The Worst Films 0f 2008

Now is the time for me to decide the movie which I personally think is the worst of 2008. Of course, it is from top 10 to top 1. People who really like the movies which I listed below, please put the blame on me (Just kidding). Of course, the movie which I never seen before is not included.


10.) Jumper
9.) What Happen In Vegas
8.) College Road Trip
7.) The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
6.) Witless Protection
5.) Bangkok Dangerous
4.) Superhero Movie
3.) Max Payne
2.) Babylon A.D.
1.) Meet The Spartans

So, how was it? I did write reviews for some movie that I mentioned above. Others is not available. So, I will do a quick one. First, "Jumper" directed by Doug Liman who brought you his masterpiece, "The Bourne Identity". I'm very disappointed with his latest film. He cannot manage the action sequences well and fit into the movie with the character. Some of the character in the movie are lack of purposes. And there will be a plot hole in the movie, and the acting are bad. Actually I thought "21" will be in top 10. I really think about it and I choose "Jumper" as top 10. Second, "Bangkok Dangerous" directed by The Pang Brothers who also direct "Bangkok Dangerous" (Thai version) in 1999. This movie is about a hitman who going to Bangkok to have an assignment, kill people. I really enjoy this year summer movie, because there is a lot of movie which is more humanized and more focus on human mindset and characteristic. But, I hate this movie is because this movie is too humanized. The real hitman doesn't know how to love just like the movie "Hitman", he even doesn't want to make love with the girl. And the movie is too focus on the relationship between the hitman and the girl. It doesn't look dangerous enough. In the end, the movie feels very lame. Finally, "Babylon A.D." directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. I don't know why this movie existed. First, Vin Diesel doesn't look cool (he looks dirty and smelly) in the movie. Second, after you watch this movie, you'll feel like the director made this movie is for fun. The action sequences in this movie is not related with the story line at all. All I can say is the director is ruining his own movie. Such a waste.
Woow...I just want to stop it. The comments above is just my opinion. So don't be angry and enjoy the upcoming movie in 2009.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

High School Musical 3: Senior Year, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Zac Efron as Troy, Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella and they have spent a sweet time together in the third installment of High School Musical franchise "High School Musical 3: Senior Year".

It's just too late for me to review this movie, I wanted to review it because this is a better movie than I thought it might be. That's mean High School Musical 2 is suck. So, it is better this time? Yes of course. For the third installment of the franchise, luckily they did it right this time. This film is directed by Kenny Ortega who also direct the first High School Musical in 2006. Now, the third installment is about senior year, is there any sequel in the future? I don't know. just wait and see. The film begins with a basketball Championship competition between Wildcats and West High Knights. Wildcats almost lose the game. So Wildcats team leader Troy (Zac Efron) raised his team spirit by singing "now or never". After that, they win the game. (It is possible to sing so steady and smooth while playing the basketball?) After the basketball match Troy has a party at his house, then Troy and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) are singing "Right Here, right now". They're thinking about their future undertaking and they hope that the last few months at their high school would not end. So the rest of the movie is about how they spent the last few months at the high school, the relationship between Troy and Gabriella and what is the plan they're organizing for the prom night and what would they do during the graduation ceremony. First of all, I like the songs from this movie. It's quite comfortable to hear them sing in this movie. The songs is very touching and it gives the movie some lift up energy. There will be many kind of songs in this film, this is why I like this movie. They do a lot of changes and make this film looks charming and feels very different from it predecessors. The story is good anyway but not as good as the first one. The acting in this film is not professional enough. I doesn't really like the acting actually. The actors and actress especially Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, from some part of the movie, their acting is very stone and emotionless. Other than that, I'm not really admire the choreography from this movie. There is one part where Troy is angry and confused after having conversation with his dad, then he dancing and storming around at the hallways while singing "Scream". For me, the choreography is a bit similar with Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" and Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Glad". Even the camera technique they're using also a bit similar with the "Virtual Insanity" MTV. Besides that, the ending of this movie is a little bit too fast and less contain. Anyway, after I watch this movie, I'm not disappointing but quite surprising because it is still a watchable musical performing arts genre film and it is better than the second installment from the franchise.

