Beetlejuice REVIEW

In the Halloween spirit the "Motion Picture Buff" would like to review a Halloween classic, "Beetlejuice." In this film a couple of newly made ghosts hire a "bio-exorcist" to help get ride of the obnoxious new family that moved in to their house.

Shall I begin with the positives that come from this film? Well lets begin with the acting in this film. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis were the two newly made ghosts in this film and I thought these two had amazing chemistry together. They really seemed like the perfect couple and I really enjoyed their characters. Oh and I never realized how awesome Alec Baldwin used to look. Jeffery Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder (as a teenager) were the Deetz family that moved into the house. These three did a good job, but Winona stood out the most. I really enjoyed her performance in this film. Moving on I thought the story and screenplay of this movie was actually very well done. The whole story seemed to just work, and it was very interesting. It was funny when it needed to be, and it was the good funny that actually made you laugh and remember why you were laughing which makes you laugh again. Director Tim Burton did an excellent job with this film . . . right up until the end (more on that later though). The music in the film isn't bad either, it is pretty darn enjoyable. As a movie as a whole though, I will have to say it is extremely enjoyable and it keeps you watching. Originally I wasn't going to watch it all the way through, I kept telling myself, "One more commercial and then I will go do my homework." Instead though I watched the entire movie, and ended up doing my homework late into the night. I hate to love how a movie can do that to me.

So what are the negatives of this film? Well the last maybe 15-25 minutes of the film were completely timburtonized. The word timburtonized means that it is completely over-the-top weird and just down right creepy and dumb. In this film the that is what you endure for the last half-an-hour about. I just found it annoying. Then the only other thing was Micheal Keaton's performance as the character Beetlejuice. It was completely over-the-top and just down right annoying.

So all-in-all a extremely good Halloween flick that you and your family or friends should enjoy. I can see why it is a classic. For the rating I will give it a must-see rating along with a popcorn flick; which includes for a family-night. It is probably Blu-ray buy worthy but you can probably pick it up on DVD too. As for the rating out of five, "Beetlejuice" is going to receive a 4/5 rating.

Well thanks for reading and I hope that you have enjoyed this review of a Halloween classic. Make sure you stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Sinister REVIEW

Well it is definitely Halloween season, and the "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the horror film, "Sinister." I had the pleasure of seeing it at 10 o'clock last night so let just say I am a little freaked out. In this film though, a true-crime novelist moves into the home of where the victims of his new story died. Here he finds footage of the killings, but he released something he didn't intend to. So, once you have released "Mr. Boogie" though it is already to late.

Well as you know I am not a huge fan of scary/horror films. They scare the living shit out of me. Now before I do get into this review though I do want to apologize in advance for language used in this review. It really is only the best way to describe this film.

So shall we start with the negatives of this horror flick first? Well most scary films are extremely predictable and just so obvious with the scary moments. In "Sinister" you had this as well. You knew what was going to happen. You knew the scary moments and you knew most likely all of the plot right of the bat.

Other than that though it was a really good scary movie. Yeah you knew what was going to happen, but the good thing about it is you don't know when the scary moment is going to happen. The film also kept you scared and just kept everything creepy even though you knew what was going to be creepy. I actually screamed twice within the movie (with all my friends laughing around me of course). I was terrified the whole way through. So I am going to have to give props to the director, Scott Derrickson, and to the writer who is also Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. Holy shit can they really fucking creep you out (sorry again). Plus I do want to add they had probably the best ending to a scary movie I have seen. I loved to hate it, because it was just fucking creepy. I went home and I fell asleep yes but I couldn't stop picturing "Mr. Boogie" in the darkness. I also woke up once or twice throughout the night because I couldn't get him out of my head. So props to them for creating probably one of the scariest films I have ever seen. I do also remember this one time my arms went flailing all over the place because I was scared. Now the acting from everyone in this film was just great also. Ethan Hawke pulled off an amazing performance I thought. He was just really good in this film, and it was nice to see him again. It has been awhile since we have seen him in a film. Good job to the rest of the cast as well. Kept the movie creepy but yet enjoyable.

So all-in-all a creepy ass movie that will keep you scared for quite awhile after. I am still scared now,  and I can still scare myself if I think about it and "Mr. Boogie." This film, "Sinister" is going to get a Blu-ray buy worthy rating, but as I hate scary movies I will not be buying it. It will also get a popcorn flick rating, if you and your friends are having a scary movie night, this film will definitely work for that. As a scary movie though, I guess I could give it a must-see rating, but not for professional film standards. A must-see as in for horror films. As for the rating, "Sinister" is going to get a 4/5 rating.

Well thank you for reading this review, and I really hope you did enjoy it. I apologize again for the language, but it really is the best way to describe it. Thanks again and make sure you stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

The Prestige REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the movie, "The Prestige." In this film a rivalry between two great magicians gets worse when one of them performs the ultimate trick. A trick that tops them all.

Shall we start with the negatives first with this review? Well I think all I really have to say here is that the film sometimes you get really confused in. In the end it doesn't explain everything and it leaves you with a few questions.

