Buried

         Is it possible to make a movie that is entertaining, all while being set in the same location for the entire duration? Most of the time the answer to this question is no. Heck, some of you out there may even think no would be the answer in the case of the movie Buried. However, I would be highly inclined to disagree with you and here is why.
         Buried is an independent suspense thriller directed by Rodrigo Cortes and starring Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, a US citizen who is in Iraq working as a truck driver delivering goods and materials. The film opens with Conroy waking up in a wooden coffin buried six feet under ground. All he has on him is a Zippo lighter and a Blackberry. We come to learn Paul is being held hostage by insurgents who attacked him and his fellow drivers earlier. He has an hour and a half to come up with ransom money or he will be left to die. From here Cortes takes the viewer on a suspenseful journey for 90 minutes as we watch Paul do everything within his power to try and break free from his prison in the ground.
          Creating a movie where there is one actor in one set location for an entire film is a very daunting task to ask of a director. Cortes however does about as good a job as any could ask. First, the movie is kept to a 95 minute running time which is about as long as one could make a movie like this and still keep the viewers full attention. Second, Cortes uses multiple camera angles and shots to help play on the events, struggles, and emotions portrayed by Reynolds. This is quite helpful in keeping the viewer's eye from getting tired of a repetitive view, and from getting frustrated with the lack of different scene locations.
          Though creating such a film with this uniqueness is difficult, so is trying to act and portray a good enough performance in order to keep an audience's attention throughout. Again, Ryan Reynolds doe as a good a job as most actors could do. Yes, he's working off a well written script, but he must portray countless different emotions, while going through many ups and downs with them. From being completely hysterical, to desperate, angry, hopeless. It is a lot to ask of someone and Reynolds' success with many of these helps create and sustain, along with the directing, the suspense that is delivered throughout the entirety of the film.
          How this movie can really get to a person is its ability to play with every persons' emotions while you watch. You start to imagine what if this happened to me? How would I react? Probably the same way mostly. If you're a claustrophobic person already just watching this could bother you. But in the end it just comes down to feeling very real. Every action Conroy takes throughout, whether to help himself get out, or perhaps accept a deadly fate closing in, just helps create the human to human connection that allows the viewer to feel for this fictional person you are watching.
          Overall, I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. I would not necessarily recommend watching this late at night, as it did make me a bit nervous I would have a nightmare about the exact situation. But who knows maybe that's just me. You can get this movie on Blu-Ray or DVD, or through Netflix as either DVD or streaming instantly. Enjoy!

What's Your Number?

          Okay, so first off for all of you that are beginning to read this review. I would like all of you to scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the trailer for this movie first, before you read the rest of this. Go ahead. I'll wait the couple of minutes, I don't mind......................alright you back? Great. So after viewing that what's your first impression of the movie? If you're like me then you must of thought here comes another cheesy romantic comedy with Anna Faris in her typical comedic role. Fortunately, this assumption is not entirely correct.
          What's Your Number? is a romantic comedy with a lot of the same sort of garbage Hollywood has been throwing out at us viewers for years. A girl unlucky in love and down in the dumps goes searching for the man of her dreams all the while missing the guy that's right under her nose. However, I do think the angle this movie takes is a funnier and bit fresher view.
           In this film Anna Faris plays Ally Darling, a girl who just became jobless and single. While depressed already, things get worse when she reads a magazine article stating women who have slept with more than 20 guys have a hard time finding a husband. Since she is already at 20 she decides to sift through her exes and find "the one" thus in order preventing herself from surpassing the magic number of 20. Realizing she can't do it alone she enlists her playboy neighbor, Colin Shea (Chris Evans of Captain America), to help her find all of these men. I give the writer's credit here for not allowing this to be a plot hole and explaining Colin has a knack for digging up dirt thanks to his dad being a cop and taking him on stakeouts. It's not an ideal explanation, but it'll do and who really cares enough to look at that deeper? Anyways, in exchange for his services she allows him to hide out in her apartment whenever he's trying to lose a girl from the previous night without confrontation.  All the while, Ally has to deal with her all too perfect sister who is getting married and her over bearing mother (Blythe Danner of Little Fockers) who wants the exact same thing for her.
           The writing is on the wall the entire movie, though at least with me, I had come to expect that and thus tried to look past it and enjoy what I was watching at the time. Thankfully, I was able to do this at times as this movie did seem to have more to it than others with the same amount of cliche garbage. It was funnier than I had expected to be and Chris Evans was good in his strictly comedic role. Anna Faris, though in a very similar role to the others she has played, seemed more comfortable and natural in this one and thus made her comedic performance better as well. Perhaps the fact she was an executive producer allowed her more freedom. Either way this is much better than her movie "The House Bunny." That was just plain awful.
           Overall, as usual with this type of flick, most girls will enjoy it much more than guys will. It helps there are more jokes generated towards women than men, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. I give this movie a thumb in the middle and a solid 2 out of 4 stars. It's nothing great, but its a fun different take on this cliched plot. Plus, it was just straight better than I expected. It's in theaters now so check it out there or wait for it on DVD. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  Ok ok, I know I'm a big liar. But once again, I saw a movie in theaters before writing my review for Last Night soooo, therefore it of course gets top priority. Barring this happening again look for Last Night starring Eva Mendes, Sam Worthington, and Kiera Knightley to be next up.

