One of the things I'm most happy about in 2012 is starting this blog. Since I watch movies all the time, I thought I'd share my thoughts with anyone who cared. Well, after watching 30ish movies this year, I thought I would list my top 5 movies of this year. My list isn't going to be like any of the critics. At the end of the day, it's my opinion and my opinion is the only one that matters in this blog.
#5 Django Unchained - It was really hard for me to decide between this and Les Mis because I enjoyed them both, but I feel like I could watch Django many more times that Les Miserables despite some of the gruesome scenes. Here were my thoughts on the movie: Django Unchained review
#4 Think Like a Man - The funniest movie of the year to me should definitely be on my list. Kevin Hart has been making his rounds on the small screen and big screen this year. He will start 2013 with a new reality show. His stars are looking up and so was this movie. Think Like a Man review
#3 Snow White and the Huntsman - Some one told Kristen Stewart she was a good actress and then gave her numerous roles. This movie by far is her greatest acting role yet. Snow White and the Huntsman not only had people talking about how great the movie was, but they were also talking about the affair Kristen had with the director which broke up her relationship with her Twilight Saga co-star. They got back together right before the promotion began for Breaking Dawn Part 2 (coincidence, I think NOT). Although, I enjoyed Breaking Dawn and sad to see the saga end, I loved Snow White more. Snow White and The Huntsman Review
#2 Prometheus - You guys should have known a Sci-fi movie with Idris Elba was going to make the list. The movie was great! He looked great! What more can I say? Oh wait, read this for more: Prometheus movie review
#1 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - It wouldn't be a movie list without a vampire movie on it. I'm sure as a Twi-hard you'd think my #1 movie choice would be Breaking Dawn Part 2, but nope. It's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I loved this movie. I didn't fall asleep once like I did in that critically acclaimed other Lincoln movie. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter review
Oh, and the worst movie of 2012 has to be Mirror, Mirror starring Julia Roberts. I don't have a review for it because it was before I started this blog, but I will just say that, I left wanting my $6 back and was pissed at Julia for making me suffer through that mess. I'll forgive her this time.
Anyway, 2012 was full of closure, block-busters, pre-quels, and sequels. We saw the end of the Dark Knight Trilogy and the Twilight Saga; the beginning of the Hunger Games Trilogy, the start of the Avenger movies, and a better version of a new Spider-man series. I look forward to what 2013 has to bring and I hope you stay with me while I tell you my thoughts on it all.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Les Misérables - Wait, they were singing!
Everyone's got to broaden their horizons. You can't do the same thing day in and day out. You can see the same type of movie every time you go to the theater. You'll miss out. I love a great sci-fi, fantasy, suspense, or action/drama, but I also love a great musical too. My all-time favorite movie is Sound of Music. Les Misérables is a musical of sorts. It's more like an opera since they sing 99% of every word, but the acting and drama is so good I almost forget they are singing...almost.
This movie stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. Jackman and Hathaway are nominated for Golden Globes for their portrayals in this movie. And Les Mis, has been nominated for Best comedy or musical too. I never agree with the awards circuit because I feel like it's all a popularity contest, but I wouldn't be disappointed if this movie brings how an award or two. It would deserve it. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean is wonderful. Anne Hathaway will bring tears to your eyes as Fantine. I think everyone can understand a mother's love through Fantine's struggle. We love Russell Crowe, just not Russell Crowe's singing. He's the one negative as Inspector Javert. He really should stick to action films like Gladiator. Helena Bonham Carter (you know her from just about any Johnny Depp and/or Tim Burton, her husband, movie) or and Sacha Baron Cohen (yes Borat was there too) had very devious yet comical parts as Mr. and Madame Thenardier. They too were fantastic!
I've never read the book although it is waiting on my Kindle, and I've never seen it on the stage, but after today, I want to immediately. I really didn't know much about the plot other than the character's name Jean Valjean; so, I was completely enthralled in the story. The story of a man trying to do right and change his stars and along the way helping a child of a woman he inadvertently wronged with the French Revolution as its background. I think if you open your mind and heart to the idea of a movie where everyone sings, yet their emotions are true then I'll think you'll enjoy this one. It isn't for everyone, but if you'd like a change of pace to your regular movie going experience, then I say go see Les Misérables. You won't be disappointed.
This movie stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. Jackman and Hathaway are nominated for Golden Globes for their portrayals in this movie. And Les Mis, has been nominated for Best comedy or musical too. I never agree with the awards circuit because I feel like it's all a popularity contest, but I wouldn't be disappointed if this movie brings how an award or two. It would deserve it. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean is wonderful. Anne Hathaway will bring tears to your eyes as Fantine. I think everyone can understand a mother's love through Fantine's struggle. We love Russell Crowe, just not Russell Crowe's singing. He's the one negative as Inspector Javert. He really should stick to action films like Gladiator. Helena Bonham Carter (you know her from just about any Johnny Depp and/or Tim Burton, her husband, movie) or and Sacha Baron Cohen (yes Borat was there too) had very devious yet comical parts as Mr. and Madame Thenardier. They too were fantastic!
I've never read the book although it is waiting on my Kindle, and I've never seen it on the stage, but after today, I want to immediately. I really didn't know much about the plot other than the character's name Jean Valjean; so, I was completely enthralled in the story. The story of a man trying to do right and change his stars and along the way helping a child of a woman he inadvertently wronged with the French Revolution as its background. I think if you open your mind and heart to the idea of a movie where everyone sings, yet their emotions are true then I'll think you'll enjoy this one. It isn't for everyone, but if you'd like a change of pace to your regular movie going experience, then I say go see Les Misérables. You won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Django Unchained - Another great Tarantino
I live in NYC and in NY there's something called a Jewish Christmas. It may be called that in more places than in NY, but we've never heard of such a thing in Texas where I was born and raised. A Jewish Christmas includes going to the movies and eating Chinese food since those are about the only two things open on Christmas Day. Well, this Christian here who works at a Jewish Community center is getting in the spirit. I went to the movies this morning and we are having Hibachi for dinner. Not Chinese, but close enough. Although, I intended to see Les Miserable and Django Unchained today, I was only able to see Django (I'm seeing Les Mis tomorrow). As my aunt keeps saying, "who wants to see a slave movie on Christmas?" Me and all the other people who filled up the theater this morning.
Django Unchained is another Quentin Tarantino movie. You know his type of movie is gritty, raw, funny, cheesy, bloody, and a hella good time. Django definitely fit the bill. This movie stars Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Don Johnson, Samuel L Jackson, Christopher Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio just to name a few. Tarantino makes an appearance too as he does in all of his movies. I don't think anyone is going to win any Academy Awards from this movie even though they act their arses off especially Christopher Waltz as a german bounty hunter, but I do think some will be acknowledged for their portrayals.
We all love a bad-arse Jamie. He's quite sexy as a Django (the D is silent). He may overact a bit, but I'll give him a pass only because it's what you do in an Tarantino movie. DiCaprio is a great actor. Who would of thought that of Luke Bower from Growing Pains. Not I. He nails the role of Calvin Candie, the Mississippi owner of the third largest plantation. Kerry Washington's roll as Broomhilda really could have been played by any black actress. She brought nothing to the table. Sorry. She just looked like Olivia Pope (I know, I know, another Scandal reference) in a period costume. Her role really was minimal, so I'm not going to hold it against her.
Don Johnson as Big Daddy was great! The funniest scene in the movie to me was when Big Daddy and his friends decided to put pillow cases over their heads and attack the bounty hunters. It's hilarious because they can't see through the holes and start to complain about it. You'll see what I mean when you watch it yourself. The humor gets lost in explanation. To me, the best acting really is in Christopher Waltz. I don't really know anything he's been in except Inglorious Basterds and I never saw it, but I can understand why he has numerous awards for that role. He was simply excellent in the movie and my favorite character.
This movie isn't about slaves and oppression which is good because I spent all weekend watching Roots. (BET had the whole series on TV over the weekend.) It was quite the opposite. This movie is about redemption. Getting back at the white man, outsmarting the white man, killing a hell of a lot of white men, and being a hero to the woman you love. Jamie Foxx as Django is saved by a bounty hunter who needs his help to collect a bounty. After the collection, they decide to work together to make enough money to find out where Django's wife, Broomhilda, is and buy her freedom. Once they find her, they scheme to get her back from Candie-land owned by DiCaprio's character. The "Uncle Tom" type character played by Sam Jackson foils their plans and all hell breaks loose. I won't tell you how it ends, but you'll be pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this movie, but I typically enjoy most Quentin Tarantino movies. Kill Bill vol 1 & 2 are my favorites of his. I think if you go into the theater with an open mind, I think you'll enjoy it too.
Friday, December 21, 2012
This is 40 - If this is 40, then maybe we all should just die at 39
There's been a lot of buzz about the movies coming out Christmas Day. Les Miserables and Django Unchained will probably get the top spots that day, but don't sleep on This is 40, out a week earlier. It's not a cinematic masterpiece or gut-wrenching movie. What it is, is a gripping look at an adult couple going through life the way most people do. It doesn't sugar-coat marriage or being a parent. This movie shows you how much life can suck and how awesome it can be.
This is 40 is a squeal spin-off to Knocked Up written, directed and produced by Judd Apatow. The movie stars Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. Paul plays Pete a man who is married with two duaghters to Debbie (Leslie), and the story centers around the week of their 40th birthdays which happens to be days apart. Paul is the owner of a fledgling record label and Debbie owns a clothing store, run by Megan Fox. Between the two businesses and a mooching father-in-law, they are in a financial bind. They also have to deal with an emotional, hormonal teen-aged daughter in Sadie and a very adorable albeit a little too grown younger daugher, Charlotte.
I'm a divorced 33-year-old woman without children and life definitely has had it's dark moments. I can only imagine what it would be like with a husband and two kids. I think this movie gives me a pretty good idea. Having to find time to spend with your spouse; deciding when and how to fight your kids' battles; how to help your aging parents; and, how to keep yourself happy in the process. There are many laugh out loud moments right from the beginning, but there were also those moments when you really felt for them and took a second to think how would you handle this situation. If you are married, it may help you feel better about your situation, and if you're not, it may help you decide if this is something you really want out of life. Lucky for me, I still have a few more years before I hit 40 and reach this place. I really enjoyed this take on a real life. Usually, I don't like comedies or anything that's too real, but this was a good departure from my regular creatures, bullets, and/or bombs. I'll get back to the fantasy stuff next week.
Friday, December 14, 2012
The Hobbit - Does it have to be so LONG?
I love a great fantasy movie like the next girl, but I'ma need Peter Jackson to learn how to get his point across in under 2 hours. He makes wonderful movies as we all know from watching the long arse Lord of the Rings triology, but I really need him to get it together. No one wants to sit at the movie theater for 3 hours for EACH of your films MAN (in my Smokey voice) like I did watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!
I'm not sure if it's the length of the movie, the amount of dialogue during some of the lengthy scenes, or the fact that I was up late on Facebook discussing Scandal (Still not watching? You're a fool!), but I dozed off several times. Don't get me wrong, when the action is going, it's great! There are dwarves fighting trolls, and dwarves fighting gigantic tiger-like creatures, and a hobbit fighting some monstrous humanoid brute; plus there was fighting with goblins, not to mention the fire-breathing dragon that's really the reason for this whole movie. BUT, it's still a little dry when all that isn't happening.
Now, some of our favorite characters from the Lord of the Rings make appearances to perk us up and keep our attention. Gandolf played by the great Ian McKellen of course is there putting this adventure together. Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) makes a brief showing. Gollum shows his creepy yet lovable face talking to his precious self. Our elvin friends are there too: Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, and Christopher Lee and Suraman, although I think he's a wizard.
To keep it short, under 3 minutes, Bilbo (Ian Holm) decides to write down and tell Frodo the story of one if his adventures and how he finds THE ring. The story begins when Gandolf recruits a younger Biblo (Martin Freeman) to help him and 13 dwarves take back their home which sits in a mountain that has been taken over by a dragon. On their journey, they encounter all those goblins, trolls, elves, and other creatures that I told you about earlier. Despite the length of the movie, you are left wanting more when it gets to the end and you (SPOILER ALERT) realize that the story isn't even close to being over and there is going to be another movie. Anyone who knows Peter Jackson would know that there'd be more than one.
I must say, I was glad when it was over, and although I enjoyed the action, I left thinking, maybe it'll get better. That's how I felt about the Lord of the Rings. I didn't really enjoy it until the 3rd movie and even then, it was better when I saw it again at home on the tv. Probably because I could pause and do other things when I needed to do so, and you can't do that at the theater. Let's hope The Hobbit picks up, or I'll need to make sure I get a good night's sleep next time.
