Eragon (2006)

Eragon (2006)
Stefen Fangmeier

So disappointing. This movie was just bad. I still want to read the book since I heard it was a lot better, but this film is just bad. The dialogue is some of the worst in any adventure movie I have seen. The one good thing about the movie was the dragon Saphira, you can tell that the creators spent a lot more time and money on the dragon than any other part of the movie. See it if you really want to, but you really won't be missing anything if you pass it by.

Acting: C+
Visual: B
Audio: A
Story: C
Other: D

Parney Points: 2

To see the imdb listing for this film click here.

Deja Vu (2006)

Deja Vu (2006)
Tony Scott

Much better than expected. Deja Vu turned out to be a great film. With any movie that deals with travel or communication through time, some story elements will be confusing or seem impossible, but the writers did a very good job of explaining the phenomenon. Denzel and Jim Caveizel, of course were incredible.

Acting: A
Visual: A
Audio: A-
Story: B+
Other: B

Parney Points: 4

To see the imdb listing for this film click here.

Hannibal Rising (2006)

Hannibal Rising (2006)
Peter Webber

This movie is a prequel to the extremely successful series revolving around Dr. Hannibal Lector. The story tells Lector's past, and gives insight into how he became the killer he is in the other films.

This movie was good, but it it difficult to watch it without comparing it to the other Hannibal films, and this one doesn't really stack up. The acting was decent, but it is very difficult to follow up the brilliant performances by Anthony Hopkins. The visual and audio techniques were the best aspects of the movie, they really encompassed the sick emotions of the title character. The Story was alright, but nothing special. An overall good film, but clearly the weakest in the series.

Acting: B
Visual: A
Audio: A
Story: C+
Other: B

Parney Points: 3

To see the imdb listing for this site click here.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Hayao Miyazaki

Howl's Moving Castle, [Hauru no ugoku shiro] is an oscar-nominated, animated film by award winning director Hayao Miyazaki. Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle explores the growth of several characters as they move through a world in the midst of war while living in a magical moving castle.

This film was wonderful. I don't know if i agree that it should be on Imdb's top 250 films of all time, but it is still a great film. One of the biggest problems with implementing Japanese film into the American Cinema is finding suitable voice acting, but this film hit the mark. Cristian Bale was great as the hero Howl and Billy Crystal, the comedic support, made a talking flame the best character in the movie. The music was perfect, and the classic animation style was a nice change from most modern computer animation. The story was an original fairy tale, different from most of the same-old same-old stories that we see in every movie these days. The biggest problem with this film, and the only reason it is not a 5 is that at several times in the film, plot events occur randomly. Since the story is taken from the book, there is not enough time to develop all the reasons for actions or build up plot points, and so it may take more than one viewing to understand the whole story. I highly recommend this film for anyone who wants to see an original film or who wants to remember how it felt as a child to hear a magical fairy tale.

Acting: A
Audio: A+
Visual: A
Story: B
Other: B

Parney Points: 4

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

United 93 (2006)

United 93 (2006)
Paul Greengrass

I haven't updated in a while because I have been busy with exams and haven't really seen a movie in a while but here you go.

United 93 was pretty much split into two parts. One part of the movie featured the air traffic workers around the country dealing with the confusion of the morning's events on September 11, and the other half of the movie featured actors portraying the passengers and terrorists on the flight. The part on the plane was great, the actors really captured the emotion on the plane, and the actors who played the terrorists did an exceptional job. However the part in the air traffic control centers did not feature trained actors and used real air traffic workers. Personally I think this was a bad idea. The dialouge was absolutely horrible, I actually had to stop the movie and come back later because no one could deliver a single convincing line. Here is how I see it, if you choose to make a movie about September 11, and choose to make it a feature film, not a documentary, then you are open to the criticism that comes with it. Luckily the acting on the plane saved this movie from being a terrible film.

Acting: C
Audio: B+
Visual: B
Story: A
Other: D

Parney Points: 2

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Serenity (2005)

Serenity (2005)
Joss Whedon

Based on the TV-series Firefly, this film is a science fiction adventure that manages to stimulate almost all the different emotions one movie can; happiness, fear, sadness, laughter, etc.. While different than Star Wars, the theme is similar; the crew of a spaceship crosses the galaxy, while running from the government, to uncover a mystery that changes them all.

You know that movie that you know you have heard of before, and every time you see it at Blockbuster you say "maybe I should get that one night" but its not tempting enough to actually rent? Well I finally rented Serenity and boy was I glad that I did! I have never seen the show Firefly, but after only a few scenes, I already loved most of the crew, and once the movie ended I wanted to go watch the show. Every minute of this movie I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. The acting was great, I really connected with the characters. The visual and audio effects were decent, but could have been a little better. The story was also great, and even though this movie probably won't be on any historic lists, it is entertaining enough to earn 5 Parney Points. Definitely give it a chance.

