2008 Movie #66 - Wall-e
Well not only do we now have the new summer movie to beat, but we also have the new 2008 movie to beat. Yes that's right, this one is now the top movie out of the apparent 66 that I have watched this year. This movie is so good that anything I do hear to describe it in words won't do it any justice. You have to check this one out and experience it for yourself.
It's Pixar so when I say that the animation is incredible it won't really come to anyone's surprise. The opening 30 minutes or so I feel is the highlight of this, with Earth looking just fantastic. The later stuff is great too but it's in the opening that I really took notice of it. It definitely ranks right up there with the best that Pixar has done.
Wall-e of course is adorable, but he's also a fully 3 dimensional character. Pixar easily could have taken the lazy route and make us sympathy with him purely because of his big eyes and overall insane cuteness, but they wouldn't go that way. They made sure to give him depth and really give him a personality beyond being just a cute robot. Although don't get me wrong this movie is gonna make you go "awwwww" more times than you thought possible.
All the characters in this movie are the same way though, which makes the feat even more incredible considering 98% of the characters we follow are either robots or some other non-speaking creature. In fact for the first half of the movie there is almost zero dialogue. There's more of it in the second half, but not too much more. The story is still incredibly well told despite this and you will be instantly caught up in it.
I mentioned how amazing it is that we care about these characters so much but I didn't even mention that this is hands down one of the best cinematic love stories ever told. Sure there's adventure and an overall plot, but when it really comes down to it this movie is absolutely a love story between Wall-e and EVE. Trust me you will care if these two get together. I'm pretty sure I would have gone home and killed myself had it not worked out for these two. If their story doesn't pull at your heartstrings then there will be a doctor waiting at the door to take your heart away from you because you won't be needing it anymore.
In the end this was a fantastic FANTASTIC movie. Great story, amazing characters, breathtaking animation and a love story that beats out just about any other I've seen in ....maybe ever. It's the best of the summer, of the year, and my favourite out of all the Pixar movies. Watch this movie tonight!
***** / 5
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Shawn's The Onion Movie Review
2008 Movie #65 - The Onion Movie
This movie is kind of a grey area since technically it's been finished since apparently 2003 but it hasn't seen a release until a few weeks ago when it was dropped directly onto DVD. Since I took the time to sit and watch the whole thing I'm going to choose to count this as a 2008 movie and say a few words about it. I really do mean a few words too because there really isn't a whole lot to say about this one.
The movie consists of a series of sketches, some of which carry a very loose narrative that carries throughout the whole movie. The problem with the movie is that none of these sketches are particularily funny. There are a couple that are worth a laugh but nothing hilarious. Except of course the Steven Seagal parts in the beginning and end of the movie. Those parts are fucking fantastic. They aren't enough to make up for the stuff in between though. None of it is painfully unfunny like some of the other shit that I've had to sit through this year but at the same time it's really not worth watching.
Overall the best thing I can really say about this one was that it wasn't terrible, but it's completely not worth the time to watch it. Find the Steven Seagal parts on youtube or something and give them a watch though. In fact your standard Seagal movie is probably funnier than this one.
* 1/2 /5
This movie is kind of a grey area since technically it's been finished since apparently 2003 but it hasn't seen a release until a few weeks ago when it was dropped directly onto DVD. Since I took the time to sit and watch the whole thing I'm going to choose to count this as a 2008 movie and say a few words about it. I really do mean a few words too because there really isn't a whole lot to say about this one.
The movie consists of a series of sketches, some of which carry a very loose narrative that carries throughout the whole movie. The problem with the movie is that none of these sketches are particularily funny. There are a couple that are worth a laugh but nothing hilarious. Except of course the Steven Seagal parts in the beginning and end of the movie. Those parts are fucking fantastic. They aren't enough to make up for the stuff in between though. None of it is painfully unfunny like some of the other shit that I've had to sit through this year but at the same time it's really not worth watching.
Overall the best thing I can really say about this one was that it wasn't terrible, but it's completely not worth the time to watch it. Find the Steven Seagal parts on youtube or something and give them a watch though. In fact your standard Seagal movie is probably funnier than this one.
* 1/2 /5
Shawn's Get Smart Review
2008 Movie #64 - Get Smart
I really have to start writing these things right after I see the movies and when they're fresh in my mind. I saw this like 5 days ago now and as usual am just now getting around to writing the review for it. I really didn't have any feelings on this movie going into it. I have no attachment to the original TV show and figured this one would go the route that most classic TV shows end up going when they're made into modern day movies...that's right, the shit route. You don't have to look any further than the Charlie's Angel movies, Bewitched,Dukes of Hazard and more that I can't take the time to think of right now. However this one turns out to be a pleasant surprise.