SN: If Magneto and Gandolf (both played by Ian McKellen) got into a fight, who would win? Ok, I'm done.
I'm not sure if it's the length of the movie, the amount of dialogue during some of the lengthy scenes, or the fact that I was up late on Facebook discussing Scandal (Still not watching? You're a fool!), but I dozed off several times. Don't get me wrong, when the action is going, it's great! There are dwarves fighting trolls, and dwarves fighting gigantic tiger-like creatures, and a hobbit fighting some monstrous humanoid brute; plus there was fighting with goblins, not to mention the fire-breathing dragon that's really the reason for this whole movie. BUT, it's still a little dry when all that isn't happening.
Now, some of our favorite characters from the Lord of the Rings make appearances to perk us up and keep our attention. Gandolf played by the great Ian McKellen of course is there putting this adventure together. Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) makes a brief showing. Gollum shows his creepy yet lovable face talking to his precious self. Our elvin friends are there too: Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, and Christopher Lee and Suraman, although I think he's a wizard.
To keep it short, under 3 minutes, Bilbo (Ian Holm) decides to write down and tell Frodo the story of one if his adventures and how he finds THE ring. The story begins when Gandolf recruits a younger Biblo (Martin Freeman) to help him and 13 dwarves take back their home which sits in a mountain that has been taken over by a dragon. On their journey, they encounter all those goblins, trolls, elves, and other creatures that I told you about earlier. Despite the length of the movie, you are left wanting more when it gets to the end and you (SPOILER ALERT) realize that the story isn't even close to being over and there is going to be another movie. Anyone who knows Peter Jackson would know that there'd be more than one.
I must say, I was glad when it was over, and although I enjoyed the action, I left thinking, maybe it'll get better. That's how I felt about the Lord of the Rings. I didn't really enjoy it until the 3rd movie and even then, it was better when I saw it again at home on the tv. Probably because I could pause and do other things when I needed to do so, and you can't do that at the theater. Let's hope The Hobbit picks up, or I'll need to make sure I get a good night's sleep next time.
SN: If Magneto and Gandolf (both played by Ian McKellen) got into a fight, who would win? Ok, I'm done.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Lincoln - No vampires died...
I'm going to keep this short and sweet, unlike this Lincoln movie. Lincoln tells the story of how President Lincoln and his cohorts got enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery and end the Civil War. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones. Steven Spielberg directed it. The movie which already has Oscar buzz disappoints. No vampires die, nothing blows up, no aliens come to take over the world, and no one has magical powers. This might explain why I feel asleep a few times during the 2 1/2 hours.
There was a school group there watching for educational purposes, but they couldn't sit still long enough to learn anything because it was so boring! The most exciting and dramatic part was the counting of the votes, and even though I knew the outcome, I was still at the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for a finally tally, but I had to wait 2 hours to get there. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. I almost walked out several times, but I was in the middle of the theater surrounded by a bunch of pre-teens. This movie will win someone an Oscar, but it wins nothing but thumbs down for me.
There was a school group there watching for educational purposes, but they couldn't sit still long enough to learn anything because it was so boring! The most exciting and dramatic part was the counting of the votes, and even though I knew the outcome, I was still at the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for a finally tally, but I had to wait 2 hours to get there. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. I almost walked out several times, but I was in the middle of the theater surrounded by a bunch of pre-teens. This movie will win someone an Oscar, but it wins nothing but thumbs down for me.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Breaking Dawn Pt2: Book vs Movie
I haven't been this enthralled by a book series since reading my childhood favorite series The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis is my all-time favorite book. I've read the book more times than I can count and have seen the movie about 4 times. Too bad the Narnia movies aren't doing as well as the Twilight Saga. What's so great about this book series and movies? It's a love story involving vampires and werewolves. What more does a girl need? Being young adult, they're easy books to read which is good thing when the books reach the uppers of 700 pages, and having eye-candy on the screen in the form of Taylor Lautner, why wouldn't you want to watch these movies? I'm sure Stephenie Meyers had no idea what greatness was coming when Edward Cullen and Bella Swan came to her in that dream.
Twilight: The book grabs you the minute you decide if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob. Bella Swan is a nice heroine for young girls because she awkward and out of place. She's enduring to her father and has two men in love with her. Every girl's dream. The movie is my least favorite of them all. It was incredibly drab and boring. Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress and Robert Pattinson wasn't handsome enough for me to be Edward. I only suffered through it once. It tried again, but couldn't get through 10 minutes of it.
New Moon: This is my favorite book and movie. Bella's sadness is very real and jumps off the pages at you. I love how Stephenie expresses her longing in those pages that just has the months on them and nothing else. I thought that was brilliant and I loved how they portrayed it in the movie as well. We also get to see a lot of a shirtless Taylor Lautner in New Moon which is why I've seen this one more than all the rest. I'm definitely Team Edward in the books, but Team Jacob when watching the movies. Kristen Stewarts acting doesn't get any better and neither does her facial expressions. It's like her face is stuck on sullen. Dakota Fanning shows up in the movie as Jane and when she does, you think to yourself, she's perfect!
Eclipse: This one involves a lot more drama and excitement. The movie intertwines Eclipse with a short story by Stephenie Meyer, "The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner". This movie has to be my second favorite one, but the book was just ok to me. I enjoyed the short story more than Eclipse. The book started to feel like, oh I need to write another one because the first two were just so popular. Was it needed? Well, yes to get to an ending in Breaking Dawn, but did I really learn anything or did my opinions change about anyone in this book? Nope. This movie I felt was the closest to the books which is hard to do these days.
Breaking Dawn: I got this book at midnight when it came out. I've never been so eager to read a book ever in my life. Four years and 700+ pages later, I still ask myself was it worth it? I didn't love the book the first time I read it. Probably because I read it so fast and probably missed so much. It also left me feeling a little longing for a battle that never came. Some of us felt it should have ended differently. Maybe the Cullens become the new power coven or something like that. But, there was no fight, and the big bad guys, just turned around a went home. It was extremely disappointing. We didn't really get to see what all those super powers could do except Bella's. A huge let down. And let's not forget the horrible name of the half child/half vampire. Trying to get through the book having to read Renesmee over and over was like listening to sBut maybe the movie would give us what we were missing.
I enjoyed Part 1. I thought they did a good job with it even though I didn't get Bella's thoughts which is part of what makes these books so great. I really wanted to know what she was thinking during the movie; her thoughts on getting married, during the honeymoon, and while pregnant, but I didn't get that. I was satisfied after seeing it and was eager to see how part 2 would end. I left the theater today bewildered. I really didn't know how to express my feelings. As purist, I was upset that they added a huge part to the movie that wasn't in the book. As a fan, it felt like we got what we were missing from the book. I always want them to stay as close to the book as possible and this addition kind of upset me. They fixed it and put a band-aid on, but was it necessary? If you've never read the book then maybe it was. It needed the excitement, but the whole time it was happening I kept thinking this is not how it happened in the book. The audience was happy. Clearly they hadn't read Breaking Dawn. Even with that addition, it was a great ending to great run of movies even though Kristen Stewarts acting or facial expressions never improved.
Stephenie Meyer wrote another book which has a movie coming out called The Host. Of course I've read that too and hope for the movie next year. Then I have the Hunger Games Series to keep me busy, but I don't think I will love another series as much as I do Twilight. I was so invested in Bella, Jacob, and Edward, and now that it's ended the way that it did, I feel satisfied and ready for something new. There always is, but will it be as good? If only I had what Bella and Edward had to figure that out...FOREVER.
Twilight: The book grabs you the minute you decide if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob. Bella Swan is a nice heroine for young girls because she awkward and out of place. She's enduring to her father and has two men in love with her. Every girl's dream. The movie is my least favorite of them all. It was incredibly drab and boring. Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress and Robert Pattinson wasn't handsome enough for me to be Edward. I only suffered through it once. It tried again, but couldn't get through 10 minutes of it.
New Moon: This is my favorite book and movie. Bella's sadness is very real and jumps off the pages at you. I love how Stephenie expresses her longing in those pages that just has the months on them and nothing else. I thought that was brilliant and I loved how they portrayed it in the movie as well. We also get to see a lot of a shirtless Taylor Lautner in New Moon which is why I've seen this one more than all the rest. I'm definitely Team Edward in the books, but Team Jacob when watching the movies. Kristen Stewarts acting doesn't get any better and neither does her facial expressions. It's like her face is stuck on sullen. Dakota Fanning shows up in the movie as Jane and when she does, you think to yourself, she's perfect!
Eclipse: This one involves a lot more drama and excitement. The movie intertwines Eclipse with a short story by Stephenie Meyer, "The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner". This movie has to be my second favorite one, but the book was just ok to me. I enjoyed the short story more than Eclipse. The book started to feel like, oh I need to write another one because the first two were just so popular. Was it needed? Well, yes to get to an ending in Breaking Dawn, but did I really learn anything or did my opinions change about anyone in this book? Nope. This movie I felt was the closest to the books which is hard to do these days.
Breaking Dawn: I got this book at midnight when it came out. I've never been so eager to read a book ever in my life. Four years and 700+ pages later, I still ask myself was it worth it? I didn't love the book the first time I read it. Probably because I read it so fast and probably missed so much. It also left me feeling a little longing for a battle that never came. Some of us felt it should have ended differently. Maybe the Cullens become the new power coven or something like that. But, there was no fight, and the big bad guys, just turned around a went home. It was extremely disappointing. We didn't really get to see what all those super powers could do except Bella's. A huge let down. And let's not forget the horrible name of the half child/half vampire. Trying to get through the book having to read Renesmee over and over was like listening to sBut maybe the movie would give us what we were missing.
I enjoyed Part 1. I thought they did a good job with it even though I didn't get Bella's thoughts which is part of what makes these books so great. I really wanted to know what she was thinking during the movie; her thoughts on getting married, during the honeymoon, and while pregnant, but I didn't get that. I was satisfied after seeing it and was eager to see how part 2 would end. I left the theater today bewildered. I really didn't know how to express my feelings. As purist, I was upset that they added a huge part to the movie that wasn't in the book. As a fan, it felt like we got what we were missing from the book. I always want them to stay as close to the book as possible and this addition kind of upset me. They fixed it and put a band-aid on, but was it necessary? If you've never read the book then maybe it was. It needed the excitement, but the whole time it was happening I kept thinking this is not how it happened in the book. The audience was happy. Clearly they hadn't read Breaking Dawn. Even with that addition, it was a great ending to great run of movies even though Kristen Stewarts acting or facial expressions never improved.
Stephenie Meyer wrote another book which has a movie coming out called The Host. Of course I've read that too and hope for the movie next year. Then I have the Hunger Games Series to keep me busy, but I don't think I will love another series as much as I do Twilight. I was so invested in Bella, Jacob, and Edward, and now that it's ended the way that it did, I feel satisfied and ready for something new. There always is, but will it be as good? If only I had what Bella and Edward had to figure that out...FOREVER.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Skyfall - Something old, new, borrowed, and blue!
Something old: After 50 years of James Bond, you would think they would have run out of ideas for the 23rd film. They kind of have, but they keep going anyway. In Skyfall, James Bond is still a smooth talking, gun toting, martini drinking, ladies man of a spy, but his age and being shot in the shoulder is slowing him down a bit. On top of that, bureaucrats want M (Dame Judith Dench) to retire after she looses very important MI6 information. They believe she too is getting too old to do her job. They both, inevitably, will prove these haters wrong one way or another. You can definitely see the age in the pair, but they prove that while age may slow you down, it also brings wisdom and intelligence that all the computers and youth in the world can't do.
Something blue: A very handsome blue-eyed Daniel Craig is my second favorite Bond, only second to The Great Sean Connery. (I'm very biased due to my extreme love/infatuation for the silver-haired Scotsman. He is 2nd to the top of my "can get" list. He had the #1 spot until I recently fell in love with Idris Elba, but I digress.) Craig has now played 007 three times. I think he gets better with each movie. Someone once said to me that he's too rough as James Bond and that Pierce Brosnan was smoother, but I disagree, sort of. I do agree that he's rougher, but there is still something very smooth about his roughness that works for me. Or, maybe I'm just mesmerized by those lovely blue eyes.
Something borrowed: Because Skyfall is a James Bond movie, I guess the director and writers felt they had to stick to some of the rhetoric that comes with 007. We still get the classic horn-heavy theme music, the cool gadgets, and enticing action that comes with James Bond. They even pulled out one of his old cars with the ejector seat from past Bond movies. I mean, it just wouldn't be the same without those old nuances with the modern day twists.