Acting: A
Audio: B+
Visual: B+
Story: A
Other: A

Parney Points: 5

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The Usual Suspects (1995)
Bryan Singer

Sometimes referred to as the greatest mystery/thriller of all time, The Usual Suspects presents the viewer with a crime and a handful of suspects at the very start of the movie, but it takes the entire movie, and then some thinking afterward before the viewer really solves the mystery.

This is one of the few movies that actually lives up to the high expectations I had for it. Even if you figure out the mystery before the end of the movie, it is still a pretty good ending. Each and every one of the actors did a solid job as did the audio and visual editors. The writer's should get the most credit though for coming up with such a thrilling story. Other than the small fact that I thought the ending was pretty obvious the whole movie, I was pretty impressed. Definitely a movie worth seeing

Acting: A
Audio: B+
Visual: B+
Story: A+
Other: B

Parney Points: 4

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

The Black Dhalia (2006)

The Black Dhalia (2006)
Brian De Palma

A thrilling film about two cops who become obsessed with the murder of Elizabeth Short. Based on the novel by James Ellroy

I feel sorry for Josh Hartnett; he is a great actor who again did a great job, but even he couldn't save this movie. I can't seem to pick out what things in this movie were bad, but it just was not a good movie at all. Some of the visual effects were good but the movie was just not interesting at all. For a mystery/thriller it was incredibly boring and whomever adapted the writing to film did not do a very good job of it. This film reminded me of the Da Vinci Code movie, because there was nothing particularly wrong with it, but it was just a failure as a movie.

Acting: B+
Audio: C
Visual: B+
Story: C
Other: F

Parney Points: 1

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Unknown (2006)

Unknown (2006)
Simon Brand

Five men wake up in an abandoned warehouse, one is shot and handcuffed, one is tied to a chair, another has been beaten badly, some are the kidnappers and some are the prisoners, but none of them can remember anything.

The previews of this movie were great, and I couldn't wait to see this film. While it was not the 5 star film that I thought it would be, I was still very impressed. The acting was fantastic; Jim Caviezel again did a superb job. The audio and visual techniques were great and the story was clever and thought provoking. On the negative side, the writers had a good premise but probably could have done a little more with the story. Also, I will not give away the ending but I usually don't enjoy it when there is a useless second twist thrown at the audience just before the credits come on. Other than that, the movie was fantastic and definitely worth seeing.

Acting: A
Audio: A-
Visual: B+
Story: A
Other: C

Parney Points: 4

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Equilibrium (2002)

Equilibrium (2002)
Kurt Wimmer

This movie takes place in a post-World War III society where the government has completely eliminated war by enforcing mandatory injections to all citizens that disables human emotion. In this 1984-esque setting one government cleric accidentally drops his medicine and does not get a replacement. This one event leads him to experience emotion, and discovers everything that is wrong with what the world has become. He then proceeds to stop taking his medicine all together and finds his purpose in life, to take down the corrupt government and free the human race.

This was another sweet film. Many viewers claim that this movie steals ideas from other works, but I think the makers of this film incorporated ideas they had seen in other works very effectively to make their own creation. The acting was superb, and after Batman Begins, the Prestige, and this, Christian Bale is becoming one of my favorite actors ever. The visual and audio techniques were solid and the story was pretty good. This is a very entertaining film and while its not quite a 5, I still think it is a great film.

Acting: A
Audio: A-
Visual: A
Story: B+
Other: B-

Parney Points: 4

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Paul McGuigan

Wow. Just wow. This movie was awesome. I cannot believe that it didn't get more praise. Every single scene of this movie was great, and I really mean every one. There was not one part of this movie that I didn't like. Acting: amazing! Audio: sweet! Visual: perfect! Story: awesome! If you have Netflix or Blockbuster total access, move this movie to the top of your queue, it's that good. 5 Parney Points easy. Go see it.

Acting: A+
Audio: A
Visual: A
Story: A+
Other: A

Parney Points: 5

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Saw III (2006)

Saw III (2006)
Darren Lynn Bousman

Saw III. How do I feel about this? It seems to me that in order to give my review on this film, I have to share how I felt about the other Saw movies. I thought that Saw I had potential because it had a very clever story, but they focused too much on the gore of it and the acting was just pathetic, some of the worst acting Ive ever seen in my life, seriously it was worse than a high school play. Saw II on the other hand had much better acting, a sweet twist and really got the message across about respecting the life given to you, I really liked Saw II. Now we have Saw III, and it's really tough for me to decide. The acting was the best of the 3, Tobin Bell is just incredible, but unfortunately the movie again focused way to much on the gore and almost didn't try developing the plot until the end. Worst of all I think the writers completely ruined Amanda's character and a lot of the actions in the film could not be explained at all. If you liked Saw I you will probably like this movie too, and I would still recommend seeing it, but I was disappointed, I think it could have been much much better. I am really anxious to see whether Saw IV will be more like movies I and III or more like II.

