Movie Ratings
10 – Worth Full Price of Admission (a must see if you like movies)
9 – Worth Full Price of Admission (worth paying full price)
8 – See it as a Matinee (enjoyable but not worth full price)
7 – See it as a Matinee (worth the time to see at the movies, but not full price)
6 – Rent the movie (worth watching, but you can wait to see it)
5 – Rent the movie (you feel like watching a movie at your leisure)
4 – Watch it on cable (if it’s on TV, go ahead and watch it)
3 – Watch it on cable (if you feel like watching a movie to pass the time)
2 – Not worth watching (not worth your time)
1 – Not worth watching (you’ll wish you had that time back)
0 – Avoid like the plague (you will want to gouge you eyes out while watching)
Disclaimer – All movie ratings are subject to a rating of +/- 1. Certain actors/directors/writers may influence my opinion, but hopefully I will take note of that in my reviews. I don’t know who is really reading this, but these are quick comments and not subject to being grammatically correct.
Of course, if you want to find out more information on
all these movies, you should know what website to visit: www.imdb.com
Deadpool 2 (seen on May 25,
2018)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin
Rating – 8
I may be grading this one on a curve. If this wasn’t a sequel, it deserves
this 8. As a sequel, it’s probably more a 7. It’s a fun, entertaining movie,
but it’s not as refreshing since it’s a sequel. Also, this seemed more on
the lines of a normal superhero movie as there were more action scenes, but the
laughs were still there. The new characters were a nice touch and there were a
surprising few cameos in it. I think it is worth watching in the theater if you
liked the first one. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Avengers: Infinity War
(seen on April 29, 2018)
Starring: Lots of Famous People
Rating – 6
Here it is. The movie "ten years in the making" as they say. Going
into it, I was worried this would be similar to X-Men 3 where there is just too
many characters and zero plot. To some extent, that is true. There are too many
characters and not all of them get much screen time, but at least the story of
Thanos is somewhat explored and it is explained why he is the way he is. I know
there's a part II coming, but I'm not really sure what's going to happen. I
don't get why everyone was worried about spoilers. There is no big reveal that
Thanos is the real father of Ironman. The movie feels a bit incomplete as
there's no overall story to it. I have to wait another year to get conclusion of
the Marvel Universe and I would imagine multiple movies in between to continue
the story. It's a decent watch. I would say it's on par with most of the Marvel
movies so if you like all these movies, go see this one. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
A Quiet Place (seen on April 20, 2018)
Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt
Rating – 6
Not sure what I’m missing here. The movie was tense and suspenseful, but there was zero plot or story developed. And maybe not knowing, makes it more tense; I just think it was lacking. It reminded me of Cloverfield and then I found out it was originally part of that universe and I really disliked Cloverfield. When you watch this movie, you hope that people aren’t eating popcorn or opening hard candy. The movie is much better to watch in silence to immerse oneself in the movie. With any “horror” flick, there seem to be simple solutions to their predicament, but then that wouldn’t be so suspenseful. It was an ok movie to watch, but don’t expect any real story. At least the dialogue was easy for the actors to memorize. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Sometime in the future, aliens have invaded earth and are hunting humans. They are blind, but have an unbelievable sense of hearing and they’re fast. Humans survive by making no noise at all.
Black
Panther (seen on February 24, 2018)
Starring:
Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan,
Rating – 8
Not knowing
much of the backstory behind the character, I went in with an open mind and I
was pleasantly surprised. It's nice to see a superhero movie that actually has a
story to it instead of just action. The movie successfully gives you background
information and tells a plot line. It does assume that you watched Captain
America: Civil War as the movie picks up right after that timeframe. Lots of CGI
in the movie so sometimes the fight scenes are a little too much, but then
there's some old-school hand-to-hand combat fight scenes that are enjoyable. I
don't expect it to win any awards, but it is definitely worth a watch if you
like superhero movies. That's my quick review; what's next?
The Black
Panther is the protector of a small hidden African nation known as Wakanda. As
part of their tradition, royal tribe members have the right to challenge the
king for the throne. T'Challa (Boseman) has successfully defended the position
since the passing of his father, but an unknown outsider dares to challenge for
the throne.
Maze
Runner: The Death Cure (seen on February 25, 2018)
Starring:
Dylan O'Brien
Rating - 5
Here's the
finale of the Maze Runner Trilogy. I don't anyone else who has watched any of
these. I liked the first one and I was intrigued to see where the story was
going. Part II was a big disappointment, but I wanted to finish off the trilogy
to see if it ended well or crashed and burned horribly like Hunger Games and
Divergent. I'll say I'm glad I saw the finale, but not sure if I can really
recommend it. It is nice to get closure that the story ended and it wasn't a
terrible ending, just seemed simpler than expected. If you've seen the first
two, watch this one. If you haven't, part two was not worth watching so I'd pass
on this then, but maybe you have some time on an airplane flying overseas.
That's my quick review; what's next?
All the Money in the World
(seen on February 3, 2018)
Starring: Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher Plummer
Rating - 7
A movie based on true events always makes me wonder how accurate it is. Based
on Wikipedia, it was similar. I didn't live the 70's so I didn't know the whole
story, but the movie was effective in pulling the audience into the scenes. You
got the feeling that J. Paul Getty was truly a shrewd businessman. Michelle
Williams accent may have been authentic, but it was more cringe-worthy. Not sure
where that accent is supposed to be from, but I never want to visit there.
Bringing in Christopher Plummer to replace Kevin Spacey worked well. Plummer
played the money-loving oil man well. I do wonder how Kevin Spacey was in the
role, but we'll never know. The
story didn't have any subplots. It was pretty straight-forward story, but I
found it enjoyable. That's my quick review; what's next?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
(seen on December 26, 2017)
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver,
Oscar Isaac
Rating – 5
I had to see it in the theaters and I know I will go see Episode IX in the
theaters too because you just have to, but this was a disappointment. There's no
real story to the movie. I know it's part of a saga, but each individual movie
told a story. This story was pretty basic, like a snapshot in time with no real
ending. Of course I can go all Star Wars fan-boy and argue that this version of
Luke is nothing like his previous character and clearly his character (like the
entire movie) is used to expand the Star Wars universe beyond the Skywalker Saga
so that Disney can cash in. I'm ok with Disney making other Star Wars movies in
the universe as their already exists several books and videogames that do
exactly that, but I just believe this should be a Skywalker Saga like George
Lucas intended except with well written dialogue. That's my quick review; what's
next?
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (seen on December 2,
2017)
Starring: Francis McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson
Rating – 4
Shame this movie wasn’t better. I blame a poor script. The acting was
really good, but the script was awful. The movie is about one thing and
that storyline really goes nowhere. There are allusions to several things in the
past that never come up. It’s just confusing. There was no reason to make this
movie, as there’s no middle or ending. It just feels like a real long
beginning to a movie. Maybe it’s my fault. I should have looked at who the
writer was. To me, Martin McDonagh is known for poor movies that have no real
story. I see a pattern here. I’ll avoid at all costs in the future. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
BladeRunner 2049 (seen on
November 14, 2017)
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford
Rating – 8
I am going to start with the disclaimer...do not go see this movie unless you
liked the first one. The whole feel is similar to the first one, not to mention
I think you would be totally lost on the plot. I enjoyed it because it was more
of a continuation of the story. The drawback is that I like how the first one
left things a bit ambiguously and I question whether more of the story was
needed to be developed. Answer: probably not, but that doesn't take away from
the fact that the movie is an enjoyable one. The sound and cinematic landscapes
are part of what makes the movie. It's nice how things are still kept as a
future as seen from the original 1982 version. Where there are sponsors of
companies that existed in the 80's but are no longer relevant or even exist. The
hardcore fans will definitely love this; the new fans, not so much. That's my
quick review; what's next?
Initially, Blade Runners were sent to "retire" rouge replicants,
but nowadays the replicants have been perfected so only the older models are
still being hunted. While on a mission, agent K unearths a burial box of bones
that will revolutionize the way humans and replicants are seen together.
Thor Ragnarok (seen on
November 7, 2017)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett,
Idris Elba, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins, Jeff Goldblum
Rating – 7
The reviews are saying best Marvel movie ever; I can't agree. Sure, the movie
is entertaining with a lot more laughs, but the plot is not a comprehensible
one. A new threat to Asgaard, Thor must save the lives of Asgaard with a team.
It's nothing new in the superhero movie genre. There's still an outrageous
amount of CGI and some of the fight scenes is too much CGI and hard to follow.
You just have to wait until the end to see the bodies on the ground. I guess
after seventeen movies, I hope this is finally coming to some kind of story
conclusion before I'm burned out. That's my quick review; what's next?
It (seen on October 4, 2017)
Starring: Bill Skarsgard
Rating – 8
It definitely surprised me. The plot isn't the most fully developed one, but
I found the movie entertaining and fun. Evil creature wants to frighten children
and eat them. That's basically the plot. Good vs. evil. Watching the movie with
friends and people around you in the theater is entertaining to watch everyone
jump and scream. Most of the movie is a scare factor so expect to jump, but you
don't know how it will happen. Maybe it's nostalgia from watching original 27
years ago, but I was entertained at being frightened. I will be anxious to watch
the conclusion in Chapter II. That's my quick review; what's next?
The Big Sick (seen on July
22, 2017)
Starring: Kumail Nanijani, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Rating – 8
A romantic comedy based on a true story; I wonder how much was true. It's a
different type of romantic comedy, but an enjoyable one. When a big portion of
the movie involves a hospital, you might find it odd to be laughing, but there
are some scattered throughout. Kumail relies heavily on making fun of his former
culture and how it meshes with the US culture. A bit funny to see Ray Romano in
a somewhat serious light, but he plays a good role as the father. That's my
quick review; what's next?
Spider-Man: Homecoming (seen on July 19, 2016)
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau
Rating – 6
The movie in general was alright, but it bothered me how it
seemed to try to be too cute and steal other movie ideas. There's clearly a seen
that's mimicking "Ferris Buehler" and in case you didn't pick up on
the reference, there's a cut to a TV that shows the very seen from "Ferris
Buehler" that they copied. There are also other John Hughes references to
give it that 80's feel. Feels like that sentiment is stolen from Guardians of
the Galaxy with their 70's reference. I know Spiderman makes jokes, but this
seemed too reminiscent of "Deadpool". Just seemed like too many
borrowed ideas trying to make it hidden with Easter eggs. The movie does well to
show the connection from the Avengers to the present day and even how an average
man can turn into a villain besides the use of some kind of radiation. Clearly,
they have a plan to continue this money-making Marvel adventure. What did make
me happy was the lack of intro to how Spiderman became Spiderman; just get on
with the story. The audience should know that by now with five previous
Spiderman movies in the past ~15 years. At the end, it is still a comic book
movie so don't expect deep plots and story development, but it's an entertaining
movie with laughs. That's my quick review; what's next?
Peter Parker (Holland) returns to New York after helping out Iron Man (Downey Jr.) and his battle versus Captain America, but life as a high school teenager is not enough for Peter. He's anxiously awaiting another mission at a chance to join the Avengers. While roaming the city looking for crooks to stop, he comes across a group of criminals that have more fire power than the average criminal. This leads to a larger group of weapon manufacturers and the Vulture (Keaton).
Baby Driver (seen July 7,
2017)
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx
Rating – 8
Don't go into this thinking it's
going to be an Oscar winner, but if you go in thinking you just want to be
entertained, then this is your movie. It's simple, it's action packed and it's
just fun. For those of you that have seen Drive, you'll notice a parallel
to them except this one just seems more upbeat. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Wonder Woman (seen on June
6, 2017)
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine
Rating – 5
The movie that was said to have saved the DC movie experience, but I cannot
agree. I don't know what movie the early critics watched, but this movie was
cheesy. It seems they basically tried to copy Captain America: The First Avenger
except this felt too hokey. The beginning of the movie was a bit slow, then
things felt rushed and then it just goes downhill in the final third. The CGI is
too much and too quick you can't see what's happening. I would like to comment
on the villain of the movie, but tough without giving away spoilers. Let's just
say, predictable and lame. Another thing that bother was the gas the Germans
were creating for WWI. Hello, you already have mustard gas. Why would you create
a new gas to poison people? And not to mention, the writers clearly don't know
much about chemistry. The new gas substitutes sulfur with hydrogen...really? So
ridiculously inaccurate. At this point, any movie that has Zac Snyder's name
tied to it in any way is probably going to be bad writing and filled with
overexuberant CGI that it's hard to follow. That's my quick review; what's next?
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol: 2 (seen on May 16, 2017)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Kurt Russell
Rating – 7
Here comes volume two of the surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy and like
much sequels, it follows the same pattern. That’s both good and bad. You
enjoyed the first one, but you felt like it was pretty much the same. Volume 2
didn’t add too much to the storyline. It just introduced one of the most
weirdest characters in the Marvel Universe, Ego the living planet. The movie was
more about developing each character rather than pushing the overall story
forward, but with the laughs, it was still enjoyable. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
The Belko Experiment (seen
on March 20, 2017)
Starring:
Rating – 7
This movie isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking for a kill fest type
movie, then I think you’ll enjoy this one. The story is written somewhat
simply with a decent, not thorough, explanation of what is going on, but
that’s not what you’re in this movie to see. You’re watching the movie to
watch coworkers kill other coworkers with office equipment. That makes you a
little demented. What’s even worse, at the end of it all, you found yourself
laughing at a couple of scenes and you enjoyed the movie for its simplistic
originality. This is definitely not a movie that will put you to bed anytime
soon after watching it. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Logan (seen on March 8,
2017)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart
Rating – 8
There was much hype around this movie. That yes, it involved superheroes, but
this was supposed to be a departure from the rest. I think the movie succeeded
in that…for a comic book. There is a plot to this story; it’s just not
deeply developed plot. There are still are a lot of questions throughout the
movie because how the mutant world got to this point is a bit hazy. I don’t
want to give anything away, but the future is not the X-Men had envisioned.
Maybe I gave this a slightly higher rating as this is the last superhero roles
for Jackman and Stewart, but I did find the movie entertaining throughout. The
time seemed to fly and that ultimately is a sign of an enjoyable movie. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Hidden Figures (seen on February 11, 2017)
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner
Rating – 8
This movie was very well written. It touches on some very important societal
issues with still creating a family friendly movie-watching experience. I didn't
think it was worth award nomination, but then most movies this past year
weren't. The story is based on the engineers that helped the NASA space
program, but the movie only represents that on a high-level and it focuses on
more the separation of races. The love storyline is a bit weak and more of a
filler. That's my quick review; what's next?
The Founder (seen on January 21, 2017)
Starring: Michael Keaton
Rating - 8
An entertaining story for those who don't know the history of how McDonalds came
to be and the shrewd businessman who put them at the top of the Fast Food chain.
The story is entertaining and flows well even though the subplots are a bit
weak. Keaton delivers a solid performance as Ray Kroc, but not award winning.
There's just not a lot of depth to the characters, which are based on real
people. I must say, at the end of it I was thinking about buying a McDonald's
burger and fries. That's my quick review; what's next?
Rogue One (seen on December 21, 2016)
Starring: Felicity Jones
Rating – 6
I like the idea of expanding the stars wars universe to tell what else
happens besides the main nine episodes, but this movie is a little
disappointing. For starters, it's a little slow and then the end seems almost
all action. It feels like there's too many different worlds the movie jumps to
because they are trying to set up the story, but it just doesn't seem to work.
The idea to bring back old references to other movies works, but it's too much
at times. The new droid in the movie adds the comic relief, but it was a little
too often. Some characters in the story really different offer much value to
drive the story forward. It might have been better to develop more characters of
the smaller group especially if this is a standalone movie. If you're feeling
Star Wars nostalgic, go see this movie, but don't expect a fully developed story
to keep you enthralled. It felt like a long 2.25 hour movie. That's my quick
review; what's next?
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (seen on November 30, 2016)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell
Rating – 6
JK Rowling extends the story line of her wizarding world. At first I liked
the idea, but as I watch the movie, it doesn’t seem as special. The first
movies were unique and awed the audience with originality, but this almost seems
like a money grab. Like she’s just extending the story, but it’s not really
needed. Maybe it gets better throughout the five movies and this one is only a
setup much like her original books, but I’m evaluating it as a standalone
movie. The story seems simple so far, but it’s entertaining. If you like Harry
Potter, I do think you’ll enjoy this as it does bring the wizarding world to
the US, but to me it has lost its charm a little as after seeing seven movies,
that’s enough of that story. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Doctor Strange (seen on
November 26, 2016)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel
Ejiofor
Rating – 7
And here comes a review of another comic book movie. Yes, it is a comic book
movie and it is a bit tiresome seeing these as the only movies out, but at least
this is different. The movie battles more on the supernatural realm. A bit of
the “Matrix” feel is felt throughout the movie, which isn’t a good thing.
Adding CGI everywhere makes it difficult to follow some scenes and more of a
distraction from plot holes. Still, it does bring a different side of the comic
books to the screens and that’s enjoyable. I wouldn’t rush out to see it,
but it’s an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Hell or High Water (seen on
August 21, 2016)
Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges
Rating – 7
A simple story, but the movie is worth a watch. Of course, maybe that's
because there hasn't been anything remotely worth watching this year. The
brothers and the bank robbery scenes are the entertaining to watch. He may have
some of the best laughs, but Jeff Bridges character as the curmudgeon old-timer
is a bit painful to watch as he has played that character in the past 4 movies
or so. It's also a bit surprising, rather unrealistic, on how quickly Jeff
Bridges pieces together what the brothers are doing, but I guess that's done to
drive the plot to a climax. Great shots of "Texas" in a movie that
allows some of the scenery to be a part of the story. A few plot lines you have
to accept, but this is not a bad summer movie. That's my quick review; what's
next?
Two brothers set out to rob banks in a race to reach a monetary goal before
the end of the week. A Texas ranger nearing retirement and his partner are
chasing the two brothers across rural Texas. Will the brothers escape or will
the rangers catch them in time?
The Secret Life of Pets
(seen on July 19, 2016)
Starring: Louis CK, Kevin Hart
Rating – 3
X-Men: Apocalypse
(seen on May 29, 2016)
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac,
Nicholas Hoult
Rating – 7
I'll admit, I went into this movie with low expectations. I don't like
sequels and the reviews on this were comparing it to X3, which was terrible.
Despite what the critics say, there was plot to the movie; well, based on comic
book movie standards. There was a lot of new characters and they are clearly
trying to continue this franchise for a long time, but I still found this movie
enjoyable. The character Apocalypse is an interesting one in the comics and he
was a good villain in the movie. In general though, I am getting tired of these
comic book movies. I know Hollywood has an additional 5 year plan, but they
better speed that up as I don't expect audience will stay interested in these
movies that much longer. Comic book movie plots are too simple to continue to
hold audience attentions and CGI action gets tiresome rather quickly. I know
Jennifer Lawrence is an Oscar winner now, but her character really isn't that
interesting in the movies. Why the writers feel compelled to give her so much
screen time for a blah character is not helping the movie. That's my quick
review; what's next?
The Nice Guys (seen on May
23, 2016)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling
Rating – 4
This was disappoint. I saw a buddy
"cop" comedy trailer that looked like it had some laughs, but it only
seemed funny in a short commercial. Shane Black known for "Lethal
Weapon", "The Last Boy Scout" and the unappreciated "Kiss
Kiss Bang Bang" relied too much on character interaction and instead of
developing a better storyline. This reminds me similar to "Ronin"
where you never find out what's in the case; what was the point of the movie. It
seemed like there was more of an underlying political message that they were
trying to get through and it was a rather weak one at that. Not sure why Russell
Crowe had to gain so much weight for this role. Ryan Gosling as the hapless,
clumsy detective isn't funny. His acting seemed a bit hammy and over the top
goof at times like it felt forced. Maybe watch it on a rainy day at home, but
don't waste your money at the cinemas. That's my quick review; what's next?
March (Gosling) is a private investigator looking for an old lady's niece,
Amelia. Healy (Crowe) has been paid by Amelia to stop March's investigation, but
soon finds out there's more to this girl after his own place is trashed. The two
pair up and find there is a lot more sinister plot going on in LA in the '70s.
Everyone is looking for this girl and the two must find her before she's
murdered.
Captain America: Civil War
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson
Rating – 6
Like most superhero movies, there's not much plot and just a lot of action. I like the characters, but it's starting to get a little crowded on the screen now with all the superheros in one movie. Yes, the Avengers movies crowd it up because that's supposed to be the team, but there were more superheros in this movie than in the Avengers movie. Frankly, the storyline of the Winter Soldier is boring to me. It was entertaining, but soon just entertainment from these comic stories won't be enough. More plot development is needed rather than just cramming in more superheros into one movie. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Everybody Wants Some (seen
on April 15, 2016)
Starring: Blake Jenner
Rating – 4
Richard Linklater tries to bring back his magic of his Dazed and Confused
days in an updated 80’s version, but I think it falls flat. Some laughs, but
every time there’s a movie about the 80’s, it just seems over the top and
there’s no difference with this one. A movie that goes over the top, usually
is a movie that is covering for a weak plot. It had some laughs, some throwback
looks, but what was I really watching? I’d wait until it’s on TV. Most of
the movie was shot at Texas State University. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (seen on March 25, 2016)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Jesse
Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne
Rating – 4
I will start off saying that Ben Affleck is a better Batman than George
Clooney, but no other Batman. (Batman ranking: Cartoon, Keaton, Bale, West,
Lego, Kilmer, Affleck, Clooney). Zac Snyder directed movies are mostly misses
and this one is no exception. Throughout the movie there are random dream
sequences that don’t make sense and clearly the editing of the movie went
differently than originally had expected because a few scenes seemed swapped in
timeline. Looks like the DC is just trying to film a filler to set up the
Justice League, but after such a poor performance in this movie, why would
anyone see another. The fight sequences with CGI seemed very slowly
choreographed and the others were like the Batman video game or just too much
CGI that you couldn’t see what was going on. Eisenberg seemed just crazy as
Lex Luther, but not really intimidating or showing a mastermind capabilities.
Big cast, big graphics, and the movie falls flat. I think my next Batman fix
will be the Lego one; won’t be Ben Affleck. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
Deadpool (seen on February
19, 2016)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds
Rating – 8
Definitely a role built for Ryan Reynolds. This is the reason why people like him; it’s not his acting ability. It’s not as ground-breaking of a super-hero movie as they make it out to be, but I didn’t have many expectations for it and I found it enjoyable. Heavy violence successfully balanced with humor made for an interesting movie. The movie was written well to show flashbacks throughout the story line to show the origin of the movie and tell the story. Still, overall it is the storyline of a comic book so it’s not groundbreaking, but it’s entertaining. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Deadpool is a former special forces operative turned mercenary for hirer with a foul mouth. When desperate for a cure for his cancer, he undertakes an experiment that leaves him disfigured, but the mutant powers of self-healing. Now he just seeks revenge for his mistreatment.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (seen on December 20,
2015)
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford,
Rating – 8
Who is not going to watch Star Wars? I shall start to say that it’s
fortunate that George Lucas isn’t writing the dialogue in these. Plus, they
dropped the excessive amount of green screen and returned to live shots. I have
always heard a story of how episodes 7 – 9 would go and so far this is
following the story. You would not say this should win an Academy Award for best
picture, but it’s entertaining like the original ones. There are few
questionable things in the movie that I sure the Star Wars nerds are upset
about, but regardless of that, it’s an entertaining movie. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Creed (seen on December 6,
2015)
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone
Rating – 7
Who doesn’t want to see Rocky VII? I go into this movie expecting a
retelling of the story and that’s what I got. I know I always complain about
sequels and remakes, but Rocky gets a pass from (except for the fifth one). The
story follows a very similar pattern to the first one, but it’s just not as
strong. The acting was well done especially by Michael B. Jordan, but I just
didn’t believe the reason why he had such a chip on his shoulder. He was
Apollo Creed’s kid. I don’t buy that it’s that tough growing up a
millionaire and having to make a name for oneself. Still the story was good,
just the motivation behind the character. Interesting to see Sly being the old
wise trainer like Burgess Meredith was. If you like the Rocky franchise, go see
it. If you don’t, avoid it and just stick with the first one. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Spectre
(seen on November 14, 2015)
Rating – 6
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Christoph Waltz
Spectre is the last installment of the
Daniel Craig Bond series and I’m ready for a change. This whole four series
movies have been sequels and the one thing that has kept Bond watchable for 20+
movies is that the main character is similar, yet they are all independent.
It’s a Bond movie so you’ll end up watching it, but it didn’t seem too
James Bondesque. It felt like Craig was mailing the performance in. I guess I
was a bit disappointed. I hope the series goes in a different direction.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Martian (seen on
October 2, 2015)
Rating – 9
Starring: Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Jessica
Chastein, Sean Bean
I have not read the book, but I hear it’s good and after watching the movie
I more compelled to read it. Interesting to watch a movie based on
science-fiction, but you get the feeling that it could actually happen. Most of
the movie seems plausible and you tend to root for him as if you are watching a
real person triumph over adversity. Damon excels as the central character,
although it seems some of the supporting cast is mailing it in; luckily the
movie is focused on Damon. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Maze Runner: The
Scorch Trials (seen on September 18, 2015)
Starring: Dylan O’Brien
Rating – 7
I was hoping for more plot development in this installment, but still not really sure what is going on in the world. The story is slowly developing; perhaps we’re kept in the dark to be like the kids or maybe it’s just weak writing? For the acting, the kid actors are performing well, but the adults seem to be stiff and almost mailing it in. The movie has a little bit of dialogue and then it’s go, go, go. It’s not going to win any awards, but I was still entertained; I’ll go see the final next year. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
After surviving the Maze, the group finds themselves in a compound where they
think they are safe, but soon find out that it's another WCKD installment and
they flee. Wandering the scorched earth, they find more difficulties along the
road. Who can they trust?
