Fantastic feel-good story with an anti-establishment vibe. The movie challenges your interpretation of the events at the time, and has several sobering moments (oj news coverage, tonya spitting blood). Also funny as all get out.

I had zero expectations going into this as not much is known about the movie except for the cast - and obviously the story as it was a huge news event in the 90s - but it turned out to be a wildly entertaining albeit flawed biopic. The film settled on a style and tone that falls somewhere around the Coen brothers territory, but also gave me Christopher Guest vibes with its talking head moments and Paul Thomas Anderson level soundtrack use. It had a lot of cinematic elements, but overall it's a super accessible crowd pleaser.
There are two big problems I have with this film, however. Its soundtrack, while filled to the brim with classic songs, often felt out of place or completely unnecessary at times. For an iconic 90s story, having only 70s songs was an interesting choice. A lot of the songs played at strange moments as well and sometimes they were just too on-the-nose. For example, Supertramp's "Goodbye Stranger" plays as Jeff and Tonya separate for the first time. The other problem with this film involves the inclusion of the fourth wall breaking moments. This happens maybe 10 times throughout the film, but it didn't add anything and in fact distracted me from the story when it happened.
That said, what's great about this movie is how *truly* funny it is. I was expecting a few laughs because of the ridiculousness of the story, but the comedy here was really smart. It plays like a crime-gone-wrong Fargo-esque tale in its latter half and it works this way really well. The performances are strong especially from the always good Allison Janney (who is a huge scene stealer) and Margot Robbie. I've never seen Robbie give a performance like this before and I consider this her first big, meaty roll that allows her to use all of the acting bones in her body. She's funny, charming, brash, and you can tell she really committed herself to this role. Very impressed.

This is a much more sophisticated take on the vampire through-the-ages narrative; but it has certainly dated in the almost 30 tears since Neil Jordan put together a stellar, if not great, cast to regale us with the tale of "Louis" (Brad Pitt) & "Lestat" (Tom Cruise). Told in flashback to a very sceptical reporter "Daniel" (Christian Slater), Pitt tells of his near 200 year life that started with his meeting with Cruise and his conversion to his immortal existence based on blood. It's a hugely lavish affair, with loads of lust, trickery, duplicity and gore - tinged with genuine regret, loneliness and sadness - and, of course, loads of cruel violence. Whilst it does nod to the whole "Hammer" style of horror thrillers - there is plenty of ketchup - the writing and characterisations have much more depth to them. Neither of the principal characters are likeable, but you do build some sort of reverse empathy with - at least Pitt - as the film progresses. The attention to detail on the sets and costumes as we march through time never lessens and contributes magnificently to a stylish, sumptuous glamour-fest. Much as they were/are doubtless box-office A listers, however, Pitt was just too young looking to be convincing, Cruise just can't really act at the best of times, much less with extra dental props and Kirsten Dunst just annoyed me in the best traditions of Shirley Temple. A shame, because the rest of this is superb.

_La double vie de Veronique_ but make it worse.

I doubt "Ender Wiggin" (Asa Butterfield) would be anyone's idea of a soldier but "Col. Graff" (Harrison Ford) reckons his reaction to some bullies might suggest he has more mettle than his weedy physique indicates. His bootcamp experiences are much the same with loads of muscle-bound bullies making his life difficult but "Graff" isn't interested in making his life any easier, despite the occasional protests of his sidekick "Anderson" (Voila Davis). Indeed he actually ups the ante considerably when the young man is introduced to the eccentric "Mazer" (Sir Ben Kingsley). A veteran of the ongoing deadlocked war with the "Formics" that everyone hopes can train the the young "Ender" to break. Butterfield does quite well here as the youngster but both Ford and Kingsley underwhelm with the latter, tattoo-covered, character more hammy than intimidating as the story gradually stops being about the people and more of a video game with great visual effects, but a rather weak conclusion to the story that is inconsistently paced for two hours. I like the genre and it tries to be a bit different in it's approach to sci-fi story with a bit of a conscience. Worth a watch.

Some kind of space Harry Potter in a dull story about doing a genocide US style as if it would be a video game.
Boring and with the stupid "we are not so bad" ending to make everybody happy.
Still wondering what Harrision Ford and Ben Kingsley are doing in this movie ...