Acting: A
Audio: B-
Visual: B
Story: C
Other: D

Parney Points: 2

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

The Island (2005)

The Island (2005)
Michael Bay

I am pretty torn about this film. There were a lot of corny lines and some plot holes, but other than that is was actually pretty good. The acting was great, especially by Djimon Hounsou, who took a very poorly written character and turned him into a two dimensional major character. The visual effects were pretty cool and suprisingly not too over the top. The score of the film was phenomenal, but they could have used it a little more throughout the entire movie. The story was predictable at times and completely original, but still pretty clever. My only big problem with this film is that I couldn't really tell what it was trying to be. It started out science fiction, then went to comedy, then action thriller, then drama at the end. At about the halfway mark, its almost as if one movie just ended and the second half is something altogether different. I feel like this is a movie that a lot of people may not like, but I think if you go into it with an open mind, you will be pleasently suprised and so I will give it 3 strong Parney Points.

Acting: A
Audio: A
Visual: B+
Story: B
Other: B-

Parney Points: 3

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Red Eye (2005)

Red Eye (2005)
Wes Craven

Nothing original here, same old "scary" movie where the female lead is being threatened and has to overcome the man who transformed from nice guy to killer. Luckily the good acting saved me from total boredom. Cillian Murphy again plays a very convincing evil role and Rachel McAdams does great as the female lead. It was mainly disappointing to me because the female character had so much strength that I wasn't worried or scared for her at all, which the viewer needs to be in order for a film like this to be effective. Overall it was disappointing; it was just not scary.

Acting: B+
Audio: D
Visual: D
Story: D
Other: F

Parney Points: 1

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Marc Forster

Well I knew the good luck would run out soon enough and this was it. I am really questioning if this was a comedy, because it was really not funny. There were a few chuckles here and there but I can't tell if it tried too hard or didn't try hard enough. There were some visual techniques that were pretty cool, but they were completely out of place and the audio was pretty weak. The story was different, but just because something is unique does not mean that it is good. The acting was fine but the big surprise was how great Maggie Gyllenhaal was. I was shocked to see how much better of an actor she is than her brother, but then again that doesn't take too much. Overall, this movie is just not worth seeing. Make sure to check out the review on my podcast, which should be up on Monday.

Acting: B-
Audio: C
Visual: B
Story: D
Other: F

Parney Points: 2

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Crank (2006)

Crank (2006)
Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor

Another surprise. Again I went into a movie thinking it was going to be so/so and it turned out to be entertaining! maybe I should change my expectations next time. Although Crank was exactly what it looked like it would be, (a fast past movie full of action and lust) it was actually a good movie too. The visual effects were stunning, but I'm not talking about the big explosions and all, the use of little details and special techniques were outstanding. For example there were subtitles at the bottom of the screen during one scene, and when the camera switched to the speakers point of view, the subtitles could be seen on the screen backwards, from behind, as if the subtitles were coming from the man talking. Now that's clever The use of audio was effective and the acting was convincing. However this is definitely an R-rated film and I would advise parents not to let their kids see it. The movie is in no way an academy award nominee, but it is definitely a fun movie to watch with your friends one weekend. Check out my podcast, "Parnell's Movie Reviews" on itunes for the full review.

Acting: B
Audio: A
Visual: A+
Story: C-
Other: C

Parney Points: 3

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

The Guardian (2006)

The Guardian (2006)
Andrew Davis

This was another movie that surpassed my expectations. I was skeptical at first when I saw that Ashton Kutcher was the star and I was wondering if this would be the film that Kevin Costner would find his way back to his good days. I have to say I was impressed, both of their performances were fantastic. The visual effects were nothing too special, but they got the story across. The music was good as well but again nothing too amazing. The story was great, but since it spent so much time showing the Coast Guard training, the climax felt too rushed. Overall it was a good film that is worth watching when you need a movie on Friday night. Check out my podcast, "Parnell's Movie Reviews" on itunes.

Acting: A
Audio: B
Visual B
Story: C
Other: A

Parney Points: 3

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Davis Guggenheim

This movie surpassed my expectations, but maybe that was because my expectations were so low going into it. The visual effects were hands down the best part of the film, the director managed to make it bearable to have Al Gore on screen for extended periods of time, and actually allowed me to take some of his claims more seriously. Audio was weak, and although I usually hate films that attempt to tell you what to think, this one actually did not do a half bad job of it. Check out my podcast "Parnell's Movie Reviews." on itunes to hear my reviews.

Acting: B (Not really acting here, but still)
Audio: C
Visual: A
Story: C
Other: C

Parney Points: 3

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.

Babel (2006)

Babel (2006)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

I thought this movie was extremely well made, it used great visual techniques and the music was very effective. The acting was great and overall was a great film. Even with a scattered timeline, the movie was easy to follow, the story was interesting however I was disappointed that it didn't really go anywhere. The writers started out with a great foundation but then did not build at all. A story that had a stronger ending would have taken this movie from great to fantastic. Check out my podcast "Parnell's Movie Reviews." on itunes to hear my reviews.

Acting: A
Audio: A
Visual: A
Story: C+
Other: A

Parney Points: 5

To visit the imdb listing for this film, click here.