Hanna

This movie was flat out entertaining from beginning to end. I really can't say that about a lot of movies that have come out in the last few years. Movies can be shot well, have good stories, and great characters but if they don't fit together correctly the movie is rubbish overall. In this movie everything works perfectly together. Stellar performances, unbelievable soundtrack, great cinematography, perfect editing and an amazing story allow this movie to be almost perfect in every way. I'm pretty amazed that the producers and director of this movie were able to secure such a talented cast for what could be considered an art house spy thriller. Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Olivia Williams, Tom Hollander, and Jason Flemyng round out the cast that does an amazing job in bringing the characters and story to life.

The movie at first seems to be a very generic spy movie. The plot starts with Eric Bana's character training Hanna in the wilderness. We see her in the harshest of conditions and how she is trained for every situation in order to give her a chance to survive in any situation. They are training to go after Eric's former handler who betrayed him and Hanna's mother. This is where the movie turns into a type of revenge movie, because Hanna goes after this woman with the full force of all of the skills that her father taught her. Throughout the movie we see how Hanna evolves through the different experiences that she has and the different people she meets. The family she encounters shows her what love and friendship are and the German man that is friends with Eric shows her music and trust. These are lesson that Eric did not show her because he was so focused on training her for combat and survival. This is a tale of spiritual growth and revenge. These are both showcased to perfection and deserves you as a viewer.

The character of Hanna is obviously the focal point of the entire movie and Saoirse Ronan's performance does not disappoint. The innocence of the character is put on display in many of the film's scenes, be it her first real interaction with a boy or her first interaction with a family. Almost everything she experiences in the movie is a first and at times you can see it physically overwhelms her. Things like this let the viewer know that she is not an unstoppable killing machine but a young woman experiencing the world from a somewhat distorted and mutated perspective. For most of her life she was trained and taught only how to kill and survive at all costs, and all the time we see her in the movie all she wants to do is experience the world with her own eyes. Ultimately this is what truly brings the film to life and gives the story its weight.

There is also a fairy tale like feel to the movie because you see Hanna go through all of these trial and tribulations, and all she wants to do is be a "real" girl. What I mean by that is that she just wants to be a normal teenager and have friends but all she know is combat and survival skills. Through the course of the movie she is shown by the people around her what a real life can be and she has to fight in order to obtain it. It is a sort of twisted fairy tale but that is how I interpreted the story and that may differ from your opinion but that is why it is my opinion. 

The soundtrack for this movie is also worth mentioning, because it is easily on of the best soundtrack I have ever heard. The Chemical Brothers truly did something special when they crafted the score for this movie. It definitely rivals Daft Punk's score from Tron Legacy in every way. Each track is expertly crafted for the scene it was written and composed for and each track adds a different mood to each scene. The opening and closing tracks are very soft electronic tracks while most of the middle tracks are very heavy and lend to the tension and overall tone of Hanna's mission and the story as a whole. One of the main henchmen in the movie even whistles one of the tracks every time he is on screen and it adds a certain "creepy" factor to the character.

VERDICT

One of the best movies that I have ever seen. 

Even though this movie is definitely not for everyone, if you happen to like revenge/spy movies I really feel like you owe it to yourself to watch this movie. It is truly one of the only movies that I feel executed everything that it set out to and that is truly a great accomplishment for everyone involved.

The Walking Dead- "Internment"

Walkers were prominently featured in this episode in their biggest spots of the season.  Our cast had a tall order this week to survive the attacks, but they made it out for the moment.  A big character return at the end also highlighted this week’s installment.

So we've seen that the overall arc this year has been how far you can go for survival without losing who you are.  Carol, in the eyes of Rick, went too far and was not allowed to come back with him to the prison. What I was surprised with was how easily Maggie accepted this.  Herschel on the other hand almost passed out from the news.  He was having a hard week to begin with, but we'll get back to that.  Rick brooded, as he always does, on the ride back to the prison and that it is pretty much what we come to expect from him.  The angry have I made the right decision face is Rick’s go to for anything.  I wish they would change this, but it seems they have come to like it.

