Thor: The Dark World REVIEW

Well it is finally time to review another Marvel film, this time starring the Avenger from another world. Here is my review of Thor: The Dark World, starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, and many more great actor/actresses. In this film Thor is faced with an enemy that even Odin and the forces of Asgard cannot withstand. Thor must reunited with his beloved Jane Foster and his tricky brother to try and stop the forces of Malekith, the evil dark elf. He must sacrifice everything to save us all.

Now lets start of this review by me saying that this movie is freaking enjoyable. I enjoyed every single part of this movie, from the beginning to the end. That being sad lets talk about this movie. This movie brings back most of the original cast for an epic return to the world of Thor. Chris Hemsworth continues the role of the god of thunder, Thor. As said in my other review of, Thor, he pulls of the role perfectly. When casting these Marvel movies the could not have done a better job. They got all amazing actors to portray these amazing roles. The breakout performance in this role again though would have the be Tom Hiddleston as the god of mischief, Loki. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is like Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight. They were practically born to play these roles and they do it just perfectly. I will get to more with Loki later though. Now the one performance in this movie, as I had also mentioned in my review of Thor, that I wasn't really happy with was Natalie Portman's. My real issue with her is just that I could see any actress playing the role of her character. Natalie doesn't become the character, and really I just do not see her as Jane Foster. I don't know what it is, I just don't see her as this character. Other than that everyone else does a great job in this movie. I love how Kat Dennings was back in this movie, and the fact that she had a bigger role in this movie than I thought she was going to have. The last person I want to mention is Stellan Skargård as Dr. Erik Selvig. Again he pulls of the role and I could not have been happier with the twist they added to his character.

Moving on I want to mention the story of the movie. Let's start of by saying that I absolutely loved each and every single twist involved in this movie. Almost every single twist I never saw coming. I predicted some things before I went into the movie, and I thought I was right on several occasions but then I ended up being wrong because of the twist. I wasn't wrong with a few things though, I was right on a couple things. Now the only couple things I would have to complain about from this movie would have to be the fact that it left you hanging with a lot of things. The end scene you were like, "WHAT!?!?!" Then the end credit scene you were really confused with as well? I really hope we get a good explanation later, unlike the end credit scene with The Avengers. We still really don't know how that is tying in with that scene yet. I thought this movie would, but so far there has been nothing. The last thing I wanted to mention about this screenplay would have to be that it is just your basic ordinary superhero movie storyline. There is nothing spectacular about it except the twists that are thrown in with the movie. I did like how the story was a lot more humorous though. The comedy in this movie worked and it was well enjoyed. Loki was really the star of the comedy in this movie, which I loved even more.

Now there are a few last minute things I do want to mention. These would include the visual effects, the cinematography, and then music. Yes as with almost every Marvel movie the special effects are pretty darn incredible, but I love a movie with good special effects. I can't stand a movie with bad special effects these days because we know the technology is there now and this movie proves it. I never noticed one bad special effect scene in this movie. Moving on to the cinematography of this movie I just really wanted to mention how I love the gritty look of the movie along with the whole feel the movie gave to the watcher. Kramer Morgenthau did a great job with this movie I will have to say, that is for sure. Now Brian Tyler did the musical score for this movie and he had also done the musical score for Iron Man 3. I thought the music seemed similar, and lucky for Brian I loved the score from Iron Man 3. So the score from this movie was just as good. It is one that I really would buy to listen to. I love the musical score of movies and this is another good one.

Summing up this review, I will say that Thor: The Dark World is a very welcomed return to the world of Thor. It is super enjoyable and the action scenes are epic as heck! I will be seeing this movie in theaters again because I love Marvel movies and this is a great addition to the Avenger series! Now for the ratings I will have to say that this movie is a MUST-SEE FILM, if you are a Marvel fan and a fan of the Avenger series. Like I had said it is a great addition to the series. Thor: The Dark World also deserves a buy on Blu-Ray rating. Now I did see this in 3D but really there is no need, so I will say that this movie is worth the ticket price for a movie night. So go out an see it, right NOW! Now for the rating out of 10 stars, I will have to say that it deserves an 8/10 star rating. 

