The Best Movies of 2007

It is now the time of the year to review the best (and worst) of 2007!
This week I will review the great box office successes and wonderful films of the year.

Best Action Film:
The Bourne Ultimatum

I don't think anyone expected this movie to be as good as it was. In the summer of sequels and threequels, this was clearly the best all around. With a solid performance from Matt Damon, and a good script and cinematography, this film was win-win. While Pirates 3 and Spiderman 3 made more money, they had plot holes and story features that fans did not like. This Bourne movie was a hit with Bourne fans, and while finishing the three movie story arc, left room for more movies in this series in the future.

Best Animated Film:
Meet the Robinsons

I know that there are a lot of people right now who hate me for giving this award to Meet the Robinsons and not Ratatouille, but to them I say this-"Did you expect Meet the Robinsons to be so good? No. What about Ratatouille? Yes"
Pixar films are expected to be great, and we all compared their latest to their other hits. Disney, on the other hand, went completely original and took a creative twist with Meet the Robinsons. It had a great plot, good animation and a heck of a lot more appeal to us older folks. After Chicken Little I expected nothing, and Meet the Robinsons delivered....majorly. Shrek the Third was pathetic and everything else was unoriginal, so that is why Meet the Robinsons gets this prize.

Best Comedy:
Ocean's Thirteen

It says something about the pathetic state of comedies when a non-comedy is the funniest movie of the year. Sure it is technically a crime movie, but who wouldn't laugh at Matt Damon with a fake nose wooing a drunk Ellen Bergen?
Evan Almighty was okay, and some of the animated movies entertained, but almost all of the comedies of 2007 were R rated sex comedies, which I never go for. Ocean's Thirteen was hilarious, well made, and had a wonderful returning cast, so it gets the vote for Best Comedy.

Best Drama:
Pan's Labyrinth

Some of you may not remember this film. It came out it in the first quarter of 07 and to a limited release at that. While this film could probably be classified as a fantasy film, it fits nicely in the drama category because of the stories of the two main characters and their struggles against the blood and tears of war. I have never seen as much debate on whether a fantasy world was real or not. I have gotten into countless debates over this one movie and no one can seem to agree. That is why writer/director Guillermo del Toro gets the prize for this one. Although it was very bloody ( The MPAA rating was R for graphic violence) Pan's Labyrinth really captured the hardships of war in a way that even Children of Men did not.

Email me if there was a category you feel I left out!
Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler

The Best of 2007 series

Sure, the year is not over yet, but that doesn't mean we can't recognize the great entertainment that has come out so far!

Starting this week, stay in touch for:

The Best Movies of 2007

The Best Music of 2007

The Best Television of 2007

The Best Video Games of 2007

Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler

Movie Mini-Review: Elizabeth The Golden Age

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
rated PG-13 for Violence, Sexuality, and Nudity

Filmmaking: 5 out of 5 stars
Moral Content: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

This film is great for people who are fans of Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush, or for those who like historical films.

Story: Very good story, nice writing.
Acting: A phenomenal job from all of the lead actors, especially Cate Blanchett.
Effects and Costumes: Very realistic. Some of the sea battles were a bit composed, but other than that it was captivating.
Objectionable Material: Minor profanities are used about 10 times, some sensuality is seen as Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) woos one of Elizabeth's maids, and brief full nudity is seen from behind when Elizabeth removes a robe. This is extremely brief though, and nothing besides her butt is seen.
My thoughts: It was fascinating to see a Hollywood portrayal of historical time such as this, but I liked it a lot. And I stayed awake, even though I saw it at 10 PM!

This movie is not recommended for anyone under 15.

Collecting Update

Well, I am back with another collecting update, inspired by my friend the Jedi Blogger.

Yes, I am a Star Wars collector, and with it being the thirtieth anniversary of the original movie this year, the collectibles are to die for.

This morning I was making my rounds at Wal-mart (which I find keeps a good supply of figures), and happened upon a newly stocked Star Wars section. While there I picked up....

Ralph McQuarrie concept Boba Fett

Ralph McQuarrie concept Starkiller hero

Darth Malak

Pre-cyborg General Grievous

Holiday Special Boba Fett

Yes, I am a happy collector right about now...
I will try and post pictures of my collection thus far.....check in for more!

Also, stay tuned for an all new movie review of The Seeker: The Dark is Rising.

Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler

Movie Review: The Seeker: The Dark is Rising

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
rated PG for fantasy action and scary images

Filmmaking: 41/2 out of 5 stars
Moral rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 41/2 out of 5 stars

The Seeker was a surprise to me. First off, this film had virtually no ad campaign, and secondly, it was marketed as a Harry Potter replacement. The first sign that I should have payed attention to was the fact that the movie was a Walden Media production. Walden Media is the studio responsible for The Chronicles of Narnia and Bridge to Terabithia. In my mind, The Seeker delivered what Bridge to Teribithia should have delivered. Except......

The Seeker is dark, VERY dark. The entire plot revolves around the story of a boy named Will who is being stalked by servants of "the dark". The entire time, they are constantly hunting him, and try to kill him. They attack the town he lives in and the dark rider who is hunting him is constantly accompanied by freak ravens that kill one character.

The plot was extremely entertaining and well developed, about Will searching for 6 signs that will help him unleash the power of the Light to defeat the power of the dark. He comes into contact with a league of people following the light called "The Old Ones", and he discovers that he is in fact the final member to be born- a seventh son of a seventh son. As he searches for these signs, he is (as I mentioned earlier) stalked by servants of the dark who will do anything, even corrupting his family members, to get to him. In the end, there is a huge confrontation between the Old Ones and the rider, leading to some surprising events. I'll hold off from revealing anything else.

The acting was good, the effects were good, the music was good, but the highlight of this movie was the cinematography. Some of the most inventive cinematography I have ever seen was used in The Seeker. If you are an aspiring filmmaker, I highly recommend this film for inspiration.

Finally, the moral content of The Seeker was very clean. There was no language, no blood and no gore. The only reservation I would have for family viewing is that the film is intense and scary at times. The enemy can take many forms, and when they are revealed, it is at times a bit freaky!

Overall, The Seeker is one of my favorite movies of the year, just because of the honest desire of the filmmakers to make a good movie. It was VERY well make, had decent acting, and good effects. My verdict, GO SEE IT!
LOL, dont I always say that?
Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler.

Blog-date

Thanks for your waiting and support as I upgrade BRB.
It is not 100 percent functional, the buttons on the sidebar arent all connected, but I hope you all enjoy the new look!

On a sobering note, our prayers go out to the family of the football player murdered on campus at the University of Memphis on Sunday. To show support, try to either attend or at least watch the Memphis vs. Marshall game tonight on ESPN 2.

Signing out,
The Buckland Fiddler