The Avengers - First Full Trailer

Well here it is! There's been a lot of hype about the upcoming The Avengers movie and we finally have our first real look at what we can expect. I think it looks like it can be a lot of fun. I do wonder how much on screen time each hero will get though as The Hulk is very limited in this trailer. But then again it is a trailer and you can never be too sure. What do you guys think?

Moneyball

            Over time there have been many movies done about baseball. Whether true or fictional it always seems like there's a new one that comes out every few years and usually they're done pretty well. In the case of Moneyball, for the lack of a better pun, it's money. The movie is based on a true story and the book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis. That name may sound familiar as he is also the author of "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game;" which is obviously the book the movie "The Blind Side" was based off of. Now adapting a movie from a book can be troublesome as you must deal with people's judgements who have both read the book and seen the movie. However, with me I have not read the book yet, though I own it, therefore I'm completely impartial to judge this film with out any prejudice.
           Moneyball is the story of the Oakland Athletics baseball season in 2002. More importantly, it's the story of how General Manager Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, put together this team after losing three star players and using a budget around $40 million. While trying to figure out how to overcome these obstacles Beane meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a special assistant to the GM of the Cleveland Indians. Brand tells him about a new way to evaluate players using statistical analysis called sabermetrics. Instead of the traditional way of scouting and putting value on a player's certain skill sets, sabermetrics has you value what they do on the field instead. For example, how often they get on base and score runs is more important than how much power a player has or how strong his arm is. Intrigued by this new way of thinking Beane hires Brand. Together they work an unconventional system to put together a team that they hope can win a championship, all the while facing doubts from people outside the organization as well as inside.
          This film is enjoyable all throughout as the audience is entertained by great actors working off of a great script. Moneyball was co-written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Zaillian is the Oscar winning writer behind "Schindler's List" while Sorkin is the Oscar winning writer behind "The Social Network." Together these two put together a script that while watching, feels like a fictional story, but that helps make it connect that much more with the audience when you realize it is based on a true story. (Update: This pair's great writing has earned them an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay that would be shared with Stan Chervin as well who came up with the story)
         Acting wise everyone was on top of their game. Pitt is stellar as the young, somewhat carefree GM. He transitions back and forth seamlessly from the methodical, set in his ways side and big kid still having fun with baseball no matter what side of Beane. Though Pitt was great in this role Jonah Hill may have stolen the show. Hill's portrayal of the composite character Brand is a role many fans of his aren't used to seeing as it is a dramatic one. Hill is great as this young Harvard grad who's uncomfortable and unsure of himself as he's thrust into a job opportunity of a lifetime at such a young age. Together with Pitt their chemistry is great as the two's characters play off of each other quite well throughout the entire movie. (Update: Due to their great performances Pitt has been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar and Hill has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar)
         One must not forget Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of A's manager Art Howe. Though small, he plays the long time manager and stubborn old style baseball guy great as he goes head to head with Beane throughout. Also, Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) is solid as Scott Hatteberg, the long time bench player who is one of the main guys brought in to contribute and replace Jason Giambi. Plus, there's a great shot of his WSU Cougar jersey in the background when Beane goes to his house to sign him. Can't ignore that now can we?
          Anyways, overall I thought this movie was great. Like any good sports movie should it grabs the audience with its drama and hooks you into cheering for the team on the screen. Even I, a lifelong Mariners fan found myself hoping for the A's success while I watched, even though I already knew the outcome. (Update: I'm not the only one who thought this was a great movie as it's nominated for a Best Picture Oscar)
         I give this movie 3 1/2 out of 4 stars and a thumbs up. I recommend you go see it even if you're not a baseball fan as this movie is about much more than just baseball. This movie is out in theaters now as it was just release last Friday so you have plenty of time. Enjoy! (Update: This movie is now out on DVD and Blu-Ray and is available at Redbox and OnDemand)

