TheAndra's Blog

Whatever Happened to: The Huxtables

2010-11-28T10:09:00.006-05:00

When we last saw them:
In 1992, Theo graduated from NYU and the whole family (sans Denise) all gathered to attend. Unlike most sitcom finales, each individual character didn't embark on a new life. No one picked up and moved and they didn't sell the brownstone. Life just went on. And here's what I think happened in the 18 years since we last saw them.

Dr. Cliff Huxtable:
Cliff retired from practicing and is now living at home with Claire. He spends his time "fixing" the house and trying his best to become the "king of new technology". He's taken up golf and to no one's surprise he's not very good at it. He still mentors young doctors and is a staple on radio call-in for medical segments.

Claire Huxtable:
Claire retired from law, only to return a few months later because she wasn't sure if she could handle being home all the time. A few years after her return to law, she took a job as a law professor at NYU. She also published a best selling book, "Love and Law: How to Prosecute and Parent".

Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux:
Sondra decided to become an Art Buyer before opening up her own Art Gallery in New York City. She returned to college soon after to study Business and then got involved in real estate. She, Elvin, and her kids, Winnie and Nelson, all travel overseas as a family once a year.

Elvin Tibideaux:
Elvin followed in his father-in-laws footsteps and became one of New York's most highly respected OB/GYN's. He opened his own office in upstate New York.

Winnie and Nelson Tibideaux:
Winnie and Nelson are now Seniors at Hillman University, their Great Grandparents, grandparents and Aunt's Alma Mater. Winnie is majoring in Music and Drama, while Nelson intends to continue the tradition of male doctors in the family.

Denise Huxtable Kendall:
Denise lives in Connecticut now with her husband Martin and their 17 year old son Martin Heathcliff Kendall. After years of traveling with Martin and raising Little Martin, Denise finally went to school to study Special education. She now works at a local high school as a teacher.

Lt. Martin Kendall:
After over 20 years of service in the Navy, Martin retired and is now a Navy ROTC instructor at the same high school Denise works in. He also serves as the teams basketball coach where his son Little Martin is the starting point guard.

Olivia Kendall:
Olivia graduated from Lincoln University, the same school Vanessa attended. She studied Drama and dance and graduated in 2008. She moved to New York City where she dances for many off Broadway productions and a theater company. She returns home often to see her parents, but spends alotta time at the Huxtables.

Theo Huxtable:
Theo graduated from NYU in the finale. He continued working for the community center before moving to Virginia to take a job as a high school teacher. He started his own mentoring program where he helped young men with learning disabilities. Theo moved back to New York where he began dating Justine again. They later married and have 3 boys, Theo Jr., Russell, and Al. Theo moved the family to Pennsylvania where he opened and runs his own community outreach center that focuses on helping at-risk teens in Philadelphia.

Vanessa Huxtable:
After graduating from Lincoln University, where she studied Psychology, she got a job in Pennsylvania as a high school counselor. She went back to Lincoln to get her masters and became a Psychiatrist in Illinois. She got married to a musician named Craig and had a baby boy named Craig Jr., who is now 10. The family then moved to Florida where Vanessa was able to open her own office.

Rudy Huxtable:
Rudy attended and graduated from NYU, where she studied Biology. She decided to go back to school to become a Veterinarian. For the last 8 years she has had an on and off relationship with Kenny, her long time next door neighbor who now runs his own night club in downtown Manhattan. She lives with a college friend, but she can usually be found back at the Huxtables.

Pam Tucker:
Pam moved to California with her mother not long after he graduation from High School. After a few years, she attended a local college where she studied Journalism. After graduating, she wrote for a local newspaper. After moving back to New York, she became a freelance writer until she was hired as an assistant editor for a fashion magazine.

Russell and Anna Huxtable:
Cliff's parents sold their home in New Jersey and moved to Florida. They spend most of their time traveling around to country visiting their grandkids and great-grandkids, trying to make every major event they can. They are now in their 90s and just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Movie Review- Gamer

2010-01-16T11:40:00.006-05:00

Okay, I know what the makers of "Gamer" were trying to say. I know what they were trying to do. I know where they were trying to go. But i don't feel they said it, did it, or went there. It all just turned into a corny mess. I mean any movie that opens up with a soft rock version of "Sweet Dreams" and with the line "They f*@king tea bagged him", worries me.

It's an interesting concept really. Turning real humans into video game characters and making them battle sounds delightful. And then add Gerard Butler to the mix, you've got something there. But something went wrong between the pitch and the actual film. Ok, maybe more than something...maybe alot of somethings.

Plot:
Death row inmate John Tillman (Gerard Butler) is caught in a gamer software mastermind's virtual reality game, where inmates battle to the death while being controlled by civilians.

Pros:
The movie is filled with a talented cast with impressive resumes, and Butler, Michael C. Hall, Terry Crews, Chris Bridges, and John Leguizamo give pretty good individual performances. The large ensemble of familiar faces also wasn't a bad move either.

I really think cinematography-wise, the filmmakers did a good job duplicating the video game feeling. During the battle scenes, it really felt at times that I was watching my friends play "Call of Duty" online. Those scenes alone made the film watchable.

Cons:
As I said earlier, it was pretty corny. At least most of the first 45 minutes was. Butler seemed as if he was in the wrong movie. The film threw in elements of playfulness that made it seem as if they weren't taking themselves seriously, much like what the filmmakers did with "Crank", but Butler was kicking ass like he was doing battle scenes from "Saving Private Ryan". He gave a depthless character depth, purely based on his acting talent. The same goes for Hall. He was impressive as the mastermind, but it seemed as if his acting was too good for the dialogue.

Leguizamo was not needed, and that kills me to say that because I am a big fan of his. But he wasn't in much of the movie and he was gone before his character was really given anything to do. WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WASTE TALENT LIKE THAT?! He was better off doing the "Pest 2" or something. The worse part about it was i really thought his character had potential and was gonna be given a subplot. Wrong!

The violence and gore wasn't bad, it fit the video game feel, but what they did well in gore and video game violence, they lose in content and dialogue. Again I say, "Looking good means nothing if you don't have substance to back it up." Make a complete movie damn it!

And though I applaud the cinematography during battle scenes, they could have let up a little during non-battle scenes. Are quick, swooping, "look what i can do" camera tricks needed when two people are just having a conversation? I didn't think so.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO

Written by:
Mark Neveldine
Brian Taylor

Directed by:
Mark Neveldine
Brian Taylor

Main Cast:
Gerard Butler ("300", "The Ugly Truth")
Michael C. Hall( TV's "Dexter", TV's "Six Feet Under")
Amber Valletta ("Hitch", "Transporter 2")
Terry Crews ("White Chicks", "Get Smart")
Chris Bridges ("Crash", "Fred Clause")
Kyra Sedgwick (TV's "Closer", "The Game Plan")
Logan Lerman ("Number 23", "3:10 to Yuma")
John Leguizamo ("Pest", "Across the Universe")
Allison Lohman ("Big Fish", "Drag Me To Hell")
Aaron Yoo ("Disturbia", "Perfect Score")
Keith David ("Armageddon", "There's Something About Mary")
Milo Ventimigilia ("Rocky Balboa", TV's "Heroes")

Similar Titles:
Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Surrogates

Movie Review- Hurt Locker

2010-01-12T09:32:00.004-05:00

I've heard all the hype over the last two months about this film after never hearing about it before. The media blitz worked on me, because i was really excited to see this film. So often, these limited release, Oscar pushed movies don't live up to the hype. "Hurt Locker" does.

It's weird seeing films about the war while a war is actually in progress. The main reason is because you are seeing something that thousands of people are going through at the present time. If you are like me and live in a military town and have friends and former classmates who have done tours or are out there now, it's surreal. No matter a person's feelings toward the war, I think most if not all sympathize with the thousands serving in the military and millions of us have no idea what the experience for them is really like. Though "Hurt Locker" isn't the first feature film to paint a picture of the life of an American soldier in Iraq, no other film has been mixed a sense of realism to the extent this one has. Though I'm sure every element isn't completely accurate to the war experience or military standards, though I feel it doesn't have to be; it is a movie, it was still an excellent film.

Plot:
A loose cannon bomb specialist SSgt. Will James (Jeremy Renner) joins a bomb squad serving a tour in Iraq.

Pros:
The acting, the cinematography, the writing, the plot, the realism, the pace, the tone, all of it was on point. I enjoyed the documentary look of the film. It added to the sense of realism, and makes it feels as if these characters actually exist.

I like that there was no exaggeration or war romanticism added in this film. No intense close ups surrounded by after-school special music underneath. Renner's Ssgt. James, probably the most tragic character, didn't get a sappy storyline filled with fluff and a long speech where he reveals the origin of all of his character flaws. It was well done.

None of the scenes were overplayed or literal. Nothing was spelled out with words. Alot of the biggest character reveals came from non-verbal communication. That, in my opinion, is the best way to go and makes audiences feel more connected to the story and the characters.

Cons:
The only thing i saw in this film that just didn't sit right with me was the initial relationship between Renner's Ssgt. James and Anthony Mackie's Sgt. Sanborn. Though James is a higher rank and the squads team leader, Mackie appeared to be more in charge than James. He gave alot of orders and it seemed as if they answered to him. I'm not a military guy, but I would never think that a lower rank could be in charge.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Mark Boal

Directed by:
Kathryn Bigelow

Main Cast:
Jeremy Renner ("SWAT", "Dahmer")
Anthony Mackie ("8 Mile", "Notorious")
Brian Geraghty ("The Guardian", "We Are Marshall")
Ralph Fiennes ("Schindler's List", "English Patient")
Guy Pearce ("Rules of Engagement", "Memento")
David Morse ("The Green Mile", "Disturbia")
Evangeline Lilly (TV's "Lost")
Christian Carmargo ("K-19: The Widowmaker", "National Treasure: Book of Secrets")
Chrisopher Sayegh

Similar titles:
Generation Kill, Stop-Loss

Next Review:
Gamer- Trailer

Movie Review-I Can Do Bad All By Myself

2010-01-09T10:41:00.005-05:00

Tyler Perry is a double-edged sword with me.

On one hand, I commend him for making entertaining, funny movies with a message that the an entire family can watch together. I also commend him for tackling issues most people are afraid to venture towards and he's able to add realism between the buffoonery. I mean he has loads of christian themes where God is a focus, but he still has coarse language, and it's still accepted by religious groups.

The other end of the sword is the fact that his themes are repetitive. In every movie he features a lost/out-on-her-luck woman who is either on drugs or has been molested. Then all of a sudden, a man comes through and changes everything. He rescues her and it turns out all she every needed was the love of a good man and her life is complete.

Though i give him credit for showing black males in a positive light, so few do that, it seems to be counterproductive if you have to trivialize the struggles of black women and act as if it can be taken away by good black men.

I tried to ignore that fact while watching this film, but of course that's nearly impossible. But it doesn't have to be the main focus.

Plot:
Lounge singer April's (Taraji P. Henson) life is transformed when she is forced to watch over her sister's kids after her mother disappears.

Pros:
As with all of his movies. Tyler Perry's Madea character just breaths so much life into any storyline. This one is no different. Though Madea was only in a few scenes, she definitely leaves her stamp on the whole movie. You can tell Tyler Perry hits his creative strive when she is involved.

Though Perry is not as visually artistic as Quentin Tarantino or as talented as a writer as Oliver Stone, he taps into what is just flat out entertaining. A story with dramatic elements with comedy wrapped around it. No one does it better. He showed all those talents again here in this film. Probably better than he has in any other film he's done.

Cons:
The movie has a talented cast, but they all seemed to be playing below their full potential. I've seen Taraji P.Henson, Brian White, and even Mary J. Blige better. Though i feel like using non-actors in pivotal acting roles is risky, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige, and Marvin Winans were pretty good. But I don't really feel as if they all could have been a scotch better than they were.

The film felt rushed. The relationship between Rodriguez and Henson developed way too fast, but her inevitable transformation took too long. And then all of sudden they've been in love for a long time though they've had minimal, meaningful interaction throughout the film.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Main Cast:
Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle and Flow", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Tyler Perry ("Madea Goes to Jail", "Star Trek")
Adam Rodriguez (TV's "CSI: Miami")
Brian J. White ("Stomp the Yard", "Family Stone")
Gladys Knight
Mary J. Blige
Marvin Winans
Hope Olaide Wilson ("Life is Hot in Cracktown")
Kwesi Boakye ("Happy Feet")
Frederick Siglar

Similar Titles:
I Can Do Bad Ally By Myself (V), Meet the Browns

Next Review:
Hurt Locker-Trailer

Movie Review-Paranormal Activity

2010-01-07T11:46:00.004-05:00

So, i heard all the hype about this movie before I saw it and i found myself angry. I was mad because I could of done this. All you need is a camera, a house, sound effects, and make it look like a soccer mom filming her kid eat raviolis in his high chair. It was so easy and this movie made a crap load of money. That could've been me.

After seeing this movie, all i had left to envy was the amount of money the film made. The film itself sadly was not nearly as impressive and didn't even come close to living up to it's hype.

Plot:
A young couple tries to outwit, outlast, and survive a demonic spirit who has haunted their new house.

Pros:
"Paranormal Activity" builds up the tension better than most movies I've seen. The element of surprise and not knowing what's gonna happen at every given second. A decent horror movie has the ability to make someone jump even when nothing is going on. That's what happens in "Paranormal Activity".

The real/home video look is pulled off well in this film. Sure "Blair Witch" did it, so the comparisons are inevitable. But the difference is that this film just does it better. Pedestrian, possibly naive, film watchers actually thought the majority of the movie was real. So the goal was accomplished.

Also, i thought the two lead actors did a great job looking like a real couple, they had good chemistry.

Cons:
Most people had one or two reactions.
One, this movie was creepy, and the demon plot freaked me out. Scariest movie ever. That means they bought the tension and the build.

Two, like me, felt the story took too long to develop which in turn made the conclusion a letdown. Their were streaks of really good filmaking and storytelling, but it just took way to long to get the bottom of things. The home video look is good and all, but for me it got irritating watching all the shaky camera work and consecutive scenes of nothing but actor reactions lasted way too long. Even worse, at the end of the movie, you don't see the conclusion. You hear and speculate. A true let down. I think more scenes like the last 10-15 minutes would have took the movie up a few notches.

Maybe it was the hype that spoiled it, or maybe it's my disinterest in modern-day horror films, but this isn't a movie I recommend anybody breaking their necks to see.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Oren Peli

Directed by:
Oren Peli

Main Cast:
Kate Featherston
Micah Sloat
Mark Fredrichs

Similar Titles:
Blair Witch Project, Rec.

Next Review:
I Can Do Bad All By Myself- Trailer

Movie Review- Jennifer's Body

2010-01-04T11:45:00.001-05:00

So, as i watched this film I thought to myself : "Wow, this film seems like it was written by 2 7th graders and Ron Jeremy."

As it turns out, Diablo Cody, writer of one of my favorite films "Juno" wrote "Jennifer's Body". It all made sense. The film's plot and storyline actually seems as if it would make for a decent horror flick, but unfortunately the writing, and awful acting from future multi-Razzi award winner Megan Fox made this film one of the worst of 2009, if not the decade.

Plot:
After an attempted demonic sacrifice, popular high school cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) is now half-demon and has to kill boys in order to stay alive.

