Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the first part of the two part finale of the Harry Potter franchise. I will be posting Part 2 of the Deathly Hallows tomorrow but I wrote the review below before watching Part 2 of the Deathly Hallows. Therefore the review is not influenced by the next movie.

*Due to spam, the comments on this post have been turned off. Please feel free to comment on my other posts.*

While there are a lot goods things about the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 but there are a few problems with this entry in the series. Although I kind of expected it to be half of a full movie since it is "Part 1" of a two part book. It is kind of like watching half of the four hour long Lord of the Rings Return of the King Extended Edition and having to wait a few months before you get to see the second half. But that is not to say that it a bad movie by any means it is actually my second favorite of the Harry Potter thus far after the Order of the Phoenix. I expect that I will like Part 1 more after watching Part 2. Also I highly recommend watching the previous Harry Potter movie within a month (I watched it the following week) that you watch the Deathly Hallows Part 1, because you might be a little lost in the plot.

Note: I will be referring to the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as "Part 1" during some of the review and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as well.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 has some really great parts and some unnecessarily slow parts. As a standalone movie, Part 1 does not really stand up well enough on its own but it does not try to. Also the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is by far the darkest of the Harry Potter franchise. It is in no way a family movie, there some surprisingly violent scenes (not very violent compared many other movies) compared to previous movies in the franchise. The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is not a "Fun" movie like some of the other Harry Potter it is dark, grim, and has a kind of depressing tone, which really works since the heroes are basically at war with Lord Voldemort the Death Eaters. While none of the action is as good as the Order of the Phoenix's epic battle at the end of the movie, there is more action throughout the movie. This is the only Harry Potter movie to not have a slow opening, it started out relatively fast for a Harry Potter movie, however it did drag in the middle. The Harry Potter franchise is not afraid to kill off characters that you thought could not die and the Deathly Hallows is no exception but I will not spoil it for you. While the Deathly Hallows did have some very good memorable scenes but also had some parts that did not fit well with the rest of the film. The pacing of the film is like this without spoiling anything.

Act 1: Started out with conflict that was set up in previous film and had a solid action set piece. Also there was a really cool heist element.
Act 2: Some really good character moments but was a little too dragged out, although it would have sense because this is based on half a book.
Act 3: It had two short action scenes and abruptly ends, which is expected.

As I previously stated in my other reviews, if you do not like the three main characters at this point, what are you doing watching the movie? But it is hard not to like Harry, Ron and Hermione while watching the movies.

Also I would like to thank Shena Tokala at Pens, Thespians, and Words for answering a some questions about the Harry Potter movies and books.

Directed by: David Yates
Genre: Fantasy, Action Adventure,
Release Date: 19 November 2010
Running Time: 146 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13


The Good: Great special, Excellent cinematography, Fantastic performance by Emma Watson, Some good action, All round superb acting,

The Bad: Slow middle Act,




Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Minister Rufus Scrimgeour addresses the wizarding media stating that the Ministry of Magic will remain strong as Lord Voldemort gains power throughout the wizarding and Muggle worlds. Severus Snape arrives at Malfoy Manor to inform Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters of Harry's departure from No. 4 Privet Drive. Voldemort commandeers Lucius Malfoy's wand, as Voldemort's own wand cannot be used to kill Harry; their wands are "twins".
Meanwhile, the Order of the Phoenix arrive at Privet Drive and escort Harry to safety using Polyjuice Potion to create six decoy Harrys. During their flight to the Burrow, they are ambushed by Death Eaters, who kill Mad-Eye Moody and Hedwig, and injure George Weasley. They arrive at the Burrow, where Harry has a vision of Ollivander being tormented by Voldemort, who claims that the wand-maker had lied to him by informing him of the only way to kill Harry: obtaining another's wand.
Scrimgeour arrives at the Burrow and distributes items from Albus Dumbledore's will to Ron, Hermione and Harry. Ron receives Dumbledore's Deluminator, Hermione, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Harry the first Golden Snitch that he ever caught. Scrimgeour reveals that Harry was willed the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, but explains that the sword was not Dumbledore's to give away and, in any case, is missing. Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 8.4/10- The pacing is a little uneven and it feels like half a movie but the characters are very well written.

Action: 7.9/10- While is slightly more action throughout the movie than previous Harry Potter movies, the shaky cam in some scenes did deminish the quality of the action.

Acting: 9.0/10- The acting is the best in series with Emma Watson having the stand out performance of the group. Also Rupert Grint is has far improved from his previous performances and Daniel Radcliffe is consisent as usual. The other suporting cast members were solid.


