Michael's Reviews
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Wrong Turn Cube: Zero Supernatural = Cabin in the Woods. A low budget twisted take on the horror genre. Whedon and Goddard did a great job. People expecting a serious, straight up horror movie and not a genre-blending dark comedy will be disappointed.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Non-stop fun. B-Grade sci-fi Nazi spoof with surprisingly decent CGI and acting.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
The only bad thing about this movie is that it ended!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
One of the best movies of 2012. Crazy to think JGL took the role only 2 weeks before filming and knocked it out of the ball park.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Even better than the Theatrical Cut. A different take on the superhero genre with some great characters and actors. Great visuals!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Beautifully filmed sci-fi movie that focuses almost entirely on 2 characters with anxiety and depression. Not for people who like action.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Awesome! This is how you make a blockbuster film on a budget.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Even better than the 1st season. The 1st episode is up there with the best episodes of any TV show ever!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Never thought it would be so good. The cliches are forgiveable as the acting and CGI are great.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
As a male in my late 20s I'm not a huge fan of these films but I thought this was the best one yet. Anyone who thinks it was bad must have been expecting action and horror instead of slow-burning drama.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Awesome movie. Hardy, Edgerton, Nolte and Morrison were great.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Brilliant. Fast-paced and intelligent. Cumberbatch and Freeman nail their roles. Shows what Doctor Who's Stephen Moffat is capable of when not forced to write for a family audience.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Beautiful film. Better than than most sci-fi movies with a fraction of the budget.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Hilarious classic.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Fantastic movie. Very good acting by the children and had an ET feel about it. Not your average popcorn blockbuster sci-fi.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Fantastic movie. Very good acting by the children and had an ET feel about it. Not your average popcorn blockbuster sci-fi.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Underrated movie. Pity the bad reviews and average box office returns mean there won't be a sequel.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
One of the best movies I've ever seen. Visually stunning, unique, action-packed and hilarious.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
A refreshingly original and emotional take on a sci-fi premise.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Fun movie. Good 3D implementation.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Good for an Australian action movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Best abduction movie I've ever seen, and the part-documentary style (after an initial jarring period) really works in its favour. Not for people who hate less-is-more style movies.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Very good movie. Messes with your head and the premise makes you think about what's really going on even after it's finished.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
A magical movie the whole family can enjoy. The costumes for the Wild Things are incredible. And beneath the surface is a good lesson for children in responsibility and respecting your elders.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Great finale. Shame it's cancelled.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I can't figure out why the critics hate this. The cast is great, the humour funny in a dry sort of way, and while the plot is thin, I still had fun watching.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Waited for the DVD because I wasn't expecting much. However, it was actually quite good.
Unbelievable - of course! It's a mash up of former disaster movies.
If you go into it without a critical eye (seriously some people need to take a chill pill before watching movies!) and enjoy the thrill ride and SFX. It was more fun than most superior movies I've seen lately.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Awesome finish to a fantastic series!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I love this movie. Every actor was perfectly chosen and the characters are brilliant.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
More insane than the first movie!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Saw this at IMAX 3D in Perth and WOW! Mindblowing stuff. Acting, emotion, action, epic scope, CGI - all awesome.
Best movie ever and must be seen in 3D at least once!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Way better than I thought it would be. Love the explosions and the stealth planes zooming across the landscape!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Great end to Season 1!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Massive improvement on season one. The violence, swearing and sex are not just thrown in for the sake of it now. The epsiodes are better plotted and scipted. The characters have much more interesting growth. And there are more memorable episodes.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Surprisingly good for a cliched movie thanks to the funny, sexy cast.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Predictable but has some nice action scenes.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Generic teen movie about life and surfing. What makes it great is the expert use of incidental music, actors who worked well together and incredible water cinematography.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Best opening sequence ever. Excellent characters, cast, visual effects, sets, costumes, music, sound effects etc. etc.
Plenty of fast action and slower character building scenes. Loads of violence and humor as well.
Couldn't ask for more than that!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Can't believe some of the bad reviews I've seen on some websites.
I was totally engrossed. Considering this type of film is unorthodox for Australia and they had a small budget it was fantastic!
Nice mix of story, character building, emotion and action.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Best thriller since The Talented Mister Ripley!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I was expecting a bad movie because of all the negative reviews but I was thoroughly entertained.