Pros:
Lets see, I think Amanda Seyfried potrayal as Jennifer's nerdy best friend Needy was actually the only performance that could qualify as acting in this film, but she wasn't helped by the atrocious writing.

It was also kinda cool to see Adam Brody in a more adult role as the womanizing lead singer of a up and coming rock band. But maybe I'm just being nice.

Cons:
As i stated already, the writing was pretty awful. So awful that it's making me avoid watching "Juno" again. It's pretty bad when a movie is so bad you think about not watching another film because of the people involved in this one. The bad writing had a trickle down effect. It made the already pedestrian acting worse, and just made the scene rattle off into mindless plot holes and inconsistencies. Even cameos by Amy Sedaris and J.K. Simmons, as somewhat comical off-the-wall characters, didn't help either.

Megan Fox is just a pretty face. I know there are thousands of dudes out there who only saw this movie because they find her attractive, but truth be told, i was completely turned off by the awful job she did despite the script. Her inability to show emotion in scenes that garner some effort tore the movie down more notches. Maybe if the filmmakers focused on making a decent film, instead of playing off of male attractions to Megan Fox, this film would be watchable.

Recommendation:
Never, ever see this movie.

Written by:
Diablo Cody

Directed by:
Karyn Kusama

Main Cast:
Megan Fox ("Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen", "Transformers")
Amanda Seyfried ("Mean Girls", "Mamma Mia")
Adam Brody (TV's "The O.C.", "In the Land of Women")
Johnny Simmons ("Evan Almighty", "Hotel for Dogs")
J.K. Simmons ("Juno", "Ladykillers")
Amy Sedaris ("Strangers with the Candy", "Dance Flick")
Kyle Gallner ("Red Eye", "Haunting in Connecticut")

Similar Titles:
Carrie, Jawbreaker

Next Review:
Paranormal Activity-Trailer

Movie Review- District 9

2010-01-03T17:07:00.001-05:00

With all the epics that came out at the end of 2009, "District 9" looked as if it would join the group. Eh, not so much. Much more of a story, a lot less fluff, makes this film definitely out of the ordinary.

Though many people saw this movie as a letdown, hoping for a "Star Trek"-esque experience, i enjoyed the story, it was intriguing and if you're a deep thinker as myself, you saw a certain ironic modern day social commentary, glazed underneath theatrics.

PLOT:
Fed up with 28 years of alien inhabitants, a South African government agency is brought in to evict the "prawns".

Pros:
I like what some people don't about this film. Though of course there is visual effects, CGI, and many other Sci-fi ingredients. But Blomkamp found away to make this more than that. More than fluff and visual stimulations. Instead, a good fictional film that shows realistic human emotions.

The storyline ironically can easy be matched to the our feelings towards immigration. Though i doubt this same scenario is possible here in 2010, it was in South Africa not too long ago. I thought it was creative to make a social, somewhat political statement hidden underneath a sci-fi flick. Beautiful.

And i must give a kudos to lead actor Sharlto Copley. "District 9" was his first feature, and I'm not sure if this film just fit him or he really is a good actor, but he pulled off a really believable performance.

Cons:
Nothing really. Aside from the fact that when the movie went from scenes of alot of activity to a scene based merely on character development, the pace was somewhat off-putting, if not borderline dull.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Neill Blomkamp
Terri Tatchell

Directed by:
Neill Blomkamp

Main Cast:
Sharlto Copley
Jason Cope ("Doomsday")
William Allen Young (TV's "Moesha", "Lockdown")
David James
Vanessa Haywood
Louis Minaar ("Invictus")

Similar Titles:
Independence Day, Alive in Joburg

Next Review:
Jennifer's Body- Trailer

Movie Review- (500) Days of Summer

2009-12-24T21:50:00.003-05:00

It's simply amazing. It's like someone just took all my past relationships and wrote a movie about it. And that movie was freakin' awesome!

"(500) Days of Summer" is a great look at the various stages of the A-typical relationship. The meeting, the first date, the honeymoon period, the nose dive into monotony, and then the eventual downfall. Though a movie, it captured the realism of relationships so well that it almost looked more like nonfiction. The mix of that realism and truly sincere comedic moments make this film one of the best of 2009.

PLOT:
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hopeless romantic who falls in love with unconventional free-spirit Summer (Zooey Deschanel) after she begins working at the same company as him.

Pros:
As i stated earlier, the sense of realism blended perfectly with a comedic twist on the a not-so-modern tale of the development of a relationship, gives this film a leg up. The pace of the film, the timing, and really solid acting performances from Levitt and Deschanel add to the appeal of the movie. The characters grow and develop naturally and with ease. Deschanel and Levitt have good chemistry and adding to how well their characters mesh. Nothing happens in this story that makes you think it's outrageous or unrealistic to the actual human experience, and that's a good thing. So many movies that delve into relationship change it to the point that it's unrealistic to the actual course of a story, in turn making the story less appealing. This film doesn't do that.

Cons:
The only qualm i have with this film is that it was hard to keep up with the days. Early on it shows what happens to them 200 -some odd days after initially meeting eachother, and then backtracks to the early days. Then they fast forward again and makes it, at times, difficult to figure out what stage in their relationship the couple is on.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Scott Neustadter
Michael H. Weber

Directed by:
Marc Webb

Main Cast"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Angels in the Outfield", "G.I. Joe")
Zooey Deschanel ("Yes Man", "The Happening")
Geoffrey Arend ("Super Troopers", "Garden State")
Chloe Moretz ("The Eye", "Bolt")
Matthew Gray Gubler ("Alvin and the Chipmunks", "RV")
Clark Gregg ("One Hour Photo", "Iron Man")

Similar Titles:
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, Along Came Polly

Next Review:
District 9- Trailer

Movie Review-Inglourious Basterds

2009-12-20T00:22:00.005-05:00

Quentin Tarantino never ceases to amaze me. From the time I was a young kid who found his movies engrossing, yet completely confusing until I became a teenager who found his films fun and somewhat confusing, until now that i find them artistically superb and sporadically confusing, i have always been a fan.

Tarantino is one of the few directors who works completely outside a rational frame of mind at times and takes massive risks that many directors and some studios shy away from. The difference between them and him is that he usually succeeds. Hell, most of the time he knocks it out of the park. He did so with "Inglourious Basterds".

Plot:
Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his group of Jewish-American soldiers known as the Basterds, plot to kill Nazis and assassinate Hitler in France during WWII.

Pros:
The film has everything that makes Tarantino great. The movie doesn't miss a beat in pace and storytelling. It tells the same story but from more than one angle, in the same vein as "Pulp Fiction". Though for advertising and marketing purposes, Pitt is portrayed in trailers and promos as the star, but the film is way more flexible than that. Though i did think that Pitt gave the best performance in the film and I laughed relentlessly to most of his lines, strong performances from the other cast took the film to a higher level. Also, the gore is a turn-off for some, but Tarantino has the ability to make it work to the point that it doesn't overshadow the central themes of the story. In addition, the story bends into different directions but it's not enough to drive everything off base and it has a fair share of surprises.

Cons:
Though it's not an issue for some, maybe most, but i did grow tired of the long scenes that were done almost entirely in German. Of course there were subtitles, but a 10-minute scene in German just didn't work for me, albeit they were still done with great style and performances. The scenes just take a little time to get used to.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Quentin Tarantino

Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino

MAIN CAST:
Brad Pitt ("Seven", "Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Christoph Waltz
Melanie Laurent
Eli Roth ("Grindhouse", "Southland Tales")
Diane Kruger ("Troy", "Wicker Park")
Til Schweiger ("SLC Punk!", "Far Cry")
Jacky Ido
B.J. Novak (TV's "The Office", "Knocked Up")
Omar Doom ("Grindhouse")
Mike Myers ("Wayne's World", "Shrek")
Samuel L. Jackson ("Pulp Fiction", "Jackie Brown")

Similar Titles:
Inglourious Basterds(1978), Pulp Fiction

Next Review:
(500) Days of Summer-Trailer

Movie Review-Carriers

2009-12-13T19:53:00.004-05:00

I had never heard of this film before. But I saw the trailer a million times and it sucked me in. I just saw "Star Trek" and became a fan of Chris Pine, which made me want to see "Carriers" even more.

But as it turned out, my excitement was unwarranted.

PLOT:
A group of survivors stop at nothing as they try to outrun a dangerous, contagious virus that has ravished the planet and killed millions of people.

Pros:
Plots about viral pandemics are always interesting, and disturbing considering our own supposed outbreaks over the last few years. One thing that is done well in this movie was the playing up of "will they or won't they catch it" storyline. They were put in many situations where the audience just doesn't know.

I like the surprises. Though i barely see this has a horror film, it is. Though it isn't remotely scary, it does have the one genuine horror film characteristic of surprise.

I liked the pace of the film,. At times it's frantic, other times tense, and realistically sad. None of the paces gets jumbled or cross uncomfortably. It's actually woven together nicely. I especially enjoyed the sick daughter storyline featuring Christopher Meloni.

Cons:
As good as the movie is for the first 88% of the it, it has maybe the biggest letdown in history for me. The build-up led to one the most anti-climactic endings I've ever seen. As i stated, it was a well crafted film, and it is just too bad to see a good film, a potentially a great film, gets severely trampled by a terrible ending.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO

Main Cast:
Lou Taylor Pucci ("Southland Tales", "Fanboys")
Chris Pine ("Smoking Aces", "Star Trek")
Piper Perabo ("Coyote Ugly", "Cheaper by the Dozen")
Emily VanCamp (TVs "Brothers and Sisters", "Ring Two")
Christopher Meloni ("Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle", "Nights in Rodanthe")
Kiernan Shipka (TVs "Mad Men", "Land of the Lost")

Similar Titles:
Outbreak, I Am Legend

Next Review:
Inglorious Basterds- Trailer

Movie Review-Public Enemies

2009-12-11T07:37:00.004-05:00

It's a known fact that Johnny Depp is the most versatile actor in Hollywood, and Christian Bale may be creeping up behind him, far behind, but creeping nonetheless. That's what made me so excited to see this movie initially. But what drives this film isn't just the acting performances, it's a great plot told with an equal balance of action and storytelling.

Plot:
The story of infamous 1930s gangster and bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the government's, led by Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), attempts to catch him.

PROS:
A natural pro automatically is Johnny Depp. Depp's Dillinger combines all the things we like about him. Dillinger is charming, smooth, and likable.

I think the writing itself is strong. The dialogue had to be realistic towards the 30s, but the writers did a good job of not making it corny and cliche'.

The end of John Dillinger's story is actually kinda anti-climactic. But Mann crafts the scene with the right amount of realism, while making it incredibly tense.

And lastly, A LEELEE SOBIESKI SIGHTING!!!! Blast from the past.

CONS:
As much as i like Michael Mann's directing, I didn't like the times when he turned to guerrilla filmaking. I like the rocky feel, always have, but it just ended up being a distraction in this one. Though it gave the shootout in Little Bohemia a realistic feel, it took away from scenes that were dialogue-driven. Steady to rocky doesn't always work.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Main Cast:
Johnny Depp ("Donnie Brasco", "Sweeney Todd")
Christian Bale ("Dark Knight", "Terminator Salvation")
Marion Cotillard ("Big Fish", "Nine")
Giovanni Ribisi ("Saving Private Ryan", "That thing You Do")
Billy Crudup ("Big Fish", "Watchmen")
Stephen Dorff ("Cold Creek Manor", "World Trade Center")
Stephen Graham ("Snatch", "Gangs of New York")
Stephen Lang ("Avatar", "The Men Who Stare at Goats")
LeeLee Sobieski ("Never Been Kissed", "Deep Impact")
Shawn Hatosy ("In and Out", "Alpha Dog")
Channing Tatum ("Fighting", "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra")

Similar Titles:
Heat, Bonnie and Clyde, American Gangster

Next Review:
Carriers- Trailer

Movie Review- Terminator Salvation

2009-12-07T16:47:00.006-05:00

So it's only been a few years since the last "Terminator" and the franchise has been very busy. From the cartoons, to the TV show, and now this new film are making sure "Terminator" doesn't disappear anytime soon.

Much like some of the other big budget action films that have popped up in the last few years, fans come in knowing alot more about the film. In terms of "Terminator Salvation" i did something I've never had to do in all my years of movie viewing. I had to stop the movie in order to read up on some of the history of the "Terminator" franchise. Now that's not a knock on the film by any means, it's my fault for not watching the original 2 "Terminators" in more than a decade. But that's the only break I'm going to give this movie.

PLOT:
John Connor (Christian Bale) must travel back in time to help save his teenage father Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) who is trying to save remaining humans from the Terminators.

PROS:
The film is a solid action film. It has a better story then "G.I. Joe" and better acting than Joe and "Transformers". The initial draw to the film is megastar Christian Bale. Bale, Sam Worthington, and Yelchin all give good acting performances, which drive the movie during its action-less scenes. The filmmakers did a good job of staying true to the franchise and not veering too far off the path, though we are of course way more technologically advanced than 25 years ago.

CONS:
Overall, the movie just good. Not great, not bad, but good. I think the steady influx of similar action/CG-laden films makes it harder for these films to stand out. With less action than some its other counterparts and a weaker storyline than "Star Trek", "Terminator Salvation" did nothing to set itself apart. Bale is a boost in credibility, but his acting was better than the script. And it wasn't nearly as fun to watch as some of the others. It's not a film I would rush out to go see.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

WRITTEN BY:
John Brancato
Michael Ferris

DIRECTED BY:
McG

Main Cast:
Christian Bale ("The Machinist", "The Dark Knight")
Sam Worthington ("Hart's War", "Avatar")
Anton Yelchin ("Alpha Dog", "Star Trek")
Helena Bohnam Carter ("Fight Club", "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince")
Common ("Smokin' Aces", "Wanted")
Moon Bloodgood ("Win a Date With Tad Hamilton", "Pathfinder")
Michael Ironside ("Starship Troopers", "Perfect Storm")
Bryce Dallas Howard ("Spiderman 3", "The Village")
Jadagrace

Similar Titles:
"Terminator" Franchise, Star Trek

Next Review:
Public Enemies- Trailer

Movie Review- Four Christmases

2009-11-30T22:00:00.004-05:00

It used to be so easy. You come up with a concept for a comedic film, you cast Vince Vaughn, he improvises for 2 hours and you make a $100 million. But after a while fans catch on. You can't play the same characters over and over for a decade and fans just accept it. You almost insult their intelligence. Just ask Will Ferrell.

"Four Christmases" looks good on paper. Funny Vince Vaughn and cute Reese Witherspoon together having to go to four different Christmases with their weird family. But something got lost between the paper and filming, and that's real unfortunate.

Plot:
Happy couple Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) spend every Christmas avoiding their families. But after a travel mishap the two are forced to visit their families all in one day.

PROS:
Vince Vaughn is funny, and as old as his shtick gets, he still manages to get real genuine laughs. His best scene was at Kate's mother's boyfriend's church where he is tricked into playing Joesph in the church's nativity play. In that one scene he showed exactly why he is so famous. You might not roll on the floor laughing, but its light-hearted and fun enough to provide solid laughs.

