The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 Disney animated film that is now perceived to be one of the classics. The following review is a reflection of my own personal thoughts and comments and is in no way affiliated with Disney.

***Spoilers Ahead***

Well my first question is this....WHY IS THIS NOT ON BROADWAY?!? The music to this film is stunning and immediately captures you in the first 10 minutes. It's funny how you watch an animated film from the 90s and forget how times have changed since then. Boy do I miss the animated films from my childhood days.

This film was fantastic and I'm shocked I've never seen it before. It must have just slipped by me. Well thanks to Netflix, I was able to watch the film and enjoy the fabulous tale of Quasimodo. The story was kid-friendly but I will admit, there were numerous parts that made me think, "wow this is dark." The story begins with a group of Gypsies running away from Frolo, the evil minister who vows to kill every gypsy that steps foot in Paris. He chases after a woman and her baby and as he grabs hold of the baby, he causes her to trip and fall. She unfortunately dies and Frolo is marked with sin. He is obligated to care for the boy (Quasimodo) in order to cleanse his soul.

The movie brings up several controversial points, but that is what makes this film amazing. The first point is being accepted for your differences. Quasimodo suffers from deformity and is convinced by Frolo he will never be taken in by the people. When Quasimodo is revealed to the public, some people embrace him while others torment him for being different. A clear representation of our current society and what's it like to feel different from everyone else.

The other point revolves around Frolo. This villain is very conflicted and I could not help but see a little Javert resemblance in this character. Frolo cannot see the good, no matter what, in Gypsies. He thinks they are disgusting and a menace to society. He specifically targets the Gypsy Esmerelda and wants to destroy her. But why? It is soon revealed that her beauty and charm is causing Frolo to get some...well....lets just say urges. He cannot accept this evil within him and blames the girl for it. As a result, he either wants her all to himself or just have her die. Definitely a point I don't think most kids will get.

Overall the film was great and visually stunning. Great animation and I loved the Topsy Turvy number. It was probably my favorite scene of the movie. While I don't understand the point of having real life gargoyles (sort of took away from the reality of the film), I get that they were the comic relief and Quasimodo's only friends. That was probably my only ehhh moment when watching the film.

Should this be a Disney film you have yet to see...See It! It is amazing and I'm glad I took the time to watch the movie.

My rating: A+

My Top 10 Movie Plot Twists - the remaining 7

So I decided to make my top 10 lists in one shot. I will quickly announce all of them with a brief description so it makes for an easy read.

My top 10 movie plot twists:

10 - The Mist

09- The Village

08 - The Departed

07 - Seven

   Twist: the killer who kills based on the seven deadly sins, reveals himself and the detective chasing him the final two sins (wrath and envy).

06 - UP

    Twist: Carl goes deeper into the adventure book him and his wife made while they were married and she was alive only to see she wrote him one final message. Talk about crying your eyes out!

05 - The Sixth Sense

    Twist: The therapist treating the young boy who sees dead people is dead the entire time.

04 - Identity

    Twist: all the characters are made up personalities by a deranged death row inmate who is "killing them off" in his mind to prove to the officials that the killer within him is gone.

03 - Now You See Me

    Twist: the detective assigned to the robbery case and bringing down the magicians was the one behind everything the whole time. He secretly helped the magicians and they didn't even know it.

02 - Psycho II

    Twist: the old lady that befriends Norman Bates is actually his biological mother. He kills her with a shovel at the end.

01 - The Others

    Twist: the characters being haunted by spirits throughout the whole film are actually dead. The spirits are really living people who have moved into the abandoned home in which our main character lived in.

Enjoy!!!

World War Z

World War Z is a 2013 film starring Brad Pitt. The film takes place in modern day society and revolves around a very popular topic within our pop culture at the moment....zombie apocalypse. I was quite hesitant in seeing this film, but to be honest I'm glad I did. It was extremely well done and I was thoroughly impressed with Brad Pitt's performance. He carried the film very well.

***Spoilers Alert****

The film begins with us meeting Gerry (Pitt) and his family. It is clearly recognized from the start that this family is very happy and very loving. Gerry is now the stay at home Dad, but enjoys taking care of his two daughters. The family of 4 are driving in NYC when they quickly realize something is happening within city limits. Gerry steps out of the car to investigate but a nearby explosion takes place. The family begins to panic with the rest of the citizens and make a run for it. Did we just get attacked? Gerry continues to look behind him only to see what no one would have expected to see...people eating each other and acting ferociously.

The film quickly develops into a zombie apocalypse. Gerry and his family travel to nearby buildings in order to escape the increasing threat. He gets a call from a friend he used to work with in the United Nations - "we're sending help your way!" Gerry and his family barely escape but are rescued and taken to a military carrier in the Atlantic Ocean. It is then when we learn about the situation and about Gerry. Gerry used to be an international spy for the UN and did a lot of work for them. In order for his family to stay protected onboard the carrier, Gerry must get back to his original job and join forces with the military. They want him to travel the world and find out more about this tragedy.