Something new: Modern day twist is definitely what the movie tried to add, I just don't think it added enough of it. We got a new Q played by a young Ben Wishaw and a new gay or possibly bi-sexual villan played by a wonderful actor, Javier Bardem. There was only one real new gadget which I've seen done better in other films so it wasn't new to me. Bond got a gun that could sense his hand and would only work for him. We also get a new opening song for Skyfall song by Adele with the same name. I actually really like it which is why have included it below. It's the best of all the newness.
I can't say that I loved this movie, but I'd watch it again. I will say that everyone in the theater including me seemed to enjoy it except for the man snoring in the back. And, it's hard for me to compare it to the others since I've only seen about 8 or so of the 23, but if you are a James Bond fan or a Daniel Craig fan, then you should see it, and I think you'll enjoy it too.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Flight - Flying High with Denzel
We've all seen a dark and troubled Denzel Washington a few times. He was so dark and ruthless in Training Day that he received an Oscar for Best Actor, although Glory (Best Supporting Actor Academy Award) and Malcolm X (Nomination for Best Actor Academy Award) are tied for my favorite Denzel movies which both feature him in various forms of darkness. In the movie Flight, drugs and alcohol are his demons.
This is a tragic tale about an alcoholic pilot, Captain Whip Whitaker, (Denzel) who saves 96 out of 102 souls in a plane crash. There was clearly a problem with the plane, but Captain Whip is on the hook due to his blood alcohol level. He meets another troubled soul while in the hospital; a heroin addict named Nicole played by Kelly Reilly. They become co-dependant lovers through this trying time. She however gets help, while he hasn't quite seen the error of his ways yet.
The cast includes three of my favorite actors, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and of course, DW. Don Cheadle plays the lawyer who has been hired by the Pilots Union to keep Whip out of jail. He's supposed to be a bad-arse lawyer, and although he has great lines, he doesn't deliver them the way I needed him to a la Olivia Pope (Not watching Scandal? Then you need to start ASAP). John Goodman is the captain's bud and drug dealer. His character is hilarious and probably my favorite in the movie.
I was extremely invested in Captain Whip Whitaker's recovery, and whether he was going to go to jail for his crimes or not. I also felt sorry for him, and small part of me was hoping he got away with it. At one point in the movie, I was silently rooting for him to put down the boos and walk away. I won't tell you how it ends, but I did leave feeling satisfied with the outcome. I also was very satisfied to see Denzel looking very yummy in his aviators and captain's uniform, not to mention the bare butt shot of his we get to ogle. Flight isn't going down (no pun intended) as a great DW movie, but it is a must watch if you are a fan. And, if you're not...do those people even exist?
This is a tragic tale about an alcoholic pilot, Captain Whip Whitaker, (Denzel) who saves 96 out of 102 souls in a plane crash. There was clearly a problem with the plane, but Captain Whip is on the hook due to his blood alcohol level. He meets another troubled soul while in the hospital; a heroin addict named Nicole played by Kelly Reilly. They become co-dependant lovers through this trying time. She however gets help, while he hasn't quite seen the error of his ways yet.
The cast includes three of my favorite actors, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and of course, DW. Don Cheadle plays the lawyer who has been hired by the Pilots Union to keep Whip out of jail. He's supposed to be a bad-arse lawyer, and although he has great lines, he doesn't deliver them the way I needed him to a la Olivia Pope (Not watching Scandal? Then you need to start ASAP). John Goodman is the captain's bud and drug dealer. His character is hilarious and probably my favorite in the movie.
I was extremely invested in Captain Whip Whitaker's recovery, and whether he was going to go to jail for his crimes or not. I also felt sorry for him, and small part of me was hoping he got away with it. At one point in the movie, I was silently rooting for him to put down the boos and walk away. I won't tell you how it ends, but I did leave feeling satisfied with the outcome. I also was very satisfied to see Denzel looking very yummy in his aviators and captain's uniform, not to mention the bare butt shot of his we get to ogle. Flight isn't going down (no pun intended) as a great DW movie, but it is a must watch if you are a fan. And, if you're not...do those people even exist?
Friday, October 26, 2012
Cloud Atlas - A crafty cosmic confusion
Ever watched a movie that 1. you had to get through the entire thing to decide if you liked it... 2. had so many story lines that you need to see it several times to get it all... 3. had you completely confused in the first 10 minutes? Cloud Atlas is that movie for me. This movie has some of the biggest stars of our time, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant. I still haven't decided yet if these stars made the movie or was it just a plain old good movie. I suspect this movie will be nominated for many Academy Awards especially for costumes, make-up, set design, and maybe Best Picture and Best Direction. I wouldn't be too disappointed if Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Doona Bae, and Jim Broadbent weren't nominated for their acting in this movie.
It's really hard to give you a brief synopsis of this movie as there are 6 different stories intertwined in one. The best way to put it is throughout these six stories we see how past, present, and future affects all humankind. Some stories are more intriguing than others even though they all are great. The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish is probably my favorite. It stars Jim Broadbent as a book publisher named Timothy Cavendish who get's into money trouble. He seeks out help from his brother who sends him away unknowingly to a retirement home. Timothy spends the rest of the movie trying to escape with the help of some of his elderly friends in the home who don't want to be there either. This story brings the comedy to such a dramatic movie. But old people, usually are the comic relief in movies.
The most powerful story to me is An Orison of Sonmi-451 staring Doona Bae, a Korean Actress. This story is set in the future in Neo-Seoul, Korea. A new city since old Seoul is underwater due to a flood. Sonmi-451 is a genetically engineered woman who spends her life enslaved by the government to be a waitress and to do whatever the patron ask of her. She escapes slavery with the help of a rogue group who feel she can be a revolutionary. She falls in love with the man who helps her escape, Hae-Joo Chang played by Jim Sturgess, and helps start a revolution after she learns what really happens to the waitresses who earn their "freedom". Again, there are 4 more stories, and they all connect to teach this powerful message that life isn't just about you, but that we all work together in the bigger picture.
I definitely will see this movie again at some point. There was just so much going on that I have to watch it again to see what I missed. There was one story, Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After, that you really have to pay attention because the language is slightly different, so I'm sure I missed some dialogue there. This movie will either move you to joy or you will hate it because of the confusion. I say go see it expecting a lot, but allow yourself to take in the message and you just may enjoy it.
It's really hard to give you a brief synopsis of this movie as there are 6 different stories intertwined in one. The best way to put it is throughout these six stories we see how past, present, and future affects all humankind. Some stories are more intriguing than others even though they all are great. The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish is probably my favorite. It stars Jim Broadbent as a book publisher named Timothy Cavendish who get's into money trouble. He seeks out help from his brother who sends him away unknowingly to a retirement home. Timothy spends the rest of the movie trying to escape with the help of some of his elderly friends in the home who don't want to be there either. This story brings the comedy to such a dramatic movie. But old people, usually are the comic relief in movies.
The most powerful story to me is An Orison of Sonmi-451 staring Doona Bae, a Korean Actress. This story is set in the future in Neo-Seoul, Korea. A new city since old Seoul is underwater due to a flood. Sonmi-451 is a genetically engineered woman who spends her life enslaved by the government to be a waitress and to do whatever the patron ask of her. She escapes slavery with the help of a rogue group who feel she can be a revolutionary. She falls in love with the man who helps her escape, Hae-Joo Chang played by Jim Sturgess, and helps start a revolution after she learns what really happens to the waitresses who earn their "freedom". Again, there are 4 more stories, and they all connect to teach this powerful message that life isn't just about you, but that we all work together in the bigger picture.
I definitely will see this movie again at some point. There was just so much going on that I have to watch it again to see what I missed. There was one story, Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After, that you really have to pay attention because the language is slightly different, so I'm sure I missed some dialogue there. This movie will either move you to joy or you will hate it because of the confusion. I say go see it expecting a lot, but allow yourself to take in the message and you just may enjoy it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Alex Cross - As bad as Madea in a suit
Let me preface this review by saying that I knew going in that I didn't expect this movie to be good solely because of Tyler Perry playing Alex Cross. My intention was to go in and have the movie change my mind. My mind wasn't changed about the movie being bad, but I can't blame it all on TP.
Alex Cross is movie based on the book written by James Patterson with the same name. There have been previous Alex Cross movies played by Morgan Freeman in Along Came the Spider and Kiss the Girls which were both excellent. How could they not be? Morgan Freeman is an amazing actor. One of my favs. Tyler Perry...not so much. If you have been under a rock for that past decade or so and have no clue who TP is then maybe Madea will help. Yes, he's the guy who dresses in drag in plays and movies as Madea. He's also one of the richest entertainers out there owning his own production company, writing and directing several (albeit horrible) movies and plays, not to mention his numerous tv shows on TBS. And now, he has an exclusive distribution deal with OWN (Oprah is one of his BFFs). He's doing it big in the business, but as an action/crime-drama hero...he sucks monkey balls.
I guess if you are trying to widen your audience and change their perception of you as a man who can only act in comedies then this is the way to go. But, he's just not convincing as Alex. Maybe it's because all I could see was Madea in a suit. I don't really believe he's pissed and hurt when I'm supposed to be feeling sorry for him and angry with him. I'm just not. He doesn't come off as a tough guy. Maybe it's his small yet soft facial features (I couldn't help but notice how small his cheeks and lips are compared to his face). But there are other issues with this movie other than TP.
The main issue is the acting and directing, although Matthew Fox as a bad guy is fantastic. He really came off as very insane. I loved it. Matthew was the best thing about this movie. Everyone else, even the great Cicely Tyson could have done much better. I'm beginning to feel like there is a shortage of great actors out there. Let's not forget the cinematography (why is the camera shaking) and direction that really could have been executed better. Shame on you Rob Cohen. I really expected more from you.
All in all, Alex Cross was written well, but not executed well. Let's find a more believable Cross and let's spend some time developing the story and picking people who really truly know how to act. I wouldn't waste my money to see it again or waste my time when it comes on cable. You shouldn't either.
Alex Cross is movie based on the book written by James Patterson with the same name. There have been previous Alex Cross movies played by Morgan Freeman in Along Came the Spider and Kiss the Girls which were both excellent. How could they not be? Morgan Freeman is an amazing actor. One of my favs. Tyler Perry...not so much. If you have been under a rock for that past decade or so and have no clue who TP is then maybe Madea will help. Yes, he's the guy who dresses in drag in plays and movies as Madea. He's also one of the richest entertainers out there owning his own production company, writing and directing several (albeit horrible) movies and plays, not to mention his numerous tv shows on TBS. And now, he has an exclusive distribution deal with OWN (Oprah is one of his BFFs). He's doing it big in the business, but as an action/crime-drama hero...he sucks monkey balls.
I guess if you are trying to widen your audience and change their perception of you as a man who can only act in comedies then this is the way to go. But, he's just not convincing as Alex. Maybe it's because all I could see was Madea in a suit. I don't really believe he's pissed and hurt when I'm supposed to be feeling sorry for him and angry with him. I'm just not. He doesn't come off as a tough guy. Maybe it's his small yet soft facial features (I couldn't help but notice how small his cheeks and lips are compared to his face). But there are other issues with this movie other than TP.
The main issue is the acting and directing, although Matthew Fox as a bad guy is fantastic. He really came off as very insane. I loved it. Matthew was the best thing about this movie. Everyone else, even the great Cicely Tyson could have done much better. I'm beginning to feel like there is a shortage of great actors out there. Let's not forget the cinematography (why is the camera shaking) and direction that really could have been executed better. Shame on you Rob Cohen. I really expected more from you.
All in all, Alex Cross was written well, but not executed well. Let's find a more believable Cross and let's spend some time developing the story and picking people who really truly know how to act. I wouldn't waste my money to see it again or waste my time when it comes on cable. You shouldn't either.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Sinister - Not enough "boo" for me
I don't watch many horror movies as I can usually predict when I'm supposed to jump and scream, so it's been awhile since I saw one. I tend to like slasher films with lot's of blood and guts a la Saw instead of scary movies with paranormal beings a la Sinister. I have a bit of a supernatural fear, and I'm kinda afraid of the dark. But enough about me, let's get to the movie.
Sinister starring Ethan Hawke is supernatural horror about a true crimes author who moves his whole family to the house of a murdered family that he wants to use as the basis of his next book. Upon entering the attic to put up some of his moving boxes, he finds a box full of super 8 movies. After settling in his family, he starts to watch the movies and begins to discover a connection between 4 gruesome murders. This leads to him discovering Mr. Boogie (silliest name ever) and then all the creepy paranormal things begin.
