Troy (2004)

Troy is an epic battle movie with love and revenge thrown into the air throughout the movie. Troy is based off of the real life Trojan War. Not only did this movie entertain me, but it also helped me ace my Ethic and World Culture’s test!

This movie is great at making you have mixed feelings about the characters. For example, Achilles’ (Brad Pitt) character is always changing. After meeting a beautiful girl, his view on the war and killing changes. Another example is the King of all Kings, Agamemnon. At first the king isnt too greedy and just wants peace with the following country. However, when he has the opputunity to fight the Trojans, he jumps at the idea of more money and power.    

Troy takes place in 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age. Two of the biggest nations begin to fight after Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, who is royalty in Sparta, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnom, King of all Kings, to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with many ships holding almost all the Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans. But they come to a stop by Hector, Prince of Troy. This whole movie demonstrates their battle struggles, and the foreshadowing of fate in this remake by Wolfgang Petersen of Homer’s “The Iliad.”

This movie is rated R because of sexual scenes and gore. Some of the battles scenes will definetly disgust younger viewers so I recommend the viewers being older than fourteen. Also some of the sexual scenes are a little too much for younger viewers, so be prepared! Most of the movie is battling so if you dont like seeing blood, swords going through soldier’s stomachs, and bow in arrows spearing people’s head, you might not want to watch it.

I enjoyed this movie because of the drama. It was full of a wonderful cast and a beautiful plot which teaches you alot about Troy’s past history and a little bit about yourself. I recommend this to anyone who is a teenager and loves battle scenes–you will definetly enjoy it! This movie deserved its rating of R, so judge it to the best of your ability and know that the ending is very sad. If you dont deal well with tragedy, blood, gore, and weapons, dont watch this! I gave this movie a four out of five stars!

Footloose (2011)

Last weekend, I went to watch the remake of the classic Footloose. For older generations, this movie used to be the “it” movie of the year, and set actors and actresses into a career of future movies. I enjoyed this movie, even though it wasntas good as the first (but how could it get better?). I was glad that they made a remake because so many people in the younger generations dont know what the movie is about. This movie remade the original movie and its amazing plot and also added modern touches into it, through dancing, music, clothes, and dialogue.

Footloose is a remake of the 1984 dance musical starring Kevin Bacon, about a teenage boy from the big city who challenges a town’s laws against dancing and loud music. With drama thrown in the air, this movie keeps you always on your toes. The cast was well thought-out with unknown and known actors/actresses who all blew your mind with their dancing and acting. Footloose has an uplifting, positive ending with strong biblical references and Christian content, but before that happens, the movie indulges in plenty of teenage rebellion, foul language, and some inappropriate lewd behavior.

Because of this behavior, I do not recommend this movie for younger watchers. Although it is a great movie, it did deserve its PG-13 rating, and may disturb some viewers. Besides that, I recommend this to teenagers and adults who have and havent seen the original. It is a classic for a reason, but most remakes arent at good as the original–but I beg to differ from this 2011 Footloose. The dancing was amazing as well as the acting, all with a positive message–that anyone can make a difference.

I give this movie a four out of five stars!

The Other Guys (2010)

Whenever I hear the name “Will Ferrell” and “in a new movie” I instantly have to see it nor matter what reviews I have heard say. This movie, although it came out quite a bit ago, is still a funny movie that I recommend for mature tweens and teenagers. It is filled with action, drama, and mainly comedy! How can you watch a movie with Will Ferrell and not expect some comedy?

New York City Police Detectives Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and P. K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) are the toughest and most famous cops in the city. However, after their unexpected deaths, there are two other detectives that are want-to-be heroes sitting in the wings. Detective Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) just want a chance to be in the spotlight for once. They get their chance when a small case falls into their lap which ends up being a very big high-profile case instead. It’s the opportunity they have been waiting for, but with their constant fighting and bickering, it will be a challenge for both of them.

This movie is filled with funny lines that will leave you grasping your stomach in pain. I recommend this for older children or teenagers, to go with your friends or some other family. I went to this with my older cousins and we had a blast repeating the lines from the actors and actresses from the movie, whose character’s personalities stole our hearts and enhanced our laughs. I give this movie a three and a half stars out of five!