#57 Stand by Me (1986)

Directed by: Rob Reiner
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman

Everyone must have seen this so i'll keep my views on it short. 

Stand by Me evokes so many emotions. It's funny, tearjerking, tragic and heartwarming all at different times. It's a coming of age story that will make you cherish your friends and feel grateful that they're in your life.

It's well paced and each scene delivers something valid to the story. If you've not seen this, do so, you can thank me later.

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#56 The Mist (2007)

Directed by: Frank Darabont
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden

The Mist is one in a long line of Stephen King adaptations. The best of course, is The Shining, look out for that in a future review. This, however, seems to have split opinion amongst audiences and holds mixed reviews across the web.

Those mixed feelings sum up my thoughts on the movie too. One the one hand I feel that it's technically very good. The camera work and editing are all done very well and I really like some of the direction. On the other hand, however, I found the ending to be somewhat of a letdown and some of the characters annoying and underdeveloped. I'd recommend watching this and making up your own mind.

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#55 Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Directed by: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: Andy Serkis, Karin Konoval, James Franco

The original planet of the apes is one of my all time favourite films. Even some of the sequels weren't too bad, with beneath the planet of the apes actually being really enjoyable.

I was, however, sceptical about this reboot. The Mark Whalberg version was dreadful and I feared this would go the same way.

The performances here are decent without being outstanding. Franco suits his role well without ever really excelling. This goes for most of the main cast. It does look incredible though, with the apes being the standout feature. 

It's a strange film that makes the audience root for human extinction but this does exactly that. I found myself cheering on Caesar in his quest for freedom, even though I knew exactly what it would lead too.

In summary, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the reboot I always wanted. It looks great, has a well written script and a nicely paced story. It also, importantly, pays homage to and respects the original. Highly recommended.

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#54 Gangster Squad (2013)

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

Gangster squad features an all star cast. Man of the moment Ryan Gosling and one of Hollywood's current starlets, Emma Sone, promise a lot from this gangster film.

It's a difficult film to hate, in that it's immense fun to watch. From the very beginning to the end it really is an enjoyable ride, without ever being particularly great. I think had the cast been of a lesser standard i'd find this an easy problem to accept, but with the talent on show, it certainly feels like a missed opportunity.

With that being said, it's definitely a guilty pleasure film. One to watch when you want some mindless violence with a great cast. I just wish it had slightly more substance as it had the chance to deliver something really special. 

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#53 Broken City (2013)

Directed by: Allen Hughes
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Broken City has some big name actors and actresses and promised quite a lot. Unfortunately, while there is some good here, the script ruins what could have been a fine political thriller.

It holds together reasonably well and generally, there are good performances from the leads. The problem is that the material they are working with is extremely poor and some of the scenes seem to have just been stuck in as an after thought.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this, but it's certainly entertaining and an easy watch. The big name actors scrape enough together to avoid it being disastrous.

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#52 Piranha 3DD (2012)

Directed by: John Gulager
Starring: Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush

I'm struggling to find anything good to write about this. While the 2010 version of Piranha was far from a masterpiece, this makes it look like the best horror film ever made.

Piranha 3DD takes the general concept of the first but fails to deliver on every level imaginable. The acting is atrocious, the gags unfunny and the script dire. I can't really bring myself to say much more about this so i'll finish with one word to sum it all up...

Garbage.

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#51 Piranha (2010)

Directed by: Alexandre Aja
Starring: Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg

Piranha is surprisingly great fun. The acting is decent and the story moves at quite a pace. Some of the scenes do seem a bit laboured but overall I really enjoyed it.

It's gory, funny and never takes itself too seriously. The plot is as thin and basic as they come but that can be forgiven in the context of the films genre. Watch this with an open mind and it's most certainly an enjoyable, yet gory ride.

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#50 Dumbo (1941)

Directed by: Samuel Armstrong
Starring: James Baskett, Herman Bing

Dumbo pretty much sums up the phrase, short and sweet. With a runtime of 64 minutes, it's probably the shortest film I'll watch during this challenge.

I'll start off by saying that this looks simply made. The animations and art of the lesser characters are, at times, poor and not particularly detailed. The story is also pretty basic and you can see that Disney cut corners in the production of this, probably to save money.

With that being said, the film delivers on so many levels. The story is heartbreaking as well as joyous, bringing even grown men to tears! The characters are loveable too and show that it doesn't matter how much a film costs to make, it's success ultimately relies on it's narrative.