Other than that I am going to say I throughly enjoyed this film. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman were fantastic in this film and they had amazing chemistry together. I thought they were really made to play there parts in this film. The look in their eyes were just phenomenal and I mean that. What I mean by this is that they had this look in there eyes when they acted that just helped me believe that they were their characters. Scarlett Johansson is in this film as well and I thought she was only good in "The Avengers" but I was way wrong. She does a very good job in this film. Micheal Caine, Piper Perabo, and Rebecca Hall are also in this film and they all do a great job. Then again Micheal Caine usually always gives a great performance. I do want to mention on the cinematography as well from this film because the look and feel of the film is just great. Wally Pfister is the cinematographer of this film, he got an Oscar nomination for it and he definitely deserves it. The sets of this film were also great. They really put you in London back in the day. Now this is a Christopher Nolan film, which means he did indeed directed it. What do I have to say about his job in this film? Well I thought he did a good job with it. The film was very engaging and it really kept me on the edge of my seat. The screenplay for this film was done by Christopher Nolan and also his brother, Jonathan Nolan. They did a really good job with it. I really enjoyed the dialogue in this film, and plus this film had some pretty incredible twists that I never would have seen coming at all. I will give them high props for that.  The only problem I had with it was mentioned above.

So all-in-all what is this film going to get? Well firstly I want to say that it is a very intriguing drama/mystery. They had a very good premise and they made a very good movie with it. I am going to give "The Prestige" a must-see rating actually because it really is a enjoyable film that people should see. Your preference on the way you want to purchase this film. DVD or Blu-ray would do equally as good (I would buy Blu-ray though because I enjoy it more). A defiant popcorn flick and I could see it as a date-night flick, there is some good romance in there. As for the rating out of five, "The Prestige" will get a 4/5 rating.

Well thanks for reading this review. I hope you enjoyed it and that you will check out the film. Now make sure you stay tuned for more reviews of motion pictures . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Pulp Fiction REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the movie "Pulp Fiction." Well in this film the lives of two mob hit men, a gangster's wife, a boxer, and a pair of bandits are intertwined. This film shows tales of redemption, violence, love, and life.

So yes like almost the rest of this world I LOVED the dialogue in this film. Of course I did right? It is a dialogue based film so of course I am going to love it. Quentin Tarantino defiantly wrote the best possible dialogue for this film. The dialogue is what carries the movie through. Yes there is some good action, but the dialogue is really the main premise of this film. This movie is also EXTREMELY original in so many ways. It goes by chapters, and the chapters don't even go in order. I did love that! SO yes Quentin Tarantino defiantly deserved his Oscar for the screenplay. It was incredible, probably one of the greatest ever. This movie was funny, racy, and just plain old enjoyable. Next thing is the cast! Oh my yes it is a huge cast and I am not even going to begin to mention everyone that is in film. Many and many actors and actresses are in this film that are relevant to the story, if you want to know the main cast just click on the poster to see everyones name. About the cast though, INCREDIBLE job by everyone. I do want to mention Samuel L. Jackson though. He was my favorite for sure. Maybe it was his character I liked the most, but I just loved it when he was on screen. The soundtrack in this film was also amazing it just added the perfect tone to the scene that was happening. I do now want to mention the direction that Quentin Tarantino did with this film. I thought he did a great job with it, especially with the action scenes. They had you sitting on the edge of your seat clinging on wanting to know what was going to happen.

Now of course there is a negative or two to this film I have to add. I do want to say though that some people consider this film to be one of the greats right? I do not see that. I feel like at sometimes the movie just dragged slowly on. I know that contradicts what I said about the dialogue making this film, but its just sometimes your sitting there waiting for something to happen. The other thing that bothered me really is that is there really a message or point to this film? If so I never saw it or caught up on it?

So all-in-all a GREAT film that has amazing dialogue that keeps the movie going the whole time. Its hilarious even when something serious happens. It is a great film, but I can't say it is one of the greats like everyone tells me it is. I will give it a DVD buy worthy rating, and it is a must-see film due to the great dialogue and amazing acting. For sure a popcorn flick for you and your buddies. (WARNING: not a popcorn flick with parents). Thought I would give you that heads up. As for the rating out of five, "Pulp Fiction" will receive a 4/5 rating.

Well thanks for reading and I am hoping that you enjoyed this review of "Pulp Fiction." Make sure you vote on the poll in the sidebar . . . only a few hours left. So stay tuned for more reviews of motion pictures . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Dredd 3D REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the reboot film "Dredd 3D." In this film we are put into a violent futuristic city, where cops have the authority to act as judge, jury, and the executioner. "The" Judge Dredd teams with a rookie judge to take down a gang that deals a reality-altering drug called, SLOW-MO!

Well positives of "Dredd 3D?" A ton, it may surprise you because it sure as hell surprised me when I watched this film. Lets start differently though with this review instead of acting first lets talk about the plot, story, and screenplay first. Well they were all really great. The dialogue in the movie was fantastic and the story lined flowed seamlessly. I loved it so much, it will 100% keep you interested the whole way. So props to Alex Garland for writing the screenplay for this film. Moving on I did like the action scenes in this film. They were done great and they did not seem rushed which makes good action scenes. I do want to also mention that they weren't over the top either, they were just great. The props for that goes to director Pete Travis. He also did a good job with the entire film, I really enjoyed the ride this film gave me. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way. Next thing I am going to mention is the soundtrack which for this film was helmed by Paul Leonard-Morgan. I thought it really helped add something to the movie, and I really did enjoy it. The acting in this film though now? Well Karl Urban was GREAT as Judge Dredd. His performance was great and his voice fit the character perfectly. Olivia Thirlby as Anderson was also great. She did a really good job at becoming her character I believe. Then there is the lady who play, Ma-Ma. Lena Heady was outstanding as her. Probably one of the greatest actress to play a villain. I loved her performance, and it was hard to believe that it was actually her. Great job. One more thing to mention is that the 3D was very good, I did enjoy it in 3D. That is always a plus since it is $10 a ticket.