Enjoyed it overall but the story was meh. Loved that they had goro and other characters and that they also alluded to characters like kitana by showing off her fan and stuff. I wish that there was a tournament in the film and they stuck closer to the Mortal kombat story. Cole Young was not a very good character in my opinion.

Mortal Kombat shows off some amazing design and stunt work, but the writing keeps it from everything fans wanted it to be. Hopefully, the sequel will learn from these shortcomings.
I would be lying if I said Mortal Kombat (2021) was everything I had hoped. But I also enjoyed it and hope the sequel does happen someday soon.
Pros:
* The character roster was pretty big for a first outing, and I appreciated seeing so many of my favorites right off the bat.
* The costuming and aesthetics were stunning. I immediately recognized each character because their designs held true to the games while still being updated and modernized. The attention to detail was incredible.
* Josh Lawson surprised, making Kano undoubtedly the most entertaining part of this movie.
* Casting some true martial artists like Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada gave the action more skill and grit.
* The R rating was the right fit for Mortal Kombat, allowing the gore-filled fatalities fans have come to love in the games.
Cons:
* With a massive payer of characters to choose from in the Mortal Kombat universe, the addition of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young was unnecessary and annoying. A dozen existing characters could have served as the audience’s perspective.
* Adapting a fantastical and violent video game to a feature film is no simple task. However, Kevin Tancharoen perfectly grounded the Mortal Kombat story while keeping the magic and fantasy roots in Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011). Unfortunately, Simon McQuoid struggled with that balance, resulting in a script that felt like the CW team wrote.
* The whole Arcana superpower thing stripped the need for skill from some of the fighters, becoming a disappointing dues ex machina. I would have preferred better writing.
All in all, there were more pros than cons, but the cons took what could have been great and made it decent. All the pros give me hope that Mortal Kombat 2 can fix the cons and make a much better sequel. Fingers crossed!

OK... my wife is the Mortal Kombat fan of the family, and the fighting game fan of the family. So this should really be her review... because I'm just going to trash it.
The problem here is plot, as in they actually tried to add in a real plot. Mortal Kombat is a fighting game. You play it to peacefully beat your friends to a bloody pulp... and that is where the fun is.
But they added a plot.
In Twister, the star of the show was the tornado. The plot was there to move the view from tornado to tornado. And in Back Draft, it was the same... with fire.
Mortal Kombat thought it had to be deep. It thought it had to be something more than it a tournament. It thought the characters had to have more than surface level depth.
THE DIDN'T.
The Tournament should have been the star. The plot should have only been there to move you from fight to fight with a climax that shouted "FATALITY!" and left it at that.
Instead they tried to add depth where no depth was needed... and that killed the fun of Mortal Kombat.
Not every movie needs to have a plot and characters, some movies work best as mindless popcorn munching escapism.

Mortal Kombat is not just too long for a movie based on a fighting video game; it’s actually too dumb to even be a movie based on a fighting video game. On the one hand it does a Resident Evil, introducing a new character and making him the hero, instead of giving this role to an already established character – preferably one that is, you know, popular among the franchise’s fan base.
And on the other hand, it dips into the same old MK well, kicking off with the Hanzo Hasashi Family Massacre – Kombat’s equivalent of the biblical Massacre of the Innocents. Only last year the animated Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge covered the exact same ground, and did it a lot better. The intertitle that follows the prologue confirms that we are not about to see anything new (Earthrealm blahblahblah Tournament blahblahblah Outworld blahblahblah).
MK21 contains exactly (sub)zero surprises. The first time we see Jax, we know he is going to lose his original arms and have them replaced with cybernetic prosthetics (the only surprising thing about this is that the character's first replacement arms are quite underwhelming. Jax eventually gets something more in line with what we’re used to; the question is, why does the movie do in three steps what it should do in two?). Similarly, Kano's true, treacherous nature is no secret.
We already know all this. We know it like the backs of our hands. If we don't know it from playing the game, we know it from watching the 1995 movie – speaking of which, MK95 is 10 minutes shorter (it wasted little time with pre-Tournament antics, and it didn’t even bother with a Training Montage; in contrast, MK21 includes what is best described as a tutorial, not the way you want to go about evoking a video game feel), which is to say 10 minutes better. It also had better effects; its Goro was clumsy and awkward – something like the Cryptkeeper on stereoids – but when Johnny Cage punched him in the balls, I felt it. Conversely, when Cole (Lewis Tan), the aforementioned brand-new character, fights Goro in MK21, it’s like he’s shadowboxing, and his shadow happens to be a four-armed man-mountain of pixels.
All things considered, what’s the point of watching a movie where we can anticipate every important event, and anything we don’t see coming a mile away turns out to be unnecessary? For example, it's cool – pun intended – when Sub-Zero makes it hail, but that’s just a gimmick – nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