Special effects: 9.3/10- Two of the CGI characters looked very realisitic and almost made you forget that they were CGI.

Soundtrack: 8.0/10- The soundtrack was solid and complimented the film well.

Comedy: 6.7/10- There really was not much humor but what was there was good.

Would I Watch This Again: I will probably watch the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 back to back to get the full effect of the movie should have.

Overall: 8.6/10- Despite some of the Deathly Hallows Part 1's faults, it is still a another great Harry Potter movie.

Closing comments: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 did precisely what it set out to do, build up hype for the next film and left you wanting more.

Recommended for: Fantasy fans, Action Adventure fans,

If you have not read my reviews for the other Harry Potter movies please click on the links below.
Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone Review
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Review


Click here to check out more of our movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Beyond The Avegners: Thor 2.

Thor 2 has had a lot of problems with its production ranging from re-writing the script to firing multiple directors. There have been many issues with finding a director for the movie but Alan Taylor has finally been selected to direct the movie, he has experience mostly directing TV episodes and most notablly the series "Game of Thrones", which I have not seen nor do I intend to. Unfortunately that means that Kenneth Branagh will not be returning to direct the sequel. Branagh's Shakespearean background aided in the dialogue in the original and I hope that Akan Taylor is able to Thor 2 as great as the original. We do know that the most likely will take place more on Asgard then the previous Thor film. It is not certain if Anthony Hopkins and Kat Dennings will reprise their roles as Odin and Darcy Lewis. Also Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has been casted in an unknown role, my but my best guess would be that he plays the Dark Elf King (more below). There is a litte more infromation out, but I have advoided some of it due to possible spoilers.

Below are some videos to updates about Thor 2.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Beyond The Avegners: Iron Man 3.

 As I previously stated there is going to be a third Iron Man movie, but there have been some rather interesting details about it. It has been obvious to Comic Book fans that the Iron Man franchise are setting up The Mandarin to be the next Iron Man villain. There are references to the "The 10 Rings Organization" ever since the beginning of the first Iron Man movie. Yinsen even called them "The 10 Rings" during the movie and they were referenced again during a news broadcast. Although Marvel has stated that The Mandarin will not be the villain in Iron Man 3, Marvel has screwed several times with false information like the Skrulls being in The Avengers, which they were obviously not in the movie. Another supporting fact is that Iron Man 3 is being filmed in China, which is were The Mandarin is from. But the casting of Ben Kingsley (picture below) as the Iron Man 3's main villain would suggest that The Mandarin is not going to be the villain since Kingsley is English not Chinese, although he does kind of look the part. Also Jon Favreau will not be directing Iron Man 3, it will be Shane Black . I have not seen any of Shane Black's movies but many of them are considered very good.

The Mandarin

Ben Kingsley

Below are various videos about the up coming Iron Man 3.

Note: This is the information about Scarlett Johansson will not be in Iron Man 3.

Note: This also contains things about The Hobbit and other movie news but you can click on the list on the screen to skip to what you want to see.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 War Movies.

Since today is Memorial Day, here is the list of my Top 10 Favorite War movies. I am defining the "War" movie genre as any movie that takes place during a real war. However the movie can still be fiction if it takes place during war like Saving Private Ryan, The Bridge on the River Kwai and The Dirty Dozen, which are all fiction but based on a real war. Although I do like many war movies, there are not a lot of truly great ones but here is the list of my Top 10 favorites. Also I am not going to include Captain America: The First Avenger as a war movie on the list but if I did include, it would rank number one on the list.

At Number 10: Definence

Based on a true story, about Jews hiding from the Nazi Holocaust.

At Number 9: Black Hawk Down

Although I find it hard to enjoy some war movies that are based directly on history, that show the horrors of war too realistically. But Black Hawk Down is a good accurate war movie based on true events.

At Number 8: Sergeant York

Now this is a great movie, one of my favorites. Based on the true life story of Alvin York, that follows him from his early life and on.

At Number 7: Saving Praivate Ryan

This might be closer to top of most others' lists but there are some flaws with the story that hinder it from true greatness and you never really care about what happens to the characters since their goal is almost unnecessary. Despite these flaws the opening D-Day scene is one of the most gripping and realistic battle scene ever filmed.

At Number 6: The Dirty Dozen

The classic WWII "Bad Men on a Mission" movie. With the all-star cast of Hollywood's best tough-guys,

At Number 5: The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai, the Oscar winning war epic. One of the best prison movies ever made and Alec Guinness' performance was legendary.

At Number 4: Lawrence of Arabia

Although you might not think that Lawrence of Arabia is a war movie but it does take place during World War I agianst the Turks, who were alies with the Germans.