The Man from U.N.C.L.E
(seen on September 11, 2015)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie
Hammer, Hugh Grant
Rating – 7
This is a surprisingly entertaining movie. Full of playful banter and
back-and-forth digs between the two character, but a little too much on the cut
scene montage, which is typical of a Guy Ritchie movie. I’m sure they are
aiming for a trilogy of movies, but I don’t think I’ll be signing up for the
sequel. The first one brought back a different take on the spy genre and it was
a nice touch with a throwback to the cold war era espionage, just not sure how
refreshing the next one will be. This one is worth a watch though. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Mad Max: Fury Road (seen on May 18, 2015)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Rating – 7
If you’re looking for a movie with a highly developed plot, don’t watch
this. It’s basically a non-stop action movie. If you didn’t like the
original Mad Max’s, I doubt you’ll like this one. The movie is definitely
throwback to the epic long car chase with the creepy people and super jacked up
cars. You might not really know what the point to make the movie is, but you
don’t care. You just enjoy the non-stop carnage from beginning to end. This
movie will not put you to sleep. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Ex Machina (seen on May 10,
2015)
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac
Rating – 8
This movie isn’t for everyone, but it’s very well done. It almost has a
Kubrick type feel to the movie with the wide shots, futuristic type-setting, a
bit cold and almost minimalistic to the filming…it was great. I guess it shows
that the director Alex Garland picked up a few tips from Danny Boyle too. The
movie moves slow, but it seems very calculating and builds a slow tension
through the end. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Caleb (Gleeson) is a programmer for Bluebook and he wins a drawing with his
company to visit his genius boss, Nathan (Isaac), estate. Upon reaching the
compound, it is revealed that Nathan has created an AI and Caleb’s job is to
test the realism of the robot. But did Nathan create too real of a robot?
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
(seen on May 3, 2015)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo,
Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Stellan
Skarsgard
Rating – 6
This lost some of the magic the first one had. For starters, there was too
much CGI fighting scenes. Not quite Transformers 3 level, but too much. I
don’t understand why the movie has so much cut scenes during the CGI fighting;
that’s only needed for humans fighting so you get the right camera angles to
fool the audience. I fear it’s going the route of X-Men 3 where the
final movie will be too many characters and all action. I guess I appreciated
the plot in the first and the struggle as the team’s personalities collided.
This story was weaker. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Insurgent (seen on March
26, 2015)
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslett
Rating – 6
Here’s part two of the Divergent series. It really hasn’t been that great
of a series, but it’s an ok watch if you want to hang around the house. The
movie is too bubble gum and simple. Feels like an obvious copy of the other
teens against society movie. This movie felt more like filler between two
movies. Although, I was left at the end not knowing how the trilogy will finish
so that’s a plus. I just don’t feel that compelled to finish the series;
I’m not hooked on it. I think Woodley is wrongly casted as the lead; I
just don’t see her as a badass. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
Whiplash (seen January 23,
2015)
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
Rating – 7
The movie started off great. Original content, showing the sweat and
dedication it takes to be a successful musician, but then you realize there’s
not much else to the movie. The love interest lasts 3 minutes of the movie and
the family time is about 10 minutes. The rest is spent in the classroom. Now
Simmons does an excellent job of going from calm to insane with a flip of a
switch, but you get a bit sick of it when that lasts for 90 minutes. At first it
made me miss hearing live jazz; by the end of the movie, I was sick of it.
Luckily the movie wasn’t long at all so it was a refreshingly original, but I
just think it lacked depth. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Big Eyes (seen on January
22, 2015)
Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz
Rating – 6
The movie was a little disappointing. Much like other movies based on true
stories, there’s not much of a plot. People’s real lives aren’t as
interesting as a story as there is no debt or subplots. Adams performance was
great, but I must say I did get a little annoyed with her accent she used.
Christoph Waltz is almost playing the same slimeball type character he is in
every movie and it’s getting played out. Watching the movie, you can tell
it’s a Tim Burton movie despite no Johnny Depp or Helena Bohnam Carter.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (seen on November 21, 2014)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald
Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stanley Tucci
Rating – 4
Maybe the whole third part of the trilogy is good, but showing just half the
book was a fail. Hollywood had to go and get greedy. This movie was just so slow
and dragged out. I’m a bit on the fence about finishing off the story. I fear
part 2 may be drug out as well. The story didn’t advance much from the last
movie; wasn’t worth my money. Lawrence’s performance was pretty bad. She may
be an award winner, but she definitely didn’t carry over her skills to this
role. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Birdman (seen on November
13, 2014)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Zach
Galifianakis
Rating – 9
Apparently I’m a fan of a dark comedy because it’s a drama with some
laughs and there are a lot of things to like about this movie, but this is not
for the average audience member expecting just a laugh. There are sporadic,
awkward laughs throughout the movie. The least funny person is the comedian Zach
Galifianakis, but then, I’m not really a fan of him. The direction and way the
movie is shot is excellent. They are long single shot scenes that seem to flow
non stop throughout the entire length of time of the movie (3 days). There are
two ways to take the how the movie actually is and the ending somewhat leaves
you guessing between the two. It’s good to see Michael Keaton return to the
leading role and Ed Norton plays an excellent asshole (or maybe just acting like
himself in real life). Anyways, that’s my quick review; what’s next?
St. Vincent (seen on
November 7, 2014)
Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts
Rating – 6
The elusive Bill Murray returns to the screen as a cranky old man. Usually
Murray’s performances fall short of the cranky old men played by Gene Hackman
or Clint Eastwood where they are cranky, but you still kind of like them. This
one is a bit different than his other cranky roles, but still not quite as good
as the others. The movie is a drama with a few random chuckles throughout, but
it is not Murray’s return to comedy. The subplots in the movie are a bit weak
as they are not defined that well. Not sure why Terence Howard is in the movie.
It was worth watching as a matinee I guess, but I wouldn’t rush out to see it.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Guardians of the Galaxy
(seen on August 3, 2014)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista
Rating – 8
I didn’t know anything about the storyline going into the movie. I knew
more about the villain than anyone else and he’ll probably be showing up in
the Avengers universe soon. The movie was well written to introduce the team to
the audience without tying up the majority of the movie. There was good laughs
and action, although at times the laughs did seem to be a little forced and
would have been better if a little more sporadic. It tended to be more of a
comedy with action, rather than an action with comedy. There is obviously more
to the story that will come as they left several plot points open for future
movies. Overall, it is an entertaining story and refreshing to see some less
popular comic storylines. Unfortunately, the movie does leave you singing
multiple ‘70’s songs stuck in your head courteously of movie’s soundtrack.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Wish I Was Here (seen on
July 31, 2014)
Starring: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson
Rating – 8
Unfortunately this movie didn’t get the advertising it should have because
it’s one of the best written movies of the summer and no one will go see it
because no one has heard of it. Braff obviously likes writing dramas about self
reflections and family struggles and this was a well written movie. Very well
executed acting along with well written dialogue creates a very effective drama
that the audience can relate. Braff effectively uses quick laughs throughout the
movie to relieve the tension through dramatic scenes. It’s also nice to see
the small cameos of Braff’s actor friends sprinkled throughout the movie.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Lucy (seen on July 27,
2014)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman
Rating – 2
The best thing about this movie was that it was under 90 minutes at least.
This was just awful. There are a lot of random cut scenes to extend the movie
because the plot is so weak. You don’t really know what you are watching. Is
it a drug movie? Didn’t seem like the drug was so bad since all it seemed to
do was increase brainpower and apparently that makes you super-human. Don’t
watch this; I’m not wasting any more time on this review. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Boyhood (seen on July 24,
2014)
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke
Rating – 7
I do agree with other critics that this is a ground breaking movie. To film
the same actors over a twelve year period is a groundbreaking task. The movie
follows a boys life every year over twelve years; and the idea is great, but
it’s not really entertaining. That’s why movies are made and people don’t
just film their real lives. It has the typical Linklater dialogue and
conversations as seen in several of his other movies and it gets a bit tiresome
as it approaches a three hour movie. I’m not sure if the child actors took an
actor class taught by Hayden Christianson and Kristin Stewart, but you could
tell the difference between their lackluster performances and everyone else;
that could be the direction though. Still it was cool to see a recap of the past
twelve years especially since it was shot in Texas. I do remember when the
Astros used to be good. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Chef (seen on July 18,
2014)
Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo
Rating – 7
Jon Favreau returning to what made him famous; the more indie style movie,
but with more star cameos now. At
first you like the opening scenes of all the cutting and food prep, but as the
movie progresses, you start to compare it to 80’s movies with the music
montage that fills in movie space. The
movie was 2 hours; I’d like to think they could have cut a couple of them out,
but still an enjoyable movie. I’d say it’s a rather simple story and
predictable, but sometimes you can give them a pass. Luckily Leguizamo brings
comic relief to the movie in contrast to the hapless Favreau character (same one
as in Swingers). That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Carl (Favreau) is a chef at a restaurant in LA when a big food critic comes
to visit. Instead of preparing a special menu the way he wants, he bows down to
the pressure from his boss and cooks the same old food and the critic trashes
him for it. He soon quits his job and takes to the social media to rebuild his
reputation as he travels across the US in a food truck. Joining in the truck is
his souz chef/friend (Leguizamo) and his distant son.
Edge of Tomorrow (seen on
June 8, 2014)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Rating – 8
The movie might remind you a little bit of Groundhog Day with the concept of
living the same day over and over. I liked the movie. It had a lot of action in
it with all the battle scenes against the aliens, but there was a surprising
amount of laughs sprinkled throughout. The ending was a little weak and there
really isn’t much of a subplot, but it’s not a long movie so you can handle
the simple plot. Sit back and try not to think too much. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Alien invaders are taking over the earth and the humans have finally won
their first battle. Major Cage (Cruise) is forced to join the fight and dies on
the battlefield, but finds himself stuck in a time-loop and having to relive the
day over and over. Each day, his skills improve and he must find a way to defeat
the aliens.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
(seen on May 26, 2014)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender,
Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Barry, Ian McKellen, Ellen Page
Rating – 7
Here’s another Xmen installment bringing the total to seven movies if you
count the wolverine saga. I can’t say the movie was great, but I thought it
was good. Interesting how they brought in the storyline of time travel from the
comics. They must have all the actors on a long-term contract to appear in all
these movies. The majority of the movie takes place in the past with the
characters from Xmen: First Class I
guess the drawback to it is that it still has a comic book, simplistic plot type
feel to it. No real subplots to develop the story on many levels, but I still
enjoyed it. Much like it was done in the comics, it allows a retelling/reboot of
the story if they choose to go that direction or more towards the Apocalyptic
story line. They brought in Bishop for this storyline; maybe someday we’ll see
Apocalypse and Cable too. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
In the not too distant future, a battle has raged between the Mutants and the human fearing public, The humans are winning with their new destructive force, The Sentinels, but these Sentinels are also targeting humans leaving only the evil behind. The only hope is to send Wolverine to the past to help stop the incident that causes the chain of events leading to the destruction of society.
Neighbors (seen on May 11,
2014)
Starring: Seth Rogan, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron
Rating – 7
Neighbors is a nice adult comedy from the mind of Seth Rogan. Some of
the typical laughs you expect in his movies and some really drawn out awkward
stuff like you would see in a Family Guy episode…not funny. It has some decent
laughs that are not necessarily shown in the previews. The attempt at having a
developed plot in the movie falls short, but it’s a comedy so you really only
care about the laughs. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Mac (Rogan) and Kelly (Byrne) are a young married couple with a baby living
in the suburbs and having trouble adapting to being responsible adults. A
fraternity moves in next door and they try to relate to the young college
students at first, but after a while, they realize they’ve had enough and call
the cops. Soon a battle begins between the two households.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
(seen on May 3, 2014)
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx
Rating – 4
This reboot bottomed out awfully fast. The first ten minutes of the movie is
an elaborate attempt to set up a complex plot, but really it just felt dragged
out and pointless. The rest of the movie is filled with awkward love story
moments that is painful to watch and once again in a Spider-Man movie, the
villains are weakly developed and the story is blatantly set up for a third
movie. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Muppets Most Wanted (seen
on April 17, 2014)
Starring: Kermit the Frog, Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell
Rating – 6
Based on the rating, you can tell it was a bit of a disappointment.
I know the Muppets are aimed at kids, but Ty Burrell and Tina Fey were
just ridiculous in the movie, not entertaining. Naturally, Ricky Gervais plays
the bad guy because he has an English accent. He was his typical annoying self.
He’s funny for a bit, but after a while you just realize his humor makes him a
jerk. There are some good laughs, but not enough to carry the movie. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Constantine, the most dangerous frog on the planet, has escaped a Siberian
prison and for the exception of a mole, he’s a dead ringer for Kermit the
Frog. The Muppets new manger (Gervais) suggest the Muppets take a World Tour,
but it is soon reveled that he is connected to Constantine and they have a more
sinister plan behind the scenes.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
(seen on April 8, 2014)
Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie,
Robert Redford
Rating – 8
How about that? A sequel came out better than the original. The writers chose
a good storyline from the comics to show more depth of the character. The movie
has a good combination of action and storyline. Not a whole lot else to say;
it’s just enjoyable. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Grand Budapest Hotel
(seen on March 26, 2014)
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Adrian Brody, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Jeff
Goldblum, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Jason Schwarzman,
Owen Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton
Rating – 8
So it’s obvious that the stars like working with Wes Anderson and why not;
his films are quirky and fun. Not Anderson’s best movie, but if you’re a fan
of his movies, you’ll like this one. Shot in the same typical style you come
to expect, the movie is an enjoyable watch throughout. There’s not a whole lot
to the plot, but the number of cameos is good for a laugh. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Her (seen on January 19,
2014)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson
Rating – 7
Spike Jones bringing some originality to the big screen, but the problem with
the movie is that it is only driven by dialogue and you can only see one person
talking. You really don’t want to know everything that someone is thinking
because not all of it is interesting. The movie wasn’t bad, but it just seemed
to drag on a bit despite it only being 2 hours. The subplots were weak so there
was no escape from the close-ups of Joaquin Phoenix having a conversation with
his computer. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
A socially awkward man struggles with his recent divorce, but soon falls in
love with his operating system.
Dallas Buyers Club (seen on
January 16, 2014)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn
Rating – 8
This is the role that McConaughey lost all the weight to play and I must say
he looks pretty creepy. His career seems to be getting a revival with these
smaller independent movies and I agree the he is getting the recognition he
deserves. The movie is far from a comedy as the underlying story is the AIDS
epidemic in the 1980’s. There are a few laughs to help lighten the tension of
such a serious movie, but don’t go to this movie expecting anything but a
drama. The movie is shot well in the fear people have of HIV and the slow
progression of the FDA to treat it. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
(seen on December 5, 2013)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald
Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stanley Tucci
Rating – 7
The movie is good, but the problem is that it’s not a complete movie by
itself. I won’t find out what happens for another two years. It’s like
watching the “Two Towers”, not much of a beginning or an ending. I’ll
still watch the final two movies to see what happens, but it’s not a must see
for me. Also, Lawrence’s character is getting a bit annoying…the reluctant,
whiney hero. I haven’t read the book, but I’m assuming her character becomes
stronger. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Thor: The Dark World (seen
on November 14, 2013)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins
Rating – 6
I would say this is about on par as the first one. If you liked the first
one, then you’ll like this one; although, this one reminds me more of the
“Green Lantern” movie. It’s a superhero movie so it’ll keep you
entertained, but it’s a little too much off world stuff making it feel more
like a battle of Gods rather than a superhero saving humans. It is worth
watching to see how the Avenger universe continues and to also play spot Stan
Lee in the movie, but don’t rush out to see it. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
About Time (seen on
November 1, 2013)
Starring: Domnhall Gleesen, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
Rating – 6
It’s a good movie; I expected more of a romantic comedy, but the comedy is
lacking. At least it’s not a straight-up tear jerker chick-flick movie, but
I’m sure the target audience is women. The originality of the story is
refreshing, but the movie essentially sticks to the basics of love and family.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Rush (seen on October 4,
2013)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth
Rating – 8
I go into this movie vaguely knowing what happened in real life and I would
say Ron Howard delivers another good movie. The story is a bit weak, but Howard
is able to intertwine several subplots together to make the story flow enough.
There are great shots of the racing circuits and the images are very accurate to
the actual events. It’s a true story so it’s no surprise what happens, but
it’s still a good watch. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The World’s End (seen on
September 6, 2013)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Rosamund Pike
Rating – 6
Here comes the anticipated final movie of the Cornetto ice cream trilogy.
Sadly, it is the weakest of the three. It feels like this movie was written to
finish off the trilogy and give the group of friends a reason to drink beer
while filming. It had some funny parts and had the ridiculous action expected
from the other two, but the plot seemed weak and most of the “laughs” were
weak. It’s worth watching to finish off the trilogy, but if you’re unaware
of the Cornetto trilogy, it’s not really worth watching. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Pacific Rim (seen on August
14, 2013)
Starring: Idris Elba, Charlie Day
Rating – 7
Finally here comes a movie that brings together Top Gun, Independence
Day, and Robot
Jox. I know you watch the trailers and compare the movie to Shakespeare’s
works, but this movie is quite cheesy. Ok, seriously this movie is very cheesy
and makes you question…well pretty much everything but for some reason, I was
entertained. The epic speeches, the inner team quarrels…all very cheesy and
predictable. But I guess if you turn your brain off and just watch it, it’s
not bad to pass the time on a rainy evening. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
The Wolverine (seen on July
27, 2013)
Starring: Hugh Jackman
Rating – 6
Another installment from the X-men franchise where this time it picks up
Wolverine’s tale after X-men: The Last Stand. I liked that they
continued the wolverine storyline, I just felt it was a little too much sole
searching; I wanted more rage from wolverine. I know, I complain about weak
story-lines from most movies, but this is a comic book and it stars Hugh Jackman
(not the greatest actor). It kept flashing back in small pieces to the past,
which I didn’t find effective in making the story flow. I thought the ending
was a bit predictable, but then maybe I know how comic books tend to end.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Monster University (seen on
July 19, 2013)
Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman
Rating – 7
Here comes the prequel to “Monsters Inc.” It’s not as original as the
first one, but it has a few laughs. It brings in elements from “Revenge of the
Nerds” and “Animal House” that is, in terms of monsters. Of course the
movie is geared towards kids, but adults should get a kick out of it too.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Before Midnight (seen on
June 28, 2013)
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Rating – 4
Here comes the third installment of the series. I liked how they acknowledge
the actual timeline that their story started 18 years ago, but this installment
is the weakest. The first movie was an actual story while the second one
continued that story (somewhat unnecessary) and this last one just shows them
bitter. I know the actors helped write the script with Richard Linklater so to
me this just seemed bitter. I don’t think this added to the franchise at all.
Sure it continued with the couple’s story, but they tell stories as if they
haven’t been together for nine. I
just hope they let it end here and not come out with the fourth installment in
another nine years called Before Noon. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Kings of Summer (seen on
June 7, 2013)
Starring: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso
Rating – 8
This is a good movie to start the summer and remind you of your childhood.
There is nothing too major about it; a pretty simple plotline, but still
enjoyable to watch. That’s probably why there are several musical montages
reminiscent of 80’s movies. Nick Offerman is in the movie and delivers his
dead-pan lines that he’s known for so you may be sick of that, but the laughs
are good in the movie. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Star Trek: Into Darkness (seen on May 16, 2013)
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban
Rating – 6
I thought this series was supposed to be a “reboot”, which the first
movie was, but I cannot say it about this one. This was basically the “Wrath
of Kahn” with a slight twist. My friends may have not seen the original
movies, but I have and there were too many similarities to be considered inside
jokes or cleverness. There were good laughs and playfulness between the
characters, but after a while it started to become forced, like the jokes from
Indiana Jones 4. I think it had too much of the cheesiness of the original
series and should have remained with the reboot formula of the first movie in
this series. The attempt to make the movie emotional just fell flat on itself
and felted forced. It started off cute when they seemed to be more imitating the
original series, but after a while you got sick of it and just wanted it to stop
as it seemed more of a weak parody. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Ironman 3 (seen on May 2,
2013)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben
Kinglsey
Rating – 5
The movie is ok, but it’s just the same movie over and over except just
like every comic book movie they add more CGI action at the end. The jokes are
the same that you’ve seen for past two movies. One of the major problems
Ironman seems to have in every movie is fixing/adjusting to the his latest
creation of the suit and sorry, the plotline is weak and redundant by now. After
seeing the Avengers movie, I thought maybe there was hope for the
sequels, but I think the Ironman series has been played out. I’m tired of
Robert Downey Jr and his jerk-funny character of Tony Stark. Hopefully the only
times I see Ironman again is in the Avengers sequels as Joss Whedon excelled at
directing the mega superhero movies. As for this latest installment, I kept
checking my watch hoping for an ending soon. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
Tony Stark (Downey) yet again has to save the world from a threat. This time,
it comes from a terrorist known as the Mandarin and he keeps setting off bombs
in public places without a trace of evidence. Of course, Stark has his own
demons to deal with throughout the movie similar to the past two movies.
Mud (seen on April 27,
2013)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon
Rating – 7
This movie is getting a lot of love, but I think it’s a little too much.
It’s a decent movie worth watching, but it seems this is the early indie flick
for people to jump on. I agree it’s one of McConaughey’s better acting
roles, but what does that really mean? He’s more of a character than an actor.
The movie shows the simple life of people living on the water and makes you feel
like you’re watching a movie set in the past. McConaughey does create a
likeable, sometimes enchanting character even after you find out he’s wanted
by the law. Witherspoon plays the girlfriend and although she is talked about
throughout the movie, her actual screen time is limited. It’s a good movie to
watch for a rainy day to kick back and relax. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
John Dies at the End (seen
on February 22, 2013)
Starring: Chase Williamson, Paul Giamatti
Rating – 7
So…can you guess what happens at the end of the movie? If you want to see a
different movie, this is one to watch. The movie jumps around a lot so it can be
a bit confusing to follow. My suggestion is to just sit back and take it all in
and enjoy the quirkiness of the movie and by the end of the movie, you’ll get
a sense of what just happened. I have to admit, it’s an awesome title for a
movie, but I think the majority of people will find this movie just way too
weird to enjoy. So be in the mood for an indie flick when you watch this.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Bubba Ho-Tep (seen on
February 16, 2013)
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis
Rating – 7
This movie is described as the best movie that no one ever saw. The movie is
full of quirky humor, but it’s definitely more of a cult following type movie.
It seems like this movie was written for Bruce Campbell as it reminds me of the
Evil Dead franchise kind of quirkiness. It’s
a relatively short movie as there’s not a whole lot of subplot to it, but I
think it’s worth a watch if you like the odd type movie.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Warm Bodies (seen on
February 2, 2013)
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, John
Malkovich, Teresa Palmer
Rating – 8
I do not get the whole zombie craze that has been going on for the past five
years or so, but it’s nice to see a different take on zombies. There’s a lot
of good quirky humor throughout and I like how it explains more of zombie
motivation. Not too long of a movie so you don’t get sick of the simple plot
line or the absorbed story. I found it to be an enjoyable movie; can’t
remember a scary moment in the movie so it’s really more of a romantic-comedy,
albeit, I disturbing one involving a zombie. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
Silver Linings Playbook
(seen on Dec. 24, 2012)
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Robert
DeNiro, Jennifer Lawrence
Rating – 6
The movie was ok; I just didn’t find the characters believable. It’s not
so much the performances as it is the writing. There are two characters that are
mentally unstable but they act too rational at times. The problem is that you
don’t feel like routing for anyone; both major characters are annoying in your
face crazy. There was good dark humor sprinkled throughout to make the movie
watchable, but nothing I had to see. I thought Jennifer Lawrence was too young
for the role; her character was at least 25. I’m not sure why Robert DeNiro
decided to play this small role either. Oh yeah, I don’t care about the
Philadelphia Eagles and too much of the movie involves the family pulling for
the Eagles. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Skyfall (seen on November
21, 2012)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes
Rating – 7
The Bond franchise returns to the theaters after finding funding from several
sponsors. I never seen so much blatant product placement in the movie, but I
guess they had to do it to get the movie made. Daniel Craig brings the same
performance, but Javier Bardem delivers another creepy villain. Hard to talk
about problems I have with this movie without giving too much away. One thing, I
do miss the more suave James Bond of old. This movie falls in line with the more
ruthless Bond, but not necessarily a flawless one. There’s a good flow to the
movie, but I still prefer Casino Royale of this series. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Argo (seen on November 9,
2012)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Rating – 9
Another effort by Ben Affleck in the director’s chair and I think it’s
another successful venture. The movie is based on actual events, but I think the
ending is a little Hollywoodized. The movie is shot successfully to create
suspense for the audience and a few one-liners to help ease the tension. The
problem is that the movie is a historical telling of actual events so you know
what happens, there’s no subplot; just here it is. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
After Iranian citizens storm the US Embassy, six US citizens flee the
compound and hide at the Canadian ambassador’s place. The Iranians are eager
to find these missing six people while the CIA is hatching a scheme to extract
them on the false pretense that they are a movie crew.
Wreck-It Ralph (seen on November 8, 2012)
Starring: John C. Reilley, Sarah Silverman
Rating – 7
After seeing all the previews of the old-school videogames, it made me feel
all nostalgic and it created a desire to watch this movie.
The movie had a good story line, but ultimately this is a cartoon and it
is directed more at kids. The kids might not recognize the old games, but none
of that is relevant to the story. I was a bit disappointed. Thought I’d see
more old school videogame stuff, but all that stuff is shown in the trailers.
Not too much humor in the movie as some cartoons had shown. Still, it’s a nice
original story to watch. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Wreck-It Ralph (Reilley) is the bad guy in a videogame. Other videogame characters fear him and he’s getting tired of it. He wants to be recognized and accepted so he breaks out of his game in hopes of finding a medal and earning some respect. But life outside of his game doesn’t go as smoothly as he thought it would.
Looper (seen on September
28, 2012)
Rating – 5
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels
I went into the movie with hopes that the script was something different, but
there is always concern with movies that deal with time travel. Now there will
be can be many comparisons to other time travel movies, the one that comes to
most is The Terminator. But
the movie is disappointing. Hard to explain without giving away part of the
story, but the story takes a long time to develop and you realize that the
subplot, is actually the main point to the story. It was just rather weak. And
the prosthetics that Gordon-Levitt wears to look like young Willis is not
needed. Just the contacts and that’s it. It looks creepy. The audience can
accept that they are different actors but supposed to be playing the same person
at different times in their life. Times it felt like a weak action movie and
then a weak artistic movie. Sometimes I got the feeling it was shot by a
director who didn’t exactly know what style of movie he was going for.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Expendables 2 (seen on
August 18, 2012)
Rating – 7
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Terry
Crews, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis
Another Expendables movie has been released.