Dumbo is an all time Disney classic and probably my favourite ever animated picture. It's heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, but always extremely sentimental. By telling a simple story, it hasn't tried to be a masterpiece. However, by telling it so effectively, we get just that.... A masterpiece.

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#49 The Road (2009)

Directed by: John Hillcoat
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron

The Road was released during a time when post apocalyptic films were coming thick and fast. This is probably the most dark and gritty of them all. It has a huge sense of dispair running throughout, which makes for hugely depressing viewing.

With that said, the film is very well made. The cinematography is, at times, breathtaking and the performances are all very good. I really felt for the central characters and they all evoked strong emotions.

The Road is a terrific piece of cinema, but it's also one of the most depressing films I've ever seen. I'd recommend this to anyone, just dont watch it on a day you're feeling low, or it might just send you over the edge....

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#48 Johnny English Reborn (2011)

Directed by: Oliver Parker
Starring: Roger Barclay, Rowan Atkinson

I really like the original Johnny English film and was sceptical to hear they were making this sequel. It did however surprise me by not ending up as a complete rehash of the original.

Rowan Atkinson, as usual, plays his role really well. His facial expressions alone make for some laugh out loud moments. Some of the gags are surprisingly well written with barely any toilet humour or sex jokes, which seem to plague many comedies of recent years.

There are times where it does feel a bit uninspired though, and moments of predictability keep cropping up. A couple of the jokes feel like they were taken directly from the original, slightly altered, and then crammed into this, although these are few and far between.

Overall, Johnny English Reborn is a watchable, funny, basic comedy. The plot doesn't offer a lot in the way of substance, but laughs are present throughout. Don't take it too seriously and you will find enough good here to make you feel this sequel was warranted.

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#47 Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt

Where do you begin when talking about Twelve Monkeys. It's such an unbelievably complex film that I'm wondering if I need to create a whole new blog just dedicated to it. The underlying problem I have with writing about this film is my indecision as to whether or not I actually like it. Beacause of this, I will break it down and talk about each major point.

Firstly, the performances. Bruce Willis is fantastic in his role. It's a tricky part to play but he does superbly. Brad Pitt is also a standout performer with his character being one of the highlights of the whole film. Madeleine Stowe's character as the female lead/love interest i found to be a bit annoying though. Her performance, at times, seemed a bit unrealistic too, especially in the initial kidnapping scenes.

Next, the cinematography. For a film made in the nineties, it holds up pretty well to todays standards. Nothing looks too ridiculous or badly done. Some of the sets look fantastic too, especially when you consider when this was released.

As for the story, it's complicated but not too tough to follow. There are a few plot holes, although few compared to many other time travel themed films. Looking at the likes of Looper, which has lots of problems, Twelve Monkeys actually does really well at limiting the amount of continuity errors. One of the issues I had though, was trying to actually decipher what the film was trying to be. A comedy, a drama, a thriller or a mix of all three. That's where my main problem lies, as it all feels slightly confused as to it's genre. I think it would have worked better by just choosing one and following it. I have no issue with dashes of humour in a film, but this seemed too much at times and made other elements seem devoid of any real direction.

Overall, Twelve Monkeys is a very good Sci-Fi film. One of the best time travel films I have seen and holds up well to multiple viewings. Its flaws, of which it has few, are unfortunately too big for me to dismiss and end up leaving me with slight disappointment. I would however, highly recommend watching this for yourself and making up your own mind.

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#46 Fast and Furious 5 (2011)

Directed by: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

It's incredibly rare that the fifth instalment in a film franchise turns out to be the best. In fact, I can't think of any examples, apart from this.

By now, the characters are all pretty settled in their roles and it shows. The performances are decent and the chemistry between them all is marvellous to watch. The inclusion of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is a master stroke and his character immediately makes an impact.

The story is well balanced and generally entertaining. It is, as you would expect, incredibly far fetched but as I've explained in my previous reviews, this isn't a problem due to the sheer nature of the films style. It can get away with almost anything and credit for that has to go to director, Justin Lin. His F&F films have become better and better with each instalment.

Fast Five takes everything that was good about the previous films and improves on them. It's more daring, more action packed and  more outrageous than anything we've seen so far. This is, to date, the definitive Fast and Furious film that all it's successors must follow.

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#45 Fast and Furious (2009)

Directed by: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

The original cast finally return!

This fourth entry into the series has received some horrible reviews. Critics panned it with one saying that, 'only 13-year-old boys and Jeremy Clarkson could possibly enjoy this'. I consider myself to dislike most 13-year-olds and Jeremy Clarkson, however I really like this film!