Body of Lies (2008)

Body of Lies, 3 out of 4 stars

Crowe as Hoffman and DiCaprio as Ferris in "Body of Lies"

Body of Lies, directed by a masterful director Ridley Scott who brought to you his masterpieces "Alien" (1979), "Gladiator" (2000), "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "American Gangster" (2007) and more. This is a spy thriller film based on the novel of the same name by David Ignatius. The film begins with a bunch of anti-terrorist squad team prepare to engage the terrorist at the small apartment. Then the terrorists suicide by bombing themselves. The film cut to the scene where Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) a CIA operative in Iraq is getting the lead to a terrorist called Al Salim. Then the film introduce Ed Hoffman (Russel Crowe) Ferris's handler who trying to explain nowadays the CIA are hard to track down the terrorists, because they know the CIA has a great technology. So all the terrorist turn off their phones, shutting down their email, and using the old method of communicating face-to-face and others. By tracking the terrorist Al Salim, Ferris lost his friend in a car chase. Then Ferris went to Jordan and meet Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), head of the Jordanian General Intelligence Department. He told Ferris make sure he didn't lie to him. In order to find out who is Al Salim, Ferris meet a Jordanian Architect, Omar Sadiki. By using him as a bait, the CIA make a fake terrorist attack at Turkey so that Al Salim will try to find out who is the one who conduct the attack. Besides using Omar Sadiki as a bait, Ferris will soon find out he himself also will become a bait and he has to figure the way out in order to save himself. First of all, in my opinion this is really a great spy thriller film made by Ridley Scott. The story of this film is great, it contains a strong muslim element in it. Of course, it is a very sensitive topic but Ridley done a great job in making it balance between the topic and the film, and sometimes it makes you not to believe in CIA in some situation. The plot progression is almost perfect, only the first 30 minutes of the film which is I think is a little bit too fast. It makes the film a bit confusing because many thing happens at a lot of location. Besides that, Ridley done a great job by choosing a great actors who has a ability to act very well in every scene of the movie. Other than that, this film contains a bit action sequences which is very realictic and not too over the top. Ridley is a director who knows how to get a great shot and put it into a movie. I like the cinematography in this movie, Alexander Witt done a great job in lighting and others. Because of that, the movie looks cool, intense and has a unique style. Other than that, the composer Marc Streitenfeld also done a good job in composing the score in the movie. The score which he composed helped to support the film intensity and style. All I can say is this movie really deliver the thrills. Overall, "It is a great spy thriller film that can make you believe in everything the terrorist did nowadays. It's not perfect but it really delivers the thrills."

The Spirit (2008)

The Spirit, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Gabriel Macht as the spirit in "The Spirit" Is he a ghost? Find out yourself.

The Spirit, directed by Frank Miller, who brought you his real masterpiece, "Sin City" in 2005. This film is an adaptation from a comic book of the same name. The story is about the spirit (Gabriel Macht) who find his nemesis known as Octupus (Samuel L. Jackson) who wants to find a mystical blood of Heracles or Hercules so that he will become immortal. On that day, a woman named Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) an ex- girl friend of the spirit discovered two chests at the pond. One of the chests contain the blood of Heracles, so Octupus and his thugs make their way to find Sand Saref in order to get the chest. In order to protect his ex- girl friend, the spirit has to stop Octupus before he reaching her. So, first of all I heard a lot of bad reviews about this movie from my friends, from my friends' friend and others. In my opinion, this movie isn't bad enough to make it the worst of 2008, actually. I like Frank Miller movies, I like the way he present the movie and the way he makes the joke in the movie. Of course, I'm quite disappointed about this movie. Why? Because "Sin City" is really perfect. In "Sin City", he used a lot of comical style in it. Because of this, when you watch "Sin City", you feels like the comic is coming to real life. But, in "The Spirit", he used a few comical style. I expect he use more comical style in this film but he didn't. But still, the movie came out with a style that follows "300" and more. The only things that I really admire from this movie is the introduction and the ending. Frank Miller done a great job in it. Besides that, this film contain a very strong women characteristic in it. It makes the film looks very stylish and colorful. Besides that, it shows that women are very important for the spirit. The director handle the women character very well and I envy that. The only flaws is the story telling. This movie has "Sin City" style but don't have "Sin City" style of story telling. The story of this film is kind of weird but I like that (Because Frank Miller's movie also kind of weird) but the plot progression in this film is very bad. It make this film feel very boring and tedious. For me, I still can accept it but for the audiences maybe they can't. Despite a bad plot progression, this film is sometimes funny and hilarious. But some part of the jokes are not suitable in that particular situation. Overall for this film, "Frank Miller's latest film is boring and tedious, despite that it's still consider a good movie which has a great visual style and with a great weird presentation."