Sure, the acting was average and the plot nothing new but the CGI (particuarly the mammoths) was fantastic and the action scenes were good.
As for it being unrealistic, watch the DVD special features! And don't forget it's a fantasy movie, a historcial "what-if".
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Slow paced war drama that sucked me right in. Very well cast and filmed.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Classic Aussie sci-fi!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Really good script and acting.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Hallam is a fantastic character and the cast is superb.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
On par with The Happening, which had a similar message.
Good sci-fi that was entertaining. The actors did their jobs and the sfx worked.
Not a 5 star movie, though.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
All-time classic sports comedy!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
After watching the trailer, I dismissed it as an average romatic comedy (not my favourite genre).
But the cast was great, the locations perfect, the music fantastic and the script solid if predictable.
I really quite enjoyed it and I'd have to put it down to the cast who nailed their roles.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Stylish combination of Chronicles of Riddick and Chidlren of Men with beautiful visuals.
Vin Diesel and Michelle Yeoh were solid. Melanie Thierry was sensational.
Thoroughly enjoyable. I'm glad I ignored the all the bashing reviews.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I love this movie. Very underrated slasher satire.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I didn't think they'd wrap up all the plotlines sufficiently in 10 episode this season but they did.
Magnificent series that I'll be rewatching in the future!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
An Australian blend of "Wrong Turn" and "Wolf Creek".
Good cast, location and atmosphere.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Actually quite enjoyable. Didn't expect it to be very good.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Chris Pine and Anjali Jay save this from being average.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Awesome way to cap off a brilliant series!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Even better than the first. The reality show premise could have sucked but it was brilliant. Comedy and sick death scenes makes for a great movie!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Done before but done well.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Much better than the reviews at the time of its release.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I different type of war movie.
Focuses on the camaraderie and hardships of marines in operation Desert Shield in the early 90s Gulf War, rather politics and action.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Classic like Alien. The location is great, the cast mostly unknown to me (which is good) and the alien effects are awesome for the time.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I got excited by the trailer, then worried by the poor reviews.
Sure, it's been done before various guises but it's still a cool movie and I love the cast.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Beautiful film. Hits all the right notes.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Enjoyed this one.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I knew the script would be weak because it's based on a cliched computer game.
Some of the cast were good like Statham, Perlman and Forlani but most of them didn't do enough with their characters.
The action scenes made it watchable. Perhaps in the hands of a different director it would have been at least as good as Eragon.
(Worth watching) - review by Michael
Like Pineapple Express in a South East Asian jungle and a few more explosions.
Love the characters and cameos!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Mindless fun. Not in the same league as American Pie. If it had been released about 5 years earler the repsonse would be better.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
I love this movie. Good storyline about 2 boys and how ping pong affects their lives.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
If you enjoyed The Eye, The Grudge, The Ring and the Japanese originals, you will like this.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Wicked fun!
Perfect cast, dazzling SFX, fast action, cool overlay style.
I was actually surprised at the length of the movie, which fortunately gave the writers a chance to build a good backstory.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Awesome show. Very authentic and beats all other recent attempts to portray Roman life at the time of Caeser's death. Watch it!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Inferior to the "Rome" series and a little rushed, but entertaining.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Just as good as the first season. Top class show with fantastic sets and actors.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Expands the story with a lot of flashbacks, but still plenty of gore people not in it for the story.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I've only ever watched Rocky V but it got me interested.
The first 3/4 of this film are similar in style to Rocky V.
The last 1/4 was an incredibly realistic fight between a real boxer and a highly-tuned Sly, trading real blows!
Loved it!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Can't fault it at all. Everything about this movie is beautiful!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Underrated!
The big name cast deliver big time. Whole thin on plot, the characters are well developed and the script is marvellous.
Sure there's a lot of drug use, but it's still a good movie.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Pretty good. Seth Rogen is always great and James Franco nails his character. Supporting cast are cool!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Better than I expected. They opted for less action and more depth. Also streamlined the plot a little. Great cast and effects!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Almost non-stop action, at least 5 strong major characters and a little more depth than I was expecting.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Cool movie!
One problem: The reason for everything that happens does hold a deeper meaning but I found it hard to believe that something like this would ever take place. However, it was an unexpected twist, which is always welcome.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Powerful.