If you didn’t like the first one, don’t bother seeing this one. This
one follows the same pattern as the first one: weak plot line, cheesy jokes, and
high body count. Oh yeah, and this one has CHUCK NORRIS. It’s a little slow in
the beginning and awkward at parts when they try to give the crew a moral reason
again to kick ass, but you forget that as the laughs start coming late and the
body count keeps growing. It’s a guy movie. That’s my quick review; what’s
next?
The Dark Knight Rises (seen
on July 20, 2012)
Rating – 6
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Anne
Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
The third installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batmans is a bit of a letdown.
The opening sequence was a little too unrealistic for me. The movie seemed to
try too hard to mirror the pattern of The Dark Knight while trying to
connect this movie to the previous too. At times, the movie seemed to
videogame-like. Batman jumps in the middle of eight guys in broad daylight and
while all of them are armed, everyone decides to swing their gun at him or throw
a punch instead. I’m not sure why they had to go and add the Batwing and I
have my complaints about that (I won’t disclose as may give some things away),
but just adds to the videogame mentality. And the Batcycle…at least it
didn’t drive up walls this time. Almost too many stars in this movie too. The
movie may have been over two and a half hours, but it did go by smoothly. I
still think Anne Hathaway was a bad choice for Catwoman. Tom Hardy was very good
as Bane. His mannerisms and the way he carried himself worked, but at times I
had trouble understanding him. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Drive (seen on July 7,
2012)
Rating – 6
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman
I know this movie has been out a year, but I had never seen it and I caught
it as a midnight showing in the theater so I figure I have to do a review on it.
The movie was ok. There are a lot of good actors in it, but not a whole lot to
the movie. It reminded me a lot of the movie The Transporter and that
movie had more action in it. The movie seems to have more of a cult following to
it already because way to many talk about the jacket. It’s a decent watch, but
not sure if it was worth staying up until 2 am watching it. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Bernie (seen on July 5,
2012)
Rating – 7
Starring: Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Shirley MacLaine
Based on a true story, the film is shot as a movie with a slight documentary
feel to it as Richard Linklater adds several colorful East Texas commentaries
throughout the movie. I wonder if people outside of Texas find these folks as
funny as I did. A good entertaining story although Jack Black movies drive me
nuts because he has to sing in everyone of them, but despite that, it was a good
movie. my quick review; what’s next?
Ted (seen on June 29, 2012)
Rating – 6
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane’s first live action project wasn’t bad. I’m giving this
movie a 6, but could be a 7 too. It’s a funny movie and it’s a decent story
for a comedy, it’s just there’s a fair amount of “The Family Guy” humor
(not surprisingly) and I’m not a fan of that show.
Not to mention that I’ve never seen so many different trailers for a
movie like I had this one so I felt like I had seen half the movie before going
into the theater. Still it had a few laughs and a few surprises. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Moonrise Kingdom (seen on
June 24, 2012)
Rating – 9
Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda
Swinton, Jason Schwartzman
Wes Anderson delivers an entertaining, quirky story about the love between a
young boy and girl. The movie is shot in the same way as other Anderson movies,
which made me happy, but the characters are more enjoyable as in Royal
Tenenbaums as opposed to Life Aquatic. It seems like the roles were written
specifically for these actors because the characters they play are one’s you
typically see them as. Good laughs throughout the movie and a good story in
general make this a movie to watch. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Safety Not Guaranteed (seen
on June 18, 2012)
Rating – 7
Starring: Aubrey Plaza
This movie is not worth going around telling everyone to go see it, but it
was a good indie flick to watch as a matinee. The
subplots were a little weak, but the main story was entertaining. There were a
few laughs, but not many. At least it was an original movie. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Prometheus (seen on June 8,
2012)
Rating – 5
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael, Fassbender, Guy Pearce
Ok, so I’m a bit confused about this movie. They say it is not a prequel to
Alien, but I don’t know how it isn’t. The story starts out ok as trying to
figure out the beginning of Earth’s existence and the storyline is just
abandoned. The second half of the movie just has no storyline. It’s just chaos
and no point to the movie so you’re left wondering what you really watched.
Shame because the movie had a lot of potential and looked promising from the
trailers, but it’s a let down. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Two scientists discover pictures across the world from several different
ancient civilizations leading them to believe that they are signs from the
creators of life on Earth. The ship Prometheus and its crew are sent across the
universe to the planet indicated by the pictures in hopes of finding the meaning
of life, but what they find there is not what they expected.
Dark Shadows (seen on June
6, 2012)
Rating – 5
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter,
Jonny Lee Miller, Jackie Earle Haley
I was a bit disappointed in this movie. I thought it was supposed to be a
dark comedy, but there weren’t any laughs except for the few in the trailers
so the movie ended up being a really weak drama. I had never seen or heard of
the original series so this review is based solely on the movie. The movie just
seemed a bit cheesy and Johnny Depp’s character acting is becoming redundant.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Dictator (seen on May
16, 2012)
Rating – 4
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Anna Faris
I believe most of the funny parts were shown in the previews. Or maybe all of
Cohen’s humor is becoming the same. If you like his humor and are not tired of
it, you probably will find this funny, but for me, after watching this movie,
I’m about as tired of Cohen as I am Tom Green. I’ll pass on his next
project. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Avengers (seen on May
4, 2012)
Rating – 8
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo,
Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom
Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgard
I was surprised how well this movie was. I was afraid with all these
superhero characters in one movie, that it would be all action and a weak story.
The action is there, but the story shows how/why the superheroes unite. It
probably is beneficial to have seen the individual movies prior to this one. The
big shock to the movie was the amount of laughs in it. It was just a fun movie
to watch. It was worth my money to go see it and I will be going to see the
sequel too (watch the credits). That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Pirates: Band of Misfits (seen on May 1, 2012)
Rating – 6
Starring: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven
I figured the latest feature from Aardman Animation would be a good one, but
it was just an ok movie. It didn’t seem to have as many laughs as the previous
works of Aardman. It just amazes me that people still do clay animation. With
the limited adult humor and being clay animation, I think this film is more
suited for kids. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Hunger Games (seen on
April 20, 2012)
Rating – 7
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth
Banks
I have not read the books so I went into the movie just watching it as a
movie. The movie was fine, but I am not anxiously waiting to see the next one; I
will end up seeing it, but I don't see this as the next Harry Potter following.
The novels are written towards teens and so is the movie so you have to bear
with some of those scenes in the movie too. I guess I’ll see next year where
the story goes. I'm hoping that the future movies explain more what is going on
in the society because the first movie only sets up the fight itself and not why
the society is the way it is. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Salmon Fishing in Yemen (seen on April 15, 2012)
Rating – 6
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scott Thomas
These movies that are based on true stories always make me wonder exactly how true it is. The movie is a feel good movie, but seems a bit simple. The romance subplot seems a forced so the only story line to focus on is the setup of the fishing. It’s an ok story, but not necessarily a must see movie. If you want a feel-good movie, then perhaps this is the one. I thought McGregor did a good job at playing a reluctant scientist trying to pull off the impossible. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
A sheik from Yemen wants to bring salmon fishing to his country. A fisheries expert is hired by a consultant to bring the sheik’s vision to a reality despite the seemingly impossible task.
Haywire (seen on February
16, 2012)
Starring: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas,
Channing Tatum
Rating – 6
Apparently Steven Soderbergh was inspired to make a movie with Gina Carano
who is a trained fighter, but not an actress. The story does not contain much
dialogue, probably to limit the amount of acting that Carano has to do because
she’s obviously not an actress. But probably similar to Soderbergh’s reason
for making the movie, I wanted to see the movie for some realistic fight scenes
and the movie did deliver that. There are too many chase scenes or prep scenes
that have zero dialogue and tend to draw the movie out. You have to put up with
a slow moving plot in between the fight scenes. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Mallory (Carano) works for a private firm that is hired to extract a hostage
in Barcelona. She tries to retire, but her boss (McGregor) offers her one last
mission. On this mission she is framed and seeks revenge on the people that set
her up.
Hugo (seen on February 12,
2012)
Starring: Ben Kinglsey, Sasha Baron Cohen
Rating – 7
I still do not get the whole 3D appeal. I do not want to wear glasses
throughout a movie, but Scorsese made Hugo his first dabble into 3D films. The
movie is an entertaining story, but I don’t really agree with all the Oscar
nominations. I have a few theories on it, but I can’t say without revealing
the mystery of the movie. It’s a nice fantasy movie, but it’s only in 3D and
it’s not worth the extra money to see in the theater. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (seen on January 19, 2012)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
Rating – 6
Here is another installment of the Mission Impossible series. This wasn’t a
bad movie, but I only went to see it because it was a free ticket.
It was decent action movie, but I’m tired of the Mission Impossible
series. If you enjoy the series, you’ll enjoy this one because I do believe it
is one of the better MI movies. But it’s probably best to wait until it’s on
TV. It’s full of unbelievable stunts and explosions.
I don’t have much to say about this movie. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (seen on January 13, 2012)
Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Tom Hardy
Rating – 4
I can sum this movie up in a word…boring. I thought maybe it would be a
cool spy movie on who done it, but it was a very slow paced movie that
constantly flash back to random scenes. There didn’t seem to be any mystery as
to who the spy was. No history to show his evil ways. The last five minutes of
the movie wrapped it up to show how it was one character was the spy. That last
five minutes could have been written three different ways and the spy could have
been any of the three different characters because the first two hours were
pointless. Gary Oldman is getting praise for his role. There didn’t seem to be
that much dialogue from him so it was all in his expressions; he played the role
well. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (seen on December 22, 2011)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard
Rating – 5
I have not seen the original Swedish movies, but I have read this book. I
thought the book was good, but not so much this movie. The movie doesn’t match
the book exactly; several things are changed. But I’m watching the movie and
it seems too hard to follow. It jumps so fast from scene to scene that it’s a
bit confusing to what the central plot of the movie was. I thought that was also
a problem in the book too how in the middle of a chapter the story would jump
from paragraph to paragraph to different storylines. Well, I was disappointed in
the movie, but it does make me want to watch the original Swedish versions as I
hear good things about them. It’s funny how it only took two years for
Hollywood to remake this one, but it’s either that or sequels. Something I
found annoying is why some actors were trying to do a Swedish accent and yet
they were speaking English. They
are not Swedish people speaking English; they are supposed to be Swedes speaking
Swedish, but they are speaking English for the Hollywood audience. Just use your
normal accent like Daniel Craig did. The others were awful and annoying.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Muppets
(seen on November 28, 2011)
Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper
Rating – 8
The Muppets are back in form and it's good to see the gang was staying in
shape while on their 12 year hiatus. Some of the scenes were a bit cheesy.
Mostly the scenes with Segel and Adams in Smalltown, USA. I don't remember the
Muppets ever being so cheesy and 50's style like their scenes were. I frankly
could have done with less singing or at least not such cheesy show-tunes type
songs. But the humor was good throughout the movie. Several throwback references
to the original show and several of the movies and they brought back a lot of
characters. It was a bit short; just over an hour and a half. I would have
preferred a few more scenes that brought laughs but still a good movie. And true
to the other movies, cameos of famous actors/actresses could be found
throughout. I thought Cooper did a nice job of being the evil oil barren. That's
my quick review; what's next?
Gary (Segel) and his girl Mary (Adams) are off on a trip to Los Angeles for
their ten year anniversary along with Gary's brother Walter. Walter has idolized
the Muppets since he was a kid and cannot wait to get to LA to take the tour of
the Muppets Studio. The trio find the studio is in disarray and that there is an
evil oil barren planning to buy the property to drill for oil. The only way to
stop him is for the Muppets to reunite after all these years to put on a show to
raise $10 million to save their studio. Can Kermit get the gang back
together in time to save their studio?
Johnny English Reborn (seen
on October 21, 2011)
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike
Rating – 6
Rowan Atkinson returns to reprise his role of Johnny English. It’s hard to
pass up on a comedy-spoof of James Bond movies. The first one was surprisingly
funny so I thought I would give the sequel a try. It’s much of the same style
of humor that Rowan Atkinson uses in his performance so if you are not a fan of
him, do not see this movie. There were good laughs, most of them just silly
stuff and similar things to expect after watching the original. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Johnny English had once been MI7 best spy until an incident happened in
Mozambique where he was head of security. Years have passed and he is reinstated
and soon investigating into an assassination plot to kill the Chinese Premier.
Will Johnny English find the assassin before it’s too late?
50/50 (seen on October 13,
2011)
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Huston
Rating – 8
A story about a young man diagnosed with cancer and how he, his friends, and
family cope with it. Sounds like a depressing film and not worth watching, but I
liked it. Yes, they deal with the seriousness of cancer and parts of the movie
are sad, but it's broken up with the comic relief of Seth Rogen. Still, the
movie deals with cancer so make sure you're in the mood for a sad movie before
you buy a ticket for the movie. I found the movie to be a good mix of comedy and
sadness with such a serious plotline. The young actors are outshined by the more
experienced actors, who play lesser roles in the movie, but the storyline does
drive this movie. That's my quick review; what's next?
Adam (Gordon-Levitt) is a 27 year old writer for NPR and is diagnosed with cancer. The story follows his progression through the stages of cancer and how he and his friends and family cope with his diagnosis. Adam attends counseling from a young internist, who desperately needs to work on her bedside manner.
Moneyball (seen on October
7, 2011)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rating – 5
Normally, when I see a movie that I have read the book, I am disappointed
with the movie. Having not really cared for this book, I had hope that the movie
had improved on the book based on a recommendation from some friends. However,
this is not true. The movie was a disappointment just like the book. None of the
plot lines felt fully developed. A little bit of story about the numbers of
baseball, a little bit of story about Billy Beane's past, a little bit of story
about his family life, etc. The producers felt if they crammed that all together
with Brad Pitt as the lead, it would be roughly a two-hour movie and that's good
enough to show on the screen. Still, I had a problem with the book and the movie
was that it focused on hitting and yes, I can see how the theory worked well. At
the time of this "moneyball" idea, the A's had three dominate pitchers
on their staff in Mulder, Zito, and Hudson. When those guys left and the A's
were still playing "moneyball", the A's were no longer a contender.
But I don't want to get into a sports debate here. This is about the movie. The
movie gives you a different look at the baseball numbers, but I suggest if you
want the full analysis, just go read the book because I think the movie is a bit
bland. That's my quick review; what's next?
Billy Beane (Pitt) is the general manger for the Oakland A's. A team who is trying to compete with all the other ball clubs out there, but they can only afford 25% of what the Yankees and Red Sox spend. Beane is inspired by a man named Bill James and his evaluation of certain player statistics that other ball clubs overlook. He with the help of a new Yale economics student (Hill) believe there is an affordable team of undervalued players that can replace Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Jason Isringhausen and still be a championship caliber team. But there are baseball purists and "experts" believe that he is nuts and just running the team into the ground.
The Guard
(seen on September 9, 2011)
Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong
Rating – 7
The good thing about indie flicks is that they are original stories, yet they sometimes seem rather simplistic. The movie had good laughs and the story was decent, but definitely the story was driven by the interactions between the quirky guard and the straight-laced FBI agent. Gleeson’s likeable, but often not politically correct character creates laughs throughout with his interactions with the more levelheaded people. The movie is only about an hour and a half so the movie is effective in telling the story with some laughs without dragging. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Sgt. Boyle (Gleeson) is a guard in a small Irish town. He is rather unorthodox, but he seems to get the job done. When one day a murder happens in his small town, he begins to realize that it may have bigger implications. Soon an FBI agent (Cheadle) arrives in Ireland to inform the guards of four dangerous drug runners somewhere in the country, and Boyle recognizes one as being his murder victim.
The Devil’s Double
(seen on August 14, 2011)
Starring: Dominic Cooper
Rating – 7
The movie is based on a true story of Latif Yahia. It is disturbing to watch just how twisted Uday Hussein really was. Cooper plays both roles and does an excellent job of playing two opposite characters. This is an indie flick so it’s probably not getting too much coverage, but I thought it was worth the watch. Not a movie to cheer you up though because it is based on a true story. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
A creepy inside view of the life of Latif Yahia, the
body double for the psychotic Uday Hussein, son of Saddam Hussein. Latif is
forced to be Uday’s double or his family will be torture.
Latif must abide by Uday’s request, but just how long can he stand this
life.
Captain America
(seen on August 11, 2011)
Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones
Rating –
A period piece movie as it was set during World War II.
This movie was better than I expected because the concept of Captain America as
a super-hero just seems dated and the character wouldn’t stand up against the
test of time. But since they set the whole thing during WWII it seemed to fit.
Whether or not he works in the future with his other Avengers will be seen next
summer. Director Joe Johnston seems to excel at period piece movies and is
probably why I found this movie better than expected. Basically, I realized that
I am going to see the Avengers movie next year and I need to see all the movies
feeding into it so I went out and saw this one; you might as well too. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Midnight in
Paris (seen on
July 31, 2011)
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard,
Kathy Bates
Rating – 8
I think Woody Allen found a great choice to play his
typical role with Owen Wilson. He fits the neurotic type character that you
expect from Woody Allen movies and it works in this film. Wilson does not come
off as annoyingly painful to watch type character as he tends to question his
lot in life and lament on what-ifs. A great movie that is sprinkled with laughs
and has a good storyline that flows nicely throughout.
Usually Allen’s films are just the middle of a story and never show an
ending, but I’d say this was a complete story. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Gil (Wilson) is working on his first novel on vacation
in Paris with his wife (McAdams) and her family. He romanticizes about living
life in Paris, especially during the 1920’s when many of his heroes lived and
roamed the streets of Paris. One night while walking drunk through the streets,
he’s picked up by a car of party-goers and taken to a completely different
era. He finds himself escaping every night at midnight to live in his fantasy
world.
Cowboys and
Aliens (seen on July 29, 2011)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde
Rating – 6
Here we have a nice idea to combine a Western with a
Sci-Fi movie, but the movie was just okay to watch. Similar to most westerns, it
lacks character development and real storyline substance and just goes for a
good vs. evil battle. Even the reason why the aliens are here kidnapping people
is kept relatively simple. I’d hope the sci-fi part would bring more
explanation to a western, but it leans more western with the bad guys being
aliens as opposed to Indians or guys in black hats. Not a bad movie. Daniel
Craig does an ok job as the stranger in town and Harrison Ford does not create a
memorable character as some of his roles have been. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Jake (Craig) awakens in the desert without his memories
and a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. As he stumbles upon the
nearby town, he finds the town is controlled by a cattle rancher (Ford). One
evening, spaceships fly into town and snatch half of the townsfolk, a posse is
formed to track down the aliens and rescue their people.
Bridesmaids
(seen on July 27, 2011)
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolf
Rating – 7
Here comes another Judd Apatow produced movie this time
written by Kristen Wiig. It is one of the better comedies I’ve seen this year,
but part of Wiig’s humor that she brings from SNL gets on my nerves more than
it is funny. There are not many comedies that are dominated by an all female
cast and this is a refreshing change of pace, although there is some rather
crass humor that can be found in a typical Apatow movie. If you were looking for
a comedy, I’d recommend this one. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(seen on July 17, 2011)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Rating – 7
The movie starts right in the middle of a story; even
more so than The Lord of the Rings Part 2 & 3. The movie just continues as
if you just finished watching Part 1 and I found it rather annoying. I have just
read the books only 6 months ago and I couldn’t remember exactly what happened
in Part 1 of the movie a year ago. As a stand-alone movie, the movie feels
incomplete, as it’s just the climax and wrap-up of the entire series. That
being said, if the movies are fresh on your brain, then you’ll think the movie
is a great climatic scene to the other seven movies. The movie does give you an
ending to the series, but there are some details in the book that explains a lot
more of the storyline that the movie tends to wave its hand over. Ultimately, I
think the movie would have been better if it was just The Deathly Hallows and
been one 3.5 hour movie instead of two 2.5 hour movies. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Harry and his friends are still hunting down Horcruxes
in hopes to stop Voldemort. Soon the war will be taken to Hogwarts where Harry
and his friends will make their last stand.
Horrible Bosses
(seen on July 15, 2011)
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day,
Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx
Rating – 5
I agree
that the three actors were horrible bosses, but I didn’t think this was that
good of a comedy. The funny scenes were either in the previews or delivered by
Charlie Day in the same style as “Sunny in Philadelphia” so it felt like I
had seen all the laughs before. And I’m still having trouble as to Charlie’s
problem with his boss and why he wants her killed and just in general, none of
these mild-mannered people seem believable of wanting to murder their bosses,
but it’s a movie. Basically, I thought the laughs were rather light. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
X-Men: First
Class (seen on June 30, 2011)
Rating – 7
Starring: James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon
I was reluctant to see this movie after watching the
X-men series go from good to awful in just three movies, but this was a telling
of the roots of the X-men so I took a chance. If you know the X-men universe,
you'll recognize that the movie storylines don't coincide with the comic book
storylines, but I still enjoyed the movie. It's tough because you want to see
the mutants powers, but the more powers used in the movie usually means a weaker
storyline (see X-men 3). Luckily, the training sequence (similar to an 80's
movie montage) was able to show off the mutants powers in a five minute span.
Not a bad movie to watch. Again nothing I'd say you need to run out and see, but
if you enjoy the X-men series, I recommend watching this one. Some unexpected
cameos show up too, which were a pleasant surprise. That's my quick review;
what's next?
Charles Xavier (McAvoy) is a young PhD grad who is
recruited by the US government to fight these new brand of terrorist that
possess abnormal powers. Xavier soon begins to recruit young mutants to join his
cause to stop another group of mutants from starting World War III and the
destruction of the human race. But internal struggle exists amongst Xavier's
team whether it's worth saving the humans or not as the humans do not seem to
fully trust the mutants.
Green Lantern
(seen on June 29, 2011)
Rating – 6
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard
I wouldn't say this is a must see movie, but it's not
bad. Like most superhero movies, the movie is broken down into thirds. The first
third introduces us to the hero and how he obtains his powers. The next third is
the struggle the superhero has coping with the powers through the development of
a plot and the final third is the big fight scene between good and evil.
Reynolds has been lucky enough to play his third superhero character. He's more
of a character than an actor as he is the same role in every movie. Lucky for
him, people tend to like the character of "Van Wilder" for his roles.
I doubt there will be another Green Lantern as the movie wasn't as profitable as
the studios hoped it would be, but I enjoyed this standalone version. That's my
quick review; what's next?
Super 8
(seen on June 16, 2011)
Rating – 2
Starring - Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning
I didn't find this movie enjoyable at all. I think
about twenty minutes into the movie, I asked my friend how long the movie was to
find out how much longer I had to suffer. Maybe it's more for kids since there
are kid actors in it, but so was E.T. and that was entertaining. I'm
starting to think J.J. Abrams is a very over hyped writer/director. I think I
prefer M. Night Shyamalan movies and I don't watch his movies either. At least
there's a point to his movies. J.J. Abrams seems to write bad movies and say
very little about them to build suspense and rely on his huge "Lost"
fan base to over hype it and unleash the bad movie on the masses to make money.
The movie was a cross between E.T. and Cloverfield. I'm tired of
wasting my time talking about a bad movie. I know there will be people who
disagree with me on this one (especially the superfans of J.J. Abrams), but I
wouldn't bother watching this if it came on TV. Go watch the grass grow instead.
That's my quick review; what's next?
Paul
(seen on April 1, 2011)
Rating – 6
Starring: Simon
Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen
I was a bit disappointed in this latest movie from the
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost combo. Most
of the funny parts were shown during commercials, but the movie still has
redeeming qualities I just think it fell short as a comedy.
Frankly, I loved the number of reference to other movies, whether it was
location of a scene or direct quotes from famous movies (I’d say around ten
lines). I was kept interested by
trying to spot the movie references, but not so much by the storyline itself.
Let’s hope the next Pegg/Frost movie will be a step up.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) are sci-fi nerds making their first trip to the U.S. and plan to travel along the major sightings of UFOs. On their roadtrip, they encounter an alien named Paul (Rogen) just outside of Area 51. Paul asks for help in escaping his captors and joins them in their Winnebago roadtrip.
The
Adjustment Bureau (seen on March 21, 2011)
Rating – 7
Starring: Matt
Damon, Emily Blunt, Terrence Stamp
Here’s another movie based on a Philip K. Dick novel
so the story is interesting, but not extensively developed.
The movie is kept simple by explaining the science fiction parameters
with succinct answers. I know some might find it too easy with the explanations are
more a wave of the hand, but I’m willing to accept it as an answer and at
least the audience isn’t left guessing why or how.
The heart of the movie is a love story between Damon and Blunt and how
strong fate plays a role in one’s life. The
characters are enjoyable to watch and the movie moves rather quickly with a lack
of subplots, but I still found it enjoyable.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The King’s
Speech
(seen on February 26, 2011)
Rating – 9
Starring: Colin
Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
So this movie has gone on to win the big awards at the
Oscars. I can agree with Colin
Firth pulling in the Best Acting role. He
did a great job holding the stutter throughout his performance.
And the movie wins best picture and it probably is the best picture in
comparison to most of the crap Hollywood puts out nowadays.
I don’t want to downplay that this is a really good movie, it’s just
there have been years in the past where there were 3 nominees for best picture
better than this film and only one ended up winning.
Still, this movie is well shot and has an excellent cast with Geoffrey
Rush putting in another superb performance.
It’s an entertaining drama with a few light-hearted laughs and great
performances from the actors. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
The story follows the man who becomes King George VI
(Firth). He suffers from a terrible
stammer and does not exude confidence in the public’s eye.
He seeks help from several doctors over the years and eventually tries a
new speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Rush) who proceeds to speak to the Prince
not as a royal, but as an equal. With
Logue’s help, the King is able to deliver his infamous speech heard around the
world as England declares war on Germany and establish himself as the voice of
England in the troubling times ahead.
True Grit
(seen on February 24, 2011)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon
Watching this movie makes me realize that I’m not the
biggest fan of Westerns. There’s
just not much of a story to them. The acting was better than the original, but it is still a
remake and I’m not really sure if it was worth my time in the theaters.
I guess I’d still prefer to see John Wayne with the reigns in his mouth
and a gun in each hand charging four armed men than Jeff Bridges.