Well I do now have a few negatives with this film. First of all the parts where they used slow motion capture to show the drug, SLOW-MO. All the scenes they used it with were great, but they over used it in that scene. I hope you get what I mean. Its just that they kept the slow-motion in the SLOW-MO scenes to long. The next thing was that the end seemed a little rush. It does it justice (pun intended) but it just seemed rushed. The last negative that I do want to mention is that the special effects in some scenes (with blood) were a little cheesy.

So all-in-all a VERY enjoyable film that I am going to say, "Shocked the hell out of me." I did expect it to suck, but in the end I shouldn't judge movies by their trailers. Whats "Dredd 3D" going to get? Well yes it is 100% a must-see film, a gory one at that but it is. When it comes to DVD and Blu-Ray . . . get it on Blu-Ray, it deserves it for sure. Oh and yes it is 150% a popcorn flick, it would be great for a movie night with friends. As for the rating out of five, "Dredd 3D" will get a 4/5 rating.

Well thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoyed this review of "Dredd 3D." Remember to click the "like" button in the sidebar to "like" the Motion Picture Buff on Facebook. I do want to (again as usual) say thanks for the continued support, and to make sure you stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Iron Man REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the motion picture, "Iron Man" starring Robert Downey Jr. In this film legendary weapons specialist and inventor, Tony Stark, is threatened with his life. He builds an armored iron suit in a cave to escape. After that he decides to use its technology to fight against evil.

Well lets get the long list of positives out of the way right? Ha well I want to say right now that Robert Downey Jr. was literally a perfect match for Tony Stark. I can not imagine anyone playing that character any better than him. Just an outstanding performance there. I did love the performance by Gwyneth Paltrow. She did a pretty good job. I do want to move onto the story line and the screenplay which I thought was amazing. This story is just a great opening to a great superhero movie. It keeps you interested and just wanting more which I love in a script. I did also think that the humor in this movie was very well done, which is a big deal because I think movies usually do a bad job with humor.  The music/score of the film was decent so I thought I would mention it. I thought it did a good job with adding something to the film. The director of this film was Jon Favreau, and let me just say that he did an amazing job with this story and with the way he presented the film. The angle of the cameras and just everything was great. Jon Favreau also did a good job with the action scenes. I thought those were well done. I do like how he was in the film too, I thought he did a good job as Tony's security guard. The special effects of this film are also something to comment on as they did get nominated for an Oscar. I never even noticed it throughout the entire film which is the best kind of special effects.

Moving onwards to the negatives. Well for acting I did not like Terrace Howard and Jeff Bridges in this film. I just feel like they didn't fit there parts very well. Then there is the end battle which I thought was WAY to rushed. Like HUGE HUGE build up throughout the film and then like a three minute end battle. I always find that annoying. The movie was running on two hours but that doesn't mean cut into the big battle.

So all-in-all what is "Iron Man" going to get? Well it is a great beginning film to what could be a great franchise for a superhero. It will get a Blu-Ray buy-worthy rating along with it being a great popcorn flick. This film will even get a 100% deserved must-see film. It is a really good superhero movie . . . which are rare. As for the rating out of five, "Iron Man" deserves a 4/5 rating.

Well thank you for reading this review of "Iron Man" and also thank you for the support here on the blog. I hope that you enjoyed the review. I want to mention that you can now "Like" 'The Motion Picture Buff' on Facebook.com now . . . just click HERE if you want to, or you can even click the like button in the sidebar. Check it out!!! The more likes the better! So make sure you stay tuned now for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present the sixth installment in the reviews for the Harry Potter films, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." At Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts everything has changed. Auror's are guarding the school and Professor Dumbledore is frequently gone. In Harry's potion class though Harry finds a book marked, "This is the property of the Half-Blood Prince." Harry also searches into Lord Voldemort's past to find a weakness of the dark lord.

Well negatives of this "Harry Potter" film? Hm actually there aren't to many . . . one of them being this movie is just a little slow. There are just some scenes that need a little more edge to them, and your sitting there wondering when something exciting is going to happen. The little bit of action in this movie to is just short . . . the action scenes (like Quidditch scenes) seemed rushed. Could be due to fact that this is the second longest movie, and they had to give a lot of information in this film to set up the finals but still. Last thing to mention is that this "Harry Potter film" seems to move away from a tone that we thought the series was on track with. Nothing major though.