I'm not saying you won't have nightmares behind this one because it's very possible, but I will say, it's kinda hard to be an adult and afraid of a man named Mr. Boogie. Mr. Boogie tends to pick on families with more than one kid, so if you're single or a family with one, then I'd say your safe. I'd also say your safe to wait and see this one on cable. It's just not that dramatic. It just didn't go far enough to really freak you out or scare you, and it's kinda slow. There are moments where you might jump, but if you're an avid horror-movie-watcher, you probably won't because you'll see it coming. And, there's little to no comedy which most horror movies have so maybe we'll call this one a bust, and hope the next one is better. Oh, there just might be another one (and you know how I feel about sequels) since it ends with the super 8 still rolling.
Sinister starring Ethan Hawke is supernatural horror about a true crimes author who moves his whole family to the house of a murdered family that he wants to use as the basis of his next book. Upon entering the attic to put up some of his moving boxes, he finds a box full of super 8 movies. After settling in his family, he starts to watch the movies and begins to discover a connection between 4 gruesome murders. This leads to him discovering Mr. Boogie (silliest name ever) and then all the creepy paranormal things begin.
I'm not saying you won't have nightmares behind this one because it's very possible, but I will say, it's kinda hard to be an adult and afraid of a man named Mr. Boogie. Mr. Boogie tends to pick on families with more than one kid, so if you're single or a family with one, then I'd say your safe. I'd also say your safe to wait and see this one on cable. It's just not that dramatic. It just didn't go far enough to really freak you out or scare you, and it's kinda slow. There are moments where you might jump, but if you're an avid horror-movie-watcher, you probably won't because you'll see it coming. And, there's little to no comedy which most horror movies have so maybe we'll call this one a bust, and hope the next one is better. Oh, there just might be another one (and you know how I feel about sequels) since it ends with the super 8 still rolling.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Taken 2 - A great sequel...is that even possible?
Everyone remembers that moment in Taken when you thought to yourself, "ish just got real!" For me, it was when Liam Neeson as Brian tells his daughter's captors that he will find them and he will kill them. It's a classic cinematic moment. As you all know, I'm not a fan of sequels because I just feel like they aren't necessary. Just write a new movie with a new concept not recycle something that worked well the first time because it's usually not as good the second time around. But, Taken 2 was almost necessary...almost. It was as good as the first. Can't say it was better, but you will be mesmerized by the action. And, Taken 2 has that "ish got real moment" pretty much from jump.
The movie starts off where the last one finished but about one year later. It opens with the burying of the men Brian (Neeson) killed while rescuing his daughter, Kim, in Paris and their father vowing revenge for their deaths. Brian and his ex-wife, Lenny (Famkee Janssen), become closer due to her separation from her current husband while his daughter (Maggie Grace) tries to get back to a normal life even finding a boyfriend. He invited them to come take a vacay in Istanbul where he is working for a few days. (SPOILER ALERT)While there, Brian and Lenny are kidnapped and Kim comes close to capture as well. So begins the drama, suspense, and action.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good the second one is. There is the classic car chase, lots of gun play, a kick-arse Liam Neeson, a plausible plot, and a real resolution. The horrible acting by Famkee Janssen and the predictability wasn't enough to deter me from enjoying the movie. It even sets up for a third one, although I say let's stop while we're ahead. I still believe the cinematic gods/executives should stop making sequels (unless we are following a book series of course), but I'll give them a pass for this one.
The movie starts off where the last one finished but about one year later. It opens with the burying of the men Brian (Neeson) killed while rescuing his daughter, Kim, in Paris and their father vowing revenge for their deaths. Brian and his ex-wife, Lenny (Famkee Janssen), become closer due to her separation from her current husband while his daughter (Maggie Grace) tries to get back to a normal life even finding a boyfriend. He invited them to come take a vacay in Istanbul where he is working for a few days. (SPOILER ALERT)While there, Brian and Lenny are kidnapped and Kim comes close to capture as well. So begins the drama, suspense, and action.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good the second one is. There is the classic car chase, lots of gun play, a kick-arse Liam Neeson, a plausible plot, and a real resolution. The horrible acting by Famkee Janssen and the predictability wasn't enough to deter me from enjoying the movie. It even sets up for a third one, although I say let's stop while we're ahead. I still believe the cinematic gods/executives should stop making sequels (unless we are following a book series of course), but I'll give them a pass for this one.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Pitch Perfect - When Gleeks go off to college...
I broke one of my movie rules that I usually only break for dates and dvds: No comedies, rom-coms, and/or silly movies featuring college students. It, surprisingly, was worth it like seeing Step-Brothers and The Hangover. Pitch Perfect starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is a cute little comedy full of practically unknowns for those who liked the first two seasons of Glee. With lines from Chelsea Handler like, "Nothing makes a woman feel good like a man signing like a boy," and creepy soft-spoken asian girls like, "I set fires to feel joy," how could you not watch?
In it's simplest form, this movie is about a college student, Becca, who has dreams of being a record producer and is forced to go to college instead. Her dad makes her a promise that if she tries one activity in school and if she still hates college after a year he will pay for her to go to LA and live her dreams. She chooses to join a pretentious acapella club full of misfits (ironic I know) who has dreams of being the first all-girl team to win the international acapella contest against their rivals, an all male group from the same school. In the process she meets a boy who just so happens to sing in said rival glee club.
The set list in this movie is what make it. Bruno Mars, RiRi, and Madonna make an appearance. Plus my favorite song out right now, "Titanium", is sung beautifully acapella in the shower. They do tons of old school/new school mash-ups acapella style. Blackstreets' No Diggity will get you groovin' in your seat. I often times found my self quietly clapping after they were done singing. The movie is predictable. You can figure out how it ends about 15 minutes into the movie, but you will laugh and leave feeling like a giddy nerd for enjoying it. This movie really makes me wish I could carry a tune, but until God decides to miraculously bless me with a voice, I will continue to watch others do it (watching last night's Glee while typing this).
In it's simplest form, this movie is about a college student, Becca, who has dreams of being a record producer and is forced to go to college instead. Her dad makes her a promise that if she tries one activity in school and if she still hates college after a year he will pay for her to go to LA and live her dreams. She chooses to join a pretentious acapella club full of misfits (ironic I know) who has dreams of being the first all-girl team to win the international acapella contest against their rivals, an all male group from the same school. In the process she meets a boy who just so happens to sing in said rival glee club.
The set list in this movie is what make it. Bruno Mars, RiRi, and Madonna make an appearance. Plus my favorite song out right now, "Titanium", is sung beautifully acapella in the shower. They do tons of old school/new school mash-ups acapella style. Blackstreets' No Diggity will get you groovin' in your seat. I often times found my self quietly clapping after they were done singing. The movie is predictable. You can figure out how it ends about 15 minutes into the movie, but you will laugh and leave feeling like a giddy nerd for enjoying it. This movie really makes me wish I could carry a tune, but until God decides to miraculously bless me with a voice, I will continue to watch others do it (watching last night's Glee while typing this).
Friday, September 28, 2012
Looper - It will throw you for a loop!
Finally, a sci-fi thriller set in the Mid-West. This is thinking people. This is creative! This is kinda boring. Well, it is Missouri (Missouri is in the mid-west, right?). Looper, staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and the adorable albeit psychotic, Pierce Gargon is this unconventional sci-fi/thriller set in Kansas City.
Basically, time travel is illegal and controlled by the mob. The mob has set up a system where Loopers assassinate people purposely sent to the past. Once your time as a Looper is up, the mobsters sends back your future you to be killed by you then you get paid handsomely to live out the next 30 years before your assigned death. Why would anyone sign up for this job? Clearly, not a well thought out plot, but let's continue. One Looper sent back to die (Willis) decides he can change the future by killing the person responsible for sending him back, The Rainmaker. He sets out to kill The Rainmaker (Gargon) while being chased by the Kansas City mob. His younger self is also being hunted by the mob for not killing his older self and finds his way onto a farm which may or may not be the home of The much younger Rainmaker. Are you confused yet? It makes much more since when you watch it.
I'll be honest. The movie is slow and very unrealistic even for a futuristic sci-fi movie, but it is gripping. Plus there's nothing like seeing a bad-arse Bruce Willis with a gun shooting folks. The star of the show, I must say, is Pierce Gargon who plays Sid. He's cute, intelligent, and bad arse all in the same scene. I think this would be better as a tv movie on the Sci-fi channel or TNT, or a three-day mini series. There's just a lot to do and say in a two-hour movie which oddly made it move at a snail's pace, however, I did enjoy it. And, I think most of you will too.
Basically, time travel is illegal and controlled by the mob. The mob has set up a system where Loopers assassinate people purposely sent to the past. Once your time as a Looper is up, the mobsters sends back your future you to be killed by you then you get paid handsomely to live out the next 30 years before your assigned death. Why would anyone sign up for this job? Clearly, not a well thought out plot, but let's continue. One Looper sent back to die (Willis) decides he can change the future by killing the person responsible for sending him back, The Rainmaker. He sets out to kill The Rainmaker (Gargon) while being chased by the Kansas City mob. His younger self is also being hunted by the mob for not killing his older self and finds his way onto a farm which may or may not be the home of The much younger Rainmaker. Are you confused yet? It makes much more since when you watch it.
I'll be honest. The movie is slow and very unrealistic even for a futuristic sci-fi movie, but it is gripping. Plus there's nothing like seeing a bad-arse Bruce Willis with a gun shooting folks. The star of the show, I must say, is Pierce Gargon who plays Sid. He's cute, intelligent, and bad arse all in the same scene. I think this would be better as a tv movie on the Sci-fi channel or TNT, or a three-day mini series. There's just a lot to do and say in a two-hour movie which oddly made it move at a snail's pace, however, I did enjoy it. And, I think most of you will too.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Dredd - Oh I'm judging
Why do I do this to myself? Why would anyone do this to themselves? Sit in yet another remake or yet another movie that didn't need to be remade. I didn't have high expectations for this one, with good reason. I don't remember much about the 1995 Judge Dredd movie or the comic strip, but I'm hoping it was much better than this 2012 version. I mean, really why was this movie necessary?
I'm all for blood, guts, violence, explosions, ect., but I also like good acting and a plausible storyline. Plausible story lines in action movies these days are few and far between. Dredd was no exception. Let's see if I can sum it up for you: In yet another post-apocolyptic future, what's left of the major east coast cities have been combined to make a mega-city governed by judges. These judges are police, lawyers, judge, jury, and executioner all in one. Judge Dredd takes a psychic rookie under his belt to test her and see if she's cut out to be a judge. They go to a 200 story high-rise building taken over by a psychotic ex-hooker turned drug lord (MaMa) after reports of a triple homicide to do their thing. The judges after lots of gratuitous violence finds the murder of the 3 and henchman to MaMa, and ends up being locked up inside of this building with no way of getting out. MaMa is after them to keep the henchman from telling about her enterprises. For the next hour, the two judges run around this building with bullets managing to hit everyone BUT them. I won't tell you any more. You'll just have to suffer through it to learn the rest. Let's just say through all the gruesomeness, there is a happy ending.
I'll do you this one favor. Don't go see it. Don't waste your life. It's not necessary. The movie is just a whole lot of bullets and blood and not enough substance. Wait until it comes on USA or TNT or better yet ABC or NBC.
I'm all for blood, guts, violence, explosions, ect., but I also like good acting and a plausible storyline. Plausible story lines in action movies these days are few and far between. Dredd was no exception. Let's see if I can sum it up for you: In yet another post-apocolyptic future, what's left of the major east coast cities have been combined to make a mega-city governed by judges. These judges are police, lawyers, judge, jury, and executioner all in one. Judge Dredd takes a psychic rookie under his belt to test her and see if she's cut out to be a judge. They go to a 200 story high-rise building taken over by a psychotic ex-hooker turned drug lord (MaMa) after reports of a triple homicide to do their thing. The judges after lots of gratuitous violence finds the murder of the 3 and henchman to MaMa, and ends up being locked up inside of this building with no way of getting out. MaMa is after them to keep the henchman from telling about her enterprises. For the next hour, the two judges run around this building with bullets managing to hit everyone BUT them. I won't tell you any more. You'll just have to suffer through it to learn the rest. Let's just say through all the gruesomeness, there is a happy ending.
I'll do you this one favor. Don't go see it. Don't waste your life. It's not necessary. The movie is just a whole lot of bullets and blood and not enough substance. Wait until it comes on USA or TNT or better yet ABC or NBC.
Friday, September 21, 2012
House at the End of the Street - A classic tale...NOT!
We know this story. We've heard it before. Mom and teenage daughter move to a new town after a divorce. Daughter meets next door neighbor who is a simple college boy. Mom disapproves of daughter dating this boy. They fight. She lies and dates him any way. Boy's sister is a killer locked up in the attic. Some one breaks a leg; someone is shot, stabbed, murdered...BLAH BLAH BLAH! A classic tale, right? NO!