It is interesting to see the story line being the same, yet the Coen
brothers are successful at turning the characters more into their type of
characters. If you like Westerns,
then you’ll like this. If not,
I’d say wait till it’s on Netflix. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Mattie Ross is a stubborn little girl who demands
justice for her father’s murder and seeks out the toughest US Marshall,
Rooster Cogburn (Bridges). Along
the trail, they are joined by a Texas Ranger (Damon), who seeks the same man for
a murder in Texas.
The Way Back
(seen on January 21, 2011)
Rating – 7
Starring: Jim
Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell
Allegedly this is based on a true story, but has been
questioned over the years. I
wouldn’t say this is a must see because the plot is very simple, escape the
Gulag and walk to freedom. There’s
not really much of a subplot in the movie.
Yet the one plot is driven well with excellent actors under a director
who has shown great achievements in the past.
I wouldn’t have minded a little more substance to the story, but still
despite the simple concept of walking from Siberia to India, I didn’t get
bored with the movie and feel the need to check my watch. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Janusz (Sturgess) is a Polish soldier who is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sentenced to the Gulag in 1940. After being there for a while, he realizes that if he hopes to live he needs to escape. He and 6 other inmates escape the Gulag and attempt to walk India to freedom while fighting the elements, hunger, and themselves.
Blue
Valentine (seen on January 20, 2011)
Rating – 3
Starring: Michele
Williams, Ryan Gosling
I know this is one of the big indie flicks for some
award talks, but really I didn’t like this movie when it was called Revolutionary
Road. It’s not
identical, but very similar and both of them are bad.
I know some people will love both and go on and on about the good
performance, but frankly I didn’t enjoy watching the movie.
It’s a sad story; I get it, but the whole movie is drawn on like that.
There’s no break for the audience to relax and see that they did have
fun at one point. There’s one
scene in the movie and it’s only about a minute and half of happiness.
Everything else is depressing. Sorry,
there are better ways to tell a somber story without making your audience
experience two hours of agony. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
The story starts with Cindy (Williams) and Dean (Gosling) as a couple who have been married for a while and their marriage has lost its spark. The story follows the quick deterioration of the marriage if a short time span splashed with flash backs of how they initials got together. Overall it appears to be a quick courtship and a quick end.
Hubble
3D (seen on December 30, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: Leonardo
DiCaprio
It’s not really starring Leo, but he is narrating. I went in seeing this hoping the whole thing would be full of Hubble images. The documentary is only 45 minutes long. About 25 minutes are about Hubble and it’s images. The remaining 20 minutes is the history of it and the latest repair. I guess it was ok seeing the astronauts move through space in 3D images, but come on, I want those crazy pictures of the stars. And some of them are mesmerizing images of space. Not really a movie review, but I saw it in the theaters and felt it needed a review. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Tron:
Legacy (seen on December 28, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: Jeff
Bridges, Olivia Wilde
I’m not really sure why Disney brought back Tron, oh
wait…Hollywood is out of ideas. But
still, most people didn’t realize there was a Tron part one so it’s not like
they are bringing out a sequel that would guarantee money for them.
So the first one was a cult classic and going into this movie I didn’t
expect much. Basically this movie
was enjoyable. I like it because I
had seen the original. I’m
thinking if you didn’t see the first one or hated the first one, then you
should not bother with watching this movie.
The movie extends the plot further to allow the audience one more trip
into The Grid in a world of light-cycles and disc showdowns.
Not that great of a plot, nice graphics and imagery…sounds like the
first one…well compared to 1982 standards.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Social
Network (seen on November 24, 2010)
Rating – 6
Starring: Jesse
Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake
This movie was ok. This is not an Oscar worthy movie like some of the hype
around it, but maybe it has a chance because movies in general this year have
been down. Jesse Eisenberg
doesn’t play his typical pathetic hero in this movie, which is refreshing, but
his character is still annoying. I
thought the story jumped around too much from storyline to storyline and all the
constant jumping back in forth from telling the story to the courtroom.
I just didn’t like how the movie flowed.
Maybe I should add that I’m not on Facebook.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story allegedly follows the life of Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, from his days at Harvard to building his 500 million people strong social network. It shows where the idea of Facebook originated and the enemies Mark made along the way.
Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (seen on
November 21, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: Daniel
Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
I still have not read this book since this is based
solely on the movie. The movie
started off well and ended well, but there were scenes in the middle that just
seemed long and drug out. The movie
felt slow to me and I didn’t learn anything new besides what the Deathly
Hallows is. Apparently, if you had
read the book you thought it was great. I
just expected more with the ending of the series in sight.
I’m guessing Part 2 will be intense, but we’ll see in the summer.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
There is fear among the wizard community on whom you can trust and who is part of the Voldemort’s army. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are by themselves and isolated from everyone. The three realize they need to find the remaining Horcruxes if they are to defeat Voldemort, but how do they find them and how do they destroy them. And now they find that Voldemort is in search of the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world know as the Deathly Hallows.
Megamind
(seen on November 12, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: Will
Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, David Cross
So it’s amazing, I found out that not only do I not
like Will Ferrell as an actor, but I don’t like him as a voice actor either.
The way animation is done nowadays, the characters are animated to
imitate the movements of the actors so yes, it is Will Ferrell.
The movie was enjoyable, but compared to “action-hero” cartoon
movies, I prefer The Incredibles and Monsters vs. Aliens. I did like how the movie focused on the bad guy and why he is
the way that he is. The movie had a
good storyline and a few laughs so I think it’s worth a watch.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Megamind grew up alongside Metro Man and was seen as the bad guy because he was different so he decided why not be the best bad guy possible. And then the rivalry continued to blossom into their adult lives. But one day Megamind defeats Metro Man and now the city is his. Soon he realizes there’s no excitement in his life without Metro Man so Megamind so devises a way to create a new rival.
Jackass 3D (seen on October 20, 2010)
Rating – 5
Starring: Johnny
Knoxville
The guys from Jackass have returned in 3D format.
I usually enjoy seeing them hurt themselves in their stupid stunts so why
not see it in 3D. The guys are
getting a bit older and maybe they’ve made too many of these movies, but I
still laughed at some of the stunts. Not
much too really say about this movie besides that.
3D added a little bit as you were able to have a better visually image of
the stunts. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
The Town (seen on October 18, 2010)
Starring: Ben
Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm
Rating – 8
Ben Affleck returns to directing this time starring
himself instead of his brother in another crime thriller movie.
He’s fine as a director, but I still get tired of him on screen as a
lead actor. This may be his best
performance as the leading actor, but you still get tired of him on screen all
the time. Now don’t let that
discourage you from seeing this movie solely based on that.
The movie is rather interesting and reminds me a lot of the movie Heat.
Jeremy Renner plays his typical soldier/gunman role the same he does in
every movie except now he has an annoying accent and cheesy moustache.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The
Expendables (seen on August 13, 2010)
Starring: Sylvester
Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture,
Steve Austin, Terry Crewes, Mickey Rourke
Rating – 8
Ok, so I know this movie stars a bunch of aging actors
and there’s no real plot to this, but this movie is awesome.
The body count was high, the jokes were cheesy, and the good guys
win…what more do you want in an action movie?
It looked like these guys had a lot of fun making this movie and it was
fun to watch the banter between each other.
This isn’t the best-written movie I’ve seen all year, but it is one
of the more enjoyable ones. This movie brings back the feel of the 80’s action movie
and I think it works. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Inception
(seen on July 21, 2010)
Starring: Leonardo
DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy,
Tom Berenger, Michael Caine
Rating – 9
DiCaprio delivers another good performance in a movie
and this time, the movie is a good one to match.
The movie can be a little difficult to follow with the jumping between
dream sequences. Basically, the only reason Ellen Page’s character is in the
movie is to help explain to the audience how the process works.
The movie could have benefited with a little more explaining to make it
complete, but probably would have made the movie too long and not worth the
trouble. I really enjoyed the
movie, but I left the theaters with my mind racing of what I just watched.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Cobb (DiCaprio) and his crew enter the minds of
powerful people to steal their secrets while they sleep as they control the
whole dream. Cobb is hired to
instead of steal a secret, but to rather plant an idea into a very powerful
executive on the verge of inheriting his father’s company. Once inside the dream, things don’t run as smoothly as
planned.
Predators
(seen on July 18, 2010)
Rating – 4
Starring: Adrien
Brody, Topher Grace
I went into this movie expecting a bad storyline, but
at least so nice action in the movie. I got that bad storyline I expected, but the action wasn’t
there either. Plus, I know it’s
not a realistic movie, but some of the things the characters did or reacted just
didn’t make sense. I wouldn’t
bother with watching this movie. Just
watch the original one again. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
A group of random mercenaries from Earth are dropped
off on an alien planet and they soon find out that they’re being hunted like
big game animals by an elite alien race. The
group decides to stick together to find a way to survive and hopefully to escape
the planet before they’re all slaughtered.
How to Train
Your Dragon (seen on April 23, 2010)
Starring: Gerard
Butler, Craig Ferguson
Rating – 7
I don’t think there were Scottish Vikings, but there
weren’t dragons either so oh well. I
enjoyed the movie and the 3D was a nice touch.
It didn’t have as much adult humor as some cartoons do, but it was
still there. I do like watching
these cartoons because they’re usually not sequels and they are original
stories. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Hiccup is a young Viking who is the screw-up of his
village. He lives in his father’s
shadow who is the great leader of the village.
One day when the dragons attack his village, Hiccup successfully wounds
one of the feared dragons, but when he eventually tracks it down, he doesn’t
have the heart to finish him off. Instead
he slowly nurses the dragon back to health and eventually befriends it.
The other villagers are unaware of this so Hiccup begins to show off in
dragon-killing school his hidden knowledge of the dragon and soon some become
suspicious.
Greenberg
(seen on April 3, 2010)
Rating – 4
Starring: Ben
Stiller
I guess this is Ben Stiller’s attempt to go back and
play a serious role. I don’t mind his past performances, but this role just
seems wrong. This role
doesn’t seem like a step away from his previous roles just the normal anxiety
type character he normally plays except the movie is a drama and not a comedy.
The movie feels too awkward and difficult to watch with his neurotic
antics and his lady quirks. I thought it felt too uncomfortable to watch. You don’t
wait for the ending to hope everything works out, but more of just hoping for an
ending to get out of the uneasiness of the movie.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Roger Greenberg has returned to LA to get away and stay
at his brother’s house while he’s on vacation.
He’s recently left a mental institution and is just trying to get away
from everything to find where he is in his life.
Greenberg finds himself living in the past as he reconnects with his old
friends and former girlfriend. The
only thing holding him to the present is his brother’s quirky assistant and
their odd relationship with each other.
Shutter
Island (seen on February 23, 2010)
Rating – 6
Starring: Leonardo
DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kinglsey, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams
I know the movie is filmed in the film noir type, but
it just seemed too cliché to me. I
think movies have advanced since the days of the 40’s and 50’s when film
noir was popular and that’s good. I
think DiCaprio did a good job in playing his role and fitting it into the genre
of the film, but the film overall just felt like a poor screenplay of borrowed
ideas from the past. I expect
Scorsese and DiCaprio’s next project together will be a better one and I’m
sure there will be another joint project from these two. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Crazyheart
(seen on February 12, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: Jeff
Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell
This might not be the best movie to see for someone who
can’t stand country music because it is littered throughout the movie.
Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell do their own singing in this movie and
really it’s not good singing, but I guess it is somewhat passable for a
wailing country singer. I find it
funny that half of the movie is set in Houston, TX yet there are only two shots
actually in Houston and it does not involve any actors.
It a simple story about a washed-up country singer who travels the local
circuits just trying to make a buck. It
reminds me a bit of last year’s The Wrestler in that aspect, but there
is a little more hope for this character as you can be an old and successful
country singer. Overall, it was an
ok movie to watch, but not something you need to rush out to see in the
theaters. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Bad Blake (Bridges) is an old country singer who has
not had a hit in some times and he is touring bowling alleys and small bars just
to make a living still. He meets a
young reporter, Jean (Gyllenhaal), who is interested in writing a story on him,
but Blake is interested in more than just a story.
Blake’s manager gets him a gig opening for his successful former protégé
Tommy Sweet (Farrell), but there is some bad blood between them.
His health is failing, his personal life is a wreck, and his professional
career is fading into the twilight, Bad is just trying to hold it together
before he hits rock bottom.
The Book of Eli
(seen on February 5, 2010)
Rating – 5
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila
Kunis
I go into this movie expecting a somewhat Mad Max type
movie with a little religious undertone. Instead I got more of a religious
movie, not much action and more talk. I do like the camera shots that the
movie had to make the earth look desolate (and there were several of them to
fill time in the movie), but that is about the extent of my enjoyment of the
movie. I didn't like how at times Denzel seemed to have a superhuman
quality to him. I believe Mila Kunis was not right for this role and I
think the good actors, Washington and Oldman, in the movie were not used to
their potential. I would wait for cable on this one. That's my quick
review; what's next?
Eli (Washington) is traveling to a place out west after a post-apocalyptic war decimated the Earth's population and reduced most people's living to primitive means. He encounters a town where he hopes to stock up supplies for his continuing journey. The town is controlled by Carnegie (Oldman), who is after a specific book that contains powerful words to inspire/control the masses. He hears from an ignorant Solara (Kunis) that Eli may have this book and Carnegie will do whatever it takes to get this book, but Eli has sworn to protect it.
Avatar (seen
on February 4, 2010)
Rating – 6
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney
Weaver
I was debating whether or not to go see this movie for
some time. The movie is supposed to be long, visually stunning,
politically charge, ground-breaking, etc. Things both good and bad and I
decided that eventually in life I would see it and I think it would be best to
watch on the big screen in 3D. I am glad I did because this is the only
way to watch this movie for enjoyment; otherwise, it's not worth watching.
The animation and 3D effects are just amazing. You get this feeling
that you are in the environment of the story, but that sums up the good parts of
the movie. I did feel that the movie is long. There were too many
long sequences displaying the animation as they run through the jungle and I
kept thinking get on with the story. And yes, I believe this movie is
politically charged. Yes, the
native people are like the Native Americans in how they value nature and family
and are being pushed off their sacred land, but the military is like the US army
in Iraq, or at least with Hollywood's spin. When the army talks about
going in hard and fast and one of the characters uses the phrase "shock and
awe", I'm sorry, but there is no denying that there is a political message.
There are more links than just that, but I am not going into it. If you want to make a political movie that's fine, but do not
insult the public by saying it is not one. No wonder it is doing so well
overseas compared to the US. Basically it boils down to if you have an
interest in seeing it, then you must see it in the theaters in 3D; otherwise, I
think you will be disappointed in any other format because the story is nothing
new. That's my quick review; what's next?
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
(seen on January 18, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Tom
Waits with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell
The last film by Heath Ledger is a good film, but his
performance is not as great as his Joker in The Dark Knight. The movie
definitely has a Terry Gilliam feel to it as it is odd, confusing and trippy.
The movie is filmed like a mix between the "Fisher King" and
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"; what I mean by this is that there is
a storyline, but it goes into weird abstract subplots. It's the scenes in
the Imaginarium that are confusing and those are the scenes that do not star
Heath Ledger. I wonder what was changed in the story after Ledger's death;
it might have just been the subtle change of Ledger's character appearance
change once inside the Imaginarium. There's a bit of silliness inside the
Imaginarium, but the interactions between Dr. Parnassus (Plummer) and Mr. Nick
(Waits) were very interesting as the story unfolds. That's my quick
review; what's next?
Up In the Air
(seen on January 13, 2010)
Rating – 7
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna
Kendrick, Jason Bateman
Jason Reitman is turning out to be a good director as
he creates yet another enjoyable movie. This movie is worth a watch,
although I slightly disagree with the award nominations it's getting. George
Clooney pulls off his usual good performance by getting the feeling like the
role was written for him. The characters were people you could relate to
and the topic of layoffs really hits the current times, which is possibly why it
is getting attention from the awards committees. I enjoyed how you could
watch the characters realistically grow throughout the story with the people
they interact with and their working environment. That's my quick review;
what's next?
Fantastic Mr. Fox
(seen on December 16, 2009)
Rating – 7
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason
Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe
Wes Anderson brings back the stop-motion reminiscent of the old Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer show. It was interesting to watch how it still felt
like a Wes Anderson movie despite being based on a Roald Dahl book.
Just the way it was shot and the dialogue just screamed Wes Anderson
production. The story is entertaining and a bit child-like; after all, it
is based on a children's book, but the stop-motion is a nice change and there
are laughs sprinkled throughout the movie. That's my quick review; what's
next?
Boondock Saints II:
All Saints Day (seen on November 20, 2009)
Rating – 5
Starring: Sean
Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly
The Informant!
(seen on October 9, 2009)
Rating – 7
Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula
This movie was a bit of a let down I thought. I
had heard good things about it, but I thought the movie fell short. I
didn't like how the movie had this 1970's type feel to it despite the fact that
most of the movie took place in the mid 1990's. The problem with this
movie was the fact that you just couldn't get behind the protagonist character.
Damon played him well to deliver subtle comedy throughout the movie, but
the character seemed to spineless and dumb to pull for or want to follow.
The movie is based on a true story, but I really wonder how much of it is
true, especially with the opening statement of the movie. That's my quick
review; what's next?
Mark Whitacre (Damon) works in Decatur, IL at a lysine development company known as ADP. When the government decides to go after his company for price fixing, Mark turns informant to aid the FBI in their case. The problem is that Mark enjoys his "secret agent" status a little too much and cause trouble for the FBI as he doesn't use much common sense.
Zombieland (seen on October 8, 2009)
Rating – 7
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg
So I know the movie is essentially an American version
of "Shaun of the Dead", but it doesn't make it a remake. They
just share similarities on the zombie-comedy genre. And like "Shaun
of the Dead", I enjoyed this one (maybe not as much, but still worth the
watch). Although the movie did have it's drawbacks like this Jesse
Eisenberg is too much of a weenie in this movie and reminds me too much of
Michael Cera. Maybe it was good that the movie was a bit on the short side
preventing me from finding him just annoying as opposed to intolerable. I
thought Woody Harrelson was entertaining as the zombie-hating redneck as opposed
to his real self of the vegan-hippie. That's my quick review; what's next?
9 (seen on
October 2, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Elijah
Wood, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Connelly
The animation to this movie was excellent; the story wasn't bad, it was just too
underdeveloped. The movie was less than 80 minutes long and I think they
easily could have developed/completed the story with just an additional 20
minutes and it still would have been a "short" movie, but a complete
movie. Most of the time was spent on the animation instead of the writing.
The movie is fast paced with one of the characters always in harm's way,
but the questions of why and how things are the way they are just are not
answered satisfactory. Even the main struggle does not make much sense on
why there is a struggle at all, but I guess it's better to accept it and just
enjoy the animation. That's my
quick review; what's next?
The story starts off with a post-apocalyptic war where
we're introduced to 9 (Wood) who is alone and unaware of his surroundings.
9 soon meets others like him and learns the perils they have endured
during their existence. There is a sinister machine from wartime that is
programmed to create other deadly machines to eradicate life. 9 and the
others are the only representation of life left and must decide between fighting
the machine or to live out their existence in hiding.
Extract
(seen on October 1, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Jason
Bateman, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis
The movie was entertaining to watch, but I didn't find
it that funny. The story was ok,
but overall the movie just lacked the laughs that a comedy should have. Frankly,
I'm tired of Jason Bateman already. He plans the same blah, ho-hum
character in everything he does. I can't tell if that's a result of
type-casting or that's just how he is in real life.
When you watch a comedy, it's mostly about the laughs and not the
storyline, but unlike Mike Judge's "Office Space", this didn't have
the laughs. It's not worth watching at the cinema, but don't avoid it if
it comes on TV. That's my quick review; what's next?
The Boat That Rocked
(aka Pirate Radio in US) (seen on September 12, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Philip
Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans
One advantage to working outside the US is that you get
to see some movies earlier than the release in the States.
Allegedly this movie is coming out in November in the US under the title Pirate
Radio. Other rumors I read is
that they’re going to remove some scenes of the movie before releasing in the
States, which is a good thing. The
movie does feel very long; I know I kept checking my watch throughout the film.
It could be because all the subplots throughout the movie that start up
and then finish and yet the movie continues on. The main plot of the movie is a bit weak and musical montages
are shown throughout similar to comedies in the 80's.
I felt this movie was more for Richard Curtis (writer/director) to
express his love of music cause the movie is music with subplots sprinkled
throughout. Maybe if I grew up in
that time period I would have liked the movie more, but that’s only cause I
would have enjoyed the music. The
movie is based on some actual truth, but the boat and the people on it are
fictional and just for entertainment. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Gamer (seen
on September 8, 2009)
Rating – 5
Starring: Gerard
Butler
I go into this movie expecting a mind-numbing shoot-em-up
game type movie. That’s what I
got. The real disappointment was
how much story they tried to develop from it.
You felt like you were watching a game during the war scenes so I guess
they got the effect they wanted for those shots, but who likes to watch people
play videogames? Well, apparently
me cause I went to the movie, but I would have prefer it to stick with more
violence and less of the slow, underdeveloped storyline.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Kable (Butler) is a convicted killer and has opted to play in a reality game known as “Slayers” where a user controls your every action. He’s been fortunate enough to survive 27 matches so far and once he makes it to 30, he gets a full pardon, which has never been done before. Kable’s only hope is surviving the 30 deadly matches to be reunited with his family, but the creator of “Slayers” does not want this reality star to escape and reveal his sinister plot.
District 9 (seen on September 7, 2009)
Rating – 5
Starring: Sharlto
Copley
I think more could have been done with this movie.
There was a story there that wasn’t fully developed and that may have
been related to how the film was shot as a documentary to reveal the missing
storylines, but there just wasn’t enough of it.
I just thought too much of the story was covered with a quick wave of the
hand to get to the action. There’s
something about the ending that really bothered me that didn’t fit well with
the beginning of the movie, but I don’t want to give that a way.
Basically, it felt like the whole movie was just the middle of a story,
no developed beginning and no wrapped up finish.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Funny People
(seen on August 24, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Adam
Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana
Let’s start off with stating that this is a drama
that has comedy in it and not the other way around.
Unlike most, people don’t like Adam Sandler when he does serious roles;
I don’t have a problem with that. The
one who couldn’t pull it off was Seth Rogen; it was just difficult to watch
him play the serious role. There is
comedy cause they’re doing standup throughout the movie and other stuff, but
since the main character is dying of a disease, it’s not all laughs.
I just felt the movie was too much ups and downs and the movie just
didn’t seem to flow that well as a whole.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Ugly Truth
(seen on August 2, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Katherine
Heigl, Gerard Butler
So I went and saw a romantic comedy today.
I would have to say I’ve seen better, but I would think that this is
directed more towards women only, which is starting to become a pattern for
Katherine Heigl. There’s something about here that I don’t like; I know
she’s trying to be the next Meg Ryan, but I don’t think she has it.
Gerard Butler was ok, but after a while his character just seemed too
much over the top and for that matter, so did Heigl’s.
That’s probably the point where it just stopped working for me.
Just some scenes seemed too ridiculous to believe.
The two of them together just didn’t seem to have believable chemistry
together. And adding in some cuss
words and a little more profane humor does not make the movie an adult comedy.
They should have stuck with cheesy romantic humor.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (seen on July 26, 2009)
Rating – 7
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
I know everyone is complaining that the Harry Potter kids are so much older
than they should be, but that doesn't bother me. How old are they supposed
to be cause they drink butter beer and wine in the movie?
What bothered me is this is book six and the story is getting closer to
ending and yet the movie is full of teenage love. There was only one big
thing, and it was big, that advanced the story; the rest was just about the kids
and their feelings toward one another. And it was painful to watch those
long drawn out awkward scenes. Remember, this point of view is strictly
based on the movie, as I've never read a Harry Potter book. So far in the
ranking of the six movies, I think this was probably fourth with one being the
highest. It's worth seeing if you're following the overall storyline, but
this movie as an individual was a bit weak compared to the rest. One more
thing about the movie is enough with the Quidditch matches already. They
usually offer very little to the plot (except maybe this movie) and you could
keep the movie shy of three hours. That's
my quick review; what's next?
Public Enemies
(seen on July 19, 2009)
Rating – 5
Starring: Johnny
Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard
I think Johnny Depp’s acting ability had gone
unnoticed for most of his career, and nowadays blown out of proportion, because
of lack luster movies. Watching
this movie compared to other movies is like reading an encyclopedia and
comparing it to a novel. Sure, the
facts are there and it tells you something, but there was no real development of
the characters. Who were you
supposed to support in the movie: the
gangster who’s not portrayed as violent as he was, but still killed and robbed
people or the weasel FBI man who couldn’t get the job done and made bad
decisions? Both performances by
Bale and Depp just seemed weak and two-dimensional.
The failed sub plot of the love story between Dillinger and his girl
Billie was underdeveloped and forced to quickly on the audience to give a
likeable quality to Dillinger. Unlike
other outlaw movies like Jesse James, Michael Mann was unsuccessful in
portraying Dillinger as a likeable guy; maybe he should have gone
“Hollywood” and make up the whole thing and just keep the names the same.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Year One
(seen on June 21, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Jack
Black, Michael Cera
The movie seems to start off cave man times, but it
follows more along the story line of the Bible.
I went into this movie not expecting much as Jack Black can be
over-bearing nowadays and Michael Cera is a character and not an actor.
I was tired of his “acting” ability when I saw ten minutes of him in
anything other than Arrested Development.
But I was surprised to find several laughs throughout the movie but that
may have been helped by Harold Ramis successful line of comedy experience. The plot is very weak, but I simply enjoyed the movie for a
stupid laugh. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Two “cave-men”, Zed and Oh, are evicted from their village for going against their people’s ways. Zed (Black) believes he possesses a knowledge that there is a better life beyond his village while Oh (Cera) is his less than masculine side-kick. They encounter several new wonders as they meet people, but they ultimately run across their former villagers and the women they once wooed have been sold into slavery. They try to devise a half-ass plan to free their former friends, but nothing will come easy for these idiots.
The Brothers Bloom (seen on June 17,
2009)
Rating – 7
Starring: Adrien
Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo
The characters are very interesting and the actors
portray them perfectly, but the big finish to the movie is just not there for
me. It’s not how it ended, but
how it got to the ending that is too improbable to me.
I don’t want to give it away in the review, but it seemed that the
writer had an ending he wanted to get to from the middle, but couldn’t connect
it so pulled the first idea to get it to work.