Herschel this week was in rough shape.  He was trying to keep everyone alive in the contaminated area, while also trying to keep spirits up.  This is a tall order in the world that they live in.  Herschel refused to let Maggie in to help, even though he clearly needed it considering how sick Sasha and Glenn both are.  Neither of these two would have made it through the episode were it not for some amazing medical skills and walker fighting from Herschel.  This week’s MVP by far, saw Herschel finally break down and not only stab, but also shoot walkers to help everyone else.  By episode’s end, he was trying to read from the bible only to breakdown in tears.  I believe Herschel has lost faith completely that walkers can be turned back into humans, something he has been holding on since the beginning.  Herschel stepped up big time though and I’m happy to see that when needed, he can be a complete badass.

On the other side of the prison walls, Rick and Carl were having some father-son time reinforcing the outer fence.  It was nice to see them working together, but then all hell broke loose with the fence coming down and walkers coming right up to the prison walls.  Rick took Carl to get some high power gun and the two of them mowed down all the walkers as the Herschel was taking out the ones inside the prison.  These two scenes were very powerful in showing just how dangerous the walker threat has been this season.  It could easily have gone much worse for everyone, but they all lived to tell the tale to Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese, and Bob, who all came back at the tail end of the episode.

Maggie made a great save for her father and Glenn this week, while Lizzie also risked her life to save Glenn.  Good job on the writers to let this flu or whatever they are calling it take Glenn out.  This would have been such a lame way for a great character to go out.  Glenn has an epic arc throughout the comics, and I’m hoping he gets a chance to do at least some of the things on the show.  Next week looks to be fun with Daryl and Tyreese most likely at odds with Rick and each other once they find out about Carol, and then the return of a missed character should add some wonderful fun for our group.  Keep on rolling season 4, you’re doing alright.

Suspiria

This is one of the few classic horror movies that I have not had the chance to see up until a few days ago. I have seen a few of Dario Argento's newer movies but have never gotten the chance to see any of his older works. Suspiria has been universally hailed as one of the greatest horror movies ever filmed, as well as one of the scariest. It is kind of hard to see if you don't own a physical copy of it, seeing as it is not available to stream on any of the major streaming websites such as Netflix or Amazon. This week I picked up a DVD copy of it and sat down and watched it as soon as it was delivered to me in the mail.

Suspiria is the tale of a young American ballerina, Suzy Bannion, who is going to a prestigious ballet academy in Germany. She arrives in the middle of a volatile storm and sees a young woman in a panic fleeing from the school. That night, the young woman that Suzie saw flee the school, is killed in her friend's apartment. Strange occurrences begin going on in the school and soon more deaths begin to occur. Suzy's friend, Sarah, has a theory about what is going on and tries to get Suzy to go along with her theories. Are all of these occurrences a coincidence, or is there another force at work?

This movie is a complete assault on the sense, and it is magnificent to witness. The bright colors, over the top deaths, and the score, combine to create one of the most unique horror movie of all time. I can see how people could be on either side of the love it or hate it scale. The story may not make sense to everyone and you have to realize that it is not the primary strength of the movie. The strength of the movie is the way that it involves all of your different senses, so it is more of a style over substance situation. I appreciated the story because it didn't treat any of the characters as dumb, as so many horror movies do. Most of the characters in the movie are students concerned with their dance careers, so they really don't concern themselves with the strange things that happen.Another thing that I loved was that the main character learns along the way and thankfully never does anything overtly dumb.

The kill scenes are brutal and very limited in number, when a death is happening on screen there is no doubt about what is going on. The first death is one of the most memorable scene from any horror movie and shows how crazy Dario Argento was willing to go with the deaths in this movie. Argento does use kills like other directors today do, for quantity to appease the masses. He shows every kill as an up close and personal act and it makes the deaths more brutal and you actually feel slightly uncomfortable witnessing the killings. One death involves a room full of barb wire and a throat slitting, and it was one of the most graphic deaths I have ever seen in a movie.

