The Strangers

Do you ever watch a 'scary' movie, and feel like you're sitting in a boring bath of blood? Are there too many sex scenes and lame plots? Do you ever wonder if there's a good movie in that genre that will actually scare you instead of disturbing you by putting blood and guts on display for 80-90 minutes? You should probably check out The Strangers.

The plot is simple enough. A young couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedsman, to be exact) stay the night at a vacation house out in the suburbs in who knows where. The night is a bit awkward (you will discover why later on throughout the movie), and then they start getting harassed by other people. People with masks. Could these people be drunk? Do they have a mental condition? Are they just young people trying to be funny or creep them out? What should they do?

In the field of scary movies, this one is a masterpiece. It starts out really slow, giving you plenty of time to wonder how the characters got there, what is going on between them, how far from home they are, do they love each other, do they hate each other, are they scared, are they oblivious... But all your questions get answered. It's similar to the show Lost, where the story weaves back and forth between different plots of the same continuum.

Also, The Strangers isn't really a scary movie. The 'scary movie' category has had its dignity recklessly plucked away by the kind of stories I mentioned before -- all blood and guts, all running from the bad guy, and what not. So I have decided that this one falls into the terror category. At the end of the movie, you don't have a headache or feel like you just wasted an hour and a half watching people get hunted down and slaughtered. This one will actually scare you.

"The Strangers"

Story: 9.3

Acting: 8

Cinematography: 7.5

Special Effects: 8

Conclusion: 8.2

I don't really have much else to say pertaining to my own personal grade. It's a rare and special movie in the terror category. And just for the record, I don't hunt down terrifying movies because this one was enough for me.

The Fringe: B

The Truman Show

Even if you are still living in the Matrix and find Jim Carrey incessantly annoying and can't enjoy his movies whatsoever, you can't deny that his select few serious roles break ground and strum chords in people's hearts.

Jim Carrey is Truman, a man who, unbeknownst to him, has lived his entire life within a staged and scripted TV show. Truman has never left the small town he grew up in, known as Seahaven. And besides, even if he wanted to, the small island, keeps him contained due to his fear of open water. In real life, Truman was an unwanted pregnancy. He was unwillingly and unknowingly adopted into his own made-up world, that he is the center of. His co-workers, everyone he sees at the store, even his wife and best friend, are only actors, making him believe that his life is worth living. Basically, Truman is living in the Matrix. But like the matrix, glitches can happen within it, and not everybody can stand living there forever... If they know the truth, that is.

The Truman Show is a very poignant, moving story about a man who sees what's really going on in his life, sees the lies the world is pumping into him, and wants the truth. As far as I can remember, the movie is one hundred percent family friendly, making the movie even more rare and special, seeing as it's Jim Carrey. The acting was not bad, as far as I could tell... Although it is somewhat difficult to critique all the actors acting within another role. Anyways, I loved The Truman Show, and I don't see any reason as to why you wouldn't as well!

"The Truman Show"

Story:9

Acting:8.5

Cinematography:8

Special Effects: normal...?

Conclusion: 8.5

As I mentioned before, The Truman Show is all about living in the Matrix, and wanting out. And of course, I see most any movie with something parallel to my life... Well, Truman was also living the most comfortable life possible, but when he found out it wasn't actually the real deal, when he found out how much possibility and opportunity the world really held, he was ready to give up any shred of comfort for the beauty of adventure, which is what every man really wants deep down.

The Fringe: B+

Kick-Ass

Quite possibly the most outrageous movie of the year, Kick-Ass is a roller coaster of action and violence, romance, and... Vigilantism?

Dave is a high schooler who hit rock bottom in his social scene, probably the most boring and nerdy guy you could meet. He and his friends would only go to the local comic store after school, and discuss this week's comics, characteristics of different super heroes, and complain about how Iron man should've built a stronger reactor to be able to defeat some foe, or how wolverine is a cocky idiot who lived to tell the tale. Dave would spend his whole life commiserating with his friends about how dead-end and useless their lives are.

But then, Dave decided to become a vigilante.