CONS:
The movie just seems half-assed. It seemed slapped together. The jokes were set-up properly, but the jokes didn't land. They had a real chance to pile it on some good laughs by making the family members eccentric and out of the ordinary. But all the families were one-note and had no depth to them. Though they followed some of the traditions of family/holiday comedy, they rushed all the storylines and dove head first into a lackluster climax. Vaughn and Witherspoon lacked chemistry and Witherspoon seemed lost during some of Vaughn improvisation tirades, which all seemed like an attempt to save a weak script.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO

Written By:
Matt Allen
Caleb Wilson

Directed by:
Seth Gordon

Main Cast:
Vince Vaughn ("Old School", "Fred Clause")
Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line", "Election")
Robert Duvall ("Apostle", "Tender Mercies")
Jon Favreau ("Rudy", "I Love You, Man")
Tim McGraw ("Flicka", "Friday Night Lights")
Mary Steenburgen ("Melvin and Howard", "Stepbrothers")
Kristin Chenoweth (TVs "Pushing Daisies", "RV")
Dwight Yoakam ("Sling Blade", "Crank")
Sissy Spacek ("Coal Miner's Daughter", "Hot Rod")
John Voight ("Coming Home", "Transformers")
Katy Mixon (TV's "Eastbound and Down", "State of Play")

Similar Titles:
Nothing Like the Holidays, The Family Stone

Next Review:
Terminator Salvation- Trailer

Movie Review- Funny People

2009-11-28T10:09:00.004-05:00

Judd Apatow is a man that over the last few years I've come to admire. He is a talented director, who knows how to utilize his actors best talents. He adds senses of realism and makes you feel like you are in their circle of friends. Like you know them. Alot of the conversation Apatow guys have in his movies are similar to the ones my friends and I have. I guess that's why this film resonates with me. But i refuse to be bias, though i probably liked this movie more because it is an Apatow movie.

PLOT:
Legendary comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) hires struggling comic Ira (Seth Rogen) to write jokes and assist him after he finds out he is dying.

PROS:
Out of all the Apatow movies of recent years, this film has the most heart of all of them. You do have the usual smut and raunchiness, but its done in a way where it fits the characters in lieu of being just dialogue used to shock. You get the feeling that the characters are true to life. Apatow wisely creates a world around the characters that you feel could actually be plausible. I thought the coolest thing was how Apatow uses actual home video or former commercial and movie clips from the last 2 decades to make George Simmons more of a real character. I especially like the opening clips from the early 90s where Sandler is making prank phone calls to local restaurants while Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow, and Jeaneane Garofalo laugh in the background. And you can't beat the hilarious cameos by Eminem, and Ray Romano. And i died laughing when James Taylor yelled "F*ck Facebook" at a myspace event. Priceless.

CONS:
The tone of the movie was never light, it had realistic sadness mixed with solid comedy, which truly displayed Sandler's strengths as an actor. But once the Leslie Mann storyline was further fleshed out, some of the magic of the original storyline and dialogue got lost in the shuffle. Seth Rogen's character seemed to go from the main supporting actor, to an ensemble member while Sandler and Mann dominated the story. Though Eric Bana added some much needed comedy, his character was so unlikable it was hard to enjoy him as much.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Judd Apatow

Directed by:
Judd Apatow

MAIN CAST:
Adam Sandler ("Big Daddy", "Reign Over Me")
Seth Rogen (40 Year Old Virgin", "Superbad")
Leslie Mann ("Knocked Up", "Shorts")
Eric Bana ("Munic", "Star Trek")
Jonah Hill ("Evan Almighty", "Superbad")
Jason Schwartzman ("Walk Hard", Rushmore")
RZA ("American Gangster", "Derailed")
Aubrey Plaza ("Mystery Team")
Aziz Ansari ("The Rocker", "Observe and Report")

Similar Titles:
Knocked Up, Man on the Moon

Next Review:
Four Christmases- Trailer

Movie Review- Bruno

2009-11-20T13:41:00.003-05:00

"Borat" was awesome. Never had i ever felt more uncomfortable and amused at the same time. The "sequel", like many sequels, it struggles to capture the magic of the original and it sometimes can be embarrassing to watch the film try to to top itself.

"Bruno" is not as charming, the character is not as likeable, and the shock value is not nearly as...well shocking. But it is worth a few disturbing laughs.

Plot:
Exiled Austrian fashion TV show host Bruno (Sacha Baron Cohen) decides to move to the U.S. in an attempt to become a big star.

Pros:
Much like his previous film, Cohen does a good job of putting his socially unacceptable character in very awkward situations. Cohen is smart, a genius even at that. His adoption of a black child from Africa and then taking him to an all-black talk show, awesome. His interaction with manly camping men, and his make out session with his love at a UFC fighting event were purely classic. But those were the tamer of his events, and they were the best parts of the movie.

And I loved the song at the end featuring some of the greatest musicians of our time. Watch it online if you want to see it.

Cons:
Some of the situations and scenes were just...off. His attempted seduction of former Presidential candidate Ron Paul, his penis swinging video, and him giving fellatio to ghost of Milli from Milli Vanilli is funny, for a second and then gets disturbing. I understand wanting to shock and outrage, but what about being funny. You can't forget that part.

The character Borat had something that made the movie special. Borat was naive, and had a certain energy and innocence that made people's reactions to him funnier, because people seemed to put up with him longer, making the gags funnier. One long gay joke dies eventually, a naive foreigner is worth a few more looks.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written By:
Sacha Baron Cohen
Anthony Hines

Directed by:
Larry Charles

MAIN CAST:
Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat", "Sweeney Todd")
Gustaf Hammerstien
Josh Meyers ("Date Movie", "College Road Trip")

Similar Titles:
Borat, TV's Da Ali G Show

Next Review:
Funny People- Trailer

Movie Review- My Sister's Keeper

2009-11-18T12:10:00.003-05:00

This is probably the saddest movie I've ever seen. From start to finish. Sure, there are some moments that made me chuckle and smile, but overall a really really sad movie. I mean i knew a story about a little girl battling cancer was bound to me sad, but I was thinking Lifetime sad, not i might bawl like a chick sad. And that's not exactly a bad thing.

PLOT:
11 year old Anna (Abigail Breslin) decides to sue her parents (Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric) for the rights her own body after years of forced medical procedures in order to save her dying sister Kate (Sofia Vassilieva).

PROS:
I loved the acting performances in this film. Diaz, Patric, Breslin, Vassilieva, and Evan Ellingson all had great chemistry with eachother. They felt like a real family. Add Alec Baldwin and a poorly aging Joan Cusack, you got a great nucleus. Breslin, in my opinion, is continuing to prove that she is the best young actress in Hollywood. Suck it Dakota Fanning!

The story was also a believable one. A family trying to save one child but needing another to do it. It looks like a really cruel thing to do, and runs a chance of making the parents unlikable. But that manage to avoid it with good acting. The story wraps around nicely and weave in a way that could come odd as cheesy but doesn't. And kudos for not showing over-emotional death scenes in an already emotional movie.

CONS:
The acting may not have been pedestrian, but the writing was. It had a habit of stating the obvious. As well crafted as the film is, the movie did run like a Valerie Bertinelli TV movie at times, only because of the writing. Even though the twist in the story near the end was good.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Jeremy Leven
Nick Cassavetes

Directed by:
Nick Cassavetes

MAIN CAST:
Cameron Diaz ("Any Given Sunday", "Charlie's Angel")
Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine", "No Reservations")
Jason Patric ("Lost Boys", "Narc")
Sofia Vassilieva ("Eloise at the Plaza", "Day Zero")
Evan Ellingson ("Letter's From Iwo Jima", TVs "CSI:Miami")
Alec Baldwin ("Pearl Harbor", "The Departed")
Joan Cusack ("In and Out", "School of Rock")
Heather Wahlquist ("The Notebook", "Alpha Dog")
Emily Deschanel (TVs "Bones", "Glory Road")
David Thornton ("The Notebook", "Alpha Dog")

Similar Titles:
I Am Sam, One True Thing

Next Review:
Bruno- Trailer

Movie Review- Stark Trek

2009-11-12T23:14:00.005-05:00

I'm not a trekkie, never have been, but i may turn into one if the sequels to this film are as awesome as this one. This is how an action/sci-fi movie is supposed to be made. It's supposed to have awesome special effects and great acting. All of this genre should take notice and duplicate. At least acting-wise.

A kudos are in order for Abrams and company. It's not easy to please the trekkie-nerd following, well impossible, plus satisfy people like myself who were never into past "Treks" but enjoy movies like "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers".

PLOT:
After the planet Vulcan is destroyed, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) must join forces to intercept evil Romulan Captain Nero (Eric Bana) who is on his way to destroy Earth.

PROS:
I've said it in my earlier posts and I'll say it again, there is a bad trend developing amongst these sci-fi/action flicks. All aesthetics and poor acting. What "Transformers 2" lacked in storyline and "G.I. Joe" lacked in acting is made up for in "Star Trek".

I was impressed by the acting, but enough about that. I think the storyline was well done, once understood. Alot of trekkies have complained about the presence of the Leonard Nimoy-Spock and the Zachary Quinto-spock in the same film and no William Shatner. Well Shatner would've thrown things array and with his success as T.J. Hooker, Denny Crane, and Priceline, he may have been a distraction.

I thought the flow of the movie was even, in a good way. There were no intense cheesy close-ups, and regardless of the unrealistic story the emotions are realistic and fit the moment.

I loved the humor. There were alot of funny moments and dialogue that had me rolling. Many of the characters are deadpan, robotic and speak using proper, intelligent speech. That works in their favor, especially with their conversations.

CONS:
The only real problem is that for a good while the plot was confusing. The terminology is kind of hard to follow at first, until Lenard Nimoy-spock breaks things down. But once that happens its all good from there.

Oh wait...and I may not be a big fan, but I thought James T. Kirk was a badass, he got his butt kicked this whole film, even by spock. He may be able to lead, point a gun, and later sell products on television, but he can't fight.

Recommendation:
Buy it.

Main Cast:
Chris Pine ("Smokin' Aces", "Just My Luck")
Zachary Quinto (TVs "Heroes")
Eric Bana ("Munic", "Troy")
Leonard Nimoy (TVs "Star Trek", "Land of the Lost")
Bruce Greenwood ("Capote", "National Treasure: Book of Secrets")
Clifton Collins Jr. ("Dirty", "Crank 2: High Voltage")
Karl Urban ("Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", "The Bourne Supremacy")
Zoe Saldana ("Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", "The Terminal")
Simon Pegg ("Hot Fuzz", "Run Fatboy Run")
John Cho ("American Pie", "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle")
Tyler Perry ("Madea Goes to Jail", "Why Did I Get Married")
Winona Ryder ("Edward Scissorhands", "Mr. Deeds")
Rachel Nichols ("Charlie Wilson's War", "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra")

Similar Titles:
G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek-series

Next Review:
My Sister's Keeper - Trailer

Movie Review-The Ugly Truth

2009-11-10T17:06:00.003-05:00

"The Ugly Truth" really is Ugly. Ugly is perfect for this film. It pulls no punches, it's not cute, sensitive, or patronizing. But it is a romantic comedy nonetheless. Katherine Heigl is becoming a romantic comedy veteran of late, but she does play a stuck-up,stuffy character, similar to her character in "Knocked Up". The biggest surprise comes from Gerard Butler who appears to be out of his element, but appearances can be deceiving, well it is deceiving.

PLOT:
Abby (Katherine Heigl) is a television producer whose morning show is going down the tubes. Much to her chagrin a misogynistic, crude, relationship expert and cable access show host, Mike (Gerard Butler), is hired to raise rating and in addition helps her cure her sagging social life by giving her the male perspective.

PROS:
Gerard Butler seems out of place, but truthfully he makes this movie a success. His crude, blunt, egotistical Mike adds alot of the humor and distinguishes this one from your a-typical romcom. Butler makes this a man's chick flick. Adding to Butler is just outright unique and funny moments not seen in other films. It's amazing when only a few scenes make it worth seeing, but I'm thinking that most people will laugh as hard as I did, at least i hope so.

Heigls spazz dance makes me laugh everytime I think about it. There is something about a beautiful woman making a fool out of herself by doing a silly dance.

I loved the ballpark scene. Hilarious. I wish i could descibe it, but I wouldn't give the scene justice.

The vibrating panties scene is not completely original, but it was golden.

And last, Butler's funny monologues about relationships rang true, at times and provide good, genuine laughs.

CONS:
Between the funny moments, there were some scenes that just dragged. No movie can be LOL funny 24/7 but i was highly disappointed in those in-between scenes. And I know I've said this a million times before, but the movie ended the way i thought it would, but that's romantic comedies for you.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Nicole Eastman
Karen McCullah Lutz

Directed by:
Robert Liketic

MAIN CAST:
Katherine Heigl ("Knocked Up", "27 Dresses")
Gerard Butler ("300", "Law Abiding Citizen")
John Michael Higgins ("Mighty Wind", "The Break-Up")
Cheryl Hines ("RV", "Along Came Polly")
Nick Searcy ("Head of State", "Cast Away")
Bree Turner ("American Pie 2", "Joe Dirt")
Eric Winter ("Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay")
Yvette Nicole Brown ("Hotel for Dogs", TVs "Community")

Similar Titles:
Knocked Up, Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past

Next Review:
Star Trek- Trailer

Movie Review: Accidental Husband

2009-11-08T16:19:00.006-05:00

The plot sounds intriguing. Uma Thurman might make you want to take a peak. If you like "Grey's Anatomy", though that does make me question your taste in the first place, Jeffrey Dean Morgan might make you interested. Add Colin Firth, it's sounds like a decent romantic comedy. Don't be fooled.

Though Romantic Comedies are not the most artistically advanced as some, it can be done well. Some have done it really well. But it takes talent to make a romantic comedy 1) unfunny and 2) look amazingly cheap thrown together.

PLOT:
After being dumped by his fiance due to the advice of psychiatrist/radio DJ Emma (Uma Thurman), firefighter Patrick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) seeks revenge by rigging computer records to say they are married.

PROS:
Nothing really. I mean it has some charm, and it does provide a few chuckles, but overall the film would be a horrendous waste of money.

CONS:
There are 3 big issues that made this film a failure. 1) It is predictable. From the first 5 minutes on, anybody who knows anything about movies, will guess the film scene for scene. 2) Everything happens way to fast. Not even 3 minutes into the film, Morgan's character is plotting his revenge. No character development, no set-up, and no real start. 3) The underutlilization of Colin Firth was a serious waste of his time. I'm not a huge Firth fan, but he is talented and can be funny when given proper material. This movie certainly wasn't it.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Mimi Hare
Claie Naylor

Directed by:
Griffin Dunne

MAIN CAST:
Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill Vol. 1", "Be Cool")
Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("P.S. I Love You", "Watchmen")
Colin Firth ("Mamma Mia", "Easy Virtue")
Justina Machado ("Full Frontal", "Torque")
Sam Shepard ("Stealth", "Charlotte's Web")
Lindsey Sloane ("Bring it On", "Over Her Dead Body")
Ajay Naidu ("Hotel for Dogs", "The Wrestler")
Isabella Rossellini ("White Nights", "Wyatt Earp")

Similar Titles:
The Proposal, Management

Next Review:
The Ugly Truth-Trailer

Movie Review- G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

2009-11-05T11:24:00.006-05:00

It has almost as much special effects as "Transformers", a less complicated story, and worse acting, but G.I. has captured everything that "Transformers 2" lost, but adding a whole new list of problems to an increasingly popular genre that will more than likely continue for years to come.