House at the End of the Street begins as this seemingly classic story that we've all heard an seen, but it's not. It's a little more sinister than you can imagine. There is a plot twist that I didn't quite see coming. I kept expecting someone else. I was wrong. I'm not very often wrong. I like a movie that has twist and turns that make sense. This one did. I'm not saying it's a great movie, but it is a suspenseful somewhat shocking thriller. I wouldn't say it was a horror. There was nothing scary about it, although I did jump once. (They got me. I know...I couldn't believe it either.)
Jennifer Lawrence is fast becoming the new Kristen Stewart meaning she's staring in a movie series based off of a very popular book series, and she's getting roles in B-list movies that would make better tv movies. Lawrence, however, has two more facial expressions than Stewart and is a much better actress. She's pretty bad arse in this one; I'll give her that. Very Katness Everdeen-esque (google it). Is it a great movie? No. Would I watch it again? If it was on TNT, USA, Lifetime, and nothing else was on tv, yes. You've seen this one before (sorta), and you'll see it again (probably). No need to rush out to go see it. There's probably even better drama going on in the house at the end of your street (or maybe not).
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sparkle - A Sparkling Remake
This summer which is coming to a close brought us great blockbusters, action-pact films, cheesy children's movies, and remarkable remakes. I have spent many hours sitting in the dark watching the big screen being mesmerized by what I see. Sparkle is bedazzling, enchanting, charming, and intriguing. The storyline grabs you, the singing captivates you, and the stars fascinate you. Sparkle is a remake of a 1976 film with the same name. And, although I still believe the world doesn't need yet another remake, this one was enjoyable and sparkling (pun intended).
Instead of telling you what the movie is about and reasons you may not want to watch it (let's be real, the acting is B-list at best), I want to give you the many reasons to the contrary. Let's start at the top with Whitney. Majority of the people are going to go see it to because of Whitney Houston who is one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) voices of all time who lost her battle with substance abuse just 6 months ago. Although her acting isn't award winning, it's plausible, but we really just want to hear her sing, and her rendition of "His Eye is on the Sparrow" was soulful and showed signs of the Whitney we fell in love with so long ago. It brought tears to my eyes to realize that we will never hear that voice again, and the audience agreed with heavy applause.
Mike Epps plays a sell-out comedian, and even though that is his real-life profession, he is sinister and destructive which is out of character for him. He was a very convincing bad boy. Immediately upon entering the scene you decide to dislike him. I applaud his effort and growth as an actor. Jordin Sparks, American Idol winner, who plays Sparkle, does a wonderful job for being a singer turned actress. She's much better at it than Beyonce (that's not hard to do), but maybe not as good as Jennifer Hudson. Her acting isn't going to get any Academy Award nominations, but her voice is remarkable and she tears up "One Wing" in the end. Derek Luke, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, and Omari Hardwick round out a fantastic cast. They may not be household names, but with a few more movies under their belts, maybe they will.
Side note: Ladies, Omari Hardwick is yummy. Google him.
If the actors and singers aren't reason enough to watch Sparkle, then the maybe knowing who was behind the scenes will. The screenplay was written by Mara Brock Akil. She is best known for creating and writing The Game and Girlfriends. The movie was produce by TD Jakes (he finally gets one right), and one of the executive producers was Whitney Houston. And to top it off, R. Kelly was the musical director. It doesn't get much better than that. Now I know you really want to go see this movie. Please do. Try to forget it's a remake, and go just to enjoy it. You won't be disappointed.
Instead of telling you what the movie is about and reasons you may not want to watch it (let's be real, the acting is B-list at best), I want to give you the many reasons to the contrary. Let's start at the top with Whitney. Majority of the people are going to go see it to because of Whitney Houston who is one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) voices of all time who lost her battle with substance abuse just 6 months ago. Although her acting isn't award winning, it's plausible, but we really just want to hear her sing, and her rendition of "His Eye is on the Sparrow" was soulful and showed signs of the Whitney we fell in love with so long ago. It brought tears to my eyes to realize that we will never hear that voice again, and the audience agreed with heavy applause.
Mike Epps plays a sell-out comedian, and even though that is his real-life profession, he is sinister and destructive which is out of character for him. He was a very convincing bad boy. Immediately upon entering the scene you decide to dislike him. I applaud his effort and growth as an actor. Jordin Sparks, American Idol winner, who plays Sparkle, does a wonderful job for being a singer turned actress. She's much better at it than Beyonce (that's not hard to do), but maybe not as good as Jennifer Hudson. Her acting isn't going to get any Academy Award nominations, but her voice is remarkable and she tears up "One Wing" in the end. Derek Luke, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, and Omari Hardwick round out a fantastic cast. They may not be household names, but with a few more movies under their belts, maybe they will.
Side note: Ladies, Omari Hardwick is yummy. Google him.
If the actors and singers aren't reason enough to watch Sparkle, then the maybe knowing who was behind the scenes will. The screenplay was written by Mara Brock Akil. She is best known for creating and writing The Game and Girlfriends. The movie was produce by TD Jakes (he finally gets one right), and one of the executive producers was Whitney Houston. And to top it off, R. Kelly was the musical director. It doesn't get much better than that. Now I know you really want to go see this movie. Please do. Try to forget it's a remake, and go just to enjoy it. You won't be disappointed.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The Bourne Legacy - Aaron Cross is no Jason Bourne
The Jason Bourne action thriller films are some of my favorite. There's nothing like Matt Damon as Jason Bourne kicking butt and taking names, but Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross didn't really do it for me. Don't get me wrong, he kicked a little booty, but it wasn't anything like in the first three Bourne movies. The Bourne Legacy is yet another example of learning when to say stop; enough is enough; let it go man, just let it go.
The storyline of this one starts up where Bourne Ultimatum leaves off. At the end of Ultimatum, Bourne jumps in the water and swims off with bullets flying at his head. Legacy opens with Cross swimming in the water to retrieve something. The next 45 minutes is of Aaron Cross in the Alaskan wilderness during a training exercise trying to survive with his limited genetic medicine. Meanwhile, more information about Treadstone, Blackbriar and other CIA operations have been exposed by Jason Bourne and now all agents and cohorts have to be terminated including Cross while the powers that be play the game of CYA (cover your arse).
You would think a lot of exciting action would take place, but I can't really say that. There are bullets and explosions, and car/motorcycle chases, but in small doses; they almost feel forced and placed to wake us up with all this conspiracy theory talking. Like, when one of the lab Doctor's that work with the operatives starts shooting at at his colleagues. We never get an explanation why? It just sets up a way for Aaron to meet Dr. Marta Shearling and begin his quest for meds. This movie attempts to tie up the political loose ends from Ultimatum, but it falls flat and is kind of pointless. Did you really care what happened to Pamela Landy for helping Bourne? Me neither.
I really don't want to see the Bourne film series go down in flames, so I say that this should be the last. I know it may not be, but if no one else goes to see this somewhat boring film, then maybe they'll stop here. Let's hope that Bourne Legacy is the end of the Bourne journey.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Total Recall - Total Entertainment
One of my favorite Arnold movies is Total Recall. It's not cinematic genius, but it's sci-fi and action which always works for me. So, I had mixed emotions about a remake. I always have mixed emotions about remakes as I think why can't they just do something new? Are we really running out of ideas? But, the trailer looked interesting enough, so I said why not?
This version is less aliens on alien planets and more earthly politics. After World War III, the only livable part of the planet left is either Australia (The Colony) or The United Federation of Britain (UFB) and workers use The Fall to travel through the earth's core to get to and fro. The UFB is ran be Chancellor Cohaagen played by Bryan Cranston who wants to take over The Colony, but The Resistance is fighting against that, and is lead by Matthias (Bill Nighy) who is in hiding and leading attacks in the UFB through his rebels which includes Jessica Biel. How does Colin Farrell fit in here? He plays Douglas Quaid who is bored with his life and decides that he wants his memories altered by going to Rekall where through chemicals and electrodes they can give you whatever memories you desire. Quaid decides to be a double agent, but before the memory transfer is complete, the UFB police stops the process led by his "wife"/UFB agent (Kate Beckinsale). Then, all the entertaining action begins.
This version like the original is no Emmy award winner, but there is an understandable somewhat plausible plot, good action scenes, and the actors do their job quite well. I did miss the Governator a bit, but Colin's ability to please my eyes and speak clearly was a welcomed departure from Arnold. For those who are looking for something to do on a hot summer day, I say this: Total Recall is a remake that didn't need to be made, but since it was, I watched it, enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
This version is less aliens on alien planets and more earthly politics. After World War III, the only livable part of the planet left is either Australia (The Colony) or The United Federation of Britain (UFB) and workers use The Fall to travel through the earth's core to get to and fro. The UFB is ran be Chancellor Cohaagen played by Bryan Cranston who wants to take over The Colony, but The Resistance is fighting against that, and is lead by Matthias (Bill Nighy) who is in hiding and leading attacks in the UFB through his rebels which includes Jessica Biel. How does Colin Farrell fit in here? He plays Douglas Quaid who is bored with his life and decides that he wants his memories altered by going to Rekall where through chemicals and electrodes they can give you whatever memories you desire. Quaid decides to be a double agent, but before the memory transfer is complete, the UFB police stops the process led by his "wife"/UFB agent (Kate Beckinsale). Then, all the entertaining action begins.
This version like the original is no Emmy award winner, but there is an understandable somewhat plausible plot, good action scenes, and the actors do their job quite well. I did miss the Governator a bit, but Colin's ability to please my eyes and speak clearly was a welcomed departure from Arnold. For those who are looking for something to do on a hot summer day, I say this: Total Recall is a remake that didn't need to be made, but since it was, I watched it, enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Dark Knight Rises - To the occasion
It's very rare to make a series of movies (not based off books) and have each and everyone be amazing. the Dark Knight trilogy is one of these rarities. It's also hard to live up to the hype, and The Dark Knight Rises does just that. It rises to the occasions and meets all of your expectations. It is an excellent movie. I don't know if it's better than the The Dark Knight, but it's up there with some of the best movies ever to entertain the masses. It may be the best movie I've seen this year even with my few issues!
Before I tell you my issues with the movie, I'll tell you a little about it. DKR picks up 8 years after Harvey Dent aka Two-face dies. The city of Gotham is as crime-free as any city can be. Gordon is now commissioner, Bruce Wayne is MIA, and Batman is once again considered a thug and a murderer for the death of Dent, and he too is missing. Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman
(Anne Hathaway) are the villians in this one. Bane is seeking to blow up Gotham with a nuclear bomb and Catwoman is seeking revenge against the rich. She's not a bad girl at heart, but she is one bad arse cat burglar. Bane's story ties into Ra's al Gul and the League of Shadows. There are many different little stories going on throughout but they all tie together in the end.
I watch a lot of movies and pay a lot of attention to everyone and everything, so it may just be me, but one of my issues is that I felt the movie was predictable. There really weren't any surprises for me. By their reactions, things that were obvious to me, aren't obvious to the audience. My second issue is that I could't understand what Bane said most of the time. I needed subtitles. My last issue with this movie is my issue with any other movie over 120 minutes, it was too damn long. Runtime is 2 hours and 45 minutes. That is 3 hours with preview! I don't know if all of it was necessary, but I guess to tell the story completely, it needed to be that long.
Supposedly, this is Christopher Nolan's last of the Dark Knight Trilogy. He really did an excellent job co-writing and directing this one. The special effects were just right. The violence wasn't overkill, and the acting was superb! I look forward to whatever Christopher Nolan does next, and with any luck, he'll change his mind and make a Batman and Robin trilogy too.
Before I tell you my issues with the movie, I'll tell you a little about it. DKR picks up 8 years after Harvey Dent aka Two-face dies. The city of Gotham is as crime-free as any city can be. Gordon is now commissioner, Bruce Wayne is MIA, and Batman is once again considered a thug and a murderer for the death of Dent, and he too is missing. Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman
(Anne Hathaway) are the villians in this one. Bane is seeking to blow up Gotham with a nuclear bomb and Catwoman is seeking revenge against the rich. She's not a bad girl at heart, but she is one bad arse cat burglar. Bane's story ties into Ra's al Gul and the League of Shadows. There are many different little stories going on throughout but they all tie together in the end.
I watch a lot of movies and pay a lot of attention to everyone and everything, so it may just be me, but one of my issues is that I felt the movie was predictable. There really weren't any surprises for me. By their reactions, things that were obvious to me, aren't obvious to the audience. My second issue is that I could't understand what Bane said most of the time. I needed subtitles. My last issue with this movie is my issue with any other movie over 120 minutes, it was too damn long. Runtime is 2 hours and 45 minutes. That is 3 hours with preview! I don't know if all of it was necessary, but I guess to tell the story completely, it needed to be that long.
