Water for Elephants is a chick flick originally written as a novel by Sara Gruen. This story is very similar to some of the books written by Nicholas Sparks (i.e. The Notebook). While this is by no means my favorite genre, I know I can appreciate a good one when I see it.
Water for Elephants stars Robert Pattison, Reese Witherspoon, and Christoph Waltz. The actors really do a terrific job in this movie, particularly Pattison and Waltz which really have to carry the dramatic load of the film. I really have never thought much of Pattison, because I think the Twilight series is horrible, but he really does a fantastic job this time. Witherspoon is also very good but just isn't asked to do as much as the men in the film. Many of the characters with smaller roles do a fantastic job carrying them out. In my opinion the reason the story is so successful is because of the extremely colorful characters that Gruen paints.
The focus of the story is a love triangle between the three characters. The setting is a traveling circus during the 1930's. The entire story is told through a flashback sequence similar to that in the aforementioned The Notebook. While I originally thought this would be a pretty lame story because of the setting it didn't turn out to be that way. Also, seeing all of the animals in the circus was pretty cool as well, particularly Rosie!
Water for Elephants was a pretty darn good movie. It's a romantic chick flick but assuming that's what you're looking for you'll enjoy this one. I liked The Notebook, (as you can probably already tell) and while this wasn't on that level, it was pretty darn close.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part I & II)
Alright well as you know if you normally read my blog, I'll give you a glimpse into my perspective on the movie before I saw it. I've seen all the movies prior to this one and have read the Deathly Hallows book. Needless to say, I knew what I was getting into. I was a little bit skeptical when I saw this in the theatre because they broke one book up into two movies but I knew it couldn't matter that much. I do also want to add, if you haven't seen the first six in this series please don't even try to check this one out.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh part in the series. The story revolves around Harry and the character Voldemort trying to destroy one another and their quest of good vs evil. One of the nice things about this film is that you can view it on a surface level and just enjoy the main plot but if you are like many other and are a junkie then you can dive into much deeper levels of detail. The story finishes the series quite nicely. The pacing is very good and throws you a few twists here and there. I was however confused by a few minute story parts that were left unanswered (i.e. Ms. Norris), but I suppose that's probably unavoidable for a series so deep though.
As with all of the Harry Potter movies the music is excellent. The theme song, by John Williams, is a perfect fit for the series. The rest of the score fits the movie very well and keeps rhythm with the story arc.
Normally I get into who the actors are, I'm not going to do that this time. If you want to know please go to this link to check out all of the fantastic cast and crew to the finale in the Harry Potter series. There are simply just too many people to name but they all do a really nice job. My only complaint is one character changed actors, because he got arrested. They ended up swapping out a fat white kid for a skinny black kid and called it the same character, it made no sense at all!
This really is a fantastic series to watch for any age from about 10 and up. If you haven't seen it before I would highly recommend it. I'm not a "Potter maniac" but I did enjoy watching all the films. I would put this one up there with Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Anyone with some time on their hands might want to try a weekend marathon!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sucker Punch
Most of the time I generally know some about the movie I'm going to see from trailers, news articles, etc. With Sucker Punch I had seen trailers but I had no real idea how in the world this movie was going to be. I like Zack Snyder films though so I thought this one could be pretty good.
The movie stars a bunch of lesser named actors and actresses which include Emily Browning, Abby Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jenna Malone. They do an acceptable job but there isn't a terrible much that's asked of them. The star of the movie, Emma Browning, doesn't even have a line until about 15 minutes in the movie. The standout in my opinion was probably Jenna Malone, but that's probably just because she has the most experience of all these ladies. Jon Hamm also has a little cameo in here but doesn't do too much.
Sucker Punch is about a girl, Babydoll (Abby Cornish), who has a traumatic childhood which leads to her ending up in a mental institution. While in the looney bin she meets the other girls and they begin their adventure of trying to escape. The movie takes you into a series of alternate realities that the star has to put herself in to escape the horrible reality, and that is where the movie really shines in terms of action. The story is a combination of some heavy drama and video game like action. It is similar to Snyder's other movies when the action is going.
This film has very impressive CG throughout the alternate reality sequences and the drama in the "real world" is also smart and well done. Sucker Punch is a pretty good movie but the story is kind of disjointed and has some action sequences which drag on far too long. I probably wouldn't recommend people check this one out unless they're into other Zack Synder films such as Watchmen.
I want to be very forthright with my reviews. I feel very conflicted about whether I like this movie or not. I enjoyed watching it but I'm not sure I'd watch it again. I also don't believe that many others would really enjoy this one.
The movie stars a bunch of lesser named actors and actresses which include Emily Browning, Abby Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jenna Malone. They do an acceptable job but there isn't a terrible much that's asked of them. The star of the movie, Emma Browning, doesn't even have a line until about 15 minutes in the movie. The standout in my opinion was probably Jenna Malone, but that's probably just because she has the most experience of all these ladies. Jon Hamm also has a little cameo in here but doesn't do too much.
Sucker Punch is about a girl, Babydoll (Abby Cornish), who has a traumatic childhood which leads to her ending up in a mental institution. While in the looney bin she meets the other girls and they begin their adventure of trying to escape. The movie takes you into a series of alternate realities that the star has to put herself in to escape the horrible reality, and that is where the movie really shines in terms of action. The story is a combination of some heavy drama and video game like action. It is similar to Snyder's other movies when the action is going.
This film has very impressive CG throughout the alternate reality sequences and the drama in the "real world" is also smart and well done. Sucker Punch is a pretty good movie but the story is kind of disjointed and has some action sequences which drag on far too long. I probably wouldn't recommend people check this one out unless they're into other Zack Synder films such as Watchmen.
I want to be very forthright with my reviews. I feel very conflicted about whether I like this movie or not. I enjoyed watching it but I'm not sure I'd watch it again. I also don't believe that many others would really enjoy this one.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Crazy, Stupid, Love is a drama/comedy and I knew it when I got it in the mail. It does have a pretty impressive cast, so I thought this one might just be worth checking out.
This movie stars Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone. The cast is very impressive and really hits a home run. There are also some key roles played by Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.
Crazy, Stupid, Love is about a family that is fractured by an affair and all of the consequences that occur related to the hardship the entire family faces. The film really paints a pretty interesting story with the highlight, for me at least, being the relationship that Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling share throughout the movie. There are some very fascinating twists and turns over the course of the movie that keep you interested. The only knock I really had was that the movie looked like it was going to end horribly at one point but then it just keeps on going. The feeling that left wasn't great and the movie did drag towards the end.
After sitting through this one I was a little conflicted about how I felt in the end but I think I'd recommend this one to someone looking for a comedy infused with some real serious issues. If you're looking for a sappy rom-com this isn't it. Crazy, Stupid, Love is a very well made movie worth checking out especially if you're missing an Y chromosome.
This movie stars Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone. The cast is very impressive and really hits a home run. There are also some key roles played by Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.
Crazy, Stupid, Love is about a family that is fractured by an affair and all of the consequences that occur related to the hardship the entire family faces. The film really paints a pretty interesting story with the highlight, for me at least, being the relationship that Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling share throughout the movie. There are some very fascinating twists and turns over the course of the movie that keep you interested. The only knock I really had was that the movie looked like it was going to end horribly at one point but then it just keeps on going. The feeling that left wasn't great and the movie did drag towards the end.
After sitting through this one I was a little conflicted about how I felt in the end but I think I'd recommend this one to someone looking for a comedy infused with some real serious issues. If you're looking for a sappy rom-com this isn't it. Crazy, Stupid, Love is a very well made movie worth checking out especially if you're missing an Y chromosome.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
30 Minutes or Less
So I was running short on movies on my Netflix list. Due to this error, and lack of decent movies, I decided to see 30 Minutes or Less. My expectations were pretty low but I thought the comedy would be pretty good and have a smart story. I thought this because Jesse Eisenberg is usually pretty good and I like Danny McBride. My expectations should have been lower.