Goblin isn't really the first word that comes to mind when thinking about awesome music, but the band Goblin kills it with the score that they created for this movie. The score is creepy, atmospheric, and infinitely re-playable. The use of the score throughout the movie adds dread and even foreshadows major events in the plot. If your score can enhance the dread and add to the viewer's immersion into the movie, it is a resounding success. Even if you are not interested in seeing this movie, you should at least check out the score to the movie. It easily ranks with the best movie scores of all time. Goblin also created the score for the movie, Zombie, and has influenced the scores of dozens of movies. The latest movie that its influence was seen in was The Lords of Salem, which borrows heavily from it.

VERDICT

Suspiria is a fantastic horror movie that prides itself on assaulting all of your senses. Dario Argento is a master of the horror genre, who created one of the most revered movies that the genre has to offer. If you are a horror fan, you need to see this movie. There is no other way to put it, this is simply a classic. If you want to see this movie, you are probably going to have to buy it or torrent it. Just keep in mind that this movie is worth it.

The Walking Dead- "Indifference"

A shorter review this week as your weekly walker lover has much on his plate.  This episode saw 2 groups away from the prison, and each other, figuring out ways to stock up on much needed supplies for everyone in the prison.

On one side you had Tyreese, Daryl, Michonne, and Bob making their way to their destination looking for medical supplies from last week’s episode.  First the group finds a new car, while Tyreese is still acting crazy from last week’s brush with walkers.  He seems to have lost his will to live and go on as everything in his life is crumbling around him.  As the episode goes on though, he seems to come to his senses and is now using his anger on all the walkers, with some beautiful hammer strikes to head I may add.  Bob also openly tells Daryl about his alcohol problem and that it was his fault Zach died earlier this year because he just wanted some alcohol.  Bob though does it again and gets some booze which almost causes the Daryl to almost send Bob into a pile of walkers.  Bob is officially on thin ice, and I won’t be surprised if he is the next to go.  Michonne also admits that she doesn’t know why she keeps going out for The Governor and by the end of the episode she says she won't go out anymore.

The other story saw Rick make angry faces all episode at Carol, while Carol continuously says that she did it for the good of the group.  I think Carol’s heart was in the right place, but she most likely could have waited until they were dead to burn them.  She didn't have to do the actual killing.  Rick in his heart knows that Carol wanted to do the right thing for everyone, but he also has to protect Carol from Tyreese, because it is a guarantee that he would tear her to shreds if he were to find out.  The closing of this episode was very sad as I think this may be the last we see of Carol, hopefully only for a little while.  Rick has to stick to his guns about the right path and everything else he preaches to the group, but I think they could have kept this a secret.  Carol has been great this season so far and it was nice to see a woman kicking major ass on the show.  I do hope she comes back.  Cheers Carol, it’s been a blast.

One last thing, kudos again to the make-up and effects crew this week.  They have been doing damage this season with each week having at least one major battle between walkers and humans each episode.  I hope this continues this season.  I also hope The Governor comes back soon as well.  Now that Michonne has given up her hunt, hopefully he’ll come back now with a vengeance.

The Walking Dead- "Isolation"

“Isolation” was another good installment to an already impressive season for the show.  The disease that is going through the prison is really taking a toll on everyone.  Opening up with an angry Tyreese this week was great.  To finally see him be more like his comic book version has been very fulfilling as the weeks have gone on this season.  The fight between him and Rick was beautiful and shows just how bad ass Tyreese can be.  He only got stronger as the episode went on and brought the hammer down on some beautiful walker deaths.  Keep it up Tyreese, we're all counting on you!

The disease has been wiping people out left and right on the show, and this week it took a hold of two very important characters.  Sasha and Glenn have both come down with the deep ugly cough that has been spreading.  Sasha is important due to the fact that it makes Tyreese step up and finally show what he is made of.  Glenn obviously has bigger implication since he has been a part of the group since the beginning.  I don’t think Glenn is going to kick the bucket with this, as he is too important to the show, but Sasha might be the next one to go.