Acting is first class. Bravo to young Thomas Turgoose. Soundtrack is classic and haunting. Good use of humour when needed. Nice building up of tension.
Brilliant.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
The best firefighter movie I've ever seen.
At 115 minutes it had the feel of a mini-series but with a bigger budget. The realism was perfect and the first-class cast was used well.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Not quite as good as it's spiritual sucessor "Definitely Maybe" but very enjoyable.
The interchange between Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet is believable and fun. Also nice cameos from some popular actors.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Sad movie but Cheadle shines as brightly as the character he plays.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Very slow but De Niro, Shepherd and Foster were all on good form.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Suprisingly faithful to the original, which is a fantastic film. Jessica Alba was very believable. I know the "hollywood ending" has put some people off, but I thought it was a wonderful climax.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Slow-burner thriller with an ending I wasn't expecting.
Good to see Kate Hudson's talents being used in a movie other than a romantic comedy.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Poetic, realistic, disturbing, powerful.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Loved it! Ryan Reynolds has great chemistry with the 3 actresses and on-screen daughter.
Abigail Breslin (the daughter) is incredible. Rachel Weisz is solid as usual.
The real star is Isla Fisher. Such a cute, sexy, natural actress.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I haven't seen the original and I've never seen Poirot before, but this was a fantastic movie.
The Nile riverboat setting was great, the actors well chosen, the characters rich, the mystery unpredictable.
I love David Suchet as Poirot!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Blend of Turistas and The Outer Limits
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Almost better than the original series, dare I say it. More like the early episodes before the over-arching alien conspiracy set in. My eyes were glued the whole time and I can't wait for the next movie.
Duchovny and Anderson were at their best, and the support cast was cool.
I like the blend of cutting-edge science with a dash of religion and the supernatural.
Also, the budget was well spent on an atmospheric location.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
A realistic take on the war genre with a fine cast.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
A real gem. Steve Carell is great in the underdog roles. The family were perfectly cast and when they are all on-screen at the one time it's a joy to watch them interact. Juliette Binoche was a refreshing change from the usual leading ladies in this type of movie.
If you can look past the formulaic plot you will enjoy this movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I remember watching these as a child. Hilarious! As an adult, the Benny Hill style and dubbing take some getting used to, but it's still funny.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I remember watching these as a child. Hilarious! As an adult, the Benny Hill style and dubbing take some getting used to, but it's still funny.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Everything about it was fantastic. Just when you think Denzel has hit his peak he pulls out another corker.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Very enjoyable movie. Lovely soundtrack. Great actors. I'd love to see Kal Penn do more serious movies.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
This is the first Rocky film I've watched and I was impressed. Stallone is cool, so is his son. The acting is mostly believable with the way he fumbles through some of his lines.
Lots of negative reviews around, but the destructive father-son relationship and the switch from Rocky fighting to mentoring was genius.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Gotta love British comedy, although this is more of a "fun drama".
James MacAvoy never disappoints and the rest of the cast do a good job.
Love the music and attention to detail to make it like the 80s.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
B-Grade movie that has the right mix of humor and sadness.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Incredible mini-series. Wonderful scope and depiction of the American pioneers versus the native Indians.
The cast is great but the Indian actors really stand out.
Hats off to Stephen Spielberg!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
They're right. It's not like any story you've ever seen before. Strangely entertaining and quite funny.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Premium movie! Had me from the opening scene.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Funny and a good view of Aboriginal life centuries past.
Like Apocolypto on a small budget and no traces of Hollywood scripting..
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Each of the 4 stories would have made good short films of their own. Together it was spellbinding. Love the cast, he locations, and the music was incredible.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Awesome. Glad I ignored the critics!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
If you enjoy the humor of Juno, The Office, Napolean Dynamite etc. you will like this movie.
Jon Hedar and Anna Faris are two of my comedic favorites and the rest of the cast is great, too.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Incredible movie. Distinct style. Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page are awesome. Didn't know how it would end.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Fantastic characters and actors. I could have watched Ellen Page for hours. Sequel?
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Funny Australian take on the zombie and alien genres.
However, a similar movie - Black Sheep (NZ) - has a much more grounded storyline and less silly dialogue.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Even better than the first!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Even better than the first movie. Great cast and you feel sympathetic for their characters. John Malkovich is brilliant, working nicely with Matt Damon's character.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Underrated movie.