So what if he doesn't have super powers? Cops fight crime. They don't have an ounce of it! And so it begins. Dave sets out to catch the bad guys in the act with a crudely made and (to anyone else) embarrassing costume he purchased on ebay, only to have his balloon of self-esteem popped with a big knife. About the time he decides to give up, he learns of a much bigger battle to fight than petty crime. Big Daddy, a much superior vigilante, and his daughter, Hit-Girl, a 10-year-old Jason Bourne, want to bring mafia crime boss Frank D'Amico, along with his relentless reign of terror over the city, to a screeching stop. Dave, having absolutely no training in self-defense, or offense, of course wants to help! However, he is already number one on Frank's hit list. All the dead bad guys supposedly belong to Kick-Ass (Dave's vigilante name), when really, it's just that Big Daddy is too fast and covert to be seen on camera or by other people. But will Kick-Ass ever become a real crime-fighter, an actual threat to the foes he has avoided his whole life? Will he decide it is wrong and move to New Zealand, away from any trouble? Is this whole situation a fairly accurate analogy of human life? Maybe...

The movie starts out slow and really escalates, another element of danger, suspense, or humor after another, giving you much too think about. Kick-Ass has great special effects, it is cleverly written, and will keep you entertained for a couple of hours for sure!

"Kick-Ass"

Acting: 7

Story: 8

Cinematography: normal

Special effects: 7

Conclusion: 7.33

As for the impact the movie had on me... Well, apart from fantasizing all summer about becoming a vigilante, wondering the streets of Snohomish at night, stopping bad things from happening, I didn't like the movie nearly as much as I predicted I would. However, the movie is a somewhat accurate description of real life. Our country spends so much time complaining about how many terrible things happen, but rather than talking about it and making statistics and analyzing everything, let's pick up our act and fight a battle that has to be won. Obviously, I don't mean killing the bad guys, rather, fighting hate, depression, and anger with love, grace and compassion. So that part of it got me pretty excited, but other than that, the movie's unnecessarily sexual and filled with bad messages. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to a lot of people. Especially not you.

The Fringe: C

The Devil's Own

Co-stars Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt convey a gripping, poignant performance, combining the elements of sorrow, love, and adventure in The Devil's Own.

Frankie McGuire (Pitt), an Irish boy who watched his father shot to death before his own eyes, grows up to be a MAN (more specifically, Member of the Army of the North). He comes to a pretty close shave with the Britsh army, narrowly escaping. He immigrates to New York City using a fake passport and alias, and moves into the basement of Tom O'Meara (Ford), an NYPD officer. Frankie is positioned in America for only one reason: to supply his Irish friends with missiles. The task is evident in his mind, and nobody will distract him from what is coming. However, living in the O'Meara residence, he learns to love a little, to care about people, instead of banning together to hate. Will he really end up doing what he set out for, or will his heart change?

By the time we reached 1997, it was becoming difficult to push out movies about the I.R.A. without being too repetitive, or touching where others haven't. The Devil's Own didn't just document everything that happens in Ireland (which isn't a bad thing -- watch Michael Collins if you haven't already), it was more of a touching and inviting movie that I would love to watch again. It's refreshing to watch a movie containing no sex or positive message about drug use, and left you feeling different about your life. Two thumbs up, especially if you like Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford! They're a great combo.

"The Devil's Own"

Story: 8.3

Acting: 9

Cinematography: 7

Special Effects: NGF

Conclusion: 8.1

Besides being a fairly good movie critic-wise, I especially enjoyed it because it made me think about my own life, and really just life in general. No matter how much he tried justifying it with his mind and his words, Frankie knew all along that what he was living his life for was not good. The things he did were wrong. And the longer we ignore that conviction, the more of a wreck our lives become.

The Fringe: B

Halloween (1978)

Known as one of the most profitable independent films, John Carpenter went out on a limb and scored big with Halloween. But is it really worth seeing?

Halloween was, without a doubt, terrifying when it first came out. I mean, the whole point of the movie was to scare people senseless. I definitely found the originality of the movie very inspiring. For most of the time, I felt as though I were the killer. And then it makes you think, 'how would I handle this situation?' it sort of forces you to assume the bad guy's position sometimes. Well, I don't have a whole lot say about Halloween, but it was decent for a scary movie. And props for being so original (for its time)!

