Movie Game Plan | A Movie Review Website By Carolina Panthers' Gary Barnidge & Dante Rosario » Gary Barnidge

Secretariat

Gary Barnidge — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:57:05 +0000

Secretariat aka “Big Red” is arguably the best racehorse to ever live. After watching this movie it just helps build into that belief. The movie is the beautiful story of Penny Chenery/Tweedy played by Diane Lane who is the owner of Secretariat who won the Triple Crown in 1973. After watching this movie it makes me want to go out buy a horse and raise it.

The movie takes you into the stunning life of Secretariat. The films cinematography was amazing with the way they show what its like riding on the horse during a race. They also use slow motion shots to show the grace and beauty at which a race horse runs. One of my favorite scenes is when they show Secretariat running out of fog which shows a magical force within the horse. Diane Lane delivers a powerful performance as Penny Tweedy/Chenery. Her scenes with the horse really shows a connection between the horse and her. John Malkovich plays the trainer Lucien Laurin and he really took the role in stride with a nice blend of sincerity and humor which makes the character very likable.

The film was directed by Randall Wallace who is known for more action packed movies such as We Were Soldiers and The Man in the Iron Mask. Even though he is known for action he delivers a heart warming tale of compassion, love, and a following your heart in what you believe in. The film delivers on so many levels, with its acting, its cinematography, and just overall presentation of the film.

The movie is rated PG and doesnt have anything in the movie that would upset any parents if their child saw the movie. it also has a nice amount of humor that all ages will enjoy. All kids and adults will love the movie.

All in all Disney delivers a heart-warming tale that is great for all ages and a great family film. If you are a true race fan you will notice some differences with the story as in who won some of the races and how some of the owners were portrayed but the movie isn’t all about the historical accuracy, it’s about one of the greatest racehorses to ever live and overcoming the hardships that can face you in life. I loved the movie and give it a 9 out of 10 a must see.

The Real Secretariat

The Town

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:08:54 +0000

When you think of movies about Bank Robberies, the first films that may pop in your head may be Heat, Inside Man, The Bank Job, and maybe even The Sting. Well now you will have another movie that will jump into that category. The Town is a edgy movie that focuses on Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) as a bank robber who starts to fall for someone who was involved in one of their earlier robberies and he decides he wants out, but someone won’t let that happen.

The Town is a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering if they will pull it out and what will they do next. The action sequences are truly immersive and puts you right next to the action. The camera rolls around the cars as if they aren’t there, which just brings the excitement to another level. The city of Charlestown is known as “The Bank Robbery Capital of America” is a very engrossing city that truly draws you in with the way they span the city with aerial views and street views.

Ben Affleck directed, acted, and was a screenplay writer on the film. Affleck delivered in all three phases. His acting in this film was arguably his best performance he has given. Jeremy Renner as James Coughlin, continues to show his remarkable acting from The Hurt Locker to a supporting actor in this film. He delivers as a menacing character who truly has nothing to lose. I felt that Rebecca Hall as Claire Keesey delivered as she showed true emotion throughout the film no matter what emotion was needed, whether it was sad, mad, happy, or caring all which were very believable.

All in All this movie truly is a rememberable movie that draws you in from the beginning to the end with remarkable acting, writing, and scenery.

8 out of 10

Machete

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:51:07 +0000

Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez (The Directors) deliver a classic action movie packed with lots of great action scenes and a over the top amount of blood but in a fun and exciting way. The movie stars Danny Trejo as an ex-Federale named Machete, and is betrayed by an organization that hires him for a task. Which in turn sends him on a revenge mission. The movie has so many stars in it which usually would hurt the movie because of the stars have to fight for screen time but this movie is the opposite of that. With such stars as Robert De Niro (Senator McLaughlin), Jessica Alba (Immigration Officer Sartana), Steve Segal (Torrez), and Michelle Rodriguez (Luz) the movie shares the screen time perfectly with all the characters delivering intriguing performances that make the movie.

The film is shot in a old style type of shooting with an over the top amount of blood, but in a way of making it funny and interesting because it is so over the top. The movie is meant to be a funny different type of action movie that is not supposed to be a serious type of movie just a movie that is very entertaining and it doesn’t fail to impress. Danny Trejo doesn’t have very many lines but that adds to the mystique of Machete.

All in all the movie is packed with lots of action and comical parts that makes the movie a very enjoyable movie to watch. I would give the movie a 7 out of 10.

7 out of 10

The American

Gary Barnidge — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:48:12 +0000

To start, I had no idea what to think about this “thriller” going into it because I had no idea what it was about and didn’t see very much about it. After seeing the movie I still have not the slightest clue what it was all about. If I had to tell you what it was about I would tell you three different plots, which aren’t the real story of the movie. The Movie is about an Assassin who hides out for his last assignment. So going into the movie I had high hopes for the movie starring George Clooney as Jack/Edward the assassin. From start to finish the movie is just drawn out scene after drawn out scene that really goes nowhere. Anton Corbijn (the director) shot the movie in a slow pace with each scene with such meaning behind it but it fails to deliver because by the time you realize the meaning of the scene you still have about 5 to 10 more minutes of the scene left that you are just sitting there asking yourself when the next scene is going to come. The movie tries to tie you in emotionally to the character but it doesn’t have the chance to because their is such few dialogue in the movie you cant truly get attached to the character. However which such few dialogue in the movie the acting in the film relies heavily on the expressions and the way the actor delivers how he feels in how he acts and Clooney does a great job of showing the emotion behind his character from being worried about what is happening around him.