The movie is about a guy who wants to get rich quick and he decides killing someone is the best way to do that. The plot is very weak for the first 3/4 of the movie but does come on strong at the end, just not strong enough. This was an area where I thought this movie would excel but it really disappointed until it was way too late. Also, I'm not against vulgar language at all, in fact I enjoy it in some movies (Pineapple Express, The Big Lebowski, etc) but this movie takes it to the extreme and it really just doesn't make any sense.
The stars of this movie include Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Swardson. These are all faces you'll probably recognize but not huge names. None of them particularly stands and out and that includes Eisenberg, who is normally pretty impressive, but really comes up short in 30 Minutes or Less.
30 Minutes or Less is really a pretty horrible movie. I honestly considered turning it off entirely when I was about half way through the movie. I'm glad I stuck it out so I could write this review but in retrospect I wish I had gotten something else to watch. Skip this one!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Siege
Hanging out around the house on a nice boring Sunday, I found some time to go scrolling through Netflix instant play on my blu-ray player. Eventually I found something that intrigued me, The Siege. I wasn't sure whether I had seen this movie before but for some reason I had given it four stars (out of five). Either way I decided to check it out!
The Siege is a film about terrorism and the effects it can have on a populous. The movie was made in 1998 so if you can remember the way things were almost 14 years ago, things were very different. It does play out some interesting scenes that are almost foreshadowing into how America would react after 9/11. The story was really pretty interesting and has some nice twists and turns but nothing that blew my mind.
The Siege stars Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, and Annette Benning. The three main characters basically carry the movie but there are some nice supporting actors like Tony Shalhoub and even a cameo by Aasif Mandvi (Daily Show). The acting by Denzel and Bruce Willis was really pretty good but Annette Benning was really weak. I'm not sure I've ever been really impressed by her, but this movie in particular I thought she was awful as a CIA handler, yep you read that right.
I decided to keep this review short because I just don't think there is a tremendous amount to say about The Siege. The movie isn't bad if you're just bored and looking for some decent action movie to watch but this movie really doesn't impress at all. If you're into the espionage genre it would help to enjoy this one. As I said Annette Benning is pretty awful and it hurts the overall movie. I'll probably go back and lower this one a three.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Super 8
I wasn't really sure what to think of Super 8when I added it to my Netflix list. I knew it was Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams and that it was a science fiction movie. I heard some pretty good things from people who had seen it in movie theatres. I knew some things but I didn't really know what to make of the actual plot of the movie.
Well after seeing Super 8 I discovered it is a campy sci-fi movie based in the late 80's about a bunch of kids trying to shoot a movie. While filming the movie on their 8mm camera, which is of course where the name comes from, an awful accident occurs which is filmed by their camera. As the story unfolds you learn about the cause of the accident and the people behind it. The story is well conceived and enjoyable, but campy, except that I think I've seen this one before.
The movie stars a bunch of no name kids including Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, and Dakota Fanning's younger sister Elle Fanning. Supporting cast also includes some character actors such as Kyle Chandler and Noah Emmerich. The cast of the movie is pretty underwhelming but it fits the sleepy town the movie takes place in.
The soundtrack for Super 8 was pretty good but nothing spectacular like some of Spielberg's other films. Not too much to say about it except the music fit well but nothing you'll remember or make you say "wow."
Super 8 was a really fun movie I would highly recommend checking out. There are a few things you should know going into seeing this movie though. First, it's campy, really really campy. Second, don't expect any wild surprises our you'll be disappointed. Finally, and this is what I have the biggest problem with, the story is basically ET all over again. Yep, I said it. I know it's not an exact replica but it's very similar and it loses some points in my book for that.
Well after seeing Super 8 I discovered it is a campy sci-fi movie based in the late 80's about a bunch of kids trying to shoot a movie. While filming the movie on their 8mm camera, which is of course where the name comes from, an awful accident occurs which is filmed by their camera. As the story unfolds you learn about the cause of the accident and the people behind it. The story is well conceived and enjoyable, but campy, except that I think I've seen this one before.
The movie stars a bunch of no name kids including Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, and Dakota Fanning's younger sister Elle Fanning. Supporting cast also includes some character actors such as Kyle Chandler and Noah Emmerich. The cast of the movie is pretty underwhelming but it fits the sleepy town the movie takes place in.
The soundtrack for Super 8 was pretty good but nothing spectacular like some of Spielberg's other films. Not too much to say about it except the music fit well but nothing you'll remember or make you say "wow."
Super 8 was a really fun movie I would highly recommend checking out. There are a few things you should know going into seeing this movie though. First, it's campy, really really campy. Second, don't expect any wild surprises our you'll be disappointed. Finally, and this is what I have the biggest problem with, the story is basically ET all over again. Yep, I said it. I know it's not an exact replica but it's very similar and it loses some points in my book for that.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Ultramarathon Man
Yep, my wife's movie again. I was a little hesitant, again, but after the last running movie maybe I shouldn't have been.
Ultramarathon Man is a documentary about Dean Karnazes literally running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. While the idea of this athletic achievement is very impressive I was skeptical about a movie being made. Once I watched this though it was truly captivating. Karnazes is a real inspiration to anyone, not just runners, and I'm not an easy sell.
Looking at the film aspects this wasn't the best made documentary I've ever seen, far from it. The movie was really about the character and his effect on others. You saw glimpses into his family, the crew, and all of Karnazes fans along the way. Music was actually pretty good, impressive for a smaller budget movie like this.
This one is worth checking out if you're into running, without a doubt. If you're not a runner, but you're looking for something inspirational I would also recommend it. If you're looking for an action movie with explosions and guns, this one probably isn't for you, but you probably already figured that one out.
Here is the real guys website: http://www.ultramarathonman.com/web/
Ultramarathon Man is a documentary about Dean Karnazes literally running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. While the idea of this athletic achievement is very impressive I was skeptical about a movie being made. Once I watched this though it was truly captivating. Karnazes is a real inspiration to anyone, not just runners, and I'm not an easy sell.
Looking at the film aspects this wasn't the best made documentary I've ever seen, far from it. The movie was really about the character and his effect on others. You saw glimpses into his family, the crew, and all of Karnazes fans along the way. Music was actually pretty good, impressive for a smaller budget movie like this.
This one is worth checking out if you're into running, without a doubt. If you're not a runner, but you're looking for something inspirational I would also recommend it. If you're looking for an action movie with explosions and guns, this one probably isn't for you, but you probably already figured that one out.
Here is the real guys website: http://www.ultramarathonman.com/web/
Monday, November 21, 2011
Fast Five
Sometimes you just want something fun and exciting. I have seen all of the other Fast and Furious movies so I knew what I was getting into with this one. I knew that more than likely story would be weak but action would be great. I wasn't disappointed at all.
Fast Five is basically a direction continuation of Fast and Furious. It of course is the fifth in the series. The movie includes characters from all of the previous films and incorporates them all well. Fast Five is about Dom, Mia, and Brian moving to Buenos Aires and getting up to all of their old shenanigans. Great car chases continue to dominate the landscape of these films, as well they should. The movie does introduce more of an "Oceans" kind of feel to the planning of the heist they are about to undertake, which was a welcome new feel to the series.
The cast returns series stalwarts Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Jordanna Brewster. It also introduces Dwayne Johnson's character FBI agent Luke Hobbs. I won't run through the entire list but it does include cast members from the second and third movies as well. The cast fits together pretty well though some character don't really interact with each other and some have much more history with each other. The cast is a good mix of all of the films, it's just too bad the second and third in the series were so bad.
