"Predators" Review

"They're back and ready to hunt"

I as well as a lot of people have just got done watching the new Predator movie or should I say "Predators". A lot of people may think that by adding an "S" in the end of the name will make the title different from the first two Predator movies that came out in during the 80's and 90's, but there is actually a good reason. There are more then one predator this.
As soon as the movie started the hunt has already begun. The characters are all introduced right away and the ball got rolling. Not a whole lot is revealed about them, but one thing is for certain and that is they are "all killers". I quoted that because don't be fooled by the way they look. They soon realize that they were all there in the same place for a reason. To be hunted.
For those of you who have seen the first "Predator" movie then "Predators" will not be any different. The setting is in an alien planet, but takes place in the jungle. In the jungle are men and a woman (Yes once again there is only one woman in this Predator movie) trying to find their way home. The only thing standing in their way are three alien hunters. The characters are also very similar to the first film. You got the tough guy, the big guy, the only girl, the smart guy, the warrior guy, and the two black guys. Be sure to pay attention every situation that the characters get into. You will see that there is similarities between the new and first film.
There is also a change on the looks of the Predators. You'll notice that one of the predators have a long fangs sticking out like elephant trunks and a skeleton jaw attach to the chin of their masks. Other then that they still have the cloaking devices and spears. I am happy that they are actual people in costumes instead of a CGI's which are used in most movies nowadays. They are as deadly as usual and what makes a predator even deadlier? Four predators.
There is a reason movie is called "Predators". Each of the humans are chosen because of their skill of killing one another. You have a black ops soldier, a sniper, Yakuza gangster, serial killer, Spetsnaz, and a convict. What exactly is a Predator? Something that kills and hunts. All of these guys fit the definition. Predators can also be cunning and if you pay close attention everyone you'll see what I mean. Everyone of them are hunters as well. I did a little observing on each of them and noticed that they have their ways of hunting. Even the main character Royce (Adrien Brody) says in the film: "We're all predators." Easier said then done.
Was it a good movie? Yes. Is it worth seeing again? Yes. Two yes are better then one. The theater that me and my brother in law went to got really packed for Predators. We even had to switch showings just because the first showing got so packed. For those who have seen the first movie or not Predators is definitely a must see if you're thinking about watching a movie. It's got action, thrills, and kills that will have you begging for more. After watching Predators I must say that it was a killer movie. Everyone in the theater were cheering as the credits pop. Also, those who have seen the first movie will be familiar with the ending song. Hope this review helps. Now get out there and start watching.

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" Review

"Going Back in Time Persian Style"

For those of you who don’t know, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is base on the video that came out in 2003 that became a huge hit in the gaming industry. Now seven years later the movie finally comes to life staring Jake Gyllenhaal as hero Prince Dastan, who must aid a princess and guardian (Gemma Arterton) of a dagger with the ability to rewind time from his evil uncle Nizam (Ben Kingsly) and his deadly assassins.
I am somewhat impressed and happy that the writers try to keep to the story from the video game as much as they can. For instance, in the Game Prince is actually the son of the King of Persia, but in the movie he is adopted by the king, which is no big deal. The characters are very much like the ones in the game. For similarities, the princess does warn the prince from time to time about the dangers of the dagger and the prince refuses. Also the princess does run off with the dagger because of distrust in the prince.
One thing that got me realizing about the story is that it is very similar to the remake of Clash of the Titans. For those of you who haven’t seen that movie, which I thought was a disaster, a man discovers that he has a destiny to save the world. The person that tells him this is a beautiful woman, which he falls in love with later on. For Prince of Persia same thing happens. The Prince runs into the beautiful princess, who convinces him that the dagger must not fall into the wrong hand. He comes to understands this and joins her on her quest to protect the dagger. Things become complicated as desert bandits and deadly assassins known as Hassansins are on their tale. Although many dangers lie ahead, it is only the beginning of the ride.
The special effects are not all that cool, but it works. The effects of the dagger really is something to remember. It is nothing like the video game, but I wasn’t disappointed. In the game it looks like you are rewinding a video back a few seconds ago, but in the movie the one using the dagger gets to witness the magic in front of his eyes. The only thing that doesn’t pass is the CGI snakes, which you can tell is completely fake.
I left the movie theater satisfied with what I have seen. Could there possibly be a sequel? Maybe, maybe not, but there are sequels for the video games, so there's a chance. If you are looking for action, adventure, and romance then Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the movie to see. It will definitely be worth your time.

"The Last Airbender" Movie Review

“The Last Airbender, Movie?”

This movie is based off of the popular hit cartoon show "Avatar: The Last Airbender" by Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko. With the recent release of James's Cameron's Avatar, you can see why the film is called "The Last Airbender." The show is actually not bad. I was 23 years old when I first started watching it. It had action, comedy, and a good story to it. A young boy, who is destine to save the world by mastering the four elements air, water, earth, and fire bending. The show was a huge hit, but will its first movie also have the same success? After leaving the theater, I was disappointed at what I saw. Whether you are a fan or not, you will not like what you see.

For those who have seen the show may be a little disappointed to the fact that a lot of scenes are cut from the show. Than again all of the episodes combine would have been up to five hours, which explains why a lot had to be cut. That’s where the movie goes downhill. The story moves too fast and we don’t even have enough time to build up any relationships with the characters. The characters, Sokka and the princess of the Northern Water Kingdom, fall in love in just a few minutes, whereas in the show there are about few episodes that build up their relationship. The special effects with the air, water, earth, and fire bending are pretty impressive. All of the elements look pretty real when presented.

The characters are nowhere near the characters that fans of the series grew to love. First of all, Sokka is always cracking a joke in almost every scene and a little serious at the certain points. In the movie Sokka is the opposite. There are only a few moments where he is joking around, but more serious. In the show Aang’s character is a kid who performs his airbending skills in a playful way. He does realize his destiny, but he still remains playful, which makes him such a fun hero. In the movie he takes things a little too serious and not showing a lot of his playfulness, which loses the fun.

The action is pretty good and well done. Dev Patel (Zuko) is actually a experienced martial artist back in 2000 in Taekwondo. Noah Ringer (Aang) is also an experienced martial artist in Taekwondo as well, so both make perfect pair when it comes to fighting. I like martial arts films where the actors are actually martial artists because it adds more realism whereas non-experienced fighters break out of the realism, so I totally like M. Night's decision of bringing these two boys aboard.

All and all the movie is fun for the kids. The special effects do impress, but in the end the movie fails due to poor character adaptations from the show and story wise. Don't get me wrong, I did think it was fun too. It is something that the kids will definitely enjoy. A lot of the kids in the audience were satisfied with the film while most of the adults and teens were confused. The story from the first season is cram together into one and a half hours which speeds things too fast for audiences to follow. Many fans will be disappointed that most of the scenes that they enjoyed from the show will not be in the film. Of course that doesn't mean you should watch the show if you haven't seen it. I do wish to see how the next film will portray the second season where Aang learns how to Earth bend. Unfortunately, the way that this one turned out I don’t expect a sequel to be coming out anytime soon. In fact there are no plans for the next film according to IMDB.COM. This may indeed be the "last" time we see the last airbender.