At Number 3: The Great Escape

Based on the true story of POWs escaping from a German prison camp. The movie has humor, a all-star cast and a great chase scene. There are a few other reasons that I like the movie but that would spoil the plot.

At Number 2: Braveheart

Some might not think of Braveheart as a war movie, but it is about war. And if you have seen the movie you would probably agree that this a great movie.

At Number 1: Kelly's Heroes

Okay, this is an very unconventional choice, that most people have not seen. Kelly's Heroes is an action comedy and my favorite action comedy. It is very underrated and not seen by very many people. I probably will get some flack for this choice but I really did enjoy the movie.

What are your favorite War movie? Please comment below.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Blog Update and Hatfields and McCoys Tomorrow.

Here are is the planed schedule for this week, if there are not any new updates to movies.

Since tomorrow is Memorial Day, I will be posting a Top 10 War movies list.

Tuesday: Beyond the Avengers: Iron Man 3

Wednesday: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Thursday: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Friday: Epic Film Score and More Friday

And I am not sure what to post Saturday since it seems that very few people actually read blogs on Saturday or Sunday. I am not sure if that is because what I post on those days or that people just do not blog much during that time. I actually have the most time to blog on the weekend, so if you know why please comment.

Tomorrow is the season premire of the Hatfields and McCoys mini series. The cast includes Oscar Winng actor Kevin Costner and another great Bill Paxton. This trailer is getting me excited to watch it but from the trailer I would not recommend this to the younger audience. If the series is enough, I might review the series.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

From Russia with Love (2nd Bond Film) Review.

Thoughts: Continuing with the James Bond movie review, here is From Russia with Love. While Dr. No (1st Bond film) was a good movie that started the franchise. From Russia with Love is a great Espionage Thriller. It is considered by many to be one of, if not the best Bond movie. Although it is my third favorite Bond film, From Russia with Love is one of the greatest Espionage Thrillers and a must see for fan of the genre. Dr. No had some unintentionally funny moments, while From Russia with Love was played completely serious. There was also a scene that obviously played homage to the classic Crop Duster scene in North by Northwest. The action is far improved over Dr. No's action but still not spectacular compared to many action movies today. Daniela Bianchi as Tatiana Romanova (voiced by Barbara Jefford) was one the best "Bond Girls" because she plays an important role in the plot.


Directed by: Terence Young
Genre: Spy, Espionage, Thriller, Action,
Release Date: 10 October 1963 (1963-10-10)
Running Time: 115 minutes
MMPA rating: PG


The Good: Excellent espionage, Introduced gadgets to the franchise, Original plot, Fantastic soundtrack, Good action for its time,

The Bad:





Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
SPECTRE's expert planner Kronsteen devises a plot to steal a Lektor cryptographic device from the Soviets and sell it back to them while exacting revenge on Bond for killing their agent Dr. No. The Spectre Number 1 puts ex-SMERSH operative and Number 3 Rosa Klebb in charge of the mission. Klebb recruits Grant as an assassin, and Tatiana Romanova, a cipher clerk at the Soviet consulate in Istanbul, as an unwitting pawn, as Romanova thinks Klebb is still working for SMERSH.
In London, M tells Bond – agent 007 and sometimes simply '007' – that Romanova has contacted their "Station 'T'" in Turkey, offering to defect with a Lektor, which MI6 and the CIA have been after for years – but Romanova said she will only defect to Bond, whose photo she has allegedly found in a Soviet intelligence file. Bond then flies to Istanbul, where he meets station head Ali Kerim Bey. 007 is followed from the airport by an unkempt man in glasses and by Red Grant. The next day, after Kerim Bey's office is bombed, Bond and Kerim Bey spy on the Soviet consulate, where Kerim Bey sees rival agent Krilencu. At night, Kerim Bey and Bond go to a rural gypsy settlement, which suffers an attack by Krilencu's men, who wound Kerim Bey and nearly kill Bond, who is saved by a hidden Red Grant. Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 9.0/10- From Russia with Love had one of the best Espionage Thriller plots.

Action: 7.9/10- Although the action does not hold up as well today as other action film but it is still great.

Acting: 8.3/10- The acting overall is very good, much better than Dr. No.


Special effects: N/A-


Soundtrack: 9.5/10- The soundtrack its self is one of my favorites but the use of the soundtrack was a bit odd in some places.


Comedy: 6.5/10- There area few one liners but overall there was not much humor.


Gadgets: 7.0/10- There were not any real Bond like gadgets, but this is the first movie that the character "Q", played by Desmond Llewelyn, who would later become a important character in the other Bond movies.

