Post #317

Shooter (2007)

Mark Wahlberg is a good actor, even if he does seem to be typecast. I mean, why not continue doing what you do well? I accept.
I am reminded of Will Ferrell's comment at the Oscars last year that he wasn't gonna mess with him (Wahlberg) because he's "actually kinda bad-ass." He smack-talked so many other actors before and after but not Wahlberg. I think it's funny.

This film really did surprize me. I watched it because my brother had rented four DVDs and this was the one that made the most sense to me to watch at 2.48am (Black Snake Moan, The Last Mimzy, The Good Shepherd). I thought, with that actor and that title and the little I remembered from trailers, that it would be highly action-packed and highly predictable, some kind of testosterone festival. I was quite, quite pleasantly surprized. I mean, it was interesting, the gunnery/sniping was impressive (I was also happy to see the actor who played Tweener on "Prison Break" in that film) and Mark Wahlberg is a very attractive man, I'm not going to lie about that, so I settled in for a presentation that would sit in the 55th to 65th percentile of goodness. Then there was a moment in which the whole direction and quality of the film took a distinct turn for the better and I remember that my jaw dropped and I moved to the edge of my seat to soak in all of that initial intensity. Man, I love when films suck me in like that.

It was good; it kinda reminded me of Apocalypto in the way that it featured someone who was unusually perseverant and hardy while also brilliant and inventive, being a severely out-numbered ONE person on the side of what's right, impossibly out-witting and defeating the conspiring, overwhelming everyone else. (In that way it's typical, the man vs. world concept.)

9/10

Transformers (2007)

I wanted only to write about this one because I loved seeing two excellent films one day after the other. I loved also that both of them had actors from "Prison Break" in them.
I love that I didn't have many expectations for this film or much hype because I hadn't spoken with many people about this film, nor do I remember the cartoons much at ALL. I thought it would be wicked cool, because of the animation and the concept but I did NOT expect to fall so madly in love with it. I mean, the actors were great, and they preserved that spirit of make-believe and super-heroism...the humor was top-notch, top-notch. I'm excited that this dude is meant to be part of a trilogy. I look forward.

10/10