As Gerry continues his journey with the officers, he realizes none of the zombies target terminally ill people. He comes to the conclusion that they do not want anyone who is marked for death. As a result, he makes his way to a world health research facility, and works with the scientists in gathering diseases. In the final scene, Gerry is face to face with a zombie. He injects himself with the disease and well....hopes for the best. Sure enough the zombie shows no interest in him and the scientists realize his theory worked. They save him with an antidote and he is once again reunited with his family. The scientists quickly develop a vaccine using the deadliest diseases (not enough to kill anyone) so people can receive "camouflage" shots. Now as they remain invisible to the zombies, officials can figure out a way to save Earth and recover from this event.

Zombie movies have always been known to turn corny and far fetched. This one however takes a unique twist and captures the very element of surprise. How would you react should one day you saw this take place? We hear about it. Heck there's a tv show about it - but should one day zombies arrive, how would you respond!? I think Brad Pitt captures that moment very well in comprehending the reality of an impossible situation. I also enjoyed how scientists were trying to justify it as a major flu and refused to accept the word zombie as a mature, logical justification. Meanwhile, other officials are saying we must accept the fact that something we always deemed fictional is now actually happening. I felt it made the film more realistic in the approach they took.

I also dislike movies that solve a world crisis in two hours. This event is still happening as the film ends. They just found something that would help them remain uninflected. The real job is still taking place.

Overall a good film with some great action packed scenes. Go see it - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

My Rating: B+

Monster's University

Monster's University is a 2013 prequel to the beloved original, Monster's INC. While I will admit, I had reservations in seeing this film and wasn't sure how I would react to it, this is once again a job well done by Disney and Pixar. I write this as a personal moviegoer fan and these are solely my personal comments on the Disney film.

***Spoilers Alert***

The film dives into the stereotypical world of college living. We first meet Mike W. as a preschooler in the beginning scene of the film. Him and his class visit Monster's INC to learn all about scaring (remember, laughing hasn't been introduced yet). This is when Mike develops his life long dream of becoming a scarer.

The film immediately jumps to young adult Mike as he enrolls into Monster's University- a prestigious school for scaring majors. Sulley is soon introduced to us as your typical college frat boy. He's been fed by a silver spoon all his life and hides behind his family name. As a result, he doesn't take school seriously and expects to just have a fun time joining fraternities. Mike and Sulley are polar opposites. Mike is the nerdy must-study student and Sulley is the fun loving party animal. These two immediately become antagonists to one another and as an audience member, you wonder how these two will go from enemies to best friends.

As they both quickly realize their individual approach to college will not be tolerated by the dean (whole movie you're convinced she's the villain- she's actually really sweet at the end), they must work together with some of the school's biggest rejects in proving their skill sets and remaining enrolled in Monster's University. Needless to say they win the Scare Games but not before they learn some key life lessons first. By the end of the film, Mike and Sulley have grown to be best friends. While they still manage to get kicked out of school, they learn to use their skills in the workplace, and work their way up from the bottom in Monster's INC.

This film is a fabulous heart warming film. I can certainly appreciate some of the adult themed college references that many kids probably won't get - but that's what makes Pixar films so great. The film also made a great point that you can't expect to get far in the real world just by partying, but also just by studying. There's need to be a balance of maturity. I really enjoyed the concept behind college isn't everything. You can certainly get far by working hard and starting in the front line of any business. I can appreciate that message considering the journey I personally have had in my career thus far. A very heartwarming film that connects with the original story in such a natural way. I really enjoyed how they showed Randall beginning as Mike's only friend only to turn into his enemy when Sulley humiliates him at the competition. It sets great motive for the original villain of the story. 

Definitely a must see - you won't be disappointed.

My Rating: A

Man of Steel

Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film featuring one of the most iconic superheroes of our time....Superman. While we have seen our fair share of Superman reboots beyond Christopher Reeve, this particular one takes a unique twist. We cannot help but have high expectations of the film considering the names attached to it....Christopher Nolan, Zach Snyder, etc. Sadly, Man of Steel fails to deliver a superhero movie that will be talked about for years!! Sorry Christopher Nolan, but stick with  Batman.

Visually, the film is fantastic. The cinematography is superb as the camera captures incredible angles throughout the entire film. One notable scene is when Superman walks out for the first time. The angle in which his cape is shown blowing in the wind is well done. It were scenes like the one I just mentioned that captured those intense moments and made you appreciate what was happening in the scene.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for character development. Not one character is emotionally connected with the audience. I could not get myself to "feel" what the characters were feeling. Their story lines intertwined way too quickly and even prematurely. Amy Adams as Lois Lane was perhaps the most disappointing. We learn nothing of her and the relationship between Lois and Superman is never truly defined. Superman is another character I was disappointed in. The filmmakers tried too hard to get his origin storyline all in one movie. The flashbacks showing his time as a child was well done, but the transition from Clark to Superman is poorly developed. There is no excitement, no anticipation. All of a sudden he walks out of a cave wearing the uniform. Wait! What?!?