"Halloween"

Story: 6

Acting: 7

Special Effects: 7

Cinematography: 9

Conclusion: 7.25

The Fringe: C+

The Number 23

What could even come close to topping The Cable Guy for a Jim Carrey fan? Well, whoever would've thought he'd be in a serious role? The Number 23 can't really be compared to his comedic works, but if your audience feeds off of your spontaneous and eclectic behaviour, and you go out on a limb and star in a dark, violent drama, you better do a pretty good job. I'd say he pulled it off.

Walter Sparrow (Carrey) is living an ordinary, pleasing life. He has a wife, a son, and a job that isn't completely enjoyable, but it pays the bills. He is a decent father and husband. But then, a book enters his life that really shouldn't have... or is it better that it did? The book, by the same title of movie, begins to run Walter's life. 23 appears everywhere -- while he's driving, at work, at home, sleeping, etc... he starts going crazy.

I can't give away too much, but I'll tell you that there are some pretty messed up scenes... whoever filmed this movie is a pro, but also has to have a pretty twisted mind to come up with the plot and everything. The actors all portrayed their characters very well, if you ask me. While the movie is really good in all the ways a critic looks, it just isn't that well known, and it's really no mystery why -- it's just too dark and violent for a lot of people. Dark, violent, and crafted by some real professionals. I would say it's worth a shot if you're a Jim Carrey fan, and are mentally and emotionally prepared for something very shocking and out of the blue.

"The Number 23"

Acting: 8.8

Story: 9.2

Special Effects: 8.4

Cinematography: 9.3

Conclusion: 8.9

As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I do tend to like movies that are dark, and mess with your mind. Movies that make you think. The Number 23, unfortunately, just didn't quite cut it. For one, the movies I watch can sometimes contain a lot of violence, language, drug use, etc... But this one was just too much blood and sex to wade through. At the end, I felt the cost was too high for what I got out of the movie -- which was, no doubt a great message, but it wasn't worth getting to the end. I definitely am not scarred or too shocked, it's just not one I'd put on the netflix queue to watch again.

The Fringe: C+

Inception

It's been a long time since I saw a movie in the theater, and left feeling as though my life were changed, as though my mind was folded inside out, leaving me awestruck and joyfully alone in my little personal world on the rainy coast. To put it simply, it's been a long time since a movie as good as Inception has come out in the theater.

Only Christopher Nolan, who brought us some of my other favorite movies, like Momento, The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, could think up the plot for Inception. Set in present-day, it is possible to create the world in which you dream. In addition, you can enter the dreams of others... find out their secrets, their personal information. Dominic (Leonardo Dicaprio) is hired to perform Inception on Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), who's father controls an empire that will soon overpower and put out of business the man who has hired Dominic. And so it begins; the plan of a century. Dominic and his team must set the idea in Robert's mind to destroy his father's work. It must be his own idea because it is his own dream, you see.

Along the lines of The Matrix, this movie will blow your mind beyond belief and like me, you may even leave the theater with some teary eyes, contemplating whether or not you are living in reality or a dream as you walk to your car. But above a good plot, Inception has everything that makes a good movie. Employing a fast pace, character development, romance, and some of the most innovative special effects since Neo dodged bullets and that helicopter crashed into the face of a sixty-story-high building, it's nearly impossible to take your eyes off the screen.

"Inception"

Story: 9.9

Acting: 9.7

Special Effects: 9.5

Cinematography: 9.8

Conclusion: 9.73

Obviously, I really enjoyed this movie, however, remember that how much I enjoyed the movie personally does not affect the above grade. Read some critic reviews and I am sure you will find that they are saying the same things.

The Fringe: A+

American History X

(In the movie-trailer narrator's deep, manly voice) In a world so full of hate, violence, and utter chaos, when and how will anything good come from it?

I knew I was going to like American History X (Or just X) because half of the people I know have seen it and told me it was worth watching. What I didn't know was that it was going to change my life, employing one of the most straightforward and from-the-heart stories in movie history. Also, depending on how you look at it, one of the most tragic.

Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), a devoted Neo-Nazi born and raised in Venice Beach, is arrested and earns himself a great deal of prison time after a most violent double murder of two black men. But the damage Derek had done in his life was far beyond the lives he took. Filled with prejudice and senseless, unfathomable hatred, he inadvertently begins bringing his family down into his mess with him. Being fatherless, his kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), looks up to him when he has no other role model in his life. While Derek is in the slammer, two things happen; Danny sinks deeper and deeper into his brother's way of life, and Derek slowly and steadily crawls out of it.

By the time Derek gets out of jail, he has turned around his life, and his feelings about other people, a full one hundred-eight degrees. He no longer has hate in his heart. However, being a sort of ring leader, and wielding the highest prestige level in his realm of fellow jew and black-haters, his friends obviously are quite shocked at this turn of events. Think they are going to welcome him back with much respects paid, expecting him to be proud that they have expanded their network, but Derek simply 'wants out', and his respect level goes from one hundred and twenty percent to zero pretty quickly. But is it too late to be the proper role model for Danny? Will his beloved younger brother see a way out too?

X is by no means a clean movie. It definitely deserved the R rating, as it contains graphic depictions of sex, rape and extremely violent/racist crimes. I call this a 'party foul', when you put on a movie like The Passion of Christ when a bunch of friends come to hang out and have a good time. It's not the kind of movie you want to watch over and over again, but it's definitely a must-see if you can get through the nearly unbearable violence. I'm not even sure if I could bring myself to watch it again right now, to be honest.

But the story is really a beautiful thing. It's probably the best depiction of a heart change in any movie I've seen. I don't think I've ever cried so hard because of a movie... Although, the fact that I watched it alone might be a contributor.

The script is pretty clever too, that is, the way the story unfolds. I'm not one ounce racist, and never have been, but during/after the movie, I just wanted to be that much closer to God. Give up something like hatred, and let love flood into your life, and believe me, there will be enough of it to get you over the border.

"American History X"

Story: 9

Acting: 7.8

Cinematography: 9.3

Special effects: NGF

Conclusion: 8.7

The Fringe: A

Avatar: The Last Airbender

I went into the theater late Saturday night expecting a lot more than I should have. I was looking forward to a good show because for one, Avatar was written, directed and produced by my favorite filmmaker, M. Night Shyamalan. Secondly, the special effects in the trailer blew me away. But during the movie, I realized that sometimes, even the most excellent filmmakers do things for money, and also that special effects, no matter how impressive they are, never make up for terrible acting.

I don't mean to say that I didn't enjoy the movie. It was just more comic relief, like going to see Eclipse. I've watched a couple of the cartoons, and so I know that it is mostly aimed towards kids. Specifically kids under 12 (even though all my friends watch it). A lot of kids stories appeal greatly to me, but unfortunately, Avatar did not fall into the box of fondly reminisced children's stories. The plot seemed to weak and cliché to me... There are 'benders', people who can control different elements -- that is, the four elements. But then, there's these ancient guys called 'Airbenders'. They're all dead, except for this boy, Aang, who finds out he was meant to be an 'Avatar', someone who can control all four elements. Sound like something you've already seen yet?

I can see kids really enjoying it who've seen all the cartoons, but there really wasn't much in this movie to be appreciated by adults or older teens. It lacked good actors (or perhaps good script?) and character development. And the truth is, the reason comic book and cartoon-based movies are tweaked so much from the original story, is that either the writers have to abandon a story that is not appealing to a wide audience, or they can't convert the story in the original series to film without making the movie too fast-paced and cheesy. Unfortunately, Avatar didn't dodge either of those. Sorry M. Night, how about another movie like Signs or The Sixth Sense? Those were the days.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender"

Story: 6

Acting: 4

Special effects: 9.5

Cinematography: 7

Conclusion: 6.63

The Fringe:

C-

Se7en

Let's see here... why don't we write a gut-wrenching serial killer script, and make Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman the cops out to catch him? Great idea!

As far as private-eye, catch-the-killer psychological thrillers go, Se7en didn't really swim out into any new waters, but it was definitely one of the more clever and thought-provoking ones I've seen. While utilizing the shock-value effect of seeing the aftermath of some of the most grotesque and bizarre murders in any movie I've watched, I still found the movie very well-filmed. It had just the right pace throughout, the acting was superb, and the story was really messed up! But I liked it!

