Topic: RossRoy's Random Viewings

[RossRoy]

Friday the 13th - Part VII: The New Blood

WHAT THEY SAY

Ever since homicidal maniac Jason Voorhees got trapped in chains at the bottom of Crystal Lake, the nearby summer camp has operated without a hitch... without a murder. But one of this season's happy campers has brought along a deadly secret. Tina Shepherd can see the future and levitate objects. Her doctor knows just how dangerous telekinesis can be, but he's out to exploit her, not help her. And now it's too late. Tina has accidentally unchained Jason from his watery grave and the bloodbath is underway. Tina's special powers are her only hope for survival. But what chance does a teenage girl have against an axe-wielding maniac?

MY THOUGHTS

This is probably my favorite entry in the Friday the 13th saga. Finally, to a certain extent, Jason meets his match! Sure, a girl with telekinesis is a bit over the top, but, I found it made good a good story. The showdown between Tina and Jason is very interesting, because Jason has a worthy adversary, someone who can actually hurt him. Ultimately, she can't obliterate him, but she still gives him a fight. This also marks the beginning of Kane Hodder's tenure has Jason, and I found he did a very good job at giving Jason the imposing stature, presence and even show his relentless anger towards everything. I also really like Jason's look in this movie. He looks battered, ribs poking out, flesh rotting away revealing his bones here and there. He looks nasty, but it fits with the timeline of the movies, and I liked that! (click to show/hide) Too bad they didn't do the same for Tina's father at the end....

RATING

[RossRoy]

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

WHAT THEY SAY

Jason Voorhees, the living, breathing essence of evil, is back for another fierce fling. Tracked down and blown to bits by a special FBI task force, everyone now assumes that he's finally dead. But everybody assumes wrong. Jason has been reborn with the bone-chilling ability to assume the identity of anyone he touches. The terrifying truth is he could be anywhere. Or anybody. In this shocking, bloody soaked installment to Jason's carnage-ridden reign of terror, the secret of his unstoppable killing instinct is finally revealed. And one you know the chilling facts, you'll see him in your nightmares. And he'll see you in hell!

MY THOUGHTS

Three words: What .... the .... Hell !! (no pun intended) What have they done? Talk about ruining a character and undermining a whole series of film! See that thing coming out of Jason' eye on the cover? Yeah, it's in the movie! (click to show/hide) And it is actually Jason! They turned Jason into a freaking parasitic symbiot! What were they thinking? It makes the rest of the series make no sense at all! (click to show/hide) Why would he stay for so many years at the bottom of a lake, when he can just possess another body? Jason has a SISTER? And a NIECE?? and a GRAND-NIECE??? And again.. Jason is basically a parasite??? What??? Ugh!! I can't even put into words my disgust for this movie. Sure, it's got some decent special effects, it more recent after all, the whole story is so silly and disconnected from it all, it's not even funny! There's a thread over at Invelos about which movie you want to burn and throw away right now? I guess this is it!

RATING

[snowcat]

Hmm, When I watched Jason goes to Hell I kept thinking "this is going to get better right?" :/ wrong. very wrong.

[addicted2dvd]

I can deal with (and even somewhat enjoy) Jason Goes to Hell... but it has to be my least favorite.

[Jimmy]

I'm probably the only one who like this film, my favorite after the part 2. It's the only one I've seen in the theatre and I was the only one not angry watching it in the theatre.

It was a refreshing take on the serie, sure it's fun but honestly it's the same movie over and over in each sequel. Too bad the next one was a return to the old formula again...

How is it possible to not like a movie with Erin Gray? Even Silver Spoon was watchable on TV just because of her 

[RossRoy]

I'm not saying the movie is not watchable..... Well.... Yeah I am!

But, there are parts of the movie I like. Had the bad guy in this been a whole new bad guy, instead of Jason, I would've liked the movie.