The build up to the final showdown between hero and villain is poorly executed. By the time the ending is about to be revealed, the movie lost my interest. And I couldn't help but feel disappointed in how the showdown took place. Could we put in any more superhero movie cliches? While I understand the reality of a superhero movie is hard to display, this movie gave far-fetch a new meaning. Superman and the villain are flying through every and I mean every skyscraper in New York. All at the same time, alien space ships are flying above the city and destroying the buildings Superman missed. It was Star Trek meets War of the Worlds meets District 9. And at the very end all it takes is for Superman to snap the villain's neck! What?!?!? 

My personal theory is this...Christopher Nolan got cocky. His success in Batman made him think he could come up with anything and we would all just fall to our knees. Sorry not this time. Christopher Reeve would still be rolling in his grave.

My recommendation: see it but don't make it your priority must see summer movie. It's ok if you miss this one.

Rating: B-

Top 10 Movie Plot Twists #8

THE DEPARTED

****Spoilers Ahead****

While there may be some amazing movies out in the world, many of them failed to do the unspeakable: kill off the main character in an unpredictable way. 

The Departed hits my top 10 list, because you would never expect this scene to take place. Protagonists who die mainly do so at the very end when they have fulfilled their mission. Otherwise, they seem to survive every possible threat thrown at them. 

Leo Dicaprio plays Billy Costigan, the main protagonist of the movie. With about 45 minutes left, Billy captures the antagonist played by Matt Damon. While we believe the protagonist has finally won and there is no hope for Matt Damon, we are given an ultimate element of surprise. Leo is escorting a severely beaten Matt via elevator. As soon as the elevator doors open, Billy is shot and killed by one of Matt's allies. We can't help but jump, and feel shocked that our main character, who was in the lead this whole time, just died with one bullet. How did that happen?

The Departed took some major risks but also exposed the reality of what it's like to be in organized crime: expect the unexpected and that no one is safe. Great film and powerful scene makes this one of the best plot twists for me.

I did not post the clip because it is extremely bloody and violent.

Top 10 Movie Plot Twists: #9

THE VILLAGE

****Spoilers Alert****

This 2004 film was criticized for its lack of suspense and horror. Many people did not enjoy the film, including critics. I, however, loved this movie. Why? Cause of the plot twist.

There are so many movies out there with one common issue: they're predictable. The twist they present has been done several movies back. There's nothing new. But this one was. This twist genuinely surprised me and made its way onto my top 10.

The Village is about a group of people living in a town set in the 1800s. They all suffer from some inner demon, but we do not know what it is. As the story progresses, we learn from the village's leaders that there are monsters in the woods and no one should ever cross into their territory. We meet these creatures halfway through the film and believe the leaders are telling the truth. But something drastic happens that will cause the leaders to rethink their policy.

The protagonist is severely injured and requires lots of medication. This medication is not within the village's reach and it can only be found pass the woods. The leaders send a woman who is blind out into the woods to retrieve the medicine. Aren't they concerned about her safety? Why are they not thinking about the monsters? Well that's because the monsters are the leaders.

The leaders dress up in these costumes to scare off the people and keep them from satisfying their curiosity. But why?  Cause it's the not the 1800s, it's 2004. The leader of the village bought out the land and used it to make his own town set in the 1800s. Each of the leaders experienced a major tragedy in their lives - murder, theft, rape, lost. They felt the modern world was too painful to live in, and decided to "go back" in time to a period they felt was peaceful and tranquil. They believed it was the only way to shield their children and grandchildren from the horrors that is our modern day society. 

I honestly did not see the twist coming. With the setting and detail so strong in that time period, I was left with no clues as to the twist being the year is 2004.

Excellent build up and incredible story development. Once revealed, the twist made this movie one of the most interesting concepts in my movie watching experience.

Top 10 Movie Plot Twists: #10

THE MIST:

****Spoilers ahead****

For me, a great story involves a twist - something we weren't expecting to happen. It's what draws us in and captures our surprise instantly. While The Mist is a seriously flawed film, it has landed a spot in my top 10 movie plot twists.

The film focuses on a random town where people are living their everyday lives. They are soon cloaked in an unknown mist where terror awaits anyone who investigates the outside world. It turns out Earth is under a severe alien attack and the aliens are using the mist as a shielding tool. As many of the people die, they begin to lose all hope of surviving this brutal event.  

