The Dark Knight (2008)

Reviewed by: Zack Short

Rating: 8.6

The Dark Knight. the movie that is famed for being one of the few sequels to far surpass its predecessor and make the world rock three times over. But why? I think we all know why. Fame now goes by a new name: Heath Ledger.

The Dark Knight wasn't only good for its amazing acting (although it engraved Ledger into the world of film forever as the Joker) it also dealt with hard topics such as, choice between life and death, reason vs. insanity, the difference between a hero and a villain, and how fast a hero can fall. For these reasons this film's story will rock you, move you, disturb you, and set the standard for superhero movies forever.

Along with all these great elements the film does have its downcasts. First off, Ledger steals the spotlight from all the other characters and their development is minimized, leaving you with less care than you should have for them when they face danger and death. Parts of the film seem very disconnected at times as well.

Aside from these very small faults, The Dark Knight is a film filled with great acting, story, and powerful, moving topics, as well as scenes that are so believable that they will throw you right out of your seat.

Inception (2010)

Reviewed by: Oliver
Rating: 8.4
Christopher Nolan stuns us again with another one of his always original and different works of art. It was entertaining and well made, though not his best work i highly recommend it to anyone. The movie is based off of what I think is one of the most poetic and interesting concepts I've ever seen. That being said it's also one that could have gone in any direction, and while the direction Nolan took it was fantastic, there are countless possibilities that may have worked better. Once more DiCaprio steals the screen, so much so that it seems like he is the only character with too much development. But these are all small things I noticed, take from this film what you will. But do see it please, it is quite an excellent film.


Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 8.4

This movie was highly anticipated especially after Christopher Nolan hit us with the Dark Knight. Inception reminded me much of The Matrix in it's cool and intriguing concept filled with action and excellent characters and storyline.

Despite this, many scenes were just not needed in the film since it was mainly just about one character. The other people's lives seemed to be distant and not really as deep as DiCaprio's role (which was astoundingly well done).

The animation and cinematography were very well executed but where the movie found it's strongest point was in the ending to the very intriguing story of Cobb(DiCaprio) and his past, family, and purpose. I don't think they could've cast this movie any better.

The parts that make you wonder are evident throughout and, upon watching again, it is very incomprehensible.

Inception was interesting, symbolic, believable, and, above all else, just plain cool. If you are a fan of action, drama, romance, or The Matrix, this is your movie.

Robin Hood (2010)

Reviewed by: Zack

Rating: 7.6

I watched this movie and, unlike everyone else, didn't expect to see Gladiator or anything close to as good. The critics expected Gladiator all over again instead of a movie that was a new twist on Robin Hood, which it was.

This movie was very well done, no matter what people think. The acting is top notch and the story is intriguing, but a little long. The screenplay is original and definantly the best part of the movie hands down. The awesome and "goosebump" lines are anything but cheesy. However, the movie could have done without a few cliche scenes scattered throughout.

Robin Hood is a very easy character to mess up after the standards set by Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves, but this Robin Hood is the best so far. His character is explored on a much deeper level than the previous films and is a good fit for Russel Crowe.

WARNING. DO NOT EXPECT GLADIATOR. This film was put down and stoned due to the fact that it wasn't "just like gladiator." Of course it wasn't. Why would you make two movies exactly the same? If you walk into this film expecting Robin Hood, you will get it in a way that you've never seen it before. You will get the reborn Robin Hood.

District-9 (2009)

Review by: Zack

Rating: 9.5

This was one of the most anticipated movies of the entire summer. Fans were created after this movie literally smashed through theaters all over the world. The question: Is it worth the hype? The answer: A big fat yes!

This movie is, first off, visually STUNNING. The aliens are beautifully mastered and rival that of the Avatar aliens. The powerful and moving story will blow your mind out of the back of your head. The cinematography is new, different and it works. The acting isn't as amazing as the rest of the movie's masterful scenes, but it's still amazingly done compared to some of our other 2009 summer blockbusters. The only con in this otherwise perfect movie is the lack of dialogue that doesn't include the f-bomb. It gets extremely tiring after 2 and a half hours of cussing with no end.

District-9 is amazing for some smaller reasons as well as the astounding larger ones. The most amazing and powerfully moving attribute of this picture is the prawn's (alien's) eyes. They are exactly like human eyes. So when the aliens are beaten and murdered the pain can be seen in their eyes, pain and ultimate anxiety for their lives and families. The hard hitting story focuses on human greed overpowering the value for life and how something is classified as valuable. This story moves your heart and set the new standard for sci-fi movies. It was robbed by the critically loved "Hurt Locker" which only wishes it could make an impact as powerful, standard-setting, and masterful as this film.

Reviewed by: Oliver
Rating: 9.7
District 9 is remarkable to say the least. It tries out a completely different view for alien movies and it works! so what you end up with is a non-cliche alien movie with a good idea that was perfectly executed! finally a new alien movie that doesn't suck! It also masterly portrays real problems, such as discrimination, in a fictional way. And not only is the directing and acting superb, but it wasn't until 10 minutes after the movie ended that I realized the aliens were special effects. Yes, they're that good. Okay, now for the bad part. The only bone I have to pick with D-9 is the frequent overuse of the F-word. It was easy to ignore the first couple of uses but became a bit annoying after awhile, then just pointless. That fact aside, District 9 is still hands down the best film of 2009, period.