I've played Mortal Kombat since it first came out. I watched the original movies in the theaters. I had high hopes that maybe a reboot would make it feel fresh and maybe establish it as a darker genre like the games are.
The only saving grace in this film is the Scorpion and Sub-Zero Feud. I felt disconnected from Raiden and Shang Tsung because they were so emotionless and hollow. I did like who they got to play Kabal because I felt like that character was really well-written. I usually don't like Sonya Blade but this movie made me like her. I don't like Liu Kang I never will so it didn't much matter who they cast in that role because that character to me is too generic. I did not care one way or another for Kung Lao or Kano. The guy playing Jax has been the best Jax so far. I hate how they made Milenna look in this one and it just didn't suit the purpose of what her character really is. Goro felt copied and pasted from the original film.
All in all this could have been much better but I doubt we get to see anything past this due to how generic and unfeeling this film actually felt. Sad excuse for a Mortal Kombat reboot.

OK LETS start off with if you have not watched the latest animations of mortal kombat this will movie will make you feel abit effy. You will need more background on the actual characters you know from previous movies and those you don't. and the True scorpion and sub zero animation also covers alot. Good fighting movie though. Shouting GET OVER HERE!!!!!!and FINISH HIM haha it makes a person feel like you part of it.

Okay so let's start by saying I wasn't exactly sure what to think going into this movie I didn't know what was going to happen but wow this is one of the best action films of the decade so far yeah it started slow but really was a good full time of excitement

Fluff entertainment at its most bland. The fighting is pretty forgettable but at least they utilized the R rating for some decent gore that honors the game at least. Acting is at best so-so while the dialogue was pretty bad and it probably 10-15 minutes too long. Can't say I'll remember this but for what it is, it's fine as a time-waster. **2.75/5**

I liked this more than I should have.
I have tried the games, but am not into the fighting genre of games (although the Injustice series grabbed me for its story). The previous movies were fun and didnt take themselves seriously - which was good, but they got too hammy and over the top. The last cartoon took itself way to seriously and was disappointing and forgettable to say the least.
This movie, however seemed to grab everything good from the previous attempts, added actors who know some martial arts, used some of the key terms and moves from the games and had a stand out performance from Josh Lawson as Kano adding the 'very dry type of Australian' humour. Hell, the score was even good.
Given that this is pretty much the same as the game - 10-12 fights some spectacular fatalities and a basic plot with no character development - this was a very fun way to spend 2 hours.