Expected an overblown action movie with typical one-liners. Instead they played it straight ala Munich but with less grit and more style.
Great actors, cool characters, excellent direction, good mix of slow-building plot and action, awesome locations, wicked music.
A pleasant surprise. Glad I ignored the reviews and finally watched this movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
In the first 15 minutes I didn't even care that a giant monster was about to burst on screen because I was enjoying the amateur camera work, the characters and the setting.
Then it was a nice rollercoaster ride of action and FX. It's like a 1st person version of The Host which I loved.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Silly, hilarious, gory fun.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Romance with a dash of comedy. Not what you'd expect from National Lampoon!
Pleasantly surprised.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Awesome movie.
Loved the characters, the animation, the actors and the action.
The ending was ambiguous but well executed.
I hope someone produces The Hobbit with this animation!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Fantastic cast. Love the humor. Truly one-of-a-kind!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
First time watching an Indian film and I'm impressed.
When you take a Hollywood epic, strip it of unnecessary crowd-pleasing humour, cliched one-liners and CGI battles you get...
... this beautiful, believeable, character-driven story of love, honour, tradtion and betrayal!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Brilliant action-packed set pieces throughout. Daniel Craig is awesome as 007.
Best post-80s James Bond film (haven't seen the eariler ones).
Just like Batman Begins, the series is reborn and better than ever.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Just as good on the second viewing. The first time around it was an emotional rollercoaster.
The critics seem incapable of lightening up and enjoying good sci-fi.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Fantastic! Sadly, I don't think it will become a classic, but I personally thought it was way better than The Exorcist (which is considered a classic).
The acting was perfect.
Make sure you check out the featurettes. It will make you appreciate how this movei was made even more.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Despite terrible reviews on IMDB, this is a fun movie. Cliched as they come, but Kal Penn is dynamite and Lauren Cohen is sizzling hot!
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Sublime. Australia finally shows it has the potential to compete on the International stage.
Everything is brilliant - acting, script, music, cinematography.
As addictive as the drugs used by the characters.
Note: wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart or anyone under 15 years of age (though it might serve as an effective deterrant).
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Best Australian movies I've ever seen. Also happens to be set in my home city of Perth, which is a bonus.
Gigi Edgley is stunning as usual.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
One of the best movies ever. Hilarious!
Very much in the style of "The Office" instead of blatant Hollywood-style humor.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Shiri Appleby is as charming and gorgeous as she was in the classic TV show Roswell. Nick Zano was surprisingly good. Will Friedle was as funny as ever.
It's a typical teen romance film, but with a novel twist.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Best techno-thriller I've ever seen.
Takes the technological goodness of "Seven Days" and "Stargate" and combines it with a solid thriller.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Even better than the 1st movie as there were more characters.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
I was almost p***ng my pants over the nude scene. It was so funny that it wasn't didn't seem the least bit gay or disgusting. Hilarious.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
For a 1982 movie, the effects are so cool they didn't bother to update them for DVD. A must-see for all sci-fi aficionados.
Now go play the PC/X-Box game Tron 2.0 and pray for a sequel.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Better than expected, mainly due to the cast and the roller coast scene.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Very clever scripting and good acting.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
One of the all-time great shows ever made. Enjoying it as much the second time around as the first time (when I was actually a teenager like the main characters).
This DVD contains one of my favourite episodes, "A Roswell Christmas Carol", which still bought tears to my eyes. Shows once again how incredible the cast is, particuarly Jason Behr.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Lacked the intensity of the 1st movie, but very good for a sequel with new cast members.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
One of my favourite all time TV shows.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Good Aussie surfing movie. Ryan Kwanten has already conquered TV in Australia, made headway in the US and is set to be a huge star, so good to see his first movie role.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Very good Australian movie. Ben Lee gives a solid, genuine performance and the support cast rises to bak him up. I'd give it 5 stars but it was a little short. I wanted more!
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Desperate Housewives meets Donnie Darko. Was expecting a darker tone but really enjoyed it.
(Excellent) - review by Michael
Top notch acting and script.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Hilarious!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael
Like most historicals (true or fantastical) there is usually an element of predictability. However, I've fallen in love with this film. James Franco and Sophia Myles are great and the crew did a fantastic job on what is considered a small budget for this type of film.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Michael