Skwigger.com - Movie Reviews http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/ RSS Feeds for Conspiracy Theories, Movie Reviews, and Rants from Skwigger.com Movie Reviews - SLC Punk http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Action/slc_punk SLC Punk has a great take on the punk scene and the people in it. While many people see the movie as hypocritical with stereotypical characters, it actually gives that portrayal of characters on purpose.

SLC Punk details what it means to be punk, the clothes, the style, the music, then calls it on its bullshit. It's not the clothes, the style, or the music that make you punk. Punk is a way of life. Stevo and Heroin Bob dress like your typical punks. There is a great scene in the movie where Stevo is talking to this girl that points out how Stevo is being just as trendy by dressing "punk".

Overall, SLC Punk is a great movie that pokes fun at stereotypes, rather than playing into them, as most people would have you think. I don't want to ruin the movie, so all I will say is that it has a great, yet sad ending.

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Movie Reviews - The Punisher http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Action/The_Punisher I am a big fan of comic book movies, Even the ones that are about comics I've never read. I like fantasy and science fiction, the highly unlikely and impossible, that's what movies are all about. If I wanted real life, I would watch the news all the time. Movies are meant as an escape from all that. Having said all that, let's get on the the actual movie.

The Punisher (played by Thomas Jane) is quite possibly my favorite comic book movie; the other one in the running being Hellboy. The Punisher is based on the Marvel comics character of the same name. I was always a big fan of Spider-man and the X-Men growing up. I would watch the cartoons Saturday mornings on Fox. I never really got into the Punisher. He's a less popular character, probably because he's more violent and not as kid friendly. That may be one of the reasons I like this movie so much. Since it is rated R, the Punisher can really stick it to the bad guys, and he does a great job of it. He turns them against each other and takes them all out.

John Travolta plays a great bad guy. He just has that look to him, and he has done it quite a few times now. Kevin Nash, who some of you might know from pro wrestling, plays one of the a classic comic book henchman, the Russian. He's just a big lump of muscle that beats the shit out of the Punisher from one side of the screen to the other.

Another reason I may really like this movie is that fact that I did not follow the comic book at all. With every release of a comic book based movie, you always get the fanboys screaming bloody murder about how it doesn't follow the story line of the comic book. I loved the X-men and Spider-Man cartoons, but I was not as big a fan of the movies because they stray so far from the actual story. It was also a refreshing change, as comic books often have alternate time lines with completely different stories. Having never Read the Punisher though, I really did not care or know if it stayed true to the comic book.

The Punisher is a great movie. It is everything a comic book movie should be. The bad guy gets it in the end and there is a general happiness, even though the Punisher loses his entire family. That makes him all the more powerful though, he has nothing left to lose and doesn't care whether he lives or dies.

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Movie Reviews - Mission Impossible 3 http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Action/Mission_Impossible_3 Mission Impossible 3 is one of those movies that starts off with a clip from the end of the movie, then shows the events leading up to that point. I hate that style. Other than that, Mission Impossible 3 is a good action movie that will keep you entertained for a couple hours. It has the usual impossible things taking play, like base jumping out a window of a skyscraper without enough height to catch the chute fully, but still surviving. This kind of crap doesn't bother me, it's a movie. Reality is boring, interesting, but boring (I like Mythbusters, but it is not an exciting show).

The only real beef I have with this movie is the ending. I don't want to give too much away, but it was pretty anti-climactic. It's a decent movie though, and worth the time it takes to watch.

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Movie Reviews - X-Men: The Last Stand http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Action/X-Men_The_Last_Stand I am a huge X-Men fan; most of my X-Men knowledge comes from the 90's series on FOX. I have been waiting to see this movie since I saw the X2. Having finally seen it on DVD, I am very disappointed.

The entire movie series takes a major tangent from the comic book storyline, which I can understand. They have to make it more mainstream so that they can make more money. This movie however, really does the comics no justice at all (I probably sound like all those nerds that bitch about Lord of the Rings and how the book is better than the movie, but whatever).