I think the best action-sci-fi movies are the ones that combine creative writing, solid dialogue, and good acting. G.I. Joe is not the worst acted film in the world by no means, but it could have been alot better. There are alot of similarities between the upcoming "G.I. Joe" franchise and the "Transformers" franchise, but Joe rids itself of the slow, sentimental moments, takes all the moments with depth and makes it just as action-packed as the rest of the film. That almost makes the bad acting bearable...almost.

PLOT:
Alter being attacked delivering warheads, Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) join an elite, secret government Army unit, the G.I. Joes, who's goal is to take down an organization attempting to steal the warhead.

PROS:
I love the special effects. Just when you think you've seen it all, you get surprised. I enjoyed the humor in this film as much as i did the original "Transformers". The storyline wasn't complicated and even if you are avid fan who knows the story, all of it is delivered in a way that enables an actual element of surprise. The best casting move, to me at least, was Dennis Quaid as Hawk. He was perfect as the leader of the Joes, and he found a way deliver what were corny cartoon sayings and catchphrases and make them work. The flow of the movie was good as well. The pace was frantic, but it needed to be. We don't need slow, deep scenes in a movie like this.

CONS:
I had a serious issue with the dialogue. At times it ran dry and lacked actual depth. I hate when great action movies neglect storylines and character development. The plot wasn't complicated and it didn't need to be, but making the characters real would have worked when there were scenes void of action, mainly the flashbacks.

Now I've always liked Channing Tatum, but honestly he's not that good of an actor and I think he's a little out of his league in this one. He's low-toned, and at times emotionless. This movie may not seem like one that requires a great actor at the reins, but it really did. I'm not looking for an Oscar winner, but a Golden Globe nominee would do. That's my main problem with this genre of movies, ignoring acting and writing and relying on special effects and computer generation.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Stuart Beattie
David Elliot
Paul Lovett

Directed by:
Stephen Sommers

Main Cast:
Channing Tatum ("Coach Carter", "Fighting")
Marlon Wayans ("White Chicks", "Scary Movie")
Sienna Miller ("Alfie", "Stardust")
Dennis Quaid ("The Rookie", "Vantage Point")
Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje ("Bourne Identity", "Get Rich or Die Tryin'")
Rachel Nichols ("Charlie Wilson's War", "Star Trek")
Byung-hin Lee ("Hero")
Ray Park ("Mortal Combat: Annihilation", "X-Men")
Christopher Eccleston ("28 Days Later")
Joeseph Gordon-Levitt ("Angels in the Outfield", "Stop-loss")
Saiid Taghmaoui ("Kite Runner", "Vantage Point")
Arnold Vosloo ("The Mummy", "Blood Diamond")
Jonathan Pryce ("Pirates of the Carribean", "Bedtime Stories")

Similar Titles:
Transformers, G.I. Joe: The Movie

Next Review:
Accidental Husband -Trailer

Movie Review- The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

2009-11-03T09:13:00.004-05:00

Tony Scott has done it again. There are bunches and bunches of action movies out there, and alot of them are a jumbled mess. But Tony Scott has always been a shade above the rest. Scott has casted Denzel Washington for the 4th time, which you can't go wrong with, and superstar John Travolta, which gives the movie credible actors to combine with a good script and plot.

NOTE: 3 actors in this film starred in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen".

PLOT:
A demoted railway dispacher Walter (Denzel Washington) plays negotiator with a criminal madman (John Travolta) after he hijacks a train in New York City.

PROS:
If two B-list actors played the lead roles, the dialogue may come out a little corny. But with Washington as an ordinary service worker, and Travolta as a genius madman, it works. I don't have to rave about these actors we all know they are great, but the two together alone make the movie great, especially since the majority of the movie their dialogue isn't in the same place, Washington from the rail HQ and Travolta on the train. They find a way to give the characters depth and make the film more than just an action movie. And speaking of action, the movie is not filled with explosions and running and shooting, it actually has a storyline. You know the movie is gonna build up to where the dispacher and madman are gonna eventually butt heads in person, but you have to make sure the build up is worth and it is. But the climax is done more smart than for effects or gun-play. It's not showy, it's just intellegent and the story line is as complicated as other smart action-thrillers.

CONS:
Despite the great plot, there are some flaws. A personal pet peeve is that i don't like the sappy love story in the middle of a solid action flick, but it's almost acceptable because it was husband and wife, in Washington and Ellis. Kudos however to not including a corny reunion between the two at the end of the day. Only three things in the plot that bug me to this very minute. One, a passenger has a labtop open and recording on the floor and two guys walk by the whole time, howd they not see it. Two, Travolta's henchmen don't seem to like him and they go their seperate ways at the end. I wish i knew their story. and last, a rat bites a sniper on the leg and he shoots into the train, kinda ridiculous.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Brian Hegleand

Directed by:
Tony Scott

MAIN CAST:
Denzel Washington ("American Gangster", "Inside Man")
John Travolta ("Pulp Fiction", "Hairspray")
John Tutorro ("Transformers", "What Just Happened?")
James Gandolfini ("Last Caslte", TVs "Sopranos")
Luis Guzman ("Waiting...", "Nothing Like the Holidays")
Michael Rispoli ("Mr. 3000", "Invincible")
John Benjamin Hickey ("Freedom Writers", "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen")
Ramon Rodriguez ("Pride and Glory", "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen")
Aunjanue Ellis ("Undercover Brother", "Ray")

Similar Titles:
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (1974), Money Train, Enemy of the State

Next Review:
G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra- trailer

Movie Review- I Love You, Beth Cooper

2009-11-02T17:22:00.007-05:00

I HATE YOU BETH COOPER!

Well, not really. I do like Hayden Penettiere, she's is freakin' hott! There i said it, she is smokin', and I felt this way since i first seen her on "Remember the Titans" 10 years ago. I didn't join the team when with everybody else when she was casted in "Heroes". And despite this awful movie, she has never looked better. Too bad this movie was awful and no matter how hott she is, I am, according to Jules Forde, a movie snob, though i prefer movie elitist. I will never watch a movie because the lead character(s) is hott. If i could go back in time knowing what I know now, I would've watch the movie on fast forward on mute just so all i take from it is Hayden Penettiere.

PLOT:
Lifelong nerd Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) has always been on the outside of the popular kids looking in. At his graduation during his valedictorian speech, Denis snapped and announced his love for popular cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Penettiere). To get revenge Beth and her friends decide to show Cooverman how it feels to be popular for one night.

Pros:
For less than 10 seconds you get a glimpse of Hayden Penettiere's side boob. Hmmm. Almost enough to make me recommend this movie, but not enough. Good contemporary pop music soundtrack too.

CONS:
This movie has all the elements I hate most in bad movies. Bad acting, worse writing, depth-less characters, and genre stereotypes. This movie has all of it and more. There are a few genuine laughs, but they are spread very far apart in this movie. The main characters are boring and their shticks run cold quickly. Penettiere's, who is playing a cheerleader again, Beth Cooper is not remotely likable, even after the film's half-hearted attempt to give her character some realism. Her friends, played by Lauren London and Lauren Storm, give off even worse acting performances and their characters leave nothing to be desired, especially Storm who plays an unrealistic slut whose lines get worse as the film proceeds. And i don't know who Paul Rust is, but i hope i see him in something else, because as of right now, I have no idea how he even became an actor and what caterer he slept with to get this role. And shame on Chris Columbus for directing this movie! What happened to you man? If i were Columbus i would go to my imdb page and delete this from my resume.

Recommendation:
Never, ever see this movie.

Written by:
Larry Doyle

Directed by:
Chris Columbus

MAIN CAST:
Hayden Penetierre ("Remember the Titans", "Racing Stripes")
Paul Rust ("Semi-Pro", "Inglorius Basterds")
Jack Carpenter ("Sydney White")
Lauren London ("ATL", "This Christmas")
Alan Ruck ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Speed")
Cynthia Stevenson ("Home for the Holidays", "Agent Cody Banks")
Lauren Storm ("The Game Plan")
Shawn Roberts ("Cheaper by the Dozen 2", "Jumper")
Samm Levine (TVs "Freaks and Geeks", "Inglorius Basterds")

Similar Titles:
Sydney White, Miss March

Next Review:
Taking of Pelham 1 2 3- Trailer

Movie Review- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

2009-10-29T12:43:00.003-04:00

The third installment of the Ice Age series brings alot of what we've seen with a few decent additions. As I have said before, sequels aren't easy to do but the third film does what the others have done before. The film doesn't have the magic the original or the second had, but that doesn't mean its not a good watch.

PLOT:
Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Denis Leary), and the crew must rescue Sid (John Leguizamo) from the dinosaur world after the mother of three dinosaur eggs he adopts abducts him.

PROS:
As usual the characters are extremely likable and the dialogue compliments the talented actors. The addition of Simon Pegg as Buck provides the movie with a welcomed boost of energy it need. And of course, you can't go wrong with Scratte.

CONS:
The problem with this film may not really be Ice Age's fault. Since the original was released in 2002, animated movies have changed in terms of look and content. The jokes are geared way more toward children than others developed in the last few years. In order to keep the Ice Age series trademarks and similarities, it would be reckless to change the movie completely.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Peter Ackerman
Michael Berg
Yoni Brenner
Mike Reiss

Directed by:
Carlos Saldanha
Mike Thurmeier

MAIN CAST:
Ray Romano ("Grilled", "The Grand")
John Leguizamo ("Miracle at St. Anna", "Gamer")
Denis Leary ("Who's the Man?", "Murder at 1600")
Queen Latifah ("Chicago", "Stranger then Fiction")
Josh Peck ("The Wackness", "Drillbit Taylor")
Seann William Scott ("American Pie", "The Rundown")
Simon Pegg ("Shawn of the Dead", "Star Trek")
Bill Hader ("Tropic Thunder", "Year One")
Kristen Wiig ("Adventureland", "Whip It")
Jane Lynch ("Role Models", TVs "Glee")

Similar Titles:
Ice Age, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, Madagascar

Next Review:
Whatever Works - Trailer

Movie Review-Whatever Works (Guest Blogger Jules Forde)

2009-10-27T23:08:00.008-04:00

Ehem...Hi, my name is Jules, and I'll be taking over for Andra in today's review of Woody Allen's comedy Whatever Works starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood. You may be asking yourself Tom, what is this guy doing writing for Andra's blog? I mean its Andra effing Hale, well the answer to that folks is two fold. First I have seen a substantial amount more Woody Allen movies than Andra and am more adept to his writing and directorial stylings adding more depth and context than Andra's feable microb brain can begin to comprehend. Second, there are 2 black people in the whole movie for a grand total of about 10 seconds which makes it damn near impossible for Andra to write his review without spiraling into a Mel Gibson-like anti-semetic tirade. So, now let's get to the review shall we?

PLOT:

Boris is a near Noble level physicist whose misanthropy after years of a loveless marriage and a self imposed sense of intellectual entitlement leads him to jump out of his New York City apartment only to bounce off a canopy thus ruining his plans of suicide. A few years and a divorce after the leap, we find Boris as callous as ever when he meets Melodie an 21 year old vagabond straight off the bus from Mississippi. She begs him to let her stay at his apartment which he eventually succumbs to her persuasion. Over the next couple months the two develop a friendship which very suddenly turns into a marriage. Things start to get really interesting when Melodie's parents from Mississippi try to track her down but end up happy victims of the cultural power of the big apple. The rest of the movie begins to explore the boundaries of religion, philosophy and of course relationships.

PROS:

I really enjoyed watching this movie. It posses that classic Woody Allen cynical style writing where its the main character against the world who eventually begins to understand the value of humanism. The writing is probably the best part of the film. The dialogue is smart, hilarious, and creates characters that are at times both detestable and loveable. The only draw back to the writing is the plot gets kind of predictable after a while, but you're so busy laughing you don't really care. Now when Woody Allen directs a movie in New York you pretty much know exactly what shots to expect. Notice his directing changes styles particularly when he goes abroad(ie Match Point or Vicky Christina Barcelona). Anyway if you've ever seen a Woody Allen movie you know you're probably gonna see what seem like improvised scenes between 2 or sometimes more characters, there will be at least one scene in a deli, about 70% of the movie will take place on NYC streets, and you're gonna hear a lot of good jazz. Now just because it's cliché Woody doesn't mean it's not good. Quite the contrary, in fact it harkens back to the appeal of some of his earlier comedies better than some of his more recent comedic tries. On top of the great script, Woody had a great cast to work with. The only real weak link acting wise was Larry David, who is still hilarious and does an adequate job, but the problem is you're trying to picture Larry David as a genius and it just never clicks. Even Rachel Wood is practically unrecognizable for her first 3 or 4 scenes as the naïve yet clever Melodie, the catalyst for everything going on the upswing for Boris. The rest of the cast is superb though slightly under-used.

CONS:

The film does have its flaws. It is pretty predictable after a certain point, though granted when you're first introduced to each character you really can't forsee where they end up. After a while you can start to see the patterns their lives begin to mold into. Also if you're looking for just a mindless blow things up with complete randomness movie than this certainly is not your cup of tea. In fact despite his ability to create characters that are easily identifiable it takes a certain breed to really appreciate your average Woody Allen movie. Not to insult my idiot brethren, but you do have to have an appreciation for the liberal intellectual perspective to really connect with a Woody Allen movie. So its not really for everybody.

Recommendation:

4/5 Thumbs up (don't ask why I have 5 hands) aka. Rent It

Written by:

Woody Allen

Directed by:

Woody Allen

MAIN CAST:

Larry David (TVs "Seinfeld", TVs "Curb Your Enthusiasm")

Evan Rachel Wood ("The Wrestler", "Across the Universe")

Ed Begley Jr. (TVs "St. Elsewhere", "Pineapple Express")

Michael McKeon ("Spinal Tap", "A Mighty Wind")

Patricia Clarkson ("Green Mile", "Lars and the Real Girl")

Henry Cavill ("Count of Monte Cristo", "Tristan + Isolde")

Olek Krupa ("Blue Streak", "The Italian Job")

Christopher Van Welch ("War of the Worlds", "The Good Shepard")

Conleth Hill

Next Review:

I Love You Beth Cooper-Trailer

Movie Review- Orphan

2009-10-26T17:55:00.003-04:00

THAT LITTLE GIRL IS THE CREEPIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!

She should seriously win an NAACP award for her performance. I don't know if she is in fact a "negro" but i say why not.

"Orphan" manages to hearken toward the older horror films i loved in the 80s. A basic story that appears normal, but slowly twists and turns into a more details story that no one sees coming. This is by no means the greatest horror movie I've ever seen, and of course I'll explain why, but it is solid and doesn't require much thinking.

PLOT:
After the tragic death of their newborn, the Colemans, wife Kate (Vera Farmiga) and husband John (Peter Sarsgaard) want to adopt to fill the void. They meet a talented and sweet 9 year old Russian girl Ester (Isabelle Fuhrman) and decide to adopt her. As she mixes in with her family, which includes their deaf, 5-year old daughter Max (Aryana Engineer) and bitter 10 year-old Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), the Colemans slowly learn that their sweet new daughter is not anywhere near what she seems.