(click to show/hide)

What I hate is that they established Jason as an angst ridden boy who grew up, built up anger and unleashes it unto anyone who dares cross his path.
And now, all of a sudden, he's supposed to be some sort of demon spawn, controlled by a parasitic entity?

Do the exact same movie, but remove the whole "hopping from body to body symbiot" and I would've liked it. Even having Jason mysteriously reassemble at the beginning of the movie, would've worked better for me than having the coroner eat the heart! Have the coroner get the uncontrollable urge to put the heart back in the chest cavity instead of eating it, and it would've worked better for me.

There's also the whole it's Jason movie, and Jason is there only a few minutes at the beginning.... and at the end!

Another thing going against this movie is the sound mix. It is SOO bad! One of the worst I've ever had the displeasure of listening to! The music is constantly overpowering the sound effects, you can barely hear people talk because even if you crank up the volume, the music gets so loud you can't hear anything else! And what's with having a 5.1 mix, with music solely in the back channels? Ugh!

[RossRoy]

Jason X

WHAT THEY SAY

If you're looking for terror, here comes a perfect ten. In the year 2455, on a routine training mission, a team of students is about to learn a terrifying lesson. Through the years, Jason Vorhees has claimed over 200 victims. Now, the legendary killer from Crystal Lake is back, hurtling through space and hunting new prey. Jason X is a nerve-shredding thriller loaded with spectacular special effects, hi-tech weapons, and new ways to die.

MY THOUGHTS

What a fun romp! Jason is back as his usual unrelenting killing machine self, and that's how I like it! The whole freeze and wake up in the future felt completely unnecessary, other then setting the stage for giving the movie an Alien-ish feel. Which isn't too bad, but it's clearly a weak attempt at it. Going to the future is probably also the only way they found to make "Uber-Jason".. Which I liked by the way, for some reason! It's still better than what they did in "Jason Goes to Hell"! In my opinion anyway.. Though I do find it quite convenient that the nano-machines would activate just like that, out of the blue. So yeah, I thought it was a fun movie. Totally over the top, not taking itself seriously at all, and I thought it worked. Just don't go into expecting horror. This an action comedy, at best, with some gore. Some of the deaths are actually very gruesome. Kane Hodder reprising the role of Jason is a good move. I like him in the role. Like I said before, he brings a presence. And for a character that doesn't talk, he manages to give Jason some sort of "personality", some purpose. But... Jason has hair now?? Seriously! They had the look of Jason down so well in parts 7 and 8.. Why did they have to break all that in Goes to Hell and X?? Oh well..

RATING

[RossRoy]

Freddy vs. Jason

WHAT THEY SAY

The Ultimate Battle of Evil vs. Evil Freddy Krueger is in hell - literally! And like an inmate with a life sentence, Freddy's been plotting a fantastic revenge...all he needs is a little help. In comes Jason Vorhees, the equally iconic madman and perfect means for Freddy to once again instil fear on Elm Street. As the bodies begin to pile up, it becomes clear that Jason isn't willing to step aside. Now, with a terrified town in the middle, the two titans of terror enter into a horrifying and gruesome showdown. Winner kills all.

MY THOUGHTS

Like you probably, I just discovered the Friday the 13th franchise this year. But, I've loved Nightmare on Elm Street for a long time. Combining the two is brilliant. I will not say the movie is perfect, but I do think it's a fun movie. I luke how they left the ending ambiguous enough to let both camp argue about "Who won?". It's a fun movie, though I wish both protagonists had been feature a bit more. They kids are there too much. Nevertheless, it's a fun movie that I gladly revisit every once in a while.

RATING

[RossRoy]

WALL-E

WHAT THEY SAY

The highly acclaimed director of Fiding Nemo and the creative storytellers behind Cars and Ratatouille transport you to a galaxy not far away for a new cosmic comedy adventure about a determined robot named WALL·E. After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, the curious and lovable WALL·E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. Join them and a hilarious cast of characters on a fantastic journey across the universe. Transport yourself to a fascinating new world with Disney·Pixar's latest adventure, now even more astonishing on DVD and loaded with bonus features, including the exclusive animated short film BURN·E. WALL·E is a film your family will want to enjoy over and over again.