In a year of mostly shit comedies (with a few exceptions of course) this one definitely stands out from the rest. It's not a hilarious movie, but it's certainly better than a lot of the crap comedies hollywood's anus has been dropping into theatres in the last few months. It remains smile worthy throughout, with a few lines and moments here and there being very funny.
The cast does a great job, with Steve Carell definitely making up for last year's Evan Almighty. He never overdoes it and makes the performance too over the top and he also actually manages to handle the action scenes surprisingly well. The supporting cast is also very good, with the standout being Alan Arkin as the Chief. I also pretty much support anything The Rock is involved with so he also wins here.
I mentioned earlier about Steve Carell handling the action well and that brings me to my next point. I knew going in that this movie would at least feature a few action scenes but I didn't know the actual level of action it would feature. There are some full blown action sequences in this movie and for the most part they are well done. They aren't going to rival like Transformers or anything like that but they are exciting, with the end chase being a particular stand out in the movie.
I've never really seen the original show so I can't really draw parallels here, which is overall probably a good thing because it would make me a lot more critical of the movie. As it stands I found it to be an enjoyable action comedy that will probably be forgotten in the coming months but is thoroughly entertaining while it lasts.
*** 1/2 /5
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Shawn's Incredible Hulk Review
2008 Movie #63 - The Incredible Hulk
Again as is the usual pattern I saw this movie over a week ago but am just now getting around to writing the review. Had I sat down at the computer right afterwards I would have written the shit out of this review because I was pumped after watching this one.
I'm not really in the love it or hate it camp with the first hulk movie. I certainly didn't think it was very good but at the same time I didn't think it was a complete train wreck either. I respect what the goal with that movie was but let's face it, most people go to see a Hulk movie to watch the Hulk smash the shit out of everything around him. It helps to make the Bruce Banner side of things interesting as well, but that's not nearly as important as some quality Hulk fucking things upery. Thankfully this movie gets that and delivers in spades.
One of my main complaints about the last Hulk movie was that there just didn't seem to be enough action, and whenever there was some it just wasn't that great. I mean why is the Hulk beating the shit out of giant poodles? I mean come on!! That's a problem this movie corrects. Although it does take a while before the Hulk shows up on screen, it just builds anticipation for his first appearence, which makes it all the more sweeter when that magnificent green bastard steps on screen for the first time..or smashes on screen. The action scenes featuring the hulk are all amazing, with my personal favourite being a close tie between the final fight and the university sequence. The action in this movie certainly does not disappoint and will make you giddy as hell watching it.
Another problem I had with the last movie was the overall cast. I think Eric Bana and Jennifer Connolly are fine actors, but they just didn't seem right for the Hulk. Both of them were very low key and overall boring to watch for the most part. This one fares much better. Ed Norton is one o my favourite actors and he does a great job as Bruce Banner. Of course Bruce will never be as interesting to watch as the Hulk but they came pretty damn close with this one. The rest of the cast does well too, with Tim Roth being a good, if maybe a little underdeveloped villian.
The thing I loved about this movie (besides the points listed above) is how much it really does feel like a live action version of the Hulk comics. This is a comic book movie at its best and it fits perfectly into the same world that Iron Man was in...in more ways than one actually. I really enjoyed this movie and am looking forward to what else Marvel has in store for us since my god are they ever on a role right now.
****/5
Again as is the usual pattern I saw this movie over a week ago but am just now getting around to writing the review. Had I sat down at the computer right afterwards I would have written the shit out of this review because I was pumped after watching this one.
I'm not really in the love it or hate it camp with the first hulk movie. I certainly didn't think it was very good but at the same time I didn't think it was a complete train wreck either. I respect what the goal with that movie was but let's face it, most people go to see a Hulk movie to watch the Hulk smash the shit out of everything around him. It helps to make the Bruce Banner side of things interesting as well, but that's not nearly as important as some quality Hulk fucking things upery. Thankfully this movie gets that and delivers in spades.