This movie tries to create its own story with a great set of characters, but fails miserably. I don't mind straying from the comic book storyline, but give me a good story in its place. There were so many loopholes, so few X-Men, and so many villians. For a bunch of super-powered beings, everyone in this movie that died, did so quite quickly.

The first two movies in this series ran about 2 hours, but this one was a measly hour and a half. They could have put in another 30 to 60 minutes to better explain the story. It is by no means unusual to have a movie run two and a half hours now-a-days.

This movie did a piss-poor job ending what could have been a great trilogy. Since they killed off most of the main characters, do not expect to see a 4th movie.

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Movie Reviews - The Dream Team http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/the_dream_team Most of you probably haven't seen this movie, but it's a good one. It's about a group of mental patients that go on a trip to see the NY Yankees with their doctor. Well, their doctor ends up in the hospital, and the group is left to fend for themselves in New York City.

The movie stars Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, and Peter Boyle. It was made in the 80's, before any of these guys were superstars. They are all great in this movie, but none of them stand out and try to out do the others as you sometimes see in movie with several big name stars.

It's an enjoyable comedy that you can watch over and over again, but don't expect to be rolling on the floor laughing even the first time you see it.

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Movie Reviews - Waiting http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/Waiting Waiting, a comedy based on the everyday activities that occur in your average restaurant, is an Office Space for the restaurant industry. There will be no surprises in this movie, as I was able to figure out the last scene during the first 15 minutes of the movie. Regardless of that fact that Waiting will not keep you guessing, it is funny from beginning to end. Ryan Reynolds plays a great 20-something that only has sex with underage girls.

The plot follows a guy named Dean (Justin Long) and his dead-end job as a waiter at Shenaniganz, a Bennigan's type restaurant. He still lives at home with his mother after being out of high school for four years. During the course of the movie, he runs into an old acquaintance from high school who recently graduated from college. Dean had a very similar academic record as his acquaintance did in high school. However, Dean still works a dead end job, which is why he is rethinking his current position in life throughout the movie.

As you follow Dean through the course of the movie, he and his friends/coworkers run into various shitty customers that anyone who has ever worked in the food service industry can surely relate to. In Waiting, an interesting game that is played at the restaurant is introduced. It provides a few humorous scenes, and a few disgusting ones.

In the end you will rethink your next visit to a restaurant, and you will never be rude to your server again. Which I think is a great side effect to watching Waiting. While entertaining you, Waiting also teaches you a valuable lesson, never fuck with anyone that handles your food.

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Movie Reviews - Mean Girls http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/Mean_Girls I really thought Mean Girls (starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams) would be one of those shitty teen girl movies. I was half right, it is a teen girl movie, but it's not bad at all.

Tina Fey, of Saturday Night Live fame, wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls, adapted from the book "Queen Bees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman. A few other famous Saturday Night Live cast members join Tina Fey on screen, including Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, and Amy Poehler. Lorne Michaels, producer of Saturday Night Live, also producers the movie. With so many SNL alumni, it is easy to understand why Mean Girls is not quite the girl movie I expected.

Mean Girls is a great high school comedy, and at the same time it really does a good job of portraying how much the popular high school girls can be a bitch to everyone else. Mean Girls will provide you with many laughs while providing a glimpse into what high school life is like now-a-days. And of course, there's a moral to this story at the end.

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Movie Reviews - 40 Year Old Virgin http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/40_Year_Old_Virgin I have to say I never wanted to see this movie. I thought The 40 Year Old Virgin would be the usual lame, over-hyped comedy that isn't funny, but everyone still seems to like.

Having said that, I sat down to watch it one time, and found it utterly hilarious. Steve Carell provides an amazing performance as Andy Stitzer (The 40 Year Old Virgin). He doesn't play the lame character I thought he would. I expected some WoW nerd that never leaves the house and rarely even sees girls other than his mother.

Andy Stitzer is just your average guy. He's just had a few more awkward than normal moments with girls in his younger years and has been completely petrified of another moment like that with a woman. Thus, he has put off having sex, or any sort of relation with a woman.