Title Sequence: N/A- The use of a song during the title sequence had not been established in the Bond franchise at this point.


Would I Watch This Again: Its one of my favorite James Bond movies and I have already watched this multiple times.

Overall: 8.7/10- Not only is From Russia with Love a great Bond film, it is one of the best Spy/Espionage movies ever made.


Closing comments: Even if you did not like Dr. No, you should give From Russia with Love a viewing.

Recommended for: Spy fans, Espionage fans, Thriller fans, Action fans,


Click here to check out more of our movie reviews.

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Epic Film Score and More Friday.

Today on Epic Film Score and More Friday, is one of the best soundtracks ever composed from one of the best films ever made, Lord of the Ring and the Fellowship of the Ring.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Dr. No (1st Bond Movie) Review

Dr. No is the movie that started it all. It is the first in the James Bond series and one of the best Bond movies. It might not appeal to the general audience as much as the later Bond movies but it is important since it was the first Bond movie to be made. After watching North by Northwest I noticed that the James Bond movies were heavily influenced by it. The Bond movies also had revolutionary action in the later entries of the series. Dr. No is more of an Spy/Espionage than an action movie but it did have some good action.

Directed by: Terence Young
Genre: Spy, Espionage, Thriller, Action,
Release Date: 5 October 1962 (1962-10-05)
Running Time: 109 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13


The Good: Started the James Bond franschise, Original plot and concept, Sean Connery is the perfect James Bond, Fantastic soundtrack,

The Bad:




Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
John Strangways, the British Intelligence (SIS) Station Chief in Jamaica, is ambushed and killed, and his body taken by a trio of assassins known as the "Three Blind Mice". In response, MI6 agent James Bond – Agent 007 is summoned to the office of his superior, M. Bond is briefed to investigate Strangways' disappearance and to determine whether it is related to his cooperation with the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on a case involving the disruption of Cape Canaveral rocket launches by radio jamming.
Upon his arrival at Kingston Airport, a female photographer tries to take Bond's picture and he is shadowed from the airport by two men. He is picked up by a chauffeur, whom Bond determines to be an enemy agent. Bond instructs him to leave the main road and, after a brief fight, Bond starts to interrogate the driver, who then kills himself with a cyanide-embedded cigarette.
During his investigation in Strangways' house Bond sees a photograph of a boatman with Strangways. Bond locates the boatman, named Quarrel, but finds him to be un-cooperative. Bond also recognises Quarrel to have been the driver of the car that followed him from the airport. Bond follows Quarrel and is about to be beaten by him and a friend when the fight is interrupted by the second man who followed Bond from the airport: he reveals himself to be CIA agent Felix Leiter and explains that not only are the two agents on the same mission, but also that Quarrel is helping Leiter. The CIA has traced the mysterious radio jamming of American rockets to the vicinity of Jamaica, but aerial photography cannot determine the exact location of its origin. Quarrel reveals that he has been guiding Strangways around the nearby islands to collect mineral samples. He also talks about the reclusive Dr. No, who owns the island of Crab Key, on which there is a bauxite mine: the island, and mine, are rigorously protected against trespassers by an armed security force and radar. Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 7.9/10- Although Dr. No's plot might be cliché it is really the start of the action spy genre, therefore it is very original.

Action: 6.7/10- While Dr. No does have some action it is some what tame compared to today.

Acting: 7.7/10- Sean Connery is the first and best James Bond, there will never be another Bond as good as Connery. The other cast members were good, some of the cast over played their roles a little too much but over the acting was good.
Interesting fact. The "Bond Girl" Honey Rider played by Ursula Andress, was voiced over by an actress named Nikki van der Zyl, who recorded the voices of almost all of the female roles in Dr. No. But there is almost no way to notice the voice overs.


Special effects: N/A-

Soundtrack: 9.9/10- James Bond's main theme is one of the most iconic themes in movie history.

Comedy: 7.8/10- The James Bond franchise is always know for its witty one liner and Dr. No is no different.

Would I Watch This Again: This is the 4th or 5th time I have seen the movie and I a few more times.

Gadgets: N/A- Dr. No really did have many gadgets since that has not been established in the franchise at this point.


Title Sequence: N/A-

Overall: 8.0/10- As a fan of the James Bond franchise I have to give it a high rating because of what it started but for the general audience I would give it a score of 7.5/10.

Closing comments: Dr. No started the James Bond franchise great but the best is yet to come.

Recommended for: Spy fans, Espionage fans, Thriller fans, Action fans,


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James Bond Movies Guide.

