Movie Reviews By Movie Reviews Pro

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceRating: Four stars

Rating:

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Studio : Warner Brothers Pictures

 Info : Click Here

Runtime : 153min

Website : harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince

Trailer :http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x99zz1

Review:

There’s a scene at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where Professor McGonagall (always wonderfully played by Maggie Smith) says to Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, “Why is it whenever something happens, you three always seem to be in the center of it?”  Ron replies, “I’ve been wondering that myself.”  That’s basically the essence of the entire series, but these three kids (now teenagers) are so charismatic and likable that we accept everything and take the ride with them.
 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth installment in this huge franchise, and for those who haven’t read the books, I’ll give a brief plot summary: there’s strong sentiment going around the wizard world as to whether Harry Potter is the “Chosen One,” that is, the person who has been chosen to fight Lord Voldemort and save all of humanity.  Harry’s also found a book in his Potions class that belonged to the Half-Blood Prince, and this book is able to help him create potions.  Meanwhile, more ominous things are happening at Hogwarts, and Lord Voldemort may be working through Harry’s archenemy, Draco Malfoy, in order to wreak havoc.  We also learn more about the Dark Lord’s past, and see how Dumbledore inadvertently groomed him in order to become the force of mass destruction he is today. 
 
All of this stuff is fun and exciting, and we’re seeing a less whimsical and much darker Hogwarts than we have in the previous films.  The film seems to be mostly shot in neutral tones, which works very well given the secrets and histories we’re exposed to in this installment.  It does lag somewhat as we move towards the final sequence, but that’s only for about 15 minutes in a two-and-a-half hour film, and the conclusion left me stunned (even after I knew what was coming from having read the books).
 
Still, my favorite parts of the film had nothing to do with the suspense portion.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione have blossomed into teenagers, and they’re all experiencing true romance for the first time.  There are some well-observed moments here, as Hermione scowls while Ron becomes involved with another girl, and Ron’s sister Ginny grows increasingly infatuated with Harry.  I, along with several others, laughed out loud at some of their behavior, because watching it indeed reminded me of what it was like for me to be in love as a teenager. 

This is a good film.  It’s not my favorite of the series, but the action in this movie is as exciting as it was in the previous entries, and thus far, it’s the most human. 
 

-Craig Wynne

Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, In Theaters, Mystery, Reviews by Genre, Reviews by Status, Romance Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, harry potter, Romance

The Hurt Locker- Kathryn Bigelow

Rating:

Movie: The Hurt Locker (2009)

Studio : Kingsgate Films

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 130min

Website : thehurtlocker-movie.com

Trailer : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x91vpy

Review:

The Hurt Locker is the story the Army’s elite Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) squad and their call to missions in modern-day Iraq. The story focuses on the Bravo Company, specifically commissioned to handle IEDs or Improvised Explosive Devices. We follow this company—which comprises Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty)—on their 39-day tour of Iraq. We watch as they weave through each mission with their lives on the line, and as they consistently escape death, the layers of their complicated emotions and intentions unfold right before us.

It doesn’t take very long to realize that the real star of this film is director Kathryn Bigelow. Although her claim to fame up to this point might be Point Break and being the mega-director James Cameron’s former better half, this movie should cement her as a serious and formidable new voice.

The amazingly authentic script by Mark Boal aids her vision. Much like In the Valley of Elah, Boal has researched a real story in order to create a compelling fictitious one. Here, Boal imbedded himself with an actual EOD squad and fashioned himself part-journalist, part-screenwriter. And upon the viewing of this film, it will be hard to deny that he has succeeded exceptionally as both.

Jeremy Renner as Sergeant James does a commendable job of turning his performance into a bona-fide character study. As the most complex character, he gives an appropriately understated performance while maintaining a certain amount of bravura, making him fascinating to watch.

There’s a noticeable dip in the quality of the action at the end of the second act where a particular soldier goes AWOL. It’s the only part of the movie that feels a little “Hollywood.” Nevertheless, it doesn’t take away from the overall excellence of the film, and fortunately, it gets back on track shortly thereafter.