Romancy Malco, Seth Rogen, and Paul Rudd (Alicia Silverstone's Brother in Clueless) provide a great supporting cast, and help Andy along the way. 40 Year Old Virgin will provide you with a few hours of laughs, a couple great lines to recite over and over with your friends, and is definitely worth watching a second time.

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Movie Reviews - Bad Santa http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/Bad_Santa I've never really been a Billy Bob Thornton fan. I thought he was kind of a dip-shit with the wearing a vile of blood around his neck thing he did with Angelina Jolie, but I really enjoyed Bad Santa.

Bad Santa isn't your traditional comedy. It's pretty demented. You'll usually shock yourself for laughing at some of the situations. I don't want to give too much away, but this movie is sick and twistedly funny. And seeing Lauren Graham in a role like this is great, seeing that she's known for her role on that pussy ass show Gilmore Girls.

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Movie Reviews - A Christmas Story http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/A_Christmas_Story A Christmas Story is a great movie about your average dysfunctional family and all the crap that comes with the holidays. Who wasn't hassled by everyone they encountered about a present they wanted when they were a kid? This movie does take some situations to the extreme, but that's what's funny. We've all received a horrible article of clothing from a relative that we are forced to wear, but a pink bunny suit, that's just hilarious.

Even though I think this movie is hilarious and has numerous funny scenes, I think it is a bit over-hyped at the same time. It's one of those movies that everyone praises. You'll probably never hear a complaint about it because those who don't enjoy it don't say anything for fear of being ostracized.

A Christmas Story is a great movie, and is well worth the watch, but take people's praises with a grain of salt. Too much hype can ruin a movie.

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Movie Reviews - Blazing Saddles http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/Blazing_Saddles Blazing Saddles has to be one of my favorite movies of all time, if not my favorite. Mel Brooks is a comedic genius and this movie was made before he had to censor all of his work.

Gene Wilder (of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) plays an excellent role as "The Waco Kid". Cleavon Little is a great "Black Sheriff". This movie does nothing but insult and degrade every race and culture, and it does it like no other movie could. A movie like this couldn't be made today, and it definitely wouldn't be PG.

This movie will have you laughing from beginning to end. It is a classic and possibly the best movie every made. This is Mel Brooks at his finest.

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Movie Reviews - Jackass: Number Two http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Comedy/Jackass_Number_Two Jackass: Number Two, a much anticipated movie, has finally arrived. It provided non-stop laughs from beginning to end, and I mean non-stop. I was gasping for air many times because I was laughing so hard.

While Jackass: Number Two consists of little more than a group of friends acting like idiots and performing outrageous stunts, it will keep you entertained for an hour and a half and leave you wanting more. Jackass: Number Two may not have a plot, but anyone going to see this movie for a thick plot is dumber than the guys in the movie.

I recommend this movie to anyone who liked the television show or the first movie. These guys keep you laughing with mess of new material that doesn't get old. There are a few graphic and disgusting scenes, so if you puked during the first one, bring a paper bag. And parents, don't let your retarded kids that don't realize they shouldn't do this stuff when they go home see this movie. You're the reason why they have to put a warning label on everything.

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Movie Reviews - A Muppet Christmas Carol http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Family/A_Muppet_Christmas_Carol I've always been a Muppet fan. I love the Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock. I enjoy other Muppet Movies. A Muppet Christmas Carol is no different. It's a great take on a classic Christmas story.

The Muppets are very entertaining characters. They add some comic relief to an otherwise solemn, albeit great, Christmas story. There's no big surprises. I've never read the book, but I assume this movie stays pretty close to the story. A Muppet Christmas Carol is a very enjoyable holiday movie, but don't expect anything spectacular.

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Movie Reviews - The Hills Have Eyes 2 http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Horror/The_Hills_Have_Eyes_2 This is a horrible movie. The first Hills Have Eyes that came out a couple years ago was remake. This is not based on the original Hills Have Eyes 2. It's supposed to be a separate sequel to the remake.

