with his own past darkness in "Jumper". Now, he is back again to be consumed by the darkness in "Vanishing on 7th Street". Performing along John Leguizamo (Paul) and Thandie Newton (Rosemary), this movie is great in character execution. You can exactly feel the fear depicted by the characters. The setting is fabulous with a little magic touch of the movie director, the audiences are surely being brought into movie especially with the strong scene of plane crashing in the middle of the city. The way it executes the beginning surely enhances the curiosity of the audiences. With the spooky setting surely everyone going to think that this is going to be hell out of a movie.

Well, unfortunately the lack of originality and half full story telling result in it as an average movie. Even with the good directing, the movie fail to lift itself to the next level. The lack of character building just left the audiences with never ending guessing. The lack of explanation just left the audiences with emptiness in the story. However, Vanishing on 7th Street is still acceptable movie to be enjoy by horror fans. For those who love horror mystery movie without some sort of creatures that jump out and haunt you in the mind for the rest of the night, this movie is worth a try. Overall, seeing "Vanishing on 7th street" is interesting, seeing it second time makes me angry for wasting time.

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Trailer

Faster (2010) Genre: Action, drama ; Rating: 2.5 / 5 "Faster is too fast"

Wikipedia

Directed by              George Tillman, Jr.

Release date          24 November 2010

Studio           Castle Rock Entertainment

Starring                       Dwayne Johnson;

                                  Billy Bob Thornton     

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Brief Synopsis

Vengeful Mr. Driver "Dwayne Johnson" running rage through the town and interstate to avenge his brother death on a set up bank robbery 10 years ago.

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Review

Released four months ago and I just noticed it now. It seems like the movie doesn't exists at all and there is only one and only one explanation for it "A poor marketing campaign". 

Well got to be excited as Dwayne Johnson is back on action genre after the tooth fairy invasion. Despite the poor performance of the movie in financial term, Dwayne Johnson does surely lifted the movie a bit, pulling "Faster" out from garbage list of 2010 Movies. Dwayne Johnson has been perfecting the aggressive tough character through out movie like "The Walking Tall' and "Rundown". Again, he is pulling his magic out saving this half empty "Faster".

Faster is a poorly written movie which is left half emptied. The movie doesn't has a clear direction either to go toward regular or darker and more serious action movie. Faster could have been better as it has interesting plot, good casting and directed beautifully. Unfortunately, the only let down of it is the story line that failed to focus on character building leaving the audience with a little clue of how it suppose to be. Or on the other words, Faster tells a fast story with a fast moving plot as a result Faster was kicked out from the top ten list just as fast as how it told the story.

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Trailer 

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The Experiment (2010; Genre: drama, Thriller) Rating : 2.5 / 5 "Experimented but. . . . "

Studio                       Inferno Distribution

                               Magnet Media Productions

                               Natural Selection

                               Tax Credit Finance

Distributed by                   Stage 6 Films

                               Warner Bros.

Directed by                     Paul Scheuring

Release date          21 September 2010

Running time                        96 minutes

Language                                   English

Starring                            Adrien Brody

                                                                                          Forest Whitaker

                                                                                          Fisher Steven

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Brief Synopsis

Several men enrolled in psychological experiment with a reward of $1000 per day for two weeks. The study conducted involve in prisoners and guards scenario. The purpose of experiment is to study human behavior that will relatively change in corresponding to the roles given. However, in order to receive the money, each participants are warned to obey the given rules or the experiment will be stopped and no one will receive the money.

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Review

Character execution is great yet the story seems to be not excited as the title of the movie. I expected more out of the movie. The character building is there, yet the drama element is not fully evolved. It just like serving you a spaghetti without seasoning.  The movie started good but then the plot remains flat along the way without the intention to emphasize  the word "Experiment". Well, "The Experiment" is just another experimental movie with a same premise, same plot and same purpose, or in another words "Nothing excited about it". However, if you are curious, this movie is not bad for you as it adapted from the real experiment in one of the university in US.

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Trailer