Fast Five is a really enjoyable fun movie, and as long as you know what you're getting into, I'd recommend it. I think at this point though you have to have seem at least the first and fourth in the series to enjoy this one. The formula is definitely getting a little stale but this one has just enough nitrous oxide in it to get through the bumpy parts.
Oh yea and they're already planning on making a sixth in the series. Milking the cash cow I suppose.
Fast Five is basically a direction continuation of Fast and Furious. It of course is the fifth in the series. The movie includes characters from all of the previous films and incorporates them all well. Fast Five is about Dom, Mia, and Brian moving to Buenos Aires and getting up to all of their old shenanigans. Great car chases continue to dominate the landscape of these films, as well they should. The movie does introduce more of an "Oceans" kind of feel to the planning of the heist they are about to undertake, which was a welcome new feel to the series.
The cast returns series stalwarts Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Jordanna Brewster. It also introduces Dwayne Johnson's character FBI agent Luke Hobbs. I won't run through the entire list but it does include cast members from the second and third movies as well. The cast fits together pretty well though some character don't really interact with each other and some have much more history with each other. The cast is a good mix of all of the films, it's just too bad the second and third in the series were so bad.
Fast Five is a really enjoyable fun movie, and as long as you know what you're getting into, I'd recommend it. I think at this point though you have to have seem at least the first and fourth in the series to enjoy this one. The formula is definitely getting a little stale but this one has just enough nitrous oxide in it to get through the bumpy parts.
Oh yea and they're already planning on making a sixth in the series. Milking the cash cow I suppose.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Moneyball
I'm pretty much a sports nut, and while baseball isn't my favorite, I'm always up for a good sports movie. Moneyball did not disappoint.
Moneyball is the story of Billy Beane, the general manager for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. The movie follows Beane, and his partner wiz kid guru Peter Brand, through the 2002 baseball season. The focus of the story isn't the fact that Beane is successful but the way he accomplishes it. This is through a new method of talent evaluation, evaluation of current and future productivity, not based upon traditional methods but instead based on mathematical calculations called sabermetrics. The methods are based on a book by Bill James called The Art of Winning the Unfair Game.
Billy Beane is played by Brad Pitt, who as usual does a great acting job. Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand and really does a fantastic job of balancing out Pitt's character. These two are a great duo in this movie and it's their interaction that make the movie great. Other supporting actors include Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt and Stephen Bishop.
I should also add that the movie has a great feel to it. Some sports movies just feel fake, like Hollywood just didn't get it right, but this one they nailed. The music was also very nice, particularly the title song.
While there are some issues glossed over by the movie, like the fact that it was Zito, Hudson, and Mulder (the A's outstanding young pitchers) made this team great, not the scrap they threw together based on sabermetrics, this movie was outstanding. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who is into baseball or even has a passing interest. This is the best sports movie I've seen in years.
Moneyball is the story of Billy Beane, the general manager for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. The movie follows Beane, and his partner wiz kid guru Peter Brand, through the 2002 baseball season. The focus of the story isn't the fact that Beane is successful but the way he accomplishes it. This is through a new method of talent evaluation, evaluation of current and future productivity, not based upon traditional methods but instead based on mathematical calculations called sabermetrics. The methods are based on a book by Bill James called The Art of Winning the Unfair Game.
Billy Beane is played by Brad Pitt, who as usual does a great acting job. Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand and really does a fantastic job of balancing out Pitt's character. These two are a great duo in this movie and it's their interaction that make the movie great. Other supporting actors include Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt and Stephen Bishop.
I should also add that the movie has a great feel to it. Some sports movies just feel fake, like Hollywood just didn't get it right, but this one they nailed. The music was also very nice, particularly the title song.
While there are some issues glossed over by the movie, like the fact that it was Zito, Hudson, and Mulder (the A's outstanding young pitchers) made this team great, not the scrap they threw together based on sabermetrics, this movie was outstanding. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who is into baseball or even has a passing interest. This is the best sports movie I've seen in years.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Hanna
Hanna is exactly the kind of movie I usually enjoy. Espionage, action, and thriller, all describe Hanna. I was very excited to check this one out.
The movie is about an assassin whose sordid past forces him to go off reservation with his daughter to make a life for themselves. He raises Hanna with a mission and purpose to accomplish what he could not. When the daughter, Hanna, gets older she decides she wants more than their life in the wilderness. The dynamics are focused on the father-daughter relationship, exploring his past and her future. The story is really the strength of this movie though there are some slow moments.
Hanna stars Saoirse Ronan as Hanna. You will recognize her from Lovely Bones, which I have also done a review on. The other main characters are played by Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett. Tom Hollander, from The Company, John Adams, and Pirates of the Caribbean, also does a really nice job. While I love Bana as a spook, Cate Blanchett just doesn't really fit to me.
As you all may know now I'm big into soundtrack and great orchestral scores. This movie has a nice soundtrack and I won't debate that at all. I was, however, a little disappointed with large sections where there was no music at all. That said though, it may not bother some people at all.
Overall Hanna is a really solid movie with a pretty compelling story. The action is good, though not anything you would see in a Michael Bay movie, just standard gun-play and hand-to-hand combat. I would recommend checking this out if you're into the Bourne Franchise or generally into espionage films.
The movie is about an assassin whose sordid past forces him to go off reservation with his daughter to make a life for themselves. He raises Hanna with a mission and purpose to accomplish what he could not. When the daughter, Hanna, gets older she decides she wants more than their life in the wilderness. The dynamics are focused on the father-daughter relationship, exploring his past and her future. The story is really the strength of this movie though there are some slow moments.
Hanna stars Saoirse Ronan as Hanna. You will recognize her from Lovely Bones, which I have also done a review on. The other main characters are played by Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett. Tom Hollander, from The Company, John Adams, and Pirates of the Caribbean, also does a really nice job. While I love Bana as a spook, Cate Blanchett just doesn't really fit to me.
As you all may know now I'm big into soundtrack and great orchestral scores. This movie has a nice soundtrack and I won't debate that at all. I was, however, a little disappointed with large sections where there was no music at all. That said though, it may not bother some people at all.
Overall Hanna is a really solid movie with a pretty compelling story. The action is good, though not anything you would see in a Michael Bay movie, just standard gun-play and hand-to-hand combat. I would recommend checking this out if you're into the Bourne Franchise or generally into espionage films.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses was just released on Blu-ray/DVD so I had to check this one out. Honestly, I wanted to see it in the theatre, but with a two-year-old at home my chances to escape for a movie are limited.
Horrible Bosses is a comedy about three guys who literally want to kill their bosses because their work life has become a nightmare. After seeing this movie I can honestly say I don't blame them for feeling that way. The movie takes you through the guys' attempts to kill their bosses. That's really the focus of the movie, there aren't really any side stories.
The movie stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis as the three guys. Their "horrible bosses" are played by Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell. The interaction between the guys and their bosses are quite hilarious and really makes this movie. My particular favorite is Colin Farrell's character.
This is probably the funniest movie I've seen this year. I would highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a good laugh. If you've ever been in a situation where you hated your boss, and we all have, you'll enjoy this one but you'll also be thankful you never had any of these as your "horrible boss."
Horrible Bosses is a comedy about three guys who literally want to kill their bosses because their work life has become a nightmare. After seeing this movie I can honestly say I don't blame them for feeling that way. The movie takes you through the guys' attempts to kill their bosses. That's really the focus of the movie, there aren't really any side stories.
The movie stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis as the three guys. Their "horrible bosses" are played by Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell. The interaction between the guys and their bosses are quite hilarious and really makes this movie. My particular favorite is Colin Farrell's character.
This is probably the funniest movie I've seen this year. I would highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a good laugh. If you've ever been in a situation where you hated your boss, and we all have, you'll enjoy this one but you'll also be thankful you never had any of these as your "horrible boss."
