Holk's Movie Reviews III

Stardust- **

Based on one of Neil Gaiman's novels, this story is another in that long line of "fantasy adventures adopted from novels with a high budget on special effects" movies that seem to be the trend lately. I thought it was sort of cute, but there were parts of it that seemed cheesy, and predictable. One thing that made the movie worth it though, was Robert DeNiro's character, and I strongly suggest seeing it for his parts alone. It will change the way you look at him ever after. I don't really have much else to say except that if you like movies such as "The Golden Compass" and "Bridge to Tarabithia", you'll probably like this movie. My tastes are a little more oblique, but that doesn't mean that I hated it.

Be Kind Rewind- **

I'm a fan of Jack Black, and Mos Def is one of the only rappers-cum-actors that actually is excellent in most of the roles he plays. That being said, this movie really wasn't all that great. It's basically one novel idea stretched out over a 2 hour period. The plot revolves around Black and Def screwing up the video store they work at, and having to make famous movies themselves, with a camcorder. Nice idea, but not really movie worthy. There are a few sub-plots, such as the jazz musician Fats Waller's life story and the power plant above Black's trailer-home, but these were not all that interesting. Again, not much else to say.

There Will Be Blood- ****

The lead on many critics' top 10 lists this year, There Will Be Blood doesn't disappoint. I think this is mostly due to the fact that I had no idea what to expect. Clocking in at nearly 2 and a half hours, this reworking of parts of the Upton Sinclair novel "Oil!" showcases the life of oilman Daniel Plainview. The majesty of this film (in my opinion, anyway) comes from the atmospheric quality of the cinematography. There is a lot of environmental work, and the not-quite frontier style is interesting. The acting is top notch (Daniel Day Lewis is incredible) and the soundtrack (Done by a member of Radiohead) is sort of, well, Wild West meets Radiohead. I strongly recommend it, but I warn you, it is not very fast paced, and some viewers with shorter attention spans might be turned off or bored with it.

There Will Be Blood was very fantastic, best movie I saw all summer.

I don't watch movies often, but coincidently I just saw Stardust.  I personally thought it was a good movie.  It had an original twist on familiar themes.

By the way check your PMs please, Holk.