Editor's Note: I know I said "Last Night" would be my next review, but since Moneyball is in theaters now it gets higher priority. Lookout for Last Night next time unless the same circumstances arise again.

Revolutionary Road

            In 2009's Revolutionary Road, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet team up for the first time since they costarred with each other in Titanic back in 1997. Only this time they team up with talented director Sam Mendes who was the man behind the great American Beauty.
            Based upon the book of the same name released back in 1961 by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road takes a very dramatic look at a couple stuck in their mundane repetitive suburban lifestyle of the 1950s.
            The film begins with Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) meeting April (Winslet) at a party. At the time Frank is a longshoreman while April has dreams of becoming an actress. These dreams don't last long as we quickly fast forward to where they are for the rest of the movie. Married, with two kids, living in a very nice house in the Connecticut suburbs on Revolutionary Road. April is a stay at home mother (not uncommon for this time) and Frank commutes to New York City for his sales job. Seems pretty ideal from the outside looking in. But from the inside to Frank and April it is a slow hell. April can't handle the repetitiveness of her daily life, while Frank hates his job and therefore puts little effort into it whatsoever. In an effort to pull out of their tailspin the Wheelers decide to move to Paris and start anew. Of course the perfect plan ever goes off without a hitch, and the Wheeler's must not only try and deal with the obstacles put in their way, but also must fight for their marriage to survive them.
           This is not a film to watch if you're looking to watch something light. It is a heavy drama that deals with heavy subjects and complex characters. DiCaprio plays his role skillfully of a cowardly man unsure of what he wants to become in life. Winslet is great as this woman defeated of her dream and stuck in a life she does not want to be in. If it was not for her Oscar nomination in The Reader in the same year she would have most likely received one for this role.
            The great acting is not limited to just the two leads however. Kathy Bates is solid in the role of the Wheeler's friend and realtor Mrs. Givings. Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire) is even better though as John Givings, the mentally troubled son of Bates' character. His bluntness and lack of manners is very well timed and triggers heavy debates and arguments between him and the Wheeler's. Shannon's performance even netted him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
           The movie does have its holes however. For a married couple with two kids, the Wheeler's sure spend a lot of time with their kids not around. It just seemed a bit too convenient, though in the end it's not a huge deal and can be easily overlooked. Some people may find this movie slow and/or boring. But the big picture to see in this film is that it's not driven by a particular plot line or the character's plans, but by the character's themselves. This movie is about two people and the depths of their emotions, personalities, and actions and how these come to affect each others' lives.
           Overall, I give this film 3 out 4 stars and a thumbs up. It wasn't as good as I had hoped but maybe I was looking for too much. The acting is very solid and is worth seeing at least once, though it's not necessarily something to watch again and again. As I mentioned above it's a bit heavy for that. You can buy this movie on DVD or Blu-Ray or rent it through Netflix. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: My next review will be on the 2011 drama Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, and Eva Mendes so be on the look out for that!