We now move onto the positives of the "Harry Potter" film. Well this is another one of my favorites and I have great reasons why. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint 100% give there greatest performance to date. In this movie you can see how much they have grown as actors, along with the other teenage actors that have grown up with the films, like Tom Felton (who really shines in this film). The adult cast too in this film really shines. Alan Rickman is just a GREAT Professor Snape. Then there is Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix, who was BORN to play this part. There is more but I could go on forever here. One other actor though I have to mention is Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn! He fit the part perfectly and he really became Horace. I loved him in this film. Now again I touch on something I wouldn't in a review . . . cinematography. I loved the look and feel of this film, it just helped create a better experience. Director David Yates is also to thank for that . . . and in this film I do begin to think he might be the right guy for the rest of Harry Potter. Steve Kloves returns again (thankfully to save Harry Potter) to write the screenplay which I have to say I love. He did a great job, and I love how he made some humor into this film (but this also helps with the unfortunate thing above). In my "Order of the Phoenix" review I forgot to mention the music which for these two films was helmed by Nicholas Hooper. I liked the "Order of the Phoenix" one better, but this one is really good too. He brought something to both films that fit the tone of each VERY well. Thank you Nick Hooper, they are of course must-buy scores! I have them both in my collection.

So all-in-all this is a great addition to the "Harry Potter" franchise. It is actually a good kids film even though the last two weren't actually, this is another reason why I said a negative when saying this film lost that tone of darkness. It is of course a must-see film along with a Blu-Ray buy-worthy. "Half-Blood Prince" will also get a popcorn flick rating. As for its review out of five what will it get? Well, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" get a 4/5 rating.

Well thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the sixth installment in the reviews of the "Harry Potter" series. Haven't seen all the reviews yet though? See them here: "Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, and Order of the Phoenix." I hope you have been actually enjoying these reviews of the "Harry Potter" series. I have been wanting to professionally (somewhat) review them. Thanks again for the continued support though, and make sure you stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present his fourth installment in the reviews of the "Harry Potter" franchise, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." In Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, he finds himself unwillingly put into a multi-wizard competition. Not only does he fight great creatures, but something from the past is brought back up.

So lets begin with the negatives of this film shall we? Well this film at points has just a mindless tone to it. I don't know really how to describe it. It's not really slow, but it just has somewhat of an emptiness to it. I don't know if you are getting what I am trying to say but thats the best apt description I can give. The next thing I wanted to mention is that the hair in this film sucks. I usually only say that if its really good, but this film is an exception because it is terrible unfortunately. Just all the guys hair in the film is WAY to long and it just annoys me.

Moving on though to the positives of "Goblet of Fire." Well the acting is just as good as ever in this film. All the child stars are growing up and maturing, along with their characters. Which leads me to the director who has to deal with this hormones and the changes that happen when the kids hit the child to teenage changing point. Mike Newell (again another new director for the franchise) does a great job with this film, and I was sad to see him not return for the next. Sliding back to the action though because there are two new MAIN characters introduce in this film, well one really one just gets an actor to his name now. Brennan Gleeson who plays Mad-Eye Moody and Ralph Fiennes (who plays, well I cannot say or I will give away the story). They both do a fantastic job, and Ralph just is OUTSTANDING! That is all I can say there. Now moving onto the music of this film . . . and this is where the music of Harry Potter takes a turn. Patrick Doyle is the composer for "Goblet of Fire" and all I have to say is that he does a decent job. Nowhere near as good as John Williams but a decent job that is a buy if you want. There are some good tracks there. The screenplay is good, which is one again helmed by Steve Kloves. He just has a way with making the book not directly to the film, but getting the main feeling out of the story. It is a step up from the kidsy-mush that the first three have and it gives it a more dark tone to the series, which it now will need. It is a darker film and it will grab you by surprise.

So all-in-all I am going to have to say that this Harry Potter film is defiantly my favorite so far in the series (we are only halfway). It is a Blu-Ray buy worthy film I believe, which leads it into a must-see film again for the "Harry Potter" series. It is also a GREAT popcorn flick for the whole family. Now for the rating out of five? Well "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is going to get a four out of five.

Well thanks for reading this review of the fourth film in the "Harry Potter" franchise. I hope that you have enjoyed it and that you are going to stay tuned for the other "Harry Potter" films reviews coming soon. If you have not seen the previous three see them here: "Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban." Thanks again and make sure you stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present the third installment of the "Harry Potter" series reviews with the review of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." In this film Harry Potter is starting this third year at Hogwarts. Trouble is a brewing when Harry discovers that convicted murderer Sirius Black is after him. He also has to deal with these creatures that continue to attack him.

Well I think it is time we should talk about the positives first for a Harry Potter film. Well as said in previous reviews for the Harry Potter films, the acting just continues to get better for the child stars. They seem to advance with there skills and still seem to give a great performance. This film also introduces a few new characters that are quite important. Gary Oldman (who plays Sirius Black) and David Thewlis (who plays Remus Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher). They both do an outstanding job, and Gary Oldman is just fantastic as always. This film is the first one to introduce a new director, Alfonso Cuarón. Let me just say I love the way he took this Harry Potter film. He gave it a darker tone, but at the same type kept it enjoyable for kids. He also used camera angles to make beautiful shots and scenes which helps make a great movie. Moving on . . . the hair and costumes in this film were great . . . and like I have said in previous reviews, if I mention that its because I noticed it and I NEVER notice it which means its outstanding. Then there is John Williams giving his amazing score again for the franchise. Let me just say this is probably my favorite film score for the entire franchise, so yeah it is a must-buy. It just is fun and inventive, and just adds a whole new level to the film.