This movie is less of a horror movie and more of an action movie. It seemed like the director was trying to make the movie like a clone of the Resident Evil series. A military group winds up in the desert faced with an unknown mutant adversary, with superhuman strength. There's a disgusting rape scene between one of the female military personnel and a mutant, that's really unnecessary and provides no redeeming value to the scare factor of this movie. It is explained in the movie that this is how they bolster their numbers, not taking into account that massive amounts of radiation would make the average person sterile.

The family in the first movie did a much better job surviving, and did much better planning than the group of trained soldiers in this movie. They are killed off quite easily, and use full clips of ammo to kill only a couple of the mutants. I highly suggest skipping this movie. It is a waste of time. If you do happen to watch it, don't say I didn't warn you. I do suggest checking out the remake of the first one though.

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Movie Reviews - Hostel http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Horror/Hostel I like most scary movies no matter how corny they are. But most don't really scare me because they are so over the top, with villains that won't die or fictitious monsters.

Hostel, on the other hand, depicts situations that really could happen and sick and twisted people that really could exist. Too many horror movies have over-the-top situations, but the events that take place in Hostel could very well happen. If you've seen Eurotrip, picture that scenario and combine that with your worst nightmare.

Hostel is also one of the most grotesque movies that I've seen in a while. I don't watch horror movies just for their shock value, and this movie doesn't really try to shock you in that way. Hostel just does a very good job at portraying what the victims endure. Hostel is not for the squeamish. I would say that Hostel has the sickest scene I've seen in a movie so far, but it is by no means out of place.

I would recommend this movie to anyone that likes any of the Saw movies or any Quentin Tarantino movies. After seeing this, you'll second guess your trip to Europe.

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Movie Reviews - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Horror/The_Texas_Chainsaw_Massacre_The_Beginning ***SPOILER ALERT***

I like horror movies, and I enjoyed the remake of the first movie more than the original. This movie didn't get much hype at all, but the few previews I saw looked interesting.

This movie couldn't be more unoriginal. It did nothing different from the first movie. A bunch of kids are caught by the twisted family and tortured. Occasionally one would break free and try to save the others, dying in the process.

Having a prequel to a horror movie isn't the best idea. Anyone that has seen the first movie knows which members of the family survive, that the killer survives, and that none of the good guys survive or they would have contacted the police and the police would then have arrested the family.

This movie did manage to entertain me for an hour and a half, but there were no surprises. If you liked the first one, you will like this one as well, as it is pretty much a clone.

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Movie Reviews - Masters of the Universe http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Science Fiction/Masters_of_the_Universe Masters of the Universe is a live action movie based on the 1980's cartoon He-Man. It stars Dolph Lundgren who most people know better as "Ivan Drago" from Rocky IV. Growing up watching He-Man, I have a somewhat biased opinion of this movie. I like it mostly because of its nostalgia value, bringing back old memories of when I watched the cartoon as a kid.

Other than the nostalgia value, Masters of the Universe is a decent action movie with cheesy special effects, but that is mostly due when it was made. Don't expect a thick plot or dynamic dialogue. If you were/are a fan of the cartoon, you will like Masters of the Universe. Other than that, most people won't understand what is going on, because there is not enough time to give a strong background on each character. I recommend catching this movie on television on a lazy Saturday afternoon, if you can.

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Movie Reviews - Flash Gordon http://www.skwigger.com/movie_reviews/Science Fiction/Flash_Gordon Flash Gordon is a great Sci-Fi movie. It is definitely cheesy, but awesome none-the-less.

Queen (one of the greatest rock bands ever) provides the entire soundtrack. The theme song "Flash" is a classic epic rock song, right along with style of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Flash Gordon is based on the 1930's movie, so no one can say it is a rip off of Star Trek or Star Wars. It is much more of an adventurous movie. It reminds me more of Indiana Jones, but in space.

Flash Gordon is a perfect blend of action and adventure, with cheese (and you don't even have to pay $0.39 extra). Most of you probably haven't seen it, and if you have, you were probably very young. I recommend this movie to anyone that likes any of the Star Wars or Indiana Jones movies.

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