Supposedly, this is Christopher Nolan's last of the Dark Knight Trilogy. He really did an excellent job co-writing and directing this one. The special effects were just right. The violence wasn't overkill, and the acting was superb! I look forward to whatever Christopher Nolan does next, and with any luck, he'll change his mind and make a Batman and Robin trilogy too.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The Amazing Spider-man - Listen to your spidey senses
Sitting in the theater, watching yet another trailer for yet another Spider-man movie, I thought to myself, "...do we really need another one?" I wasn't a fan of any of the Tobey Maguire Spider-man movies even though I saw them all. (I'm a sucker for a comic book turned movie.) I also told myself I wasn't going to see it, but the more I saw the previews, the more I thought, this one may be good. My spidey senses were correct.
If you've seen any one of the previous movies or read any of the comic books then you have a general background to this movie. Peter Parker played by Andrew Garfield, and odd and geeky looking kid, is sent to live with his Aunt May (the great Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (the average Martin Sheen) by his super secret scientist parents to keep him safe. We don't know where they go and when they will be back. Overtime, his aunt and uncle raise him as their own and we meet up with them while Peter is an awkward and often bullied teenager in high school. In an effort to learn more about his father after finding his father's briefcase, he goes to OsCorp and meets his father's old colleague Dr. Curt Connors. They develop a friendship, and Peter helps Dr. Connors with his research. During this time, Peter gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, develops powers, loses his uncle to senseless crime, falls in love with Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) who's father is the police chief (Denis Leary), and all sorts of mayhem ensues.
Honestly, I feel that this Peter Parker is more likable. He's smart, witty, and unique which is relatable to so many. Andrew's geekiness doesn't seemed forced and becuase he doesn't have that hollywood look, you feel like he could be any boy in your neighborhood going through things who just so happens to have super powers and decides to try and save his city from vagabonds and giant lizards. Tobey was just awkward and annoying as Peter Parker. I always wanted him to "grow a pair". The Amazing Spider-Man was good, almost great. There was a believable storyline, no unnecessary sappy love scenes, excellent special effects that weren't over done, and a good cast. We'll see where this Spider-man series takes us, but so far, it's off to a good flying start.
If you've seen any one of the previous movies or read any of the comic books then you have a general background to this movie. Peter Parker played by Andrew Garfield, and odd and geeky looking kid, is sent to live with his Aunt May (the great Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (the average Martin Sheen) by his super secret scientist parents to keep him safe. We don't know where they go and when they will be back. Overtime, his aunt and uncle raise him as their own and we meet up with them while Peter is an awkward and often bullied teenager in high school. In an effort to learn more about his father after finding his father's briefcase, he goes to OsCorp and meets his father's old colleague Dr. Curt Connors. They develop a friendship, and Peter helps Dr. Connors with his research. During this time, Peter gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, develops powers, loses his uncle to senseless crime, falls in love with Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) who's father is the police chief (Denis Leary), and all sorts of mayhem ensues.
Honestly, I feel that this Peter Parker is more likable. He's smart, witty, and unique which is relatable to so many. Andrew's geekiness doesn't seemed forced and becuase he doesn't have that hollywood look, you feel like he could be any boy in your neighborhood going through things who just so happens to have super powers and decides to try and save his city from vagabonds and giant lizards. Tobey was just awkward and annoying as Peter Parker. I always wanted him to "grow a pair". The Amazing Spider-Man was good, almost great. There was a believable storyline, no unnecessary sappy love scenes, excellent special effects that weren't over done, and a good cast. We'll see where this Spider-man series takes us, but so far, it's off to a good flying start.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Magic Mike - Not enough eye candy in the world...
Picture this: men stripping off their clothes, dancing, body rolling, and simulating sex for money. Is this Chippendales? No. It's the background premise of the movie Magic Mike starring non other than the ever-so-sexy Channing Tatum. Mr. Smooth Moves Tatum plus Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, (Alicide on True Blood) and other half naked men where great to ogle but they were not enough to make this a good movie. Heck, it wasn't even a decent movie.
I can't really give you a brief synopsis because there wasn't much of a storyline, but I'll try. Magic Mike (Tatum) meets The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) working construction and then runs into him again that night at the club while trying to get women to come to his male review owned by Dallas (McConaughey). The Kid comes with Magic Mike to the show and by happenstance The Kid begins working there. There's sex, drugs, a sister, some parties, screaming women, and not much more. It's a low budget version of Boogie Nights.
It was poorly written, poorly directed, poorly edited, and worst of all, poorly acted. I can't decide if Channing flubbed his lines and they just didn't make him do it over, or if was written that way. There really wasn't a beginning, middle, and end. There was no climax, no lesson learned, or resolution. It just kind of ends. Now, I wasn't expecting greatness, but I was expecting the movie to be entertaining. Please ladies and gay men, go into this movie knowing that it is absolutely going to suck!!! Straight men, stay home because although there are gratuitous boob shots, it won't be enough for you to sit through two hours of horrible acting and men dry humping the ground in cheesy costumes.
I love looking at Channing Tatum which is pretty much why I watch any of his movies, but he owes me $7 for this one.
I can't really give you a brief synopsis because there wasn't much of a storyline, but I'll try. Magic Mike (Tatum) meets The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) working construction and then runs into him again that night at the club while trying to get women to come to his male review owned by Dallas (McConaughey). The Kid comes with Magic Mike to the show and by happenstance The Kid begins working there. There's sex, drugs, a sister, some parties, screaming women, and not much more. It's a low budget version of Boogie Nights.
It was poorly written, poorly directed, poorly edited, and worst of all, poorly acted. I can't decide if Channing flubbed his lines and they just didn't make him do it over, or if was written that way. There really wasn't a beginning, middle, and end. There was no climax, no lesson learned, or resolution. It just kind of ends. Now, I wasn't expecting greatness, but I was expecting the movie to be entertaining. Please ladies and gay men, go into this movie knowing that it is absolutely going to suck!!! Straight men, stay home because although there are gratuitous boob shots, it won't be enough for you to sit through two hours of horrible acting and men dry humping the ground in cheesy costumes.
I love looking at Channing Tatum which is pretty much why I watch any of his movies, but he owes me $7 for this one.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - My kind of movie!
Historical fiction, vampires, blood, action...what more could a girl ask for in a movie? Really, I think the only thing that was missing was the eye candy, but I'll get that tomorrow when I see Magic Mike. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a movie based off of the book by Seth Grahame-Smith with the same name. The movie stars Benjamin Walker and other B and C-list actors and actresses. It don't really care which list they reside as long as they put together a great movie, which they did.
I haven't read the book, but I plan to add it to my Kindle soon. Incase you haven't read it either, you should. It has become a cult classic. This movie will too. The movie follows Abraham Lincoln from a young boy who protects his black free-slave-friend unknowingly from a vampire slave trader. This leads to his mother's death. He continues to grow up with the thoughts of vengeance on his mind and has help in unlikely places. We continue to follow his journey all the way through to his fateful trip to the theater all while hunting vampires. And according to this story, the civil war not only has to do with slavery, but vampires wanting control of America.
What more can I say about this movie? It was great! I enjoyed it! If you like Tim Burton movies, (he's a co-producer) then you will love this. These vampires aren't Lestat like or even True Blood beautiful. They are gritty and sinister! Abraham Lincoln is honest and bad-ass swinging that ax better than Paul Bunyan ever did. Need a change of pace from the big block-busters or kiddie movies? Go see this one. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter won't disappoint.
I haven't read the book, but I plan to add it to my Kindle soon. Incase you haven't read it either, you should. It has become a cult classic. This movie will too. The movie follows Abraham Lincoln from a young boy who protects his black free-slave-friend unknowingly from a vampire slave trader. This leads to his mother's death. He continues to grow up with the thoughts of vengeance on his mind and has help in unlikely places. We continue to follow his journey all the way through to his fateful trip to the theater all while hunting vampires. And according to this story, the civil war not only has to do with slavery, but vampires wanting control of America.
What more can I say about this movie? It was great! I enjoyed it! If you like Tim Burton movies, (he's a co-producer) then you will love this. These vampires aren't Lestat like or even True Blood beautiful. They are gritty and sinister! Abraham Lincoln is honest and bad-ass swinging that ax better than Paul Bunyan ever did. Need a change of pace from the big block-busters or kiddie movies? Go see this one. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter won't disappoint.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Brave - Not your regular princess movie
Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Ariel, Merida... . We all know the classic princesses that Disney has now made famous, but Merida is a new one to most of us, and Pixar is trying to put a new Brave twist on your regular everyday princess. We are all use to that girl who is in some sort of trouble due to some other evil witch, women, or creature only to be saved by some man. Boy, this idea that is shoved into little girls' heads time and time again, has really screwed up majority of women who are weeding through men trying to find their savor or Prince Charming. Brave does not tell that ridiculous tale. It's more of a coming-of-age, mother/daughter teenage drama sort of story.
In short the movie is about a Scottish Princess named Merida who's parents have betrothed her to one of three other princes who can win an archery challenge. Merida, doesn't like this idea and wants to have more of a say in her life. To change her mother's mind, she finds a witch with the help of willow wisp that will cast a spell to change her fate. Something Merida didn't expect happens during the spell and now the only way to reverse it before impending doom, Merida and her mother, Elinor, have to work together, listen and trust each other. While all of this goes on, the King has to keep the other princes and their families entertained. He uses food, drinks, and tales of horrible giants bears to keep them occupied. All while, Merida's young triplet brothers reek havoc around the castle.
The plot is a little mature for the intended audience, and there are definitely some scary/disturbing scenes in the movies especially at the beginning and end that could give the kids nightmares. Kids under the age of 8 probably should stay home. There aren't any cute song and dance to keep the younger kids involved which is good for most adults who may be dragged in to see this. The triplets are cute and funny and Merida's message of female independence and strength nice, but this movie really doesn't play to the kids and I'm really not sure it's supposed to do so. If I had to choose between Brave and Madagascar 3, M3 wins hands down.
In short the movie is about a Scottish Princess named Merida who's parents have betrothed her to one of three other princes who can win an archery challenge. Merida, doesn't like this idea and wants to have more of a say in her life. To change her mother's mind, she finds a witch with the help of willow wisp that will cast a spell to change her fate. Something Merida didn't expect happens during the spell and now the only way to reverse it before impending doom, Merida and her mother, Elinor, have to work together, listen and trust each other. While all of this goes on, the King has to keep the other princes and their families entertained. He uses food, drinks, and tales of horrible giants bears to keep them occupied. All while, Merida's young triplet brothers reek havoc around the castle.
The plot is a little mature for the intended audience, and there are definitely some scary/disturbing scenes in the movies especially at the beginning and end that could give the kids nightmares. Kids under the age of 8 probably should stay home. There aren't any cute song and dance to keep the younger kids involved which is good for most adults who may be dragged in to see this. The triplets are cute and funny and Merida's message of female independence and strength nice, but this movie really doesn't play to the kids and I'm really not sure it's supposed to do so. If I had to choose between Brave and Madagascar 3, M3 wins hands down.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Madagascar 3 - Afro Circus?
There's something so peaceful about watching a kids movie despite a theater full of them. There's usually no violence, no cursing, nothing scary, no sex, etc. Wholesome right? Well if this was 1982, 1992, or maybe even 2002, that would be the case. I now find children's movies less wholesome and peaceful than they use to be. But that's just me. Madagascar 3 had a few dark moments: a lady trying to chop off the lion's head and put it on her wall, a lemur in an inappropriate relationship with a bear, and a tiger who clearly is traumatized and has psychological issues. Despite all of this and more, the movie was enjoyable by all.
Being the third in a series (there may be more after how it ended) of zoo animals trying to get back home to NY, you think what else could they possible do? Well, this time, in their trek to get home, the zoo animals led by Alex the Lion, lie their way unto a circus train which has the potential to get them home. That's right folks. Let's teach the children to lie and deceive to get what they want. But I digress. There is a lot going on in the movie that no one seems to be disturbed by: monkeys dressed as royalty gambling in Monte Carlo, a circus in shambles led be the traumatized tiger that likes to jump through teeny tiny hoops, a flying zebra and his afro circus, an italian speaking sea lion, a hippo and giraffe in love walking a tightrope; just to name a few. Maybe I'm paying too much attention. And be prepared for your kid to walk around saying, "That's Bolshevik!" Someone thought it was a smart idea to simulate cursing. Remember, this is a wholesome kids movie.