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Even though I consider myself somewhat of a gamer, I was never the biggest fan of the Mortal Kombat games, probably because I never really knew how to play them. Besides occasional visits to my neighbor's house to play several games on his PlayStation 1 (or 2?), I've only played this game on the nostalgic arcade machines that gave me incredible joy when I was younger. In all honesty, I don't exactly remember if I watched the previous film adaptations of the popular franchise, but I do know that both didn't receive the best feedback from critics and audiences, especially the 1997's flick. Therefore, I went to the theater - first time in over four months - with no real expectations. I just hoped the action would compensate for the predictably flawed screenplay.
All in all, I'm surprised at how much I actually had fun with this movie. Considering this is Simon McQuoid's feature directorial debut, as well as Greg Russo's first screenplay credit, my hopes rested on Dave Callaham's previous works (Wonder Woman 1984, Zombieland: Double Tap) and on the gory, violent action sequences. The latter component is the best element in the entire film, which will definitely leave the viewers in search of action-heavy entertainment satisfied. The opening sequence shows the merciless brutality of each fight through phenomenal stunt work (Hiroyuki Sanada is impressively talented), long takes with exceptional choreography, and a shocking amount of blood - something quite characteristic of the game franchise.
The only negative aspect about this opening is the fact that no other action scene surpasses it, which doesn't mean that the rest of the battles fail to live up to the expectations of the most avid fans. Despite a few shaky, roughly edited scenes, the vast majority of the fights are easy to follow and feature jaw-dropping moments, such as the "Fatality!" finishing moves. McQuoid and his team of writers try to make the movie understandable and exciting to everyone, but if there's a chance of placing a reference, an Easter Egg, or something alike, they proudly and unrestrainedly present it to the audience, which will trigger the most hardcore fans to let go of a resounding, adrenaline-fueled "YEAH!".
I admit that I didn't expect the film to deliver those epic announcements from the game. From "Flawless Victory!" to "Fatality!", without forgetting the classic "Fight!", I did smile during these moments, where the actors actually change the tone of their voice to mimic the famous one-liners. Is it extraordinarily cheesy and over-the-top? Of course. Would any fan want it any other way? It might be a tad too much for some viewers, but I have to compliment McQuoid for fully committing to this adaptation. There's no ounce of shame, regret, or restraint. It's a movie made with a passionate public in mind, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to every single fan of the games.
I firmly believe people will end up liking or disliking this film based on how much the action compensates for the lack of a compelling story, which is something even the most enthusiastic fans are probably anticipating as well. From a couple of nonsensical narrative decisions to hollow, uninteresting characters, the screenplay is solely focused on explaining everything surrounding Mortal Kombat - Earthworld, Outworld, champions, stakes, rules of the tournament - through lazy yet admittedly efficient exposition scenes. The characters could have been better developed, and the actors are far from being completely convincing. However, no one will enter the theater or click "play" on HBO Max expecting to witness an Oscar-worthy story...
Mortal Kombat is a surprisingly decent adaptation of the popular franchise, which will leave the most hardcore fans quite satisfied. For viewers with no experience or knowledge about the games, it could be a tough watch. However, if all the audience seeks is action-heavy entertainment, then Simon McQuoid's directorial debut fulfills the more reasonable expectations. Packed with references that even the least avid gamers will recognize, the fighting scenes are mostly well-filmed and quite energetic, focusing more on the gruesome, bloody, jaw-dropping Fatalities. Despite the opening sequence being the peak of great action, there are a couple of moments that could be compared to some parts of that epic start. Story-wise, Greg Russo and Dave Callaham's screenplay is as flawed as expected, possessing ridiculous developments and an abundance of dull exposition scenes, but it's the underwhelming use of a few interesting characters that negatively impacts the movie the most. In the end, I definitely recommend it to fans of the franchise, who will surely appreciate this film a lot more than myself.
Rating: B-

Mortal Kombat Gives Fans Of The Franchise The Brutal Live-Action Version They Deserve
Fans of the Mortal Kombat series have known that the path to bringing the violent and controversial game to live-action formats has been a mixed bag. While the first film in 1995 was a decent hit; the follow-up in 1997 disappointed fans who had grown weary of the PG-13 take on the series.
Subsequent efforts such as the 2011 television series also left fans wanting more; especially since the game series had become even more graphic and violent.
An animated film released in 2020 gave fans a taste of what they wanted as it featured graphical violence which many fans believed was essential to properly catch the spirit and action of the series.
The latest offering in the series “Mortal Kombat”; reboots the cinematic universe and gives fans the intense, brutal, and graphic violence that they have demanded. The film keeps the basic premise that the Outworld realm has won nine tournaments in a row, and based on the ancient laws; one more victory would allow them to take control of the Earth.
Raiden the Thunder God (Tadanobu Asano); who has been tasked with protecting Earth looks to assemble and train a band of champions to save Earth. Naturally, this is not going to be easy as Shang Tsung (Chin Han); is not willing to follow the rules of the tournament and dispatches his top fighter (Sub Zero (Joe Taslim) to dispatch the champions of Earth before the tournament in a clear violation of the rules in order to ensure total victory.
What follows is solid and very graphic action which contains gore and brutality on a level that almost kept the film from earning an R-rating. The action sequences are well-choreographed and there were some great recreations of classic moves by characters from the game series which were really well utilized and did not seem like gratuitous pandering.
While the plot is fairly simplistic and does not deviate greatly from the source material; it does give a larger backstory to the universe. It was really enjoyable to see many nods to the franchise throughout both subtle and overt and while some characters were glaringly absent which was a surprise; the characters that were included were really solid to see and the door was wide open for their inclusion at a later date.
While the cast does not contain any star power in terms of what Western audiences might expect from a major studio release; the ensemble works well and do a great job in bringing their characters to life.
The film leaves sequels wide open and teases a character that in my opinion was a glaring omission from the film. That being said; “Mortal Kombat” gives fans a solid adaptation that does not shy away from gore and violence and gives fans the cinematic experience that they have wanted.
3.5 stars out of 5

I will be short. You should understand how hard to make movies based on such a legendary universe (expectation is too high!), with a lot of characters that need screen time, and with limited budget, PLUS in a pandemic situation, - the director made a great job.
This is the best adaptation of such a legendary title.