Well I am hoping that you have enjoyed this review of Thor: The Dark World. It really is a good movie to go see in theaters. It really is worth it. Now make sure you stay tuned for more reviews. I have a couple movie waiting to get reviewed. So make sure you stay tuned for those reviews . . . coming soon!

Noah Mark Bitney

Olympus Has Fallen REVIEW

The Motion Picture Buff would like to present a review for the film starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman, called, Olympus Has Fallen. In this movie Gerard plays a disgraced former Presidential Guard. After an attack on the white house, he uses his skill and knowledge from his previous job to try and save the president from bend kidnapped by North Korean terrorists.

Well well well . . . I want to start of this review by saying that this movie is an enjoyable action movie, but it has nothing else going for it. The cast is good yes, but they aren't great. They just make the film able to watch. Before I get into the acting involved in this movie though, I want to talk about the main bad thing this movie had, and that would 100% have to be the special effects. Oh my goodness, the effects in this movie were just absolutely terrible. Now this movie came out back on March of this year, 2013. So personally I do not understand why the graphics would be that bad, because the special effects of today have progressed immensely. There wasn't one scene in this movie where I wasn't saying, well thats fake. My guess is that the budget of this film was wasted on the well-known actors in this movie that they couldn't pay for the great special effects, because honestly they were just terrible. The effects in this poster I have above are better than the whole movie. I just wanted to mention that because that was the main negative throughout the whole thing.

Moving on I want to talk a little about the acting in this movie. Olympus Has Fallen, has some pretty well known actors in it. As mentioned earlier, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman, are all in this movie and they do a good job. They don't do anything special though. Its not like they were giving a performance of their career. I would have to say that Gerard Butler's performance I enjoyed the most because he just seemed more believable in this situation. Gerard has kind of taken over Bruce Willis in the roles that Bruce used to perform in.

Which brings me into the screenplay of this movie, or the story I suppose. What I want to mention is the fact that it is a little bit predictable. You know what is going to happen, you know they aren't going to let something happen that they are trying to trick you into thinking happened. The story is your basic and generic disaster/action film that you have seen countless times before. You still enjoy the ride which makes this movie a great popcorn movie night movie, which is what it became for me when I watched it.

Now wrapping up this review I want to say that Olympus Has Fallen, is an enjoyable film that serves a good purpose. That purpose is to be a good popcorn movie night film. It works perfect for a rental movie and thats what I did with it, so that is the recommendation I will give it. Only rent this movie, it really isn't worth a buy. You are going to enjoy it once and then there will be no need to watch it again. Anytime you are trying to think of a movie to rent for a popcorn night with a girlfriend, group of friends, or anytime, this movie gets my recommendation for that. I will also say that this movie gets a 5/10 star rating.

Well I am hoping that you have enjoyed this review of Olympus Has Fallen. Tonight will be a post about why The Lego Movie trailer is this week's TRAILER OF THE WEEK, so you are going to want to stay tuned for that. There are also more movies to be reviewed, so stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

Noah Mark Bitney

What's Eating Gilbert Grape REVIEW

As promised it is time for another review tonight, and the second review is for the 1993 film, What's Eating Gilbert Grape. In this film Gilbert, played by Johnny Depp, has to take care of his special brother, Arnie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. He is also in charge of making sure his obese mother is taken care of. When Becky comes into his life, he becomes irritable about all the responsibilities that he doesn't want to have.

(Applause . . . applause) This movie is seriously just fantastic. I was engaged in the story right from the beginning. The screenplay follows the story and mind of Gilbert Grape who is way more complex than we are led to believe. I love how everything in this story actually has a point to it, and there is no excess things that are pointless. There were a few points in the movie though where the movie drags on a little bit. You want it to pick up its pace but it takes a little bit before it goes onto the next thing. Now the last thing about the story I wanted to mention was the fact that the love story in this movie was good. It wasn't great and it was a little unbelievable, in my eyes it seemed kind of forced into the story. With all that being said you still root for Gilbert and Becky to end up together in the end.