Since there will be a new James Bond movie this year I figured I should write some reviews of the James Bond movies. I have always been a fan of the James Bond movies as long as I can remember, especially the original Sean Connery James Bond movies. I have all of the 22 James Bond films. I am not going to write a review for every Bond movie but I am going to write reviews for the one I have seen the most recently, starting with the first James Bond movie Dr. No, which will be posted soon. The reviews are not going to be posted in consecutive days since there are not enough James Bond fans to read the reviews but I will post the reviews sporadically mixed in with other reviews.

Note: Due to the massive amount of spam comments, comments on this post have been disabled.

This is going to be a guide for those who do not know anything about the James Bond movies. Since there so many movies in the Bond franchise, it has basically created its own sub-genre of action spy movies. Below I will note different things that the Bond movies are known for and a quick guide on which movies to watch first. If you have any questions about the James Bond movies please comment or send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Which Movies To Watch First

The James Bond movies are based on the books by the author Ian Fleming. Unlike many movie series there is very little that connects the movies together since they are individual missions, except the recent movie Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, which were direct sequals. If you are new to the series I recommend you watch the first Bond movie "Dr. No", and then the following three Bond films, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger (best Bond movie), and Thunderball, which are the best Bond movies until the recent Casino Royale. I will be posting the Top 22 best and worst list of James Bond movies tomorrow. Also the movies are not by any means "Masterpieces" or truly great works of film but are really just fun entertaining movies. Although the recent Casino Royale is a great movie in action and story. It is considered by many critics to be a great movie.

James Bond The Character

Unlike many other movies series the James Bond character is constantly replaced by different actors through out the years when the previous actor is too old for the role. There have been six different official James Bonds. The first and best James Bond is Sean Connery (picture above). He created the character and every other Bond is compared to him.

From Top left to right: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

James Bond Character Traits

In almost every James Bond movie he has the famous line "The name's Bond, James Bond." (video below), which was his introduction in the first Bond movie, Dr. No. Another one of his classic lines is "Martini shaken not stirred." His favorite card game that he often plays the card game Baccarat at casinos in the movies, also it is the game he is playing in the video below. James Bond is known for being a "Ladies Man" and almost always gets the girl.

The Action

Most James Bond have great action scenes. The earlier James Bond movies had revolutionary action scenes for it's time and they are still entertaining today. Almost every good Bond movie also has a great chase scenes. Including one of the greatest boat chases ever filmed in Live and Let Die. There are also a lot of shooting action and hand-to-hand combat.

The Gadgets

The Bond movies have always had cool hi-tech gadgets. Some were based in reality and others a little more science fiction. In all future James Bond reviews I will be adding a new criteria named "Gadgets", which will be rating how good the gadgets in the movie were. Ranging from a lasers watch to a jetjack, James Bond's gadgets is what makes him unique from other action spy movies.

The Cars

Almost every James Bond has really cool car and a great car chase. Bond usually drives a Aston Martin of some kind. It also usually has gadgets on the car like guns, smoke screens, and one of cars can even could change into a submarine.

Title Sequence

Another thing that James Bond movies are know for are the Title Sequence. After opening with a bang, the Bond movies have a Title Sequence (video above and there are not any spoilers for any of the movies) with a song made for each movie. Visually the Title Sequence above is my favorite from the recent Casino Royale. In my review of the James Bond movies I will be adding a criteria named "Title Sequence", which will rate how good the song and Title Sequence are for that movie.

The Villains

Another thing that the Bond movies are famous are the villains. Some of them are almost comic book and usually have a unique weapon or ability. Some of the villain are the mastermind behind the evil plan and some are the henchmen that do the dirty work.

Bond Girls

Every James Bond movie has a "Bond Girl" who is the main love interest in each movie. The best "Bond Girls" play an important part in the story like Tatiana Romanova in From Russia With Love and Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale.

Tatiana Romanova

Vesper Lynd

If you have any questions about anything James Bond please ask and check back here tomorrow for a Top 22 James Bond movie list.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

New James Bond Skyfall Trailer!

Here is the trailer to the highly anticipated movie Skyfall, which is the 23th Bond movie. I have been a fan of the James Bond franchise for a long time and I have seen all 22 of the official Bond movies. Even if you have seen a Bond film you probably have heard of him before. The movies in the James Bond franchise have had great action and and were the best spy/espionage movies, which is one of my favorite genres. After the some what of a let down in Quantum of Solace after the brilliant Casino Royale, I hope that Skyfall can live up to the James Bond legacy. Although the trailer its self is not majorly impressive, I hope that the movie will be good. This is one of my most anticipated movies of this year, right up there is The Dark Knight Rises and The Bourne Legacy. Since the trailer was just released, starting tomorrow I will post a guide to the James Bond movies, a list of the Top 22 best and worst Bond films, and post a review of my favorite Bond movies.

