Glory: A Movie Review

Today I will be blogging on my first war movie, and arguably one of the best movies out there in this genre.  "Glory" was released December 15, 1989 under the production of Edward Zwick.  The main actors in this movie are Morgan Freeman, Mathhew Broderick, and Denzel Washington, who portray the 54th regiment in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.

Before I give my opinion of this movie, I want to start off by sharing with my readers one of the negative aspects that is shared by several people out there.  And that is that this movie was a potentially racist movie because it was seen mostly through the eyes of the regiment leader, Robert Shaw as opposed to one of the black soldiers in the regiment.  This is preposterous, if one has any knowledge of the background of this movie.  This movie was based on the letters Robert Shaw was writing and he is the narrator of this movie.  So why shouldn't the movie be seen through his eyes?  Now granted, I think Washington and Freeman are the better actors.  But, that just means that there should of been a  better lead actor other than Broderick.  I think the director's goal was to show his viewers how a white man reacted to the blacks.  Maybe he didn't believe viewers would sympathize with the blacks unless they saw a white man's reaction.  Anyways, like I said before, this racism complaint is absurd.  This movie has nothing to do with racism, it is the telling of how black men, primarily free but also slaves lead by white men, give their all(their everything) in a seemingly lost battle.

Now that I have hopefully cleared that up let's talk about the movie.  I will not be sharing too much about the movie, because it is a must see for those war movie buffs out there.  I will say that this movie is the best war movie I have ever seen mainly because of the chemistry between Freeman, Washington, and Broderick.  Like I all ready mentioned, I believe there could of been a better lead actor than Broderick, it does not take much away from the movie.  I also enjoy the themes brilliantly portrayed in this movie: friendship, devotion, and courage.  In one of the most desecrating battles of the civil war, where the 54th regiment was running uphill practically into gunfire, courage and devotion was the only thing that could possibly get them through.  Director Zwick did a remarkable job interweaving these ideas together through excellent acting and cinematography.  "Glory" won three academy awards in 1989, including best cinematography.

Before, I finish my review I want to leave with you a short dialogue from the movie.

" Lord, we stand before you this evening, to say thank you! And we thank you, father, for your grace, and your many blessings! Now I run off, leaving all my young'uns and my kinfolk, in bondage. So I'm standing here this evening, Heavenly Father, to ask your blessings on all of us. So that if tomorrow is the great getting-up morning, if that tomorrow we have to meet the Judgement Day, O Heavenly Father, we want you to let our folks know that we died facing the enemy! We want 'em to know that we went down standing up! Amongst those that are fighting against our oppression. We want 'em to know, Heavenly Father, that we died for freedom! We ask these blessings in Jesus' name. Amen! "

So, in conclusion, this movie is an excellent portrayal of courage and devotion even in the hardships of war.  I would highly recommend it to anyone out there who loves war history.  Even if you are not a fan, you will be touched by the compelling acting of the main characters and the themes so brilliantly conveyed in this movie.

What are your thoughts? Concerns? Was this movie a success?  Who would you of chosen to play Broderick's role?

Law Abiding Citizen: A Casual Review

"What would you do if you had ten years"

Have you ever had so much revenge and bitterness swelling up inside you, that you could hardly contain it?
"Law Abiding Citizen" was released on October 16, 2009 under the direction F. Gary Gray. If you are unfamiliar with Gray, he also directed a classic heist movie, "The Italian Job"(2006). This movie stars, Gerald Butler(Shelton) and Jamie Foxx(Rice) Before we delve into the summary and so forth, lets take a glimpse into the incredible actors and their careers. Gerald Butler has played in big hits such as "Ugly Truth", "300", and "Phantom of the Opera". Jamie Fox has starred in "Collateral" with Tom Cruise and "Ray", and "Miami Vice", just to name a few. These men have both played diverse roles, whether it be a hilarious comedy or a suspense thriller.
"Law Abiding Citizen" is a movie about revenge, the attempt to redeem what has been taken. In the opening scenes, the most precious treasure in Shelton's life was taken from him, his wife and daughter. He immediately goes to the "system" to receive his due justice, but nothing can be done. The one who had brutally murdered his daughter has been set free due to a plea bargain. So what does he do? He decides to do what no normal man would do; he goes against the seemingly unjust system and takes things into his own hands. He not only targets the one who killed his family, but also everyone involved in his family's case. So what does he do to enact his revenge. Well, if I leaked that information out the movie would be ruined. So, you will have to see for yourself!
I love this movie for several reasons. But before I share those reasons, I am going to share a reason why some viewers do not like this movie. And that is due to the fact that some of the stunts Shelton pulls to carry out his revenge seem implausible and unrealistic. To this response, I point back to the title I used to illustrate my review: "What would you do if you had ten years?" Shelton had ten years to plot and devise methods to get back at those who had taken away what was most dearest to him. Even so, realism was probably not Gray's goal in this movie; but instead to show what happens inside a man's heart when he looses something as precious as his family.
So, why is movie incredible? I love the actors Gray chose to star in this movie. The chemistry between Foxx and Butler is, to say the least, is brilliantly amazing! They played their roles with emotion and power. I had no problem understanding what Butler was trying to convey in his role. And Foxx did a remarkable job portraying the know-it-all detective who wanted the easy way out.
This movie is one of those movies that keeps you on the edge of your seat, because you are constantly wondering how Shelton is able to pull off his revenge in prison. Not only are they seemingly implausible, but He is in prison? How is a locked up man able to make such irrevocable chaos in such short amount of time?
What are your thoughts? Did you like the movie? What could have made the movie a better success? Please share!

