Movie Review- (500) Days of Summer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

Similar Titles:

Something's Gotta Give, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Next Review:

I Love You Beth Cooper-Trailer

Movie Review- Orphan

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

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

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

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

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 Hell- Trailer

Movie Review-The Proposal

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

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