Now one main negative from a professional standpoint came from this film, and that is the fact that they didn't do a good job explaining some things which kind of bothered me. At some points it was hard to catch what was going on (if you haven't read the books). Now as a fan I will have to say one negative and that is that they left out some crucial points from the book which is very upsetting. So Steve Kloves this wasn't your greatest Harry Potter film.

So all-in-all what is "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" going to get? Well it is a great kids film and a great Harry Potter film as its self. It is 100% a must-see film, and it does deserve a Blu-Ray buy worthy rating. On the scale out of five though, what does it get? Well I am going to be harsher than I should and say a four out of five. It is a very enjoyable film though.

Well thanks for reading this review of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." I hope you have enjoyed this third installment of my reviews of the "Harry Potter" series, and that you stay tuned for more. Make sure you didn't miss the first two reviews though, here is my review for "Sorcerer's Stone" and here is the review for "Chamber of Secrets." So thanks again and stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

The Motion Picture Buff

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present his second installment in the series of reviews for the "Harry Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." In the Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts he has to find a way to return to his school after a house-elf tries to stop him. When Harry makes it to school though he finds out that he might not have wanted to return after all, after an old school legend comes back . . . again.

Before I get into the review though I wanted to say thank you and sorry. I have been out for a week on reviews because I sliced a part of my right index finger off and it has been sore to type . . . I only did it if I had to. I have now started to heal, and decided tonight to start making reviews for movies again. (I have a bunch coming as I have had time while on bed rest to watch them). So make sure you do stay tuned. I also wanted to say thanks as I have had a steady amount of page views while being gone . . . I hope this continues as I am back now again and reviewing again. I hope you will continue to enjoy them, so stay tuned and lets get to this review (oh and I apologize in advance for errors, still hard to type).

So lets start with the negatives as to end on a positive note (as this is one of my favorite "Harry Potter films").  Well I really have only two things to say about this movie. One is that it is extremely . . . slow. This movie continues to drag and drag on with no end. This leads me into number two which I am going to say that this could have taken out scenes and made it probably an hour shorter (also a positive here though). It is just such a slow paced movie, which makes you in the end super tired.

Moving onto the positives of this film though. Well this movie is just great, the acting from the kids only gets better. The trio are just becoming great at acting, and we are only on the second film. We get a couple new characters in this film and Jason Issacs, Mark Williams, and Robert Hardy (as Fudge) all do a great job. The voice of Dobby is played by Toby Jones and he seems to become the character, which I absolutely love. The next thing really is that the direction of this movie is great, Christopher Columbus always seems to do a great job at keeping you somewhat interested in this film. The screenplay is very well done by Steve Kolves (again) . . . except of course for the things mentioned above. Which leads me to the fact that this film is definitely one of the most loyal to the book (which is a good and bad thing). Bad because it made the movie slow, but good because fans of the book will enjoy it more. The special effects for this film are very great since there are some huge things that they are needed for. Lets just say AGAIN John Williams nailed it with his score for this film. I loved it and of course it is another must-have score.

So-all-in-all Harry's second year at Hogwarts is another enjoyable ride that you must-see! Is is 100% a must-see and I would have to say go ahead and purchase it at your choice! Either way your going to want to either watch it yourself, regardless your age, or enjoy it with little kids. It is a great story for them too. So on a scale out of five what does "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" get? Well I am going to have to say a four out of five.

Well thanks for reading this second installment in my reviews of the "Harry Potter" series, for the film "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." I hope you have enjoyed. I do want to again say thank you for continuing to view my blog here. It has meant the world to me. Stay tuned for a BUNCH of reviews because I have a bunch to catch up on. I hope you continue to enjoy the blog here, and THANK YOU! :) 

The Motion Picture Buff

The Lorax REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the animated film "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" brought to you by the creators of "Despicable Me." In this film a 12-year-old boy named, Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) searches for one thing that will get him the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover first why this thing has disappeared from the town's midsts. He must hear the story of the Lorax.

Well hm, I think in this review I should start with the positives since this movie was absolutely full of them. Well the voices for the characters were just great. I mean everyone who voiced there character, made it their own character. Danny DeVito as the Lorax was great, he had an excellent voice for him. Then Ed Helms as The Once-ler was magnificent. Zac Efron, Taylor Swift (who I usually don't like AT ALL!!!), Betty White, and Rob Riggle all did a great job! They made their characters them, which I absolutely love. The messages in this film I want to talk about too! Oh they were great for kids to learn about, but what makes it greater is that the parents watching it with them (along with us young adults watching it too) it gives them a wake-up call to reality! That this is what we are doing, that this is what our life is like now. Thats what I loved about it. This movie didn't just have one message to it, which I am usually not a huge fan of to many messages in a film. In this movie though they made each one relevant and displayed them in a very good way. Now I didn't know this movie was supposed to be a musical at all, but let me just say that I am so definitely purchasing the soundtrack to this film. I think that my favorite song would have to be either the end song, "Let It Grow" or I would also pick, "How Bad Can I Be?" I just loved the songs within this film, all of the songs were so catchy. I was humming and singing to one yesterday with a friend . . . that catchy. In "The Lorax" I also really loved the story line. I thought it flowed really good, I loved the story that they told us. I really enjoyed this movie. One more thing to add is that this film isn't just a kids film to me, I think it does a really good job at making adults enjoy the movie as well as the kids. Which makes a really good kids film, so parents/babysitters will enjoy it too.

