I have been waiting and waiting all summer for just ONE decent movie! STAR WARS: SITH was a disappointment in that the pivotal turning scene was too quick and easy - BATMAN BEGINS had a boring story, no good villain, and such bad editing you could never tell what was happening - WAR OF THE WORLDS was just depressing and had no excitement to it - FANTASTIC FOUR was an insult to my intelligence - THE ISLAND had so many plot-holes I felt I needed the assistance a clone to keep up with them all. Only MR. AND MRS. SMITH came close, until the final 20 minutes just became laughably over-the-top unbelievable.
So, I went to STEALTH thinking "this is the last chance, and it don't look to good." The critics HATE this movie! Well, I strapped in and - can I say? - within the first three minutes, I was already floored! For starters, the effects were fantastic! They aren't as flawless as WAR OF WORLDS, but they aren't the CG animation looking crap that people were schussing it of either. I thought they were almost always realistic (save for one or two shots during a "bail out" sequence. Also, the accompanying sound was perfect for this type of film - loud and booming . . . this is what these movies are SUPPOSED to do, folks! The story was good enough to keep you glued to the screen for the duration. They even changed directions in the last third so that the film didn't have the predictable finale you'd expect. It was still predictable - just a different predictable! The acting and writing was all fine - no Oscar nods here, but nothing as bad as the wooden Bale from BATMAN, or the sappy-as-it-gets writing of SITH.
I only have two complaints - 1) Jamie Foxx seemed like he could care less about being in the film, likely because his character was the most by-the-book African-American hip-hop stereotype I've seen in awhile. 2) The sub-plot with Biel near the end had some unlikely moments (of the "lone soldier outwits an army" kind).
But, all told, I was thrilled with the almost non-stop action. Many of the plot holes I was expecting were very ably dealt with (like how they'd keep the planes refueled for the duration of the film). I wouldn't call it film of the year - but I wouldn't put at it 10% on the Rotten Tomato meter either! I don't know what critics have against these types of films - but this is one about which they are dead wrong!! Yes, I've seen some lame action movies (CONSTANTINE, RESIDENT EVIL APOCALYPSE, BLADE TRINITY) - so, I don't like everything that explodes! But, this one is fantastic! Please go support it and show those lame critics we don't care about their snobbish opinions!!
So, I went to STEALTH thinking "this is the last chance, and it don't look to good." The critics HATE this movie! Well, I strapped in and - can I say? - within the first three minutes, I was already floored! For starters, the effects were fantastic! They aren't as flawless as WAR OF WORLDS, but they aren't the CG animation looking crap that people were schussing it of either. I thought they were almost always realistic (save for one or two shots during a "bail out" sequence. Also, the accompanying sound was perfect for this type of film - loud and booming . . . this is what these movies are SUPPOSED to do, folks! The story was good enough to keep you glued to the screen for the duration. They even changed directions in the last third so that the film didn't have the predictable finale you'd expect. It was still predictable - just a different predictable! The acting and writing was all fine - no Oscar nods here, but nothing as bad as the wooden Bale from BATMAN, or the sappy-as-it-gets writing of SITH.
I only have two complaints - 1) Jamie Foxx seemed like he could care less about being in the film, likely because his character was the most by-the-book African-American hip-hop stereotype I've seen in awhile. 2) The sub-plot with Biel near the end had some unlikely moments (of the "lone soldier outwits an army" kind).
But, all told, I was thrilled with the almost non-stop action. Many of the plot holes I was expecting were very ably dealt with (like how they'd keep the planes refueled for the duration of the film). I wouldn't call it film of the year - but I wouldn't put at it 10% on the Rotten Tomato meter either! I don't know what critics have against these types of films - but this is one about which they are dead wrong!! Yes, I've seen some lame action movies (CONSTANTINE, RESIDENT EVIL APOCALYPSE, BLADE TRINITY) - so, I don't like everything that explodes! But, this one is fantastic! Please go support it and show those lame critics we don't care about their snobbish opinions!!