James' Movie Blog

When dealing with spiders, the sense of arachnophobia is brought on. But sometimes, especially in the movies, this can be played for laughs. Which leads us the 2002 creature feature “Eight Legged Freaks”, a movie which focuses on giant, mutated spiders. What else? This movie was an unfortunate bomb at the box office, and had its title changed thanks to clever marketing. But personally, this is a rather fun and enjoyable flick. While “Eight Legged Freaks” may not be for everyone, I still think that it should be viewed as an enjoyable and quite entertaining flick. The story follows a small Arizona town where things are not so good financially. That is until a truck carrying toxic waste dumps a barrel into a lake, and effects the grasshoppers. The grasshoppers are then fed to spiders at a special farm nearby, and soon grow to gigantic proportions. Now, the town must hurry if they want to survive this invasion of mammoth arachnids. “Eight Legged Freaks” is a dumb flick. But i...

Walt Disney thrived on bringing memorable stories that would, in turn, become easily recognizable among the public. By turning interesting ideas and concepts into a profit, Walt and his team of animators delivered some of the greatest animated movies ever made. And 1941's “Dumbo” is a prime example of not only delivering , solid animation, but great storytelling in the process. When watching the movie, one gets a sense of wonder at what creativity went into making this film a reality. Even after 80 years, this movie still holds up very well. Anything can happen, and that's the charm of this movie: it is not bound by studio executives, but rather creative control to let go and do whatever they want. “Dumbo” is a fantastic treat for anyone that can enjoy the modesty of why Walt Disney and his team made such a creative feature. The story has a mother elephant receiving newborn son unto the world, as she and several other animals are working for the circus. Unfortunately, ...

By using animation to tell a story, there is practically no limit to what could be shown for audiences of all ages. However, animation is mostly considered for children/families, as everyone can enjoy the artistic form of animation. However, that's where the film “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Adventure” breaks all the boundaries of animation. Based off the book series by Dav Pilkey, one might assume that because of the title, there will be toilet humor strewn throughout the film. Yes, there are the occasional gross-out joke, but (no pun intended) this is actually a clever comedic movie that is surprisingly entertaining. There is also one other thing that is kind of a distraction, but it is a nitpick nonetheless. “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Adventure” is a clever comedy that translates the books almost perfectly into animation, thanks to DreamWorks. The plot consists of two creative friends: George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins (Thomas Middleditch) wh...

Drugs are a primary source of controversy. On the one hand, they can be used to help people with certain medical conditions. But on the other hand, they can be used by the wrong individuals. Such is the case with the infamous drug smuggling cases all around the world. One such notable case involved a certain Frank Lucas in the late 60s and early 20s. This was used as the primary focus for the 2007 film “American Gangster”, starring Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe, and directed by Ridley Scott. While the film only has a few minor setbacks, the rest of the movie is surprisingly good at how one of the most biggest drug cases went down. “American Gangster” is a thrilling experience you won't soon forget. The story follows two important people during the late 1960s and early 1970s. These are Frank Lucas (Washington) and Richie Roberts (Crowe). One is a cool and sophisticated mobster, while the other is a detective working in New Jersey. Frank builds up his empire by selling h...

Fantasy is a tricky genre to pull off. Luckily, in the realm of animation, fantasy can run wild. Which brings us to our latest animated feature from Pixar “Onward”. Combining the fantasy world with that of the modern world, this film does its job well enough to tell out a fleshed out story of two brothers wanting to use magic to bring their father back to life. While it may not have that same creative oomph that a lot of Pixar films are known for, “Onward” does manage to deliver some very impressive art with the world that it's given. “Onward” is a neat blend of ideas, and concentrates on what it means to be a brother. The story is set in a world where fantasy creatures and modern technology exist. One elf named Ian (Tom Holland) just wants to live life like every normal teenager. Ian's brother, Barley (Chris Pratt) on the other hand, enjoys role playing dice games, and is fascinated by the past. One day, Ian and Barley receive a gift from their late father: a magical ...

It seems like the whole world has gone crazy. And what better way to get rid of craziness, then go to the movies? Movies are, in my opinion, a chance to escape from the horrors of the real world, and embrace a world of fiction and make believe. Unfortunately, “The Hunt” released through Universal and Blumhouse, is not one of those movies were the chance of escapism is present. There are some moments in the film that do stand out, but the main critical problem of the movie is that it doesn't know what side to choose. The film has a loose political agenda, but it is not executed well. While “The Hunt” does deliver some solid, and decent action, as well as some good humor, it falls short on what it's trying to accomplish in the long run. The story has a group of individuals waking up in a deserted area, having no idea of where they are. Upon opening a crate, they are rewarded with weapons, not knowing on how to use them. Suddenly, shots are ringing out, and they are now b...

In 1937, Walt Disney released “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” creating the first animated feature film in cinematic history. And with this movie there were hundreds of animated films to follow in its footsteps. One of the next animated movies to follow “Snow White” was 1939's “Gulliver's Travels” made by Max and Dave Fleischer. This film is notable as the first animated movie to be released by a different studio other than Disney. And while not a cultural impact was made with this movie like the Disney masterpiece was, it still is interesting. Based off the novel by Jonathan Swift and using the first section of the book, the movie is perfectly aimed at family audiences. However, it focuses mainly on the characters rather than the actual story. “Gulliver's Travels” is a nice animated film, but falls short when compared to “Snow White”. The story has Lemuel Gulliver being shipwrecked on an undisclosed island after a terrible storm. He then falls asleep, stranded on...

It seems that in the United States of America, nothing is original anymore. At least, that is what the assumption is. But, if one were to look outside the country, there exists a whole slew of original material just waiting to be watched. And look no further than the country of South Korea. That is where today's film “Parasite” is the definition of originality. Directed by Bong Joon-ho and co-Written by him, the movie is a cautionary modern allegory of the poor taking on the rich. But what makes “Parasite” truly stand out is that the movie is something us Americans need more than ever. It's all thanks to one little country all the way across the Pacific. From it's acting, direction, set and production design, to even the little details that require multiple viewings to get an accurate detail of what is going on. “Parasite” is one of those films that thrives on originality, and make the use of its country to a great maximum. The story is a little complicated to expl...