Review of “Rambo – part IV” February 3, 2008
Posted by johnakm in movie.Tags: julie benz, rambo, stallone
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Impressed by “Rambo – first blood” , I was anxious to watch the latest installment of the Rambo series and here is my take on this film(and by the way, I haven’t watched part 2 and part 3 of the series). Former Green Beret , John Rambo (Stallone) , has moved to Thailand and lives his life, away from the western world. He captures snakes (cobras and pythons, to be specific) to trade with the locals, recovers scrap metal, and operates as a boatman to make a living there. Meanwhile, in Burma, the local people there are struggling to survive the brutal tyranny of the Burmese army. A group of christian missionary workers from America try to convince John to take them to Burma (to offer medical supplies to the local Burmese people who are suffering), since he is the only person who knows the way through the rivers from Thailand to Burma. At first John refuses to help them since he prefers to mind his own business and stay away from trouble , but Sarah (one of the missionary workers played by Julie Benz) manages to convince him to take them. So for her sake, he takes them on his boat to Burma. Predictably, the missionary workers get captured by the brutal Burmese army , shortly after they start to offer help to the locals (in terms of medicines and supplies). John is informed by the christian mission that the workers never returned. They tell him that they are planning to hire mercenaries to rescue the missionaries and ask for his help to take them to where he dropped of the missionaries. The rest of the movie shows how John Rambo and the mercenaries rescue the missionary workers.
This film is quite short (about an hour and thirty minutes long) so it doesn’t really get boring at any point. The plot is quite predictable ( the storyline is very simple) and focus is more on the action sequences. Stallone(Rambo) doesn’t talk much , which in my opinion is a good thing. The action in this film, though gory, is really good , very different from that in the Bourne series(I would say its a different genre altogether and both are at the top of their game). There were atleast three of four sequences in the film which had the whole audience (including me) applauding like crazy. You know that all those bad guys are going to end up dead, and you know that John Rambo is going to kill them, but how it happens is what this film is all about. Despite what most of the critics have said, I really enjoyed this film and I would say its a must watch for any Rambo fans !
Review of “Juno” ! January 22, 2008
Posted by johnakm in movie.Tags: ellen page, jason bateman, jennifer garner, Juno, michael cera
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“Juno” is a film which tells the heartwarming story of the issues faced by Juno (Ellen Page), a teenager, who suddenly needs to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.
The film begins with Juno finding out about her pregnancy and then fairly early on decides to give up her baby for adoption. She and her friend Leah find a prospective couple, in the local Pennysaver, who are looking to adopt a child. Juno’s boyfriend (played by Michael Cera of Superbad fame) loves her, but is clearly not prepared to deal with responsibilities of fatherhood and is somewhat relieved when Juno tells him of her plans to give up the baby for adoption. Juno’s parents are surprisingly understanding when she informs them of her pregnancy(I expected some drama at this point) and her plans to give up the baby for adoption. Juno and her Dad go to meet the prospective couple (played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) who are interested in adopting the baby . Juno is convinced that this is the perfect place for her baby , since Vannesa (Jennifer Garner of Alias fame) is anxious to become a mom, Mark(Jason Bateman) seems like a nice guy and the couple seem to be financially strong. The rest of the film deals with the issues she faces during the pregnancy and some surprises , in what one might have initially assumed to be a smooth adoption . But the film ends pretty well after all.
Jennifer Garner does a great job portraying Vanessa , who is desperate to become a mom and there are a few heartwarming scenes in this film. Ellen Page brings character to the title role . The film is visually appealing and music lovers are in for a treat (a great soundtrack for this film ). Its not the best film of the year since it has a simple storyline but its definitely made very well and I would say its definitely worth a watch.