What did you think of the trailer? Have you ever seen a James Bond movie?

 

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review.

Thoughts: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the 6th installment in the franchise and it ends up being one of the one of the best. Although the Half-Blood Prince is rated PG, it is the darkest and most mature in the franchise. There is a sense of foreboding that the end is near and the cinematography reflects the tone of the film well. While it was not quite as good as the Order of the Phoenix since it was a little slower in plot pacing, but the plot was a little more complex and there were very few cheesy or corny parts. The acting was again improved, with Tom Felton giving a much better performance than in previous movies. There are some mixed opinions about the Half-Blood Prince and some even consider it the weakest of the franchise, it is my second favorite in the series thus far. The main issue with the Half-Blood Prince is that it focuses a slightly too much on the romance but it was relatively well done compared to most movies and was too terribly annoying. Also there was some really funny humor in the movie. The character Draco Malfoy was much improved in this movie; he has finally been used effectively in a movie. In the first two movie Draco was the mean bully but in the the Prisoner of Azkaban he turned into a wimp after Hermione punched him in the nose. Now he was fully developed into an interesting character with a strong performance from Tom Felton. The movie use lighting to great effect, it was not just darkly lit for no reason. The lighting actually added to the overall film. At this point in the film series if you do not connect with the very likable and relatable characters you will not like the Half-Blood Prince. So if you did not like the previous films in the series the Half-Blood Prince is not going to change your mind about the series. There is something to note about the Half-Blood Prince, I watched it at night with all the lights turned off and I would recommend doing that if possible since there are some very dark lit scenes (not during action scenes fortunately), so keep that in mind if you watch the movie.


Also I would like to thank Shena Tokala at Pens, Thespians, and Words for answering a some questions about the Harry Potter movies and books and making this review better.

Directed by: David Yates
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure,
Release Date: 15 July 2009 (2009-07-15)
Running Time: 153 minutes
MMPA rating: PG


The Good: More complex plot, Good character development, Very humorous, Superb acting, Unexpected plot twist, Excellent cinematography,

The Bad: Plot progression is a little too slow,




Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Harry is shown bleeding in front of the Ministry of Magic, which took place after the second to last scene of the previous film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Lord Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds and has chosen Draco Malfoy to carry out a secret mission. Severus Snape accepts Bellatrix Lestrange's challenge to make an Unbreakable Vow with Draco's mother, Narcissa, to protect Draco and fulfill the assignment if he fails.
Harry accompanies Albus Dumbledore to visit former potions professor Horace Slughorn, who has gone into hiding. Slughorn agrees to return to teach at Hogwarts as Dumbledore tells Harry that Slughorn's return to Hogwarts is crucial.
Leaving Fred and George's new shop, Harry, Ron and Hermione notice Draco and Narcissa associating with Death Eaters in Borgin and Burkes. Harry believes Voldemort has made Draco a Death Eater, but Ron and Hermione are sceptical. On the Hogwarts Express, Harry spies on Draco, who hints to his friends that he does not plan to return to Hogwarts next year. Draco discovers Harry's presence and immobilises him, but Harry is rescued by Luna with her Spectrespecs.
At Hogwarts, Harry and Ron are admitted to Slughorn's potions class at the last minute and borrow the needed textbooks. The previous owner of Harry's copy, the "Half-Blood Prince", has annotated the book with additional instructions that allow Harry to excel in class. Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 8.7/10- Except for the pacing, the plot was good. It was more complex with a very unexpected plot twist, although there was too much focus on the romance aspect of the story.

Action: 6.6/10- There not much action in the Half-Blood Prince, especially compared to the previous film. But the little that was there was good.

Acting: 8.8/10- All of the many actors really stepped up their performances greatly in the Half-Blood Prince, so many that I can not name all of them.

Special effects: 8.8/10- The cinematography, aided by the special effects, was phenomenal.

Soundtrack: 8.0/10- The soundtrack was very good overall.

Comedy: 8.7/10- Despite the Half-Blood Prince's darker tone it was the funniest of the Harry Potter franchise.


Would I Watch This Again: While there is not as much re-watch value as the Order of the Phoenix, I will probably watch it again some time.

Overall: 8.5/10- Although I would not say that the Half-Blood Prince is better than the Order of the Phoenix but it is still a very good movie.

Closing comments: David Yates makes another solid entry into the Harry Potter franchise with a darker more mature tone.