All in all this movie is a completely different movie then what I was expecting and I felt that it was a miss on many levels but trying to be a drawn out drama with subplots in the movie that weren’t warranted and a plot that really never explains itself. I would give this movie a 3 out of 10.

3 out of 10

Takers

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:02:32 +0000

Takers is and action suspense movie that tries to make you think. Takers is a movie about guys whose jobs is to take money in very elaborate ways. When one of their partners gets out of jail and has a plan to make them 20 million dollars the group can’t pass it up, only thing is their is a cop played by Matt Dillon who is on their trail.

The movie had a lot of potential with a interesting plot that can keep the audience entertained, but the movie lacks the true acting aspect of the film by having some poorly written lines that make you say to your self did they just say that. T.I. plays a character named Ghost who comes up with the plan for the money but he just doesnt deliver a convincing role as an actor. He seems to just be talking and not really making sense. (you will know the scene I am talking about) Paul Walker is in no way bringing out the character he plays in the movie with his acting its very spotty and forced, his dialogue doesn’t flow into the other characters scenes. Michael Ealy and Jay Hernandez both delivered a respectable performance that makes their characters believable and gives you two characters to root for in the film.

The action in the movie had a chance to be something that would be very fun to see but with the way the camera shakes during all the action scenes it makes it hard to understand and see all that is going on which leaves you wanting to slap the camera man so you can actually see what is going on. There is one scene where the shaking of the camera actually helps the scene which is when Chris Brown’s Character (Jesse Attica) is running from cops doing Parkour (which is getting from one point to another by climbing and jumping over things in your way) which is a fun scene to watch.

With an unproven director in John Luessenhop (only one other movie under his belt) it was a mystery on how this movie was gonna turn out. He had alot of big name actors and actresses in the movie, but that doesnt translate into a good movie. The premise of the movie showed promise but it failed to deliver

All in all I enjoyed the plot of the movie but was taken back by the bad acting and trying to figure out what was happening with all the camera shaking. I would give this movie a 5 out of 10.

5 out of 10

Last Exorcism

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:26:53 +0000

The Last Exorcism is shot in a documentary style about a minister (Cotton Marcus) who lets a camera crew follow him on his last exorcism and see how everything is done, but someone or something else has a surprise in store for them.

Cotton is played by Patrick Fabian who deliver a very believable performance as a minister who is trying to cope with what he is seeing happen in front of him. He shows the true emotion of someone being frightened of what is happening in front of him. Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) is the girl who needs to be exorcised and when you watch her performance you see someone who is terrified of what is happening which makes the movie very believable. When she does her blank stares into the camera or at the characters you ask yourself is she really possessed.

As stated above the movie is shot like a documentary with the audience getting the view behind the camera similar to movies like Cloverfield, Blair Witch, and Quarantine. This film was different from those films by the camera being more steady and easier to see what is going on. The camera at times looks as if it is one a stand because its so steady which you usually dont see from movies shot in this style. The way the film is shot brings you as an audience member into the situation and makes the movie that much more believable.

With a relatively unknown director in Daniel Stamm (only directed two other unknown movies), he delivered a believable product that makes you wonder what is happening. Their is a few parts in the movie that were unneeded and made you ask why was this in there. He also leaves you wanting more and wondering what the hell is going on with the way the movie ends which will make an audience hate the movie or love the movie.

All in all I was looking forward to this movie and was a little disappointed to see it was a PG 13 rating which means it wasn’t going to be very scary, which is what I was expecting with a movie called The Last Exorcism. I give the movie a 6 out of 10 would have been better with lost footage to explain the ending or with an R rating.

Piranha 3D

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:21:22 +0000

What can be said about Piranha 3D, if you are looking for a scary movie with some great 3D scenes then this isn’t the movie to see. If you are looking for a scary movie that doesn’t take itself serious as a scary movie and want some cheap laughs then that is what you get with this movie. Piranha is a good basis for a scary movie because everyone has heard of piranha but know very little about them, all they know is they eat their prey very quick. Only problem is this movie takes a different route and tries to bring in a prehistoric piranha that is released by a tremor and then all hell breaks loose, not to mention its spring break so you know what comes with that. The movies has some very cheesy lines but the lines are also pretty funny and the movie itself is funny itself which a lot of horror movies don’t do. The 3D in the film isn’t very appeasing because there isn’t much 3D that makes you say that’s cool, the 3D is something this movie could have done without.

The acting in the movie is just like the movie a little questionable at times. Jerry O’Connell plays Derrick Jones the man behind wild wild girls and he has some of the best lines so make sure you listen when he talks. Elisabeth Shue play Julie Forester the sheriff and just doesn’t convince you that she is in charge or a sheriff. There is one performance that I personally liked and that was by Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Goodman the man who knows about the fish. He doesn’t have many lines but he does a good job when he is acting.