I think it could have connected a lot simpler, but that’s beside the
point. With con man movies,
there’s usually something the writer knows that the audience doesn’t and it
is revealed all at the end. I just felt there was too many things unexplained that the
writer didn’t let the audience in on to give that feeling he conned us.
Interesting characters, a clever idea, but the movie falls short of being
able to wrap the story in a nice little bow.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Hangover
(seen on June 12, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Bradley
Cooper
It may be nice to see a new comedy that doesn't consist
of Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, or Seth Rogen, but I still feel like this movie
fell short on laughs. The movie is ultimately the same type of story as
"Dude, Where's My Car" except switch lost car with groom.
Both were drunken friends who lost something and try to find out what
happened the night before by talking to some outlandish and bazaar people (Mike
Tyson included). The laughs and the
characters are better, but there's not a great storyline to it and a bit hard to
believe every scenario that happened over the course of a night. And like
most comedies, most of the funny scenes could be seen during the previews.
Also, who has a bachelor's party only 2 days before a wedding? That
doesn't happen anymore. That's my quick review; what's next?
Four guys head to Vegas for a bachelor's party two days before the wedding. They wake up the next morning not remembering a thing except that the night started off with a toast and now the groom is missing. The other three guys retrace their steps from the night before to figure out what happened and to get their friend back to town for the wedding. The previous night slowly unfolds as they encounter people they met from their crazy night.
Up (seen May 29, 2009)
Rating – 7
Starring: Ed Asner, Christopher
Plummer
A little added bonus by watching this movie as I caught it in 3D, which was
nice for a while, but at some point it starts to hurt your eyes and make them
tired and you can’t take them off or the screen will be blurry.
But I’m writing this to evaluate the movie and not the optional
effects. The movie starts off a bit slow to tell the back-story of the
old man, which I think they could have drastically reduced.
So after ~15 minutes the story gets moving forward and the movie is
delight from there. I think some of
the other Pixar cartoons have had a few more laughs for the adults than this
one, but still a movie for all ages to watch.
Carl (Asner) grows up wanting to be a great explorer like his hero Charles Muntz and soon meets Ellie who shares the same passion. As Carl and Ellie live their life there’s always a reason why they don’t go exploring. After Ellie’s passing and Carl’s accidental run-in with the law, he decides he’s going to float his house to the place he’s always wanted to go, Paradise Falls in South America, but he unknowingly takes a wilderness scout along who was on his porch during takeoff.
Star Trek (seen on May 23, 2009)
Rating – 8
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary
Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana
The writers have been able to reestablish the Star Trek franchise and as they
say “reboot” the storyline. The
movie is filled with action, the expected clichés, and a good storyline, but
the question I guess I still wonder is why did they bring the characters back?
Why not just start with a new set of characters and tell the Star Trek
story from there. Not like the
Trekkies won’t go see a new set of characters and the non-Trekkies don’t
care who the characters are.
Watchmen
(seen on April 12, 2009)
Rating – 6
Starring: Billy
Crudup
I would imagine the book explains a lot more of the
story than the movie did. I think
the movie was done well visually, but just seems there was too much of the story
omitted to cram it even into a movie that 2:45 long.
I thought there were too many gratuitous scenes that tried to explain
things with a wave of hand. I’d
say it was entertaining enough to rent, but really not worth the trip to the
cinema. They only explain how one
of the guys is a superhero. Personally,
I think you explain one or none at all. What
was the point in knowing the history of Dr. Manhattan?
Billy Crudup’s agent may have insisted on it so that they could show
his Crudup’s face without all the blue make-up or computer graphics.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
I Love You, Man
(seen on April 3, 2009)
Rating – 3
Starring: Paul
Rudd, Jason Segel
As you can see from the rating, I did not like this
movie. I can’t figure out if
it’s Paul Rudd or only his character that is a tool. The movie is just painful to watch how uneasy he is around
guys cause he has no male friends. He
tries to bond with people and I can’t imagine anyone being this spastic in
life and the real problem is that it doesn’t let up.
There has to be some kind of release or tension break for the audience,
but every scene with Rudd in it, it’s just painful to watch as you expect him
to do or say something stupid that you wouldn’t imagine anyone in real life
doing or saying. I thought the
story was bad and the sporadically humor in the movie is not enough to make me
recommend this movie to anyone. And
if you’ve seen the previews, you’ve seen all the funny parts and I mean the
full sequence of all the funny parts so don’t bother. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Gran Turino
(seen on March 15, 2009)
Rating – 8
Starring: Clint
Eastwood
Clint Eastwood has never been the greatest actor, but
more of a great character like John Wayne. He brings back the same type grumpy old man from Million
Dollar Baby that is disgusted with people, but warms up to the persistent
people. That’s fine; I enjoyed
the movie and his character, but he did not expand his acting prowess for this
role. His grumpiness was a good
relief of the tension throughout the movie with the seriousness of the subplot.
Overall a good story well directed raising the audience to tense moments
and allowing comic releases intertwined to alleviate the tension.
One thing that bothered me was when his grandkids were in the movie; they
just seemed a bit over the top and not really believable as characters, but I
could be wrong, as I don’t have grandkids.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Slumdog Millionaire
(seen on February 12, 2009)
Rating – 8
Starring: Dev
Patel
I’m having trouble deciding if this is the sleeper
hit that Hollywood will back in the Oscars or The Wrestler.
Both excellent movies. This
movie is just a story, but some parts of the story reflect how life in the slums
of Mumbai actually can be. The
movie is shot well by Danny Boyle by telling the graphic story of Jamal as he
grows up while interlaced with the present story of Jamal on Who Wants to Be
a Millionaire? to give the audience a break from some tense scenes.
So don’t go into this movie expecting it a light-hearted easy going
movie with a kid from the slums winning millions of dollars and everything going
well, but expect another great directorial performance from Danny Boyle.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Wrestler
(seen on February 6, 2009)
Rating – 8
Starring: Mickey
Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
Rourke does an excellent job of portraying an old
wrestler who’s just getting by after his glory days are well behind him.
You believe that this is how a broken down wrestler could be and makes
you wonder about those old wrestlers you watched as a kid and where are they
now. There are a lot of wrestling
scenes, but it’s nice to see the pre-match talks and after-match scenes to see
how these wrestlers take a beating over and over.
I like the character of The Ram where he knows he’s made mistakes in
life and he does what he has to do to get by.
I thought the side story between Tomei’s character and Rourke’s was
awkward and almost forced into the storyline to create a love interest in the
movie. The father-daughter
estranged relationship had more substance with fewer scenes than the
wrestler-stripper relationship. I still like the film, but it’s not an upbeat movie to
watch a fallen hero in the twilight of his life.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(seen on January 23, 2009)
Rating – 8
Starring: Brad
Pitt, Cate Blanchett,
Brad Pitt uses his same acting abilities from Meet
Joe Black in this Forrest Gump feel of a movie, but I still enjoyed
it. Some say that the movie is a
romance between Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in the movie, which is true, but
the movie is more about life and death and missed opportunities.
Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it’s nice to see a movie
that’s not a remake or sequel. The
movie is about 2 hours 45 minutes long so be prepared to sit for a while, but I
find it an enjoyable watch and a warning goes to those who prefer light, simple
movies as opposed to more deep-thought, calculating films.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Benjamin Button (Pitt) was born with an unusual disease
where he ages backwards through life. His father abandons him on a doorstep of a retirement home
where he is raised by the homekeeper. The
residents accept him as one of them as he looks old already as a small child,
but they don’t realize that his whole life is ahead of him and he learns the
mistakes/missed opportunities of the old before his life has really begun.
Ben soon meets the granddaughter, Daisy (Blanchett), of one of the other
residents and is just smitten with her. The
story follows Ben’s life as he gets “older” and explores what life has to
offer.
Quantum of Solace
(seen on November 29, 2008)
Rating – 6
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
Well it's a shame that Bond decided to go the route of so many other Hollywood
movies by making a sequel to a Bond movie instead of a separate individual
story. Shame. I liked how the first movie with Daniel Craig went to
a more ruthless side of James Bond and shows how he is evolving as a spy, but
this movie offered no growth to the character.
There's still a lack of gadgets for Bond, no charm, and just brute force.
After a while, this movie doesn't differentiate from movies like Rambo or
Commando where the lead character is just out for revenge.
Yawn. I have to say that it's time for Bond to be reinvented again
as this Bond is now just like all the other brute-force action heroes.
Good start with Casino Royale, but the character needed to evolve from
there and step closer to the suave 007 that separates these action movies from
the Schwarzenegger and Stallone movies. I doubt these writers are from the
US because I know these movies always have the British being so much smarter
than the slow, dim-witted Americans, but this one seemed a little too much.
And I didn't appreciate how the movie has jumped on the bandwagon of going
green and all that crap. Just write
a good movie and leave your personal message out of it. I'd rather see
them remake one of the Ian Fleming movies instead of writing sequels. I
fear there is potential to make a third movie in this series if they choose to
develop it. That's my quick review; what's next?
Bond (Craig) picks up right where the last movie ended. 007 and M soon
find that there is a underground syndicate around the world that has lots of
money and power, but no one knows anything about. In a nutshell, the movie
boils down to Bond wanting revenge for the death of his girl in Casino Royale
and how to go about avenging her death.
RocknRolla (seen on November 7, 2008)
Rating – 5
The Dark Knight
– (seen on July 18, 2008)
Rating – 8
Starring: Christian
Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman,
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Get Smart
– (seen on June 23,3008)
Rating – 7
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin, Dwayne Johnson
Son of Rambow
(seen on May 26, 2008)
Rating – 7
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull (seen on May 23, 2008)
Rating – 5
Starring: Harrison
Ford, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Shia LeBeouf, John Hurt, Karen Allen
It’s a shame to give Indiana Jones this type of
rating, but I’m going to stick with it. I
think they should have just stopped with three movies instead of making this
last one. The movie seems a bit
cartoon-like in parts, certain “clever” scenes that Indy always experience
seemed forced, and a 65-year-old man cannot do the things he does in the movie.
The movie acknowledges that he is older when he reflects on his left, but
they ignore that fact when he’s running around fighting people or jumping onto
cars. Of course, we all know that everyone of you is going to see
this movie; you have to, it’s still Indiana Jones.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The timeline of Indiana Jones’ (Ford) life has
finally moved forward as it is now 1957 and Jones is now mixed up with the
Russians. Indy finds himself
suspended from teaching over the threat that he is working with these Russians.
He soon meets a kid named Mutt (LeBeouf) who tells him these same
Russians have kidnapped an old colleague of Jones’ who knows the secret of the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Iron Man
(seen on May 14, 2008)
Rating – 7
Starring: Robert
Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard
I still think they could have done with a better actor
than Robert Downey Jr. for this role, but he is acceptable.
The CGI is this movie is great on how they show Iron Man move.
I liked how they described how he got the name “Iron” Man even though
he’s not made of iron. This is a
typical super-hero movie where most of the movie describes how Tony Stark
becomes Iron Man and the fight scene at the end is short (similar to the
Fantastic Four). And there is
another scene at the end of the credits so you might want to stay till the end. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Flashbacks of a Fool
(seen on April 19, 2008)
Rating – 7
Starring: Daniel
Craig
I hope this doesn’t ruin anything, and I don’t see
how it would, but it’s really not “flashbacks”; it’s just one flashback.
Still, that doesn’t affect my review of the movie; I just found that
funny. The director is famous for shooting music videos, which is
somewhat noticeable in the way some of the scenes are shot, but it’s a nice
touch. The plot isn’t that great
and there are no surprise twists to the movie, but I just found it rather
enjoyable. They say people tend to
like timepiece movies, but I doubt they meant the one’s set during the 70’s.
All in all, I’d say the movie is a melancholy drama so make sure
you’re in the mood to see something like that or you will be disappointed.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
There Will Be Blood
(seen on February 27, 2008)
Rating – 8
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano
I must start off by saying there is no question why
Daniel Day-Lewis received the academy award for best actor this year.
Just an amazing performance by him, which is a good thing cause the whole
movie revolves around his actions. I’ve
never read the book, Oil!, that the movie is based on, but I don’t
think that’s important. The movie
can be a bit slow and calculating in parts, but it effective gives off the
feeling of desolation in the early 1920’s.
I thought they could have developed a little more of a storyline between
the Day-Lewis and his clashes with the church community, but they may have
extended the movie too long and the other scenes were required.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Day-Lewis is an oilman who loves the excitement of
finding oil before anyone else. He
travels around with his son to new land developments trying to strike a contract
up with the local landowners to get their oil out of the ground.
One day he’s tipped off about an oil deposit that has yet to be tapped.
Soon he manipulates everyone in the town to let him pump the oil out of
the land by promising to give back to the community. Problem is, Day-Lewis only cares about himself and the chase
to get to every amount of oil first before any other company can.
He clashes with the local church community as he does not keep his
promises to the community, but just focuses on producing oil.
Jumper (seen
on February 17, 2008)
Rating – 4
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson
The main problem with this movie is not casting Hayden
Christensen in a movie (that by itself is a problem), but the major lack of plot
development. The movie is only an
hour and a half long. Why would you
not develop the story line more when the movie is considered short for movies
nowadays? Saving too much for the
trilogy, but if the first movie isn’t any good, why bother making the second
two. And when you look at the
villain of Samuel L. Jackson, you almost sympathize with his quest.
If he’s the villain, shouldn’t you despise him?
In a nutshell, the movie is badly acted, underdeveloped and over-hyped.
Why did I still give it a 4 rating…because the concept of the movie is
intriguing, it just lacks talent to develop it.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Christensen discovers when he is young that he’s able
to teleport to anywhere he’s been. After
running away from home, he decides to use his powers to live the high-life in
Manhatten. He travels around the
world at a whim, but still misses the girl from his past that he’s always had
a crush on. Soon he realizes that
he must contact her and woo her. The
problem is that there is an underground agency that are chasing Jumpers and
exterminating them. Jackson is hot
on his tail and Christensen soon meets another Jumper to battle Jackson.
Juno (seen
on February 13, 2008)
Rating – 6
Starring: Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Overall an enjoyable movie, but I don’t think it’s
one of the top five movies of the year. And
I think Ellen Page did an excellent job acting like a sassy pregnant
16-year-old, but after a while, it’s a bit annoying to hear 16-year-old girls
have their slang conversations. Also,
most of the best parts were in the previews, but still, refreshing to see an
original movie. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
I Am Legend
Rating – 6
Starring: Will Smith
I'm a bit confused by most of the critics’ reaction to this movie. Just
because Will Smith did an excellent job of acting, and he did, doesn't mean it's
a good movie. The movie is too slow, the flashbacks to explain the world's
situation take forever to develop when the audience already knows what has
happen, and when the story does actually pick up, it's not that good. When
you see the last flashback, you almost sigh in relief that finally the movie has
told you what you had already suspected for the past hour; that's not really
building suspense, but rather a longing for an end. But with a weak story,
you realize how good a performance Will Smith has when the movie receives this
much attention. All in all, you've
seen this similar plot out of Hollywood several times before; some good movies,
some bad. It's a good movie to see Will Smith act dramatically, but in the
end, you'll be looking at you watch and wondering how much longer does the movie
have left. That's my quick review;
what's next?
No Country for Old Men
Rating – 9
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier
Bardem, Woody Harrelson
It's a different feeling to
see a good drama nowadays, especially when it's not a remake. I must start
off by complementing the acting. They just made you feel like they were
those characters, well, maybe all except for Woody Harrelson.
I just can’t see him as a tough guy. Also it doesn't hurt that
the movie is set in the great state of Texas. That's always pleasing to
see. The movie is rather violent
and slow moving in parts, but that all helps to show how the characters act and
react. They tend to be more methodical in their actions instead of just
gut reactions that miraculously work out. And
Bardem is just amazing how sinister he is in the movie. You really don't
like this guy and do not want him around. Let
me throw in some catch words for the commercials:
“Tense, suspenceful, heart-pounding.”
Not your typical Coen brothers’ movie for several reasons (not a
comedy, didn’t write original story, don’t have list of typical actors), but
the movie does follow their type of directorial shots.
That's my quick review; what's next?
Lars and the Real Girl
Rating – 8
Starring: Ryan Gosling
I wonder if I gave this a higher rating simply because it's not a sequel or a
remake, at least not that I'm aware of. The movie is a comedy to start off
with as you laugh at his delusional antics with the doll, but later the movie
takes a more serious turn as he battles with his actual mental health. That's
probably the main reason why critics seemed to like it; the underlying struggle
that he has. Personally I liked watching it for the comedy part myself and
not the scenes where it just shows him as delusional. I thought Ryan
Gosling did an excellent job at his role of the reclusive character that shows
delusional tendencies. It is a comedy, but I would suggest this movie to
people who tend to enjoy the 'indie' movies instead of someone just looking for
a comedy. A good watch if you like more independent flicks. That's
my quick review; what's next?
The Bourne Ultimatum (seen on August
11, 2007)
Rating – 6
Starring: Matt
Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glen, Albert Finney
You knew someday Hollywood was going to complete
the trilogy of this storyline. Now
I’ve only read the first book in the series because I was told the next two
were not nearly as good and if this is true, the movies have that in common as
well. You get a bunch of action,
but no addition to the storyline that ends any more depth.
So Bourne still cannot remember who he is and there’s someone in the
CIA who’s scared what he might know, but you knew that after the first movie.
Basically it boils down to more action than substance.
Hollywood is just stretching out the existing storyline as long as it
sells tickets. Note the rating so I recommend waiting till it’s on cable
unless you have nothing better to do and have the need to get out and eat
popcorn. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix (seen on July 29,
2007)
Rating – 9
Starring:
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
That's the fifth Harry
potter film. Yet no one seems to mind. I guess cause it's not
actually a sequel, but just a continuation of the story similar to Lord of the
Rings. I guess the main difference in those films is that there is
somewhat of an ending to the Harry Potter films. I still haven't read the books so I understand that people
who've read the books are a bit disappointed in the stuff that is left out of
this movie, but as a movie itself, I thought it was one of the better one's.
I like seeing the students growing up and rebelling against the system.
I like seeing more wizard duels than just the feud between Malfoy and
Potter. I like the fact that there was no Quidditch game in this movie.
What a time waster watching those scenes. It was good in the first
movie, but pointless in subsequent movies. After watching this movie and
seeing the storyline picking up pace, I'm eager to find out what happens next.
And since the next one won't be out till November of 2008 with the finale
in Summer of 2010 (my own personal predictions), I almost feel compelled to read
the books to know the rest of the story. That's
my quick review; what's next?
Transformers
(seen on July 28, 2007)
Rating – 8
Starring:
Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight
Don’t go into this movie
expecting the greatest acting in the world because the acting is done as if they
actors know this was a cartoon. But
that’s not why you’re going to see this movie, you going to see this movie
for the action. The CGI in this
movie is excellent and you watch the movies and you believe that these robots
actually are destroying the bases, towns, and each other.
The movie does a recap of the storyline so even if you didn’t watch the
cartoons, you still will be able to follow the movie.
Just remember that the movie is a sci-fi so don’t expect realism and
you will enjoy the movie. One
little added bonus for the cartoons lover is that it is the same voice for
Optimus Prime in the movie that was in the cartoons.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Simpsons Movie
(seen on July 27, 2007)
Rating – 7
Starring:
The Simpsons
I’m giving this a 7
because maybe I expected too much from the movie and rating it a bit harsh.
It’s an hour and a half long and it just feels like a longer episode.
It didn’t seem to offer anything new, well, except there were a few
edgier scenes that wouldn’t go over so well on TV.
The movie had some very clever jokes in it that makes you laugh and of
course, Homer does some random stupid things, which are always a crowd pleaser.
I just wonder how much does it really offer more.
Why couldn’t they just have a done a three part TV show to tell the
same story, but then they wouldn’t make all this extra money.
I think basically it boils down to if you’re a Simpsons fan, you need
to go see it because it an extended episode so you’ll be pleased with that. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Springfield Lake is over
polluted and when Homer decides to dump one more thing in the lake, which was
forbidden by the city at the time, it triggers a response from a rather sinister
EPA agent who decides to enclose the entire city with a glass dome.
Well, the city wants vengeance against Homer, but the Simpsons somehow
manage to escape the dome. But soon
the Simpsons find out that their hometown of Springfield is under peril and must
return to save the town and there’s only one bald, fat, stupid man who’s
able to do it.
Live Free or Die Hard
(seen on July 24, 2007)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant
The movie may have gotten a
7 rating had it not been labeled Die Hard. The movie didn’t have “real” action as the others had
been and it was just too much to imagine why an NYPD cop is caught up in all
this high-tech terrorism. There are
too many scenes where bones should have been broken, but instead just a minor
flesh wound. Maybe I just wasn’t
too into the idea of Die Hard 4. Maybe
if it was just a Bruce Willis action movie called something else I would have
given it a 7, but this just escapes the reality of the other three, or at least
the first two (I never liked the scene in the third one where he’s
“surfing” on the dump truck or where they slide down the cable from the
bridge to the ship below and fall and still live).
Perhaps I mainly didn’t like the pairing of this NYPD cop with some
computer hacker. It just wasn’t a
great pairing having a whiney kid with a tough cop.
Also, the quick introduction of McClane’s daughter and their estranged
relationship was a bit lame just to have her in the movie.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Fantastic Four –
Rise of the Silver Surfer (seen on June 24,
2007)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Ioan Gruffudd
It was an ok movie.
The only new story lines out of Hollywood are comic books nowadays, but I
was intrigued to see the Silver Surfer is what mainly drew me to this.
I thought the movie was a bit cheesy in many scenes relative to how
Spiderman acted as the “Black Spidey”, but not as bad.
Not much action, but more along the lines of storyline development and
problem solving of the movie than just action.
I found it a bit refreshing that the writers actually develop a story
instead of just senseless action, which I suspect a Fantastic Four will have
similar to X-men 3 or Spiderman 3.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Knocked Up (seen on June 6, 2007)
Rating – 7
Starring: Seth
Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd
This movie has the same type of humor that was in
the 40 Year Old Virgin, but this includes stoner humor. As far as I know,
this isn't a remake so that's a good start. For starters, you have to
accept the first encounter of the couple as possible because you would question
why a TV "reporter" would be talking to a burnout in a bar, especially
if she is totally sober. Not really what you would call high-brow humor,
but it's nice to laugh at stupidity sometimes. The plot itself is pretty
predictable so don't expect any real shockers, but if you want a simple low-brow
comedy, this one is worth a watch. Most of the humor is either pot smoking
humor or couple humor. I really
enjoyed the random movie quotes they had sprinkled throughout the film. That's
my quick review; what's next?
Spiderman 3
(seen on May 22, 2007)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, James
Franco
Hot Fuzz
(seen on March 31, 2007)
Rating - 8
Starring: Simon Pegg,
Nick Frost
The guys who brought you Shaun
of the Dead are back for more in Hot Fuzz and it doesn’t disappoint
if you enjoyed the first movie. I must say it’s a British movie so if you can’t stand
that sort of humour (yes, I spelt it the British way) then perhaps you
shouldn’t watch it, but I think it crosses the ocean well as a comedy.
It makes references to bad cop movies as if to poke fun at itself, but I
wonder how many people in the audience picked up on the references.
Overall, it’s a good comedy throughout the movie until the final
showdown where it gets a bit goofy with the excessive action, but that’s part
of the fun of the movie. A bit hard
to vision Simon Pegg as a “super-cop”, but Nick Frost plays the bumbling
partner to perfection as expected. Quick
trivia, see if you can guess whom the famous actress is who plays his
ex-girlfriend, Jeanine, in the beginning of the movie and she is uncredited so
don’t bother to watch during the end credits to find out.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Sgt. Angel (Pegg) is the
ideal police officer. He epitomizes
what the law should stand for, but his fellow officers in London hate him
because they make him look bad. So
they ship him off to a small town, Sanford, where they will not be bothered with
him. Angel finds the small town
life a bit difficult as he loves to fight crime and there is very little in the
town. And what crime he does
discover, the townspeople and chief of police tend to just brush it off as if
it’s no big deal. He’s partner
with a clumsy wannabe cop (Frost), who helps teach Angel to relax, but when foul
play is afoot, perhaps it’s time to get more serious and find out what’s
going on behind the scenes of this small town.
Mr. Bean's Holiday
(seen March 30, 2007)
Rating - 5
Starring: Rowan
Atkinson, Willem Dafoe
It’s your typical Bean
type show, but it lasts for an hour and a half. The short skits may be funny, but even when you watch a few
of those in series you get a bit tired of it.
Imagine the same skit for an hour and a half and that’s what the movie
is like. Of course, I missed out on
some of the jokes as I watched in Norway and the parts that were in French were
subtitle in Norwegian so a few of the funny parts went over my head.
Other people in the theater laughed, but I watched the movie from
Bean’s perspective not knowing what he agreed to half the time.
But I was able to follow the movie, which is pretty much Atkinson making
faces and dancing around like a fool. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
The Good Shepherd
(seen on March 2, 2007)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Matt Damon, William Hurt, Angelina Jolie, John Turtorro, Alec Baldwin,
Billy Crudup, Robert De Niro
I have to start off by giving you a warning that this is one of those stereotypical political thrillers, which basically means it’s slow, calculating, and long. But if you’re in the mood for a movie like that, this is a good one to see. The characters are roughly based on real-life people and I found it interesting to watch the growth of the CIA and the tension versus the rival Russians. The movie is quite long and you wish you weren’t sitting there for over two and half hours, but it was important to watch the growth of Damon’s character. The movie focuses more on story development than action, but the story itself keeps you interested. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story follows Edward Wilson (Damon) from his college days to his days in Europe during World War II to the start of the CIA to the Bay of Pigs. Wilson is recruited straight from college to work in intelligence during World War II and must leave his pregnant wife (Jolie) back in the US. Wilson meets his Russian counterpart at the end of the WWII and will cross paths with him in their careers of counter-intelligence. Upon returning home to his family from being gone six years, Wilson finds he has distanced himself from his wife and child to focus on his career. The CIA is soon formed to protect the US and the story follows Wilson through the debacle of the Bay of Pigs, which reveals there is a mole in Wilson’s department.
Breaking and Entering
(seen on February 22, 2007)
Rating – 3
Starring:
Jude Law, Robin Wright Penn
I sure that there are some
people out there that will love this movie and call me crazy.
I didn’t care for Closer either.
And here we have Jude Law playing yet again another adulterer who
doesn’t know how well he has what he already has.