PROS:
The creepy factor in this film is at a staggering 9/10.5 of the creepy scale. Watching this movie you quickly realize why adoption agencies opposed this movie. Fuhrman's performance as Ester reminds me of Linda Blair in the "Exorcist". It makes me wonder how such adult-like performance from a teenager. In addition, Bennett and Engineer, also added in good perfomances, almost overshadowing a decent job by Farmiga, who i thought was Rosana Arquette until late into the movie, and Sarsgaard, who i knew was Peter Sarsgaard. I just hope that the kids in the film won't endure psychological damage from this, because the violence and themes were incredibly oriented, not something for kids at all, but there was no way you could make this movie any other way.

CONS:
The build-up took a while to comes to life. The audience knew very early that the girl was disturbed. I found myself wanted the family, particularly the parents, to figure things out a little bit more. When the nun that runs the orphanage, CCH Pounder, reveals to the family a little while after adopting Ester that there is something weird about her, it was lazily dropped in, in a very anticlimactic manner. Almost as if they knew they needed to speed it up a little bit. Though the climatic reveal at the end was surprising and a good twist, the final scenes were crafted lazily as well, and the characters did not display the emotions that the scenes actions warranted.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
David Johnson
Alex Mace

Directed by:
Jaume Collet-Serra

Main Cast:
Vera Farminga ("The Manchurian Candidate", "The Departed")
Peter Sarsgaard ("Garden State", "Jarhead")
Isabelle Fuhrman ("Hounddog", "Children of the Corn")
Jimmy Bennett ("Evan Almighty", "Shorts")
Aryana Engineer
CCH Pounder (TVs "The Shield", "Batman/Superman: Public Enemies")

Similar Titles:
The Omen (1976), The Omen (2006), The Good Son

Next Review:
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs- Trailer

Movie Review-Nothing Like the Holidays

2009-10-25T18:52:00.002-04:00

I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas movies, especially when it's not Christmastime. But I am a fan of ensembles with a diverse group of talented actors. That is what "Nothing Like the Holidays" is.

This isn't nearly the first family Holiday film, but this film features a majority Latino cast, that alone makes "Nothing Like the Holidays" unique. But the filmakers do a good job of making sure that they don't spend the entire movie focusing on heritage, in turn, focusing on the talents of the actors and their characters.

PLOT:
The Rodriquez's (Alfred Molina and Elizabeth Pena), a Puerto Rican family living in Chicago, are reuniting their family for the Christmas holiday. They are joined by their 3 children, oldest Mo (John Leguizamo) and his wife Sarah (Debra Messing), Jesse (Freddy Rodriquez) who is returning from a tour in Iraq, Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito) who is an actress living in LA, and a few extended family. All is well, for the most part, until the parents reveal they are divorcing. The family must now try to figure out how to juggle their individual problems with the possibly of never spending a Christmas as a family again.

PROS:
John Leguizamo, though he is apart of an ensemble, stands out as the lawyer leading a slightly different life than raised. I believe it now and will for life, that Leguizamo is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood.

I think the movie did a good job of paying tribute to the obvious fact that the cast is Latino and making it a focal point, but not overdoing it. I call it "Carlos Menncia-ing up". An addition kudos to the makers for also not overdoing the obvious" fish-out-of-water" subplot featuring Debra Messing's character being the white family member.

The characters are genuine and the family feels real, eerily real. Even more real than the characters, is their storylines. It was a really well-put together plot.

CONS:
The only drawback about this film is the rapid change in tone. The film goes from a funny family comedy, though it seems, to multiple stories of tragedy and sadness, with all the characters revealing secrets they are holding in. Though it made the characters more real, the sadness was piled on so much, it lost some of the initial spark that began at the start of the movie.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Alison Swan
Rick Najera

Directed by:
Alfredo De Villa

MAIN CAST:
John Leguizamo ("Romeo and Juliet", "Across the Universe")
Debra Messing ("The Wedding Date", TVs "The Starter Wife")
Luis Guzman ("Boogie Nights", "Waiting...")
Alfred Molina ("Frida", "Spider-man 2")
Elizabeth Pena ("Rush Hour", "Transamerica")
Freddy Rodriguez ("Dead Presidents", "Grindhouse")
Vanessa Ferlito ("Grindhouse", "Madea Goes to Jail")
Jay Hernandez ("Crazy/Beautiful", "Friday Night Lights")
Melanie Diaz ("Lords of Dogtown", "Be Kind Rewind")
Ramses Jimenez ("Let's Go To Prison", "Dark Knight")

Similar Titles:
Home for the Holidays, This Christmas

Next Review:
Orphan- Trailer

Movie Review- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-10-22T10:55:00.005-04:00

If it ain't broke don't freaking fix it!

2 years ago the original "Transformers" hit theaters and blew everyone away. "Transformers" wasn't the greatest movie of all time but it was funny, original, smart, action-packed, and had a great ensemble. Needless to say, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was the most anticipated movie in years.

Now I know sequels aren't always easy to do. If you make the exact same movie, everyone hates it. If you change it, you may wreck what people loved in the first place. In this case, as with most big movies like this, it appears as if it would be really simple to make this movie as good as the first. It's so simple you can hear all the people who didn't like this movie yelling "WHY?!!" when things completely off base from the original happens.

PLOT:
2 years after saving the world, Sam (Shia Lebeouf) is still being protected by Optimus Prime and is still driving Bumblebee. More Autobots have joined forces with a special unit in the army and are continuing to protect clueless humans against the vengeful Decepticons. The day he leaves for college, Sam discovers he is in possession of a piece of the ALLSPARK. The Decepticons get wind of it and decide to capture Sam so they can obtain the Matrix of Leadership. The battle begins again.

PROS:
The movie still possessed alot of the elements the original film had. The funny moments, the action. Overall the movie was very entertaining and solid, for the most part. There are more Cons, but its hard to have alot of Pros when you are expecting one thing, and you get the opposite.

CONS:
As with any big budget, highly anticipated movie its natural for everyone to be extra critical of this film. I think in a sick/sad way we all take movies we love personal. I'm sure filmakers expect it the extra nerdy criticisms, as they should.

My first con is just that the film was way too long. The storyline really wasn't as complicated as they made it. A build up to a big battle has to happen in a movie like this, but the problem is that the build up took so long that i found myself almost not caring as much when it actually happened. Granted, the sequel should have been longer than the original, but not this long. I never wanted a movie to finally end so bad in my life.

One thing i liked about the original was the eclectic ensemble, that added to alot of the witty conversations. They did bring back Josh Duhamel and Tyrese, but they were basically minimized to just using corny one-liners and military Jargon. Also, there were times when i actually forgot Bumblebee was in the movie. The focus seemed to be on making the plot as complicated as can be or on LeBeouf and Fox trying to make the other say i love you. grr.

Which brings me to my next point, why the hell was it so damn dramatic. How many deep, slow and intense zooms right into the characters faces do you really need. And in the words of Jules Forde "If you drank, you could take a shot every time Megan Fox runs in slow motion." 'Nuff said.

Next, we all know the song "21 Guns" by Green Day is an awesome song, but damn, how many times did we need to hear it!

And for my last point, you have to listen to this man. Follow the link and he will tell you everything im feeling on the subject.
The N***er-Bots.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Ehren Kruger
Roberto Orco
Alex Kurtzman

Directed by:
Michael Bay

MAIN CAST:
Shia LeBeouf ("Eagle Eye", "Surf's Up")
Megan Fox ("Tranformers", "Jennifer's Body")
John Turtorro ("Mr.Deeds", "Anger Management")
Tyrese Gibson ("2 Fast 2 Furious", "Four Brothers")
Josh Duhamel (TVs "Las Vegas", "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton")
Ramon Rodriguez ("Pride and Glory", "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3")
Rainn Wilson ("Juno", "The Rocker")
Julie White ("The Nanny Diaries", "Michael Clayton")
Kevin Dunn ("Small Soldiers", "Gridiron Gang")

Similar Titles:
Transformers

Next Review:
Nothing Like the Holidays- trailer

Movie Review- Drag Me To Hell

2009-10-20T11:23:00.008-04:00

ALISON LOHMAN WILL PUT ANYTHING IN HER MOUTH FOR THE RIGHT PRICE!!!
Okay, now that I got your attention, as all of you know I am not a huge horror fan by any means. Not to any fault of my own, the horror movies released over the last decade have mostly been utter disappointments and have veered from the very things that made horror movies so popular over the past 60-70 years. Sam Raimi and his sick mind, was able get back what alot of recent filmakers have forgotten.

PLOT:
Loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is cursed by a gypsy who sends an evil spirit that tortures its victims for three days before it eventually take her to hell for all eternity. With the help of her loving boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) and fortune teller Rham (Dileep Rao), Christine must find a way to fend off the spirits before it is too late.

PROS:
This movie is smart. The Raimis do a great job of developing a good plot and keeping it lively and intruiging.It has all the elements in it that makes a great horror movie great. "Drag Me to Hell" ranks to me amongst the top 5 best horror films of the last decade. Good acting and the creepy, disgusting element make this movie worth every single second. Its not the greatest film of all time, it is certainly better than the majority of crap squirted out by movie studios of late.

CONS:
I just thought that Christine could have done a better job of giving Ganush a reason to be that angry with her. It didn't seem as if it warranted such a reaction. Sure, losing the house is, but falling to the ground didn't seem like it.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Sam Raimi
Ivan Raimi

Directed by:
Sam Raimi

Main Cast:
Alison Lohman ("Flicka", "Beowulf")
Justin Long ("Accepted", "Waiting...")
Dileep Rao
David Paymer ("Mr. Saturday Night", "Ocean's 13")
Lorna Raver
Reggie Lee ("The Pirates of the Caribbean "trilogy, "Tropic Thunder")

Similar Titles:
30 Days of Night, The Messengers, The Grudge

Next Review:
Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen- Trailer

Movie Review- Land of the Lost

2009-10-14T21:50:00.005-04:00

Mr. Ferrell is VERY talented. But he is hit and miss, especially of late. "Land of the Lost" is definitely a miss. Gone are the laughs we love from "Ricky Bobby" and Ron Burgundy. Here is another movie where Will Ferrell doesn't play a memorable character, in fact, this may be his most forgettable character so far, almost as forgettable as the movie itself.

PLOT:
Black balled Paleontologist Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is the lone expert in time warping, but has given up after an embarrassing encounter with Matt Lauer.Soon he is approached my aspiring Paleontologist Holly (Ana Friel) who encourages him to continue making his T-amplifier which is a time warp machine. Joined by firecracker shop owner Will (Danny McBride) the group is thrown into a another dimension, where they lose the amplifier. Now in order to get back, and save the universe from an evil creature, they must fend off an offended T-Rex and search the unfamiliar territory.

PROS:
Danny McBride and Jorma Taccone are actually a funny combination, even with Taccone not having actual lines. McBride's one liner may not be classics, but they do help drive the the few laughs.

CONS:
It just wasn't funny. The script, if there was one, wasn't good. Maybe the makers thought Will Ferrell and special effects were all you needed and the script wasn't as important, if so, they were mistaken. Ferrell didn't play a character. Maybe if he had made an actual character with certain distinct characteristics, a weak script might have been the least of this films problems. All those elements even made the special effects look awful and cartoonish. I won't say never see this movie, it does provide some entertaining moments, but overall this was just an awful movie.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Chris Henchy
Dennis McNicholas

Directed by:
Brad Silberling

MAIN CAST:
Will Ferrell ("Anchorman", "Stepbrothers")
Danny McBride ("Pineapple Express", "Tropic Thunder")
Anna Friel ("Midsummer Night's Dream", "Goal!)
Jorma Taccone ("Hot Rod", "Role Models")
Lenard Nimoy ("The Pagemaster", "Star Trek")
John Boyland ("Harold and Kumar go to White Castle", "Fever Pitch")
Ben Best ("Foot Fist Way", "Superbad")
Bobbe J. Thompson ("Role Models", "Imagine That")

Similar Titles:
Inkheat, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Land of the Lost (TV Series)

Next Review:
Drag Me to Hel l- Trailer

Movie Review-The Proposal

2009-10-12T12:28:00.005-04:00

We've seen it before. A romantic comedy about two complete opposites who somehow end up with each other reluctantly and then somehow find common ground and grow on each other. But there is a reason why these types of movies keep being made. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. In this case, comedic veterans Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock make an unoriginal plot work with the charm and sweetness that has helped make them famous.

PLOT:
Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is a tough, hard-working, and at times mean, book publisher who frightens her employees and intimidates her clients. Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is her verbally abused assistant who is desperate to please her and eventually work his way up to book publisher. Margaret soon finds out she has to be deported for a year, which means she also loses her job. In a panic, she proclaims that she's engaged to a just entering Andrew that they are engaged and getting married. To get something out of the deal, Andrew convinces Margaret to travel to his grandmother's 90th birthday where the two must pretend they are in love.

PROS:
The movie has an abundance of cuteness, sweetness, and genuinely funny moments. Reynolds and Bullock have good chemistry and are funny together doing what they are really good at separetly. There are many memorable scenes, like the accidental naked encounter, Bullock singing the "Get Low" by Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys at Gammy's prayer to the Gods, and an eagle's attempt to fly away with the family dog. Those realistically funny moments is what make movies like this good.

CONS:
The bad part about this movie and others like it is that it is so predictable. You know where the story is going. You know they are gonna fall for each other and all will end well. It's annoying and unoriginal at times, it doesn't seem like good effort. But like many other times, I say again, everyone involved knows this coming into it.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written By:
Peter Chiarelli

Directed By:
Anne Fletcher

MAIN CAST:
Sandra Bullock ("Speed", "Miss Congeniality")
Ryan Reynolds ("Just Friends", "Adventureland")
Craig T. Nelson ("Poltergeist", "The Family Stone")
Mary Steenburgen ("Stepbrothers", "Four Christmases")
Betty White ("Holy Man", "Bringing Down the House")
Denis O'Hare ("Milk", "Duplicity")
Malin Akerman ("The Heartbreak Kid", "Watchmen")

Similar Titles:
While You Were Sleeping, What Happens in Vegas, Two Weeks Notice

Next Review:
Land of the Lost-Trailer

Movie Review- Imagine That

2009-10-10T12:33:00.008-04:00

I have to rant for a second.

Anyone that really knows me, knows i love Eddie Murphy. I got like 20 of his movies and he is actually an inspiration to me, when i perform. But over the last decade I have had to defend him, frustratingly. He is heavily criticized for his movie roles of late. Though i get the point, no one wants to see one of the biggest comedic stars in the world divert from what made him famous. But i think he had to. Eddie Murphy just turned 48 years old. He could not continue to do the same roles that made him famous when he was 20. What Murphy has done is a double- edged sword. On one hand he is changing what he's always done. On the other hand, he's cornering a market no one else his caliber is. There isn't another big time, African-American comedic actor doing family friendly comedy. Most of those movies can easily make 100 million dollars and he earns 15-20 million dollars without much effort. I can't fault him for making movies his younger kids can go see and basically turning into a modern day Bill Cosby in turn.

Ok, i can say more but i'm not. I am also gonna remain unbiased. I'd never urge you to buy or go rent a movie because of my feelings towards an actor. Ok, let's do this.