However, there is a major oversight that does affect the overall impression of this film: Although directed by a female, it is mysteriously devoid of female soldiers. For a film that’s committed to being so real and so true, it’s an unfortunate critique for a film that is otherwise virtually flawless.
 
The crux of this film lies within its final 5-10 minutes. And it’s these minutes that catapult it from being a run-of-the-mill war story to modern parable.

-Sam Henderson

Action, Drama, In Theaters, Thriller, War Action, Drama, hurt locker, Thriller, War

Star Trek - Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

Rating:

Movie: Star Trek (2009)

Studio : Paramount Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 127min

Website : startrek.com

Trailer :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7grwn

Review:

There is little to say about Star Trek. The movie in two words: Absolutely Amazing. The new Star Trek not only brings in great actors who played the parts perfectly but it was by far one of the best sequels of the film world to date. I personally have not seen any Star Trek movies or episodes in the past by any means. With that in mind; this movie really shocked me!

I cannot believe how intense a situation can get onboard a starship! Is captain Kirk really that much of a controlling character in the original series? Aside from that fact, I really liked the creative scenes that were put together involving both Kirk(Chris Spine) and Spock(Zachary Quinto)!

Throughout the beginning of the film they were fighting to be the man in control but they both accepted each other through their own way and are working together as possibly the best duo tandem this film industry has ever seen.

The new Star Trek promises glorious action, exacerbate drama, enormous laughter, and diabolical intelligence all wrapped into a two hour film. Star Trek is one of the best movies on the market right now so don’t miss your chance to see it!

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-Trent M.

Action, Adventure, Drama, In Theaters, Sci-Fi Action, Adventure, chris pine, Drama, James T. Kirk, sci-fi, Spock, Star Trek, zachary quinto

Fast & Furious - Paul Walker, Vin Diesel

Rating:

Movie: Fast and Furious(2009)

Studio: Relativity Media, Universal Pictures

Info: Click Here

Runtime: 107min

Website: fastandfuriousmovie.net

Trailer:http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x84xhi

Review :

As the fourth & final installment of The Fast & The Furious film series, Fast & Furious (known as Fast & Furious 4 in certain countries) returns to the streets of Los Angeles with the crew of the original film. Taking place five years after the original and chronologically in between 2Fast 2Furious and Tokyo Drift, F&F4 reunites with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) as he and Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) team-up to take down the notorious kingpin of a heroin cartel named Arturo Braga.

Bonded by their common necessity for information, Dom (seeking revenge) and Brian (seeking justice) go down their separate paths in search of any possible lead, when they happen to stumble upon the same suspect that gives them both what they are looking for. They learn of a certain street race that will guarantee them positions as drivers in Braga’s operation to run heroin across the Mexican/American border, thus setting the stage for their individual yet similar adventures in search of the truth.

Most fans of the series will agree that the original was the best film, and because F&F4 returns to the same setting with the same characters, it naturally needs to live up to certain expectations. Unfortunately, the premiere of The Fast & The Furious was during a time when street racing was at its pinnacle of popularity, a trend that was new and exciting for viewers of all ages.

Now, however, that trend has essentially died, or at least significantly decreased in popularity, thus stacking the cards against a positive reception of F&F4. Despite this unfortunate circumstance, Fast & Furious has risen to the challenge, with a better than acceptable response from critics and customers alike.

Notwithstanding the formulaic storyline, underwhelming acting and borderline hysterical cliché-ridden dialogue, F&F4 most definitely delivers for its genre: action. From the opening scene to the end credits, this movie is absolutely packed with over-the-top driving stunts, elaborate fight & chase scenes, and a plethora of pyrotechnical masterpieces. That being said, if you appreciate this series for its mindless action scenes and excessive stunts, then you will not be disappointed.

Fast & Furious posted $71 million in ticket sales on opening weekend, and is now playing in theaters nationwide.

-Daniel S.

Action, Just left Theaters Action, cars, fast & furious, fast and furious, pual walker, racing, vin diesel