Tangled

          Well everyone, first off I'd like to apologize for being pretty much non-existent over the last month and a half. I've been pretty busy and to be completely honest, haven't really watched any new movies. Buy I've got a couple that I've seen in the last week so it's time to let you know what I thought. The first one we'll talk about is the animated Disney movie Tangled.
           Tangled is loosely based off of the Brother's Grimm fairy tale Rapunzel. In this version Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is a princess born with magical hair after receiving the powers from a magical flower her mother ate during pregnancy to cure her illness. This flower was being used by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) to keep herself young and in her desperateness to stay young she kidnaps Rapunzel for her hair. To keep her from being discovered Mother Gothel locks Rapunzel up in a tall tower and never lets her out in to the world while pretending to be her mother. This goes on for years until a thief on the run named Flynn Ryder, voiced by Zachary Levi (Chuck), hides out in her tower and discovers her. Rapunzel who has been dying to see the floating lights that appear on her birthday every year, makes a deal with Ryder to be her guide in exchange for his satchel which she holds as a ransom. Little does Rapunzel know she is about to discover a lot more than she bargained for, all the while Mother Gothel desperately tries to get her back to the tower to protect the magic hair and her secret.
            Though Disney has said that this will be their last "princess" movie for awhile its obvious they have discovered their winning formula again. After their torrid streak in the 90s of successful animated musicals they've been on a bit of a down slide, relying heavily on their pals at Pixar and discovering more success in live action. Though they've adapted with the times and animated Tangled in 3D they created a film along the lines of their successful films in the 90s. They don't need a princess movie to be successful again. Just a good creative story, with plenty of laughs for kids and adults with a great musical score. With Tangled they provided all of that.
           They hired old pal Alan Menken to compose the score. Menken having won 8 Academy Awards for his work on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Beauty and the Beast. Menken does not disappoint, as just like in those other films he composes fresh, fun songs that fit perfectly into the story and provide plenty of laughs and emotion. Example, "I See The Light" was nominated for Best Original Song at last year's Academy Awards.
             Mandy Moore does a very good job of voicing the sheltered, naive Rapunzel. Also, it certainly helps that she can sing as she's the one singing most of the songs. Zachary Levi is also good at voicing the care free self involved Flynn Ryder. His voice was also quite impressive in the couple of songs he had to contribute on.
             As with most Disney films the cast wouldn't be complete without some great sidekick characters. In this case the two best ones in my opinion were the non-speaking animal pals. Just like Aladdin had a Abu, Rapunzel has Pascal her cute little chameleon pal. There's also Maximus, the horse of the palace guard that's after Ryder. He's hilarious has he tries to track Ryder down, all the while being smarter than the other guards and reminding one of a bloodhound on the scent.
             Tangled is a cute funny film that is appropriate for all ages. I hope Disney sees the success of this film and realizes this formula worked throughout the 90s and they continue to stay with what works. If that's the case then us viewers could be in for a treat in the years to come.
              I give the movie a solid 3 out of 4 stars and a big thumbs up. If you haven't seen this yet then I recommend doing so regardless of your age. It can be found on Netflix's instant streaming service or through DVD mail order. It is also available to purchase now on DVD and Blu-Ray. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: As I stated above sorry to anyone who has been curious of what movies to watch lately. I'm going to try and get back in the groove of things and put out at least one review a week. My next review will be on the film Revolutionary Road starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Until next time readers!