Basically, this really really smart guy commits murder after murder, leaving clues, and even letters, for the feds. All of his kills are perpetrated on men and women who partake in what are said to be the '7 deadly sins'. For instance, an obese man is force-fed to the point of death, and then his stomach popped and he was left to die slowly and painfully. I hate to be a spoiler, but you deserve to know what you are getting yourself into if you are in the market.

Character building is a great sub-plot for movies like this. Somerset (Freeman), a soon-retiring detective, and Mills (Pitt), who will replace him, begin their quest for justice, they do not get along at all. Somerset just wants to escape from all the bad people in the world, but Mills is young, full of energy, and wants to catch the bad guy! As the two work diligently against the clock to catch this guy before he completes all seven deadly deeds, they slowly and reluctantly bond. I like this because I think that the best way for men to bond is to do wild, crazy, or life-threatening things together. Gwenyth Paltrow also gives a stellar performance as Mills' wife.

If you think you can handle some pretty disgusting, horrific imagery, by all means, check this one out! This is going to sound so 90s, but... from the (what I found) spellbinding, aboriginal opening credits, to the breathtaking, gripping last scene, Se7en will keep you biting your nails, sitting on the edge of your seat, and maybe even sweating in anticipation and excitement to find out what happens!

"Se7en"

Story: 9

Acting:9

Special Effects: 8.7

Cinematography: 9

Conclusion: 8.93

Honestly, these are some of my favorite kind of movies, whether that's a good thing or not, but as long as I am getting good things out of it, and those images aren't stuck in my mind after the movie's over, it can't be a bad thing, right? What I like about this movie is that it was really quite convicting about judging people. I mean, the killer wasn't just taking lives in some weird pattern because monkeys were dancing around in his head, he was judging these people, and giving them what they deserved. Right? I think so. I think we all deserve death, but we are not the ones who should judge, because we are no better, no matter how much less prideful or self-centered we are, we really can't do anything to make ourselves deserve more than the next person. This was definitely a very over-the-top depiction of human judgment, but it's a good message for those who are listening.

The Fringe: B+

Twilight: Eclipse

The plot thickens in this maddening third installment of the Twilight series!

Having not seen the first two movies completely, only bits and pieces, I may not know the full context and story in Eclipse, but it is really no mystery, and should hardly be considered a matter of opinion, that Eclipse was not a very good movie. While this has nothing to do with how much someone can like a movie (for example, a 13-year-old girl's fringe grade would be much higher than mine), the acting is quite possibly worse than that of 90s sitcoms, and the story... it's really not that great at all. I mean, you can defend it as much as you want, but basically, the reason that series has made so much money is that people are blown away by what love does to young people... and in context of the movies, very beautiful young people. Nevertheless, I went to the movie at the midnight showing just for fun with a bunch of friends who liked it about as much as me. I had a great time, and found much comic relief in watching it, but truth be told, the whole story revolves around Bella, a very much self-centered teenage girl who doesn't have a problem playing with people's hearts and is overly unappreciative of her loyal friends -- especially Edward, whose entire existence is for her. He would do anything for her, but in Eclipse, she decides to go back and forth between him and Jacob, a 'good friend' who has developed special feelings for her... and also has a thing for showing off his six-pack and almost CGI-looking biceps. In fact, I think there is only one or two scenes in the whole movie where he is actually wearing a shirt!

I think if any of the Edward and Jacob-crazy girls in the theater could stop thinking about the feeling they have in their heart for one second, they might see the one good thing I got from watching the movie: The importance, and underestimation, of trust. Bella treats Edward like a moldy crunch bar throughout the entire movie, but he continues to love her the same no matter what. Whether you look at it like trusting God, or trusting someone that loves you, whether it is romantic love or they really just care about you and want to be your friend, you have to trust people. The ones that aren't dangerous, of course. To forget about things that don't matter so that you can trust in love is such a beautiful thing. I'm sure Bella will trust Edward, and she will of course end up with him in the last movie, which is probably coming out in a couple of weeks...

"Eclipse"

Story: 4

Acting: 3

Special Effects: 8 (the wolves were actually pretty cool!)