**_The two protagonists win the day in this amusing, dramatic and thrilling Western_**
The so-called 'lone ranger,' John Reid (Armie Hammer), and his Comanche companion, Tonto (Johnny Depp), seek to bring the notorious Butch Cavendish to justice (William Fichtner). Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter are on hand in periphery roles.
"The Lone Ranger" (2013) surprisingly finds an agreeable balance between comedy, drama and wild action. What especially makes it work are the two leads: Depp is magnetic and interesting as Tonto while Hammer is likable as the Lone Ranger.
The format of the elderly Tonto chronicling events from decades earlier is reminiscent of "Little Big Man" (1970), not to mention the mixed tone. There are also nods to other notable Westerns, like the music straight from "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968). One of the best bits is when the Lone Ranger exuberantly exclaims, "Hi ho Silver, away!" to which Tonto responds in a flat voice, "Don't ever do that again." Speaking of Tonto, his iconic 'look' (with a stuffed crow on his head) was based on a painting by Kirby Sattler called "I Am Crow" (Google it).
If you like movies like "The Mask of Zorro" (1998), the underrated "The Musketeer" (2001), the Indiana Jones flicks and the aforementioned "Little Big Man" you'll probably appreciate "The Lone Ranger." It's superior to any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" flicks IMHO and I find Tonto a more interesting character than Jack Sparrow.
The film runs 2 hours, 30 minutes, and was shot in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California and Texas.
GRADE: B

This should survive the test of time.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto set out to do good.
We get a look at the origins of the Lone Ranger. And most of it is told by Tonto (Johnny Depp in a role that is actually well done).
I'm not fond of the many flashbacks, but that's just me. Other than that, the flashbacks are well pieced together into a story, and the story is well molded together. I prefer just an up front telling of the story. That would have given this a higher rating from me, but that's just me.
As of now, this movie gets a lot of hate, and there's no understanding for the reason, other than simple contrariness. It isn't "formula" enough for most critics.
Still, this film has a lot going for it. The Lone Ranger goes through a lot of turmoil, and he is quite likable in a rogue sort of way.
This film is probably more than half comedy. It has more comedy than "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for example, though not as much as "Romancing the Stone", although it comes closer to "Romancing the Stone" in comedy.
A lot of this film goes into the supernatural, which is good for the legend of the Lone Ranger.
The "theatrics" aren't bought by today's spoiled brats very much, but it looks like a film that will survive the test of time if Western culture stops taking backsteps out of civilization and moves forward. It's just not negative enough for the Beavis and Butthead crowd of today's culture.

Relegated to a fun-fair exhibit, "Tonto" (Johnny Depp) regales a young visitor with tales of his adventures with the eponymous, somewhat green and naive, lawyer "John Reid" (Armie Hammer). It all started when "Tonto" rescues "Reid" after he was ambushed by the nasty "Butch Cavendish" (William Fichtner). Together with his famed white horse they now set out to right this wrong and bring this evil man to justice. What now ensues just isn't very good. It's a sort of loosely hung together series of escapades with the easy enough on the eye Hammer just far too lightweight to bring even a modicum of charisma to the role. Depp is just recreating his "Jack Sparrow" characterisation - just with a white pained face; and the adventure elements are predictable and frankly rather dull. It has an almost slapstick nature to it; the dialogue tries to be pithy but in the end depends too much on the style of delivery from Depp - and I found that style repetitive and unimaginative. It culminates quite entertainingly, to be fair, but this film is just way too dependant on one single character and it just didn't work well for me. At just shy of 2½ hours, it is far too long too. Maybe 45 minutes less with more emphasis on the action and a better screenplay might have helped, but as it is - this is a long, empty, watch that borders on the spoof. Fans of Depp may well disagree, but for the rest of us this is merely a vehicle for him - and not a very good one at that.