The Lincoln Lawyer

            As I sat down to watch "The Lincoln Lawyer" I was excited as I had heard pretty much only good things. However, from what I had seen trailer wise, I couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. Outside of its one peculiar trait of the guy operates his practice from the back seat of his Lincoln, it was hard to grasp how this movie is going to separate itself from other lawyer/courtroom dramas. I'm happy to say however that this movie offers much more than I expected.
           "The Lincoln Lawyer" follows Mick Haller (McConaughey), a defense attorney in Los Angeles who operates his practice from the back of his Lincoln Town Car while being driven around town to his various court appointments. Haller epitomizes your typical slime ball defense lawyer. He'll take on any client regardless of what they've done and try to get them off, all while trying to make as much money as possible. Doing this does not always mean going about things in a honorable way either. Things begin to change however when Haller takes Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippee) as a client. Roulet is a rich realtor who is being accused of rape. Roulet swears he didn't do it of course, but Mick finds things are much more complicated than they seem as he discovers what truly happened, all while trying to defend Roulet.
           This film is based off of a book of the same name by Michael Connelly. Though I have not read the book, I hear that it is very good and the movie actually follows along pretty close with it. Don't be fooled by the title either. As I mentioned above, though you see Mick Haller riding around in his town car quite enough, the story is far less about that peculiar oddity than the complexity of the client and problems Haller has to deal with. And when I say complexity I mean it.
             Like most people at any movie I found myself taking guesses as what was going to happen next or what the outcome of certain things in the movie would be. I wasn't even close. This story may give you a predictable answer here, but will throw two curveballs to make up for it and that's what really pulled me into this movie. The movie's ending, though not bad doesn't live up to the great back and forth and mystery given to us by the rest of the plot, which is unfortunate. With a more solid ending that falls better line by the good writing of the heart of the story and I think this film has the potential to be very very good.
              I do want to give Matthew McConaughey credit though for playing this role quite well. He was a good choice to play this cocky, risky, no cares at all character. Plus, it was nice to see him playing something other than some stupid character in a chessy rom-com. He's a decent actor when he can play some more legitimate roles. As for the supporting cast, Ryan Phillippe is very good at playing the privileged and creepy Roulet. Reminded me a lot of his character in "Cruel Intentions" only much creepier and devious. Marisa Tomei was great as usual as she played Assistant DA Maggie McPherson. Also, William H. Macy is hilarious as haggard looking PI Frank Levin.
             Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It had its couple predictable moments, but keeps the viewer guessing and most importantly; entertained. I give this movie 3 out of 4 stars and a thumbs up. This movie is available on Xfinity onDemand, Netflix, and at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: The next movie I will review is going to be Hall Pass starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, and Jenna Fischer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

             Before I go on and review this movie it should be noted, if you don't know already, that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I've read all of the books and seen all of the movies multiple times. I have also made the trip out to Orlando and been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So though that may cloud my judgement, I also think it makes me a tougher critic of these movies. Plus, after you read my review, I think that you'll find many other reviews out there to be along the same lines as mine.
             To begin, as soon as I finished the 7th and final book, I believed they should split the movie into two parts in order to do it justice. It just didn't seem feasible to try and fit so much information and action into 2 1/2 hours. Thankfully, they did split it up and I think anyone who goes on to see both movies will agree that this was the best thing they could have done.
             With the first movie being the "journey" film so to speak, part 2 is set up perfectly to the point where everything is going down. Compared to part 1, part 2 moves much quicker in my opinion because they aren't constantly moving places and plus there's just so much action that takes place. Part 2 picks up with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson), at the cottage on the beach determining what to do next. They decide they must break into Gringotts (the wizard bank) in order to find another Horcrux. This takes the viewer on a great ride as they travel into the depths of the bank on a roller coaster type experience (I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this somehow became a ride at the theme park in Orlando). All of this goes quickly however, as the majority of the film is spent at Hogwarts, where it all began, as Harry and the others prepare and fight Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the ultimate showdown.
              I won't go anymore into summarizing the story as most of you know what it is. But the way that this story is portrayed on screen is something all Potter fans out there can leave being completely satisfied with. Director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves do a fantastic job bringing in all of the reoccurring characters over the years and giving them their time on screen to say "goodbye." Yates captures the drama of this intense battle by acknowledging the important deaths that happen, but doesn't linger and try to get too much emotion from them. He lets the intensity of the moment do it for him. When it comes to the end of the film Yates ends it on a perfect shot that summarizes up the journey of the last 10 years. Plus, the quick 19 years later epilogue is done the best it could I believe, with makeup not being over done and the audience getting a sense of closure.
             This movie is a non-stop roller coaster of action and adventure with plenty of emotion along the way. Watching it I actually felt my heart racing at times, but then again this could be because I've been so invested in this franchise since I was 11. This however, is what makes this movie so good. It allows people like me, or people who've only seen the movies or none at all, to connect with the characters completely and enjoy every second of the movie.
             Of course if you haven't read the books or seen all of the movies when going into this one, things could become confusing for you. Things from the book are of course omitted and that's partly due to the fact most of the audience already knows about them and doesn't need them shown on screen. That is however, been the nature of these films since the beginning.
            Overall, I have to say this is easily the best film of the series. Of course this movie benefits in being the movie where everything gets concluded. We finally learn the truth behind Professor Snape who was played wonderfully again by Alan Rickman (I wish he had more screen time because he deserves an Oscar for his performance of Snape over the last ten years). We finally learn all of the information of the connection between Harry and Voldemort, as well as see the final battle between them. Then there's practically everything else that happens in the film.
            I give this movie a thumbs up 4 out of 4 stars.  Like I said above, I can't imagine a true Potter fan leaving this movie and not being completely satisfied with how this great story has ended. I've seen the film twice in IMAX 3D which I thought was done very well and I recommend it. However, I don't think you'll be losing anything by seeing it in normal 2D. Whatever you do though, go see it in theaters! Enjoy!