Jude Law feels distant from Robin Wright Penn in the movie, but the
audience feels distant from her as well. Probably
why you don’t feel too sorry for her when Jude Law cheats on her or maybe
because it is Jude Law and all of his characters are becoming the same.
The whole movie has this depressed/searching for oneself mentality, but
somehow the characters end up happy without solving anything. I don’t really buy it how everything is suddenly ok and
wrapped in a neat little package. But
obviously based on my rating, I would like my time back.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Rocky Balboa
(seen on February 20, 2007)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Sylvester Stallone
As I sit there in the
theater waiting for the previews…or commercials to start, it suddenly occurs
to me with a bit of a chuckle, I’m about to watch Rocky VI.
Are you kidding me?!? Then
suddenly that famous trumpet intro kicks in of “Gonna Fly Now” and I’m
locked in and ready to watch Rocky fight till the bitter end.
Now, besides all that, it would have been a better movie had it not been
the sixth one in the chain of movies and make several references to the
previous, well, the first four at least. You
just get that feeling of been there, done that, offer me something more.
But then to counteract that argument I just say, sweet it’s Rocky, the
man with a million to one shot. It’s
funny to see everyone in the crowd as the fight scene goes on, how everyone is
leaning forward on the edge of their seat still pulling for Rocky after all
these years. Finally, you get that sense that this is “Rocky’s” swan
song and that there will not be a seventh, hopefully.
Not more I should say as I would guess as soon as you heard there was
another Rocky movie, you decided then and there whether or not you would watch
it. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Smokin’ Aces
(seen on February 15, 2007)
Rating – 4
Starring:
Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta
I go in to watch this movie
to just expect a blood-filled, shoot ‘em movie, guys’ movie.
I didn’t expect to get such a romantic plot in the movie.
Just kidding. Actually, I
got neither of those. With a
tagline “May the best hitman win”, I expected more blood and carnage
throughout the movie. Most of it was just background story line vaguely telling you
about all the characters and a lot of build-up to where you hope all the hitman
are in one huge gun fight, but I can’t recall a single hitman even shooting at
another hitman. It’s pretty weak
if you ask me. There is blood and a
decent body count, but with a weak plot-line and weak characters, despite all
the efforts they try to make these hitman sinister, you just don’t believe it.
The movie is just too cheesy and it doesn’t appear that’s the way the
movie was trying to go. So the movie just fails to deliver what it sets out to
achieve. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Starter for 10
(seen on December 13, 2006)
Rating – 7
Starring:
James McAvoy, Dominic Cooper
For starters, I must explain
what “Starter for 10” means to my non-British friends.
There’s a game show in the UK called “University Challenge” where
two teams of four from different universities compete in knowledge and the
opening of each set of questions is “starter for 10” meaning first question
of the set is ten points with three bonus questions worth five.
Ok, now that the background is covered, let’s get on to the movie
itself. A funny movie, but I was a
bit upset with how hung up the kid was over the girl after just hanging out with
twice. It doesn’t matter too much
as you can tell the romantic side of the character is going to end up and is
nothing that shocking. However,
what makes this an interesting movie is his struggle in college and the
“University Challenge”, which both are impacted by his love life.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Brian is an average student
who strives to gain as much knowledge as possible.
He used to watch “University Challenge” with his father as a child
and his father always encouraged him to learn.
Brian is all grown up now and off to college leaving his friends and his
mother behind. In college, life
starts out well for Brian as he meets a girl and finds himself on the University
Challenge team, but both turn sour eventually and Brian must learn to cope and
persevere or quit and go home to momma.
Flushed Away
(seen on December 1, 2006)
Rating – 8
Starring:
Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslett, Ian McKellan, Bill Nighy, Jean Reno
I bet this movie probably
doesn’t get that much of a draw since Happy Feet is coming out as the
same time, but this is a very funny movie. Of course it’s a cartoon, but done by a joint venture of
Aardman and Dreamworks. I know when
we were in the movie there were kids there, but I can guarantee that laughed
more than the kids. There were bits
of humor scattered throughout the movie. The
plot isn’t that intricate as it is a cartoon, but just watching it as an
entertaining movie, it’s worth a watch. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Roddy (Jackman) is a pet
mouse living in a posh house in Kensington. After an uninvited visitor, Sid, from the sewer rubs Roddy
the wrong way, he tries to convince Sid to jump in the toilet for his bath.
But Sid is cleverer and pushes Roddy in and flushes him into the sewers.
Roddy soon runs into a mouse town and tries to find his way back to the
surfaces. He employs the services
of a rogue boat captain, Rita (Winslett), to take him back, but runs into
resistance from the Toad (McKellan). Roddy
soon learns that surface life isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be since he
has no family or friends on the surface and must return to the sewers to save
the day.
Pan’s Labyrinth
(seen on November 29, 2006)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Sergi Lopez, Ivanna Baquero
Movies by Guillermo del Toro
have not lived up to what I had expected. As
I go into this, I heard critics praising this movie as the award winner this
year. Now it’s a very enjoyable
movie, but you feel that he could have done so much more with it and it was a
bit of a let down that success was there for the taking, but the film
underachieved. With the two stories
of wartime in Spain in the 1940’s and the girl’s imagination of escaping
into her fantasy world, it would have been fantastic if the movie had
intertwined the two stories more together.
The wartime scenes were much more developed and the Captain was a great
character; just so evil in how he went about his day that you just loathed him,
an excellent character. Now the
little girl’s imagination let her escape from her rough life, but the tasks
that she undertook were very quick and did not compare to the length of the rest
of the movie and they didn’t relate to her daily life much.
They were more like dreams that no one else ever knew about.
One more thing, if subtitles bother you, don’t watch this as the whole
movie is in Spanish. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Casino Royale
(seen on November 22, 2006)
Rating – 9
Starring:
Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
Can you really say that
James Bond is back, when this is actually the first book?
Anyways, an excellent movie, but when you watch this you must accept that
Bond is not yet refined into the Bond most know.
He is still going through the learning process of being 007 and shows
that he is more ruthless and irrational. Craig
portrays the role great as the rough Bond, but I will be quite interested in
seeing in the next Bond if he tries to play the more refined James Bond or still
the edgy character. One complaint
and I know the movie is called Casino Royale, but it felt as if way too
much of the movie was about the poker scene and it’s very interesting how
they’ve jumped on the popularity of Texas Hold ‘Em too, but it didn’t hurt
the movie so no complaints about it, just an observation.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Bond recently receiving his
license to kill foils a terrorist plot to blow up a plane.
He soon follows an evil banker responsible for the attempted terror act
to Montenegro where he is invited to play in a high stake game of Texas Hold
‘Em. Bond tries to beat him with
his talent that he has already learned over the years, but soon learns that he
has several more lessons to learn as an international spy.
Tim Burtons:
Nightmare Before Christmas 3D (seen on November 21, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Jack the Pumpkin King
I’m not going to do an
extravagant review for this movie as it was originally released in 1993 and some
have probably have already seen this. I
felt compelled to go watch it as it is a great “Christmas” movie, but I
wanted to see what all this talk about cartoons now being shown in 3D.
Now this isn’t the 3D with the red and blue glasses, but with the two
polarized lenses. This movie is the
same as the original, but now when you watch it, you can see depth to the
backgrounds and to the characters. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
In case you haven’t seen
it yet…Jack the Pumpkin King is in Halloween Town and every year the residents
are in charge of making Halloween the scariest time of year.
One day, Jack wonders through the woods and stumbles upon a door that
leads to Christmas Town. Jack likes the idea of becoming “Santy Claws”, but more
in his style of Halloween Town.
The Prestige
(seen on November 11, 2006)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johanssen, Michael Caine
Shocking to see another
magician movie so closely released from Hollywood together, but I still thought
this had a chance to be a good movie. The
movie wasn’t bad, but there were two main flaws with the movie.
One is that both Jackman and Bale’s characters are evil.
They are cruel to each other and both play the role of the protagonist. There’s no real character to route for throughout the movie
as when the two are in the room, they just try to out duel each other no matter
the cost. But the other flaw of
this movie is when you write a movie, it can be fantasy or real, but it must
remain constant throughout the movie. The
movie can’t claim that it’s not magic, but just tricks and later reveals it
actually is magic. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Jackman and Bale are young
magicians working together, but when a “mistake” by Bale causes the death of
Jackman’s wife, a bitter feud is started between them.
Every time it seems that the other is succeeding the other will do
whatever to ruin them and suddenly their careers take off and the cycle repeats.
Johanssen’s role is rather limited to the assistant and love of Jackman
who is sent to spy on Bale, but in turn falls for him.
Borat:
Cultural Learnings of America to Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan (seen on November 3, 2006)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Sacha Baron Cohen
What a tough review to
write. This is not really a movie,
but something more like Jackass. I
thought the movie was hilarious, but the whole movie exposes a lot of people’s
ignorance, but some parts just takes advantage of people’s politeness.
These people on film believe that Cohen is from Kazakhstan and does not
know any better and look foolish, but then again, you know you’re on camera. Don’t be an idiot. I
sure everyone signed a waiver and was paid something so it is partially there
own fault. That’s my quick
review; what’s next?
Borat (Cohen) leaves
Kazakhstan to learn about America to improve his own country.
He interviews most people playing an ignorant foreigner as he travels
across the country. He eventually
sees an episode of Baywatch and decides that he must travel to California
to marry Pamela Anderson. With a camera, his producer, and a limited budget, Borat
continues his “learnings” traveling out to California.
The History Boys
(seen on October 21, 2006)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Frances de la Tour, Dominic Cooper, Stephen Campbell Moore, Richard
Griffiths
How about a nice English
comedy? A very enjoyable movie
originally based on a play, but I must admit that the premise deals with tests
for college and how students get into Cambridge or Oxford, which to me just went
right over my head. So I try to
enjoy the movie without that knowledge and it is possible to enjoy the movie to
watch the students grow more mature and struggle to separate themselves from the
average applicant. I apologize if
some of the movie has went over my head, but despite living in London, I’m not
familiar with the school systems, but I don’t think it’s that important.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The history boys are a group
of teens trying to be accepted into Cambridge or Oxford.
There professors have been pushing them for years, but the principal has
decided to bring in a new professor with fresh ideas to expand the boys
thinking. The old professor has
tried to teach the boys more about life and how to enjoy every minute.
The boys prefer this professor having known him for years, but he is not
without his faults.
The Departed
(seen on October 17, 2006)
Rating – 8
Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin
Sheen, Alec Baldwin
Of course the names on the
bill just jump right out at you and you would expect a good.
This movie does not let you down, but don’t let them fool you, this is
also a remake. I believe DiCaprio
does an excellent job as the undercover policeman who’s afraid he’s in too
deep. Nicholson is his excellent
self while I thought Damon took a bit of a step back from some of his other
roles. With Scorsese films,
you’re usually guaranteed violence and foul language (perhaps why he has not
won an Oscar) and this movie is no exception, but you get that sense of the
characters fears for their lives in their jobs.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Costigan (DiCaprio) joins
the police academy and is selected as the type of person for undercover work.
Sullivan (Damon) as a child is taken under the wing of a crime lord,
Costello (Nicholson), and Sullivan enters the police force to help tip off
Nicholson of trouble. Costigan is
soon recruited into Costello’s syndicate and is able to provide feedback to
his bosses of Costello’s dealings. Sullivan
and Costigan are aware that there is a mole on the opposite side and both are
trying to flush each other out before it’s too late.
Black Dahlia
(seen on October 10, 2006)
Rating – 4
Starring:
Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansen, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank
This movie may be based on
an actual murder, but the story in the movie is entirely fictional.
The movie tries to convey the same feel of L.A. Confidential, but
this movie is far weaker in comparison. Despite
the movie being called the Black Dahlia, the movie deals more with the
detectives’ lives instead of the murder.
Too many subplots are written into the script and then upon the end of
the movie, the writer suddenly realizes the name of the script and creates a
jumbled ending to it leaving the viewer unsatisfied.
The acting was adequate as they try to bring back the 50’s style crime
drama, but it’s not able to salvage the movie.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The Last Kiss
(seen on September 15, 2006)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Zach Braff, Casey Affleck
In case you’re wondering,
this is a remake, but a remake of an Italian movie so most have probably never
heard of the original. Braff seems
to want to play the same type characters in movies; maybe he’s trying to break
his mold of comedy from his television show Scrubs.
This movie is probably suited more for couples as me being a single guy,
I could not relate too much to the stress of being bogged down in relationships.
There are a few chuckles here and there to lighten the mood, but the
majority of the movie is spent watching the four friends struggle with their
relationships as they approach thirty. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Michael (Braff) finds that his longtime girlfriend is pregnant and starts to feel that there’s no more surprises left in his life and maybe he’s not ready to grow up. As he struggles with this idea, he watches as his three longtime friends battle with married life, divorce, and single life and he must decide if it’s time to grow up or to run.
The Illusionist
(seen on September 14, 2006)
Rating – 8
Starring:
Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell
It’s nice watching a
timepiece type movie as this is set in the late 1800’s of Vienna.
During the Eisenheim performances, you have that feeling as if you’re
watching the illusions yourself as opposed to just watching a movie.
When the movie diverges from simply just illusions, it tends to slow down
as it tries to build the rest of the plot.
Norton, who normally excels at his parts, had an average performance in
this movie, but I believe the more impressive role was Giamatti and his
portrayal of the police captain. Quick
note, for those of you opposed to movies with narration, I would avoid this as
the movie is retold through the eyes of Giamatti’s character.
I would say this is definitely worth a watch if you like dramas (I just
hope my standards have not been watered down by the rest of the crap Hollywood
has been putting out). That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Idiocracy
(seen on September 4, 2006)
Rating – 2
Starring:
Luke Wilson
There was not much
advertising on this movie, but there wasn’t a whole lot for Office Space
either. This movie was written and
directed by Mike Judge and included several of the same actors that appeared in Office
Space. However, I predict that
this movie will not be as popular in DVD sales as Office Space.
The movie has some valid points about it as it pokes fun at the trends of
society, but the movie isn’t enjoyable. It’s
supposed to be a comedy, but I didn’t laugh once or even hint at smiling
throughout the whole movie. Luckily
I knew that it was a short movie because it would have been unbearable to watch
much more. I know the actors were
supposed to play the characters as morons, but the most of the actors in this
movie need to be relegated to bit parts in all movies (if not totally removed
from all) and not third listing in the credits.
Who knows, this movie is so bad that it might become one of the cult
classics that is just hideously bad, but my guess is that it will probably fade
away as Eddie Murphy’s Adventures of Pluto Nash.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Joe (Wilson) has been working for the military for years at a very remedial job when he is selected for a top secret experiment based on that he is the most “average” person in the military. The experiment does not go as planned and Joe wakes up 500 years in the future instead of 1 year to find that stupid people have been breading so much that they are the only one’s left. Joe finds himself to be the smartest person in the whole world and is put in charge to help solve the problems of the country despite its simplicity.
Crank (seen on
September 1, 2006)
Rating – 4
Starring:
Jason Statham, Amy Smart
I know, most of you are
wondering why I went and saw this movie. I was curious to see how amped Jason Statham was during the
movie. The story may be weak, but
they got the title of the movie right. He
is on edge the whole movie and you’re on the edge of your seat gripping with
him too. It’s not as if you are
rooting for his character, it’s just the way the movie is shot at such a high
pace, fast soundtrack, and scenes changing so fast that you don’t realize that
your heart is racing right alongside the movie and for a little while
afterwards. The movie is all action
all the time and never gives you a break from the pace.
My guess that was the point to the way it was filmed, but it’s overall
not that great of a movie. If you
feel lethargic, perhaps this is a good movie for you to watch to get moving.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Clerks II
(seen on August 8, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes, Kevin
Smith
If you liked the first one
and you want to see the same movie except newer material based on the past 12
years since the last movie, come check this out.
The main reason I saw this movie was to find out why Joel Seigel walked
out of it; apparently the first time in 30 years.
This scene he walked out on wasn’t that bad; it just insinuated things,
but showed nothing. If you’re not
a fan of Kevin Smith movies, this is not the one that will get you on board with
him. Basically, the movie is funny
and makes you laugh, but I give it a low rating because it reminds me of the
first one too much. Despite having
a bigger budget for this film, you think they could have gotten some better
acting, but instead they added another bad actor.
It would have been nice if they filmed the movie in black and white like
the original was. That would have
been a redeeming quality that should have continued with the sequel, but atlas
no. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
(seen on July 15, 2006)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Stellan
Skarsgard
Here’s a shocker;
Hollywood has made a sequel. Honestly,
this is supposed to be a part two of a trilogy, but the second and third one are
just one movie that is over five hours long because there is no ending to this
movie. Sorry to give it away, but
I’m sure you’ve heard that by now. I
don’t like sequels that to tie into the original and try to make it seem like
the writers intended there to be more story in the first one, but there
wasn’t. It’s the same great
characters that were in the first one, but that’s the problem they are the
same and it’s been done now. Leave
it alone. Depp’s portrayal of
Captain Jack Sparrow was brilliant in the first and he hasn’t changed in the
second, but there appears to be nothing newly added and just a recycle.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The movie starts off with
Turner (Bloom) and Swann (Knightley) about to be married when the new commodore
arrests them. Turner has been sent
out by the commodore to retrieve a compass from Captain Jack (Depp) to free
himself and his bride. But Captain
Jack has other use for this special compass as it helps find the Dead Man’s
Chest. This chest seems to help
Captain Jack with the deal that he made with the devil of the sea, Davy Jones (Nighy).
The Proposition
(seen on July 6, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson
Ok, if you right a movie and you find out it is not long enough to be considered a movie, don’t just add scenes of actors staring into the desert or sky. Originally, the story line did sound intriguing to me, but I found out that it is rather weak. I enjoyed it more than Three Burials and I compare those two because both have that real slow pace to it. The movie starts off with the proposition and you think maybe there is more background to it or maybe there’s another side to the sheriff. But no, it just runs through the agonizing slow pace of what Guy Pearce will do. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Set in the late 1800’s of Australia, the movie starts off with the proposition so there is no confusion. Charlie (Pearce) and his younger brother are captured by the sheriff (Winstone). The sheriff tells Charlie that he can go free, but he’s going to keep his younger brother in prison. Charlie can either hunt down his older bother, leader of a malicious gang, and kill him or his younger brother will be hung on Christmas Day nine days away.
Thank You for Smoking
(seen on July 3, 2006)
Rating – 8
Starring:
Aaron Eckhardt, William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Rob Lowe, Sam Elliot,
Robert Duvall, Katie Holmes
Don’t worry, this movie is
not a propaganda movie about smoking; although, it does spit out facts about the
smoking industry. There are several
absurd situations that Eckhardt goes through and it’s funny to see how he can
put a positive spin on everything while still being a role model to his kid.
I thought Eckhardt did an amazing job at playing the role of a
“bullshit” artist. Despite the fact that he represents the tobacco industry, you
enjoy watching his character and root for the guy against the “evil”
Senator. You will tend to laugh at
just trying to see things the way a tobacco representative perceives them.
Most have probably not heard about this movie before since it’s an
“indie” flick, but if it’s still out in the theaters near you, I recommend
it. That’s my quick review;
what’s next?
Superman Returns
(seen on July 1, 2006)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Brandon Roth, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey, Frank Langella
I know there’s a lot of
hype about this being the rebirth of Superman as Batman Begins brought
back the Batman series, but I cannot agree. It’s nothing against the actors’ performance, but just
the script in general. The movie
did not keep me interested for the whole two hours and forty minutes as I kept
checking my watch. The movie does
not add anything to the storyline of Superman, but states that he was missing
for a while, he’s “super”, oh and Lex Luther…still evil.
If DC comics is trying to compete with Marvel comics when it comes to
movies, I say stick with the Batman series and leave Superman alone.
He just does not have interesting story lines to me, but I’m sure Jerry
Seinfeld and Kevin Smith enjoyed it. I
wish Brian Singer had stuck with the X-Men 3 movie to make that movie a
success instead of making Superman Returns an average movie.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Over the Hedge
(seen on June 13, 2006)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner,
Thomas Haden Church, Nick Nolte, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara
An enjoyable movie, but I
must compare this movie to other cartoon movies.
I know these movies are for kids, but several have added more humor for
the adults and I believe this is where it fell short.
The movie is an entertaining story that shows the perspective of cute
little furry animals amidst suburbia life.
I thought the ending was very clever on how the animals were able to
escape their predicament. I would
say worth the watch as a matinee if you were looking for a movie to pass eighty
minutes of your time. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
The Da Vinci Code
(seen on June 10, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Tom Hanks, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Audrey Tautou
I watched this movie without
reading the book so I cannot say if that was a good thing or bad, but according
to others, it would not have mattered. I believe that a movie is good or bad independent of the book
and in fact, there’s a better chance of one enjoying the movie without reading
the book because your do not get upset when the movie omits a scene in the book.
Overall, the movie did not keep me interested in wanting to watch it.
I would preferred if the movie is going to be two and a half hours long
that it’s worth my trouble for sitting through it.
It was a type of “treasure hunting” movie, but the treasure hunting
parts were rather weak. Also, I
felt the actors, despite the talented cast, did not embrace their characters.
The ending itself was as if they were tired of telling the story as if
they were building up to a climax and instead of hitting the peak and winding
down, the story just plateaued. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
X-Men 3 – The Last
Stand (seen on May 26, 2006)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry,
Kelsey Grammer
The movie was enjoyable, but
I think it just did not live up to my expectations.
The filmmakers tried to cram too much of the X-Men story into this last
movie. Too many extra mutants were
thrown in who are significant characters in the comics, but not in the movie.
The movie seemed to fast paced for the amount of information they were
throwing at you in only an hour and forty minute movie.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed the movie more had Brian Singer directed
this as well as I had enjoyed the first two X-Men.
All in all, I think the storyline of comics was too condensed in the
final movie to finish off the trilogy. Why
does everything have to be trilogies nowadays?
I guess it beats Rocky considering there will soon be a sixth Rocky
movie, but I digress. It’s nice seeing new mutants, but the stories are not
explained and instead it just has everyone fighting.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Three Burials
(seen on April 1st, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper
As I’m watching this
movie, I get annoyed with how the movie jumps in different timelines and I feel
that it is a trick to mask a simple plot with editing.
I’m then told by my friend that it is the same writer as 21 Grams
and it makes perfect sense to me. That
was the same feeling I had about that movie.
So apparently if you liked 21 Grams, you’ll probably like this.
I did not care for either movie despite good acting in both.
I thought Tommy Lee Jones’ performance was excellent as the tired old
ranch hand friend. That’s my
quick review; what’s next?
Jones works on a ranch in
Texas where he befriends an illegal Mexican immigrant.
Pepper is a border patrol officer who mistakenly shoots the illegal
Mexican immigrant and tries to cover up the incident.
Jones kidnaps Pepper and takes off with his dead friend to bury him in
Mexico in his home town cause he made a promise to his friend that he would.
Inside Man
(seen on March 29, 2006)
Rating – 7
Starring:
Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer
Here we have another collaboration between Denzel Washington and Spike Lee. Washington delivers his usually performance and Lee does a good job directing. It was an enjoyable movie with intense acting about a heist. Something about heist movies are always entertaining to me. It’s not an exceptional movie and there’s no huge plot twist to try to trick the audience, it’s just a heist movie where you’re trying to figure out how will they get away. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Owen starts off telling you that he plans on robbing a bank. Washington is the police negotiator trying to get Owen to release the hostages and give himself up. Foster is a tough “lawyer” who has been hired by Plummer, the bank’s owner, to retrieve some of his personal documents from the bank while Owen is still inside.
The Matador
(seen on March 9, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis
Here’s the movie where
Pierce Brosnan tries to break his type-cast of being the smooth, suave criminal
or super-spy. It is a different
roll for him, but the movie overall just seems cheesy.
Usually it’s never good to have Greg Kinnear in you movies.
The characters just seem to over the top.
The loving couple of Davis and Kinnear just seems corny and fake, not a
believable couple. Brosnan is not
bad as the broken-down deadly assassin, but it’s just one of those movies
where you see all the good parts in the previews and there’s not much else to
the movie. It’s one of the movies where a middle class, normal family
accepts a murderer into their lives; you know typical.
J
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Brosnan is as he calls himself a “facilitator of fatalities” or an assassin. Brosnan lives his life traveling from job to job to city to city and realizes on his birthday, that he knows no one. He has no friends and is alone. At this point in Mexico City, he crosses paths with a businessman, Kinnear, who’s been down on his luck with his career lately. There friendship starts off shaky, but Brosnan feels comfort with Kinnear and confides in him his occupation. Later on as Brosnan starts to crack at the pressures of his job and life, he seeks refuge with the only “friend” and “family” he’s ever known, Kinnear and his wife Davis.
Lucky Number Slevin
(seen on March 2, 2006)
Rating – 5
Starring:
Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis
You know, with an all-star
cast like this does not mean that the movie will be good.
Hollywood has disappointed me once again and I’m sure will continue its
trend for a while. The movie starts
out with the feeling that maybe the movie is something different and not the
same stories you hear and almost wonder which way is it going.
And then at some point you realize it’s not a different story, but
rather just another attempt to try to masquerade a simple idea of a movie.
You get that feeling in the movie just hurry up and finish the movie so I
can get out of here. There’s no
big climax to shock the audience and the story is predictable and a waste of
these actors time and my money. Especially
at these London prices out here. I
will say there were a few cheesy laughs from Josh Hartnett’s character that
gave some hope to the movie. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
A Cock and Bull Story
(seen on February 19, 2006)
Rating – 6
Starring:
Steve Coogan, Rob Bryden
This is a funny movie, but
no real plot to it. Apparently it
is quite similar to most Steve Coogan comedy.
There’s a very erratic timeline to the movie as it jumps from
“movie” to “real” and then back. The question I had throughout the movie was weather or not
there’s was an actually novel called Tristam Shandy.
Being an outsider seeing this very “English” type movie makes me
wonder if I had missed any thing that locals may have caught, but I was still
able to enjoy it. The movie has a
slight similarity to Adaptation where “Charlie Kaufman” has trouble
writing a movie about a book of flowers. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
(seen on December 10, 2005)
Rating – 6
Starring: Daniel
Radcliffe
The fourth movie of the Harry Potter series is
out. Now, I’ve never read the
books so my review is based solely on the movie.
