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Out of every sub-genre in films, war movies are not even close to being my favorite. They are usually pretty violent, which is good, but they usually have a long running time. I was being dragged into this movie not even knowing it was a war film. Before being dragged to a movie, know what you are getting into.Almost ever war story is the same. They follow the same plot, the same mediocre acting, and the same clichéd ending. The Hurt Locker does have some new ideas for a plot. This film shows more of that part of the army that disarms bombs. You never know where the bomb is or just how big it really is. That is always a good thing to have in a film.
The acting is OK. I only recognized one actor, Christian Camargo. who was Colonel Cambridge. His other role is Dexter's brother in the Showtime first season of Dexter. The Colonel is barely in the film, but he gives a great performance, as he did in Dexter. The main cast does a fairly good job, but some of the lines are cheesy. This is not their fault, but it may come off as it is their fault for delivering the line. Some of the dialogue is out of place and unnecessary. There are not many bad instants with the actors and they put on quite a show.
When walking into a war movie, I expect bombs going off everywhere, people's heads getting shot off. The Hurt Locker shows a lot of the people getting blown up. The visuals are great and the photography is even better. Even though the visuals are not that important for this film, they still are great and look realistic.
Overall, The Hurt Locker is an alright war movie. This is one that war sub-genre fans will love. The film uses story and drama more than violence and the ending is great. Even though the film is only around two hours, it still felt a bit long. Scenes get repetitive and stay repetitive for up to 10 minutes. The Hurt Locker is highly recommended for war genre fans, but if you are not one of those, wait for DVD and Blu-Ray. Next movie: Repo! The Genetic Opera
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Lionsgate has been giving the middle finger to horror fans lately. They give a lot of their horror movies a limited release and put them only in dollar theaters. People drive far to get to these theaters, because not many people live near them. Repo! The Genetic Opera is one of those movies. It did well for a movie in limited release. Opening night, the line of people went for blocks. The only problem is that this film is not for everybody.The story is interesting and unique. In the future, people are having organ failures more often than now. A company called Geneco sells organs and does the surgery to keep you alive, but you must pay by a certain date. If you do not, then the Repo Man comes for you and kills you and takes the organ back. This is just a small part of the story that is happening. There are more specific things with the characters. It is a fresh idea and is something that horror needs desperately right now.
Many people do not recognize the main character Shilo. Her name is Alexa Vega and she is seen in the Spy Kid films as the little girl, Carmen Cortez. Alexa improved her acting skills within the past few years. The critics are saying that Paris Hilton is the star of the movie. In my opinion, she is not even close to the best actress in the film. Alexa Vega steals the spotlight and gives a lot to her role. And surprisingly, she can sing!
When Lionsgate puts out a horror film out, the visuals are always top notch. The CGI and green screen used are very realistic. The street scenes still look like modern time with little twists on things such as new drugs and new plant species. The organs are very realistic looking. Nothing in the visual department is disappointing.
Overall, Repo! The Genetic Opera is not for everybody. It is a horror musical, much like Sweeney Todd. There are one, maybe, two lines in the whole movie that are talking and not singing. This movie takes story to heart as much as it does the heart itself. I am not a fan of musicals, but if you must see a musical, this is the one to see. The songs are catchy, dark, and written well. Repo! The Genetic Opera is recommended for anyone who is okay with both the singing and the blood.
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Within the past few years, a few horror films from Spain have come to the United States. [REC] has been one of the best that has been imported from Spain. Only a year later, a remake made in America was named Quarantine. They are similar, but [REC], in my opinion, is much better.The story is simple and even onto the end, you never find out exactly what is happening. American movie makers feel the need to always explain everything and it feels good to have some mystery. This film is about a news reporter going to a fire station to interview firemen. They get a call and the news reporter goes with them to the site. There is no fire, but something is wrong. There is a disease which is similar to rabbies inside an apartment complex. The government seals it off to contain it, but there are uninfected people in there who must try to survive.The story is simple, yet effective.
Since I live in the United States and do not see a lot of movies from Spain, none of the actors or actresses are recognizable. The main actress, Manuela Velasco, playing the news reporter, still gives one hell of a performance. Manuela makes the situation seem believable, even though it really is not. She makes her character very likable. In a horror movie, it's very important to like the characters or there is no point in watching them try to survive. Manuela gives a stunning performance not to be forgotten.
I am aware that this film was not made on a big budget. Therefore, I do not expect great visuals. They could of been better, but they are good enough for what was needed from that department. The make-up effects on each creature is marvelous and does not over-exaggerate with CGI effects.
Overall, [REC] is one of the best "disease" movies around. In both Spain and the United States, the films are somewhat different. The Spanish version is not too cheesy or boring. It leaves a lot of mystery and almost no questions are answered. The DVD for this film just came to the United States and is highly recommended for everyone to see this. Buy or rent the disc and get ready for [REC] 2!