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski was new in 1998 and I remember watching it for the first time back then and getting a huge kick out of the great characters, goofy story, and overall just silly humor. I'm reviewing this movie now because I found out the other day that my wife had never seen The Big Lebowski. I couldn't believe it so I assured her we would be watching it in short order...and we did.
This movie is about "The Dude" who is basically an incredibly lazy man who likes to drink and bowl. It's about his relationship with his friends and their struggles. Oh yea, and it's about a "Chinaman", a rug, and a woman named Bunny.
The Big Lebowski stars Jeff Bridges as "The Dude", probably the greatest character from a comedy in a long time. This movie also has a great supporting cast including John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and more. It also stars John Turturro as "The Jesus." The cast is just a really great fit for the movie.
This is one of the best comedies of it's generation. It's kind of a mix of stupid humor and dry humor but this is one you can't miss. If you haven't seen The Big Lebowski yet I would highly recommend it and if you haven't seen it in a while, you know it's time!
This movie is about "The Dude" who is basically an incredibly lazy man who likes to drink and bowl. It's about his relationship with his friends and their struggles. Oh yea, and it's about a "Chinaman", a rug, and a woman named Bunny.
The Big Lebowski stars Jeff Bridges as "The Dude", probably the greatest character from a comedy in a long time. This movie also has a great supporting cast including John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and more. It also stars John Turturro as "The Jesus." The cast is just a really great fit for the movie.
This is one of the best comedies of it's generation. It's kind of a mix of stupid humor and dry humor but this is one you can't miss. If you haven't seen The Big Lebowski yet I would highly recommend it and if you haven't seen it in a while, you know it's time!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Priest
I watched Priest early last week and just haven't gotten around to writing up this movie. Let me be clear, while this movie was advertised as a "horror" it is not. Priest is more of a sci-fi movie. Priest stars Paul Bettany, Maggie Q, and Karl Uban.
Priest is a story about humans versus vampires. In this film vampires are depicted more like monsters than in a movie like Underworld. The story is actually pretty well written and has quite a few twists to it to keep you on your toes. I would also add that I was a fan of the different locations the movie took you to. While they were all dark they had their own feel to them.
The cast is ok, Bettany and Urban shine, but it isn't really a great fit for Maggie Q. The supporting cast is pretty weak though, even for no names I wasn't impressed at all. Bettany does a nice job as a "Priest" but I would have like to have seen how and why his character is so much better than the other "Priests."
In the end Priest was an entertaining movie if you like sci-fi but otherwise I would probably skip it. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't buy it. It is most definitely NOT a horror movie.
Priest is a story about humans versus vampires. In this film vampires are depicted more like monsters than in a movie like Underworld. The story is actually pretty well written and has quite a few twists to it to keep you on your toes. I would also add that I was a fan of the different locations the movie took you to. While they were all dark they had their own feel to them.
The cast is ok, Bettany and Urban shine, but it isn't really a great fit for Maggie Q. The supporting cast is pretty weak though, even for no names I wasn't impressed at all. Bettany does a nice job as a "Priest" but I would have like to have seen how and why his character is so much better than the other "Priests."
In the end Priest was an entertaining movie if you like sci-fi but otherwise I would probably skip it. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't buy it. It is most definitely NOT a horror movie.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Bridesmaids
Ok ok, I know, I'm watching another one of my wife's movies. Look people we have a Netflix list and we take turns so yes, I WILL get to the action movies...at some point...I hope. In the meantime I saw Bridesmaids, which I have heard called the female version of The Hangover. I saw The Hangover and thought it was hilarious, so I had pretty high hopes for this movie.
Bridesmaids stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph in this wedding comedy. The rest of the cast are pretty much no names though the supporting cast was pretty funny, in particular Melissa McCarthy in her role as Megan. Also a nice little role for Mad Men star Jon Hamm.
The story to Bridesmaids was pretty straightforward and honestly a little too predictable. Don't get me wrong the movie is funny but story is not it's strong suit. I would have liked to see a few more twists in the story.
The music was not very impressive at all. There is some 80's music thrown in but it's mainly just kind of elevator campy music.
Bridesmaids wasn't a bad movie at all but this is NOT The Hangover. I think most of my disappointment lies in the comparison between the two movies. The cast isn't as good and the story doesn't have any many twists and turns. This movie is worth seeing but it's not going to "wow" anyone.
Bridesmaids stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph in this wedding comedy. The rest of the cast are pretty much no names though the supporting cast was pretty funny, in particular Melissa McCarthy in her role as Megan. Also a nice little role for Mad Men star Jon Hamm.
The story to Bridesmaids was pretty straightforward and honestly a little too predictable. Don't get me wrong the movie is funny but story is not it's strong suit. I would have liked to see a few more twists in the story.
The music was not very impressive at all. There is some 80's music thrown in but it's mainly just kind of elevator campy music.
Bridesmaids wasn't a bad movie at all but this is NOT The Hangover. I think most of my disappointment lies in the comparison between the two movies. The cast isn't as good and the story doesn't have any many twists and turns. This movie is worth seeing but it's not going to "wow" anyone.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Running the Sahara
Allow me to start by saying, my wife is a runner. My wife is a great runner. She just finished a half marathon and is hooked. She's now so into running that's its gone all the way to watching running movies. While I exercise I am not a "runner" thus I was fully skeptical going into watching this movie that it would be completely boring and uninteresting...I was wrong.
Running for the Sahara chronicles three men's journey across the Sahara desert from Senegal to Egypt. Understandably, these guys have a team of trainers, physical therapists, and other supporters there to assist them, including a camera crew. The movie does a very nice job of telling the story while also being compelling enough, beyond just the running, to keep us interested.
The cast of characters is dynamic enough that we have a favorite, a jerk and someone that is just a decent guy. It's also nice to hear about the crews journey, because while the runners have it the hardest, it's certainly not an easy feat for the crew to spend over 100 days in the Sahara desert supporting these single track mind runners. The runners significant others are also featured in the movie and add a little romance to the story.
The score was very nice, though limited, by Hans Zimmer. There wasn't a tremendous amount of music to speak of but that's understandable since most of the storytelling is done through spoken narrative. While there is some voice over storytelling by Matt Damon it is very limited. This is one of the areas where I thought the movie could have been better.
Overall I was pretty impressed by this movie. Good story just don't expect any explosions or violence. If you're into running I would certainly check it out and even if you just want to see a story about man's strength to overcome, it's a pretty good one.
Running for the Sahara chronicles three men's journey across the Sahara desert from Senegal to Egypt. Understandably, these guys have a team of trainers, physical therapists, and other supporters there to assist them, including a camera crew. The movie does a very nice job of telling the story while also being compelling enough, beyond just the running, to keep us interested.
The cast of characters is dynamic enough that we have a favorite, a jerk and someone that is just a decent guy. It's also nice to hear about the crews journey, because while the runners have it the hardest, it's certainly not an easy feat for the crew to spend over 100 days in the Sahara desert supporting these single track mind runners. The runners significant others are also featured in the movie and add a little romance to the story.
The score was very nice, though limited, by Hans Zimmer. There wasn't a tremendous amount of music to speak of but that's understandable since most of the storytelling is done through spoken narrative. While there is some voice over storytelling by Matt Damon it is very limited. This is one of the areas where I thought the movie could have been better.
Overall I was pretty impressed by this movie. Good story just don't expect any explosions or violence. If you're into running I would certainly check it out and even if you just want to see a story about man's strength to overcome, it's a pretty good one.
The Other Guys
The Other Guys is a comedy about two cops that are basically worthless. They are stuck sitting behind desks all day and pushing paper, that is until a tragic event turns them into the stars of the show! The Other Guys doesn't have great story but what comedy does.
