Quick Reviews

Since my schedule has kept me from posting more on here, I want to make up for that with a few brief reviews on certain films I've seen recently. I do hope to write some more on here, including some critic spotlights and a new Trailer Park on the new Paranormal Activity trailer, but until that time comes, hopefully these are enough to hold us over. Enjoy!
 
Super 8: Clearly a tribute to the great director Steven Spielberg, Super 8 exceeds in its nostalgic feel and an inspiration for young filmmakers. The tone is easily the strongest part, blending Jurassic Park with E.T, but the performances by the young actors are phenomenal. The finale, however, is not as stirring as the rest of the film, but Michael Giacchino's beautiful score still makes it an amazing moment in the film. All in all, if Star Wars Episode VII is anything like this, Star Wars fans have absolutely nothing to fear. 3.5/5 Stars

The Letter Writer: Written and directed by Christian Vuissa, The Letter Writer means well in its message that every word should be something to build people up, but severe character inconsistensies, unresolved plotlines, and a generally weak screenplay overshadow mostly beautiful cinematography (especially for a TV movie) and flawless performances by Bernie Diamond (in his final film appearance before his death) and Stella McCormas. One particular sequence that stood out as poorly done is where lead character Maggy (played by Aley Underwood) faces unfortunate events that come out of the blue which are resolved in about ten minutes. People have come out saying they cried and were emotionally affected, so either I have no heart or the movie was too obvious in what it was trying to do to affect me. Hopefully, it's the latter. 2.5/5 Stars

The Encounter: Directed by David A. R. White, the film means well, but shoddy filmmaking-- overuse of unnecessary shaky cam, poor screenwriting, awkward camera angles, and hit-or-miss acting--make a film that could have been used to easily reach non-Christians an embarrassment. The only thing saving this film from itself is an extremely dedicated performance from Bruce Marchiano, once again playing Jesus in a string of PureFlix Entertainment films, and his chemistry with former WCW champ "Sting" Borden, but not even that is given enough screen time. Parts are really good, like the verbal showdown between Marchiano and Sting, but White's inability to accentuate these sequences leave the film as, overall, extremely lackluster. 1.5/5 Stars

Peter Pan: One of Disney's classics, it's surprising that today's animators don't look back at the simplicity of these older cartoons. Peter Pan is a short, 70-minute adventure of Wendy, her brothers, and Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, as they explore the world of Neverland, running into mermaids, Indians, and Captain Hook and his pirate crew. Full of slapstick humor and an equal amount of heart, Peter Pan is apt to please everybody. Another thing to note is that sequence of the film ("What Makes the Red Man Red?") that, although fun, may offend some viewers for its stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans. All that aside, this film is beautifully animated with some great musical numbers, and, considering that the film is 60 years old, the film still holds up as well as Snow White, and entertains as much as the films in the Disney Renaissance. 4/5 Stars