Maxim’s Movie Reviews and Opinions Blog

The plot: Post-World War II Italy is going through devastating period of depression. A job is hard to come by. Antonio Ricci manages to get a job after two years of unemployment: to drive around Rome and put up posters of Rita Heyworth, and it requires a bicycle. His bicycle is broken and he [...]

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“21″ (2008)

The plot: (from IMDb) Inspired by the true story (based on “Bringing Down The House” book by Ben Mezrich) of how some of the very brightest young minds in the country took Vegas for millions, 21 stars Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, a brilliant M.I.T. student who desperately needs to pay his school [...]

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Basic Instinct (1992)

Just watched the original 1992 “Basic Instinct”, director’s cut. This was one of the most controversial and talked-about movies when it came out. Brought me back to the days when I saw it when I was in high-school.

The plot: everyone saw it.

The good: one of the most memorable movies of 20th century, [...]

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Road To Perdition (2002)

The plot: Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) works as a hit man and enforcer for crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman), whom he views as a father figure. However after his son witnessed a killing he has done Rooney’s own sun (Daniel Craig) kills Mike’s wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and other son, [...]

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Director – Shawn Levy | Writers – Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, based on book by Milan Trenc
Cast: Ben Stiller as Larry Daley | Carla Gugino as Rebecca | Dick Van Dyke as Cecil | Mickey Rooney as Gus | Bill Cobbs as Reginald | Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt | Patrick Gallagher [...]

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Snakes On The Plane (2006)

The plot: An FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) brings a murder witness on an airplane. During the flight, snakes come out out of everywhere. The good: ehm… nothing.
The bad: you can tell you are going to see a bad movie from the opening sequence – the acting is going to [...]

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From the director of Mr. & Mrs. Smith and The Bourne Supremacy Doug Liman comes this action movie based on novel by Steven Gould.
The plot: David Rice (Hayden Christinsen, earlier Max Thieriot) discovers that he has a power to teleport himself anywhere on Earth. After having some fun with his power, he realises he [...]

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The plot: Four high-school boys who inherited superpowers from their parents uncover that there’s a fifth powerful person who was thought to be long dead. Their powers come a the cost: each time they are used, the body of the warlock ages and they become more addicted. Now that the four warlocks are about [...]

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Director: Sean Penn
Writer: Sean Penn (screenplay), Jon Krakauer (book)
Producers: David Blocker, Frank Hildebrand, John J. Kelly, Art Linson, Sean Penn, William Pohlad
Original Music: Michael Brook, Kaki King, Kaki King
Cinematography: Eric Gautier
Art Direction: John Richardson, Domenic Silvestri
Paramount Vantage | River Road Films | Art Linson Productions | River Road Entertainment
The plot: a young man Christopher [...]

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This 3D animated film based on Dr. Seuss’ (Theodore Geisel) short story is directed by Pixar veteran Jimmy Heyward and Steve Martino and produced by Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios – the creators of the Ice Age and special effects for Titan A.E..
The plot: Horton (Jim Carrey), a gentle elephant, discovers [...]

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The plot: After her husband (David Duchovny) died in a tragic accident, Audrey, his wife (Halle Berry) is trying to piece her life together and take care of her two kids. The house is falling apart without a man in it, and she turns for help to her husband’s childhood friend Jerry (Benicio Del [...]

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Just came home from work, and wanted to glance at Saturn through my Meade ETX-125AT telescope. Wow, I had never seen it so sharply – I could even make up the orange color of the planet. The planet is very far, and at that distance human eye can’t make out the color and the [...]

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Yet another heist movie, this time – a Latino Hollywood flick.
The plot: two former thieves, a Colombian Emilio () and Alejandro, who sells pirated DVDs on the street, reunite in Los Angeles to rob the biggest and worst thief they know – also former thief, Claudio Silvestrini, who made millions with TV infomercials as [...]

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The Bank Job (2008)

This is an excellent heist movie based on real events. Directed by Roger Donaldson (The World’s Fastest Indian, The Recruit, Thirteen Days, Dante’s Peak, Species etc.). Written by Dick Clement (Across the Universe, Flushed Away) and Ian La Frenais (also worked on the latter two movies). Starring Jason Statham. Lionsgate Films.
The [...]

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The plot: Narrator (Omar Sharif) talks about a legend about a blue-eyes child. It’s a girl who was discovered by tribal hunters in the mountains clinched to the body of her dead mother. Her mother and their clan were killed or enslaved by the “four-legged demons”. The girl, Evolet (Camilla Belle), is adopted by [...]

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The Wicker Man (2006)

This is a remake of 1973 British horror movie with the same title written and directed by Neil LaBute and starring Nicolas Cage.
The plot: a motorcycle cop Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage), traumatized by the road-side death of the occupants of the car he had stopped, receives a letter from his ex-fiance [...]

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Over The Hedge (2006)

This DreamWorks studio’s animated adventure directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick won several awards, such as Best Family Film at Indianapolis International Film Festival and Best Animated Film at Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards. Some well-known actors have gave their voices to the characters.
The plot: A garbage-stealing raccoon RJ [...]

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Click (2006)

Not a big fan of Adam Sandler, who always plays the same character: a good-hearted childish idiot. I’d never pay $10 for the movie ticket to see Adam Sandler, but I thought if I rent a DVD for less then a $1 he’d go well with my evening cup of tea.
The plot: Michael [...]

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WARNING: this review may contain spoilers.
This is yet another fiction thriller movie about a President of The Fee World (that is, USA) being saved by his security detail.
The plot: President Ashton (William Hurt) arrives to Salamanca, Spain to attend a summit on global terror. Two secret service agents, Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid), for whom [...]

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