The Other Guys stars Mark Wahlberg and Will Farrell in some seriously comedic roles. While you would expect this from Farrell, Wahlberg does a realy nice job with the comedy in this movie. The movie also has parts from Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) in some pretty funny roles. Oh yea, and it has cameo's from Derek Jeter and the "cute" Eva Mendes.
It's not worth going into a tremendous amount of detail on this comedy but I will tell you it's a very funny movie. It isn't Talledega Nights, Old School, or Anchorman but this is a really funny movie. I wasn't expecting much but I would recommend checking this one out if you want some laughs.
Posted on January 24, 2011
The Other Guys stars Mark Wahlberg and Will Farrell in some seriously comedic roles. While you would expect this from Farrell, Wahlberg does a realy nice job with the comedy in this movie. The movie also has parts from Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) in some pretty funny roles. Oh yea, and it has cameo's from Derek Jeter and the "cute" Eva Mendes.
It's not worth going into a tremendous amount of detail on this comedy but I will tell you it's a very funny movie. It isn't Talledega Nights, Old School, or Anchorman but this is a really funny movie. I wasn't expecting much but I would recommend checking this one out if you want some laughs.
Posted on January 24, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a murder mystery based on a novel by Stieg Larsson. The film, which is in Swedish, is a thrilling adventure that allows you to meet some very interesting characters. This is the first in a series by Larsson. I do want to preface this review by saying that the film is graphic both with violence and sex.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace. Clearly these are no names to me and I'm sure to most others. While that is the case with all the actors in this movie, they all do an excellent job. The actors, for the most part, fit each role very well.
While I have not read the book, the story in the movie version is excellent. This is really what makes the movie what it is. There aren't really any special effects, nor is there a need for them, so basically this movie is all about story.
This is a very good film that I would really recommend checking out if you're into murder mysteries. The story will keep you engrossed throughout and the weirdo characters will keep you interested. I would, however, recommend watching this movie in Swedish with subtitles because dubbing of any kind is usually painful to watch.
Posted on January 22, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace. Clearly these are no names to me and I'm sure to most others. While that is the case with all the actors in this movie, they all do an excellent job. The actors, for the most part, fit each role very well.
While I have not read the book, the story in the movie version is excellent. This is really what makes the movie what it is. There aren't really any special effects, nor is there a need for them, so basically this movie is all about story.
This is a very good film that I would really recommend checking out if you're into murder mysteries. The story will keep you engrossed throughout and the weirdo characters will keep you interested. I would, however, recommend watching this movie in Swedish with subtitles because dubbing of any kind is usually painful to watch.
Posted on January 22, 2011
The A-Team
My expectations for this movie were pretty limited. I was thinking "eh, we'll watch some stuff blow up and maybe the story will be half decent." My expectations for The A-Team were far exceeded.
The A-Team is a remake of the 80's TV show which famously starred Mr. T. The 2010 film version of The A-Team stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper (from Hangover), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Jessica Biel. The cast overall fits the movie very well, and while most aren't known for being great actors, this movie was cast very well. I particularly like Patrick Wilson cast as Lynch.
I think most people would expect the action in this kind of movie to be cheesy and way too far over the top. Yes, it is over the top, but it's done well. The special effects are actually pretty good and are in appropriate places that give the film a very nice flow.
Overall this is a very good action movie. Not only does the story have some nice twists and turns but there is some pretty good humor. The A-Team is very similar to The Losers, and I'm not sure which is better, but that is a good thing. I was impressed by this movie and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun action movie to watch.
Posted on January 16, 2011
The A-Team is a remake of the 80's TV show which famously starred Mr. T. The 2010 film version of The A-Team stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper (from Hangover), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Jessica Biel. The cast overall fits the movie very well, and while most aren't known for being great actors, this movie was cast very well. I particularly like Patrick Wilson cast as Lynch.
I think most people would expect the action in this kind of movie to be cheesy and way too far over the top. Yes, it is over the top, but it's done well. The special effects are actually pretty good and are in appropriate places that give the film a very nice flow.
Overall this is a very good action movie. Not only does the story have some nice twists and turns but there is some pretty good humor. The A-Team is very similar to The Losers, and I'm not sure which is better, but that is a good thing. I was impressed by this movie and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun action movie to watch.
Posted on January 16, 2011
The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria again doesn't fall into my standard movie portfolio but I thought this one looked interesting and I do typically enjoy a historical film. This movie was my wife's choice but I'm glad I checked this one out.
The story of this film follows Queen Victoria and her rise to the throne. This of course includes her meeting her future husband and all of the trials and tribulations of a queen trying to find true and honest love. I was pretty impressed by the story in this film and how well it was told. Though we know this is a true story it was condensed well for the "big screen."
Queen Victoria is played by Emily Blunt, who is most known for her role in The Devil Wears Prada and Charlie Wilson's War, does a very nice job in this film. Blunt does seem to be a real up and coming actress in Hollywood. Most of the other actors and actresses are less well known but do an admirable job.
Overall The Young Victoria was really a pretty good movie and an excellent love story, for those that like that kind of thing. I would recommend this to any guy who had to choose a sappy movie to sit through, this one is really pretty good.
Posted on January 14, 2011
The story of this film follows Queen Victoria and her rise to the throne. This of course includes her meeting her future husband and all of the trials and tribulations of a queen trying to find true and honest love. I was pretty impressed by the story in this film and how well it was told. Though we know this is a true story it was condensed well for the "big screen."
Queen Victoria is played by Emily Blunt, who is most known for her role in The Devil Wears Prada and Charlie Wilson's War, does a very nice job in this film. Blunt does seem to be a real up and coming actress in Hollywood. Most of the other actors and actresses are less well known but do an admirable job.
Overall The Young Victoria was really a pretty good movie and an excellent love story, for those that like that kind of thing. I would recommend this to any guy who had to choose a sappy movie to sit through, this one is really pretty good.
Posted on January 14, 2011
The Last Song
The Last Song stars Miley Cryus and Greg Kinnear with a host of other unknowns. The movie is another of Nicholas Sparks' sappy love stories which include The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, etc.
The story is generic and very predictable. The movie is far too formulaic and really doesn't do anything different or surprising, and that's too bad. Sappy movies usually don't do anything different but come on, something!
Greg Kinnear is a fantastic actor and does a nice job in this movie, but the rest of the cast is awful. Miley Cyrus is a terrible actress. I have no doubt she was only cast in this movie because of the teenybopper crowd that would buy tickets because she was included.
To summarize, this movie sucked. I actually really like The Notebook and a few other sappy movies, but this one is awful and I can't say that enough. My wife who fully enjoys sappy movies also thought it was terrible so that might help some of you women out there reading this. Please for the love of God skip this one!
Posted on January 8, 2011
The story is generic and very predictable. The movie is far too formulaic and really doesn't do anything different or surprising, and that's too bad. Sappy movies usually don't do anything different but come on, something!
Greg Kinnear is a fantastic actor and does a nice job in this movie, but the rest of the cast is awful. Miley Cyrus is a terrible actress. I have no doubt she was only cast in this movie because of the teenybopper crowd that would buy tickets because she was included.
To summarize, this movie sucked. I actually really like The Notebook and a few other sappy movies, but this one is awful and I can't say that enough. My wife who fully enjoys sappy movies also thought it was terrible so that might help some of you women out there reading this. Please for the love of God skip this one!
Posted on January 8, 2011
Grizzly Man
This is a Werner Herzog documentary about a man named Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell had decided to live amongst Grizzly bears during the summer. He did this for 13 years in the wilderness of Alaska. This film is really about Treadwell's mental well being and his end at the hand of the creature he loved so dearly.
