Archive for the 'Suspense' Category

****
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440963/

Synopsis:
Our favorite amnesiatic super spy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is back for the third chapter of this adventure. Picking up right where The Bourne Supremacy left off, the hunt for the truth is on in earnest. As Bourne races to find a CIA leak with truth of his past, a new covert program called Blackbriar sends a group of highly-skilled assassins to terminate him. Can Jason unravel the mysteries of his dark past and finally free himself of his corrupt creators?

Review:

I never reviewed the first two films in this series, but I feel like they would be very similar to the review you are about to read. All three of the films are, at least in my opinion, equally impressive. I find it difficult to pick a favorite.

Cinematography: You will find that this movie feels like The Bourne Supremacy. If you pay attention you’ll notice that there is a difference in the way the fight scenes are shot in The Bourne Identity compared to the second and third movie. Though I initially liked the filming in Identity, I’ve found that the style in Supremacy and Ultimatum is superior. It gives you a better feel for the speed and ferocity of the fights as they occur.

Action/Effects: The action in this movie is pretty fast-paced and impressive. You don’t get bored at all and the stunts keep you on the edge of your seat. I don’t think they did much that was extraordinarily different from the other two films, but I did feel that it was a lot more suspenseful.

Plot: I don’t want to say much here because I don’t want to ruin the plot for those who haven’t seen it. I do have to say that they took an interesting approach to tying what we see at the end of Supremacy to the story in Ultimatum. Other than that, I would say that the bad guys were mildly predictable but the writers did a good job of keeping the audience frustratingly engaged.

Overall: I think this is definitely worth a movie ticket. As for the choice of matinée or prime time, I would defer to your enjoyment of the first two movies. This one is much the same. For the fans who can’t get enough, you won’t be disappointed.

The Bourne Files 3-Disc Collection (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy)
The Bourne Files 3-Disc Collection (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy)

Overall Rating: ***

The Da Vinci Code @ IMDB

Synopsis:
A mysterious murder in the Louvre drags mild mannered symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in to a dangerous hunt for the Holy Grail. When the French Police Chief, Bezu Fache (Jean Reno), thinks that Langdon commited murder, things get tense. Langdon must flee the French police with the aide of a young cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou). Langdon’s only hope of clearing his name is finding the Grail and drawing out the true murderer. But what is the Grail and how far will everyone go to find it?

Review:
Where to being for one of the most anticipated adaptations of the year? How about the simple truth. It was a dissappointment. Not at all what it could or should be. Unfortunately, it was some the minor facts that brought this movie down for me. Of course the unrealistically high expectations I had from the big names like Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Ian McKellen, & Audrey Tautou didn’t help one bit. And of course I compared the cinematic experience with the literary experience and came up short.
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February 20

Red Eye

Overall: ****
Red Eye @ IMDB

Synopsis:
Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is a successful hotel manager who knows her clients well. On a red eye flight home, she meets the mysterious Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) who seems to know her so well. Things take a dark turn when Jackson reveals that he is in fact a crafty assassin and is holding Lisa’s father (Brian Cox) as insurance. Now Lisa must break free, rescue her father, and find a way to save the politician that Jackson is targeting.

Review:
This movie was another one that was a pleasant surprise. This movie is simple and entertaining. I enjoyed the full 85 minutes. The thing with this movie is that its not complicated. The plot is straightforward and the action keeps the story moving. I must say that Wes Craven did a good job with this one. I was concerned when I first rented this DVD that the movie would be built around a twist that would a let-down. Lucky for me, it wasn’t.
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