Madagascar 3 is just as much fun to watch as the first two which isn't saying much. It is VERY slow in MANY parts so be prepared to take to children to the restroom a lot or for them to get antsy, restless, and squirmy. They only really seem to be entertained when there is music and singing very popular radio tunes. Fireworks by Katy Perry is the biggest hit. The kids sang along and danced in their seats while laughing at the screen. This is the best part of the movie to me too. And, even though I'm not easily offended, something about the Afro Circus didn't sit right with me, but the kids already knew the song from the commercials and sang along like it was song by Katy Perry. At the end of the day, take your kids. They'll enjoy it. If you don't have any kids, don't waste you money.
Being the third in a series (there may be more after how it ended) of zoo animals trying to get back home to NY, you think what else could they possible do? Well, this time, in their trek to get home, the zoo animals led by Alex the Lion, lie their way unto a circus train which has the potential to get them home. That's right folks. Let's teach the children to lie and deceive to get what they want. But I digress. There is a lot going on in the movie that no one seems to be disturbed by: monkeys dressed as royalty gambling in Monte Carlo, a circus in shambles led be the traumatized tiger that likes to jump through teeny tiny hoops, a flying zebra and his afro circus, an italian speaking sea lion, a hippo and giraffe in love walking a tightrope; just to name a few. Maybe I'm paying too much attention. And be prepared for your kid to walk around saying, "That's Bolshevik!" Someone thought it was a smart idea to simulate cursing. Remember, this is a wholesome kids movie.
Madagascar 3 is just as much fun to watch as the first two which isn't saying much. It is VERY slow in MANY parts so be prepared to take to children to the restroom a lot or for them to get antsy, restless, and squirmy. They only really seem to be entertained when there is music and singing very popular radio tunes. Fireworks by Katy Perry is the biggest hit. The kids sang along and danced in their seats while laughing at the screen. This is the best part of the movie to me too. And, even though I'm not easily offended, something about the Afro Circus didn't sit right with me, but the kids already knew the song from the commercials and sang along like it was song by Katy Perry. At the end of the day, take your kids. They'll enjoy it. If you don't have any kids, don't waste you money.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Prometheus - Wait for it, wait for it...
Prometheus is everything that I love in a movie. Sci-fi, suspense, killer aliens, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, and a surprise ending. Yes! Yes! And Yes!!! This movie isn't for everybody. As we were leaving the theater there were grumblings from the women, but the men seem to really enjoy it. I'm one of those rare women who love movies like this. There was a lot going on, so I feel like I need to see it again, but I was captivated the whole time and was completely surprised by the ending. You have to wait for the entire movie to end. The screen will go black, you will start to pack up your things and then something wonderful happens: a little more movie plays. This is THE most important part of the movie to me, so DON'T LEAVE. You have to see this if you are a Ridley Scott movie fan.
I don't want to give away too much so I'll give you a brief synopsis: Two archeologist find paintings and carving all over the world showing these ancient people worshiping aliens. These archeologist believe that the aliens are the actual creators of human life or engineers and believe that these aliens reside on a planet that is over 2 years away. These two, who just so happen to be in a relationship, also believe these aliens want to be found and are asking the couple to come find them. Some extremely rich dying old man funds a trip to this far away planet and these scientist along with others set aboard the Prometheus to seek out these engineers and get the answers to life's questions. Well, all kinds of trouble ensues once they land and discover this dome filled with some sort of slimy destructive alien life form. There are other factors contributing to the trouble that the travelers on the Prometheus face starting with this android named David. Keep your eyes on him. He's got a separate agenda that I can't tell you about with out spoiling things for you.
Idris Elba is the captain of this ship named Janek. He is rough, tough, caring, honorable, handsome, and and so damn sexy (if you know anything about me, you know that I am hopelessly in love with this man). He is the reason I wanted to see this movie, and even though his role is a supporting one, I was glad that he was chosen to play this part. I just don't think anyone else would have made a better Janek. I could be a little biased. Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers is sent there by the funding company to oversee everything and make sure everyone does what they are supposed to do. She's a bit of a bad ass who also has her own agenda for being on the Prometheus.
I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes killer aliens, stupid scientist, and sinister androids. It will be added to my dvd collection for sure. It's been a long time since I've seen a good sci-fi movie like this one. They just don't make them like this anymore. There wasn't any ridiculous unnecessary sex scene or over the top special affects. It was as pure and wholesome as any sci-fi movie could be. Ridley Scott did a great job with this one to me. Go see it and stay until the end...the very end.
I don't want to give away too much so I'll give you a brief synopsis: Two archeologist find paintings and carving all over the world showing these ancient people worshiping aliens. These archeologist believe that the aliens are the actual creators of human life or engineers and believe that these aliens reside on a planet that is over 2 years away. These two, who just so happen to be in a relationship, also believe these aliens want to be found and are asking the couple to come find them. Some extremely rich dying old man funds a trip to this far away planet and these scientist along with others set aboard the Prometheus to seek out these engineers and get the answers to life's questions. Well, all kinds of trouble ensues once they land and discover this dome filled with some sort of slimy destructive alien life form. There are other factors contributing to the trouble that the travelers on the Prometheus face starting with this android named David. Keep your eyes on him. He's got a separate agenda that I can't tell you about with out spoiling things for you.
Idris Elba is the captain of this ship named Janek. He is rough, tough, caring, honorable, handsome, and and so damn sexy (if you know anything about me, you know that I am hopelessly in love with this man). He is the reason I wanted to see this movie, and even though his role is a supporting one, I was glad that he was chosen to play this part. I just don't think anyone else would have made a better Janek. I could be a little biased. Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers is sent there by the funding company to oversee everything and make sure everyone does what they are supposed to do. She's a bit of a bad ass who also has her own agenda for being on the Prometheus.
I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes killer aliens, stupid scientist, and sinister androids. It will be added to my dvd collection for sure. It's been a long time since I've seen a good sci-fi movie like this one. They just don't make them like this anymore. There wasn't any ridiculous unnecessary sex scene or over the top special affects. It was as pure and wholesome as any sci-fi movie could be. Ridley Scott did a great job with this one to me. Go see it and stay until the end...the very end.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Snow White and the Huntsman - Not the Disney version
Who would have thunk that in 2012 we would have 2 different Snow White movies 75 years after Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? The first one starring Julia Roberts was for kids and was pretty bad. It's just a blip on Julia's stellar movie radar. We will always forgive her for Mirror Mirror every time we watch Richard Gere drive up in that limo holding those flowers with the opera playing in the background at the end of Pretty Woman. The second movie starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth is so much more entertaining and enjoyable, but fun with bright colors, happy magical moments, and singing dwarfs with similar names, Snow White and the Huntsman is not.
This movie is a very dark artistic version of the german "Snow White" by The Brothers Grimm. There are dwarfs (8 not 7); there are magical moments using dark magic, and that fairytale aspect is there, but it's not in your face with a sappy happy ending that you find at the end of all Disney movies. It is pretty much the same story with a few difference so I don't really need to give you a brief synopsis, but I will say this isn't a movie about how love conquers all and how a man comes to the rescue to save a woman. So if you are looking for a great romantical date movie, this ain't it.
Even though I'm not a fan of Kristen Stewart because I feel like she always looks and acts as if her dog died, she did a decent job in this movie. She didn't have a lot of lines (thank goodness), but there was an intensity to her eyes that was necessary for some scenes or maybe she was constipated. I can never tell with her. I feel like she's had an acting coach or two since Twilight. Maybe she gave Beyonce's coach a call. Whomever she's using got her to open her mouth and speak clearly (a reason why I feel she used the same one as Bey); now if only he/she can get her to smile and it not look like the world is ending.
Charlize Theron is the #1 reason why I wanted to see this movie. She's one of my favorite actresses. As much as it pains me to say this, she overacted just a tad bit. She looked flawless doing it, but unlike Kristen, there was too much intensity, yelling, and melodrama. There's nothing like a great death (this isn't a spoiler alert. We all know the evil queen dies.), but it did seem a little forced. It's really not that big of an issue and doesn't take away from the movie too much, but if your a Charlize fan, you may be a little disappointed...just a wee bit.
The eye candy that is Chris Hemsworth (I REALLY MUST SEE THOR!) and the classicness of this movie is enough for me to say go see it. I may even add it to my dvd collection. Unless some super awesome indie film comes out in the next few months, I definitely see this moving receiving Academy Award nods for set design, costume, and make-up. The artistry of this movie alone is fantastic and will be missed on the small screen, so don't miss out on seeing it at the cinema. Oh, and leave the small kids at home. This isn't the movie for them.
Friday, May 25, 2012
MIB3 - They should have stopped after the first one.
Will Smith is one of the biggest movies stars in the world. Because of his money making ability, studios allow him to make movies no matter how good or bad. Now, I'm not saying he makes a lot of bad movies. I really can't think of a Will Smith movie I didn't enjoy even a little bit. His worst one probably was Wild Wild West, and even that was sort of entertaining. MIB3 falls into that category...sort of entertaining. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air went over to the dark side with this one. He usually makes kid friendly MIB movies, but this one has a lot of death, low level cursing, and a somewhat ominous subplot. I definitely wouldn't bring anyone younger than 10 to this one. There isn't a little song a dance to pep this one up.
As we know from the first two Men in Black movies, Agents K (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and J (Will Smith) go around and handle alien problems while trying to keep the fact that there ARE aliens from humans. Even some of the most famous people in the world, according to these movies, are aliens like Michael Jackson, Elvis, and Lady Gaga. MIB3 isn't any different. A big, bad alien breaks out of jail on the moon, comes to earth only to go back in time to try and kill Agent K who jailed him and shot off his arm which will allow this horrible alien to come and take over earth in the present. Agent J has to time travel back to spoil this aliens plans while learning some secrets about Agent K (Josh Brolin as a younger K) in the process. Where do they come up with this stuff?
There were tons of pre-teens, teenagers, and adults in the audience. I must say they were thoroughly entertained. One man couldn't stop laughing those deep belly laughs that filled the theatre. I, on the other hand, smiled at a couple of corny jokes, and lol'd once maybe twice, but that's about it. There was a tearjerker moment towards then end, but I saw it coming a mile away. The movie was cute to say the least, but not nearly as much fun as the first one. There really weren't any new tricks to pull out of the bag to make it as interesting as the first one. It'll do well at the box office with it being a long weekend, but I feel that it will simmer off not too much long after that. This really should be the very LAST Men in Black movie.
You really see Will Smith's age in this movie. He's no longer that goofy, big-earred kid from the 90's that we loved to watch on our tv screens and then later on the big screen. He can't get away with these silly little antics anymore. It's time to stick with the action-adventures and dramas that he does so well. His original audience has grown up too, so I think we like to see him in more grown-up roles being a husband and parent like he and the majority of his audience is now. Again, Men in Black 3 is sort of entertaining, and worth the $6 I spent going to the early matinee. I don't think it's worth anymore than that. Go see it if you must, or don't and just wait for it to come out on USA or FX during an MIB marathon.
As we know from the first two Men in Black movies, Agents K (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and J (Will Smith) go around and handle alien problems while trying to keep the fact that there ARE aliens from humans. Even some of the most famous people in the world, according to these movies, are aliens like Michael Jackson, Elvis, and Lady Gaga. MIB3 isn't any different. A big, bad alien breaks out of jail on the moon, comes to earth only to go back in time to try and kill Agent K who jailed him and shot off his arm which will allow this horrible alien to come and take over earth in the present. Agent J has to time travel back to spoil this aliens plans while learning some secrets about Agent K (Josh Brolin as a younger K) in the process. Where do they come up with this stuff?
There were tons of pre-teens, teenagers, and adults in the audience. I must say they were thoroughly entertained. One man couldn't stop laughing those deep belly laughs that filled the theatre. I, on the other hand, smiled at a couple of corny jokes, and lol'd once maybe twice, but that's about it. There was a tearjerker moment towards then end, but I saw it coming a mile away. The movie was cute to say the least, but not nearly as much fun as the first one. There really weren't any new tricks to pull out of the bag to make it as interesting as the first one. It'll do well at the box office with it being a long weekend, but I feel that it will simmer off not too much long after that. This really should be the very LAST Men in Black movie.
You really see Will Smith's age in this movie. He's no longer that goofy, big-earred kid from the 90's that we loved to watch on our tv screens and then later on the big screen. He can't get away with these silly little antics anymore. It's time to stick with the action-adventures and dramas that he does so well. His original audience has grown up too, so I think we like to see him in more grown-up roles being a husband and parent like he and the majority of his audience is now. Again, Men in Black 3 is sort of entertaining, and worth the $6 I spent going to the early matinee. I don't think it's worth anymore than that. Go see it if you must, or don't and just wait for it to come out on USA or FX during an MIB marathon.
