Serenity

One line review: A SciFi action thriller that only makes the absence of Firefly that much more painful.

Movie Title: Serenity

Actors: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Krumholtz

Director: Serenity

Year: 2005

Genre: Action / SciFi

Method of Viewing: Netflix Instant Watch

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: Friends in #Jazzmess

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% – Snappy dialogue and goofy characters make this Wild Wild West soap opera in space fun and adventurous.

My rating: *** – A Great Movie

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): I only actually watched Firefly in the last 6 months or so, and while I loved the series I didn’t seem to have the same level of love as others. Perhaps because I didn’t watch it when Fox was canceling it, or I didn’t follow the build up to this film. However, now that I’ve finally seen the finale of Firefly, I still can’t seem to find the absolute love that others had. It was a fantastic and fun movie to watch, but it didn’t really end the series so much as make me wish the movies or episodes could continue.

Young Frankenstein

One line review: A shotgun humor style that doesn’t always hit

Movie Title: Young Frankenstein

Actors: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars

Director: Mel Brooks

Year: 1974

Genre: Comedy / SciFi

Method of Viewing: DVD

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: No One

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% – Made with obvious affection for the original, Young Frankenstein is a riotously silly spoof featuring a fantastic performance by Gene Wilder.

My rating: *** – A Great Movie, but not worthy of it’s Legendary status.

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): Young Frankenstein is a movie that keeps hitting with one joke after another, whether it be a pun, silly moment, running gag, ridiculous looking visual, what have you. The problem with this method of comedy is that it’s hit and miss. When it hits, it’s hilarious and feels like one of the best movies of all time. When it misses, it feels like it’s trying too hard. Perhaps giving this movie only three stars is just a personal opinion, or maybe this movie is showing it’s age, but I really feel that this movie is not worthy of it’s Legendary status.

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey

One line review: FETUS!

Movie Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Actors: Keri Duella, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Douglas Rain

Director: Stanley Kubrik

Year: 1968

Genre: Drama

Method of Viewing: Netflix Online

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: No one

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% – One of the most influential of all sci-fi films — and one of the most controversial — Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 is a delicate, poetic meditation on the ingenuity — and folly — of mankind.

My rating:  ***

My assessment (the first 101 words at least):

Every warning you’ve heard about this movie is true. It’s long, it’s very slow paced, and the true plot of 2001 is difficult to figure out without someone explaining it to you. While there are tons of beautiful shots of space and unique perspective shots, those beautiful shots also drag the movie’s pacing down. This movie is the granddaddy of all SciFi, and thus has earned itself respect. On top of that, it’s a movie that has an incredibly powerful message from beginning to end. Unfortunately I needed someone to explain that message, as I was clueless from beginning to end.