NOTE: Eddie Murphy and Ronny Cox reunite again after 22 years. Cox played Bogomil in 1987's hit "Beverly Hills Cop 2". Also Vanessa Williams and Nicole Ari Parker appear as friends. The two played sisters on Showtime's adaptation of "Soul Food".

Murphy is Evan Danielson. Evan is a hard working finance executive who is trying to move up the ladder at a company he has worked at for 7 years. At the same time, he and his wife Tricia (Nicole Ari Parker) are getting divorced and he is estranged from his daughter Olivia (Yari Shahidi). Evan soon learns that his boss Tom (Ronny Cox) is leaving and will be appointed someone to take his spot. Evan must compete against new co-worker Johnny Whitefeather (Thomas Hayden Church)a native american who uses tribalistic rituals and nature to inspire clients. Olivia's school is concerned that she is attached to her purple blanket she calls goo-ga that sends her into an imaginary world but in turn has isolated her socially. After he learns that Olivia's imaginary friends can predict mergers,ect. Evan drifts into his daughters imaginary world, finding success with his business and his relationship with his daughter.

PROS:
The movie is simple. It's for kids and family. You don't think too hard, you don't expect too much. The movie is so sweet i got diabetes. As for a kid film, this works. It doesn't have many adult themed jokes, but is entertaining enough to stomach. Murphy's performance is really Cosby-esque. Silly faces and animated voices add to the appeal for kids. He also works well with kids. Also, i gotta admit i was surprised with a very impressive cast. Along with Murphy, acting veterans Thomas Hayden Church, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen, DeRay Davis, ect. all give the movie a boost of credibility.

CONS:
The movie lacks the amount of laughs as previous Murphy family films. Some scenes looked phoned in but the writing didn't completely complement his skills. The plot took a little bit longer than desired to develop, but some can say the end justified the means. Also, a few plot holes makes some of the secondary stories incomplete.

Recommendation:
Got Kids: Rent it.
Don't: Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Ed Solomon
Chris Matheson

Directed by
Karey Kirkpatrick

MAIN CAST:
Eddie Murphy ("Daddy Day Care", "Dr. Dolittle")
Thomas Hayden Church ("Sideways", "Smart People")
Yari Shahidi
Martin Sheen (TVs "West Wing", "The Departed")
Nicole Ari Parker ("Remember the Titans", "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins")
Ronny Cox ("Our Town", "Beverly Hills Cop")
DeRay Davis ("Barbershop", "Scary Movie 4")
Vanessa Williams ("New Jack City","Like Mike")
Stephen Rannazzisi ("For Your Consideration", "Paul Blart: Mall Cop")
Stephen Root ("Office Space", "Just Friends")
Richard Schiff ("I am Sam", "Ray")
Bobb'e J. Thompson ("Role Models", "Fred Clause")

Similar titles:
Bedtime Stories, Daddy Day Care

Next Review:
The Proposal- Trailer

Movie Review- Year One

2009-10-07T22:58:00.007-04:00

Its happening more and more. A comedy featuring a main and supporting cast who worked together many times before. I'm not against it, it can be a good thing. But the only problem with it is that its hard to not compare a movie like that to other movies you've seen featured the same group. And sometimes it helps, but sometimes the movie can't live up to others.

PLOT:
"Year One" follows two cavemen, one a terrible hunter Zed (Jack Black) and a sensitive gatherer Oh (Michael Cera). Angry after a bad hunt, tribe joke and friend Oh stomp off away from the tribe and runs into the forbidden fruit at the Tree of Knowledge. Zed now thinks he is the chosen one. After the tribe discovers that he ate the fruit, they banish him. While away, the men find out that their tribe has been captured and enslaved. The two decide to be heroes and save their tribe from the sinful sodomites.

PROS:
The film manages to get some genuine laughs. The use of modern day lingo in ancient times is enough to get a few laughs in the beginning but wears thin soon. David Cross, Paul Rudd and a cameo from Bill Hader provide the most genuine laughs.

CONS:
"Year One" is random, but not funny "Hot Rod" random. Randomness is usually funny, but in this case the plot disappears, but comes back, only to disappear again. While the use of biblical satire can be done well, this movie's crude jokes and disgusting acts kill the potential. Jack Black is simply redoing his character from "Orange County", and Michael Cera is being, well Michael Cera. Sometimes it's funny, but he lacks chemistry with Black.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Harold Ramis
Gene Stupnitsky
Lee Eisenberg

Directed by:
Harold Ramis

MAIN CAST:
Jack Black ("Tropic Thunder", "Kung Fu Panda")
Michael Cera ("Superbad", "Juno")
David Cross ("Run, Ronnie Run", "Alvin and the Chipmunks")
Oliver Platt ("Frost/Nixon", "Dr. Dolittle")
Juno Temple ("The Other Boleyn Girl", "Atonement")
June Diane Raphael ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Bride Wars")
Horatio Sanz ("Road Trip", "The New Guy")
Bill Hader ("Tropic Thunder", "Superbad")
Hank Azaria ("America's Sweethearts","The Simpson's Movie")
Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("Superbad", "Role Models")
Harold Ramis ("Ghostsbusters", "Stripes")
Paul Rudd ("Clueless", "I Love You, Man")
Vinnie Jones ("Gone in Sixty Seconds", "Swordfish")
Olivia Wilde ("Alpha Dog", TV's "House")

Similar Titles:
Ponty Python and the Holy Grail, History of the World:Part 1

Next Review:
Imagine That- Trailer

My Recommendations Breakdown

2009-09-30T13:20:00.003-04:00

Since Dashawn "Greatness" Byron thinks i dont give out ANY recommendations, here is the breakdown of what I've reviewed so far. Here goes:

BUY IT
The highest honor a movie can get. The movie may not the best movie, but one i feel is good enough to watch more than once.

Adventureland - A real identifiable movie that I feel many will relate to and enjoy.
Away We Go - The most entertaining, sweet, funny, real movie I've seen in years.

RENT IT
Reserved for movies that deserve one or two good viewings. Doesn't mean the movie isn't good, just means you might not wanna see it beyond a few times.
Sunshine Cleaning- Strong performances and an engaging story makes this a must-watch.
State of Play- A thriller with many twists and turns.
Dance Flick - It's hit and miss, but worth a good night of think-less laughs.
Monsters vs. Aliens - A kid movie with enough adult jokes you won't be bored.

WAIT TIL IT COMES ON HBO
Don't waste 5 bucks renting, or 20 bucks buying this movie. These movies are good enough to watch on a boring night when nothing else is on.
Fighting - Good in theory, but a weak plot and weak acting make this movie not worth you spending dead presidents.
Last House on the Left - Not bad, but gruesomeness and bad dialogue makes this a wait and see movie.
Crank: High Voltage - High on action, but lowbrow. No rush to see this film.
Next Day Air - A waste of a talented cast and a potentially good storyline.
Observe and Report - Had it's good moments, but nothing great. Watch it later.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - Good movie, but i could never advise anyone to spend money for a movie they've seen before.

NEVER, EVER SEE THIS MOVIE
The worst of the worst. Not only should you not waste time spending money on this, don't waste your time either.

Bring it On: Fight to the Finish - Terrible, terrible, terrible.

Movie Review- Away We Go

2009-09-30T11:12:00.003-04:00

Perfect casting, great writing, director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") and an even better storyline has made "Away We Go" the best movie i have reviewed. How's that for an introduction?!

"Away We Go" follows the life of irreverent, underachievers Burt (John Krasinski), a college dropout who sells insurance to insurance companies and Verona (Maya Rudolph), an artist who paints intestines. The couple that has been together since college, discover that they are expecting. Happy, but nervous, they go to Burt's eccentric, hippie parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara) for a visit. The parents drop a bomb when they announce that Burt's father got a job in Belguim for two years and is leaving within the month. They offer them the house for 2 years as long as their real estate agent doesn't find a renter before then. Moments later he does. Later that night Verona comes up with an idea to find a new place to raise their child. With no drawbacks they hit the road meeting up with old friends and family, all the while discovering things about their lives and relationships.

Pros:
As I mentioned, perfect casting. Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski are perfect as an odd couple with no direction. They have really good chemistry and created believable, relateable characters. More so, the supporting cast of out-of-whack characters add to the blend of the film and added great laughs. All of the supporting cast, who aren't on screen longer than 10 minutes apiece, have a lot of depth to them, a consequence of impeccable writing. The dialogue is smart, even when it's lowbrow. But the lowbrow is acceptable mainly because it matches the character who is speaking at the time. The movie never misses a beat, from start to finish.

Cons:
The ending was predictable. Initially, I assumed the end would be a slow-motion, labor scene with all the characters smiling and laughing, and cooing at the new baby. Kudos for not doing that. But as soon as Verona's sister mentioned the house I knew exactly what the end was going to be. I wish they could have made that a little less obvious.

Recommendation:
Buy it.

Written By:
Dave Eggers
Vendela Vida

Directed By:
Sam Mendes

MAIN CAST:
John Krasinski ("License to Wed","Leatherheads")
Maya Rudolph ("Prairie Home Companion", "Idiocracy")
Jeff Daniels ("Dumb and Dumber", "State of Play")
Catherine O'Hara ("Home Alone", "A Mighty Wind")
Allyson Janey ("Drop Dead Gorgeous", TVs "The West Wing")
Jim Gaffigan ("13 Going on 30", "17 Again")
Carmen Ejogo ("The Brave One", "Pride and Glory")
Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Stranger then Fiction", "The Dark Knight")
Josh Hamilton ("Ice Age", "Bourne Identity")
Chris Messina ("Made of Honor", "Julie and Julia")
Melanie Lynskey ("Sweet Home Alabama", "The Informant")
Paul Schneider ("The Assassination of Jesse James...", "Lars and the Real Girl")

Similar Titles:
Garden State, Juno, American Beauty

Movie Review-Monsters vs. Aliens

2009-09-29T08:35:00.005-04:00

A steady trend over the last few years, in terms of animation features, is the same. A large, talented voice cast, smart writing that appeals to both children and adults, and awesome animation. I don't say any of the previous things as a negative, its actually a welcomed trend because it works, for both the audience and the company..."Monsters vs. Aliens" did make almost $400 million dollars.

PLOT:
Susan (Reese Witherspoon) is your average lady. She is smart sweet and run-of-the-mill. She is set to marry egotistical, local weatherman Derek (Paul Rudd). On the day of her marriage, Susan is hit by a meteroite that makes her hundreds of feet tall. A wedding guest calls the government and Susan is quickly captured by government agents and taken to an unknown location. She is met by a group of monsters all locked in the same room. Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie) is a former scientist who turned himself into a cockroach by mistake. B.O.B. (Seth Rogen) is a gelatin-like substance who has no brain. The Missing Link (Will Arnett) is a fish-ape with attitude. And Insecto, the only one who can't talk, is a giant insect...yep. After aliens invade the earth, the monsters are called into action to save the world, while Susan tries to maintain the life she had before becoming a monster.

Pros:
The cast is exceptional, especially Seth Rogen. His B.O.B. character, who has no brain but can magically come up with great ideas, had the best lines. The writing, not far away from other animated features, is sharp and full of references from other popular films. The writers do a great job of making the movie funny enough for kids, and smart enough for adults not to wanna kill themselves during. It may not go down as a classic animation film, but as far humor it should.

Cons:
The only drawback I think would be for the "tweens" crowd. About 80% of the dialogue makes reference towards adult-themed things, and the jokes for the younger crowd may be too young for them. But that is far-reaching.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Maya Forbes
Wallace Wolodarsky

Directed by:
Rob Letterman
Conrad Vernon

MAIN CAST:
Reese Weatherspoon ("Legally Blonde", "Sweet Home Alabamaa")
Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up", "Horton Hears a Who")
Hugh Laurie ("101 Dalmations", "Stuart Little")
Will Arnett ("Blades of Glory", "Brothers Solomon")
Kiefer Sutherland ("Young Guns", "Phone Booth")
Rainn Wilson ("The Last Mimzy", "The Rocker")
Paul Rudd ("Clueless", "The 40 year old Virgin")
Stephen Colbert ("Bewitched", "The Love Guru")
Julie White ("Transformers", "Nanny Diaries")
Jeffrey Tambor ("There's Something About Mary", "The Grinch")
Amy Poehler ("Baby Mama", "Shrek the Third")
Ed Helms ("Evan Almighty", "Meet Dave")
Renee Zellweger ("Jerry Maguire", "Bee Movie")
John Krasinski ("Shrek the Third", "License to Wed")

Similar Titles:
Shrek the Third, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles

Next review:
Away We Go-Trailer

Movie Review- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

2009-09-28T14:12:00.004-04:00

I came into this film thinking automatically that this is yet another cheesy, romantic movie starring Matthew McConaughey. Now it is a romantic comedy and it does have a little cheese sprinkled on it. But i gotta say that overall this movie is way better than the predictable sap McConaughey has pissed out over the last few years.

PLOT:
Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is a top Hollyood photographer is has no problem getting women and is not shy about his lack of respect for love and marriage. Mead shows his disrespect early decided to break up with 3 women at once via computer chat and then immediately rolling around in the sheets with a young singer (Christina Millian). Connor leaves to travel to his late uncle's estate to be the best man at his brother Paul's (Brekin Meyer) wedding. To his surprise old flame Jenny (Jennifer Garner), is there as a bridesmaid, conjuring up old feelings. At night, the spirit of Connor's dead uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas) returns to send him 3 ghosts that try to help him see the error his ways and change his life forever before he loses everything.

Pros:
McConaughey isn't doing anything different then we've seen before, but the writing in this one is much more complimentary to his charm. I must say he is so charming i almost wanted to sleep with him. Also, the movie is cheesy, but it knows it. It charmingly dodges some predictability by displaying Connor's true feelings for Jenny early in the story. Some movies have a habit of not explaining why the lead is a pig, but this one was out there and open. Also, romantic comedies, are sometimes high on romance and low on comedy, but there was alot of genuine laughs in this one, believe it or not.

Cons:
All the elements are there. A romantic banter between the main guy and girl, a resistant love interest, a convincing 3 minute speech that makes you forget all wrongdoing, and the guy getting the girl. You can't avoid it, but that may be the turn off. We've seen this before, and even worse, from the same people before. No matter how charming McConaughey is, he can't escape this movie inevitably being compared to his other films. Jennifer Garner at times looks like she is struggling to keep her character likable. She is often overshadowed by McConaughey's likableness, the opposite of what it should be to a certain extent. If it wasn't for the slow motion close-ups on Garner's face showing how she really feels, I would quickly forget she has a soul. Much like her performance in "Juno". I really just don't think Garner is very talented anyway.

Recommendation:
Watch it on HBO.

Written by:
Jon Lucas
Scott Moore

Directed by:
Mark Walters

MAIN CAST:
Matthew McConaughey ("A Time to Kill", "Edtv")
Jennifer Garner ("Juno", "Elektra")
Michael Douglas ("Wall Street", "The War of the Roses")
Breckin Meyer ("Road Trip", "Rat Race")
Lacey Chabert (TVs "Party of Five", "Mean Girls")
Robert Forster ("Jackie Brown", "Like Mike")
Anne Archer ("Patriot Games", "Clear and Present Danger")
Daniel Sunjata (TVs "Rescue Me", "The Devil Wears Prada")
Noureen DeWulf ("The Comebacks", "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard")
Christina Millian ("Be Cool", "Bring it On: Fight to the Finish")

Similar Titles:
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch, Click

Next Review:
Monsters vs. Aliens-Trailer

Movie Review- Observe and Report

2009-09-22T11:41:00.005-04:00

If crude, lude, and nude, male nudity mainly, is your cup of tea, "Observe and Report" is good entertainment for you.