A lingering plot point from last week was the burning of the bodies at the end of the episode.  This is what got Tyreese worked up at first, but this was all Carol’s story.  We have seen her become a quiet alpha in the group as the show as moved forward.  From teaching the children they have to be strong to showing them how to fight walkers, she really is mother hen of the group.  To hear her confess to Rick what she did, with no remorse and it being all for the safety of everyone else, was amazing.  I think she has earned a new level of respect from Rick and this should play out nicely moving forward, as Tyreese is still out for blood, but there is no way Rick is going to just hand Carol over.  Carol was MVP this week, except for the fact that she was hugging a child who is sick before quarantining her.  I understand the emotional aspect, but if the disease spreads as quickly as the show has been portraying, the one thing you do is not touch someone with the cough.  Poor form writers, poor form.

Herschel also had an outstanding week.  From a talk with Rick, to not wanting to just sit around anymore and having Carl go with him to the woods for peace and quiet and plant picking, he stepped up big time.  The fact that he was enjoying himself prior to the walkers coming for Carl and him was wonderful and shows that even in these times, peace can be nice.  Also he has seen enough bloodshed that he can’t do anything about, so Herschel decided to take it upon himself that things need to change.  His speech to Rick and Maggie was stunning.  Everything about the speech was perfect and there was no way he was not getting his way.  Keep on moving to the beat of your own drum Herschel, its treating you well so far.

 The final major part of the episode was Michonne, Daryl, Bob, and Tyreese going for a run for supplies for those who were quarantined.  Michonne and Daryl had a good back and forth about The Governor, who should be showing up soon, but then a muffled voice came on the radio.  This was startling to the group and the viewer, as this means the world is bigger than they know and hopefully we’ll be meeting this voice soon.  The walker horde they ran into was also amazing.  We have yet to see a horde like this one on the show and the fact that they had to abandon the car was great.  Some good walker deaths again this week from the group and then it was off to the woods.

Next week’s episode should be interesting as it seems Rick is going out on a run with Carol and the other group is still looking for meds.  Who will be the next to succumb to the disease?  Will they find the voice?  When is The Governor coming back?  Keep it coming Walking Dead, this season is your best yet.

The Walking Dead- "Infected"

So a strong start to the season for Walking Dead this time around and it shows no signs of slowing down. The mere fact that walkers are now the main threat is tremendous. For the past 2 seasons it didn't seem like they were a dangerous threat, but they have reared their ugly decaying dead faces around in vengeance so far through the two episodes this season and I hope it continues from here on out.

Patrick, our death at the end of the first episode, decided to go on a human picnic spree in the beginning of this week’s installment and it was pretty good. The walker deaths have been beautiful this year with the make-up department knocking it out of the park each time. Back to Patrick though and his assault on D Block with what felt like half the prison and a bunch of unknowns getting killed. The terror though that took place was something we haven't seen in a while from our group. Racing in was Daryl, Carol, Glenn, and Rick, ready to cut loose on the walkers and they did just that.

This episode saw the death finally of Farmer Rick. I have had enough of his dream world he thought he could get back into when it was clear that the farming situation was not going to work, nor does it suit him. We also finally get to see Carl get his gun back, after saving Michonne, and stand up to his dad a little bit. He let it spill that Carol is training the kids, but told Rick to let it continue. I think Rick respected that Carl would tell him this straight up, causing a nice little moment for the father and son who have been through so much over these past few seasons.

This week also saw Michonne show her emotions like we have never seen before. From feeling terrible about putting Carl and Maggie in danger at the gates when she hurt her ankle, to everything about her conversation with Beth, Michonne opened up and I think it’s going to come out what her life was like pre-outbreak. The scene with Judith in her arms was just beautiful and you could see so much pain in Michonne, it almost was hard to watch her breakdown. This new layer of Michonne should be very rewarding for everyone and I really hope they get into it.