Recommended for: Fantasty fans, Adventure fans,

If you have not read my reviews for the other Harry Potter movies please click on the links below.
Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone Review
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Review
Click here to check out more of our movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

New Blogger Header!

Since The Avengers week is over I have changed my old header design and mixed in some new posters and changed the other posters around. Below is a picture of my old header to compare it to the new one. Please comment and tell me what you think of the new header. Also there will be more Avengers posts after more people watch the movie.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Immortals Review.

Thoughts: I did not have very high expectations for Immortals but I did expect it to have really great action like the movie 300 since it was from the same producers as 300. But there was not much to like in the movie. I never really liked the movie 300 (Click Here to My Review of 300), it was far too weird for my tastes but it did have a lot of cool action. That is what I expected from Immortals, awesome action. While it did have a few good action scenes, most of the action was poorly lit; therefore you could not see what was happening. But I had my hopes high after a brief 30 second awesome fight scene near the beginning that was fantastically choreographed. After that scene there was not much good action until the end. My main complaint is that the story was very bland and uninteresting; you did not care at all about the story or characters. The plot is about as generic as it's gets and some of the dialogue was cheesy. Although the acting was decent the plot was a little slow in some parts especially for a mindless action movie. Immortals is not a bad movie, it is just a mediocre movie.


Directed by: Tarsem Singh
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Release Date: November 11, 2011 (2011-11-11)
Running Time: 110 minutes
MMPA rating: R


The Good: Great soundtrack, A few good action scenes,

The Bad: Poorly lit action scenes, Uninteresting plot,




Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Before the dawn of man or beast, immortals waged war against each other. The victors named themselves gods while the vanquished were named the Titans and imprisoned beneath Mount Tartarus. The Epirus Bow, a weapon of immense power, is lost on Earth during the war. In 1228 B.C., the mortal Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) searches for the Bow, intending to use it to release the Titans to spite the gods for failing to save his family. Hyperion captures the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto), believing that she can find the Bow's resting place.
In a small village nearby, the inhabitants prepare to flee to Tartarus to avoid Hyperion's army. One inhabitant, Theseus (Henry Cavill), is a skilled warrior trained by his mentor, the old man (John Hurt). Theseus and his mother Aethra (Anne Day-Jones), considered undesirables because Theseus was born from Aethra being raped, are forced to stay behind by villagers and Athenian soldiers including Lysander (Joseph Morgan). Theseus ably battles multiple opponents until the Athenian officer Helios (Peter Stebbings) intervenes and discharges Lysander for his actions. Lysander travels to Hyperion, offering his service and the village's location. Hyperion accepts, but maims and castrates Lysander for being a traitor. Hyperion's forces attack Theseus' village, murdering the villagers and Aethra, and taking Theseus captive. Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 3.2/10- Immortals' plot is not a bad concept but it is very generic and bland. You do not care about at all about the characters.


Action: 7.0/10- The action was disappointing, a lot of it was far too dark to see what was happening but the end battle was cool.


Acting: 6.0/10- Despite some of the cheesy dialogue the acting was decent and definitely not it's weakest aspect.

Special effects: 8.5/10- The visuals were good but not as "breathtaking" as some review say but it probably looked great in 3D.


Soundtrack: 8.8/10- The soundtrack is the best thing about Immortals, it is one of the best of the year. The track I posted below is my favorite in the movie and I listened to it while writing this review.



Comedy: 5.0/10- There were one or two humorous lines.

Would I Watch This Again: I would not watch this again for sure.

Overall: 4.9/10- Remember 5 out of 10 is not mean that it is a bad movie but it is just a mediocre and forgetable one.


Closing comments: I am sure that fans of the movie "300" will probably enjoy Immortals but other that, do not wast your time.

Recommended for: 300 fans,

Click here to check out more of our movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Epic Film Score and More Friday.

Now Epic Film Score and More Friday is finally back after having to be skip during Avengers week. The soundtrack of today is John Williams' Harry Potter soundtrack. Even if you have something against the Harry Potter movies, you still can like John Willimas' score.

The main theme for the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This theme is used throughout the movies and is a staple for the franchise.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third installment in the Harry Potter series and the last one that John Williams' composed the soundtrack for. Some of this track reminds me of one of the themes use in one of the Star Wars movie with a Harry Potter theme twist.

This theme was used during the closing credits of the movie. It contains multiple variants of previous tracks and a good compilation of the tracks.

This is one of my favorite tracks from the movie. If a theme is well composed and used in a film you should be able guess what the scene is about with just the track and this theme does give you sense of flying just like the scene in the movie.