Now I only had two really negative things to say about this film. First thing was that the direction in some of the scene's was a little iffy, not horrible but just seemed a little bit unnecessary in some spots. Then the other thing that had bothered me was the ending. I felt like it was a wee bit rushed, but other than that I really have no other negatives to it.

So all-in-all this is a great kids film that adults can enjoy too on their own. I am going to have to say that it really is a must-see film, and probably one of my favorite animated films. Go ahead when you are at Wal-Mart and buy it on Blu-Ray. I can promise you shouldn't regret it. So on the scale out of five what am I going to give this film? Hm, well its going to receive a four out of five. Now go check out "The Lorax."

Well thanks for reading my review about the animated film, "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax." I hope you enjoyed. Now I hope you have taken some time to see the new tab above that is displayed as "MUST-SEE FILMS." This is not a list of all the must-see films I have reviewed for that just look in the sidebar at the labels and click the must-see films one. This tab is for you to see (so far) my TOP TEN favorite movies. I have not reviewed all these films, but I am working on it.  So go check it out, I will be adding to the list and making it TOP TWENTY movies and so on. So again thanks for reading and thanks for the continued support here. Make sure you spread the word about "The Motion Picture Buff," and check out "The Lorax" you will enjoy it! Stay tuned . . . for more to come.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present the final installment in the reviews of "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy." In "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," Aragorn leads the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw back the dark lord's gaze from Frodo and Sam who are on the doorsteps of Mount Doom with the One Ring.

Well we might as well get the few negatives out of the way shall we? First thing that had bothered me I guess with this film is that it seemed a bit more jumpy with all its different stories at one point. In the pervious film, it did it really well but I noticed in this film it was not as good. Then there is the how it seemed to end like three times. I was watching this movie with a friend (he had already seen it) so I was  like its done already, oh wait never mind. Then again I was like, is it nearing the end, oh WAIT nope there is more. Then the ending for me at least seemed SOOOOOO slow. Which had also bothered me. Then again the same thing as in the previous two reviews, the character Sam still annoyed me. Plus Elijah Wood in this film I still hated.

That is it though, I have nothing but good things from here on out to say about this film. I thought I hated these movies, but I stand corrected . . . I just don't really like the first film all that much. This film was just great. The action in this film was bloody epic. Visual effects again did a really good job, but I mean for the time it was in. That one part had me freaked out and I usually don't freak out for those things at all. I wonder what my friend would do watching this film. Gollum was just better than ever, which made me LOVE the beginning of this film because it gave us a deeper look at him. Plus he was also just creepier, especially nearer the end! I was just like WHAT!?! The acting in this film was just good as usual. I thought everyone did a fantastic job. They just made me believe they were there character which is a very good thing. The music again like the first film, I just loved! I am for sure going to have to pick these soundtracks by, Howard Shore, on iTunes as soon as I can. Peter Jackson still continued to amaze me with these films. I went into these thinking I hated them because last time I remember watching them I was extremely bored. I was with the first a little bit, but the last two kept me on the edge of my seat which I love. So great job for Peter Jackson, for making yet another great film. It is no wonder that this film won 11 Academy Awards. All I can say is that they definitely deserve each one, because I really did like this movie.

So all-in-all this movie is a movie you might want to see, but in order to do so you must see the first two. So I can't say it is a must-see film because that would mean I would have to rate the other two films that also, but I did not feel that way about them. I can say that I would recommend purchasing this film though. You might want to enjoy it for a popcorn flick one night. On the scale out of five what would I give it? Well I am going to have to give it a four out of five rating.

Well thanks for reading the reviews of "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy." I have enjoyed watching them and reviewing them. I didn't plan for this to be a movie marathon day, but it turned out to be one because they were that good. I would have to say about each one though that they are worth watching once. So make sure if you get the chance to watch them. You should enjoy them, pretty much anyone I know loves them. Again though thanks for reading and make sure you stay tuned . . . for more.

The Motion Picture Buff

P.S. Rest in Peace Tony Scott :'( 

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present the second installment in the reviews of "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy." In "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," Frodo and Sam edge closer to  Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum. The now divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

So for this review lets start with the positives since last time we started with the negatives. Well I again really liked the acting within this film. I thought almost everyone did an good job. I really like Viggo Mortensen in this film. I thought he had gotten a lot better from the first film. Then there is Orlando Bloom, who I really didn't like to much in the first film, who does a way better job within this film. The chemistry between him and John Rhys-Davies is just great too. Speaking of an acting roles, I really LOVED Gollum (not really acting but you know what I mean). Andy Serkis does an amazing job with the voice of Gollum. Ugh he was just so creepy, and the voice for him is just done so well. I loved how they did the one scene where it was Gollum and Smèagol talking together. Oh yes it was extremely creepy but in a good way. Peter Jackson does a great job with directing this film. Yes the film jumps from a whole bunch of different plots within the film, but the way Peter does it, I just couldn't imagine it any better way. Then with the acting scenes, well done Peter. Well done. The music again was really good, I did like it a lot better in the first film but still was very good. Back to the visual effects, for its time they have had to been the best! I am impressed even in some scene today, after 10 years. As for the plot I really liked it, I liked it A LOT better than the first film. I am not sure why, I was just more interested throughout this entire film. It seemed a lot more interesting than the first, plus there was more of Gollum in this one, and I really like to hear his back story.