The movie may have introduced some new characters into the mix, but the
movie seemed more to drag on the series of Harry Potter’s schooling instead of
moving forward with the story. Now
that the kids are growing older, the movie starts to add teenage drama and sways
towards being just a teen movie in parts. The
movie does reveal a few more things about the series, but I felt overall that
the whole movie was just there to stretch the storyline of the Harry Potter
series than to help the story grow. Maybe
there’s more to the story in the book, but just from my movie watching
perspective, that’s how I feel. That’s
my quick review; what’s next?
Aeon Flux
(seen on December 6, 2005)
Rating –
Starring:
Charlize Theron, Jonny Lee Miller, Frances McDormand
For those of you who do not
know, this is based on an animation show on MTV in the 90’s called Aeon
Flux. The cartoon only lasted
two seasons and it never explained anything about what was going on.
Despite seeing the trailers and judging that the movie was not going to
be any good, I still had to go see it. I
had to find out what the hell the cartoon was about.
All you ever got from the cartoon was that Aeon was an assassin in a
futuristic war where most of the people were plagued with a virus and that
Trevor was a former boyfriend of hers. I
know I sound like I’m reviewing the cartoon more than the actually movie is
because the movie is not that good. It
didn’t seem as off the wall sci-fi as the cartoon had implied the future to
be. Maybe if you hadn’t seen the cartoon you might not be
disappointed because you are not comparing it with the cartoon.
On second thought, you can compare it to any movie and realize that this
movie is a disappointment. One
thing I did get out of going to the movie was I found out what was wrong with
the future of this story and what Aeon Flux was trying to do.
That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (seen on November 17, 2005)
Rating - 7
Starring: Robert Downy Jr., Val Kilmer
Let's just start off with the title...I think they could have chosen a better title to entice the audience to come watch it. This movie is a rather cheesy murder mystery, but I think that's the point of the movie. Still, the movie is worth watching with the humor that is spread sporadically throughout the flick. The movie starts off with narration to help set up the movie, but as the movie goes on, the narration just drops from the movie. Even when there is narration, the filmmakers try to get cute with the well they tell the story, but it's more annoying than clever. That's my quick review; what's next?
Harry (Downy Jr.) finds himself out in L.A. auditioning for a movie after being accidentally discovered by a talent agent in New York. Perry (Kilmer) is a private detective who helps actors prepare for detective roles by letting them ride-along. When Harry and Perry are on their stakeout together, instead of just a simple job of photographing an adulterer, they find themselves involved in a murder. As the story unfolds, Harry finds a link between this murder and the death of his childhood friend's sister.
Lord of War (seen on November 4, 2005)
Rating - 4
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke, Ian Holm
I did not realize how much of political movie this was going to be. I must say watching this movie in a borderline third-world country where many people carry around machetes, it rattles you a little. Also, can Jared Leto play a role where he does not use drugs? I think he's being typecast, but he's still earning a paycheck. I thought the movie was a little long and too much voiceover, but that's just my opinion. That's my quick review; what's next?
Yuri Orlov (Cage) is and his family are immigrants from the Ukraine. Yuri decides that he wants to have a better life. One way to improve your life is to provide a service that will always be needed...guns. Yuri and his brother (Leto) enter the firearms business by selling guns to warring countries around the world. Of course, selling firearms to these countries is dangerous business especially when Interpol agent (Hawke) is always following, but Yuri is one of the bests in the business.
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were Rabbit (seen on October 31, 2005)
Rating - 7
Starring: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bohnam Carter
I guess this is my Halloween movie for this year. Actually, it's not that scary. I only had to close my eyes four times during the movie. Back to the review. I'm assuming that most people have heard of Wallace & Gromit before, but you know what they say about assuming. I thought this movie was very clever. Of course, there are a lot of kids watching the movie giggling at the silly things, but there were times when I was the one laughing. The clay animation was excellent and it was a nice little story. That's my quick review; what's next?
It appears that Wallace & Gromit are in charge of keeping those pesky rabbits out of the towns gardens. The townspeople are pleased with their results as the gardens are free of these vermins and with the Giant Vegetable Festival in a week, these rabbits are a nuisance. Until one day, a giant Were-Rabbit appears and starts to destroy the vegetables. It is up to Wallace & Gromit to catch the Were-Rabbit humanely before the sinister Victor shoots it.
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (seen on October 18, 2005)
Rating - 5
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bohnam Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, Tracey Ullman
It seems that Tim Burton has returned to clay animation (yes, I know that statement could entitle me the role of Captain Obvious, but just in case there are some who never saw the previews). The movie has that certain Tim Burton type feeling and I believe if you liked the Nightmare Before Christmas, then you'll like this movie. It is amazing what they are able to do with these clay animation. The stories not too bad, but it loses its luster quickly and you seem only entertained by simply the movement of the clay figures. It's probably a good thing this movie wasn't much longer, but it wasn't a bad watch if you have 75 minutes free. That's my quick review; what's next?
Victor's parents have arranged his marriage with Watson's parents. Neither Victor (Depp) nor Victoria (Watson) have met each other before. Well, Victor is a little nervous about getting married and he cannot remember his vows so he is sent to the woods by the preacher to practice his vows. While he is practicing his vows, he places his ring on what he thought was a twig, ends up being a corpse. And of course, the corpse accepts his proposal, but Victor at this point wants to marry Victoria.
Serenity (seen on October 14, 2005)
Rating - 7
Starring: Nathan Fillion
For starters, in case you did not know, the movie is based on a TV series, Firefly, that only lasted two seasons. But you don't have to have watched the series to follow what's going on. I do suggest that you should be a science fiction fan or you probably shouldn't see this movie. An interesting cast of "no-names" is quite refreshing from the blockbuster movies that usually make the list. The movie want win any awards, but it was a good watch. That's my quick review; what's next?
After people have abandoned the Earth because of over-population, they settle in a new solar system. The core planets form a "Utopian" society that the rebels disagree with because it encourages conformity and not individualism. The rag-tag crew of the ship Serenity are a band of rebels that are harboring a sister of one of the crew. This mysterious girl is wanted by the society because she is a psychic and was present amongst some of the head members of the society and may have discovered some of their secrets. The society is trying to kill the crew of the Serenity to save their secrets while Serenity is trying to find out why they want the girl so badly.
40 Year Old Virgin (seen on September 29, 2005)
Rating - 6
Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd
It was not a bad movie, but after a while it seemed like the jokes just became the same throughout the movie. I found it funny, but after a while, I got that feeling of get the movie over with. I don't have much to say on this. That's my quick review; what's next?
The title of the movie should give you a big hint on what this movie is about. Needless to say that when his coworkers find out that he's still a virgin, they try to help him out. Eventually, he finds a girl on his own that he likes, but he has trouble telling her that he is a virgin.
Broken Flowers (seen on August 21, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Bill Murray
Despite being a different writer and director, I must start off by comparing the movie to Lost in Translation. It’s not just simply because Bill Murray is the star in both movies, but he acts the same character in both, the apathetic type character, which he seems to play in most of his movies. This movie has some slow parts in it mixed with humor so it matches the format of Lost in Translation; therefore, I must give the same recommendation that this movie is not for everyone. Better ask me individually if you should see this comment (this is mainly directed at Walker). That’s my quick review; what’s next?
After Don’s (Murray) girlfriend leaves him, he receives a letter from an unknown ex-girlfriend who claims she had a son with him whose currently seeking him. With the advice of his neighbor who’s a wannabe detective, he visits his ex-girlfriends in hope of finding the woman who sent this letter and perhaps his son. Don questions which woman wrote the letter or even if the letter is real.
Wedding Crashers (seen on July 24, 2005)
Rating – 6
Starring: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken
I thought this was a funny movie, but the problem was that some of these comedies are getting tiresome. I know it’s not the same story as Old School, Zoolander, or Starsky and Hutch, but these comedies with weak plots seem to be lacking. It made me laugh, but after a while, I start to look at my watch and think, hurry up and get the plot line over with and let me out of here. But that’s just my opinion. As my rating says, it wouldn’t be bad as a matinee. Also, it’s a relaxing movie that you don’t have to think about, but rather just sit back and laugh. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
John (Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn) are two friends who love wedding season. It’s not for the uniting of two people in love, but to sleep with desperate single women at these weddings. Until one day John starts to fall for one of the women at a high profile wedding. He is able to extend his chance to get to know this woman since his friend Jeremy has caught the eye of her sister at the wedding. Of course, trouble ensues when John’s interest’s boyfriend shows up in the picture. I’m sure at this point one can predict the rest of the story so I’ll stop here.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (seen on July 21, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Freddie Highmore
Unfortunately this is another remake; however, this isn’t a true remake of the original movie. This movie is actually based on the book (or so I’ve been told because I’ve never read it). One can tell from the beginning that this is a Tim Burton movie with its dark scenery and its camera shots. I thought it was an excellent movie, but it wasn’t for Depp’s role in the movie. In fact, he bothered me somewhat in the movie; seemed he was almost overacting the role of weird, creepy Willy Wonka. Highmore (aka Charlie) did an excellent job as the truthful, starry-eyed kid who just loves his family, well and of course chocolate. I just have to say, if you go to watch this movie, don’t go expecting the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” because the movie is not a remake of the movie, but of the book. If you go to watch the movie without comparing to the original, I believe you will like it. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Everyone knows the story of Willy Wonka and his rise to make the greatest candy the world had ever tasted. But as time went on and his secrets were stolen, he shut his factory to the public. Until one day the factory started producing candy again, but the townsfolk did not know who was working the factory and what was going on behind those closed doors. Charlie was from a poor family, whom was filled with great love. One Willy Wonka announced that five children around the world would be invited to his factory if they were to find the golden ticket in his Wonka bars. After Charlie finds a ticket, he and his Grandpa Joe enter the factory to the wonderful world of Willy Wonka and the secrets of the factory.
Fantastic Four (seen on July 17, 2005)
Rating – 7
Starring: Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis
Yet another comic book movie, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. I supposed the Fantastic Four series was not as popular as Spiderman so more character development was needed for this movie. The only problem is that the majority of the movie is focuses on developing the characters. The scenes where they actually use their superpowers are limited to basically one fight scene with Dr. Doom. Perhaps the sequel will have more fight scenes because that’s all that Hollywood can make nowadays, sequels. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
When five astronauts are exposed to a radiation cloud in space, they develop superpowers. Four of them unite to find a cure for their powers, while Dr. Doom uses his to eliminate his enemies. The newly united Fantastic Four must work together to stop Dr. Doom as they battle amongst themselves adopting to their new superhuman abilities.
Batman Begins (seen on June 24, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson
This is a huge improvement from Joel Schumacher’s debacle of Batman 3 and 4. Personally, I still believe the first one is the best and I’m not talking about the Batman with Adam West, I’m talking about Michael Keaton. The film returned to a more bleak and corrupt city of Gotham. The movie did an excellent job of telling how and why Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy, became Batman. I was curious as to which villain was going to be in the movie and was pleasantly surprised with the way they went. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Bruce Wayne starts off in East Asia in a prison. He has been missing from the spotlight for seven years. He is released from prison and trained in the arts of stealth ninja fighting style by the leader Ra’s Al-Ghul. Wayne returns to Gotham to clean up the corrupt city, but returns as Batman to hide his identity to protect the people he cares for. I don’t want to reveal to much, but you’ll have to see the movie to find out who is the puppet master that is pulling all the strings of Gotham’s crime syndicate.
Layer Cake (seen on June 5, 2005)
Rating – 9
Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meany
Now despite the fact that I gave this movie a high rating does not mean this is an everybody-should-go-see-movie. This movie has drugs and murder in it so not everyone’s type of movie. The plot, which I’ll try to divulge below, is not easy to describe. Some might criticize that there is almost too many subplots and characters to keep track of, but it’s not necessarily that important if you just sit back and enjoy the movie. You might miss something but you still can just kick back and enjoy this different story telling British film. The characters’ backgrounds do not develop in detail, but that’s part of the mystique of the movie. The movie is from the producer of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch (Matthew Vaughn) so it has the upbeat tempo to the movie, but it’s not Guy Ritchie so there are differences. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The importance of having a plan and sticking to it is Daniel Craig’s whole philosophy. Craig is a drug dealer and once he gets his money to retire, he wants out and it’s just on the horizon, or at least he thought it was. His boss requests his services in finding a friend’s daughter and funneling a shipment of ecstasy from a two-bit dealer who has stirred trouble in Amsterdam. Now the ecstasy and the trouble is linked to him and his crew and his boss’ friend is telling Craig that he is a smart man, but surrounded by non-trustworthy people. Craig feels pressure from all parties surrounding him as his plan to retire and fade away is fading away without him.
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (seen on May 24, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson
The prequel trilogy is finally over. Most people probably know what happens in this one. George Lucas did an excellent job of wrapping up the loose ends. The only problem was was that there was no real surprise to the movie. You were just there to watch the movie and confirm what you had speculated/pieced together from the other movies. I must say that there may have been too many light saber scenes. I remember in the original three episodes, the light sabers were rarely revealed except for the “climatic” battle between Vader and Luke. But I guess before the Empire was formed, everyone used light savers. Still being the last Star Wars movie, I had to give it a high rating because these movies are better to watch in the theaters. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story begins with Obi-Wan and Anakin trying to save Senator Palpatine. The Clone Wars have continued and the Senator believes the end of the war is near. The Jedi suspects that there is a Sith Lord yet to reveal himself and his evil plans. Anakin returns home to his secretly married wife Padme to find she is pregnant. That’s all I want to reveal in case for some reason you don’t know what happens.
Unleashed (seen on May 22, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins
If you like movies with martial arts, go see this movie. If you like movies with good fight scenes that aren’t all “Matrix-ed” out, go see this movie. If you want to see Jet Li stake his claim for the Best Actor Award at the Academy Awards, don’t go see this movie. There are great fight scenes throughout the movie, but it’s painfully obvious that Jet Li is not an actor. But that’s ok because he doesn’t have to act too much. He’s usually beating the crap out of people and I mean just absolutely pounding people into submission. Bob Hoskins did an excellent job as the “bad guy”, but I really don’t know why Morgan Freeman was in the movie. Anyone could have played his role; still Freeman did a good job. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Bart (Hoskins) is an underground boss who lends money to people and when they don’t pay, he sends his “dog” after them by removing his collar. Danny (Li) is treated as a dog and only reacts when his collar is removed. However, after being separated from Bart, he finds hope from Sam (Freeman) and his daughter who take in the scared “puppy”. By the use of music, Danny begins to open up and remember that he is human. But as he starts his new life, his sinister past comes back to haunt him.
Crash (seen on May 20, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Ludacris, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe
In case you don’t know, this is not a light-hearted movie. The movie deals with racism and people of different social classes. It’s an interesting story on how these different characters cross each other’s paths in just two days in LA. It’s almost too coincidental how much these characters cross paths even taking into account that it is a movie. To paraphrase Don Cheadle’s character in the opening scene when he states that people walk past one another without any contact or feeling and sometimes the only way to feel human is to “crash” into one another.
The movie follows several individual stories that cross paths within two days in LA. From a racist cop and his disgusted partner, to a black TV director and his wife, to a philosophical car thief and his partner, to a district attorney and his spoiled wife, to a Hispanic locksmith and daughter, to a Persian shop keeper, to a black cop and his drugged out mother.
Mindhunters (seen on May 15, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Jonny Lee Miller, LL Cool J, Kathryn Morris
There may be several of you who have never heard of this movie and that wouldn’t surprise after its low turn out at the box office its opening weekend. I believe it was definitely worth the watch. Of course, watching anyone of these “suspense, killer, who-done-it” type movies, your constantly trying to predict what the director is going to happen next. And in a movie where there is only a short list of suspects, which dwindles with every murder it’s hard to keep the audience guessing on who is the killer. But the movie does a pretty good job of throwing you off course. My suggestion is to just kick back and watch the movie and try to keep it with the fast pace of the movie as characters are killed throughout. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story is based on a group of 8 FBI trainees who wish to become a psychological profiler. Their professor, Harris (Val Kilmer), drops them on a remote naval base island where they will have their final exam that will simulate a serial killer loose in the town. However, things go wrong at the first crime scene when one of the agents is actually killed and they become to discover that there is a real killer among the group of FBI trainees and there’s no one to trust.
Sin City (seen on April 8, 2005)
Rating – 8
Starring: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen and a whole bunch more actors
I must say, that I’m not a big fan of green screens, but since this movie was trying to have that comic book feel to it, I think it was quite successful. The movie is three different stories that overlap one another, but don’t actually connect. I’ve never read the Sin City comics so I don’t know how true the movie is to the comics. This movie is loaded with actors in each of the stories. I found this movie very entertaining. Just remember if you’re going to see the movie, it is based on graphic novels (comic books). It’s probably the only movie that effectively shows the movie as a true comic. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Basin City is a trouble city overrun with crooked politicians and mobsters. The movie follows three different storylines. The story follows Hartigan’s (Willis) attempt to save a kidnapped little girl, Marv’s (Rourke) fight to avenge his lady’s murder, and Dwight’s (Owen) struggle to rid the streets of a dirty cop.
Million Dollar Baby (seen on March 4, 2005)
Rating – 9
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
I know this movie has been out for a while, but I finally got around to seeing it. This is an excellent movie. I’m not surprised that it won 4 Academy Awards because it has everything that the Academy looks for. Hilary Swank did an outstanding job in her performance and of course, Eastwood and Freeman always excel at their roles. One problem is the movie is narrated by Freeman and gives that same feeling as Shawshank Redemption, but that’s not much of a problem as it just makes you seem a little similarities between Freeman’s character in this movie compared to some of his other roles. I had thought it was a serious drama, but the movie had some chuckles in it to lighten the mood now and then. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is a boxing trainer who owns his own gym with his maintenance man friend Scrap (Freeman). Maggie (Swank) joins Frankie’s gym in hopes that he will trainer her to be a boxer, but Frankie repeatedly states that he does not train women. Maggie’s stubbornness and determination eventually wear down Frankie and he agrees to train her. A father-daughter relationship grows between them as she begins her boxing career with her having lost her father and he having a daughter who will not speak to him. They argue with each other out of respect as Maggie moves up the rankings towards a title fight.
Spike and Mike Sick and Twisted Animation Festival 2005 (seen on January 29, 2005)
Rating – 7
Starring: It’s a cartoon. No stars.
It’s another year of me driving to Austin to watch a bunch of cartoons. I enjoyed it, but there was one thing about it. I’m not disappointed, but I must say the first time I saw the show, it was the best because everything was new. Of course, the cartoons they bring back are the classics and I can watch those repeatedly. There were plenty of new one’s that were entertaining. The only thing was was that it is called the “Sick and Twisted” animation festival. Now granted, the “twisted” cartoons were there, but what about the “sick” cartoons. The one’s you wonder about why was the cartoon made. There’s no point to this cartoon; it’s just sick! Well anyways, that’s seven straight years of the animation festival for me. I’ll be there for number eight too. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Sideways (seen on January 7, 2005)
Rating – 6
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen
This movie seems to have drawn attention from the awards people despite being a lower budget film. I enjoyed the film, but just because it is up for awards does not necessarily mean you have to see it. Paul Giamatti plays the same type character he does in almost every movie he’s in. I give the movie credit for using a different setting for the loveable pathetic loser character finding himself again in life. Parts of the movie almost seem to be a commercial for wine and most of the characters tend to have that pompous type attitude because they know everything about their wine. One thing that I have to point out that doesn’t need to be pointed out if you saw the movie was that the boom mic was in almost every shot. I thought Paul Giamatti was going to get hit a couple of times with it. The movie has some good laughs, but it kind of boils down to a bunch of middle-aged people who are constantly drinking. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Jack (Church) is getting married in a week and his best friend Miles (Giamatti) has planned a week-long trip of drinking in wine country with just he and his buddy. Jack decides that he is going to live his last week of bachelorhood to the fullest, but worries that Miles will ruin his plans for the trip. It appears that Miles has found an interest in Maya (Madsen) and it is Jack who ends up ruining Miles plans. As Miles personal life takes a roller coaster ride, his professional life as a writer seems to be in question too.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (seen on December 29, 2004)
Rating – 6
Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Angelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum
Well, it was tough giving this rating out to a Wes Anderson film, but I felt like that’s what the movie deserved. The typical Wes Anderson flicks are rather corny, but this seems a little over the top. I enjoyed watching it, but I almost question why was this movie told besides to keep the corny humor of Wes Anderson out there. Maybe it’s just the underlying story that I did not like. I like the Wes Anderson flicks that have a story with corny stuff going on around it instead of the story itself being corny. Well, maybe that does not make a lot of sense, but maybe neither did this movie. Anyways, if you have a question about the movie, email me. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Steve Zissou (Murray) is a famous “oceanographer” who’s on his way down by lack of funds and low interest in his exploration movies. Zissou must have another voyage in search of a “Jaguar Shark” that ate his partner and friend on his latest voyage. Along with his normal crew of explorers are Zissou’s “son” (Wilson) and a reporter (Blanchett). Of course as Zissou’s journey sets off, trouble arises from his the son he’s never known, a nosy reporter, his wife (Huston), and his fellow underwater explorer competition (Goldblum).
Ocean's Twelve (seen on December 28, 2004)
Rating – 4
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, Casey Affleck, Catherine Zeta-Jones
There was disappointment with this movie. I must say going into this movie, it did have one thing going against it; the fact that it was a sequel to a remake just goes to show that Hollywood is running out of good ideas. I thought the remake was done quite nicely. I do not want to give anything away, but most of the jobs they pull do not necessarily involve all eleven or twelve in this movie. The first movie had the whole crew working smoothly in separate important tasks to complete one big score. This movie brought back the whole cast of characters just to sell the names to the public in hopes of drawing a big audience for a big pay day. You can go see it if you like, but I’d wait until a rainy day and it’s on cable to watch it. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The movie starts off with Benedict (Garcia) location all eleven members that robbed his casino three years prior to this movie. He demands that all his money be repaid plus interest within two weeks. The crew decides that they must travel to Europe to pull a large heist over there to repay Benedict, but they encounter two troubles: a government agent (Zeta-Jones) trying to catch them and another great burglar who wants to beat them to the job.
The Incredibles (seen on December 2, 2004)
Rating – 7
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee
I’d like to start off saying that there’s nothing wrong with me seeing a cartoon at my age. Actually, this is a good movie. The movie has the same excellent effects that one has come to expect from a PIXAR cartoon. It’s a good little storyline and a good family movie. Nothing to shocking about the plot; somewhat predictable, but that’s what tends to happen with most superhero/good vs. evil movies. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Well, Mr. Incredible and his wife, Elastigirl, have started a family and they must keep there super powers under control. After living a normal for several years, Mr. Incredible is looking for that spark in his life again. He wants to be a superhero again, but he gets in trouble, his family is out to rescue him from a new villain.
The Motorcycle Diaries (seen on October 31, 2004)
Rating – 8
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna
For starters, the movie is subtitled, so if you don’t like that, I don’t recommend seeing the movie. This is a well-told story based on the journals of Ernesto and Alberto as they travel through South America. The movie says it quite well when it states, “two lives running parallel for a while.” The movie is effective at showing how the characters view their surroundings as they notice the struggle and strife of their fellow South Americans. The movie starts as two guys looking to explore and have fun, to experience what their neighboring countries have to offer. But along their travels soon find out that life is not all fun and games and there is a time to make difficult decisions and choose your path in life. (In case you didn’t recognize the name Che Guevara, you might want to look him up on the internet and see what kind of impact he had on the world.) That’s my quick review; what’s next?
This is the story of Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Alberto Granado traveling the countryside of South America. They start off in Argentina as young, aspiring college students looking to travel just for fun and adventure. Along their journey, they realize that they most grow up and make important decisions regarding the future.
I Heart Huckabees (seen on October 29, 2004)
Rating – 6
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts
This movie tended to jump around from one scene to another in hopes that it all wraps up in the end. I might miss the point of the movie, especially since I’m not a philosophy major, but I believe that the structure of the movie and how it did jump around and yet come together at the end was the point of the movie. That everything is connected in one way or another and we’re all part of the same chaotic universe. It wasn’t a bad movie, but it felt somewhat choppy and rather dodgy when trying to convey the movie’s message. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Jason Schwartzman is an environmentalist who teams up with Jude Law, VP of Huckabees, to save a marshland. Schwartzman seeks help from existential detectives, Tomlin and Hoffman, as to the meaning of his life. After Law and his girlfriend, Watts, become members, Schwartzman teams with another disillusioned client, Wahlberg, and seek advice from another more chaotic existential detective.
Riding Giants (seen on September 5, 2004)
Rating – 8
Starring: Jeff Clark, Greg Noll, Laird Hamilton
This movie was quite good for being a documentary. The documentary is set up quite well as it focuses on three sets of surfing pioneers. From Greg Noll and his crew in the 50’s discovering and surfing the waves off of Hawaii to Jeff Clark’s discovery of the Mavericks off of Northern California to Laird Hamilton utilizing a jet ski to take him to the waves that are 50 to 60 feet high. Mixed in with footage of these surfers experiences are interviews of these surfers. What a charismatic group. Most just don’t seem to care about anything but catching that great wave. Of course, it makes me ask the question…Dad if you’re reading this, why couldn’t you have moved the family to Hawaii when I was younger so I could just be a beach bum and surf all the time? I enjoyed it, but I would not necessarily recommend this movie to just anyone because after all, it is a documentary. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The movie documents the birth of surfing from over 1000 years ago in Hawaii to the present day. The movie follows the American surf culture for the past 100 years in search of the great wave. The documentary tells the beginnings of the pioneers of surfing in Hawaii to the discovery of Mavericks off Northern California to being able to tow a surfer by jet ski to the unreachable waves beyond the coast.
Before Sunset (seen on September 5, 2004)
Rating – 7
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
For starters, if you have not seen the prequel to this movie Before Sunrise, do not go see this movie. You will be lost. I’m not big on sequels, but for some reason I wanted to find out what happened next in the story. In case you’re wondering, the first moving left you guessing at the end on what happened next. Unfortunately, I would have preferred that they story had ended there, but I still paid my money to find out what happened. The movie is similar to the first one with regards to the way the movie is shot and the types of conversations that they have, but I liked the fact that the first movie ended with you guessing whether they got back together in six months or not. A few interesting things about the movie is that it takes place nine years after the last movie was made or after they last met. Also, the movie is an hour and a half long, which is the same amount of time that the movie takes place in. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The movie is continues the story of Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) where they had promised to meet at the train platform after their first encounter in Vienna, but they didn’t meet. Jesse is on a book tour through Europe when he runs into Celine in Paris and they strike up the conversations once again. Celine comes to find that Jesse is now married with a kid, but neither can shake the memories of the one night they spent together in Vienna nine years ago.