Cinematography: 6

Conclusion: 5.25

The Fringe: D+

The Green Mile

The Green Mile is yet another great Stephen King story delivered to the big screen (and my little twenty-inch screen in my room). With some of the usual key plot points of a movie, including one of the biggest, most intimidating men on the face of the earth, a most deplorable crime, a tremendously clever mouse, a man far more cruel than those he judges, and electric chair nick-named 'old sparky', and, of course, starring Tom Hanks as the lead role, the Mile is just another good Stephen King story. Many people have seen this movie by now, seeing as it released in nineteen ninety-nine, but how many of them realized what I did about the movie? It's hard to forget the eclectic, yet spectacular variety of characters and sub-plots, however, all King really did was grab some random characters, not too hard to imagine, and plugged them into a very thought-provoking and mind-blowing story. For example, Mr. Jingles could've just been a mouse, but he is the smartest mouse who ever lived. You'll just have to see the movie to see what I'm getting at.

Basically, I loved it, and would recommend to anyone who has a lot of extra time on their hands and an open mind. It is Stephen King, after all. The Green Mile will hopefully leave you in a different state of mind than before.

"The Green Mile"

Story: 9

Acting: 9

Special FX: 7.5

Cinematography: 7.5 (I lowered it for being so unoriginal, even though it was shot pretty well, all the camera angles and the whole way the movie is filmed is totally predicable and that made the slow story slightly less tolerable.)

Conclusion: 8.25

The Fringe: B

The Book of Eli

It starts out slow, and maintains mostly the same speed for the entire show. Nothing really exceeds standards, but watching the story unfold makes The Book of Eli totally worth it.

I've definitely seen better performances from Denzel Washington, the star of this blood-bath drama about a man on one of the most spiritual journeys in fictional media. But it's kind of hard to give a performance people will praise when you're an action hero. Set somewhere in the near future, after a ill-discussed 'flash' that wiped out most of the world, handing the survivors to cannibalism, rape, robbery and above all, inevitable obsolescence. Eli (Washington) has a book that could change everything, and he's going West until he finds where the book belongs. It is no mystery or spoiler that he kills a lot of people throughout the movie, not letting anyone stop him from completing his deadly deed. Eli really isn't set apart from the typical action hero in a movie, but like I said, the story is just great. Even if you don't believe in God, it's another great story on the shelf of the 'being willing to die for what you believe in' category. The movie could appear to be very unrealistic and unbelievable, but watching with different perspectives, including my faith, I learned pretty fast that Eli is receiving some sort of supernatural assistance on his quest. It's not like other cheesy, unrealistic movies. Eli is simply on a mission from God.

The Book of Eli has quickly been written off by many as 'christian propaganda'. I really don't think the people who made this movie are trying to bring the world to a better understanding of God. In fact, if the book Eli carried didn't happen to be a bible, God would hardly be an issue and the movie would probably have sold twice as many tickets in the box office. Nevertheless, it is a bold thing to profess what you really think is possible, and what you believe to be true, and it's another thing to be successful with it. Book of Eli didn't exactly sell as many tickets as Avatar, but it's sold the most copies on iTunes this week...

As far as the components other than the story, the movie is pretty average. I found the cinematography to be pretty appealing visually, while I maintain there are some pretty obvious green screen parts. The acting isn't too impressive either, but not too much can be expected of action-drama this slow, especially one with so little in-depth dialogue. There just aren't that many emotions to act out. I suppose everyone does a good job of portraying their part though, so to make a long story short (too late for that), the acting is good.

"The Book of Eli"

Story: 6.5

Acting: 7.5

Special Effects: 7

Cinematography: 6

Conclusion: 6.75

So it's been concluded... the movie really isn't above average in any way. The movie touched me on personal levels and really struck home, at least with myself, but that is different than the talent applied to the construction of the whole thing. For example, 'Yellow' by Coldplay wasn't really the hardest song to write, but it touches so many people, and whether hours and hours of hard work and sacrifice went into making the song impressive musically or not doesn't even matter after you've sold 6.9 billion copies. What matters is that Chris Martin was messing around on his guitar or his piano, and he stumbled upon something beautiful, a great idea, and his heart was in the music.