Now of course in every (well almost every) movie there has to be some negatives. For the second "Lord of the Rings" film I really didn't like how Gandalf was gone the whole movie. I mean I thought he was going to be a little more important, since I thought he had died in the first. I don't really know if it is a negative, but I guess I just thought he would have a little more to do than what he did. Then there was still Elijah Wood in this film of course. I still hated his acting in this film. He really isn't the greatest actor, but I guess it is better than replacing him. That would most likely have bothered me more (plus they filmed this movie as if it was one movie). Then there is still Sam Gamgee. I am still so annoyed with his character. His character is extremely annoying. Sean Astin does a good job at playing him, but the character he has to play is annoying. My last thing I will say here is, "Why is it called, 'The Two Towers?' "

So all-in-all, this movie in my opinion was way better than the first film in the trilogy. I enjoyed it much more, and I would say that it is worth buying, BUT only on DVD! I watched it on VHS, and I felt like I didn't need the Blu-Ray version of this film. There is no need to dish out the cash for that, but on DVD would be good, a lot better quality still than VHS (which they no longer make). As for a rating on the scale out of five? I would have to give "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" a four out of five rating.

Well thank you for reading my second installment of reviews for "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy." I hope that you are enjoying them. I seem to be enjoying these films more now than I remember in the past. "The Two Towers" ended really stupidly because now I cannot sleep without watching the last film. That wasn't originally my plan, but now I am going to have to. So stay tuned for the last installment in reviews for the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy." I also would like to say that, I will be working on the new tab tomorrow for the blog, so it should be ready by Tuesday for SURE! Thanks again for reading and stay tuned . . . for more.

The Motion Picture Buff

The Amazing Spider-Man REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for the reboot film of a series loved by many, "The Amazing Spider-Man," which stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. We all know the classic tale of Spider-Man right? A high school student named, Peter Parker, (Andrew's Character) gets bit by a biological spider and develops spiderlike powers that he uses to fight crime. That is really the basic Spider-Man story. So shall we review this new retelling of a classic tale?

Lets start with the positives of this film because there were many! The first thing I want to say is that this Spider-Man story is way better told that Sam Raimi's story told back in 2002 with, "Spider-Man."  The story line of this film just follows a more believable story of events, and like a lot of people have said, "It stays truer to the story of Spider-Man." Moving on to acting from this film. Let me just say that Andrew Garfield was meant to play Spider-Man. He just pulls off that cocky tone Spider-Man has, but when Andrew needs to be serious for his role he can pull that off greatly also. Andrew and Emma have amazing chemistry together. It was literally so believable. Its like I think they should be dating in the real world but I remembered this is just there acting for this movie. The guy who played Dr. Curt Connors, who is actually played by, Rhys Ifans, does an incredible job. He was meant to play him as well. Then there is Emma Stone as her character Gwen Stacy. She does it really well. It seems like Emma always does an incredible job in her movies. I cannot think of one movie where she is bad at her role? Now Gwen Stacy's dad, Captian Stacy is played by, Denis Leary, and let me just say he can played a cop. Now I remember sitting in the theater thinking that the score of this movie is just incredible, and when I am done here I have to look that up. I didn't have to wait though, because we were watching the credits because in Marvel movie's there is always that extra clip right? Well I saw that one of my favorite composers did this movie and I want to say props to James Horner for putting together an excellent score. I most definitely will have to buy that sometime. The rest of this film like the directing was all great. 

With almost every movie though there has to be some negatives to it. I have a short list of negatives for this film though. Starting with the fact that I felt like this movie revealed Spider-Man's true identity to to many people. That kind of bothered me. Then there was the fact that this movie could be a little slow at some points where I was like, "Come on, get to the point here." Then probably the last negative I have is that I feel like there was no build up to Peter becoming Spider-Man. It was just like "Blurp, I am Spiderman." So yeah that bothered me. 

All-in-all though this movie is defiantly better than the original Spider-Man films created to you by Sam Raimi years ago. It is 100% a must-see film. So if you haven't seen it in theaters yet, you are missing out. Make sure you check it out before it is gone. If so make sure you buy it on Blu-Ray when that comes out. For a rating it will receive a 4 out of 5. 

Well again thanks for reading. Now make sure you stay tuned though, I have some new things coming to the blog today (if Wifi cooperates with me). Make sure you spread the word about the blog (if you enjoy it. It helps me greatly, more than you know. Also make sure, if you haven't, that you subscribe to the blog here by email in the sidebar to the right. Once subscribed you will receive emails once I update the blog with a new post. So make sure you do that. Also you only have like two days left to vote on the most recent poll, so make sure you do that. Again though thanks for reading, and make sure you stay tuned for more . . . coming soon. 

The Motion Picture Buff 

The Dark Knight REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to preset a review for Christopher Nolan's second installment in the Batman Trilogy, "The Dark Knight." In this film, Batman meets a villain he doesn't fully understand, the Joker.

