Movie: Oldboy (2013)

Oldboy 
Action, Drama, Mystery

I've had this movie sitting around for a while now, something about the preview made me not too keen to watch it right away. Wow it was amazing, I can't stop thinking about it!

This Spike Lee (Malcolm X) remake from the hugely popular 2003 Korean movie of the same name starts off pretty average. Joe (Josh Brolin) is an ignorant drunk until one morning he wakes up from a bender to find he's been kidnapped and held prisoner with no explanation. His only company is a small television set from which he discovers that he's been framed for the murder of his ex-wife. After being held captive for 20 years with no visitors, he is suddenly and mysteriously let go. He has only a few days to figure out who captured him and held him for 20 years and why, or they will kill his daughter.

I really, really want to give away the twist that made this movie so awesome...but that would spoil it. Go and watch it, it's totally worth it. One of the most underrated films I've watched lately. Also, Elizabeth Olsen's (younger sister to the Olsen twins) boobs and Samuel L. Jackson as a bad guy! Special mentions to Lance Reddick (Fringe, Lost) and Michael Imperioli (Sopranos, Californication).

4 out of 5 twists...

Movie: Men In Black III (2012)

Men In Black III (2012)
Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

I've heard a lot of rumours about this film, so I'll speculate before I go and look it up and tell you facts. I've heard the first half of this is crap and the second half is awesome because they fired their script writers halfway through after deciding it was in fact... crap! Second, I heard they filmed this in two parts because Mr Will Smith was unavailable for some of it due to filming of another Bad Boys sequel.

And now, I'll Google!

Alright, it doesn't say for sure but it looks like both of the above happened. The idea of Agent J (Smith) going back in time to save Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) was actually Will Smith's idea back in 2002 when they were filming MIB II - yes, it was that long ago! The original writer started writing the script, then they brought someone else in to rewrite it and finally a third person to write the time travel scenes. All three writers have previously worked with legendary executive producer, Steven Spielberg. Oh, and they started filming before the second and third acts were written.... hrmmm, that might have something to do with it...

I wasnt that interested to be honest. I loved the first MIB but that was a good fifteen years ago now! This one, I dont know... just, meh. So the first time I watched it I paid absolutely no attention to it... I think I actually stopped halfway when I realised I didn't know anything that was happening and rewound it. J's one liners are still funny, his alien fighting ways are as unorthodox as always and the explanations he gives when using the neuralyzer are hilariously outrageous! It's still very Men In Black. The aliens are as cool as ever... though I was upset not so see any Frank - you know, the talking pug! He was awesome. Also, not enough Tommy Lee, but you kind of expect that when there's a time travel element.

Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement) is pretty awesome actually for the antagonist. Josh Brolin (True Grit, Jonah Hex) as a Young K impressed me. He looked and sounded like Tommy Lee; he's got all those K mannerisms down pat! Z's replacement at the top of the MIB ladder is Agent O played by Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee). It was nice to see a little softness to K when O was around and I need to applaud Emma for Z's uelogy; goodness knows how she did that without cracking up into laughter. I bet there are a few bloopers of that scene! There was also a cameo appearance by Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as J's alternate timeline partner Agent AA.

Alright, now that I've babbled on for ages I'll say I did enjoy it. It has all the thing an MIB movie should have and a nice - maybe not the right words for it... - twist at the end but the first one is still my favourite.

3 out of 5 fish-like aliens / alien-like fish....

[Quote]

"I was an agent for three years before I realised that all models were aliens... the hard way..." - Agent J