[Review] Now You See Me (2013)

Title: Now You See Me

Starring:  Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo

Director: Louis Leterrier

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Summary: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

The first original of a certain director better be something to remember but should we praise the man who directs or the man who writes when there's such an inventive story?? Do you remember Inception the movie that defies laws of physics and the one everyone loves cause it expresses the impossible reality?? Well, that movie was ingeniously directed and written by the same Christopher Nolan. He was able to work with the story that was consistent till the end. With "Now You See Me" the potential of this amazing story was great until the second half of it, when it went downhill. 

Four magicians got a card, they all meet in one place and they plan for a very long time the most impressive illusion of all and on top of it they have to deal with the law. I'm not getting into much detail because it is the short and curious synopsis that makes us want to see this movie. I agree that there should be a new genre that could characterize these "reality-challenging" movies other wise it gets really complicated to say what they were really made for. But let us get into detail and explain why I didn't starred this movie all the way.

I don't think that it was a terrible directing, in fact this is one of the best movies I've watched this year and the only one I desperately waited to come out but some suspense moments were not well designed and that would be my major critique. The screenplay: genius. I never thought MIB could become illusionists but I guess they did, the cleverness of it I guess ended with the finale. Sure, why not creating a story that will mess your mind and then end it by putting sense to everything??... No!! That's not, in my vision, how you freaking end a magicians movie, you don't explain the whole story, you (quite like mr. Nolan) end everything with a spinning pawn about to fall on a massive cliff hanger. You might have heard of the sequel, what's gonna happen?? A new enemy... About half way through I could picture the unexpected ending that would make me craving for more and going nuts, but no it didn't happen.

The performances of Jesse and Mark were quite good and compelling, then again wasn't Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) suppose to matter, I just saw something in the screenplay (yup I've read it) that I didn't see in the movie, if your gonna start with a BANG you better end with a BANG BANG.

As a final evaluation I'd say this movie is worth watching despite everything, I can guarantee you'll finish with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment but it'll not be the film of your life even though the trailer gives that away. It is entertaining.

Stars: ★★★★

Categories: Thriller

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Summary: 

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

Bu's review:

The actors weren’t well known, we have no Hollywood sweethearts which might have been a risk for the director Timur Bekmambetov but it kind of worked. The entire concept of a horror movie was not present in this type of characters though (not talking about the vampires). Abraham Lincoln was in fact one of the most surprising characters, I was not counting on the plane side of his to be shown, only the thirst of vengeance seemed to be appropriate of appearance but the screenwriter managed to include scenes that had both facets.

No interpretation really stood out but they were all very satisfying.

The plot is simple and you don’t have to know much about this president’s life because the movie softly implants all the concepts and knowledge you need to have. The vampire hunter job is demonstrated to be a hard and demanding task that this hero seems to have in, but it also seems that Hollywood is running out of ideas and was it running to a disturbed version of history, that includes killing vampires, the most original they could get?

The screenplay of Vampire Hunter was replete of meaningful dialogues and romantic environment. The sound of the first words being pronounced by the Benjamin Walker were like candy to my hears. The surprise effect didn’t coexisted with this horror plot though, you are hoping to find scary moments but everything is determined, you are watching and you know when the vampires are about to show their predator jaws.

Special effects were very well done and a good and strong 3D gave the movie more emphasis.

I did not notice the soundtrack while watching it; everything was more about the annoying scream of supernatural creatures then the actual music. The ending presented this very sensational song that did not fit in the movie’s concept, which is very disappointing.

Year: 2012

Stars: ★★★

Categories: Horror, Thriller

Prometheus

Summary: 

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Bu's review:

The plot is complex and it can be easily misunderstand it has an unexpected twist (which you will have to wait to see in case you haven’t seen this film) that approaches with one of Ridley’s classics that gives it a confused, although a great and nice touch.

·      All the characters follow the pattern of a typical thriller or sci-fi movie. Some are antagonists other patriots, some are the heroes and others the “helpers”. The main attention goes to Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw, which seems to be a current type of protagonist in Scott’s alienist movies. She is brave but her personality is not reveled much, she is the survivor she needs to be.  The most curious character in the entire plot is David, you can’t really understand either if he is good or harmful to the Prometheus crew. The actors are young and very popular; Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron or even young Noomi seemed to have been the right choice for such a blockbuster.

·      The screenplay is quite predictable and very plane, in a movie like this you should expect profound dialogues that would almost make you enthusiastic and cry but this time the writers (specially Damon Lindelof ) didn’t excel their selves.

Powerful music and sound! Of course the special effects killed it (in a good way)! Very well done and amazing sets and landscapes. 

Year: 2012

Stars: ★★★★

Categories: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Special Johnny Depp: Dark Shadows + Fan Fiction Pirates of Caribbean

Summary: 

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.

Bu's review:

Dark Shadows, as I read in IMDB's reviews list, it's a "bipolar movie". Why?? You both have comedy and then horror. there is supposedly a witch and a vampire and then ghosts and a werewolf seem to invade the story. It's by far some of Tim Burton's worst pictures because it has everything to be a great story but it doesn't follow a specific plot. The soundtrack, though, is quite mesmerizing and the sceneries are extremely well done except that the rest it's a bit disappointing. It all happens really fast and almost at the same time. The actors were quite good in fact but there was a bit of extra exposing. When you have an original movie you have to come up with something brilliant for a remake and this was not the case. It was intertwining but it was not a Tim Burton at all!

Year: 2012

Stars: ★★★

Read the special Fan Fiction on
 "The Pirates of Caribbean"

Categories: Adventure, Comedy, Thriller

The Raven

Summary: 
When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.

Bu's review:

The Raven it's absolutely Edgar Allen Poe with no doubt. You always expect something, like a head rolling down a hill to show up and then a man gets sliced in half! It's really beautiful the darkness in it, and the argument was good and solid. I didn't like the ending though, it was a bit predictable.  Of course you always expect that the main character won't die but in this case it does, and the cop happens to catch the bad guy.

Perhaps it would be a great story to start a set of movies based on a writer's last day well just a suggestion :)

I think the most outstanding part in the picture was the environment, mysterious and very connected with the story itself...

Year: 2012

Stars: ★★★★

Categories: Thriller

Gone

Summary: 

When her sister disappears, Jill is convinced the serial killer who kidnapped her two years ago has returned, and she sets out to once again face her abductor.

Bu's review:

 

The movie Gone has, what I like to call, a Bu's type script. That means this movie has a strong and very-easy-to-linke screenplay. I thought the only problem about it was the ending I just think it wasn't the powerful ending that I was expecting. Amanda Seyfried is a beautiful and perfect lead. Many people would say she just works in comedy and romance (let me tell you you are wrong) from "In Time" to "Red Riding Hood" this girl has surprised us all :)

The photography on this movie was excellent and it definitely sets the mood. It all works!

Year: 2012

Stars: ★★★★

Categories: Action, Thriller