7/10 - Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one. Tom Cruise does very well in this role and I also really enjoyed Colin Farrell here. The look and feel of the film is also really well done and the second half of the film is fantastic. In addition, the special effects are well done and the story, though slow forming, is very well put together and engrossing. However, on the negative side, the first half is iffy for me. As we are introduced to this futuristic world with no murders, the explanations and presentation of everything is spotty at best, leaving the viewer a tad confused and, at times, bored. However, once you finally wrap your head around everything, the film really takes off. I never really thought the "action" sequences were phenomenal, but otherwise, everything really began to click and the film had a very exciting and tense conclusion.



9/10 - Damn is this one ever unique. First off, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are phenomenal here, especially Norton who really makes for an appealing lead, in spite of all of his clear issues. While the things in this film are certainly not something to be worshipped or thought highly of, the film takes these wrong and evil acts and truly makes a beautiful film out of it. On the surface, it is about two men who makes a club where they just beat the crap out of one another, but it is really about so much more than that and it is cool to see them use that fight club as a cover for what the film is truly about. David Fincher's vision for this one is a great one and he directs this film brilliantly. In addition, the set pieces are perfect for the film and all look incredibly well done and appropriate for the film. Overall, Fight Club lived up to the hype for me, hooking me in from the very beginning and never letting go until the film was over.



7/10 - Overall, The Towering Inferno is a pretty good film. It starts off a bit slow and, almost, boring. However, once the fire starts, things really kick into gear and the end result is a thrilling, suspenseful, and exciting film as we watch these people try to get to safety. Now, by today's standards, the film is certainly not overly original, but when considering it came out, it was anything but. In addition, the special effects are clearly dated, but again, when remembering when it came out, they are actually pretty impressive. Clearly fake at times, but sure, but cool all the same. Thus, while many elements of this film may look dated, the nice part here is that the story is not dated. We may have seen it many times by now, but it still feels new and relevant and intriguing. The film has certainly not lost its edge of appeal.



7/10 - I saw the director's cut while it was long, it is hard to imagine the theatrical version after seeing what they originally planned to release. Yes, it was slow at times, but everything included was definitely important for the story and having things make sense. Now, in terms of the film, it is gorgeous in many respects. First, the cinematography is great. The sets are also beautifully put together and they really chose a great location for filming this one, as it provided many beautiful images. In addition, the soundtrack was perfect. Often times, I do not notice a film's soundtrack, except when it was very good or very bad, and this one was great. Finally, the battle scenes were very well put together. They were certainly violent, but for the most part, beautifully filmed and choreographed.The acting was also solid, in particular from Edward Norton. He had a very small role, but had a really commanding presence here and killed it whenever he was speaking. Brendan Gleeson and Jeremy Irons were also very good here. Orlando Bloom and Eva Green were mostly good as well. Really, the only things holding this one back for me were the pace at times. While, for the most part, it was very interesting and moved at a steady pace, at times it slowed down to almost a crawl. If those could be picked up a bit, this one would be better. Another negative would be the script. At times, it was absolutely cringeworthy, at others it was serviceable, and at others it was pretty good. However, it certainly left a lot to be desired at times.



5/10 - Just could not get into this one. The premise is interesting and the thrills are certainly there for the most part, but all I saw was an overhyped movie that is like many things we see today; a movie with an interesting premise that gets drowned out by needless explosions and countless shootouts. I think this one would be well served if there were less of those action elements and more of the sci-fi and human drama that could really carry this one. I am not advocating removing all of the action elements, but use them less as it is numbing by the end of the film and you barely care about what is going on. There are certainly great moments, in particular the end of the film, but that is not action, rather it is the sci-fi/human drama element I like the most of this one. Sadly, those moments are few and far between, as the action dominates the screen and kills the rest. However, the action sequences are well put together and the sci-fi/human drama parts are great, so this one is not a total failure, but I thought I would like it a lot more than I did.