Horrible Bosses

           Who has never had a job that they didn't hate or at least just not want to do for the rest of their lives? Plenty of you I'm sure, I know I have. Well, what about actually having a job you enjoy? Nice huh? Now how many of you have had a boss that you despise at a job you either hate or like? Makes that environment excruciating doesn't it? Makes the job you hate miserable and the job you enjoy suck. This situation is one many people out there can relate to, and is the plot line behind the movie Horrible Bosses.
           In Horrible Bosses, Jason Bateman (Couples Retreat), Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Jason Sudeikis (SNL), play Nick, Dale, and Kurt. They are three friends at three entirely different jobs, and they all hate their bosses for entirely different reasons. The one thing they all share with their hatred is the fact that their bosses are holding them back. When they realize that they can't just quit and get new jobs due to the terrible economy, they come up with the idea that killing each others bosses is the only way they can be happy. From here they go on to find someone who can help them pull it off without getting caught. Enter Jamie Foxx who plays their "murder consultant (I won't give you his character's name as not to ruin some hilarity)." From here the guys go about trying to devise how to take out each others boss, which in turn leads to plenty of mishaps and plenty of other stuff that goes wrong, but it all comes with plenty of laughter.
            Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis work very well together and make a believable trio of friends, all of which have extremely different personalities. Charlie Day is great and I think his career looks promising outside of "It's Always Sunny..." Though plenty of the comedy work falls on these three enough can't be said about the work of the bosses. Kevin Spacey plays Dave Harken, Nick's boss, who is completely self absorbed and psychotic. Jennifer Aniston plays Dr. Julia Harris, Dale's boss, who sexually harasses him every chance she gets and is a complete sex crazed lunatic. Finally, Colin Farrell plays Bobby Pellett, Kurt's boss, who is a coke head and just an overall terrible person. All three of these actors do a great job with their extreme characters. Jennifer Aniston in particular does, and not just because she looks sexy the entire time, but because her character is such an extreme opposite of what she usually plays, it's just plain hilarious.
            Going into Horrible Bosses I thought it had the potential to be very funny. However, I also had the feeling that the previews could have over done it and it could potentially flop. Thankfully, I am glad to say that it did not flop and was in fact very funny. The outrageousness of it all helps keep the mood light throughout, so that you aren't picking apart everything that happens that may not be totally realistic of everyday life. The writer's do a good job of mixing up material and whenever a joke may flop in your opinion, don't worry the next one will sure to make you laugh again.
              Anyways, I obviously give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. It's hilarious don't get me wrong, but it has to be phenomenal to earn 4 stars. I will however be buying this once its out on DVD/Blu-Ray. This movie just came out last Friday so you all have a few weeks to go see it in theaters before it's too late. I highly recommend doing so. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: I'm going to start throwing in trailers with the films I review. Please let me know if this is a benefit or makes things too crowded. Also, I know I said Blue Valentine would be the next film to be reviewed, but I have been really busy lately and well it just didn't happen. I will be seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II at midnight Thursday night so I will do my best to put out a review ASAP after that. If I don't review Blue Valentine before Potter, then it will happen after it. Thanks and keep reading!

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Trailer

For being the 4th movie in the franchise and having only heard pretty much not good things about the third installment, this one looks pretty sick.

