October Summary!!

Figure I might as well do this to keep things organized. At the end of every month, I'll post the scores of all the movies that I have done in that month (probably 4 or so). These movie will probably be still in the theater.

Saw III------3 out of 5
The Prestige-----4 out of 5
Man of the Year---2 out of 5
The Departed-----4.5 out of 5

So there ya go. For all the full reviews, look below!

Mike P

Saw III

Bulldog Reviews
“Saw III”
By: Michael Pickowicz

I almost wanted to resist reviewing a movie like “Saw III” because of its strong fan base. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch you fans that have yet to see the movie and tell you if they should hold on to their precious cash or run right now to your local cinema. Be warned, people who have yet to see the previous two “Saw” films. This review contains slight spoilers that could ruin the other two movies. My advice: Go watch those movies on DVD now!
“Saw III” is a horror film that continues the story of the most twisted man you’ll probably ever meet, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). The movie takes place immediately after “Saw II”, where Jigsaw is on his death bed with only his faithful and equally as crazy sidekick, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), to comfort him. To help him stay alive, Jigsaw creates a new “game” where he captures a doctor with a troubled marriage, Lynn (Bahar Soomekh) and tells her that if she wants to stay alive, she must make sure he doesn’t die. The catch is, there is another victim, Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), in a “game” as well, and Lynn is not aloud to leave until Jeff makes it out alive.
I’ll start off first by saying that the sick and demented devices made by Jigsaw, which have been a staple in the series, are better then ever here. I thought I’ve seen every way a person could be killed in the last two movies until I viewed this film. I absolutely won’t spoil any of these creative inventions because half the fun is seeing them first hand. One thing that sets this movie apart from its others is that the focus of the movie is not on the victims so much, but on Jigsaw and his relationship with Amanda. On one level, it’s disappointing because the characters in the “game” just aren’t as interesting as the others in the other movie. On the other, it’s great to finally get a look at the main character (Jigsaw) that, for the past two movies, has had a more “behind the curtain” role. You truly get to know him much better and even, at times, look at him in a new light. One aspect of the movie that really bugged me is that the “games” Jigsaw put the victims were extremely liner. For Jeff to escape, it almost feels like he has to move down a hallway. The revelations the characters have, in the past movies, have always been great for keeping viewers perplexed at how all the pieces will fall together. This movie seems to have a lack of that, making it more predictable until the very end.
As a “Saw” fan, I have to say that “Saw III” wasn’t the best in the series. As a matter of fact, it was probably the worst. That doesn’t mean that it was bad though. It’s different but, at the same time, compliments the other films well. I feel that any fan of the other two “Saw” movies will appreciate it. While the blood and ingenious contraptions are in full affect here, the movie seems to loose some of its puzzle and discovery elements that kept the whole “game” experience unpredictable. I think that if you’re hardcore into “Saw” movies, then going to see this one is a no-brainer. For everyone else, it’s up in the air. If you got eight bucks to burn and a strong stomach, then “Saw III” should be enough to fulfill your sick, twisted needs to see humans dying in the most insane ways possible. I give the movie 3 Bulldogs out of 5.

Comments!

I'm not sure if any one actually wanted to comment on any of my reviews, but if you did, you probably realized that you needed an account on this stupid site. I've changed that so now any one can comment!

All you have to do is click on either of the 2 below "user" to post a comment!

Expect the Saw III review either Sunday night or Monday morning!!

Mike P

The Prestige

Bulldog Reviews
“The Prestige”
By: Michael Pickowicz

For the Halloween issue of The Archway, I’ve decided to review a movie that wouldn’t be a typical movie you’d see on the day of horror. The movie I’m going to review is about less popular Halloween themes: magic and mystery.
“The Prestige” is a drama/suspense film directed by Christopher Nolan, of “Batman Begins” fame. The movie follows the paths of two magicians, Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). Once partners on the same stage, the two broke away after an accident during an act, caused by Alfred, which lead to the death of Rupert’s wife. Tension never heals between the two, and when both start developing their own careers in the same town, the competition to outdo and ruin the others act becomes great. Rupert, especially, wants to level the playing fields so Alfred can feel the loneliness he feels. How far will the two magicians go become the man on top is the ultimate question.
“The Prestige” brings a whole other level to the profession of being a magician. It digs in to the dark world of magic, where magicians are obsessed with being on top by any means possible. This makes the overall appearance of the movie great. Another cool aspect of the movie, which I thought was interesting, was how it was set up. By showing the ending of the movie first, without being properly introduced to the characters, it gave me something to think about the entire movie. This, like any good magic trick, had me questioning everything the movie dished out. While some may not like not getting the whole picture till the very end, people who do will be quite rewarded. The main characters, Bale and Jackman, have great performances, playing guys who have such distinct positive and negative qualities; I didn’t know who to root for as they started to deceive one another. The only thing that really bugged me about the movie is that near the end, the movie, which was consistently realistic to the magician profession, started to teeter into some science fiction aspects. While kind of disappointing, it can be forgiven thanks to the intriguing plot.
“The Prestige” is a great movie if you’re into a film that constantly makes you wonder what’s going to happen next. I also found myself so interested in the movies main theme (being the prestige), that I reflected back to see where it hid within the movie more then I would for most English classes. Just be careful when viewing this movie. What you see may not be what you get. Or will it? You’ll just have to see this great movie for yourself. I give “The Prestige” 4 Bulldogs out of 5.

