First Impressions Quick-Fire Vol. 2

   Well, looking at the list I compiled of what was coming up, I realised I was so behind on rentals that I had to rent two batches this week! I was also going to see The Counsellor and Don Jon in the cinema… but sadly my grandfather died peacefully on Wednesday, and I would have had to go up to Dublin to see them, so I respectfully stayed at home.
   So it's with a heavy heart that I give you this week's batch of reviews. I'm literally posting this the day after the funeral. Needless to say, we're all trying to keep a positive outlook, remembering the good life he had. Not only was he the nicest, jolliest guy I could ever call grandfather, but he was a real trooper! :)

After Earth (2013) 

I get the feeling this was a pet project of Will Smith's – to make a movie with his son in the starring role – so it may seem cruel to pick on it. But let's not kid ourselves: this movie is terrible. The script is beyond awful, with more lapses in logic than I can even count! One thing that constantly drove me nuts was how they were so inconsistent with the duration of those oxygen filters. And I can predict the whole "fear is a choice" thing becoming another infamous Shyamalan meme. It's not a bad idea – a father and son stranded on a hostile planet – but ends up one of the worst sci-fi movies ever made. My rating: 20%.

The Purge (2013) 

Good God! I could write a whole essay on how stupid this movie is! Other people have already pointed out how implausible the whole concept of the Purge is; the movie's trying to make a statement about poverty by pretending it understands the criminal mind. And by God, the characters are complete morons! The family will be left alone if they just give these people the guy they want, so why Charlie insisted on helping the guy out, risking killing the whole family, was quite beyond me! It's just all-around one of the most insufferably stupid movies I've ever seen. My rating: 15%.


The Kings of Summer (2013)

The Kings of Summer is a pretty straightforward drama that I really enjoyed… which makes it somewhat harder to comment on. :) It's about three teenage friends who, determined to get away from their parents who are driving them crazy, decide to build a house in the woods and start their own independent life. How well the premise works depends on how much you like the characters, and I for one was completely drawn in. It's not all played entirely straight, though: the film has a very sly sense of humour that never feels out of place. It's a movie definitely worth checking out. My rating: 75%.

The Bling Ring (2013)

After a promising opening scene, boy does this movie go downhill fast! We're never given an inkling of why these characters are robbing people, so we can't identify with them, therefore most of the movie just being an endless string of robberies just started to bore me after a while. The movie doesn't seem to exactly condone their actions either; it just seems indifferent. And the characters themselves are not only idiots for being so careless in their crimes, but good God are they annoying brats! I highly doubt this movie even does justice to teenage culture, let alone the true story. My rating: 35%.

This Is the End (2013)

It made me laugh. A lot. That's all I really need to say. :) And I think a lot of that comes from how ingeniously simplistic the premise is: how many jokes can we make about these guys being holed up in this house during the apocalypse? I particularly love Emma Watson's cameo, especially just coming off of The Bling Ring. Maybe the last act bites off more than it can chew by examining faith, but it still keeps up the same humour throughout, so it doesn't feel out of place. How can you not love sarcastic demons? :D It's simply one of the funniest movies I've seen all year, so it was really a treat. My rating: 80%.

Now You See Me (2013)

A heist movie involving illusionists. I loved the first act, which details how the magic act works and how the heist was pulled off. But then, when the question becomes who the real brains of the outfit is, it gets so frenzied and complex that it may just be sloppily written, but it still made me want to see it again to try and untangle it. The characters too may simply be flat stereotypes, but they're all performed with delightful conviction; I especially love the perfectly cast Jesse Eisenberg and the banter between Mark Ruffalo and Mélanie Laurent. On the whole, I'd say it's flawed but enjoyable. My rating: 65%.

   By the way, on a side note, Xtra-vision apparently has a new promotion on: unlimited movies and games for just €25 a month. Considering most of the movies I still have to rent sound pretty bad, that might actually be a good idea. :) Normally it's €10–11 per trio, so do the math. :)