Reverb: The Official UTF Blog

Shrek and Fiona are back in this third installment of the Shrek movie franchise. Before seeing this movie, I accidentally ran across a movie review headline from a critic. I didn’t read it until after the movie, mainly because most movie critics and I do not see eye to eye about movies…especially Spider-Man 3. In any case, the whole gang is back, this time in Far Far Away. In 60 seconds or less, here’s my impressions of the film:

1. Shrek the Third is not as funny or entertaining as the first two films. I didn’t find myself laughing out loud as much (or as hard) as I did with the previous films. That doesn’t mean it’s not funny because it is, but some of the jokes intended to be funny fell flat with the audience. It seemed that the film’s writers were trying to hard for laughs.
2. The story line (a version of Camelot) for Shrek the Third is on the weak side. While Shrek and Shrek 2 borrowed from popular fairy tails and pulled it off brilliantly, the third installment did not do this as well. I also found the ending for the main plot of the film to be a bit disappointing and a bit too “peace, love, and happiness” for me.
3. Producers are already planning a fourth movie in the franchise. I think they should stop at this movie. I really don’t see where else they can go with the Shrek story. They should stop thinking about money and end the franchise before it turns into Superman III and IV.
4. Shrek the Third’s story is not as well thought out as the first two films. Again, that’s not to say that it’s not a good, entertaining movie. The bar was set very high after the first two films, and while my expectations weren’t enormously high, I did expect better.

Shrek the Third is a good but not necessarily perfect ending to Shrek and Fiona’s story. I would recommend seeing it, but for me, it’s not one of those films that you should rush out to go see. Apparently, other movie goers agreed because my theater was nowhere near as packed as it was for Spider-Man 3. Nevertheless, Shrek the Third was a good start to my weekend, and if you enjoyed the first two movies, go see it…just lower your expectations. Read more

The 2007 summer movie season has arrived! Spider-Man 3 is the first film up at bat, and if you’re a fan of Peter Parker, then this is the movie for you. The film continues and builds where Spider-Man 2 left off. It introduces three new villains: Venom (Eddie Brock), the Sandman (Flint Marko), and New Goblin. In 60 seconds, here’s my impressions of the film:

1. Director Sam Raimi did a great job of providing some back story and character development for all three villains. I wasn’t sure he could pull it off but he did. Additionally, the villains are not people you can hate; you actually feel some sympathy towards them, especially the Sandman.
2. While it didn’t totally blow out Spider-Man 2, it definitely was better than the second film.
3. I wish Gwen Stacy would have had more screen time as she is a likable character. While I am also a Mary Jane and Peter Parker fan, Gwen definitely had some chemistry with Peter.
4. The special effects in the film were amazing, especially anything to do with the Sandman. You will love those scenes.
5. There are some rumblings that Spider-Man 3 doesn’t have enough action in it. I think it’s just enough, and the action scenes you have are very good.
6. I think this movie is a great ending to a trilogy. It provided conclusions to the previous two movies, and I am happy with the end result. I hope that Sony will not do another film, but I have a feeling that they will.

Again, if you’re a Peter Parker fan, you will love this film. If all you want is Spider-Man, then this is not the film for you. It has drama, a love story, and darkness, which I loved. It’s a film you should definitely check out on the big screen. Read more

I started my 2007 movie season off with 300. It is a film based on the epic tale of the Battle of Thermopylae told by graphic novelist Frank Miller. In a nutshell, 300 Spartan soldiers led by King Leonidas battle against Xerxes’ larger Persian army. In 60 seconds, here’s my impressions about the film:

1. The cinematography and look of 300 were gorgeous. This is a new standard for film making that I’m sure we will see more of in the future.
2. The film did have some historical inaccuracies, so don’t treat it as the gospel truth.
3. I was glad that Xerxes’ Persian army had many races – Asian, Middle Eastern (Persians at the time), and African. This is historically accurate since his army consisted of many races from different regions.
4. Xerxes wore too much makeup and was over exaggerated in his appearance, but this worked considering the film was based on a graphic novel.
5. Women will love the chiseled and very good looking Spartan army. Men will love the battle scenes and special effects.
6. You should definitely experience 300 on the big screen, preferably an IMAX theater.

Overall, I enjoyed 300 and think this was a very good start for my 2007 movie-going season. Check it out. Read more