Well lets get the minor negatives out of the way shall we because most likely you guessed that I freaking love this movie. So major thing I want to mention is that most of the action in this film does seem a bit to choreographed again, worse than "Batman Begins." It just kind of bothers me a bit. Now a minor thing is that there is this one scene on a rooftop that the dialogue seems a bit to unnatural. It just they are on one topic then jut to the next and then jut again to another. Bothers me a little. Now one more thing really was that the girl that had to replace Katie Holmes I do not like as much. I know they had no chance, but I really did not like Maggie Gyllenhaal in this film. She just did not perform as well as everyone else was in this film. So there were probably the only negatives, yes even an EPICLY GREAT movie like "The Dark Knight" has to have some negatives I am afraid.

Now for the many positives though because like I said, this film is freaking INCREDIBLE! Going to say this right now, this is defiantly a movie that is on your must-see film list (if you are one of the few who have not seen it). I am going to start off with Heath Ledger's performance in this film. Three words, "OH MY GOD!" He does an incredible job as the joker, seriously him as the joker has to be the best acting I have ever seen within a film. He 1000% deserved the Oscar he got in 2009. I would like to say it was a performance of a generation. I still think to this day that he has done the greatest job in a film. Now for the other acting parts. Well its basically the same people from "Batman Begins" and they do a great job just like before, if not better. The only added main person was Aron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and I thought he did a suburb job as well. Christopher Nolan must bring out the best acting in actors/actresses. He literally did an amazing job with this film. Camera angles, writing the film (except that one part above), and just making a film we all enjoy. The plot of the whole movie just made sense it connected logically and perfectly. Oh and I LOVE how he started this film. A very intense beginning for a film people were anxiously waiting for after the first installment. Again I want to say that Hans Zimmer did an incredible job with the score for "The Dark Knight" as he did with "Batman Begins." So a huge thanks to everyone involved in this film for creating a movie that I thoroughly will enjoy over and over again. It still keeps me on the end of my seat every time I watch it.

Well as I said above this film is 100% a must-see film that you have to 100% buy on Blu-Ray (if you own one). A huge popcorn flick one night, and make sure you watch this before you see "The Dark Knight Rises" this coming weekend! Now for the rating that it deserves. Well I can only give it a 4/5, but being a GREAT film it is a good rating for it. I still say WATCH IT NOW! So make sure you check it out.

Now remember (for Batman fans waiting for my "The Dark Knight Rises" review) I will be going at midnight to see it, and when I get home that night I will review it for you to read and see how EPIC it really is. I do want to say thanks for reading, please spread the word about "The Motion Picture Buff" blog. It really does help me, and it will keep me doing more reviews for all of you to read. Make sure you see what movies I might review next HERE. Now make sure you stay tuned for more motion picture things . . .

The Motion Picture Buff

In memory of Heath Ledger, thank you for an amazing performance . . . rest in peace. 

When Harry met Sally REVIEW

The "Motion Picture Buff" would like to present a review for a film that was written by the late Nora Ephron, "When Harry met Sally." This film is about how when Harry and Sally first met they hated each other, but over the years they continue to meet until one day they become great friends and possibly more?

To start off this review lets talk about the few negatives that this film had because there wasn't many things that had bothered me. Well the beginning really was a bit confusing because you really didn't know why they were driving to New York, until later on in the movie. The other thing that bothered me was that it was predictable, but of course it was I mean I know I shouldn't go into a movie like this and say it won't be at all. The problem was that I knew exactly what was going to happened when it was leading up to it. So just a tad bit over predicable than usually expected which kind of bothers me from time to time. Oh and Billy Crystal did a good job, but at the beginning his voice seemed to annoy me, but later on it didn't which was weird but I thought I would comment on it.

Now the positives. Ugh, well the whole movie except for the things above. I loved everything. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal's performances were just outstanding. I though that they did an excellent job and that they had very great chemistry together as friends. Carrie Fisher's character and her boyfriend also did a great job and they also had very good chemistry. The cast was just great very well picked out in my mind. Oh and it was good to see Carrie Fisher in something other than Star Wars for once. The music in this film was good I thought. The screenplay/dialogue was brilliant, I can see why loads of women loved Nora Ephon. She made a really great loved story for people (mainly women to enjoy). It all just made sense to what had happened. This movie had me laughing also. I really cried from laughing at this one scene in a coffee shop with Meg and Billy. Oh it was just absolutely hilarious I thought. The ending was perfect, didn't end the way I thought it would but it was just great at what happened, and it seemed very heartfelt. I wasn't ever bored watching this film, and it touched my heart which I love in a movie.

So for the rating of this movie. Well for starters, it is 100% a date-night movie for you and your loved one to watch one night. You will both really love this movie. As for on the scale of 1-5? Well I am going to give it a 4/5. So make sure you go out and check this movie out one night with the one you love.

Well thanks for reading. Hope I have helped you decide what movie to watch next with a special someone. I would like to ask a favor of you my readers now though. If you enjoy my reviews and such, would you maybe spread the word about "The Motion Picture Buff" here? It would be much appreciated if you could. Now make sure to check out other movies I might be reviewing soon on the other page, or just click HERE. You can also comment below on your thought about "When Harry met Sally" if you have seen it before? Again though thanks for reading and make sure you stay tuned for more . . .

The Motion Picture Buff