It's a massive step forward from 2 Fast and, for me, equals the thrills of Tokyo Drift. The action scenes here are terrific and the acting much improved from the previous two entries. Many scenes are completely devoid of logic and outside the realms of reality, however this is what makes Fast and Furious films so enjoyable.

If you watched this and disliked it, I urge you to revisit it and give it another chance. I found it highly enjoyable.

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#44 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Directed by: Justin Lin
Starring: Lucas Black, Bow Wow

Justin Lin introduces himself to the Fast and Furious world here, with Tokyo Drift. He has since gone on to direct all the future films and I can see why.

F&F Tokyo Drift is one of those films that I know i shouldn't like, but can't help doing so. It doesn't have the out and out quality of the later entries but its just a whole lot of fun. I'm grateful it turned out this way as the series desperately needed a shot in the arm after the despair of 2 Fast 2 Furious.

The whole drifting concept works well and while it's not terribly well acted, it doesn't need to be. It relies heavily on action and the thrill of each race. Visually is great and I love the soundtrack.

While this isn't the most complete entry into the series, it's certainly one of the most enjoyable. It brought us back to the thrills achieved in the original and paved the way for some successful sequels. For that, I'm truly grateful.

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#43 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Directed by: John Singleton
Starring: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson

Let me start off by saying that I loved the original. It started what is currently one of the most enjoyable franchises in cinema.

With that being said, 2 Fast 2 Furious is a complete mess. It's no surprise when you consider that everything, apart from Paul Walker, has been changed from the original. A different cast, location and director all make for the worst entry in the series.

The race sequences are generally pretty good, but alongside these is a sloppy script and some terrible acting from Eva Mendes and Cole Hauser. The best, and only, good thing to come from this is the introduction of Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris. Their characters have continued in the series and are an integral part to its current success.

While I'm a huge fan of the series, this is the one and only Fast and Furious film I won't ever be watching again.

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#42 The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Directed by: Rob Cohen
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

So, it all began here. It's spawned various sequels, crossed numerous continents and made a ridiculous amount of money. The Fast and the Furious franchise has been a massive Hollywood hit.

Revisiting this, I wasn't entirely sure what I would make of it. Having seen the newer more special effect heavy sequels, this seemed like I would be returning to petty underground street races for small money. Surprisingly though, it's actually very similar to every other film in the franchise, just everything is done on a much smaller scale.

The dialogue is bad, the story predictable and the performances questionable but that's what every person that has ever seen a Fast and Furious film has come to expect from them. Had I seen this now for the first time without having seen a F&F film, I no doubt would be slating it. The truth, however, is that after watching so many of them, all of the aforementioned problems become, well, part of the film experience!

The biggest positive I can give any F&F film is that it doesn't try to be something it's not. This original follows that to the letter. It knows all it's good for is mindless popcorn street racing and for that, I give it credit. It's probably also the reason i've fallen slightly in love with the whole franchise.

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#41 Onibaba (1964)

Onibaba (English translation, Demon Hag) tells the story of two women who have been left to fend for themselves after all of the men in their region have gone to war.

There was less dialogue throughout the film than I expected and therefore, Onibaba relies heavily on the acting performances of the two female leads. They are both excellent, especially the older woman. I found the whole film was superbly acted.

The atmosphere during the film is terrific and shots of the long, swaying grass coupled with the eerie sound effects make for some very creepy scenes. In fact, the surroundings of this film create an enclosed, tense atmosphere which turn it into a stylised horror. It may be set in a vast field, but the way it's shot means that we rarely ever see more than a couple of feet in front of a character at any one time. This constant foray into the unknown gets more and more tense as the film progresses with the characters having more at stake.

Having never seen Onibaba before today, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. It's clearly influenced many modern day horror films and it should definitely be seen. Whether foreign language films interest you or not, this is every bit a classic that shouldn't be ignored.

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#40 Cliffhanger (1993)

Directed by: Renny Harlin
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow

As with most Stallone films, cliffhanger needs to be viewed as a mindless action flick.

The bonus here though, is that there is decent performances throughout. Put that alongside the engaging action sequences and the result is actually a very enjoyable film.

The script is very poor however, and some of the dialogue scenes feel more comical than tense. Unintentional humour is everywhere in this film but strangely enough, the laughs added to my enjoyment of it.

If you're after some exciting action scenes, then this will be ideal for you. Just don't expect any substance to go along with it.

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#39 I Give it a Year (2013)

I Give it a Year is essentially a RomCom played out in reverse. The early wedding and happiness scenes appear in the opening few minutes of the film and things go backwards from there. It's not quite as simple as all that, but to say more may spoil the plot. I like to call it an anti-RomCom.

