Movie Review: The Unborn

THE UNBORN
Main Players: Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Meagan Good, et al.
Calling the shots: David S. Goyer
Running time: 87mins
What's it about? A young woman (Yustman) fights the spirit that is slowly taking possession of her. – from imdb.com

What did I think? Welcome to our generation; a generation where horror movies go for jump scares and creepy/gross images to scare rather than with a spine-tingling plotline or tense set pieces. This movie is another in a long line of horror movies that doesn’t quite get the job done…it probably even goes beyond that, because this, really is not even worth your time and more importantly money.

Horror fans might get a kick out of the latest from Platinum Dunes, company responsible for the recent spat of remakes (such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), with their first original effort. Apparently kids are still creep little bastards and it is more important to get you to keep jumping out of your seats with loud, sudden noises/music rather than create a story that has any kind of coherence to it.

It is particularly disappointing given that it’s coming from David S. Goyer, who did a so-so job with some of the Blade series and a excellent job in having a had in the new Batman movies. I guess one thing doesn’t relate to the other because this is complete and utter rubbish. Some of the things are quite laughable. Are we meant to be scared when we see a dog with a mask on? Or a glove on the street?

It’s probably a good thing the cast is mainly no-names and or up-and-comers. Odette Yustman (last seen in Cloverfield) is hot, but really doesn’t need to do much but put on contacts and act scared. You see a veteran like Gary Oldman in there and you can’t help but think that he was just bored and needed his quick buck because it’s not really something you want your name against.

This is a really dumb movie. You are constantly wondering “wtf” and most of the jump scares I mentioned early are so obvious you have to not be paying attention to actually jump. If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. I don’t know what it is about horror movies, but I just like them. I know they are going to be bad, but I can never stay away. Then I wish I’d stayed away…

10%

Movie Review: W.

W.
Main Players: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, et al.
Calling the shots: Oliver Stone
Running time: 129mins
What's it about? A chronicle on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. - from imdb.com

What did I think? What a shame. There are so many things going for this film, it is such a shame that it is what it is. It is the most boring-interesting movie I have seen in a long time. Some of the performances are mighty impressive and other not so. We are all interested in the presidency that was Dubya, but this movie doesn’t do anything to shed any light on it.

First the good parts I suppose. Josh Brolin (possibly one of my fave actors at the moment) is spot on as Dubya. His mannerisms and speech patterns are so perfect, you forget that he’s not really Bush. He essentially looks like him, without looking like him. He is ably supported by an impressive cast, some of whom do better (Cromwell, Burstyn, Glenn, Dreyfuss, Jones, Banks) than others (Newton, Wright, Gruffudd).

The problem lies in the structure and plot. Apparently this movie was churned out really quickly, in time for the US elections last year, and because of that it seems like it came out of the oven too early. Oliver Stone’s movies are often hit and miss, but when it is something about the US, he usually has a lot to say. Not so in this one, we leave the theatre wondering what the point was.

As if to emphasis that point, all of Bush’s Bushisms are in this movie but not at times when he actually said them. We hear the “misunderestimated me” line as well as the “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…we can’t get fooled again!” line. We also see his pretzel choking incident. But it’s almost like it’s in there for the sake of being in there. Not for the story.

That’s the other issue. We see flashbacks to his earlier days that doesn’t seem to make all that much sense in the scheme of things, except to show that he was essentially a drunken Texan. It would have been better had it come a little later, and if the movie had concentrated more on his presidency. As it is at the moment, it’s rather disappointing.

40%