Gladiator (2000)

Reviewed by: Oliver
Rating: 10
I'm not really sure where to start with this review, how about by saying that this is my favorite movie of all time! It deals with revenge, emperors, lust, love, death, and some unmatched, smooth flowing action scenes that will keep you moving out of your seat and closer to the television in suspense. The cinematography in this film is amazingly beautiful, and the score to the film is the icing on the cake. The story plays out perfectly and the characters, yes even the bad guys, are so well developed that they seem real. And the acting is superb and could only have been tackled by Russell Crowe and Joaquin Pheonix. I think the best part of this movie is how perfectly it combines the coolest "man movie" fight scenes ever with a heart breaking story that will put you to tears at parts, and inspire you in others. This film shocked me and introduced me to what a real movie should look, sound, and feel like. A monumental achievement for Ridley Scott and a magnum opus for Crowe! A MUST own in any household.

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 9.4

This movie was winner of the year 2000's best picture and took the night with many other awards. Gladiator is a critically acclaimed masterpiece. But we often disagree with the critics, don't we? Well let me state that I couldn't agree with them any more. This movie is a masterpiece and deserved all it was awarded.

The movie gained its publicity by using the fame of Russel Crowe as well as the genius of Ridley Scott. Many people saw it and many people loved it.

The movie's plot of revenge and the reasons why a man should keep living is powerful enough by itself. They also throw in great fight scenes that keep you away from boredom every second. The acting portrays the hard to live through emotions better than many movies I've seen. The screenplay is one of the most effective ever created.

My only beef with this movie is affection between Maximus and Lucilla. It is pointless, unneeded, and takes away from the more important parts of the story.

This movie is possibly the best action film ever and is a must-have. To this movie, "all else is dust and air."

The Bourne Trilogy

Reviewed by: Zack

Trilogy Rating: 9.5

Bourne Identity(2

002): 8.9

Bourne Supremacy (2004): 7.2

Bourne Ultimatum (2007): 8.1

Robert Ludlum's series put Tom Clancy out of business for a while when his stories hit the shelves. The movies were anticipated by fans and they flipped from pure excitement when Matt Damon was going to play the infamous Jason Bourne.

The story is the powerhouse that made the movies so renowned and adored. Flashbacks and memory loss make it a confusing and intriguing t

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ale of action, drama, and suspense. Jason Bourne is the perfect action hero and Matt Damon is the perfect Jason Bourne. The mystery continues through all three movies revealing only a little at a time throughout all three.

The beginning of the trilogy is the kick-start to the mystery that winds its way through the trilogy. Jason knows almost nothing and his journey to find himself is greatest in this installment.

The ending is so filled with goosebumps that you can barely blink. He is so close to finding his goal that the suspense will knock you over. It doesn't have the mystery of the first film but the readiness to find answers will nearly kill you all the way through.

The middle loses a little of its touch in where it doesn't attain as much of an unknowing felling as the first and not as much suspense to know the answers as the last. However the film is still cool and will need to be seen anyway.

The films all contain action, mystery, suspense, and, as Bourne is known for, cool car chases(yes in every one). The trilogy is worth owning as it is the defining movie for all action trilogys and I know that the beautifully woven tale of Jason Bourne will never die.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 8

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the most classic western flick ever made. Clint Eastwood stars in this "spaghetti western" and makes his mark on history again.

The movie is full of twists and the plot is so simple but the movie itself is still so interesting. The three main players in the story are always teaming up and double crossing each other till you can't trust anyone with anything and you never know what's going to happen next. The end scene drags out for such a long time but is the most intense and intriguing scene in the entire movie.

The only big letdown is the incredible length of the film due to some parts that seem to just not be needed. Also the language difference (all the characters except the good, bad, and ugly speak in Italian and are dubbed over in English) makes the lip to voice unsynchronized and very annoying.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a classic western tale and most likely the best. The movie is suspenseful, even for the length, and is a good watch over, and over, and over again. Compared to other westerns, this is the one with the gun, and they are the ones who dig.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 6.7

The Matrix was such a hit and left a hanging ending so, why not make a sequel? Well all I can say is, there have been worse.

The Matrix Reloaded is cool. That's about it. The story is lacking in some areas but cool in others. Its a real drift from the first film. The sequel is more focused on how awesome Neo is and the extreme strangeness and coolness of Mr.Smith.

