World War Z

United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.

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Director: Marc Forster

Writer[s]: Matthew Michael Carnahan [screenplay], Drew Goddard [screenplay], Damon Lindelof [screenplay], Max Brooks [story]

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos

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World War Z really struggled to become an actual film. A cinematographer change lead to a huge delay and many reshoots, along with a re-write and other delays along the way, and I feel like to movie suffered because of it. I’ll preface this review with the fact that the movie couldn’t hold my interest very well, so I wasn’t really paying full attention. But that fact gives you a good idea of how poor I thought the movie was.

The Cabin in the Woods

When watching and reviewing a horror/thriller, it is always better to know as little as you can coming in, because the main purpose of the film usually involves a surprise or a secret. This fact makes it pretty hard to review such films, but this film has received a lot of attention from critics and movie-goers alike, so I decided to give it a go.

5 college friends decide to go on vacation to their friend’s cabin in the woods on a lake in a remote location where they can be disconnected from the world. Although when they arrive, you find that that is the exact opposite of the reality. As strange horrors arise and threaten their lives, these friends must find a way to escape and survive the cabin in the woods, although it won’t be easy when everything and everyone is controlled by an outside force.

The Woman in Black

A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

IMDb [6.8/10]

RottenTomates [64%/67%]

The Harry Potter film series was one of the most popular and high grossing collection of films of all time. With the characters being cast initially in 2001, and the final film coming out in 2011, that made for a full decade of seeing the same people playing the same characters. For many child actors, an extended period of playing one role will lock them into that one character for the rest of their entertainment life, and they won’t find much success after they try something new. This is probably the biggest film release for any of the three main Harry Potter child actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. I assume the Harry Potter crowd will be very intrigued, just as I am, to see these three actors try their hand at other genres and styles, something different than what we’ve come to know and love from them for the past 10 years. I think Radcliffe chose well, for this movie seems to share the similar dark and intense theme that the last few Harry Potters had, so the transition shouldn’t be too hard.

The Darkest Hour

In Moscow, five young people lead the charge against an alien race who have attacked Earth via our power supply.

IMDb [4.9/10]

RottenTomatoes [11%, 0%]

Emile Hirsch has been one of my favorite actors of the last decade. He’s been in some films that I’ve really enjoyed, with his first leading role in The Girl Next Door in 2004, to Speed Racer, Into the Wild, Milk and a good many more movies. Milk was his last good appearance, and I’ve been waiting to see him in another good film. Seeing the trailers for this made me hopeful that this would be a solid movie. Unfortunately, critics around the globe haven’t seen it this way.

The Thing

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.

IMDb – 64%

RottenTomatoes – 35%

Let me start off by saying that “horror” movies, if people wish to call them that, are my least favorite kind of movie ever. I never find them horrifying or scary, and usually the production is absolutely terrible. But 2012 is a new year and I want to give these movies a chance. I’ll be honest, I’m only watching this movie because Mary Elizabeth Winstead [Live Free or Die Hard, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World] is in it, and I want to marry her. Or do other things to her, but let’s not get into that.

Read the rest of my review after the break.