The Fringe: A

A Knight's Tale

Though it was a box office failure, A Knight's Tale has been a favorite of the Fifield family for a number of years. The movie is historically inaccurate, realistically inaccurate, and the plot is totally unbelievable, but we need movies like this sometimes (actually more often than not), and if all of the inaccuracy and abstract plot are crafted together with enough elegance and suave, then it is enjoyable. This statement probably applies to two thirds of film ever made, but if you watch the aforementioned story play out, you'll hopefully understand what I am going on about for a whole paragraph. If you still don't understand after watching it, you might be what my brother calls a 'disbelieving punk'.

So we have the protagonist, William Thatcher (Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You). He is but a peasant squire, helping a knight-by-blood tour around Great Britain, running full-speed at other knights-by-blood and trying to ram each other with heavy sticks called Lances (it's called a Lance... hellooowww!!!!). The sport is definitely jousting. But when mr. I-can-joust-anybody doesn't do so hot one day, William makes a choice that will forever change the lives of him and his fellow peasants, Roland and... I forgot the other one. William, not ready to take his two coins and head home, assumes the knight's position for the remainder of the tournament. And so begins the adventure of their lives! William starts training every single day, and becomes Sir Ulrich Vonlicktenstein, a real-life knight.

The plot, for the most part, doesn't differ from other 'period pieces' (if you can call it a period piece). There's a girl, plenty of witty humor, and there's a bad guy, the high-and-mighty Count Adhemar, who poses a real threat to William's rising-up in the... jousting community? It is a good story because the character wants something, and works against all odds (re-writes the stars), to get it -- it's not so different from what Nacho Libre wanted. "Let's get a little taste of the glory... see what it taaaste like!"

But honestly, the reason A Knight's Tale is so great is because it does not play out like other movies, though keeping many of the same components. It's so quirky, I can't help but laugh every time! I mean, the movie starts out with a knight in shining armor taking a Lance to the face in slow-motion with everyone in the crowd singing and clapping in unison to 'We Will Rock You' by Queen! And then... what? People dressed up for a ball, dancing to David Bowie? I wouldn't really give away my favorite scene...

"A Knight's Tale"

Story: 8.5

Acting: 7

Special Effects: NGF (not grade factorable)

Cinematography: 8

Conclusion: 7.83

When William's friends agree to his crazy idea, in the beginning, it is more than just the beginning of the plot to me. It is William believing in something, and stepping out into the unknown, the crazy, unbelievable, mystical realm of adventure that every man should enter. That being said...

The Fringe: B+

How to use this blog

In this blog, I plan to review movies and give them a sort of rating. But I don't grade like regular critics or like a school teacher; when I watch a movie, I am entertained by many different components of it. If I like a movie and I give it an A-, then you might decide to watch it, but that doesn't mean that you will like it. I want everyone to know why I like the movie, and from there, you know if you are interested or not. This will make a lot more sense after I begin reviewing movies, but here's a key to help you understand.

The first conclusion I make about the movie is called the "Census." I will grade several components of the movie on a scale of 1 to 10 (obviously, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best). The Census looks like this:

"James Cameron's Avatar"

Story: 6

Acting: 5

Special Effects: 9

Cinematography: 9

Conclusion: 7.25

Everything is rated for different reasons. Does the story pull you in, does it captivate the mind? Is the acting very good? Are the characters' roles pretty believable? Is the movie filmed very well, or do you feel like you are watching a play in your backyard with a giant painting of another planet behind you? The "Conclusion" grade at the end is an average, or overall score of all the components of the movie. Note, it is important to look at each specific grade, because all movies are different. For example, most people will go to see Avatar because of all the special effects and CGI rather than a good story. Even though it could be debated that the story of Avatar is just as good as the special effects... That's another conversation for another time.

The other grade I give is my own personal grade. It's how much I like the movie personally, even if I gave it a very low census score. This grade is called the Fringe.

Since you're all probably wondering, I give Avatar a Fringe grade of C-.

So, that's pretty much what to look for in the future. Remember that these are simply my opinions and do not apply to everybody. I decided to write about movies because I love movies and I love writing about them.