The Company Men

            How does it feel to be unemployed? Many people could provide an answer to that question based on their own experience. A lot of those people can base that feeling off of an experience from within the last couple years. Heck, if I wanted, I could go on about my experience in the last year of being unemployed and the hardships of finding a job in the field I want. I'm not going to do that though don't worry. I don't even want to write about it, none the less I'm positive no one wants to read it. However, this is the subject of which The Company Men deals with. In fact it deals with much more than the college grad who has a hard time getting a job, but with the millions of Americans in their 30s-50s who have lost their jobs due to the recession.
            Ben Affleck stars as Bobby Walker, a successful salesman for a shipping company in Boston. He makes 6-figures a year, is part of country club, has a wife and kids, and a big house. He's living the good life. All of it comes to a halt however, once he is laid-off without any notice. He is thrown into the unknown world of unemployment and quickly learns the consequences of not having a job. From here Bobby must face the tough reality that he's not alone in his search and that rebounding to the same height he was at before is highly unlikely.
           Though the story centers mainly around Bobby and his struggles, there is a really good sub plot with the films main supporting characters, Gene McClary and Phil Woodward. Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) is a high ranking executive at Bobby's company. Though the company is going through massive downsizing, he sees no misfortune come his way. However, unlike the CEO, played by Craig T. Nelson (Parenthood), Gene feels sympathetic and disheartened by the downsizing and does what he can to prevent it from happening. Phil Woodward is played by Chris Cooper (October Sky), and finds himself in a bit of a stickier situation than Bobby. Phil desperately tries to hang onto his job as he's worked his way up from the factory floor and finds that his age could be a problem if he were to find himself out of a job.
           I find this movie somewhat comparable to "Up In The Air", as its heavy, dramatic story line is centered around the same issue; the affect of the recession on everyday Americans. Unlike "Up In The Air" though, The Company Men lacks any real comic relief. I think that's what lacked here, and with such a heavy subject that many people can personally connect too, you run the risk of just being downright overly depressing. I feel this movie toed the line with this feeling throughout the movie, yet kept itself from crossing it completely.
          Overall, I liked the characters and the angle that the writers took on this subject. It was cast very well, and they all performed above par. Kevin Costner stuck out to me for his quality performance, though minimal, as Bobby's blue collar working brother-in-law. Plus, Maria Bello (Grown Ups, Coyote Ugly) did a good job too as the senior HR rep stuck with the crummy job of laying off everyone. Again though, the acting was sharp yet I felt the story could have been crisper and not so set on showing the depressing nature of the story at all times.
           I give this movie a thumbs up and 2 1/2 out 4 stars. Please realize going in that you're going to watch a heavy drama from start to finish, so it may not be the perfect popcorn movie for a Friday date night. None the less it's a quality film and I recommend it. It's available through Netflix, OnDemand on Xfinity, and at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: My next review will be on the film Blue Valentine starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II Trailer (#2 and most likely Final)

NERD ALERT! This trailer is epic! Shows much more of what to expect out of this final movie. I wasn't sure I could have been more excited for July 15th to roll around, but dare I say I am!