One of the main things a RomCom needs to be is funny and to its credit, I Give it a Year definitely provides a few laughs. Stephen Merchant in particular has a few funny lines, although after a while his crude humour does get slightly predictable. That seems to follow with all the characters throughout the film. It feels like the writers have tried to cram as many jokes in as possible, resulting in quantity rather than quality. However, I did find myself laughing at times and there is some funny scenes.

So onto the performances. The cast is actually pretty decent, which is rare for this genre. Since watching Damages, I've been a big fan of Rose Byrne and, apart from the awful Get Him to the Greek, her big screen credits have been reasonable. She does a good job here in one of the leading roles.  Rafe Spall is believable, if a little cringeworthy at times and Stephen Merchant does his job of acting as the films clown. I don't like Anna Farris and I don't suppose I ever will, however she doesn't annoy me too much here. I also didn't get on with Simon Baker's character. I never found him remotely likeable and didn't, for me, suit the role.

As far as the story is concerned, it's fairly predictable but I do credit it on being slightly different. It gets bogged down in sections where the laughs aren't really there, but it moves quickly enough to limit the tedious parts.

So, is I Give it a Year Worth watching? If you're a fan of the genre then I would recommend it. It's a slightly different take on the traditional RomCom which makes for a more interesting story and there are laughs to be had. Unfortunately, there are also some really awful jokes and these often lead to dull moments. It's a film to watch and not take too seriously. Do that, and I think there is definitely some enjoyment to be had here.

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#38 12 Angry Men (1957)

Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Henry Fonda

Whenever a film is set almost entirely in one room or space (Rope and Buried come to mind), I always have great admiration when it is able to deliver tension. I can't think of a better film at doing this than 12 Angry Men.

The success of the film lies in it's narrative, script and acting. All 12 men in the film give outstanding performances and are completely committed to their characters. These characters are developed so well by the narrative and script which ultimately leave the viewer with a fascinating and distinct group of people to watch.

This film is something which I believe everybody should watch. It's a testament to cinema and shows that to achieve a truly great film you don't need explosions, action, costumes and special effects. All that's needed is terrific acting. These days, too many films cover over the cracks with a loud, visual special effects sequence, but not here. 12 Angry Men is laid out in front of you so simply, that if there were faults, they would be evident. However, the simple fact is, there aren't any to be found.

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#37 Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

Directed by: Don Siegel
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan

Based on true events, escape from Alcatraz follows the story of Frank Morris (Eastwood) as he tries to escape the famous prison of Alcatraz.

The one problem I have with the film is the lack of danger Morris seems to be in when confronted with the other inmates. He quickly makes an enemy but never once seems under much threat. Morris, for me, makes too my many friends too quickly in the film.

This issue, however, is somewhat understandable seeing as the film is based solely on escaping. Lots of detail is given about the escape and I did feel lots of tension during certain scenes. The characters are all well developed and this really helped me feel for them and will them to escape. Having other, general prison scenes present may have detracted from what the story is truly about

The prison shots are all very realistic and feature a gritty and dark colour palette. The shots that accompany the opening sequences work well too and give a real sense of despair and isolation on the island.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Escape From Alcatraz. It was my second viewing and knowing the story definitely didn't take away from my enjoyment. The characters, acting, story and realism are all impressive. I would highly recommend this.

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#36 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Directed by: John Huston
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt

Let me start off by saying that The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is quite simply one of the best films ever made.

The main themes her
e are about human behaviour and how it's affected by greed, wealth and money. I think the films successes are reached by portraying these themes so well. We see regular, hardworking, honest characters turned into crazed, disillusioned, untrusting and uncivilised men. Watching this, delivers not only a harsh truth about the human state of mind, but it's also quite terrifying.

As for the acting, it's impecable. Walter Huston won the oscar for Best Supporting Actor and it is thoroughly deserved. One of my favourite scenes is the first time he meets the characters played by Borgart and Holt as they have their initial exchanges. The dialogue is terrific and the way Huston delivers his lines just blows me away every time.

The story itself is paced excellently. There is a lot that happens in the opening 25 minutes of the film, so much so that many films would drag this sequence out. Here though, the story moves quickly without affecting the impact that it has. It retains the character development without seeming rushed. I just love how the director has managed to get a story that pans for months, whittled down to just 2 hours of film time and yet retain every aspect that makes it great. In that sense, it's one of the best paced films I've ever seen.