Hero (Ying xiong) (seen on August 29, 2004)
Rating – 9
Starring: Jet Li
For starters, if you can’t handle sub-titles don’t go see this movie. I would prefer the movie in sub-titles as opposed to dub movies. This was a really good movie. It wasn’t necessarily the story line that made it a good movie; however, it did have an interesting story to it. What fascinated me with this movie were the cinematography and the use of the colors of scenes throughout the movie to help tell the story. Don’t think that those colors were selected at random throughout the movie. There was a story telling to it. And in case that does not enrapture you, the fight scenes are well-scripted duels of great warriors battling one another for what they believe in. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story is the telling of warring territories in pre-unified China trying to be united by a king. One nameless warrior has eliminated three great assassins who are the greatest threat to the king’s unification of China. The king insists on the nameless warrior re-telling his accounts of his victory over these great assassins. Of course, not everything is revealed at once.
Garden State (seen on August 17, 2004)
Rating – 8
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman
This was a good movie. It’s not exactly a happy movie if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s not depressing. It was nice to find the off-beat humor scattered throughout the movie so that it wouldn’t seem so depressing. The whole concept of a character who struggles with his past to find where he’s at in the present is not original, but it was an original telling. I enjoyed the use of different camera shots to give the viewer the sense of how the world was speeding around the main character while he just didn’t seem to care. I’m going to cut this short and just end it here. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Andrew Largeman (Braff) lives in California and returns home to New Jersey for his mother’s funeral. His whole character is apathetic to his surroundings and is lost with everything in his life. He runs into some old friends from high school. While on his stay in Jersey, he meets Sam (Portman), who shows him that there may be some hope and happiness to his life.
The Bourne Supremacy (seen on August 13, 2004)
Rating – 6
Starring: Matt Damon, Brian Cox
This movie wasn’t a bad movie to see at the theatres, but I just didn’t think it was that good compared to the first one. There wasn’t a reason to make this movie. It’s not like it revealed a whole lot more of the story or the character. I never read the second book and perhaps that is how it is written as well, but I’m getting tired of Hollywood making sequels all the time. Why can’t they come up with an original story? The movie doesn’t feel like it’s continuing to tell the saga of the first one, but instead shows you a bunch of fast action as Bourne struggles through the same dilemma he had in the first movie, unable to remember who he is and what he has done. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story line of Jason Bourne continues two years later. He finds out that the agency will not just let him fade away and as long as he lives, it seems they will be after him for what he has done in his past. After he is framed for a CIA operation that has gone wrong, Bourne must take action on his former employment as he tries to unravel the mystery of his past life.
Super Size Me (seen on July 23, 2004)
Rating – 7
Starring: Morgan Spurlock
This movie is a documentary so I have differing opinions on how to judge this movie. I enjoyed the movie. Morgan is an entertaining person and seems to be a good storyteller. The movie has a few slow parts, but there is a reason for it. He is quite good at explaining other facts about the health of Americans in general and not just telling a story about McDonald’s. I wouldn’t say this movie is for everybody because it is a documentary, but it is entertaining to see what happens to him and there are some funny parts. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The premise of the movie is that Morgan Spurlock has taken it upon himself to find out the effects of eating McDonald’s food three times a day for 30 days. He hires a staff of doctors to watch over his “progress” and health. The results are astonishing to find out what happens in only 30 days. Throughout the movie he analyzes American culture in general in respect to their overall health. I don’t want to give the results away, so if you want to find out what happens to an average person who eats only McDonald’s for 30 days, you’ll have to watch the movie.
Spiderman 2 (seen on July 5, 2004)
Rating – 8
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina
I enjoyed this movie and really the only problem is that it is a sequel. I believe the effects with Dr. Octopus were excellent and they continued the storyline of Spiderman quite well. I could see how some might view the movie as a little slow, but I believe it’s stays true to the character of Spiderman and how he struggles between being Peter Parker, young college student trying to make a career as a photographer for a newspaper, and Spiderman, protector of the city. The movie does an excellent job of setting up characters that take a while to develop in comic books, but the movie is able to accomplish this sufficiently enough in only a few minutes. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The movie picks up relatively to where the first one left off. Harry Osborn is upset at Peter for not helping him find Spiderman because Harry wants revenge for his father’s death. Mary Jane is living her life and trying to move on without Peter since he keeps pushing her away. The new villain is Dr. Octopus, who is an eccentric scientist who believes who can harness the power of the fusion.
Rating – 8
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Gary Oldman
Let’s start off with I’ve never read any of these books so if you have and you were disappointed in the movie because they omitted something, tough, this is based on my review of only the movie itself. I have seen the first one, but I have not been able to see the second one yet. I enjoyed this movie. I think it’s a nice kids movie that adults can enjoy, I mean hell I enjoyed it and I’m almost an adult. That’s really all I have to say. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story continues of the “great” wizard Harry Potter as he attends another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He teams up with his friends Hermione and Ron. The fear is a prisoner from Azkaban has escaped and is rumored to be out to kill Harry Potter. Harry struggles in the new year as well as trying to unravel the mystery of why this man is trying to kill him.
Dodgeball (seen on June 19, 2004)
Rating – 6
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Rip Torn
It had some really funny parts, even parts that were not shown in the trailer; however, these Ben Stiller movies are becoming all the same. They all seem too silly. I gave it a 6 so it might be worth a matinee price if you need to see a movie, but don’t feel compelled to go see this in the theaters. Better off waiting until you can rent it. There’s not a whole lot to say about this movie. It’s a simple plot that is predictable. There is a nice cameo in the end though. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Vince Vaughn is the loveable slacker who owns a run-down gym. Ben Stiller is the owner of the multi-million dollar gym across the street. When Vaughn slacks off on his payments, the bank sends an agent, Christine Taylor, to foreclose on the gym at the request of Ben Stiller. Vaughn and his cronies decide to play in a dodgeball league to raise the money that they owe to the bank in order to save their beloved run-down gym.
The Chronicles of Riddick (seen on June 13, 2004)
Rating – 8
Starring: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench
I liked this movie simply for the fact that I had an assumption on what I expected from the movie and I got exactly that. In fact, that is why I bumped this rating up another level was because it nailed my expectations. This is a “guy movie”. I’m sure chicks will like it because it’s got Vin Diesel and it’s a good movie. But it’s one of those movies where there’s just a bunch of fighting and carnage. I do encourage people to see Pitch Black before you see this movie because that is where the Riddick character has thus started from. You don’t have to see it to follow this movie, but there are several connections linked to that movie which would clarify a few things. There is one scene in the movie that drove me absolutely nuts, but I don’t want to discuss it unless you have seen the movie. So if you want to know what I mean by that, just get back to me. One thing, to enjoy this movie, you need to be able to accept the fact that this is a Sci-Fi movie. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
I guess I can tell the connections to this movie. Riddick is an escape convict who had his eyes “polished” so that he could see in pitch black. He is sent for to help fight a race of people, the Necromongers, that are wiping out the universe one planet at a time. The leader of the Necromongers is a half-dead man who’s intent is to convert races to his way or to kill anyone who refuses. Riddick is sent for at the request of an old friend because he is believed to be the answer to their prayers.
Shrek 2 (seen on June 6, 2004)
Rating – 7
Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Julie Andrews
This movie wasn’t too bad. If I hadn’t seen the first one, I probably would have liked it more. The reason I say that is because the whole concept of sequels for Hollywood is the search for more money. It was a good movie, but it seemed to pull some of the same gags, just the whole continuation of the fairy-tales mixed alongside the story. The first one you didn’t know what to expect, but this one, although different links to fairy-tales, pulled some of the same type tricks. You just have to see it and you’ll understand. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story line is that Princess Fiona and Shrek are married. At which point, they are invited by Fiona’s parents to the land of “Far Far Away” and of course their “trustee steed” Donkey is along for the trip. Fiona’s parents did not know about her turning into an ogre and therefore do not approve of Shrek. Apparently, the parents put Fiona in the tower in order for Prince Charming to find her. This will all set up by an “evil mastermind”, but I don’t want to give anymore away.
The Day After Tomorrow (seen on May 31, 2004)
Rating – 2
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm
Yeah, this movie was bad. The whole concept of the movie is hard to accept that the world is going to freeze over in a week. And that’s not the end of it. There is just too many unbelievable things in this movie that the movie seems utterly ridiculous. I can’t believe I wasted 2 hours of my life on this movie. Yes the effects are great, but that doesn’t make a movie (i.e. Matrix Reloaded). It is nice to see LA and New York getting destroyed, but that’s it. See if you can get the “hidden” message of the movie (they pretty much slap you in the face with it throughout the movie). This movie is just bad and I don’t want to waste any more time typing about it. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story is that the polar ice caps are melting because of global warming. The concept is that since the world is heating up, that storms help to balance climate. So therefore, since the ice-caps are melting and the world is heating up, that a deadly ice storm is covering the northern hemisphere until the world is stable again. Dennis Quaid is some kind of climate scientist who warns the world of the danger to come. His son (Gyllenhaal) is trapped in the ice storm in New York trying to survive until the storm ends. That’s all I have to say. Don’t waste your time or money.
Troy (seen on May 16, 2004)
Rating – 4
Starring: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox
Some of ya’ll have probably read The Iliad by Homer. Don’t go into this movie expecting it to be like the book because the movie is not based on the book, but “inspired by” the book so that allows them to change it. I won’t tell all the difference, but the main difference that I have to point out is the book was a ten-year war, while the movie was about two weeks. That’s just a bit of a difference. It was just hard to believe Brad Pitt as the greatest warrior ever, Achilles. I do believe Brian Cox did an excellent job as the pompous Agamemnon and Eric Bana wasn’t too bad either. The movie just reminds me of Braveheart a little too much. Maybe it’s because half the cast was in the movie Braveheart as well as Troy. It wasn’t a movie that you should never see, but I would wait till at least video so you don’t have to watch it in one sitting. The movie seems a little long when you’re watching it; I noticed myself checking the time several times in the movie. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
In case you don’t know the premise of the movie, it tells the story of the great Trojan War; however, no gods or goddesses appear in this movie unlike The Iliad where they played prevalent roles in the war. The story mainly follows Achilles, the greatest warrior for the Greeks, and Hector, the greatest warrior for the Trojans. In case you don’t know, the reason the war was started was because one of the princes of Troy, Paris, stole Helen, the most beautiful women in the world, from the king of Greece, Menelaus. At which point, Menelaus unites with his brother Agamemnon, the king of Sparta, to wage war on Troy, who is world renown for never being conquers as a result of the wall. That’s sets up the story line enough, but I’d be surprised if most of ya’ll don’t know a good bit of the story line already.
Van Helsing (seen on May 7, 2004)
Rating – 6
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale
Well, the main problem with this movie is that there is simply no plot or character development. It has some good action of monsters getting slain, but there’s not much of a story. It was enjoyable to watch, but not worth full price. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story is Van Helsing is employed by a secret society inside the church. He is sent on missions to bring back creatures who have violated some code of the church (never explains why he is hunting the monsters), but he is seen as a murderer in the eyes of most of Europe. He is sent on his hardest mission yet, which is to capture Dracula or to have him killed. Dracula, of course being Dracula, has a sinister plot in mind. Kate Beckinsale is part of a family line that has sworn to eliminate Dracula and has been fighting him for centuries. I don’t want to tell more because there simply isn’t much plot and any more will give the rest, what little is remaining, away.
Hellboy (seen on April 9, 2004)
Rating – 7
Starring: Ron Perlman
Well, this is a movie about a different type super-hero. I compare it a lot to the movie Spawn. It’s one of those dark type of super-hero who gets the job done, but it’s not necessarily pretty. I must say it was an excellent choice to cast Ron Perlman as Hellboy, the laid back, never afraid type hero. No real big plot twists in this movie. It just tells a simple super-hero type story; of course, you must accept the super-natural underline to the story. There wasn’t a whole lot of character development or background to the agency Hellboy works for, but I guess you get enough. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Hellboy is a demon who works for the government fighting paranormal activities. A scientist who originally discovered Hellboy controls this division. The scientist is training an assistant to take over his duties of watching after Hellboy during his adventures. Hellboy runs into trouble when he is faced with his past.
Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind (seen on April 4, 2004 and May 30, 2004)
Rating – 10
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood
This is an excellent movie. I don’t like Jim Carey and I don’t really care for Kate Winslet that much, but this was a great movie. Charlie Kaufman wrote this movie and I’m starting to really like his movies. The movie is definitely an original story line, which is nice to hear coming from Hollywood. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
I don’t want to tell too much about this movie because I don’t want to give the movie away. The movie involves a process where one can have memories deleted from their mind. I don’t want to be responsible for giving away anything so I’m just going to stop there.
Hidalgo (seen on March 5, 2004)
Rating – 6
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif
The movie was an interesting story that I’ve never heard before about this race across the dessert of Arabia. It wasn’t too bad, but I just don’t know about Viggo Mortensen anymore. He gives the same deadpan delivery in this movie like he does in every other movie. Not a whole lot to say about this. See it if you want to rent a movie, but it would probably be better to watch it on cable. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
This movie is based on a true story of Frank Hopkins who was a Pony Express rider and was regarded as one of the best long distance horse riders along with his horse, Hidalgo. Hopkins has been challenged to a race across the dessert in Arabia in the century old 3,000 mile race, Ocean of Fire. Hidalgo is regarded as a weak horse because it is a mustang and the Arabs believe their horses are superior. The elements and the other riders challenge Hopkins and Hidalgo along the entire ride. Will Hopkins and Hidalgo survive the race across the sands?
The Cooler (seen on February 28, 2004)
Overall Rating – 8
Starring: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello
I enjoyed this movie. I tend to agree with this movie that there are just certain people who are lucky or in Macy’s case unlucky. It’s a different type story, which is rather refreshing coming from Hollywood. It almost appears that Macy is becoming a type-cast character or at least when you try to think of pathetic loser, Macy is one of the first actors that comes to my mind. But hey, he does an excellent job at playing the loveable loser. Baldwin does an excellent job of playing the friend to Macy and the evil “old-school” Vegas boss of the casino. I wouldn’t say it’s Oscar Awarding winning, but it’s nice to see the intensity in him turn on like you would imagine a Pit boss to have when things are working his way. As for Bello, well, not an extraordinary effort on her part. The movie seemed to try to give some background in her character, but I think all you need to know that she is “Lady Luck”. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Bernie (Macy) is simply a loser. His whole aura that he gives off is bad luck. He is known as a “Cooler”. Shelly (Baldwin) runs a casino and when the gamblers start to win too much money from the casinos, he sends Bernie on over. Bernie simply has to sit down at a table, touch a player’s shoulder, or stand behind some and the house just rakes it all in, until Bernie meets a girl, Natalie. Natalie, to Bernie, appears to be “Lady Luck” and Shelly cannot allow that to happen. If Bernie is happy, then his “cooling” ability is not working and the casino is losing money. Shelly must solve this problem fast while keeping his superiors from taking over his casino.
21 Grams (seen on February 16, 2004)
Overall Rating – 5
Starring: Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts
I gave this an average review. I know it’s up for a handful of rewards, but I just cannot agree with the critics. I felt that the plot was rather simple, but the director tries to fool the audience by showing snapshots of the movie in random order. There is really no big twist at the end that you were waiting for so it’s not like Memento where the story unfolded like the main character saw it. Basically the movie was filmed and then sliced up and pieced back together in random order. Maybe I missed something, but the movie was only two hours and 20 minutes long and I would have guessed four hours. I just found myself checking my watch repeatedly. The movie jumped around more than Sesame Street does. There was no flow to the movie and it’s not like the end made you understand why it was filmed in piecewise fashion. So I suggest renting it so in case you need a break during the movie you can pause it or stop it. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The movie is a story about the cycle of life and death. How one person’s life/death can cause a chain reaction that affects the most random individuals. Sean Penn is a mathematician who needs a heart-transplant. Naomi Watts is a former drug user who is now married with two children. Benicio Del Toro is a repeated ex-con who has found Jesus and is trying to put his life back together with his family by his side. How are they all connected, well maybe I shouldn’t give that away, but a few turn of events leads these three strangers finding there paths cross one another’s.
Spike and Mike Sick and Twisted Animation Festival 2004 (seen on February 13, 2004)
Overall Rating – 8
Starring: It's an animation festival. What stars do you expect?
What can I say about this? This was my fifth year to see it. I still believe the first year was the best because all the cartoons were “new” to me. Ever since then, there have been several recycle of the same cartoons, but it’s still worth going to. I’m not going to break down every cartoon, but I do recommend the “Here Comes Dr. Tran” cartoon. That was quite enjoyable, especially since part of it was in 3D. Not much of a review for this because it was a spur of the moment decision to write a review on it. Let’s just say I plan on being at next year’s showing as well. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Miracle (seen on February 9, 2004)
Overall Rating – 7
Starring: Kurt Russell
It’s obvious that this movie is a Disney flick. It just has that whole Disney feel to it. It is quite an enjoyable movie. Of course, you know how it all ends even if you didn’t watch it live or was alive when it happened. It’s the great story of David beating Goliath. The movie shows how the events of the world leading up to the Olympics was just not going well for America and gives you that feel as to how important this game was. It’s an entertaining movie worth watching, but don’t expect it to win any awards. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The story is that Herb Brooks (Russell) leads a team of young, scrappy American amateur hockey players into the 1980 Olympics. He teaches them that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on their backs and he will work them to death until they understand that. Then, of course the team unites and does the impossible by beating the indestructible Russian team and continuing on to beat Finland in the finals for gold. It’s a very inspiring movie that captures the mood of the country during tough times.
Big Fish (seen on December 28, 2003)
Overall Rating – 10
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Albert Finney, Steve Buschemi
My guess is that this will probably be the last 10 rating of the year, but that’s not the reason why this movie received a 10. It’s just an entertaining story celebrating a father’s life. The story is filled with romanticized tales of Finney/McGregor’s travels and experiences as he becomes a man and meets the love of his life. You leave this movie in a good mood accepting that Finney/McGregor’s character loved his life and lived to the fullest. Each story told is outrageously silly, but they are enjoyable and you become to see life the way Finney/MacGregor did. After the movie, you have that feeling to call your own father and just to tell him thanks. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Finney tells such elaborate stories
to make his normal life seem extravagant at times.
His son, Billy Crudup, is upset that he doesn’t know what truly
happened in his father’s life, but only mere glimpses of it mixed with
tall-tales. Crudup hopes to find
out more about his father as his Finney’s health slowly dwindles away.
Paycheck (seen on December 25, 2003)
Overall Rating – 6
Starring: Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman
This movie has John Woo directing it so you would figure it would be loaded with action. It does have a lot of action, but it’s tame compared to typical John Woo’s flicks. Of course, he was handicapped by having Ben Affleck as a lead star. I did enjoy this movie despite having Affleck in the movie. The critics ripped the movie because they were disappointed; however, I didn’t have high expectations and I therefore enjoyed the movie. The movie tends to get predictable when you start to realize what Affleck’s 19 clues can be used for. One thing is relieving, was that there was no huge leap of a plot twist in this movie. If you have some cash and you want to see a movie that’s entertaining, nothing award winning, check this one out. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
Affleck’s character is some “genius” engineer (as if this Sci-Fi thriller is not a stretch on it’s on based on the plot, you have to accept Affleck as a “genius” engineer) who is payed to find out how advanced computer systems work and build them better for other companies. After he figures out how to accomplish this technology, his mind is erased for the whole time period he was working on the project. Well, basically, he gets set up by his rich friend to build some new technology (I won’t give it away, but you’ll figure it out in about 20 minutes into the movie if you don’t know before going into the theatre). After completing his three-year task, his mind is erased and he awakens to find that the FBI is after him and his friend wants him dead. He has sent himself 19 clues on how to solve what has been erased from his memory.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (seen on December 22, 2003)
Overall Rating – 8
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Ian McKellen
I finally have completed the trilogy. For those of y’all who have read the books might not agree with me on this review because I have not read the books. I did enjoy the final chapter of this trilogy. I believe the first movie was the best, but I was not displeased with this movie. It is 3:30 hours long so don’t drink too much before you watch it or you might have to run to the bathroom a handful of times. If you haven’t seen the first two, I don’t recommend seeing this one. That would be pretty stupid. There’s not a whole lot to say. I’m just glad the trilogy is over. All movies were captivating with the story line and the imagery. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
This movie, despite have the title “Return of the King” focuses more on Frodo and his buddy Sam. The two are trying to return the ring of Sauron to the volcano. Aragon is uniting man into a stand against the forces of Sauron in hopes to give Frodo enough time to deliver the ring to the volcano and vanquish the evil eye of Sauron. More plot lies underneath, but it’s complex and that’s good enough for a “nutshell” description of the plot.
Bad Santa (seen on December 6, 2003)
Overall Rating – 7
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, John Ritter
Well, I must say I went into this movie reluctantly. There’s just something about Billy Bob Thornton and this movie that didn’t draw my attention. Not to mention that holiday movies can be big let downs. Nevertheless, as you saw but my rating I enjoyed the movie. I was quite surprised to find out that it was a funny movie other than just the scenes they showed during the previews. It’s a very vulgar movie so if that bothers you, you shouldn’t see it. It has some really funny parts in it that just aren’t in common with most comedies nowadays. It’s hard to describe. The movie doesn’t make you laugh by just slapstick comedy or telling jokes, but I almost want to say some situational comedy. It’s not an Oscar winner but if you’re interested in seeing a movie where you can laugh at the misfortunes at how someone else’s life sucks, then give this a watch. That’s my quick review; what’s next?
The title says the whole story. Billy Bob is a drunk, loser Santa and along with his partner, they rob the department stores that they work at during the holiday season. Billy Bob is exceptional at playing a pathetic loser in the movie and makes you feel grateful that you don’t know anyone this pathetic. It’s a struggle for his partner to just keep Billy Bob under control for the holidays until the end of the holiday season so they can get “paid”. Of course it isn’t going to be easy with the nosy store manager, John Ritter, and the security officer, Bernie Mac, watching over them. There’s more story for Billy Bob’s character, but I don’t want to tell to much about this one because I think it’s better that you don’t know where it is going. If I were to give more details, you could probably predict the rest of the story, but hey, it’s refreshing to watch a movie without eighty plot twists in it.
Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (seen on October 26, 2003)
Overall Rating – 2
Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine
I must say that Quentin Tarantino is one of the most overrated people in Hollywood. I will say that this movie is better than Jackie Brown. You might think I’m exaggerating, but 8 people out of about 25 in the theater left in the middle of the movie. I know it’s a spoof of the old “Samurai” movies, but get some better dialog. Could it be any more cheesy? The violence doesn’t bother me; actually, that was the only saving part of the movie was the ridiculous fight scenes. What really bothers me is that there is going to be another movie in the series and I’m going to have to watch it to see what happens because I’ve already started the series. That’s what Tarantino is banking on. You know what, this movie is probably not worth the hour and a half to watch the next one and it’s definitely not worth paying money for at the theaters or the video store. I could rant about this movie for much longer, but I suggest you just ask me about it. That’s my quick review; what's next?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (seen on October 20, 2003)
Overall Rating – 6
Starring: Jessica Biel, R. Lee Emrey
These films are what I hate about Hollywood. Lack of ideas so lets remake a classic with new actors. At least it was better than the Psycho remake. Nothing that you really need to see at the theaters, but if you’ve already seen everything, this might not be a bad choice. Otherwise, I’d wait till you can rent it or better yet, check out the original. It was a nice touch to at least keep the same Narrator for both movies. Not many comments on this movie…not excessive amount of gore compared to most horror movies nowadays. That’s my quick review; what's next?
The Rundown (seen on October 17, 2003)
Overall Rating – 7
Starring: The Rock, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, Rosario Dawson
Not exactly an Academy Award winning film, but an enjoyable one. Good action mixed in with humor. Of course with most action movies, it was predictable what was going to happen, but I got my moneys worth for a Matinee price. That’s my quick review; what's next?
The plot is The Rock is sent to the Amazon to bring back Seann William Scott back to his father. Scott has stumbled upon an ancient idol of value, which Walken wants to claim and won’t let Scott or The Rock leave until he has it. Walken is a gold slave driver and the locals want the idol to buy their freedom.
Lost in Translation (seen on October 14, 2003)
Overall Rating – 10
Starring: Bill Murray
You might be surprised at the 10 rating on this movie. It is possible to get a 10 rating. This movie was very enjoyable. Now, I admit that I am partial to Bill Murray, but this was an excellent movie. This movie is not for everyone because it is an “artsy” type movie, but if you like those types of movies, check this one out. Some parts you could find it slow, but I believe it actually helps to develop the characters at seeing their futility of the characters situation. Will Bill Murray receive an Oscar nomination for this movie? That’s my quick review; what's next?
The movie is about an over-the-hill movie star who is doing commercial for a scotch in Tokyo. He crosses paths with a newlywed whose husband is there on a photo shoot, but is too busy to be with her. He struggles with the realization of his life as it has become and the girl struggles with the realization that she is married and feeling alienated from everything. Misery loves company as these two find solace and some hope for their lives as they hang out with each other unable to sleep in Tokyo.
Intolerable Cruelty (seen on October 12, 2003)
Overall Rating – 8
Starring: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy-Bob Thorton, Geoffrey Rush
Yet another movie that I am partial too. This is a Cohen brothers’ movie, which I am a big fan of their work. I paid full price for this movie and thought it was worth it but I just can’t give it that 9 rating. No real characters that you can just relate to so it’s hard to get sucked into the story, but the characters are funny and the story is entertaining in a goofy way (typical Cohen brothers’ movie). That’s my quick review; what's next?
The plot consists of Clooney who is a great divorce attorney who becomes enchanted (“fascinated” as Clooney’s character puts it) with Zeta-Jones. Of course, Zeta-Jones’ character is trying to marry a rich man and divorce him and take his money to gain her independence. Clooney struggles with being the firm’s best divorce attorney, but his life has become meaningless, if not just boring. Will he find what he’s missing? Will she be happy with her independence?