Carol working with the kids was a good subplot to show how much she has hardened over the course of the show and wants the kids to be ready for anything. By the end of the episode it seems she has gotten through to the kids. The infection subplot, which should turn into a gigantic thread this season, was also nice, but it seemed they connected things way to easily for my liking. I understand the reason to do it so quickly, but it seemed far fetched. I'm also hoping Tyreese gets a backbone in the next episode or so. It’s nice to see him being this sensitive man, but I want the bad-ass we all know he is to come out.

Overall great episode and with the fence looking to come down every moment as well as this mysterious disease looking to take the cast down, I think the tensions are going to keep rising for the show. See you next week when Tyreese hopefully beats the crap out of someone for torching some bodies!

The Walking Dead- "30 Days Without an Accident"

Welcome back to another season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and out reviews here at God Can’t Fix Dumb. We’ll be here giving you our take week to week and at the end of the season have a full wrap up of arcs, characters, and whatever else we can think of. It will remain as spoiler free as possible for your enjoyment. Sit back, grab your axe, and get ready for Walker madness!
Last season saw ups and downs like previous seasons, but the last few episodes showed hope for a show that was having trouble finding the correct way to script a show of humans in a zombie apocalypse. The last episode especially was very strong, tying up some loose ends, killing off many characters, and ending with everyone now living at The Prison. We have jumped forward a few months here to start season 4 and the episode was pretty good.
The Walkers were really an integral part to the whole episode. After straying away from them being the main threat to life last season, it was a nice welcome back for the show to have them front and center. From the gathering of many at the fence of the prison to the ones who fell through the ceiling of the shopping center, it was beautiful. Not only were they around, but they looked great. The make-up team did a great job individualizing each walker, as well as their specific deaths. Hopefully the keep this up all season.
The story is taking place a few months after last season’s finale and it has been, as the title suggest, 30 days since the last incident with someone who has lived at the prison. It seems while on runs, the group we have come to know has brought more and more people back to the prison and now there is a thriving community. With all of these new people coming in, the leaders of the community are now known as the council and it is the core cast of characters. Daryl seems to be not be embracing his new fame that he is getting from all of the new people, which led to a couple of funny moments. This is a show that needs its little bits of humor from time to time.
Rick again is poorly used at points of the episode. Using a MP3 player while farming seemed a little silly as well as his willingness to follow this woman in the woods to her campsite when she clearly looked and acted crazy. She proved my assumption correct and brought out the super crazy. It seems a major theme for the season is going to be can humans reclaim themselves after living in this horrible world. The sacrifices that people have to make to survive are going to continue to take a toll on people’s psyche and the constant hope is that they do not completely lose it. Let’s hope none of our main players succumb to insanity like Rick almost did last season.
One aspect that was enjoyable was watching Carl interact with the other kids in the prison. Carl has seen and done some terrible things and doesn’t fit in with the other kids. There is a story time for all of them that he feels is beneath him so he doesn’t go at first, but Carol, who has been a beautiful character to watch develop, runs it and waits for the other adult to leave until she teaches them self-defense. This is right up Carl’s alley, but when he sees it he can’t believe what is going on so he runs away, like a child would. This dichotomy should be good for Carl throughout the season as he is trying to survive in this world as well as grow up.
Beth was the other big player this week. I think this is going to be her break out season. With her growing up, having a boyfriend, and then coming to terms with the accident that takes place very easily, I think she is really going to shine this season. Glenn and Maggie didn’t get too much screen time, but when they were on it was beautiful. Michonne and Tyreese also didn’t have too much to do, which was too bad. These three will definitely get more screen time as the season goes on. A big detail this week was that there might be a virus that is going to be going around that makes a person bleed from their eyes prior to dying. There was an eyeless zombie and when a new member of the prison also seems to have the same fate it brings up a great potential for a side story to follow this season.
This was a bright premier with some great effects and big scenes. If each episode this season can focus on the walkers as well as the relationships between the living, I think this season shows a lot of hope. It will also be interesting to see when The Governor decides to rear his ugly head back to the show. Bring on the dead AMC!