Insidious (2011)

Corny or not, I still have goosebumps.

The plot centers around a young boy, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), falling into a coma after a relatively minor household accident. Things start to happen here and there, and it becomes clear that there is some creepiness going on. His parents, played by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, contract the help of a long lost family friend that happens to be a psychic. What ensues is a series of ridiculous, over the top moments that you will either love or hate. But either way, you'll find yourself flinching at least a few times.

This movie was definitely a mixed bag for me. The setup in the opening half of the movie was brilliant. Once things started happening, you really didn't know what would happen next. There were several times where shivers literally ran up my spine, which is something that a movie hasn't done for me since I was a kid. With that being said, let's get real. There were some ridiculously clichéd, horribly overdone, and just plain corny moments. The kind of moments that made Drag Me to Hell (2009) unwatchable. It's up to your personal taste whether the pure chill factor can outweigh the silliness.

On a side note, I just want to say that the camera work and visual style really went a long way to set the mood. Cocked camera angles and drastic perspective changes heightened the tension, making only slightly creepy moments drag you to the edge of your seat.

All in all, it was worth the watch. I'll give it a 7/10, being that it was only slightly filled with disappoint. If you are a fan of the horror genre, especially older films, you will love this movie. If not, I think you will still enjoy it. Trust me though, bring a friend, lol.

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Source Code (2011)

Groundhog Day but with no laughing.

All joking aside, Source Code was actually an interesting film. Kind of a stretch, but no more so than Inception or any other conceptual movie like it. They are both movies that depict fictional science. But if you can get past reality of the situation, it was definitely an entertaining watch.

Larking back to my previous Groundhog Day comment, I could definitely make some comparisons between the film. You got the same feeling of boredom watching a series of events happen over and over. And there was a similar moment where Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) predicted mundane happenings directly before they occurred, puzzling the female lead, played by Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Due Date). But these small similarities didn't take away from the film, which was much more action based. Didn't laugh once, promise.

The film tackles some heavy subjects if you're into that sort of thing. I mean, how much is a soldier expected to sacrifice for his country? This guy has to die over and over and over again. Don't get me wrong, saving lives is a priority. But the ethics of the situation is the real question.

The visual effects were decent. Nothing really outside of the box. I definitely appreciated the choice to keep Jake Gyllenhaal in place even when inside the source code. Bouncing back and forth between two actors would be confusing. Sound on the other hand was a mixed bag for me. I didn't notice anything throughout the film, but I found myself despising the background music during the introduction. I felt like I was transported back to some bad 80s movie. Ughh *shiver*

All joking aside, I would still recommend the film. Maybe don't go out of your way to see it in theaters, but a DVD is definitely an option. Don't worry about Blu-Ray, the only difference will be how crisp Gyllenhaal's five o'clock shadow looks. 6.5/10, maybe a seven. But only if you still haven't gotten over Donnie Darko.

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