It loses its way a bit at around the midway point, but all in all 'The Lone Ranger' is a film I found entertainment in.
No doubt helped by much of the people behind 2003's 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' - my favourite film - reuniting for this. From Johnny Depp to Gore Verbinski to Jerry Bruckheimer to Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio. Therefore, I was bound to like it.
Depp is enjoyable, as is usually the case. There are, of course, question marks as to whether he's 'right' for the role. He claims he has Native American heritage, though you enter a real grey area with all that stuff. Anyway, judging by his acting, he's fun. Armie Hammer is much better than I thought he'd be, while William Fichtner makes for a good villain. Nice to see Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter involved, also.
I like the way the story is told, involving Depp and Mason Cook. It certainly adds a sense of intrigue to events. The end scenes are also enjoyable, at least visually - I don't love the score all that much, to be honest. However, as noted at the top, the middle part of the film is less entertaining - though the finale helps pick things back up.
I've, evidently, seen better from these lot. Still, it's a very good film in my books; despite having issues.

(I wrote a very long and comprehensive review about this but I lost it in a browser crash so we'll have to make do with just one paragraph).
Watching _The Lone Ranger_, every now and then, I could genuinely see the spark of a good movie trying its darndest to shine through. With a lot of changes, (foremost amongst them, a change of cast in the two leads) this might have been something special, I really can see how it could have been. But that wasn't the movie we got. We got this, and it is very disappointing.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

If this film would not have been called Lone Ranger and would not have pretended to tell the story the Lone Ranger then I would probably have considered it to be an okay movie. Maybe even a good one. However, this was supposed to be a Lone Ranger movie and that it is not!
I put this movie in the same category as the very disappointing Green Hornet movie. It is a typical case of some dumbass Hollywood producer/director taking a known name and thinks he can do what the heck he wants with it. The Lone Ranger is supposed to be the only survivor of a group of rangers, a hero as well as intelligent and so is Tonto. In this movie the Lone Ranger is a bloody lawyer, he is naïve and generally a screw up. Tonto is, well, as looney as one could expect with Jonny Depp in the role.
It is really said when you feel the best characters in the movie are the bad guys. I think Butch Cavendish is quite nicely portrayed by William Fichtner. Okay, the movie have its fun moments, a few laughs, some nice special effects and is not really poorly done as such. Unfortunately a lot of the time I phrases like “what and idiot”, “what the f…”, “this is not Lone Ranger” and so on, went through my head while watching it.
If this is the first time you have heard about the Lone Ranger, or you do not really care if the movie has anything to do with the original Lone Ranger then you probably will find this an entertaining movie. I am afraid that I was hugely disappointed.

Wrong Brother.
The early signs were not good, tales of production problems galore and
early critical notices wading in to kick the film before it had even
had a run at the theatres. The Lone Ranger seemed destined to be a
blockbuster stinker. Yet in spite of it noticeably alienating original
Lone Ranger purists, and some Western lovers as well, for a rollicking
action fun packed time then Gore Verbinski's movie delivers in spades.
It's awash with the serial silliness of adventure films and TV shows of
yore, pitching good guys against bad guys with buddy buddy shenanigans
pulsing away at the core. The stunts are outrageously enjoyable, the
landscape photography as beautiful as it is respectful in homage to
past masters of the Western genre, while in Depp's Tonto there's a bona
fide hero to root for just as much as he makes you laugh out loud.
This is an origin story, a tale of how John Reid (Armie Hammer) became
The Lone Ranger, and of course how the noble steed Silver and Indian
side-kick Tonto became integral to his villain fighting ways. Tom
Wilkinson and William Fitchner file in for polar opposite villain
duties, the former is the weasel business man trying to mould the West
in is own image, the latter a repugnant psychopath with a penchant for
eating human hearts! Then Helena Bonham Carter wanders in from some
Grindhouse movie for a couple of cameos that are resplendent with
sexual energy.
It's all very wacky and wild, and rightly so, but this is not at the
expense of very good story telling. Some parts of the narrative could
have been trimmed, but as the bromance builds between our two heroes,
and Silver gets up to all sorts of comedy horse escapades, there's nary
a dull moment here. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Verbinski
throw all the action staples into the pot. Chases, fights, swinging
from ropes, shoot-outs, people dangling from speeding train (pic is
bookended by awesome train sequences), grisly deaths and on it goes
from start to end.
There's caustic asides to the machinations of organisations of the
time, from railroad magnates to the cavalry, while the catchphrases and
legends of The Lone Ranger TV series are deftly inserted into the tale.
It was interesting to see Depp come out and defend the movie against
those damning early critic reviews, it's not something he does, being
as he is very much a guy who sees acting as just a job. Bruckheimer,
Hammer and Verbinski backed Depp up, stating that some reviews were
written before the film had even been released, the big budget and
production problems clearly making this a big stinker…
Not so, it's certainly not flawless, and those seriously into
anachronisms are likely to have kittens. But if you haven't seen it
yet, if you was put off by the venomous early reviews, then give it a
chance, you may just be surprised at just how entertaining it is. It
also looks and sounds brilliant on Blu-ray, where repeat viewings even
show Hammer to be better than first thought as that masked man. 8.5/10