A group of people decide to take one final chance as they enter the mist, get in a car, and drive off. They soon realize they cannot escape the mist/aliens and agree that they gave it a good try. As all hope is lost for them, they realize they will not survive this attack. They are stuck in the middle of the road, awaiting the inevitable doom.

They decide to take matters into their own hands with one gun, 4 bullets, and 5 people. The leading man decides to kill his son and his allies to spare them the agony everyone else has been going through in this attack. As he grieves the lost of his son, he is forced to find his own way of death. As soon as he exits the car, the army arrives and is literally saving the day. He cannot believe this and the film ends with him screaming in agonizing surprise.

I will admit, my mouth opened when I saw this scene. This scene is an extremely controversial yet powerful moment. What do you do when you are convinced you're not going to survive? Do you wait? Or do you just get it over with? This also brings up an incredible point that sometimes, patience truly is a virtue. I would never have guessed the movie would end with this man killing four people including his son only to be rescued seconds later. 

A twist I genuinely did not see coming. I have attached the 7 minute scene for your enjoyment but note that this scene contains blood, violence, and controversial topics.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BqI45jjthpA

The Internship

The Internship is a 2013 comedy film featuring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Immediately you think of 2005's Wedding Crashers when these two names get paired together. While this movie is certainly no Wedding Crashers, it delivers a heart-warming life lesson to all us who rely too much on technology and social media.

******Spoilers ahead******

The story revolves around two middle aged men who are too old for the new technological world, but still too young to retire and not look back. When they get laid off from their company due to a heavy demand in electronic sales, they are forced to adapt to change. They apply for an internship with Google, a search engine that has literally changed the way we look for information.

While it is comedic when the two men interview with Google via video conferencing, it goes to show how out of date they really are. Obviously they get the job and make their to Google. 

The film is your average comedy where a protagonist hits rock bottom in the beginning, goes off to do the impossible, hits rock bottom again and decides to give up, gets an epiphany to carry on, and complete the task resulting in a landslide victory. We've seen this movie before right? While I am disappointed this story failed to deliver something fresh, something original, I applaud the messages it delivered.

Today, we rely way too much on Facebook, cell phones, Instagram, hash tags, and even Google. We live in a world where, myself included, can fall in the trap of looking down at your phones and not seeing what's around you. While Vince and Owen's characters need the young interns to help them adapt to the technology, the kids need them to help them enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed. After some comedic moments, the two groups become close and each them learn a valuable life lesson.

The movie features your stereotypical technology nerds who are extremely book smart but have no social skills. There's even a scene where they play Quidditch (quite funny) and the kids have to help the two men understand Harry Potter.

I enjoyed this story because it focuses on what it's like to work hard, but to also have fun at the same time. It also shows how scary change can be for people which in my opinion is a critical thing we deal with and can relate with. While the film did not have me roll on the floor laughing, I was moved by the thematic elements and appreciate the points they made. While we might be so well connected thanks to technology, we are so far apart at the same time. It takes people from different generations to fill those gaps.

My recommendation: Go see it. You'll laugh but mostly you'll appreciate the heartwarming story.

Rating: B

The Purge

The Purge is a 2013 film based on the future of America. In this future, our government has allowed the people to commit any crime within a twelve hour window once a year. This purge includes murder and the suspension of all emergency personnel.

*****Spoilers Ahead*****

The concept is very interesting and while we accept the fact that this is indeed fictional, we cannot help but wonder the what ifs behind this purge should it become a reality. The movie focuses on the pros of the purge claiming unemployment is at it's lowest, crime is at it's lowest, and the overall economy is flourishing. Morally, I have an issue with the film's strong aggression in supporting the purge. While I understand the need of an explanation and foundation, I felt it was unnecessary to shove it in our faces on how great it would be to legally kill those who drag the country down. It was if they were campaigning for such a cause in real life.

The film itself lacked originality. It was a cross between The Strangers and The Hunger Games and was very predictable. There is no character development whatsoever. We follow a family of 4 who is very wealthy (of course you need a big mansion to set in so the characters have plenty of room to run and hide - total cliche in horror movies). The family is morally tested as the youngest child allows a hurt man to take refuge inside their home. The people chasing him approach the house and now threaten the entire family should they not cooperate. We learn nothing about these antagonists except they are clearly psychotic. They wear freaky "smile" masks (again another cliche) and find a way to break in the house. At this moment, the film picks up in suspense and action as the family fights for their lives. This was rather good but again, very predictable that all the bad guys would be defeated. The main character being killed, however, was a nice touch and I did not see that coming. I like when movies show the reality behind no one being immune to death - even the protagonist.

While the film might have had strong moments of suspense and fear, it lacked character development,  storyline, and emotion. Not enough time passed for us to truly connect with the family. I could not emotionally grasp their situation as the build up was just too quick.

My recommendation: wait for the video and "purge" yourself the cost of an admission ticket.

Rating: C-