One of my main complaints about the last Hulk movie was that there just didn't seem to be enough action, and whenever there was some it just wasn't that great. I mean why is the Hulk beating the shit out of giant poodles? I mean come on!! That's a problem this movie corrects. Although it does take a while before the Hulk shows up on screen, it just builds anticipation for his first appearence, which makes it all the more sweeter when that magnificent green bastard steps on screen for the first time..or smashes on screen. The action scenes featuring the hulk are all amazing, with my personal favourite being a close tie between the final fight and the university sequence. The action in this movie certainly does not disappoint and will make you giddy as hell watching it.
Another problem I had with the last movie was the overall cast. I think Eric Bana and Jennifer Connolly are fine actors, but they just didn't seem right for the Hulk. Both of them were very low key and overall boring to watch for the most part. This one fares much better. Ed Norton is one o my favourite actors and he does a great job as Bruce Banner. Of course Bruce will never be as interesting to watch as the Hulk but they came pretty damn close with this one. The rest of the cast does well too, with Tim Roth being a good, if maybe a little underdeveloped villian.
The thing I loved about this movie (besides the points listed above) is how much it really does feel like a live action version of the Hulk comics. This is a comic book movie at its best and it fits perfectly into the same world that Iron Man was in...in more ways than one actually. I really enjoyed this movie and am looking forward to what else Marvel has in store for us since my god are they ever on a role right now.
****/5
Shawn's You Don't Mess with the Zohan Review
2008 Movie #62 - You Don't Mess with the Zohan
So to start off, I like Adam Sandler and I mostly enjoy his movies, especially his earlier work with my 2 favourties being Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer. However I still have a soft spot for movies such as Mr. Deeds, Big Daddy, etc. I also really like his more dramatic work such as Reign Over Me and Punch Drunk Love. However his last two films (Click and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) just didn't do it for me. Both tried way too hard to have a message and Click especially devolved into the dramatic material a bit too much. Thankfully Sandler has returned to more wacky comedies with this one.
It's still not a hilarious movie but it's funny and hopefully a sign of things to come with future Sandler comedies. I liked that with this one they went completely out there and didn't ground this movie in reality in the slightest. I felt some of the funniest parts of the movie were whenever the Zohan was fighting or just doing some outlandish shit. Comedies that attempt this are rare it seems now a days (unless they are a terrible spoof movie of course) so it's nice to see one that's almost cartoonish in quality but somehow never crosses a line into being too ridiculous.
The cast in this one is great. Adam Sandler is very funny in the main role and he is surrounded by a great supporting cast including John Turturro, and a shit ton of funny cameos that I don't really want to give away here. The movie did try and have a message somewhat but it never took away from the movie like it tended to do with Sandler's last couple of movies. They deliver the message while at the same time keeping the comedy alive.
Also I have no idea how some people could be offended by this movie but I have talked with some people who were. Once you see Sandler beat a bull in a tug of war contest, you have to know this is a movie you can't at all take seriously.
In conclusion, it's certainly not the funniest movie of the year (an award I still hope to pass on to a newer movie, *looks at Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder*) but it's entertaining, although I did feel that it went on a little bit too long. Sandler fans should enjoy it, especially ones who felt his last few pictures weren't up to far. Sandler haters....well fuck you I guess.
***/5
So to start off, I like Adam Sandler and I mostly enjoy his movies, especially his earlier work with my 2 favourties being Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer. However I still have a soft spot for movies such as Mr. Deeds, Big Daddy, etc. I also really like his more dramatic work such as Reign Over Me and Punch Drunk Love. However his last two films (Click and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) just didn't do it for me. Both tried way too hard to have a message and Click especially devolved into the dramatic material a bit too much. Thankfully Sandler has returned to more wacky comedies with this one.
It's still not a hilarious movie but it's funny and hopefully a sign of things to come with future Sandler comedies. I liked that with this one they went completely out there and didn't ground this movie in reality in the slightest. I felt some of the funniest parts of the movie were whenever the Zohan was fighting or just doing some outlandish shit. Comedies that attempt this are rare it seems now a days (unless they are a terrible spoof movie of course) so it's nice to see one that's almost cartoonish in quality but somehow never crosses a line into being too ridiculous.
The cast in this one is great. Adam Sandler is very funny in the main role and he is surrounded by a great supporting cast including John Turturro, and a shit ton of funny cameos that I don't really want to give away here. The movie did try and have a message somewhat but it never took away from the movie like it tended to do with Sandler's last couple of movies. They deliver the message while at the same time keeping the comedy alive.
Also I have no idea how some people could be offended by this movie but I have talked with some people who were. Once you see Sandler beat a bull in a tug of war contest, you have to know this is a movie you can't at all take seriously.