To sum up, this movie really could have been done away with but its still cool and dives deeper into the matrix's universe.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 7.5

First thing I thought when I saw this movie's teaser trailer was, "Oh NO! Not another." But let me tell you right now, this movie was the most pleasant surprise I've ever gotten.

Toy Story one blew us away with an amazing story and funny quips and lines told by unforgettable characters. Well those characters are back and they are funny as ever. The laughs and drama continues in the third installment to an already classic series. The darker scenes of the first film continue again in this one. But the most rewarding scene of the film is the absolutely heartwarming ending that will make most cry and others leave the theater with a big grin on their face.

The story doesn't completely live up to the first one and some of the new characters are just there to be extra characters.

The story, although not as awesome as the first, finds its merit in the ending to an amazing trilogy that will live down in movie history with characters that will always be quoted and remembered for infinity and beyond.

The Matrix (1999)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 8.7

The Matrix was the next big thing in sci-fi movies. Its hardcore action and awesome effects were anticipated worldwide. But is that enough to make an epic and time changing movie?

You bet it is. The Matrix changed history because it was such an amazing concept and yet the storyline and characters were powerful and effective. Every character is wonderfully developed. The concept of our world being a computer is so original that nobody could call this movie cliche. The awesome slow motion scenes make the action anything but choppy.

Agent Smith, Morpheus, Cypher and of course, Neo, will go down in history for being a part of this new and inventive world. The slow motion scene is still referred to today. None can deny that this movie made an impact, not only for being cool, but for being such an interesting story.

However, the love between Neo and Trinity is very sudden and unbelievable.

Aside from that and some minor stupidities, The Matrix is cool, interesting, cool, an awesome concept, cool, and revolutionized sci-fi forever. Did I mention cool?

Up (2009)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 7.8

Ah, Disney, you've done it again. Ever since Finding Nemo expectations for this company have been high. However, Up came through with an amazing, and of course, creative story that once again blew the minds of critics and viewers alike.

The movie has a touching and character building beginning, a creative and funny middle, and another heartwarming ending. The characters are beautifully developed and created. They are once again characters that you will come to love.

The movie does have its downs as well as ups (pun intended). The villain, and how is he is portrayed, is not as powerful as that of the main characters' presence and he has a cliche feel about him (His dogs however are some of the very abundant comic relief). Disney villains usually have a very original feel about them, and that brought the rating down quite drastically.

Aside from some other very minor problems, the movie in itself is a powerful tale of looking past the past and "up" to a bright new sky. If Disney Pixar will ever be challenged by any other animated movie company, watch and laugh as this movie blows them "sky high."

Donnie Darko (2001)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 9

Donnie Darko was not advertised and almost never made it to theaters but it became a cult classic from the very beginning.

Donnie Darko, in the words of a critic, "will knock you flat." The reasons for this movie's success lie behind its very unusual, disturbing, and indescribable theme of time travel and divine intervention. The first time you watch this movie you will be stunned and instantly say, "... WHAT?!" However, after diving deeper into its plot and twists, you will discover its true potential as one of the 2000's best films.

Donnie's journey through these 28 days (when the world will end) is filled with fear and tough questions that everyone faces such as predestination and the existence of God. Donnie lives with having to make a decision that terrorizes his very way of life and Frank (a hallucination[maybe?]) seems to be only an instigator of this fear. Donnie's life becomes more and more complicated and it seems as if death might be his only escape, creating a suspenseful and impacting story.

The film's only major drawback is how many beautiful scenes are left out of the theatrical version that would have made the film absolutely perfect. Also some scenes could have been done without making this the only (easily fixed) contrast.

The film's dark and strange overtones, along with the seemingly impossible journey of Donnie, all summed up with the character of Frank engraved in movie history, makes this film a defining movie that will be forever etched into movie history.

Reviewed by: Oliver
Rating: 9
I have nothing to to Zack's review except two plain simlple words. WATCH IT! Unless of course your depressed, ADHD, drunk/high, are planning on watching Brazil or Space Odyssey 2001 right after this, have to much time on your hands to spare thinking about it for days, only watch movies for cool action, going through a break up, or pregnant (just kidding!), or value your sleep, because this film will keep you up for nights thinking. other than in these cases watch this movie!