Classics Reveiw: Pulp Ficiton

There exist few films that are like Pulp Fiction. Now that I think of it, there are none like it at all. It is completely original. Some might think calling a film that came out in 1994 a classic a bold statement, but those people haven't seen this film. Those who have seen it will agree that it is in fact a classic and very worthy of such recognitions.

Pulp Fiction centers around the lives of several individuals. Jules And Vincent, played Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, are two of these people. They are both hit-men working for a man Marcellus Wallace. They are after a special briefcase. On one mission Jules is saved by what he thinks is divine inspiration. So he then tries to quit taking, and start giving. While this isn't the films main plot, it is one of the many stories that are told in the film. Another is the story of a champion boxer played by Bruce Willis who wins a fight he was supposed to throw. He then is on the run from none other than Marcellus Wallace. Again, both of these stories aren't even the half of what happens in this film.
Of all of the many characters and stories, they are all linked and connected by one thing or another. Now the characters don't have one big reunion or anything, but almost everyone runs into everyone.
The unique thing about this film is that it doesn't play in chronological order. As a matter of fact, the opening scenes are right before the "ending" of things (chronologically speaking.) This is a very interesting way to view the film, and it could have easily turned out horrible. But it doesn't. It is fun to see who is alive and when, when they are killed, and what you know they are about to go and do.
It just makes the movie watching experience all the more enjoyable.

The acting in this film is amazing. The highlight performance has to be from Samuel L Jackson. He does an amazing job supplying dark humor and a human side to the eccentric hit-man Jules. All of the other characters do a great job. Heck, even Uma Thurman was good in this movie. And that's saying a lot.

This film has a certain charm to it that is unmistakable. Now, I use the word "charm" lightly. I mean when you have characters yelling the F word as loud as they can and blowing each others heads to bits,you really cant say that is "charming". But, when you hear Jule's rant on "Big Kahuna Burgers", or Butch's famous line to his girlfriend "Its not a motorcycle baby, its a chopper" you cant help but smile. Now I could go on for days, because almost every single moment in this movie is pure gold. It is packed full of funny dialogue and memorable moments. This is one of those movies that is quoted (and misquoted) again and again and again.

Quentin Tarantino has to be one of the most talented directors in Hollywood today. His ability to make almost anything he touches turn to cinematic gold. This ability is as uncanny as it is amazing. He has a style that is nothing like anything we have seen before. Pulp Fiction best showcases this style and is therefore his best work.
Pulp Fiction is one of those films that you see and you don't forget. It is truly a cinematic experience, and you really get what you take out of it. But everyone gets something, I assure you that.

With solid performances and dialogue, Pulp Fiction is a must see. This is one of those movies that puts the viewer through a journey that they probably haven't been on before. A journey of Hit Men, and champion boxers. A journey of 1950's dancing and greed. Oh yeah, almost forgot. A journey with tasty burgers. Unfortunately no amount of praise can truly do this movie justice. It is truly an original that you need to experience to fully understand what I mean.
However after saying all of that, I will simply say that Pulp Fiction is one of the greatest movies of our time.

Movie Review: Inception

Inception is one of those movies that you have to see to really get what everyone means when they say "Dude, you have to see it!! Using that statement I guess you could say this entire review is obsolete. I still encourage you to read it anyway, because you love me. Anyway, lets get back to the review.

The movie centers around a man named "Cobb". Cobb is what they call an extractor. Basically what Cobb does is he enters peoples minds via dreams to extract information from their heads. He is very good at doing this. The best, actually. Cobb also has some problems that go along with this talent. One problem is, is that he lost almost everything he ever had doing this (i.e. the ability to see his family). But, he discovers a way to get it all back. His way back is called "Inception." What is this Inception I speak of? Well, it is going into someones mind and planting an idea, rather than taking one. Of course when they get there everything goes crazy and things aren't what we expected.
There are a lot of things this film does right. I don't think I will mention all of them, because there are a lot of things to mention. But, I shall mention some.
First off, the acting is solid. I wasnt really a Dicaprio fan until I saw him in Shutter Island. Now I cant get enough of the guy. He does a wonderful job playing the troubled protagonist. He adds a certain level of mystery to the role. Overall, he ends up being likable and you want him to get back to his family. Juno's Ellen Paige plays a young apprentice of Cobb's. Her character is smart and resourceful. Not to mention a little clever. Paige pulls this off well. Joseph-Gordon Levitt plays Cobb's partner in crime Arthur, who really doesn't say much. This kind of character is perfect for Levitt. The character has that same melancholy, "semi-depressed but happy at the same time" thing going for him that he had in 500 Days of Summer.