In conclusion, it's certainly not the funniest movie of the year (an award I still hope to pass on to a newer movie, *looks at Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder*) but it's entertaining, although I did feel that it went on a little bit too long. Sandler fans should enjoy it, especially ones who felt his last few pictures weren't up to far. Sandler haters....well fuck you I guess.
***/5
Friday, June 13, 2008
Shawn's The Happening Review
2008 Movie #61 - The Happening
"I just hope that the Happening doesn't come in and ruin this rare streak." If you remember correctly that is how my last review ended. Sure enough what did the Happening come and fucking do? Ruined the streak. The movie isn't quite the holy shit god awful kill yourself train wreck I was expecting it to be, but it's damn far from being a good movie. It's barely a watchable movie.
To start off, my feelings on M. Night are mixed. I liked the Sixth Sense and loved both Unbreakable and Signs, Unbreakable being my favourite of his films. The Village was very meh with an ending I just hated, and I never actually saw Lady in the Water. So I don't have anything against his films, hell I would love for him to start making great movies again. I'm not the biggest fan of him as a person since he comes off as an arrogant bastard who thinks the world of himself but we won't get into that right now.
The point is that this movie just isn't good. It could have been good I believe. The premise behind the movie isn't awful, though it's pretty damn silly. At least they try and provide some explanation for what actually is happening but when it comes down it it's a pretty god damn goofy scenario. You know what, maybe this really was the best movie they could have made out of the story.
It's not just the main reveal thats a problem though, the whole movie feels disjointed with a lot of pointless shit in it. What was the point of the mood ring for example? I kept waiting for it to come into play in a major way but it never happened. So fucking stop telling us about it. Why do we care that Marky Mark and Zooey had been fighting? It never once plays a major role and when it does show up, it feels stilted and pointless. Also what the fuck was with the old lady near the end of the movie? That was so out of nowhere left field retarded that it felt like we were watching a whole different, yet equally bad, movie.
Speaking of which, the acting in this movie is almost shockingly bad. I like the main cast but what the fuck were they doing here? Did M. Night tell them this was okay? How could anyone watch the dailies of this and think the acting was ok for the final product? It's so wooden and stiff it's almost like the cast was playing a joke that Night never caught on to or something. It doesn't help matters that the dialogue is equally as bad. Does M. Night (for the record, I really don't wanna write his last name out ever) even know how real human beings talk? It certainly doesn't look like it after watching this one.
There is some cool stuff in this one. Some of the suicides are neat and creepy but some (im looknig at you zookeeper) are just fucking laughable. Also I liked the ending kind of. It delivers a message that is actually kind of freaky. Unfortunatly there isn't another scary thing in this movie. The jump scares are lame and the violence I think is intended to be a lot more shocking than it actually is.
In conclusion, have a friend tell you what the happening actually is and just skip this one. In fact....it's plants doing it. There ya go, now you can skip the first step and never think about this movie again.
**/5
"I just hope that the Happening doesn't come in and ruin this rare streak." If you remember correctly that is how my last review ended. Sure enough what did the Happening come and fucking do? Ruined the streak. The movie isn't quite the holy shit god awful kill yourself train wreck I was expecting it to be, but it's damn far from being a good movie. It's barely a watchable movie.
To start off, my feelings on M. Night are mixed. I liked the Sixth Sense and loved both Unbreakable and Signs, Unbreakable being my favourite of his films. The Village was very meh with an ending I just hated, and I never actually saw Lady in the Water. So I don't have anything against his films, hell I would love for him to start making great movies again. I'm not the biggest fan of him as a person since he comes off as an arrogant bastard who thinks the world of himself but we won't get into that right now.
The point is that this movie just isn't good. It could have been good I believe. The premise behind the movie isn't awful, though it's pretty damn silly. At least they try and provide some explanation for what actually is happening but when it comes down it it's a pretty god damn goofy scenario. You know what, maybe this really was the best movie they could have made out of the story.
It's not just the main reveal thats a problem though, the whole movie feels disjointed with a lot of pointless shit in it. What was the point of the mood ring for example? I kept waiting for it to come into play in a major way but it never happened. So fucking stop telling us about it. Why do we care that Marky Mark and Zooey had been fighting? It never once plays a major role and when it does show up, it feels stilted and pointless. Also what the fuck was with the old lady near the end of the movie? That was so out of nowhere left field retarded that it felt like we were watching a whole different, yet equally bad, movie.
