1408

Title: 1408

Starring Actor(s)/Actress(es): John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Jasmine Jessica Anthony

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Status: Out on DVD

Plot Summary: Mike Enslin (Cusack) is obsessed with hauntings. He’s traveled the country, and documented the scariest places. He receives a post card from the Dolphin Hotel in New York City and told to go to 1408. When he gets there, however, the manager (Jackson) warns him that it’s an evil room, and that he should not stay in it. Enslin is persistent and stays in a room where 56 people have died. Now his character, as well as his life, will be tested.

Review: This movie, surprisingly, did not let me down. It looked alright from the trailers, but I thought it would be another thriller that would have cheap scares and a crappy ending. I was wrong. It did have its share of the cheap, make-you-jump scares, but they were used well. This wasn’t a movie that really scared me, because it was too damn weird, but it wasn’t a movie that you could sleep through. The story was interesting and complex, but not too complex to the point where you were so lost that you lost interest. The main thing that I was happy with is the ending. It wasn’t an ending that left me in complete shock and awe over its amazement, but it didn’t ruin the movie (like most endings of thrillers lately). Cusack is kind of an ‘iffy’ actor. His movies can either be really well done, or really, well, not. However, this one was good. He was great for the serious parts, and he added some greatly placed comedic lines that broke the tension a bit. I don’t really know what genre to really put it in, but I would recommend it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Déjà Vu

Title: Déjà Vu

Starring Actor(s)/Actress(es): Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, James Caviezel, Adam Goldberg

Genre: Action/Drama

Status: Out on DVD

Plot Summary: When a ferry filled with US Navy members is blown up in New Orleans, ATF agent Doug Carlin (Washington) is brought in to find out what happened. With the help of special FBI surveillance technology that can see a continuous stream of what happened four days in the past, a team searches for the bomber. However, in the process agent Carlin gets the idea that maybe he can use this technology to stop it completely.

Review: Awesome movie. Washington is a great action actor, and he brings a needed sense of seriousness to this part. The concept is a bit sci-fi-ish, but the story is very intriguing and easy to get involved with. There are some awesome twists in the story, and the ending is awesome. Great action movie, I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5/5

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Starring Actor(s)/Actress(es): Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander

Genre: Action/Adventure

Status: Out on DVD/Video

Plot Summary: In order to defeat Davy Jones (Nighy) and Lord Beckett (Hollander), Elizabeth (Knightley), Will (Bloom), and Barbosa (Rush) must join forces to rescue Jack Sparrow (Depp) and the Black Pearl. They call together the Pirate Lords, and together they make their final stand.

Review: Much better. I liked this one a lot more than the second, but it still doesn’t measure up the greatness of the first one. I think the reason that the first one was so good is because the plot was much simpler. Granted, I liked the plot of the last two, but I think they tried to make it a little too in depth. The visual effects were amazing as usual, but there were parts of the plot that seemed to confuse some more than anything. I’ve spoken to a few friends of mine that still didn’t fully understand parts, and I see where they’re coming from. Again, better than the second, but not nearly as good as the first.

Rating: 3/5