"He's about to paint his masterpiece."

Today I will be blogging on the movie, "Man on Fire"  This movie was released back in April 0f 2004 under the direction of Tony Scott.  If you are not familiar with Scott, he has also directed "Unstopppable"(Denzel Washington and Chris Pine) and "The Taking of Pelham 123"(DenzelWashington and John Travolta)

Tony Scott devised an excellent cast for this movie in Denzel Washington(Creasy), Christopher Walken(Rayburn), and Dakota Fanning(Pita).  Creasy is a retired, but seemingly bitter well-aged and raving alcoholic, who had offered to become the bodyguard of young Pita.  This movie takes place in Mexico City during a time where kidnappings have been frequent to say the least.  Creasy takes this job with reluctant attitude only because there is nothing else for him to do to get his mind off his dark past.  As the movie unfolds, Creasy obviously conveys through this emotions and mannerisms, that he really wants nothing to do with the question-minded young girl filled with curiosity.  Pita asks him simple questions but questions that, unless remained unanswered, would involve Creasy entering back into his desired-to-be-forgotten past.  As the movie continues, a radical change is seen in Creasy, as Pita  is kidnapped.  The man who once wanted nothing to do with this little girl, is now filled with revenge-smitten anger.  Not only because he had actually grown a little attached to Pita, but also because it was his sworn duty to protect her and the family.  So, what happens?  Well go get a copy and see for yourself!

I love this movie; in fact it is one my most favorite Denzel Washington movies.  Denzel portrays his character excellently.  He fills the viewer with curiosity up until the very end.  The emotions he is able to convey in this movie are fantastic and keep you on the edge of your seat.  What makes this movie great is the chemistry between Creasy and Pita.  Although their relationship seemed distant at first(which can not be blamed on either party, seeing that the one was a alcoholic with a dark past, and the other a curios girl with limited understanding of life and its troubles)  the two grew to love each other.  The reason why I love this movie most, is the incredible acting by the young Dakota Fanning.  She, without a doubt, proved herself as a great actor in this movie.  In fact, it is most likely the best childhood acting I have ever seen.  

Now that I have shared my opinion on the movie, I want to inform you why some people have accumulated negative reactions to this film.  One reason, is that the subtitles Scott uses, hindered the movie.  I did not think they harmed the movie in any way, but that is just my opinion.  I also want to warn that is not movie to sit down and enjoy with your children.  It is not a "Toy Story 3" type movie.  It is brutally violent in two scenes and also infested with language.  But, what can you expect from a bitter-struck man filled with vengeance and the desire and obligation to bring back the one thing he was supposed to protect(Pita and her family)  Creasy does whatever it takes in this movie with no regard to how it gets done, just that it gets done.  

For both of the above reasons, this movie has received some gripes and complaints.  I just wanted to share them with you so you would be informed.  But, I was not swayed by any others' critiques, and never am.  When I watch a movie, I block out the negative critiques and watch it with a open mind.  After concluding the film, these reasons did not detriment the film whatsoever.  This is a must see film for those of you out there who love watching suspense-engaging thrillers.


If you have seen this movie, please share your thoughts.  Was this movie successful?  Did you enjoy the cast.  What could have made this film more productive?


If you have just visited my site, you are probably wondering what it is all about.  My name is Josh and I am using this blog as a site where readers can receive movie buzz and plugins for movies and share their opinion on those movies. I would love to hear your opinion on whether or not the director and actors did a good job and what could of made the movie better.  



If you are interested in more information on this movie such as great quotes and trivia, check out my Hub Pages link on the top of my website.


  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328107/