Speaking of which, the acting in this movie is almost shockingly bad. I like the main cast but what the fuck were they doing here? Did M. Night tell them this was okay? How could anyone watch the dailies of this and think the acting was ok for the final product? It's so wooden and stiff it's almost like the cast was playing a joke that Night never caught on to or something. It doesn't help matters that the dialogue is equally as bad. Does M. Night (for the record, I really don't wanna write his last name out ever) even know how real human beings talk? It certainly doesn't look like it after watching this one.
There is some cool stuff in this one. Some of the suicides are neat and creepy but some (im looknig at you zookeeper) are just fucking laughable. Also I liked the ending kind of. It delivers a message that is actually kind of freaky. Unfortunatly there isn't another scary thing in this movie. The jump scares are lame and the violence I think is intended to be a lot more shocking than it actually is.
In conclusion, have a friend tell you what the happening actually is and just skip this one. In fact....it's plants doing it. There ya go, now you can skip the first step and never think about this movie again.
**/5
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Shawn's Kung Fu Panda Review
2008 Movie #60 - Kung Fu Panda
It seems like it took a ridiculously long time to get from my 50th review to my 60th but then again I am way behind. My computer is full of movies I have to watch for this thing. I'm working at getting caught up on the summer movies at least though.
It's weird to think back to a time when you would get excited at the prospect of an animated movie. You know back when we would only get a handful of them every year, at the most. Now there's a minimum of one a month and whenever I see a trailer for one I usually just groan. Horton Hears a Who turned out to be a pleasant surprise and sure enough, as did Kung Fu Panda. In fact between the two of them I would have to give the slight edge to Kung Fu Panda as the better movie.
It's a plot you've seen before, you know exactly what's going to happen, but in the end it doesn't really matter (oh god , Linkin Park lyrics). The point is that the movie is entertaining and also funny. This pretty much comes down to the voice work in the movie. Jack Black is great as Po the Panda and has some of the movies funniest lines. In fact the opening scene ranks as one of the funniest things I've seen in a movie so far this year. Dustin Hoffman is a close second, almost stealing the show away from Jack at times.
Everyone else is voiced by some pretty big names (including Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, etc) however it seems like they weren't given a whole lot to do. Each one of them is only on screen for a handful of scenes and when they are they each only get a couple lines of dialogue. In fact I can't even remember a single line that Jackie Chan's Monkey got to say. I know he spoke at least twice. I mean I guess everyone did fine with the roles but it seems a little strange to have that amount of voice talent for roles that aren't very prominent in the movie.
Aside from being funny, another thing that surprised me was how well done the action scenes were. There are quite a few scattered across the movie and each one is very well done and exciting. The animation is great and these scenes are a great mix of slapstick and solid action. That's one thing I never thought I would be saying about this movie so good job on that one Kung Fu Panda people.
So the summer season continues on without a weak link in the bunch. Indiana Jones may have been a disappointment but it was far from a bad movie. I just hope that the Happening doesn't come in and ruin this rare streak.
****/5
It seems like it took a ridiculously long time to get from my 50th review to my 60th but then again I am way behind. My computer is full of movies I have to watch for this thing. I'm working at getting caught up on the summer movies at least though.
It's weird to think back to a time when you would get excited at the prospect of an animated movie. You know back when we would only get a handful of them every year, at the most. Now there's a minimum of one a month and whenever I see a trailer for one I usually just groan. Horton Hears a Who turned out to be a pleasant surprise and sure enough, as did Kung Fu Panda. In fact between the two of them I would have to give the slight edge to Kung Fu Panda as the better movie.
It's a plot you've seen before, you know exactly what's going to happen, but in the end it doesn't really matter (oh god , Linkin Park lyrics). The point is that the movie is entertaining and also funny. This pretty much comes down to the voice work in the movie. Jack Black is great as Po the Panda and has some of the movies funniest lines. In fact the opening scene ranks as one of the funniest things I've seen in a movie so far this year. Dustin Hoffman is a close second, almost stealing the show away from Jack at times.
Everyone else is voiced by some pretty big names (including Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, etc) however it seems like they weren't given a whole lot to do. Each one of them is only on screen for a handful of scenes and when they are they each only get a couple lines of dialogue. In fact I can't even remember a single line that Jackie Chan's Monkey got to say. I know he spoke at least twice. I mean I guess everyone did fine with the roles but it seems a little strange to have that amount of voice talent for roles that aren't very prominent in the movie.