The storyline of Inception is rather confusing. It will jump far ahead of you waiting to catch up, so be ready. This film is one that you will need to see again. Not to fully understand it per se but to see things you may have not seen before. It is much easier to solve a puzzle one you have all the pieces. This movie seems to know something you don't know, and has a lot more going on than you think it does. As I mentioned earlier, this film stays several steps ahead of you. You will not be able to guess the ending, so the climax of this film is intense.

The action scenes and CGI are also very cool. Even though this thing has basically everything that is standard to today's action films (chase scenes, gunfights) they make them engaging and interesting. I'm not saying that scenes like these are bad, but to some people they can get old. They aren't in this one. You will be rooting (and worrying) for the hero's all the way through. The plot, characters, and action stay fresh all the way through.

As for the CGI, it complements the story unlike some films we have seen. Nolan doesn't add too many effects, but just enough in my opinion. They really add an extra effect of "coolness" on to this film. One of my favorite sequences in the movie is the zero gravity battle sequence in the hotel.

Overall, Inception is a very smart action film. It is cleverly done, and it will have you thinking even after it is over. The acting is great, the action exciting, and the plot complicated (in a good way). If you want to see something completely original, see this film. I assure you that you will want experience "Inception" more than once.
5/5 Stars

The Star Wars Retrospective: Episode I

When it comes to Star Wars, I guess you could say I am a bit of a fanboy. I have hundreds of action figures and other memorabilia, and I was a member of the offical fan club for about six years. I knew I was getting ripped off when I recieved a letter in the mail that read
"There is a disturbance in the force, your subscription has run out! I then knew it was time for a chage in the balance of my force. har har har...

Anyway, I am at my Grandparents house for a week. For whatever reason, they happen to own all six of the Star Wars movies on DVD. Plus they have a very large television. And surround sound. Yes. So guess what Im doing all week? Thats right; super Star Wars marathon extravaganza! As I watch each of the films, I have decided to do kind of a retrospective review thingy on each one. I wont give them an offical rating as much as I will discuss them and leave it open for talk in the comments. I watched Episode I first, so I shall write about that one. Anyway, here goes.

There are alot of things I could say about Episdoe I. I could say that the acting seems terribly forced by Anikan Skywalker. I could say Jar Jar Binks is the most annoying thing to ever exist. Ever. I could say that every time I see Mace Window now I think he looks better with a Jerhi Curl like in Pulp Fiction than he does bald. I could say all of these things and be correct. I guess what Im trying to say is...you can say a lot about this movie. Love it or hate it, it is...different. I really dont want to take a definate side here, but out of all the films this has to be the "worst". That being said I do not entirely hate the film, as I mentioned earlier I am in fact a fanboy; so I kind of like all the films. There are several issues with this movie. One being the acting and the other being the CGI. The acting is rather stale at parts and its like, 90% CGI. Wow. Take that Avatar. While it does have its mishaps, I still enjoy watching it. Ray Park does a pretty good job with stunts as Darth Maul. I will give him that. And Liam Nesson does a fair job as Qui Gon Jinn,a fairly pointless character but a good one to have around. The lightsaber battles are pretty cool, to say the least. The thing that gets me the most is how out of character Anikan Skywalker is. I just felt he should have been more angry than he was. He is like that in later prequel films, and I would have like to seen a little bit of it here. He is rather chipper for a man to later kill hundreds. Luckily we see a more angry Anikan in the other two prequels. But, it is intresting to learn where all of these people come from. It is also fun to see all the cameos like Jabba The Hutt that appear in the film.