As this is a documentary, no reason for me to review the acting but let me tell you Treadwell is one "interesting" fellow. Treadwell says he spent all that time with the grizzly to "save them" but it's clear, they don't need his saving. My own opinion is that this guy was a wack job and should have been in a mental institution not only for the way he acted with the bears, but his overall mental state.
Herzog really does a nice job of talking to the important players in Treadwell's life and those folks, while not very interesting themselves, have some odd things to say about Treadwell. Herzog even let's you watch him as he listens to the last audio tape of Treadwell being killed by a grizzly bear. Needless to say, that is disturbing.
This is a pretty weird film but if you're curious about this guy you can't go wrong checking it out. Herzog does a very nice job of putting this film together. I have to say though, if you're going to see a Herzog film see Rescue Dawn (or it's documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly) or if you want to see a great documentary see The Fog of War.
Posted on January 6, 2011
As this is a documentary, no reason for me to review the acting but let me tell you Treadwell is one "interesting" fellow. Treadwell says he spent all that time with the grizzly to "save them" but it's clear, they don't need his saving. My own opinion is that this guy was a wack job and should have been in a mental institution not only for the way he acted with the bears, but his overall mental state.
Herzog really does a nice job of talking to the important players in Treadwell's life and those folks, while not very interesting themselves, have some odd things to say about Treadwell. Herzog even let's you watch him as he listens to the last audio tape of Treadwell being killed by a grizzly bear. Needless to say, that is disturbing.
This is a pretty weird film but if you're curious about this guy you can't go wrong checking it out. Herzog does a very nice job of putting this film together. I have to say though, if you're going to see a Herzog film see Rescue Dawn (or it's documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly) or if you want to see a great documentary see The Fog of War.
Posted on January 6, 2011
Jonah Hex
In case you've never heard of it, Jonah Hex is a DC comics story. It's a tale of a man whose family was murdered and now he's out for revenge. The difference in this one is that Jonah Hex, played by Josh Brolin, can speak with the dead and is basically invincible.
You know, 90 percent of the time I like comic book movies. Unfortunately for me, I picked the wrong one. Jonah Hex is a terrible movie. The acting is awful, thank you Megan Fox. The special effects are lame. The story is so generic but ridiculous at the same time.
I'm keeping this review short because there isn't much to say. This is the worst movie I've seen in a long long time. If you enjoy the comic book it might be worth seeing but otherwise avoid this one at all costs. There is one upside though, I only had to waste about an hour and a half of my life to watch this garbage.
Posted on January 2, 2011
You know, 90 percent of the time I like comic book movies. Unfortunately for me, I picked the wrong one. Jonah Hex is a terrible movie. The acting is awful, thank you Megan Fox. The special effects are lame. The story is so generic but ridiculous at the same time.
I'm keeping this review short because there isn't much to say. This is the worst movie I've seen in a long long time. If you enjoy the comic book it might be worth seeing but otherwise avoid this one at all costs. There is one upside though, I only had to waste about an hour and a half of my life to watch this garbage.
Posted on January 2, 2011
Crazy Heart
Crazy Heart is, of course, an award winning movie starring Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake. Blake is basically and old school country singer touring all over the country playing bars and bowling alleys. The story revolves around Bad Blake trying to get his mojo back and his life together.
Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Blake's love interest in this film and let me tell you, that is a little weird. I like Gyllenhaal but she just didn't fit in this movie. Additionally, Colin Farrell was in this movie, and normally I really don't like him but in this case he was really pretty good. Robert Duval also appears and is excellent as always.
The music was pretty good and Bridges clearly did a nice job with that. I wouldn't argue that Bridges deserves an award for this movie but the movie overall getting an award...I'm not so sure about that.
Crazy Heart is a very straightforward film with only some minor twists and turns. When it was over I felt like "eh, nothing special" but others may like this movie more. I would simply say that the drama in this movie could have been more well done.
Posted on December 29, 2010
Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Blake's love interest in this film and let me tell you, that is a little weird. I like Gyllenhaal but she just didn't fit in this movie. Additionally, Colin Farrell was in this movie, and normally I really don't like him but in this case he was really pretty good. Robert Duval also appears and is excellent as always.
The music was pretty good and Bridges clearly did a nice job with that. I wouldn't argue that Bridges deserves an award for this movie but the movie overall getting an award...I'm not so sure about that.
Crazy Heart is a very straightforward film with only some minor twists and turns. When it was over I felt like "eh, nothing special" but others may like this movie more. I would simply say that the drama in this movie could have been more well done.
Posted on December 29, 2010
Inception
Inception is a thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio whose job is to extract information from others dreams. I won't get too into the story and spoil any of it for you, but I will tell you this is a great movie.
This movie was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also did Batman Begins and Dark Knight. The story is probably the most creative and captivating of any film in the last ten years. You do have to use your brain in this movie, but as long as you're ok with that you should enjoy this one.
Additionally, the cast in this movie is fantastic. While most are not huge stars, other than DiCaprio, you've got some serious actors including Marion Cotillard, Ken Wantanabe, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, and even Michael Caine. Even the actors I didn't name do a great job and just fit the movie exceptionally well.
This movie is extremely diverse and includes plenty of action, a love story, sci-fi moments, and anything else you can imagine. Inception also has a fantastic score which was done by Hans Zimmer.
My final summary Inception after seeing it three times (once in the theatre) is that this is the best movie of the last ten years. This movie hit me like the original Matrix when I saw that in the theatre way back when. Do not miss this one, it's a great one!
ps: note the song playing when the dreamers need a "kick" it hearkens back to one of Cotillard's other films
Posted on December 27, 2010
This movie was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also did Batman Begins and Dark Knight. The story is probably the most creative and captivating of any film in the last ten years. You do have to use your brain in this movie, but as long as you're ok with that you should enjoy this one.
Additionally, the cast in this movie is fantastic. While most are not huge stars, other than DiCaprio, you've got some serious actors including Marion Cotillard, Ken Wantanabe, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, and even Michael Caine. Even the actors I didn't name do a great job and just fit the movie exceptionally well.
This movie is extremely diverse and includes plenty of action, a love story, sci-fi moments, and anything else you can imagine. Inception also has a fantastic score which was done by Hans Zimmer.
My final summary Inception after seeing it three times (once in the theatre) is that this is the best movie of the last ten years. This movie hit me like the original Matrix when I saw that in the theatre way back when. Do not miss this one, it's a great one!
ps: note the song playing when the dreamers need a "kick" it hearkens back to one of Cotillard's other films
Posted on December 27, 2010
Winter's Bone
First of all I had high hopes for this movie, even though dramas are not typically my favorite. Winter's Bone has gotten great reviews from many critics, including Roger Ebert who had it in his top 10 movies of the year, plus Netflix said I would like it!
I should have trusted my instincts. Winter's Bone is esentially about a family living in the Ozark mountains in Missouri that is struggling to survive and are faced with a hardship that they may not be able to overcome.
The actors are basically no names but the acting was very good. I'm sure many of the actors in this movie will end up becoming something because of this movie, but it's not because people enjoyed the story.
Let me make something clear, Winter's Bone is not a terrible movie, it's just terribly depressing. This is the kind of movie that seems to come out about once a year that wins all sorts of awards and impresses critics but when actual people see the movie...it sucks. I don't know about you but when I watch a movie I don't want to leave depressed. I wouldn't recommend this movie unless you live in the Ozarks and are looking for something really depressing to relate to.
Posted on December 23, 2010
I should have trusted my instincts. Winter's Bone is esentially about a family living in the Ozark mountains in Missouri that is struggling to survive and are faced with a hardship that they may not be able to overcome.
The actors are basically no names but the acting was very good. I'm sure many of the actors in this movie will end up becoming something because of this movie, but it's not because people enjoyed the story.