Man of the Year

Bulldog Reviews
“Man of the Year”
By: Michael Pickowicz

This situation shouldn’t be foreign to movie goers. You walk into the theater, sit down and watch, expecting to see the movie television advertisements told you about. Half way through the movie, you wonder to yourself, “Am I in the right movie?” Marketers of “Man of the Year” poised the question to their audience, “What would happen if a comedian ran for president and won?” Unfortunately, as great of a plot you may have thought this could have made, it only explains 1/5th of the movie. That being said, I’m not here to talk to you about how “Man of the Year” wasn’t the movie marketers told me it was going to be, but to review the movie that was put in front of me.
“Man of the Year” can be best described part comedy, part conspiracy thriller. The movie follows a comedian television news reporter (similar to Jon Steward) by the name of Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams). He makes the decision, thanks to his fans support, to run for President of the United States. Using his unique, stand-up comedic way, he surprises the country with his interesting take on the political system. The other half “Man of the Year” deals with a new electronic ballot used to make sure that voting is easy and fast for all voters. The only problem is that there is an error in the program that is found out too late to fix, and a woman named Eleanor Green (Laura Linney) is determined to get the truth out while the corporation is determined to sweep the situation under the rug.
As you can see by the summary, “Man of the Year” is all over the place. At one point, you’ll be laughing at Williams’ witty one liners, and the next, you’ll be watching some conspiracy plot that’s so generic, you’ll swear you’ve seen it before. In the beginning, any time Williams isn’t on the screen, the comedy dies. What’s worse is that when the two stories come together, it’s almost completely forgotten that the movie is about a president who is a comedian because nothing funny is said for a good 40 minutes in the middle of the movie. Another thing that bugged me is that almost all the comedy comes in the form of stand-up, all done by Williams. This would have been fine if some other characters made any attempt to be funny, but, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. This, ultimately, makes Williams’ role in the film seem more of a coating to what the movie really is, a by-the-book conspiracy movie.
As I walked out of the movie, I heard people in back of me saying, “I wish the movie was funnier.” The lady in front of me promptly agreed. What’s sad about the movie is that it feels like a missed opportunity. We could have gotten a movie about Robin Williams causing some political mayhem and changing the system in his own comedic way. Instead, we get some lady trying to reveal a truth that a corporation is desperate to hide. The movie isn’t terrible by any means, and, at times, it was quite funny. The fact is the stand-up by Williams can’t save this predictable movie. Save your eight bucks. I give “Man of the Year” 2 Bulldogs out of 5.

The Departed

Bulldog Movie Reviews
“The Departed”
By: Mike Pickowicz

One of my favorite sections of The Archway last year was the movie reviews. Disappointed that the torch was never passed on, I’ve decided to take the job upon myself to watch newly released movies that you, the reader, are probably interested in seeing. I’ll try my best to cover all types of movies, just so there is a good variety to keep everyone one their toes. With the introduction out of the way, here is my first review.
“The Departed” is the new thriller/crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese (The Aviator, Goodfellas), which is based off a Hong Kong movie under the name “Internal Affairs”. The movie not only has one of Hollywood’s biggest directors running the show, but also a slew of the biggest actors in the business today, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon. With the names like those attached to the movie, one can only wonder if the story can match up.
To try to put the complex story in a more straight forward form, “The Departed”, which takes place in the city of Boston, revolves around the conflict of two groups, the Boston State Police and the Irish Mafia. Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), a cop with a family history that is riddled with organized crime, is sent in to go undercover and become part of the Irish Mafia to help get evidence that could lead to the arrest of the leader, Frank Costello (Nicholson). What is unknown to the Boston State Police is that Frank has a rat of his own, Colin Sullivan (Damon), who is not just in the Police force, but also running the investigation for Frank’s arrest. Soon, both Colin and Billy discover that there is undercover man inside the other organization that they are working for. They are in a rush to discover one another’s identity and flush the other out, while protecting their own cover at the same time.
While the summary of the movie doesn’t make it seem extra ordinary, I can, without a doubt, say that this was the best thriller movie I have seen in years and easily one of my favorites this year. “The Departed” does many things right, it’s almost difficult to find flaws. One level the film succeeds at is the characters. Very few movies today revolve around characters to drive a story (Little Miss Sunshine being an exception). You actually feel for the character, understand the pain they go through, the fear of the main characters being discovered, and accept the choices they make. This can all be brought back to the excellent performances by the lead men in the movie. On another level, the writing is great. Not only does the movie take itself very seriously, but it also has a great wit and creativity in the dialog. If I could nit pick at the movie, I would have to say that the beginning is somewhat hard to follow because scenes from the past and present are some what intertwined, making you wonder if it’s happening now, or earlier. I also had, for some reason, a tough time telling Damon and DiCaprio apart in the beginning, which also made me question who is exactly who in the story.
“The Departed” is a movie that will keep you at the edge of your seat, guessing what’s going to happen, thanks to the twists and turns the film takes. It’s not only well acted, but also well written and directed. The only way to describe it is pure entertainment. I’m going to give it 4 ½ Bulldogs out of 5. Oscar season seems to be coming early this year.

What I'm doing here!

Just to let everyone know, I now currently write movie reviews for my school newspaper, The Archway. As I feel its important to let everyone, including people I know outside of Bryant to read my reviews, I have created this blog that I will update every week with the review that I will feature in The Archway. If I happen to see anymovie outside my normal once a week duty (basicly when i go home), I'll post a mini review. I hope you enjoy and I'd appreciate any comments that you can give me because I'm not the greatest writer in the world. Or just comment on how you felt about the movie!!

So Enjoy!

Mike