Much like in 1998 when "Armageddon" took all the attention of a better yet similar movie "Deep Impact", "Paul Blart:Mall Cop" overshadowed "Observe and Report". Though "Observe and Report" was only a little bit better and a completely different movie, especially in content.

Seth Rogen is Ronnie, a bi-polar, delusional, head of mall security who still lives with his drunk, promiscuous mother (Celia Weston). The mall has recently been terrorized by a man flashing woman in the parking lot. Ronnie along with his fearless crew (Michael Pena as Dennis, Juan and Matt Yeun as John and Matt, and trainee Charles played by Jesse Plemmons) decide to personally investigate the flasher after make-up counter worker and crush Brandi (Anna Faris) is traumatized.

Pros:
Seth Rogen is, as usual, funny. The movie, though dark in tone, has many quotable lines. Not nearly as many as Rogen's other films. The funniest scenes come from cameo appearances from Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride. One of Rogen's best qualities, which is creating a likable character, are shown here again. He's likable even when he's doing unlikable things.

Cons:
I am by no means a saint, but the word "fuck" was probably said over 200 times. Sometimes it fits, like the scene where he an Ansari's character go back and forth saying F-You for over 2 minutes roughly. But most of the time it was just slid in there for the hell of it. The film certainly has its draggy, borderline dull moments. But with the pace of the movie being so slow, that is destined to happen. But in those dull moments, a viewer may lose vital information because the movie is dialogue driven. Also, the original plot line seemed to get lost in the antics of Ronnie. Its starts out to be about the flasher but then becomes a different focus. The script is a little up and down, i hate to sayit, but it lacks focus in some parts.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

WRITTEN BY:
Jody Hill

DIRECTED BY:
Jody Hill

MAIN CAST:
Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up", "Zack and Miri Make a Porno")
Anna Faris ("Scary Movie", "Just Friends")
Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas", "John Q")
Michael Pena ("Crash", "World Trade Center")
Jesse Plemons ("All the Pretty Horses", "Like Mike")
Celia Weston ("Igby Goes Down", "Runaway Jury")
Collette Wolfe ("Semi-pro", "Four Christmases")
Aziz Ansari ("The Rocker", "Funny People")
Danny McBride ("Tropic Thunder", "Pineapple Express")

SIMILAR TITLES:
The Foot Fist Way, Kicking and Screaming, Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Next Movie to be Reviewed:
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past-Trailer

Movie Review- Next Day Air

2009-09-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

I guess i was wrong for entering into this whole thing with big expectations. I said to myself, "no this isnt a cheap black movie filled with bafoonish, pot-smoking, gun-carrying, foul-mouthed gangsters that I've seen in so many movies before...no way." Yea...I was wrong. Now don't get me wrong, it works sometimes, but this time it didn't.

Initially, the cast looks impressive. But if your expecting Chris Turk, Ford Prefect, Avon Barksdale, Day-Day Jones, or even Eddie Winslow, you are way off base. The movie should be way funnier than it is, but shotty writing and an at times confusing plot makes "Next Day Air" fall short of expectations.

NOTE: The ending was bonkers and out of the 1000 different ways it could have went, they chose the worst in my opinion.

PLOT:
Leo (Donald Faison) is an incompetent NDA (i.e. UPS, FED-EX) driver who loves to smoke weed. He's in hot water with his mom/boss Ms. Jackson (Debbie Allen) who tells him if he screws up one more time he's fired. He delivers a big-time drug dealers package of cocaine to the wrong apartment that is occupied by dumb crooks Brody (Mike Epps) and Guch (Wood Harris), setting a series of inconceivable events involved drug dealers, storage workers, drug runners and other NDA workers all in a chase to get the package.

Pros:
The film did have some funny moments. The shear ridiculousness makes you laugh alone. It tries to be different than your normal comedies. It uses flashbacks and animated graphics to add to the odd story. Faison is naturally entertaining but Mos Def supplies the best laughs in only 2 scenes. The most genuine laughs are in the first 15 minutes, before the story gets erratic.

Cons:
So there is nothing wrong with an ensemble piece. I mean i love movies with large casts. But many of the characters in this film were under utilized and not given a chance to show their comedic talents, especially Mos Def, who has great comedic timing is only there for 2 scenes. And so many characters seem to fall in and out of the movie. One minute you are interested in them and then you don't see them for 8 or 9 more scenes. There was just too much stuff going on for such a flawed storyline. I would have loved to have scene these very funny actors and maybe even their characters in a movie where they all work together in the same scenes and not a 3 minute scene where they just shoot eachother.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

WRITTEN BY:
Blair Cobb

DIRECTED BY:
Benny Boom

MAIN CAST:
Donald Faison ("Clueless", TV's "Scrubs")
Mike Epps ("Next Friday", "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins")
Wood Harris ("Remember the Titans", TV's "The Wire")
Mos Def ("Be Kind Rewind", "Cadillac Records")
Omari Hardwick ("Beauty Shop", "Miracle at St. Anna")
Darius McCrary (TV's "Family Matters", "Transformers")
Cisco Reyes ("Feel the Noise")
Yasmin Deliz
Emilio Rivera ("Spiderman 3", "Street Kings")
Lobo Sebastian ("Major Leauge: Back to the Minors", "Longest Yard")
Malik Barnhardt ("8 Mile", "Get Rich or Die Tryin'")
Debbie Allen ("Fame", "Blank Check")
Lauren London ("ATL", "This Christmas")

SIMILAR TITLES:
All About the Benjamins, Next Friday, Half Baked

MOVIES TO BE BLOGGED:
Observe and Report-Trailer
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past-Trailer

Movie Review- Crank: High Voltage

2009-09-16T11:40:00.005-04:00

Pointless sex, graphic nudity, moral ignorance, corse language, and violence, lots and lots of violence. That pretty much sums up "Crank:High Voltage".

Now i don't do drugs, but while i was watching this movie, I imagined that "Crank 2" is what people on an acid trip see when watching a normal movie. It had a real video game feel to it. It was hard to judge this movie, because in style and story, this movie is an acquired taste. Though the initial presentation looks good on the plate for a second, it needs to go the chef. Yes, I know , i tried to make that clever and failed. Yo momma.

"Crank 2" started where "Crank" left off. Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) has just fallen from an airplane. He just spent the last day trying to live with poison in his heart. And of course, he did. After he falls, he is quickly picked up by a group of Chinese men. Some time later, he wakes up in a makeshift hospital room with his chest cracked open and surrounded by surgeons. He watches as his heart is taken out and replaced with what looks like a plastic heart with a battery pack attached to the outside of lower stomach. In order to live, Chev must find his heart and with the help of Doc (Dwight Yoakam) get it put back in, while battling a series of Chinese gangsters and with the help of his oft-confused girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart).

PROS:
The movie is definitely an adrenaline rush. There is constant action throughout the whole movie. One of the things i like most about the movie is that not for one second does it take itself seriously. The film is interrupted by scenes that have nothing to do with the plot. They utilize animation and hallucinogenic images. It's kind of out there, but that can be a positive draw. Also, it has many funny moments, including Ramirez's character trying to stop Vang but then breaking down into a tourettes fit. Hilarious. I also liked the look of the film, it was shot in HD, which gave it a videogame-esque feel to it. Kinda liked that. Lastly, I can't lie, it was pretty awesome to see Corey Haim acting again.

CONS:
Its hard to pinpoint cons because a con to me, may not be a con to you. I was turned off by things that turn most on. The pointless nudity and public sex kinda made me uncomfortable. Now, I am by no means conservative, but there are some things that get to me. This film was just too out there for me. But then again, that is exactly what they wanted it to do, be out of its freakin' mind weird. And of course completely unrealistic, but to each its own.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written By:
Mark Neveldine
Brian Taylor

Directed by:
Mark Neveldine
Brian Taylor

MAIN CAST:
Jason Statham ("Transporter", "Bank Job")
Amy Smart ("Rat Race", "Crank")
Efren Ramirez ("Napoleon Dynamite", "Employee of the Month")
Dwight Yoakam ("Sling Blade", "Wedding Crashers")
Reno Wilson ("The Great White Hype", "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen")
Bai Ling ("Wild Wild West", "Baby's Daddy")
Clifton Collins Jr. ("Traffic", "Sunshine Cleaning")
David Carradine ("TV's Kung Fu", "Kill Bill")
Art Hsu ("Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End")

Similar Titles:
Crank

Next movie to be reviewed:
Next Day Air-Trailer

Movie Review- Dance Flick

2009-09-14T19:33:00.004-04:00

Ok, i know its been awhile but theandra is back with a new review!

Now i know the spoof movie genre is dying...hopefully, but this one is a tad different. This time the Wayans family is involved. The Wayans have never been critical darlings nor do they care, but they have always been able to strike a cord with fans. Almost 20 years after the oldest, Kenan Ivory Wayans, made the spoof cult classic "I'm Gonna Git U Sucka", and almost 10 years after "Scary Movie", the movie that sparked this annoying trend was made, they are back. It all started with brothers Keenen, Damon, Shawn, and Marlon and sister Kim. Is now Damon Jr., and nephews Damien Dante and Craig. The Wayans Family: The Next Generation is definitely talented and possess the comic timing of their elders. The unfortunate part is that the genre, not their writing, acting, or movie-making skills may divide even the most loyal Wayans family fans.

The base story behind "Dance Flick" is the exact same as another movie that started a genre, dance movie "Save the Last Dance". Former dancer Megan (Shoshana Bush) moves from her middle class life to live with her father and meets up with dancer Thomas (Damon Wayans Jr.) who teaches her the ways of the streets.

MOVIES SPOOFED:
Save the Last Dance
Hairspray
Fame
High School Musical
Little Miss Sunshine
Twilight
Step Up
You Got Served
Flashdance
ect.

Pros:
As always, the Wayans' know how to make you laugh, one way or another. Some things they do are just flat out funny. Damon Wayans Jr. shows alot of promise and talent in his first major role. He is reminiscent of the early days of his father in "In Living Color" and "Mo Money". If you are a fan of the dance movie genre, especially "Saved the Last Dance", "Dance Flick" definitely hits all the right spots when it comes to making fun of the genre. The scene where Megan is dancing in the club for the first time, and the scene where Thomas is dancing in the rain for relatively no reason at all, are all moments that were waiting to be spoofed. And I don't care how many times i see Charity give birth on the dance floor, it still makes me laugh. All of the Wayans' , except Damon of course, make the funniest cameos. And featured a solidly funny performance from Fayetteville native Affion Crockett.

Cons:
Like all spoof films and Wayans films, there are a lot of hit and miss moments. When the hits happen they can be downright hilarious. But the misses can be detrimental to the scene and scenes to follow. The biggest reason for the misses is that you see most of the jokes coming. I'm gonna leave it up to the individual whether the misses are because of the writing or the genre itself. Some things just can't be avoided, especially when you are using someone else's storylines. The movie never asked you to think, nor does it pretend to, but sometimes in this film you might want to. It doesn't have the intelligence as "I'm Gonna Git U Sucka" or the comedically magical moments of "Don't Be A Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice In the Hood" and "Scary Movie", but it doesn't mean it isn't a good watch.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written By:
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Shawn Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Damien Dante Wayans
Crag Wayans

Directed By
Damien Dante Wayans

MAIN CAST:
Damon Wayans Jr. ("Blankman", TV's "The Underground")
Shoshana Bush ("Fired Up")
Essence Atkins ("Deliver Us From Eva", "How High")
Affion Crockett ("Epic Movie" "Soul Men")
David Alan Grier ("Blankman", "In the Army Now")
Marlon Wayans ("White Chicks", "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra")
Keenen Ivory Wayans ("Most Wanted", "A Low Down Dirty Shame")
Shawn Wayans ("White Chicks", "Scary Movie")
Amy Sedaris ("Strangers with Candy", "School of Rock")
Kim Wayans ("I'm Gonna Git U Sucka", "Juwana Mann")
George Gore II ("Juice", "Eddie")

SIMILAR TITLES:
"I'm Gonna Git U Sucka", "Dont Be A Menace...", "Scary Movie"

NEXT MOVE TO BE REVIEWED:
"Crank 2"

Movie Review- State of Play

2009-09-01T10:30:00.008-04:00

Well I must admit, I wasn't looking forward to seeing this movie. I am not a huge Russell Crowe fan, though I know he's talented, and I am also not really a fan at all of Ben Affleck. I like thrillers but the trailer didn't make this film look promising. I was glad I was wrong.

Washington Post reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) is out to write a story about the killing of a young black man in Washington. He soon finds out that a research assistant for his good friend Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is found dead of an apparent suicide attempt. Its a hot story but he chooses to sit on it because of his friendship, much to the chagrin of his editor Cameron (Hellen Mirren). Even worse, young blogger turned reporter Della (Rachelle McAdams) wants to reveal all of his dirty laundry, especially once it is discovered that Collins was having an affair with the young woman. Once the story is further leaked that the woman was murdered and did not commit suicide, Cal takes it upon himself to investigate the case further to take the heat off of Collins. More is learned of Collins and Cal's friendship when Cal meets up with Collins' wife Anne (Robin Wright Penn). Turns out Collins and Cal have been strained since Cal and Anne slept together. Cal discovers that the young girl's death may have been caused due to Collins' frequent battles with a Military company with deceptive practices. With the help of Della, other reporters and the disaproval of police, led by Det. Donald Bell (Harry J. Lennix), Cal finds himself involved in secrets, lies, and violence that puts everyone involved in danger.

NOTE: Plot explanations for thrillers such as this one are hard to fully flesh out due to the fact that new reveals at every turn that may spoil the plot for those who have not seen the movie.

PROS:
Of course with these group of actors you expect the acting part to be good. And in this case you were right. The makers did a smart thing by making even the supporting cast, such as Harry J. Lennix, Jeff Daniels, Michael Jace, Michael Weston and Jason Bateman, familiar faces who also are very talented. The cast meshed well together and the dialogue had a good mix of smart dialogue and humorous moments. Also, once things were starting to get revealed, the surprises were good and stayed with the plot. They werent erratic and didn't vear from the path of the storyline, though some of them could have had revealed better -some were easy to miss.

