Maxim's Movie Reviews and Opinions Blog

Disneynature’s “Oceans”

Disneynature’s “Oceans” came out on the “Earth Day” Thursday, 2010, just like last year Disney’s “Earth” came out on the same date also. A small disclaimer: I have not seen Disney’s “Earth”.

The visuals in the “Oceans” are simply amazing. Most Earthlings will [...]

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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) R 106min

The plot: A New York subway dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is summonned on the radio. He is told by the mastermind of the hijacking (John Travolta) of the Pelham 1 2 3 train to follow [...]

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Up (2009) PG 96min

Disney/Pixar’s “Up” comes out almost 11 m0nths after release of “WALL-E” last summer. It was written and directed by Pete Docter (Toy Story 1&2, Monster, Inc., WALL-E) and Bob Peterson (Finding Nemo), who also gave his voice to the [...]

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“Angels and Demons”, the sequel to the “Da Vinci Code” directed by Ron Howard, is a little better. Professor Robert Langdon is summoned to Vatican where the pope has died and four cardinals were kidnapped by a secret society called Illuminati, which threatened [...]

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

A prequel to X-Men (2000), X-Men 2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), directed by Gavin Hood (directed famous award-winning Tsotsi), written by David Benioff  and Skip Woods.
The plot: A brief history of James Logan (Hugh Jackman) begins with [...]

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Joyeux Noel (2005)

“Joyeux Noël” (”Merry Christmas” (UK/US title) or “Happy Christmas”) is a drama set in 1914 during World War I and is inspired by a true story. The film is an international project involving people and locations from France, Germany, UK, Romania and [...]

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Adventureland (2009)

“Adventureland” is a comedy from the writer-director Greg Mottola (”Superbad”). Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig.
The plot: Set in a Reagan era, this movie about a misfit college graduate James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg of “The Squid and the [...]

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Gomorra (2008)

“Gomorra” (English title “Gomorrah”) is a Golden Globe-nominated contemporary drama about mafia in Naples. Directed by Matteo Garrone, written by Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni Di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso and Roberto Saviano based on the book by Roberto Saviano.
The plot: [...]

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Taken (2008)

This action thriller is directed by Pierre Morel, who is mostly known for his work as cinematographer (War (2007), Love and other disasters (2006), The Transporter (2002)). Of course, a French director could not make an action movie without the best French [...]

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Revolutionary Road (2008)

“Revolutionary Road” is a drama set in 1950s based on Robert Yates’s novel and directed by Sam Mendes (Jarhead, Road to Perdition, American Beauty) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates.
The plot: A young couple living in mid-1950s in a [...]

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Frost/Nixon (2008)

A great movie by Oscar-winning director and producer Ron Howard (Changeling (2008), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Cindirella Man (2005), A Beautiful Mind (2001), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)) starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon based on the [...]

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Defiance (2008)

This true-story WWII drama is directed by Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, Glory) and stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schriber, Jamie Bell and Alexa Davalos. It is based on the book by Nechama Tec called “Defiance: The Bielski Partisans”.
The plot: In the autumn of 1941 when Hitler’s armies [...]

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire is drama co-directed by brilliant directors Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later and more) and Loveleen Tandan (Vanity Fair, Monsoon Wedding etc.) based on Vikas Swarup’s novel with the same title. I had no idea what the movie [...]

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Seven Pounds (2008)

Warning: this review contains spoilers, but the plot is not too thick.
Seven Pounds is drama from director of “Pursuit of Happiness” Gabriele Muccino, again starring Will Smith. Also cast are Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper and Michael Ealy.
The plot: An [...]

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Valkyrie (2008)

Based on a true story, Valkyrie is a historical thriller set in WWII Nazi Germany, starring Tom Cruise and many famous British actors, and directed by Bryan Singer (also directed Superman Returns).
The plot: 1943. German Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (Cruise) [...]

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The Invisible (2007)

The plot: A talented high-school student is beaten and left for dead by his criminal classmate. He becomes a ghost, helplessly trying to figure out why he was killed and hopefully get his life back – the cops should find his [...]

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Transsiberian (2008)

The plot: An American couple, Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) take a 7-day train ride from China, where they completed  a church humanitarian mission, to Moscow on Trans-Siberian railroad. On the train they meet another young couple, a Spaniard Carlos (Eduardo [...]

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Disturbia (2007)

The plot: Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is sentenced to 3 months of house arrest for punching his Spanish teacher. His parole officer recommends to use his time constructively, so for a while he destroys buildings in XBox Live game, but eventually boredom overwhelms [...]

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Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)

Director Quentin Tarantino is a guest star in this Japanese spaghetti Western from cult film director Takashi Miike (who speaks no English, but learned a few phrases for his episodic role in Hostel).
The plot: Two rival gangs are fighting each [...]

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I am Cuba (1964)

A classic… absolutely astonishing! I AM CUBA is that rarity of rarities, a genuine hidden treasure. It puts to shame anything we’re doing today.
–Martin Scorsese
Soviet director  Mikhail Kalatozov’s 1964 film “Soy Cuba” (a.k.a. I am Cuba in 1995 US release) depicts [...]

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