The score is excellent here, and the grand panning camera shots of the wild west are done justice by the bold music. The cinematography is also of the highest standard.

While it's not my favourite ever film (See my list of favourite films on this blog), It's certainly close. I find it impossible to criticise and each time I watch it, I fall in love with it just that bit more. The Blu-ray transfer is immaculate too. I would urge everyone to watch this, you won't be disappointed.

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#35 The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal

To conclue my trio of films today, i'm ending with
The Day After Tomorrow.

Let me start off by saying that this Blu-ray looks impressive. It makes use of what the films offers best and that is terrific visuals. As with many world disaster films, it has scenes of large scale destruction, all of which look excellent.

As a film, it's all very, very cliched and runs along the exact path many other disaster films do. I don't mind that so much, as long as it doesn't pretend to be better than it is. Watching The Day After Tomorrow, I did get the impression that it knows it's not going to offer anything outstanding and that definitely worked in it's favour.

What the film lacks is a decent script. Some of the dialogue here is really quite poor. Fortunately, it doesn't affect the overall movie experience as much as I would have anticipated. The characters and performances are all adequate with nobody offering anything special enough to warrant a mention.

The Day After Tomorrow is a solid, enjoyable film. It has great visuals and while it may lack any real quality elsewhere, it offers enough to keep viewers entertained, if not blown away.

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#34 Friends With Kids (2011)

Directed by: Jennifer Westfeldt
Starring: Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt

Written, directed, produced and starring Jennifer Westfeldt, Friends with kids is a fun albeit unremarkable RomCom. As with many films of this genre these days, it suffers from being very predictable but, to its credit, it does deliver some laughs.

Acting wise, there is a respectable cast. Chris O'Dowd has been excellent in comedies such as Bridesmaids and The IT Crowd, but it's unfortunate here that he hasn't really been given great material to work with. That being said, he was one of the better performers in the film along with the always solid and reliable Kristen Wiig. I was disappointed with both of the leads, I found it a struggle to buy into their characters and that had a negative impact on the film as a whole.

There are some good moments here and it does, at times, deliver some laughs but it all feels so unremarkable. That, coupled with two main characters I took a dislike to, made the film disappointing for me. If you're a fan of the genre you could do a lot worse but go in with low expectations.

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#33 Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent

Two of my favourite scenes in any film I've ever seen are present here. The first being the opening scene where Christoph Waltz's character questions a diary farmer on the location of some Jew's that he is hunting. The second, again features Waltz as he has cake (with whipped cream!) with one of the Jews from the opening scene.

Christoph Waltz is absolutely awesome in the film and while there are great performances around him, he really steals the show. He's an absolute pleasure to watch and it's no surprise Tarantino linked up with him again for 2013's Django Unchained.

Now, onto the film!

Exactly what genre does Inglourious Basterds (yes, this is actually the correct spelling!) fit into? War, drama, comedy, adventure would probably start to sum up the themes here. I suppose that makes it a WardavCom. If that eventually becomes an actual genre, remember that you heard it here first!

Surprisingly, Inglourious Basterds knows exactly what it is and that makes for a great film. There are scenes where it's serious and completely compelling, while there are others which have splashes of humour thrown in. It's really enjoyable to see a film make so many genres fit together well.

Unfortunately though, scenes are very hit and miss. Some are standout and make me want to give a glowing review, while others become a bit tedious. While I have no problem with the ideas behind the film, I do feel the plot suffers slightly from being, well, just a bit too silly, even for Tarantino! The other negative point I will make here is the 153 minute runtime makes the film feel bloated. Similar to Django Unchained, it's unnecessarily long and it definitely makes for some arduous moments.

The good here, is very good. It's just a shame that there is a few too many sloppy, excess scenes. An absolute must watch, even just for Waltz's performance.

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#32 Good Luck Chuck (2007)

Directed by: Mark Helfrich
Starring: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, Dan Fogler

So, in doing this challenge, it's dawned upon me that i'm going to have to watch some RomComs and, in general, a few pretty dire movies. Getting these out of the way quickly seems like a good idea. So, to that end, I thought my Saturday afternoon may as well consist of Good Luck Chuck. The jokes are lewd, crude and generally just plain unfunny. Dane Cook is a dreadful actor and an even worse comedian. Alba doesn't look suited to her role and the whole thing is just a bit of a mess. It's poorly written and i'm glad that I'll never have to watch this again.

If you plan on seeing this, then good luck. If you plan on seeing it and your name is Chuck, well, all I can say is, good luck Chuck. Stick with me, my 'jokes' will get better... I promise.

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