Let me make something clear, Winter's Bone is not a terrible movie, it's just terribly depressing. This is the kind of movie that seems to come out about once a year that wins all sorts of awards and impresses critics but when actual people see the movie...it sucks. I don't know about you but when I watch a movie I don't want to leave depressed. I wouldn't recommend this movie unless you live in the Ozarks and are looking for something really depressing to relate to.
Posted on December 23, 2010
Remember Me
Remember Me stars Robert Pattinson (yes, the dude from Twilight), Pierce Brosnan, and Chris Cooper. The story is based around two early twenties college kids who have experienced traumatic events in their lives and are trying to work through them. It's a love story...sort of.
Chris Cooper is a great actor who really has a bit part in this movie. Pierce Brosnan is pretty good but is really showing his age. Pattinson is a terrible actor. This movie and the Twilight series display that prominently. Emile De Ravin plays Pattinson's love interest. Her character was good but the acting was pretty weak.
While there are some good scenes that draw you in to the story, there are also some awful ones. I'm all for sex scenes but only if they make sense within the story. This movie contains two sex scenes that are just gratuitous to appeal to the target demographic (15-19 year olds). Additionally, the movie should have ended about 10 minutes before it did.
The crux of this movie really isn't bad at all, but this film just doesn't work for me. It's not a secret that I'm not a fan of sappy movies but I will say this one isn't bad because it's a love story, this movie is bad for so many other reasons.
Posted on December 15, 2010
Chris Cooper is a great actor who really has a bit part in this movie. Pierce Brosnan is pretty good but is really showing his age. Pattinson is a terrible actor. This movie and the Twilight series display that prominently. Emile De Ravin plays Pattinson's love interest. Her character was good but the acting was pretty weak.
While there are some good scenes that draw you in to the story, there are also some awful ones. I'm all for sex scenes but only if they make sense within the story. This movie contains two sex scenes that are just gratuitous to appeal to the target demographic (15-19 year olds). Additionally, the movie should have ended about 10 minutes before it did.
The crux of this movie really isn't bad at all, but this film just doesn't work for me. It's not a secret that I'm not a fan of sappy movies but I will say this one isn't bad because it's a love story, this movie is bad for so many other reasons.
Posted on December 15, 2010
Unthinkable
Unthinkable stars Samuel L. Jackson and Carrie-Anne Moss in a thriller about an interrogator and an FBI agent trying to break a hardened terrorist. The terrorist is played by Michael Sheen who is a very impressive actor in pretty much everything and does a very nice job in Unthinkable as well.
The movie focuses around their attempt to break Sheen's character into telling them where bombs are located. The interrogation scenes in this movie are extremely intense and really get your blood boiling at times. Half the time the viewer can't figure out whether they want the interrogation to keep going to find out where the bombs are or to stop because it's just too intense and it might be crossing an ethical line. This is the dilemma Unthinkable constantly puts the viewer in, and that is why it is such a fantastic movie.
This isn't a movie most people would pick up at the video store or add on Netflix but I would highly recommend checking it out. The movie doesn't tell too much of a story but the intensity of how it folds you into this very small world really keeps you on the edge of your seat. Add this one to your list, you won't regret it.
Posted on December 13, 2010
The movie focuses around their attempt to break Sheen's character into telling them where bombs are located. The interrogation scenes in this movie are extremely intense and really get your blood boiling at times. Half the time the viewer can't figure out whether they want the interrogation to keep going to find out where the bombs are or to stop because it's just too intense and it might be crossing an ethical line. This is the dilemma Unthinkable constantly puts the viewer in, and that is why it is such a fantastic movie.
This isn't a movie most people would pick up at the video store or add on Netflix but I would highly recommend checking it out. The movie doesn't tell too much of a story but the intensity of how it folds you into this very small world really keeps you on the edge of your seat. Add this one to your list, you won't regret it.
Posted on December 13, 2010
Love Happens
Ooook, so clearly this is a movie my wife wanted to see. While rom-coms aren't exactly my favorite genre, I feel obligated to at least give you all and idea of what you should expect if you want to see this or like in my case are coerced into watching.
Love Happens stars Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. I am a fan of Eckhart and he shines once again in this movie. Aniston makes another decent appearance but it's nothing impressive. Martin Sheen makes a cameo but it seems like he shows up in things now just for a few extra bucks.
The film is a fairly generic rom-com with some highlights mainly generated by Eckhart. I find that movies in this particular genre are either bad or decent mainly based upon how good or bad the actors are. Now don't get me wrong a terrible story will kill any movie (see Kate & Leopold) but the acting is particularly important in rom-coms. While the acting in this one is decent the story is pretty weak, even for a rom-com.
I can and have been sucked in by a good sappy movie (see Notebook) but this isn't one that got me. I wouldn't recommend it but I'm sure plenty of people (women) who enjoy rom-coms might have a differing opinion. Nothing special at all but I have seen worse.
Posted on December 13, 2010
Love Happens stars Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. I am a fan of Eckhart and he shines once again in this movie. Aniston makes another decent appearance but it's nothing impressive. Martin Sheen makes a cameo but it seems like he shows up in things now just for a few extra bucks.
The film is a fairly generic rom-com with some highlights mainly generated by Eckhart. I find that movies in this particular genre are either bad or decent mainly based upon how good or bad the actors are. Now don't get me wrong a terrible story will kill any movie (see Kate & Leopold) but the acting is particularly important in rom-coms. While the acting in this one is decent the story is pretty weak, even for a rom-com.
I can and have been sucked in by a good sappy movie (see Notebook) but this isn't one that got me. I wouldn't recommend it but I'm sure plenty of people (women) who enjoy rom-coms might have a differing opinion. Nothing special at all but I have seen worse.
Posted on December 13, 2010
The Expendables
What do you expect from The Expendables? Lots of action, guns blazing, explosions, big names, and probably not a whole lot else. Well I have good news, your expectations were right on!
There are some great action sequences in this film. While some are not necessarily well done, most are pretty good. The movie really keeps going without much down time throughout, with the exception of some story telling early on. While the action is great, I will admit it gets a little tired toward the end. Fortunately this isn't an overly lengthy film so while the action does get old, I think it ends right about where it should.
The story, as I think most would expect, is generally pretty weak. I would compare it to a Rambo movie on HGH. There is your generic bad guy and a heroine both of which have basically no back story and no real motivation to be who they are. They story isn't terrible but it's nothing special.
The actors are some great ones but most are way past their prime. The cast list includes, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lungren, Steve Austin, Randy Cotoure, and Terry Crews. Most are decent but some are really misused, specifically Jet Li. His character tries to do comedy and it doesn't really work at all. I am a Jet Li fan but his overall style doesn't really fit in this movie and they probably should have done without him.
This was a fun action movie but not my favorite. In many ways I would compare this movie to The Losers, but that movie had a MUCH better story and more fleshed out characters. See it, just don't expect much from it.
Posted on December 10, 2010
There are some great action sequences in this film. While some are not necessarily well done, most are pretty good. The movie really keeps going without much down time throughout, with the exception of some story telling early on. While the action is great, I will admit it gets a little tired toward the end. Fortunately this isn't an overly lengthy film so while the action does get old, I think it ends right about where it should.
The story, as I think most would expect, is generally pretty weak. I would compare it to a Rambo movie on HGH. There is your generic bad guy and a heroine both of which have basically no back story and no real motivation to be who they are. They story isn't terrible but it's nothing special.
The actors are some great ones but most are way past their prime. The cast list includes, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lungren, Steve Austin, Randy Cotoure, and Terry Crews. Most are decent but some are really misused, specifically Jet Li. His character tries to do comedy and it doesn't really work at all. I am a Jet Li fan but his overall style doesn't really fit in this movie and they probably should have done without him.
This was a fun action movie but not my favorite. In many ways I would compare this movie to The Losers, but that movie had a MUCH better story and more fleshed out characters. See it, just don't expect much from it.