I always find Jared Leto very easy to look at, but rarely does his acting ever amount to very much. Not so, here. This is quite a quirky and innovative drama that sees his life as "Nemo" depend on one simple decision he must make. Ought he to stay with his separating mother or father? This choice will, naturally, impact on how his life and the life of many others will pan out as we soon discover that scientific advances have ensured that he has survived to become the last "mortal" centenarian left on Earth. These permutations that ensue vary from the pedestrian to the surreal, and the characterisations offer us a little more depth to the scenarios as we all experience the consequences of his actions, and those invite a bit of thought, even philosophising, as the ramifications affect not just him, but "Elise" (a strong contribution from Sarah Polley) and "Anna" (Diane Kruger). Toby Regbo bears quite a striking resemblance to Leto which helps his engaging representation of the fifteen year old "Nemo" and, indeed, all of the children who take on the junior years of the key roles deliver well, here. It is not a straightforward story, some of it made sense to me, some of it suggested that auteur Jaco Van Dormael had been sitting too close to the glue pot, but there is an effective intensity to the performance from Leto (and his wonderfully expressive eyes) as we embark on this roller-coaster ride. I did not love the conclusion - but don't know that I could have improved upon it either - you ought to give it a try and see what you think. It is long, and maybe that will deter some people as the pace isn't always consistent, but I'd say this is the best I've seen from this star.

Really awesome movie. It's kite hard to understand at first and will require 1 or 2 rewatches to pick it up.
It's the kind of movie that doesn't hold spectator's hand to explain what's happening, but it's also not the kind of movie that messes up and nothing makes sense. All the info we need is presented, just not on a clear way. Some ppl may even need to do some research on physics concepts, entropy, etc.

Quite a disappointment. I was expecting much more from this movie but the story is just boring and uninteresting. Jared Leto makes a good performance (the movie is just tailored for him) and they are also good Kruger and, specially, Regbo and Temple.
However, as I said, the story is quite pointless. The movie finishes and you just feel like you have watched a bad joke without purpose.

Made just before the start of WWII, this feature finds us in the capable hands of "Jiminy Cricket" as he narrates us through this tale of "Geppetto" - an old carpenter who lives his life vicariously through his creations. The "Blue Fairy" visits the old man one night and gives life to one of his creations "Pinocchio" - with "Jiminy" being given his conscience... All is going well until he has to go to school; en route to where he is waylaid by a foxy character who entices him with tales of success on the stage. Needless to say, nothing goes to plan and he embarks on a series of adventures that put him, "Jiminy" and his father in considerable peril. This is a much more complex storyline than you might expect; there is plenty of joy and fun, but also a darkness that provides food for thought for children and parents alike. The wonderful, Oscar winning, score is the best in the Disney repertoire and the characterisations are engaging. If it has any flaws: the dialogue - there is too much of it; it is possibly just a little too long and finally - I just didn't really like "Pinocchio" much as a little boy - a bit too thoughtless and selfish. That said, of course, he is only a few months old!!! Great stuff!

Great characters movie. There is little to say about this movie that has not been told yet.
The story is simple but interesting and well told. The photography and the location of Manchester-by-the-sea is a very well chosen and the directing is very good.
And on top of everything else is its cast. A very well chosen cast that performs at a fantastic level with Casey Affleck delivering one of the most breathtaking performances of the last years. You can feel his pain with every attitude and gesture.
The encounter in the street with Michelle Williams is just astonishingly well done while the one at his brother's room after having picked up his things from Boston is a summit on the movie.
A very good movie and a very well deserved Oscar.