MY THOUGHTS

What a marvelous movie! Entirely deserving of all the praise it got. It is actually incredible how Pixar can get so much emotions through, even when the characters don't speak. Prime examples here are Wall-E, EVE and that cleaning robot. But if you go back in the history of Pixar, just look at their Luxo short. It's a lamp! But just the way it moves, and you understand everything you have to. And they just keep perfectionning their technique. It's astounding how Pixar can keep churning out winners after winners. The guys love their craft and it shows. I loved every minute of Wall-E! It's such a nice story and it is told so well. So many little things add up to create a whole. Just the dancing sequence. It is so pretty to look at, and it holds so much meaning for Wall-E, him who evolved for so long, alone, on a desolate Earth, listening to dancing numbers from musicals! Watch this movie. It is well worth it. It is top notch cinema. Too bad so many artists lost their way and are now churning out money grabbers these days.. Thank God Pixar is still around with their care and love of cinema.

RATING

[RossRoy]

Ratatouille

WHAT THEY SAY

From the creators of Cars and The Incredibles comes a breakthrough comedy with something for everyone. With delightful new characters, experience Paris from an all-new perspective. It's "terrific moviemaking!" raves Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight. In one of Paris' finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down. Ratatouille is a treat you'll want to enjoy again and again.

MY THOUGHTS

And another winner by Pixar. It's a good little story. I did find the whole Remy controlling Linguini to be going a bit far, but it's a kid story again so you have to hhave some magic in there! The animation is, as usual, top notch. Some expressions on the characters are priceless. The movie almost would make you accept to have rats in your kitchen!

RATING

[snowcat]

I know everybody absolutely loves Wall-e but I thought it was very boring and annoying.

I realise the begging was supposed to be universal, but come one, all he does is walk around a rubbish dump for at least 10 minutes... Maybe its because sometimes I have a terribly low attention span, and I was annoyed at the film anyway. I bought the "Special Edition" that comes in the crapyest card board case Ive ever seen. I can see what people like about the film its cute, but it is no way the film I was led to believe it was

Here is another problem I have with it 

(click to show/hide)

As soon as they leave earth and go to that place with the humans, I get annoyed that there is live action there, this is not Roger Rabbit or Petes Dragon! this is Wall-e a Pixar film. Pixar should never have allowed Fred Willard to his part.

[Critter]

(click to show/hide)

As soon as they leave earth and go to that place with the humans, I get annoyed that there is live action there

Emma I am an avid PIXAR fan to the extent that it is my dream to someday work there but I agree with you on this one. I loved WALL-E to no end as a film but this also annoyed me. I hope the studio doesn't do it again.

[Najemikon]

How can you deny Fred Willard anything? He's great! And Wall-E was mervellous, but check out the reviews on here and you'll find a friend in Rich.

He doesn't know what he's talking about either... 

[RossRoy]

I don't know, somehow, I thought it was fitting to have the BnL ads be live action. In the same way that we have car ads that are completely CGI and cereal ads with animated characters, I thought it fitting that an animated world would have live action ads (just don't think too much about how that would be possible!)

[snowcat]

I love Fred Willard! I love him in Best in Show and Anchorman especially.

I can see that people, like the how ironic the adverts are, but I thought they were out of place, and were not needed ;P also, my favourite band Barenaked Ladies, uses BNL and everytime I saw BnL in the film I thought of them, and was sad they weren't in it XD

As for Pixar, I think they have made a few mistakes! they are overrated XD (im using it again!) I didn't enjoy anything between Toys Story 2 and Up. Even Finding Nemo did not feel right to me! whilst Nemo and Ratatouille are better then Cars, Incredibles and Wall-e though.