Posted on December 10, 2010
The Crazies
This movie starts out with a similar premise as other zombie movies but takes some interesting twists and turns that makes this ride much more thrilling. The Crazies starts in the usual sleepy town where America's pastime is keeping folks busy.
Fortunately, these zombies aren't your usual mindless walking corpse types, no these guys are more interesting. While the rules on exactly what the zombies can and cannot do are loose, that's ok, it's a freaking zombie movie. One of the elements that I particularly enjoyed was trying to figure out who had turned and who hadn't, and this time it isn't as simple as a bite. I will say though for those faint of heart, this movie may not be for you, it's pretty gory.
The story in the movie is entertaining, nothing really shocking or surprising but a good mix of different zombie movie elements were included. There are the predictable scenes where characters get saved at the very last minute and some characters that you can tell will quickly die but the way some of the things happen are enough to jolt your interest.
This was a fun, thrilling, and sometimes shocking zombie flick. It isn't going to win awards but if you're in the mood for a different kind of zombie movie you certainly can't go wrong with The Crazies.
Posted on December 8, 2010
Fortunately, these zombies aren't your usual mindless walking corpse types, no these guys are more interesting. While the rules on exactly what the zombies can and cannot do are loose, that's ok, it's a freaking zombie movie. One of the elements that I particularly enjoyed was trying to figure out who had turned and who hadn't, and this time it isn't as simple as a bite. I will say though for those faint of heart, this movie may not be for you, it's pretty gory.
The story in the movie is entertaining, nothing really shocking or surprising but a good mix of different zombie movie elements were included. There are the predictable scenes where characters get saved at the very last minute and some characters that you can tell will quickly die but the way some of the things happen are enough to jolt your interest.
This was a fun, thrilling, and sometimes shocking zombie flick. It isn't going to win awards but if you're in the mood for a different kind of zombie movie you certainly can't go wrong with The Crazies.
Posted on December 8, 2010
Predators
I went into this movie with low expectations. The last few Alien vs Predator movies were pretty weak on story but the action was fun. This is also how I felt after watching Predators.
Adrian Brody stars as the main character in this movie who has crash landed on an alien planet. He doesn't know how he got there but somehow he figures out that it's a "game preserve." The story is very weak and makes many assumptions that make you wonder "how in the world did he figure that out" but you've just got to go with the flow if you want to enjoy the film.
The characters in the movie are basically standard fare for a movie like this. What I mean is there is an Asian guy, Hispanic, black guy, white trash, and your other generic characters. The Predator characters were probably best characters in the movie. The writers gave them some variety but unfortunately it was almost impossible to tell just by looking which was which. That unfortunately ruined the entire purpose of having different types of Predators, but nice try.
Overall, this movie is what it is. Predators sucks, but can be something enjoyable to watch if you like the premise of the movies or are just looking to watch stuff blow up, which isn't a bad thing at all. I kind of liked it but you can't go in expecting something more than generic sci-fi trash.
Posted on December 6, 2010
Adrian Brody stars as the main character in this movie who has crash landed on an alien planet. He doesn't know how he got there but somehow he figures out that it's a "game preserve." The story is very weak and makes many assumptions that make you wonder "how in the world did he figure that out" but you've just got to go with the flow if you want to enjoy the film.
The characters in the movie are basically standard fare for a movie like this. What I mean is there is an Asian guy, Hispanic, black guy, white trash, and your other generic characters. The Predator characters were probably best characters in the movie. The writers gave them some variety but unfortunately it was almost impossible to tell just by looking which was which. That unfortunately ruined the entire purpose of having different types of Predators, but nice try.
Overall, this movie is what it is. Predators sucks, but can be something enjoyable to watch if you like the premise of the movies or are just looking to watch stuff blow up, which isn't a bad thing at all. I kind of liked it but you can't go in expecting something more than generic sci-fi trash.
Posted on December 6, 2010
Lovely Bones
This is a semi-sappy movie about a 14 year old girl that is murdered. The story follows her family and tells about how they cope with the loss of their daughter. Additionally, much of the story revolves around the 14 year old and her journey through some sort of purgatory like place.
The twists and turns of trying to reveal to everyone who the murderer is and where he lives is the best part of the story. While the viewer knows, the families around him do not. This causes some interesting plot points that leave the viewer wanting the killer to be caught.
The film is good, nothing too special, but enjoyable for what it is. The ending however is not what I would want from a movie like this. I won't spoil it but I will just say that the viewer is left without a tremendous amount of satisfaction.
Posted on December 3, 2010
The twists and turns of trying to reveal to everyone who the murderer is and where he lives is the best part of the story. While the viewer knows, the families around him do not. This causes some interesting plot points that leave the viewer wanting the killer to be caught.
The film is good, nothing too special, but enjoyable for what it is. The ending however is not what I would want from a movie like this. I won't spoil it but I will just say that the viewer is left without a tremendous amount of satisfaction.
Posted on December 3, 2010
Toy Story 3
Ok, so I'm going to have to preface this with the fact that I am not an avid watcher of kids movies. In fact I normally prefer the opposite, either crudely funny or tons of violence. However, this is probably the BEST kid movie I have ever seen.
Importantly, I haven't seen the other two movies in the series in years, so I went in with almost a blank knowledge of the story but that wasn't an issue at all. The story grabs you almost as soon as the movie starts and doesn't let go until the very end.
The film was also absolutely hilarious, and that's coming from someone who doesn't normally enjoy "kid humor." In particular, the way they incorporated old toys with some new ones was really fantastic. I will give you a little tip, Mr. Potato Head makes a little switcharoo!
Overall I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, young or old, sap or not, this is really one not to miss. Probably Pixar's best movie.
Posted on November 30, 2010
Importantly, I haven't seen the other two movies in the series in years, so I went in with almost a blank knowledge of the story but that wasn't an issue at all. The story grabs you almost as soon as the movie starts and doesn't let go until the very end.
The film was also absolutely hilarious, and that's coming from someone who doesn't normally enjoy "kid humor." In particular, the way they incorporated old toys with some new ones was really fantastic. I will give you a little tip, Mr. Potato Head makes a little switcharoo!
Overall I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, young or old, sap or not, this is really one not to miss. Probably Pixar's best movie.
Posted on November 30, 2010
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
At first glance this would appear to be a very odd film, it is. With that said once I started the movie I quickly found myself engrossed in it's story.
It's a story about a man's deal with the Devil, quite literally. Doctor Parnassus and his "family" travel through the streets of a run down London as well as the mystical and often gorgeous imaginations of themselves and others. This contrast really does a magnificent job of demonstrating the differences in real life versus the imagination. Additionally, I am not one sold purely on "eye-candy" but the way this film meshes the different visual elements that will wow just about anyone.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus stars Heath Ledger in his final film. Ledger passed away during the filming and was replaced by the trio of Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell. The transition of the actors was seamless and handled to perfection. The supporting roles in this film are also very well cast and acted.
While movie is not my favorite of all-time, I certainly enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone looking for a fun movie to make you smile.
Posted on November 30, 2010
It's a story about a man's deal with the Devil, quite literally. Doctor Parnassus and his "family" travel through the streets of a run down London as well as the mystical and often gorgeous imaginations of themselves and others. This contrast really does a magnificent job of demonstrating the differences in real life versus the imagination. Additionally, I am not one sold purely on "eye-candy" but the way this film meshes the different visual elements that will wow just about anyone.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus stars Heath Ledger in his final film. Ledger passed away during the filming and was replaced by the trio of Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell. The transition of the actors was seamless and handled to perfection. The supporting roles in this film are also very well cast and acted.
While movie is not my favorite of all-time, I certainly enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone looking for a fun movie to make you smile.
Posted on November 30, 2010
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