CONS:
STOP WHISPERING RUSSELL CROWE, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU! Though it may be his acting style, I had to have my tv's volume hiked up to max to hear him. Secondly, in a few scenes where i honestly feel Russell Crowe may have been tipsy, his accent began to bleed through, much like it did in a few scenes in "American Gangster". In addition, Rachelle McAdams character is a terrible reporter. She was always creeping around conversations and spying. Even into the last scene.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

WRITTEN BY:
Matthew Michael Carnahan
Tony Gilroy
Billy Ray

DIRECTED :
Kevin MacDonald

MAIN CAST:
Russell Crowe ("Gladiator", "American Gangster")
Ben Affleck ("Good Will Hunting", "Armageddon")
Rachel McAdams ("Mean Girls", "The Notebook")
Hellen Mirren ("Gosford Park", "The Queen")
Robin Wright Penn ("Forrest Gump", "Beowulf")
Harry J. Lennix ("The Matrix Reloaded", "Ray")
Jeff Daniels ("The Purple Rose of Cairo", "Speed")
Michael Weston ("Dukes of Hazzard", "Crank:High Voltage")
Jason Bateman ("Juno", "Hancock")
Barry Shabaka Henley ("Life", "Four Brothers")
Viola Davis ("Doubt", "Madea Goes to Jail")
Josh Mostel ("The Chase", "Big Daddy")
Michael Jace ("The Great White Hype", "The Replacements")
Michael Berresse ("Artificail Intelligence:AI")
Steve Park ("Do the Right Thing", "Fargo")

SIMILAR TITLES:
Body of Lies, Zodiac, State of Play (UK mini-series), All the President's Men

NEXT NEW MOVIES TO BE BLOGGED:
Crank:High Voltage -Trailer
Dance Flick-Trailer

Movie Review- Bring It On: Fight to the Finish

2009-08-30T23:17:00.008-04:00

OK, I know what your thinking. "I can't believe you are actually reviewing "Bring it On". Dude, I can't believe you watched it." Well i did. This is the 5th installment in the "Bring it On" franchise, so there is obviously a demographic for these movies. But maybe they should stop. Actually I'm asking them to stop... in fact I'm begging. Anyway...hear goes.

The plot of "Bring it On: Fight to the Finish" is basically the same exactly plot as Hayden Panettierie's installment "Bring it On: All or Nothing" but instead of the main character going to the ghetto, she moves from East LA to Malibu. Christian Millian (who is at least 10 years removed from High School) plays Lina, a Cuban-American homegirl who is the captain of her East LA high school cheerleading squad. After her mother (Laura Ceron) marries a wealthy white man (David Starzyk), Lina is forced to move to Malibu to live with her new stepfather and new, extra hyper stepsister Skyler (Holland Roden).

PROS:
During a scene at a party, you hear at least 1 minute of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance". Even after this long, I still love this song!

CONS: Oh, boy... OK here goes. I have to make a list in order to make this make complete sense.

1) The movie was amazingly racist. Every line that came out of Avery and cronies mouth was a derogatory comment about Millian's ethnicity. Calling her "Latin Lambada" and "Dora the Explorer".

2) The movie probably tried to fit the word cheer into movie every chance they got. Words like "cheer-icide" and "cheer-mare". That is definitely 2 of possibly more than 3 dozen references.

3) NO CHEERING! The movie began with a "You Got Served"-esque dance-off and there were possibly only a total of 4 scenes with actually cheerleading. And the cheer competition referred to throughout the movie doesn't happen for at least an hour and 45 minutes into the move. Though it felt a lot longer. I fell asleep twice.

4) Unlike the other films, the protagonist in this story was completely unlikable. Millian's character is snooty and mean to her new family for a good portion of the beginning of the movie. I know the character was going through a transition, but how can you feel bad for her being completely evil to everyone.

5) Some of the best squads in America are all-white squads from the suburbs. So why in this movie is it that a squad can't be any good without 3 or 4 trips to East LA to learn moves from some thugs and gangstas. This is a movie for young girls and it definitely doesn't set a good example at all.

Recommendation:
Never, ever see this movie

WRITTEN BY:
Elena Stone
Alyson Fouse

DIRECTED BY:
Billie Woodruff

MAIN CAST:
Christina Millian ("Love Don't Cost A Thing", "Be Cool")
Rachele Brooke Smith ("Fired Up", "17 Again")
Cody Longo ("Ball Don't Lie", "Fame")
Holland Roden ("Consideration")
Vanessa Born ("Underpass", "Sky")
Gabrielle Dennis ("Drifter", "Hollywood Horror")
Brandon Gonzales
Laura Ceron ("Losing Isaiah" TV's ER)
David Starzyk ("TV's Prison Break", "Prison Break: Final Break")
Nikki Soohoo ("Stick It")

SIMILAR TITLES:
"Bring It On" Series, "Stick It", "Fired Up"

NEXT MOVIE TO BE BLOGGED:
STATE OF PLAY-Trailer

Movie Review- Sunshine Cleaning

2009-08-27T11:38:00.007-04:00

Here is yet another movie i am reviewing in which the powers that be have used the makers of the movie as a marketing technique. Sure, it works, fans of "Little Miss Sunshine" may watch this movie because it's made by the same people, but anyone expecting the same movie is mistaken. But that doesn't mean it isn't a good movie.

"Sunshine Cleaning" revolves around Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams). Rose is the single mother of an imaginative 8-year old named Oscar (Jason Spevack) and works cleaning houses. Her widower father Joe (Alan Arkin) is always trying to make money using get-rich-quick schemes to make money, whether it's selling candy to candy shops or imported shrimps to restaurants. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is a free spirit who can't hold onto a job or control her impulses. Though Rose may seem the most stable minded member of the Lorkowski clan, she is currently stuck in dead-end relationship with married homicide detective Mac (Steve Zahn). After a man kills himself in a sporting goods store, Mac learns of a crime scene clean-up service that came in after the shooting. He later suggests it to Rose, thinking it would be a good alternative for her. Rose mulls it over, but takes it seriously after her son gets in trouble in school again. Deciding her son needs private school, Rose decides to go forward with the crime scene clean-up service and enlists her sister to join. After a few bumps in the road, the cleaning service proves to be successful, however it does conjure up bad memories of their mother's death, especially when Norah finds pictures of a dead woman's daughter Lynn (Mary Lynn Rajskub) in their first house. She seeks conservative, shy Lynn out and forms a special bond with her, while not revealing her true intentions. Rose achieves some achievements in life throughout but still struggles to come to grips with her past and her increasingly complicated relationship with her family and Mac. Furthermore, she also has to contend with wanting to seek new found validation from her former classmates who all seem to have the life she seeks.

PROS:
Amy Adams. Adams does a great job of making Rose a character you want the best for. Her faux strength is a mirror image of many single mothers just trying to make it. It reminded me of my mother. In spite of challenges she faces, she has inspirational resolve. Her journey to find herself and find validation in the work she does and the life she has makes her completely relateable. Also, "Sunshine Cleaning" has a large amount of sweet, raw, real moments that allow you to fully know the characters and understand their motivation during certain scenes. I think the second best performance came from Clifton Collins Jr. Collins plays a one-armed cleaning supply store owner who later befriends Rose and her son Oscar. He comes off immediately as a guy you don't want to know, but soon becomes the most likable character in the supporting cast. In addition, the movie is considered a comedy, but in actuality the comedic moments are substantially less frequent than the dramatic moments.

CONS:
I felt Emily Blunt was under utilized in this film. Most of her scenes were slower and way more somber than her character seemed to be. Though it may be on purpose, it would have been nice to see Blunt character show a little bit more of the playful side we saw in the first part of the movie carry on. Second, Arkin's character seemed to be a subdued version of his character in "Little Miss Sunshine". He wasn't a drug addict or as profane, but the similarities are there. And not just because it is the same actor.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

WRITTEN BY:
Megan Holley

DIRECTED BY:
Christine Jeffs

MAIN CAST:
Amy Adams ("Enchanted", "Doubt")
Emily Blunt ("The Devil Wears Prada", "Dan In Real Life")
Alan Arkin ("Edward Scissorhands", "Little Miss Sunshine")
Jason Spevack ("Fever Pitch", "Hollywoodland")
Steve Zahn ("That Thing You Do", "Riding in Cars with Boys")
Clifton Collins Jr. ("Traffic", "Star Trek")
Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Sweet Home Alabama", "Little Miss Sunshine")
Eric Christian Olsen ("Not Another Teen Movie", "Eagle Eye")

SIMILAR TITLES:
Little Miss Sunshine, Spanglish, Thank You for Smoking

Movie Review- Adventureland

2009-08-26T09:31:00.010-04:00

I will say that the concept of this movie relates to what alot of college students are going through right now. Hell, i even had a friend who worked at an amusement park after college graduation. That's one reason i knew i might like this movie. It turns out that that wasn't the only reason.

NOTE: This movie is written and directed by the director of "Superbad". But if you are expecting "Superbad" or its little brother, don't. Maybe it's a cousin. I will say it actually felt closer to "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" rather than "Superbad".

It's 1987 and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) is a recent college graduate who life is turned upside down when he finds out his well-off father has to take a demotion at work and can no longer finance him. James is then forced to get a job at an amusement park to make money.

PROS:
Much like "Superbad" you learn to love these characters. You want them to succeed and you want to know where life is gonna take them. The movie doesnt have the laugh-out-loud moments that some of the "Superbad"-esque comedies have, but the movie has alot of heart. The characters are multi-dimentional on purpose and it works. They feel real and you catch that. The movie also does a good job of revealing the characters in a timely manner as well. Even things that are predictable come at a time that fits. The flow of the movie fits perfectly and the the fact that the film is set in 1987 adds a unique element that makes it work better than if it were set in modern day. I couldn't help but to laugh everytime a scene began with "Rock Me Amadeus" blasting in the background of the park. In addition, most of the performances are equally as strong as the story line, making it a perfect combination. Especially Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig who supply the majority of laughs.

CONS:
Only one thing irked me about this film and that was the fact that at times Jesse Eisenberg seemed to be imitating Michael Cera. The way he talked, his befuddled acting approach, his vast vocabulary and his awkward reactions are classic Cera. It was like it was written for Cera, which it may have been. Though Wiig's character seemed to be an extension of her character in "Knocked Up" and Martin Starr seems to be playing...Martin Starr, it works for them, they aren't the central character. I just felt Eisenberg couldn've carved his own niche.

Recommendation:
Buy it

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY:
Greg Mottola

MAIN CAST:
Jesse Eisenberg ("The Village", "The Education of Charlie Banks")
Kristen Stewart ("Jumper", "Twilight")
Marin Starr ("Knocked Up", "Superbad")
Bill Hader ("Kncoked Up", "Tropic Thunder")
Kristen Wiig ("Knocked Up", "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story")
Ryan Reynolds ("Waiting...", "Just Friends")
Wendie Malick ("Waiting...", "Confessions of a Shopaholic")
Mary Birdsong ("Reno 911!:Miami", "Made of Honor")

Similar Titles:
Dazed and Confused, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist

Movie Review- Last House on the Left

2009-08-24T15:28:00.003-04:00

So reader(s), if you don't like horror movies with blood, gore, pointless violence and an uncomfortable rape scene, then "The Last House on the Left" is not the movie for you.

This 2009 remake of the 1972 Wes Craven classic is unapologetically the most grotuestly violent, sadistic, and graphic movie I ever seen.

The movie opens with the Collinwood family (Father John (Tony Goldwyn) Mother Emma(Monica Potter) and swimmer Daughter Mari (Sara Paxton)) family preparing to go to vacation spot to spend a part of the summer. The family seems reletively happy though still mourning the loss of the eldest son earlier that year. After arriving at the house Mari visits her friend Paige (Martha MacIssac) who works at a local gas station. There they meet a quick teenager named Justin (Spencer Treat Clark). The two girls go to with Justin to his hotel room after Justin promises them good weed. After a nice smoke session in comes Justin's father Krug (Garrett Dillahunt), Krug's girlfriend Sadie (Riki Lindhome) and Krug's brother Francis (Aaron Paul). Turns out the three are wanted for murder and have no plans on allowing Mari and Paige to jeoparadize their freedom. After Paige's attempt to escape the girls are kidnapped. On the way to a highway, Mari manages to trick the suspects into driving near her home. She causes an accident when she attempts to escape and the crew ends up in the middle of the woods. After another escape attempt by Paige she is murdered. Soon after Mari is raped. She does manage to run away and tries to swim across the lake that leads to her house. She is shot on her way across. The three crooks now rendered car-less, decide to find the nearest house to get out of the approaching storm. They end up at the Collinwood residence. After a tense and awkward meeting the Collinwoods decide to let the crew stay to wait out the storm. After everyone is settled in, the Collinwoods discover a beatened and battered and shot Mari on their front porch. Dr. Collinwood discovers she is raped. Through the help of nice kid Justin, the peices come together and the usually nice quiet Collinwood clan decide to take action.

PROS:
The movie does stir up several emotions. You may get angry, sad, and joyous as i did. I will say i am out of my element with this movie because i am not really a fan of horror or slasher flicks. But as for horror and slasher flicks go, this is high ranking.

CONS:
Where do i start? Ok, fine i'll be nice. Anybody coming into this movie knows what it's about. So why take so long to get to the motherfreakin point? Instead of getting there they give you at least 20 or more minutes of uncomfortable violence mainly agaisnt the 2 young women and a very realistic rape scene that gave me shivers. The pace of the movie is purposefully fast and slow, but that can be uncomfortable during boring scenes.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

Writers:
Adam Alleca
Carl Ellsworth

Director:
Dennis Lliadis

MAIN CAST:
Tony Goldwyn ("The 6th Day","Bounce")
Monica Potter ("Con Air, "Saw")
Sara Paxton ("Sydney White", "Aquamarine")
Garrett Dillahunt ("No Country for Old Men", "The Assassination of Jesse James by...")
Aaron Paul ("K-Pax", "Mission Impossible III")
Riki Lindhome ("Million Dollar Baby", "Changeling")
Spencer Treat Clark ("Gladiator", "Mystic River")
Martha MacIssac ("Superbad")

Similar Titles:
Last House on the Left (1972), Haunting in Connecticut

Movie Review- Fighting

2009-08-23T20:18:00.002-04:00

So i get it, UFC and underground fighting is a big deal. Movies like "Never Back Down" and "Never Surrender" are staples with fighting fans. Thus the movie Fighting is born.

"Fighting" is a movie about a young tortured soul named Sean (Channing Tatum) . Sean has fallen on hard times and is now homeless and selling DVDs and books on the street. After a tussle with other territorial hustlers Sean catches the eye of Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard), another tortured soul tried to work his way up the ranks in the underground fighting world. Harvey recruits Sean with promises of money to join the underworld. As Sean success grows he's is lured into the biggest fight of both he and Harvey's life when he is persuaded to fight the big dog on the block.

PROS:
Any fighting fan will love the fight scenes. The scenes are very realistic and of course you gotta love anything that makes you yell "OH" more than 3 times in a 2 minute scene has to be good, right?

CONS:
It seems that the writers and other powers that be decided that as long as you have decent fight scenes the acting and the plot don't really matter. The cast as a whole seemed to phone it in. Tatum stayed primarily one note 3/4 of the movie. Instead of letting his mysterious character Sean reveal things through his acting he didn't react accordingly until it was revealed in the dialogue. Terrence Howard flounders in yet another questionable film choice since his Oscar nomination. Unlike Tatum's character, Howard's Harvey Boarden's motivation and purpose was never revealed fully.

RECOMMENDATION:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

WRITER:
ROBERT MUNIC
DITO MONTIEL

DIRECTOR:
DITO MONTIEL

MAIN CAST:
Channing Tatum ("Step Up", "G.I. Joe")
Terrence Howard ("Hustle and Flow", "Crash")
Zulay Henao ("Illegal Tender", "S.Darko")
Luis Guzman ("Waiting...", "Boogie Nights")
Roger Gueneveur Smith ("He Got Game, "American Gangster")
Brian J. White ("Mr. 3000", "Stomp the Yard")

Similar Titles:
Never Back Down, Never Surrender, RedBelt