Next I would like to give a HUGE round of applause to Leonardo DiCaprio for an AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING, performance in this film. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a mentally challenge 18 year old kid, and I seriously was shocked by his performance. If it was me I would have given Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar for this performance because he literally blew my mind. He really became his character in this film and he made me super emotional which is just beyond great. Now the chemistry between Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as well. For a moment there you really think they are brothers, they just do a great job together as brothers. Those two main things being said I want to generally say that each and every single cast member in this film does a great job. I could and would not complain about a single person's performance in this beautiful film. A few people who stand out are of course Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Darlene Cates, and Mary Kate Schellhardt.

Now the last thing I would like to mention is the direction of the movie. Before I get into that though I want to mention how great this movie is. Leo's performance is seriously the greatest part of the movie, but when it comes to the direction it is only okay. I mean I love the story and I love the acting in the film, but the way Lasse Hallstroöm does this film could have been better. I just felt like some of the things in this film were way to obvious and I could tell what was happening. Do not get me wrong, still a GREAT movie, but there are always little things that could have been better.

Wrapping up this movie I will say that What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a fantastic film with little flaws. It has an amazing cast with one breakout actor in the film that you would have never expected. For the ratings I will give this movie a buy on Blu-Ray rating because it is one of those movies that is a classic that should be seen by everyone because it is a MUST-SEE film. Sometime in your life you should definitely see this movie. I will also rate this movie as a perfect popcorn movie night film, but it would be even better for a rainy day. Be prepared though it is an emotion draining movie, like you have to be in the mood for it. Now for the rating out of 10 stars I will have to give this film a 9/10 star rating. 

Well I hope you have enjoyed this review of What's Eating Gilbert Grape. I highly recommend this movie because it really is very enjoyable. Well I hope to get at least one more review out tonight or tomorrow mooring. So stay tuned for that, but also stay tuned for this week's Trailer of the Week, coming out tomorrow. There is so much to stay tuned for, so stay tuned for more . . .  coming soon.

Noah Mark Bitney

The Paperboy REVIEW

The Motion Picture Buff would like to present a review for the 2012 film, The Paperboy. In this film a newspaper writer returns home to investigate a case with a victim on death row. This film stars Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, and John Cusack.

This is a tough film to review to be honest. The first thing I want to mention I suppose is the fact that this movie has an amazing cast. As per mentioned above the cast is pretty darn incredible. They aren't just a good cast, they have amazing characters to portray and they portray each role perfectly. Who really stands out in this movie is Zac Efron though. Zac Efron plays Jack Jansen in the film who is love with Nicole Kidman's character, Charlotte Bless, who is a 40 year old woman married to the prisoner who is on death row, played by John Cusack. They way Zac looks at Nicole in this movie is just perfect. You can see it in his eyes that he is really in love with this woman, and he would do anything for her, which he does. I also do want to mention John Cusack's performance in this movie. I have never seen John play a bad guy really before, and honestly I don't think I could have ever seen him play one. In this movie though John Cusack plays a complete jackass and pervert. He does it perfectly as well, I was literally disgusted with this character.

Now the tough part to review for this movie is the story/screenplay. The plot of this movie is actually quite intriguing. I was always interested in this movie and the movie did a good job with it. I like how the two brothers get along together and work together to solve the crime. At the same time I like how Zac's character falls in love with Nicole's character. I think it just adds a great element to the film. What was annoying about this movie though was that it was extremely slow and the screenplay seems just sloppy. There are points in the movie where I lost interest and started working on other things, like my homework. Whenever that happens in a movie, I think the movie is just way worse. I like a movie way more when it can keep me hooked the whole way through instead of losing and gaining interest on and off.