Aside from being funny, another thing that surprised me was how well done the action scenes were. There are quite a few scattered across the movie and each one is very well done and exciting. The animation is great and these scenes are a great mix of slapstick and solid action. That's one thing I never thought I would be saying about this movie so good job on that one Kung Fu Panda people.
So the summer season continues on without a weak link in the bunch. Indiana Jones may have been a disappointment but it was far from a bad movie. I just hope that the Happening doesn't come in and ruin this rare streak.
****/5
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Shawn's The Strangers Review
2008 Movie #59 - The Strangers
The trailer for this movie has to be easily one of the creepiest trailers I've ever seen. Even hearing it playing in the background while at work would scare the shit out of me. Therefore I was pretty excited about the actual movie itself, hoping that it would at least somewhat deliver on what the trailer promises. Thankfully it does for the most part.
The plot itself is very simple, two people get terrorized one night by three strangers wearing freaky masks. That about sums it all up. However movies like these are never really about the plot, they;re about the scares and this movie delivers pretty well on that. The best part is that unlike many horror movies (*kicks Prom Night in the face*) this one doesn't overly rely on the sudden loud noise scare. There are a couple yes (one near the end feels completely out of place) but they don't take up the bulk of the movie.
No the scares in this movie come mostly from atmosphere and subtlety. It builds a feeling of tension and dread and thats what delivers the scares. The idea that this could happen to you also adds a lot to the fear, although the text at the beginning telling us the history of the real story isn't really needed.
The characters are interesting and for the most part you do root for them to get out of their predicament. They do make some stupid decisions but not nearly as many as we're used to in a horror movie, so I can let them off the hook for that. Plus how the fuck do I know what a person would act like in this same situation so maybe it's all realistic as hell. Hopefully I never have to find that out for sure.
There are a couple of things about the movie that were a little goofy. As I said before a couple of the jump scares feel tacked on and could have been thrown out all together. Also, before they arrived at the house, the three strangers must have spent fucking hours practicing lurking in the background behind a character, and then being gone when that character turns towards them. They must have done that at least 8 or 9 times in this movie and that takes some real skill so kudos to them.
Overall I would recommend this movie. It's getting rarer and rarer that a horror movie is actually pretty scary and it's good to see one that pulls it off. It doesn't really do anything that you haven't seen before, but what it does it does well and that's more than can be said about most horror movies these days.
*** 1/2 /5
PS. It's also fantastic to see an R rated movie, especially a horror one, do really well at the box office. Keep it up World!
The trailer for this movie has to be easily one of the creepiest trailers I've ever seen. Even hearing it playing in the background while at work would scare the shit out of me. Therefore I was pretty excited about the actual movie itself, hoping that it would at least somewhat deliver on what the trailer promises. Thankfully it does for the most part.
The plot itself is very simple, two people get terrorized one night by three strangers wearing freaky masks. That about sums it all up. However movies like these are never really about the plot, they;re about the scares and this movie delivers pretty well on that. The best part is that unlike many horror movies (*kicks Prom Night in the face*) this one doesn't overly rely on the sudden loud noise scare. There are a couple yes (one near the end feels completely out of place) but they don't take up the bulk of the movie.
No the scares in this movie come mostly from atmosphere and subtlety. It builds a feeling of tension and dread and thats what delivers the scares. The idea that this could happen to you also adds a lot to the fear, although the text at the beginning telling us the history of the real story isn't really needed.
The characters are interesting and for the most part you do root for them to get out of their predicament. They do make some stupid decisions but not nearly as many as we're used to in a horror movie, so I can let them off the hook for that. Plus how the fuck do I know what a person would act like in this same situation so maybe it's all realistic as hell. Hopefully I never have to find that out for sure.
There are a couple of things about the movie that were a little goofy. As I said before a couple of the jump scares feel tacked on and could have been thrown out all together. Also, before they arrived at the house, the three strangers must have spent fucking hours practicing lurking in the background behind a character, and then being gone when that character turns towards them. They must have done that at least 8 or 9 times in this movie and that takes some real skill so kudos to them.
Overall I would recommend this movie. It's getting rarer and rarer that a horror movie is actually pretty scary and it's good to see one that pulls it off. It doesn't really do anything that you haven't seen before, but what it does it does well and that's more than can be said about most horror movies these days.
*** 1/2 /5
PS. It's also fantastic to see an R rated movie, especially a horror one, do really well at the box office. Keep it up World!
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