OK, John Williams did not compose this track but I really like this one and I listened to it on a loop while writing the review for the Order of the Phoenix. I even liked this track before watching the movie.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review.

Thoughts: This was the Harry Potter movie I was most looking forward to other than the last two and it did not disappoint. While it was nothing like I expected it to be but it was very good. This is what I wanted from the franchise since the beginning. It still had some slow parts but it was a lot more entertaining to watch. The acting, action, cinematography, plot, the character, everything was better. The only thing that The Order of the Phoenix did not have was the humor, which really was not a bad thing since the more serious tone really worked, and the mystery. Although I did like the mystery element from the other movies, but not having it was not a big deal. It was darker than the previous film but in a good way, in that it was more of an mature, adult movie in that it would appeal to more demographics (age groups) unlike the first, second and fourth films. There were very few cheesy scenes, except the character Dolores Umbridge, played by Imelda Staunton, was a little over the top but it did not detract from the movie that much. The Order of the Phoenix had the best opening of the Harry Potter series, while not great compared to other movies, it made the annoying Dursley family, watchable and short. It did not take away from the movie and it was not distracting. The movie did drag a little in some parts but was never really boring. While the Order of the Phoenix did not have a lot of action there was an amazing battle at the end of the movie that is one of the most unique and inventive battles I have ever seen. This is what I wanted to see: Wizards vs. Wizards in an all out battle, although it was not very long, it was spectacular. The romance was not near as poorly done in the Order of the Phoenix as the Goblet of Fire. There was not much of it and what was there was not really annoying.

Also I would like to thank Shena Tokala at Pens, Thespians, and Words for answering a some questions about the Harry Potter movies and books.


Directed by: David Yates
Genre: Fantasy, Action Adventure,
Release Date: 11 July 2007 (2007-07-11)
Running Time: 138 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13


The Good: Amazing battle at the end, Great character development, Daniel Radcliffe was come into his own as an actor, Far better than any previous Harry Potter movie,

The Bad:




Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
The Order of the Phoenix, a secret organisation founded by Albus Dumbledore, inform the 15-year-old Harry Potter that the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord Voldemort's return; under the Ministry's influence, The Daily Prophet has launched a smear campaign against Harry and Dumbledore due to Harry's supposed encounter with Voldemort at the end of the previous year. This encounter has had a huge psychological effect on Harry – he has nightmares not only about what happened in the graveyard but also about the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. While at the Order's headquarters, 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, mentions that Voldemort is after an object which he didn't have last time.
Upon arrival at Hogwarts, Harry learns that Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has appointed a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor: Dolores Umbridge, a senior Ministry official who refuses to teach practical magic due to her belief that Dumbledore is forming a rebellion against the Ministry. Umbridge and Harry immediately clash, as she refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned and forces Harry to carve 'I must not tell lies' into the skin on the back of his hand through a cursed pen. When Ron and Hermione notice these scars, they are outraged but Harry refuses to go to Dumbledore as he has distanced himself from him since the summer. As Umbridge's control over the school increases, Ron and Hermione aid Harry in forming a secret group to train students in defensive spells, calling themselves "Dumbledore's Army". The Slytherin students are recruited by Umbridge to uncover the group. Meanwhile, Harry and Cho Chang develop romantic feelings for each other and begin a relationship during Christmas. However, Harry discovers that his behaviour is becoming erratic and possibly more similar to Voldemort. Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 8.6/10- Although the pacing was still a little slow but much better than the previous Harry Potter movies. The plot its self was very good and worked really well.


Action: 8.0/10- It is getting an 8.0/10 for more for the quality than the amount of action. Since the battle was great.


Acting: 8.6/10- The acting by all of the returning actors was much improved. But Imelda Staunton over acted in her role.


Special effects: 8.3/10- One of the GCI characters were obviously fake but the Wizard battle was visually spectacular.


Soundtrack: 8.0/10- While the soundtrack was not as good as John Willaims' soundtrack in the first three Harry Potter movies it was very good.


Comedy: 6.4/10- Unlike the previous Harry Potter movies there was not much humor in the Order of the Phoenix but that was not really a big issue since the serious tone worked for the film better.


Would I Watch This Again: This is the first Harry Potter movie I will definitely be watching again.


Overall: 8.7/10- The Order of the Phoenix is almost everything that I would have wanted from a Harry Potter movie.


Closing comments: This is the first Harry Potter movie that I would consider a great movie that would easily make my Top 100 Movies.


Recommended for: Fantasy fans, Action Adventure fans,

If you have not read my reviews for the other Harry Potter movies please click on the links below.
Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone Review
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Review

Click here to check out more of our movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.