So there are a few things I would like to mention before I wrap up this review. These few things would include the cinematography of the film, the beginning of the movie, the narration. Starting off the cinematography in this movie is actually pretty darn good. I like the look and feel of this movie is just perfect for the time zone of this movie. Now in the beginning of this movie it starts off with Zac's character narrating the story, and throughout the film we will catch her narrating the whole thing. I really did enjoy this in the movie because it works for the whole feel of the movie. It kind of works in with how Matthew's character is trying to solve a case. It just feels right for the movie.

Wrapping up this review I will say that The Paperboy is an enjoyable film that works perfectly for a rainy day. It has a great cast that create great characters that you will care for and root for in the end. For the ratings I will give this movie a rent worthy rating, only that though. I am glad I did not buy this movie because it is only worth watching once. You will enjoy it though, that is for sure. Now for the rating out of ten stars I will have to give, The Paperboy, a 7/10 star rating. 

Well I hope you have enjoyed this review of The Paperboy. It isn't my best work, but this movie to be honest was hard to review. Anyway I plan on doing a couple more reviews today to catch up on my list that I have. Make sure you stay tuned for them and for more . . . coming soon.

Noah Mark Bitney

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Continuing with the series here is my review of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. In this film Captian Jack Sparrow must race to get Davy Jones's heart to avoid being sucked into giving service to Davy Jones. This quest brings all other friends and foes together on the quest to see who will control the ruler of the sea, Davy Jones.

Well starting out this review I want to mention that the cast again is still fantastic. From the first film the return the cast and everyone does a great job. Johnny Depp really is the perfect Captian Jack Sparrow. As I mentioned in the review of the first film, the cast does a really good job at portraying their characters perfectly. There could be no one better to play each one of these characters. A couple new characters are introduced in this movie though. As mentioned above the character Davy Jones is in this film and he is played by Bill Nighy. Bill Nighy seriously does a fantastic job as the bad guy in this movie. Sure there is a lot of CGI when it comes to the character, but Bill Nighy has the greatest voice for this character along with just the look in his eyes. I know that is a weird thing to say, but you can just see the emotions in his eyes. Now the other character I want to mention is Lord Cutler Beckett, who is portrayed by Tom Hallander. Tom doesn't have a huge role in this movie, but in the next Pirates film he will. As for his performance, you have just got to love it. His posture is perfect. The character is a huge prude and Tom Hallander plays the part perfectly.

Now the other main thing I want to talk about story of the film. This is actually a huge negative for the film in my opinion. Do not get me wrong I really did enjoy this film, but I want to mention how choppy and slow this film is. There are scenes within this film that seriously make no sense on why they would be in the film. They just seem like added pieces to increase screen time, so I think they could have cut out quite a few scenes in this movie. You sit there in the film wondering, "Why is this important to the film?" Then there are also parts of the film where the order of things really does not make sense in the slightest. Like why is that there, when it should be there. Basically in my opinion the screenplay could have been written way better. Sure it is an interesting story but there are parts that could be touched up, rewritten, and taken out.

Now the last few things I want to mention are the special effects, the cinematography, and the music. So firstly I want to talk about the special effects in this movie. Actually this movie had won an Oscar in 2007 for it's visual effects. They are pretty darn good in my opinion as well, because the Kraken in this film is spectacular. Its hard to believe how good and real everything looks even though this movie was made in 2006. Next I want to mention the cinematography which I always appreciate in a movie. This movie does a great job with its direction of photography who was done by Dariusz Wolski. He has done some great work in the past and now future as well in, Prometheus. In my review for that film I mention how good he does, and with the Pirates series he also does very well. Now lastly I want to mention the musical score of this film, which for this film is under the hands of Hans Zimmer, instead of Klaus Badelt who did the first film. Hans Zimmer is seriously a great composer right alongside of John Williams. He takes some songs from the original score from the first film and gives it his own spin. He does a great job with the score and in my opinion it is worth a buy. I always have a thing for the musical score's of movies.