Friday, May 18, 2012
You sank my BATTLESHIP...or did you?!?!
Remember that game we use to play back in the day with the little grey ships and red and white pegs? Well, Battleship is based off of that game. It's not nearly as cheesy as that commercial with the little boy saying, "You sank my battleship," and there are no white or red pegs, but it was extremely entertaining. A feel good movie to say the least.
Without giving away too much, the movie is set on a naval base in Hawaii and after scientist send signals to an earth like planet, unwelcomed aliens show up reeking havoc on Hawaii and Asia during a naval mock war exercise between America and Japan. I know that seems like a lot, but it's really not. They have to explain a lot in a short amount of time, which is done pretty well.
I guess what makes this movie so interesting is that there really aren't any big name celebrities other than Liam Neison who's supporting role really could have been played by anyone. True Blood fans will be happy to see Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) in this movie. He's not as sinister in this movie playing Commander Stone Hopper as he is in True Blood, but he is easy on the eyes. There are some unlikely heroes. The one the producers and director want to you to like the most is double amputee US Army Lieutenant Colonel Mick. He's actually a real Army Lieutenant Colonel who has never acted before this movie. You kinda give his acting a pass because of the fact that you realize that he really has lost his legs. Oh, and how could I forget to mention Rhianna? If you are expecting Ri Ri to be the sexy celebrity she likes to play on the red carpet, you can forget it. She's pretty much a rough looking chic in a bad wig covered by a ball cap the entire movie. She does a decent acting job throughout the movie probably because they kept her lines short.
(SPOILER ALERT!!!) If I was to say anything negative about this movie, I would say that it goes from realistic to ridiculous towards the end. The USS Missouri comes out of retirement along with some of it's old naval officers to help fight the aliens. I literally wanted to yell out, "SERIOUSLY!" Everything else was plausible until that point, but in the end you were ok with this unlikely turn of events because it all worked out for the best.
Go see Battleship at the theatre because the special effects and action won't be nearly as exciting and entertaining at home on the couch. I'm not a fan of 3D, but I think this might even be good in 3D. I enjoyed it; I don't know if it's add-to-the-dvd-collection worthy, but I'd watch it again if someone bought the ticket or if it was on tv. Of the two action movies so far this early summer, I liked this one best.
Without giving away too much, the movie is set on a naval base in Hawaii and after scientist send signals to an earth like planet, unwelcomed aliens show up reeking havoc on Hawaii and Asia during a naval mock war exercise between America and Japan. I know that seems like a lot, but it's really not. They have to explain a lot in a short amount of time, which is done pretty well.
I guess what makes this movie so interesting is that there really aren't any big name celebrities other than Liam Neison who's supporting role really could have been played by anyone. True Blood fans will be happy to see Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) in this movie. He's not as sinister in this movie playing Commander Stone Hopper as he is in True Blood, but he is easy on the eyes. There are some unlikely heroes. The one the producers and director want to you to like the most is double amputee US Army Lieutenant Colonel Mick. He's actually a real Army Lieutenant Colonel who has never acted before this movie. You kinda give his acting a pass because of the fact that you realize that he really has lost his legs. Oh, and how could I forget to mention Rhianna? If you are expecting Ri Ri to be the sexy celebrity she likes to play on the red carpet, you can forget it. She's pretty much a rough looking chic in a bad wig covered by a ball cap the entire movie. She does a decent acting job throughout the movie probably because they kept her lines short.
(SPOILER ALERT!!!) If I was to say anything negative about this movie, I would say that it goes from realistic to ridiculous towards the end. The USS Missouri comes out of retirement along with some of it's old naval officers to help fight the aliens. I literally wanted to yell out, "SERIOUSLY!" Everything else was plausible until that point, but in the end you were ok with this unlikely turn of events because it all worked out for the best.
Go see Battleship at the theatre because the special effects and action won't be nearly as exciting and entertaining at home on the couch. I'm not a fan of 3D, but I think this might even be good in 3D. I enjoyed it; I don't know if it's add-to-the-dvd-collection worthy, but I'd watch it again if someone bought the ticket or if it was on tv. Of the two action movies so far this early summer, I liked this one best.
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Avengers - Why are we clapping?
I've seen Iron Man one and two, both Hulk movies, Captain America, and just about every other super hero movie that has come out over the last 15 years except Thor. Who would have know that was the one I really needed to see to understand fully the plot of The Avengers Movie? Countless hours watching superhero movie after superhero movie and I really only needed to watch 4 movies to get the point of this one. Don't get me wrong, I knew that they would all tie in together, I just didn't think it was going to be completely necessary to see them all. So I warn you now: Make sure you have seen Iron Man 2, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk (the one starring Mark Ruffalo).
Now that you've seen all of those, (I still haven't seen Thor, but I will ASAP) tell me that the Avengers isn't a bit of a bore trying to tie it all together. I would have rather watched a 3rd installment of Iron Man. Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, is the most entertaining of them all, and his movies are the most entertaining of all the super hero movies that I've seen (Kick Ass not included since they're not really super heros). There is action dispersed throughout and especially at the ending, but the movie is about 2 and a half hours long and only about 30 minutes of it is action packed. That leaves for A LOT of talking and set up.
The storyline itself isn't very new. I mean does aliens coming to take over earth starting with NY sound familiar? Or how about that scene when the aliens are coming and the people are running down the streets of New York and the cars flip over? Or, the bad arse chic who kicks butt with a sad story about why she's a bad arse chic? Scene it? So have I many, many times. The thing that kept dumfounding me were the people clapping at this overused action. They're clapping and I'm yawning waiting for something new to happen. It never does. If I was to clap for anything or anyone, it's be Robert Downey Jr. He makes a darn good Tony Stark. He's the only thing close to eye candy in this movie and he's funny as always. I hope they do bring him back for Iron Man 3 that is in the works now for 2013.
You want to go see this movie? Go right ahead. Just remember that it's nothing special, really long, kind of boring, full of the same ol' same ol' and surprisingly will make you want to clap (it made me want to take a nap).
Now that you've seen all of those, (I still haven't seen Thor, but I will ASAP) tell me that the Avengers isn't a bit of a bore trying to tie it all together. I would have rather watched a 3rd installment of Iron Man. Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, is the most entertaining of them all, and his movies are the most entertaining of all the super hero movies that I've seen (Kick Ass not included since they're not really super heros). There is action dispersed throughout and especially at the ending, but the movie is about 2 and a half hours long and only about 30 minutes of it is action packed. That leaves for A LOT of talking and set up.
The storyline itself isn't very new. I mean does aliens coming to take over earth starting with NY sound familiar? Or how about that scene when the aliens are coming and the people are running down the streets of New York and the cars flip over? Or, the bad arse chic who kicks butt with a sad story about why she's a bad arse chic? Scene it? So have I many, many times. The thing that kept dumfounding me were the people clapping at this overused action. They're clapping and I'm yawning waiting for something new to happen. It never does. If I was to clap for anything or anyone, it's be Robert Downey Jr. He makes a darn good Tony Stark. He's the only thing close to eye candy in this movie and he's funny as always. I hope they do bring him back for Iron Man 3 that is in the works now for 2013.
You want to go see this movie? Go right ahead. Just remember that it's nothing special, really long, kind of boring, full of the same ol' same ol' and surprisingly will make you want to clap (it made me want to take a nap).
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Think Like a Man - So funny I'd laugh twice
I don't usually pay to watch ROM/COMs. My dvd collection has very few mostly from the 80's and 90's when ROM/COMs were actually funny. I don't usually watch black movies. They are usually horrible. Not because they are black but because they are poorly written and/or directed with horrible stereotypes and poor acting. I mean how many times do we need to see TP dress like a woman? (Clearly infinite amounts of times since he has YET another Madea movie coming out...) Again, my dvd collection has very few, but the ones I do have are mostly from the 90's when Eddie Murphy was the black movie God not Tyler Perry. I've seen 3 this year, so I've made my quota to keep my black card. Think Like a Man is not only a black movie, but a ROM/COM, and worth breaking my I don't see ROM/COMs or black movies rule.
I really went to see it because of Kevin Hart. That man is a fool! I've seen his stand up on tv and died laughing, so I wanted to see what he would do in this movie. Not to mention, the cast is outrageous, and the storyline seemed to be plausible no matter your race. Kinda like The Best Man; it crossed all color lines to debut as the #1 movie in the country in 1999. A brief synopsis of Think Like a Man: Steve Harvey, a comedian, plus radio, talk, and game show host, wrote a serious book about relationships call Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Someone decided to make a movie with this very real book as the basis for the movie. We watch as 4 couples traverse new relationships with the women getting advice from Steve Harvey and his book. The guys in these relationships are all friends and get together and discuss how things are going often while playing basketball or having drinks.
One of the reasons I don't watch comedies is because I never think they are very funny. This movie is the funniest I've seen since The Hangover (I went to see it on a date. Would never have seen it on my own). In fact, I think it's funnier than The Hangover. I laughed so hard over and over again. At one point I had tears in my eyes. It wasn't just Kevin Hart, although he was the major reason for the laughs, but there were other funny moments when he wasn't involved. The story moved well which could have been very difficult when trying to tell several different stories in one. (Did you see Valentine's Day?) As most movies are these days, the ending was predictable but the cameos were not. Wendy Williams, Lisa Leslie, La La Anthony, Keri Hilson, Chris Brown, Kelly Rowland, and Ron Artest (I refuse to call him by his new ridiculous name) just to name a few.
It was all done very well. I would pay to see it again. I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Another cinema patron said the same thing to her friend as she was leaving the theater. I will definitely be adding it to the dvd collection, and maybe I will give ROM/COMs and black movies more of a chance...maybe. This movie was entertaining, funny, full of eye-candy for women and men, and you will learn a little relationship advice in the process. In the gymnastics world (I'm a gymnastics coach), we'd give it a 10.0!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Wrath of the Titans - For the easily entertained
I have a friend who says that he rarely sees a movie that he feels is bad because he's easily entertained. I on the other hand have seen a couple (Mirror, Mirror is one) in the last couple of weeks that were bad, but I guess it takes a lot to entertain me. In general, I only watch sci-fi, fantasy, suspense & thrillers, scary movies, books turned into movies, and Disney movies. Very rarely will I pay to see a rom-com or a comedy. Wrath of the Titans fall into my fantasy category. It also falls into the category of one of those bad movies. Ok, so maybe bad is a bit strong. I wasn't entertained, but my friend who easily is will enjoy it.
The storyline was very weak. Let's see if I can get it right: Remembering your greek mythology, Zeus needs Perseus to help him keep Chronos, his father, enslaved in Tartarus. Hades and Ares have teamed up together to trap Zeus, and give all of his power to Chronos. I didn't quite understand what Chronos was gonna do once he got out of Tartarus, but he did zap Zeus of his power and begins to make an escape. While all of this is going on Queen Andromeda, Perseus, and Poseidon's son try to help. How do these demigods and humans help? Well, I'm not gonna tell you everything. You'll have to suffer through it like I did to find out.
If trying to rely on the not-so-great special affects was the goal, then they fail there as well. At one point I saw someone's silver fillings. Really, not only did we not take the time to make a good movie or have bad arse special affects, but we couldn't take the time to properly edit the movie either. I often felt like I was watching the screening before they cut and printed it. But again, it takes a lot to entertain me. So, I'll say this: this movie is only worth the $6 I pay when I go to the first showing of any movie at the theater that day. I wouldn't pay any more than that. I honestly could have waited until it came on cable in a couple of years. Who am I kidding; it's be on tv this time next year.
The storyline was very weak. Let's see if I can get it right: Remembering your greek mythology, Zeus needs Perseus to help him keep Chronos, his father, enslaved in Tartarus. Hades and Ares have teamed up together to trap Zeus, and give all of his power to Chronos. I didn't quite understand what Chronos was gonna do once he got out of Tartarus, but he did zap Zeus of his power and begins to make an escape. While all of this is going on Queen Andromeda, Perseus, and Poseidon's son try to help. How do these demigods and humans help? Well, I'm not gonna tell you everything. You'll have to suffer through it like I did to find out.
If trying to rely on the not-so-great special affects was the goal, then they fail there as well. At one point I saw someone's silver fillings. Really, not only did we not take the time to make a good movie or have bad arse special affects, but we couldn't take the time to properly edit the movie either. I often felt like I was watching the screening before they cut and printed it. But again, it takes a lot to entertain me. So, I'll say this: this movie is only worth the $6 I pay when I go to the first showing of any movie at the theater that day. I wouldn't pay any more than that. I honestly could have waited until it came on cable in a couple of years. Who am I kidding; it's be on tv this time next year.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
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