I guess all that Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace is, is a filler film. It is neccessary to the plot but isnt as good as the old ones. It is still good, though. At the same time, maybe it isnt quite fair to compare it to the originals. They really captured lighting in a bottle with that one and it is really hard to replicate what they did there. But, it is what it is. Of course the other two prequels were somewhat better than this one. But we will get to that in another post.
Well, Im off now. Ill be back tomorrow, or something.
May the force be with all of you.
-Toad Sage

Recent happenings of The Toad Sage

Hello readers(if you are out there). Welcome to another post by The Toad Sage. I haven't come across any new media lately so I thought it would ramble for a bit in this post. Lets see...what have I been up to lately?
Well, last night I was up until 2-ish reading the complete history of the Sith. That's Star Wars stuff, for those of you who don't know. I cannot decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. But I think its a bad thing. Its not that I care, I have pretty much embraced this whole "dork" thing and I am quite proud of it.

I really want school to start. I have been missing it! Summer is fine for the first few weeks but it kind of loses its point after a while. Oh well. It seems I must wait like everyone else.


In other news, I am filming a documentary! What is it about? Nothing, really. I have just been prancing around my school and surrounding areas filming everything I come across with my best friends. It is pretty cool. I am rather new to the whole video editing thing so it isnt turning out exactly how I want it. But I will get better. Part of the problem is the program im using. I am using the default program that came with my camera (its a Flip) and it really isnt made for movie making. I think it is made more for mashing clips. I will do what I can with it!

Im not sure what movie I will see next but stay tuned for more reviews!
This is The Toad Sage, signing off.
Stay Gold, everyone.

Transformers: War for Cybertron

Since I am in fact something of a mega-dork I have a strong passion for the Transformers. I grew up as most of my generation did playing with the toys and watching the cartoons. In 2007 Michale Bay brought us his take on the franchise which wasn't half bad. Last year he tried it again and it was...well it was very bad. Fast forward to 2010 and you see the release of Transformers: War for Cybertron, a game promising to be a solid Transformers experience. Is this game lame, or is there more than meets the eye? (yeah, Im that lame.)

The game takes place way, way before any of what we have seen with the Transformers Universe. A couple million years, in fact. The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons is in full swing, and things aren't looking so good for the Autobots. The
Decepticon leader Megatron has tons of new followers ready to do his bidding and the brave Autobot leader Zeta Prime has fallen in battle. So, its time for our hero Optimus Prime to step up and save the day. The game contains two campaigns; an Autobot campaign and a Decepticon campaign. Each has their own individual story and is quite lengthy. While there isnt a whole lot wrong with the story itself, I could have liked to have seen a richer story line. The game kind of presents itself how it is and events unfold before your eyes. While this isnt bad, I am sure they could have done a little better with it.

The gameplay is top notch using the Unreal Engine that powered games such as Gears of War. War for Cybertron is essentially a 3rd person shooter. It is what it is and it does it well. Expect tons of action and a TON of explosions. The combat is very, very fast paced and can get very confusing at times, so be ready for almost anything. Your character can carry two weapons at a time and has a melee attack that can be accessed by the right stick. The left stick is used for transformations which are very, very cool and slick. Transformation from robot to vehicle in combat has never been so awesome. Yet another thing they have done right this time around.

The graphics in the game are good. Not perfect though. There are some issues with the screen rippling when the camera is panning, but then again that might just be my TV. The amount of lag is next to none. This is amazing considering all of the hectic action that is happening on screen. One aspect that really stood out to me is the look of the Transformers and their world. All of the bots are extremely classic. They are a mix of "generation 1" and Michale Bay's new take on them. Luckily we get more "generation 1" in the mix so the hardcore fans will be pleased. All of the voice acting in the game is very well don with the original Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, reprising his role.

In short, Transformers: War for Cybertron is a big love letter to the fans. It has all of the look and feel that IS Transformers. Hopefully we see a sequel where are of the small bumps are smoothed out. While it isn't perfect, this really is the Transformers game that we have been waiting for.
I give it a 9/10.