Summing up this review I will say that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, is a seriously enjoyable return to the world of Captian Jack Sparrow. We get all our favorite characters back along with a few new enjoyable ones. Sure it has its flaws but it is seriously a good movie. It is not great but it is good. As for the ratings I will still give this film a must-see rating because the Pirates trilogy are a classic film that everyone should see. I will say that it is worth a buy on Blu-Ray, but there is not need if you do not have the money or technology. It is just as good on DVD. The visuals will just look better with Blu-Ray. It also makes a perfect popcorn movie night. Sometimes I get together with friends for a Pirates of the Caribbean movie marathon. Now for the rating out of 10 stars I will give it a 7/10 star rating. 

Well I hope you have enjoyed this review of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Sure it is not perfect but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. I will try and take some more time out of my days to make good quality reviews. Later today I will have the post about this week's trailer of the week. So stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

Noah Mark Bitney

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl REVIEW

Well welcome back to the Motion Picture Buff again. Today I would like to present a review for the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. In this film an eccentric blacksmith teams up with notable and recently captured pirate, Captian Jack Sparrow, to save a girl to whom has been captured by a group of pirates that used to be Sparrow's allies.

Now most people I know have seen this movie before. You had to have seen it right? This is a classic film that everyone must see. Why? Well because it is literally a very enjoyable film that keeps you interested the whole way through. What about it is so interesting? Lets first talk about the cast in this film. Johnny Depp acts with serious perfection in this film. This is the role he was born to play because in movies he acts to today in, I still see a little bit of Jack Sparrow in his role (which isn't good). Anyway, Johnny Depp, plays the character of Captian Jack Sparrow, and they did a great job picking him for this role. I was glad to see Johnny getting a nomination for Best Actor Oscar for this role. Kiera Knightley is also in this film and I looked it up, she was only 17 years old when they did the filming for this film. For 17 years old, Kiera did a great job in this film. She is an amazing actress and this is where it practically all began. She just portrays the role of Elizabeth Swan amazingly. When picking the cast for this film, they could not have done a better job. I could go on and on about all the actors and actresses in this movie, but lets just say they all do a fantastic job with their roles to bring an amazing movie to us viewers. Some other notable people in this film would include: Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Lee Arenberg, and Jack Davenport.

Next I wanted to mention the story for this film. It is a decent story, its nothing grand and spectacular. It is an enjoyable ride though. I enjoy this movie every single time I watch it, and trust me, by now I have had to have seen this movie well over 20 times. Director, Gore Verbinski, does a great job with this film. He portrays the movie beautifully and he keeps us on our toes throughout the whole movie. At the end of the movie you are begging for more, which as most people know, we do get (more on that later though). The cinematography in this movie is really good to. I love the way the movie looks and feels. It has the right look and feel for it, I wouldn't want it any other way.

The last few things I want to mention about this movie are probably what I love most about the Pirates of the Caribbean films. The musical score for this film is just wonderful. Klaus Bedelt does a great job setting up the perfect theme song for a good series of movies to come. The rest of the score as well is just perfect for the film. I can find myself humming songs from this movie all the time, especially right after watching it. Now the other thing I want to mention is just how enjoyable this movie is. It has all the right pieces to a perfect popcorn movie. It has humor, action, adventure, romance, and just a kickass cast pulling of the wittiest of characters. It may not be a perfect film, but it is a sure enjoyable ride.

Now rating this movie I will give Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl a well deserved popcorn movie night rating. It also deserves a must-see film rating because personally I think everyone must-see this film. It is for sure a instant classic. People will be enjoying this movies for years and years, as they already have been. It is a film you will watch over and over again, and so it does get a buy on Blu-Ray rating as well. Now for the rating out of ten stars I will give, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a 8/10 star rating. 

Well I hope you have enjoyed this review of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Stay tuned for the reviews for the other films in this great series. Make sure you also stay tuned for reviews of other movies and of awesome movie news. If you have been enjoying, the Motion Picture Buff, make sure to like us on Facebook right . . . HERE! If you would like to chime in and tell me what you thought, comment to me on Facebook, or even leave a comment in the section below. Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for more . . . coming soon.

Noah Mark Bitney