The Messengers and Stomp the Yard

06/20/07

Just finish two movies in a row, the first one is The Messengers and the second is Stomp the Yard.

The Messengers is totally two thumps down for me. The plot is very old and nothing innovative. I could see how it would end a mile away. Think about how many movies tell a story about a family moving into an abandoned house in a remote area with no other human being living close by (and why?) then there is a horror history about this house (the most popular story, I think, is a father who kills his family’s members and the house has haunted ever since). Then the family members find something totally wrong going on in this house. In stead of moving out right away, they turn themselves to be Sherlock Holmes and try to investigate the house. Oh well, if those characters behave like rational human being, there would not be any horror movies. Watching the Messengers made me feel like I was watching the Grudge plus Amityville. The plot is so Amityville and a ghost crawling on the wall, a kid ghost sitting in the barn and those super pale and wrinkled hands of those creatures pulling Jess are so the Grudge.     

 
Even though the Messengers is categorized as horror movie and supposed to give me excitement, I find Stomp the Yard gives me more of heart poundings than the first one. The story of Stomp the Yard is not original either. A hip-hop street dancer whose brother gets killed by another gang is sent to live with his uncle in Atlanta. Trying to redeem his past and becoming a better person, his road of redemption is hindered by self-guilt of his brother death, love and dream. Yeah yeah yeah, it’s uplifting when you see a character like DJ overcomes his guilt and leads his college step team to the championship but the best thing in this movie is its choreography and I have to say that is the reason I rented this movie. Man, I am so impressed with the hip-hop choreography in the movie. I wish I could do just half of it. I have to say I am so in love with hip hop dancing and that’s why I always rent the movies like Stomp the Yard or Step-Up just to see the hip hop choreography.

Umm, I have a couple observations when I was watching Stomp the Yard.
Firstly, L.A is always the city that the movie like Stomp the Yard takes place, something like street dancing competition, car racing and end up street gangsters killing each other. Secondly, African American men really have a nice body.

Ok, I know it’s so irrelevant but you get my points.

Tae Athi