The director Alexandre Aja has done some horror films in his past with movies such as The Hills Have Eyes and Mirrors which neither where very good movies, but he hasn’t made a comedy horror movie which is what i categorize this movie as and I think he did an alright job of being funny with a little horror but the movie could have been a little more serious with a little better acting.

All in all if you are looking for a few laughs with some gore and nudity then this movie is for you if you are looking for a good scary movie then stay away. I would give this movie a 5 out of 10 would have been a 6 out of 10 if it wasn’t in 3D.

5 out of 10

Vampires Suck

Gary Barnidge — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:29:51 +0000

When a girl moves to a small town to live with her dad and meets someone who happens to be a vampire and she becomes torn between him and another friend who happens to be a werewolf. Does that sound familiar to you it should everyone knows about the movie twilight but this isn’t it this is a movie called Vampires Suck which is a spoof of Vampire movies. When you think spoof movies you probably think of crap fest because since scary movie and not another teen movie there hasn’t been a very good spoof movie. Vampires sucks follows the premise of the twilight movies. The movie has its highs and lows it has more lows then highs but it does have its moments. There are quite a few scenes that will make you laugh out loud. But it also has its parts where you will be like what am I doing in this movie. The film i’snt a special effects filled movie but the parts where there are special effects it does a descent job but the movie isn’t trying to be a great special effects movie it just wants to make fun of the vampire movies. As for the acting there isn’t much great acting in the movie. There is a couple exceptions though, Jenn Proske who plays Becca (Bella) does an amazing job. She mimics the mannerisms and movements and every detail of Bella from twilight with such preciseness, which is a mark of great acting. Another actor that had a good blend of acting and comedy was Diedrich Bader who plays Frank (Becca’s Dad).

With Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer the masterminds behind Epic Movie (Epic Fail), Disaster Movie (what a disaster) and Date Movie (Horrible) behind the helm of Vampires suck you would expect another movie that you wonder why you are watching this movie. Again they deliver with another movie that isn’t very good at all it does have its funny moments but just not a good movie.

All in all this movie is along the lines of all the other spoof movies in recent history (not good) I would give this movie a 3 out of 10.

3 out of 10

The Expendables

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:33:13 +0000

The action movie of all action movies is what people were billing it with all the action stars that were included in this movie. The Expendables is a movie about mercenaries that are to go to a little Island and get rid of a corrupt leader but when I watched the movie there wasn’t much a plot it goes back in forth from one thing to another and just can get a little confusing. When you see all the action stars that are in this movie you expect big things in action and the fight scenes don’t disappoint. There are some amazing fight scenes with some crazy things going, but when it comes to the special effect this movie really lacked. There is one scene where a building blows up it looks like something out of an 80′s movie with how fake the special effects were. When it comes to the acting in the movie you can expect much because none of the guys are the best actors out there but they dont need to be because they are action stars and that’s what there movies are based on. The acting by the all the actors just looked forced and they all look out of their element in the acting scene like they are all trying to be the best actor they can be even when they aren’t great actors.

Sylvester Stallone usually always stars in the movies he directs and his character is always one of the main guys but in his previous movies in which he directed he didn’t have to share the screen with other big name actors that compete with him with onscreen time and that takes away for what he was doing as a director. In the previous films he directed such as Rambo and Rocky Balboa the main characters had something to prove and in this movie its just a cluster of guys fighting with really no reason or purpose.

All in all this is a true action movie but its not a great overall movie I was very disappointed with the movie in a whole. The special effects lack tremendously and the movie is hurt by the lack of acting. I would give the movie a 4 out of 10.

4 out of 10

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Gary Barnidge — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:06:45 +0000

An Epic of Epic Epicness is the Tagline of the movie and I have no idea what that means but the movie does deliver. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) meets a girl and he has to fend off her 7 evil ex’s in order to be with her. This film is a very different movie, it has a video game feel to it and a old school feel to it because of the video game aspect of the film. The way the film is shot is very different but very engaging and it really brings you into the movie. If you have played video games or have seen the old batman shows in which they show a POW and THUD when someone hits someone then you will see lots of that type of special effects and get that feeling in this movie. It really works with the premise of the movie. Michael Cera delivers in another great performance even though he plays very similar roles they work for him and he makes them his own. It helps you related to his character. Mary Winestead who plays Ramona Flowers Scott’s love interest delivers a good performance and at time makes you feel sorry and awkward for her. The battle scenes are very well done with a good mix of music and special effects that’s keep you very entertained. One of the funniest things deals with when someone talks about Scott’s Hair pay close attention.

The Director Edgar Wright has done some funny movies in the past with such films as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead which were both funny movies. But this is a huge step up from those movies and he delivers with a very good movie that is funny and has a little romance and pretty good acting all around.

All in all this is a pretty good movie and i recommend it for everyone especially if you are a lover of video games and the old school TV shows. Michael Cera delivers another memborable character and I would give this movie a 8 out of 10.

8 out of 10