X-Men: First Class

            I have to admit as I was going into see X-Men: First Class I was feeling a bit skeptical even though I had heard good things. This shouldn't be as a huge shock as it's the fifth X-Men movie in the last 11 years and if you've read this blog before you'd know my stance on how sequels/prequels can be (See Little Fockers review). Plus, even though this movie has four returning characters, it's an entirely new cast. Thankfully though, the writers, including director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass), did a very good job of making you forget that the other movies even existed.
           Part of what helped them do this is the fact the movie is a prequel. With this they are able to create the origin of how the X-Men truly got started and what shaped the main characters into how we know them from the original three movies. They don't use these movies as a crutch, but as an outline, and only look to the fine details of what the characters need to become in order to determine what needs to go into this movie. Other than that the story is completely original.
           In X-Men: First Class we discover how everything gets started; obviously. In the previous movies mutants existed and everyone knew it. In this film they take the viewer to the birth of the age of mutants in this world. We not only learn how Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender of Inglorious Bastards) and Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy of Wanted) come to be who they are, but how they met and became friends, thanks to their goal against a common enemy. That enemy is Sebastian Shaw played by Kevin Bacon. Shaw is the brains behind the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early 60s (very clever to use an actual historical event). Erik and Charles along with a group of mutants that they've recruited must band together and fight to not just stop Shaw, but prevent the start of WWIII.
           The writers did a great job of bringing almost an entirely new cast of mutant characters for the viewers to see. Most of them have similar abilities to others we've seen though there's still that sense of freshness from each new characters personality. For example, January Jones of Mad Men plays beautiful Emma Frost, a telepath with the ability to also turn herself into a diamond, thus blocking other telepaths such as Professor X from reading her mind. The writers did an even better job with the returning characters though, and giving the audience insight into their pasts.
            Particularly, Hank McCoy/Beast played by Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy, A Single Man) and Raven/Mystique played by Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone). These are characters not many people know much about to begin with, yet after this movie the audience has a much better understanding of why they are the way they are in the previous movies. Of course with Magneto and Professor X we get the best insight, including the answers to a couple of character traits I'm sure most fans were curious to know how they began.
           Overall, this movie was very good. It had the same appeal and feel as the others did, while keeping original and true to itself. It made a couple of very clever and funny references to its predecessors with very brief cameos by Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique.
           I give the movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. The action was great and the new actors provided very fresh takes on roles we've already seen. Michael Fassbender in particular as Magneto is very good. Made me like Magneto more. Plus, you can never count out Kevin Bacon! I definitely recommend going to see this in theaters. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: Once again, I know I said one of two other movie would be reviewed this time. However, I went and saw this last night so as an obvious rule, a movie out in theaters now will always get top priority for a review. Look for The Company Men next.

Just Go With It

            I'm curious why the people who made this movie titled it "Just Go With It." I mean, is it because it relates to the film's storyline or is it because that's what they're really asking viewers to do? Now even though I am completely serious when I pose that question, I have to admit I didn't think the movie was that bad, and you know why? It's because I didn't expect a whole lot going into it. I mean it's an Adam Sandler movie for one, and anyone in my generation or anyone who has been around long enough to know his movies, should know what to expect from them. This movie falls from the same tree as many of his others do.
            In this movie Adam Sandler plays Dr. Danny Maccabee, a plastic surgeon in L.A., who uses a fake wedding ring to pick up women. He only does this of course after being severely hurt by a past love. However, this act comes back to bite him after he meets his dream girl, the beautiful school teacher Palmer (strange name for a character but oh well) played by Brooklyn Decker. When this happens, instead of coming clean Danny decides to lie more and say he's getting divorced. To aid him in this he enlists his assistant, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), to pose as his wife. From here things only get more complicated in many different ways as Danny and Katherine try help keep up the web of lies.
           At first glance, it's not a terrible story idea. Is it plausible to think with these story lines that it will all work out? No, but that's not the point, plus movies love these sort of ideas. The problem for this movie isn't the initial idea, but how they take that idea and go too far with it too quickly. It gets far too unrealistic with how quickly relationships develop and other things that happen.
           Now, I'm not getting on the case of some stuff that happens for jokes and what not. Going over the top with some extremity is something Sandler has done in his movies forever, so that's not unexpected. In fact, I would've been surprised not to see some of the style of jokes that are in there. And I'm not saying some weren't funny or cheesy either, but if you're a Sandler fan than you know what you're getting. However, I do give credit to Sandler for maturing in recent years with his comedy movies. He has scaled far back from the antics of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore (which I love), that he just can't pull off anymore. An exception to this of course being You Don't Mess With the Zohan which I'm sure many people would love to forget.
          When it comes right down to it, this movie had plenty of the types of jokes I expected that still seemed to make me laugh. I also, didn't go into it expecting to see an award winning type of story either, and if you want to try and enjoy this movie than you have to do the same. I give props to Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews for playing random bit characters I never expected to see and being pretty funny at them.
           Overall, I give this movie a thumb in the middle and 2 out of 4 stars. If you're a Sandler fan then watch it. I'm sure you'll laugh and probably not love it, but you won't hate it either. Plus, the beauty of Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker helps make anything watchable. Get this via Netflix, at your local Redbox, or onDemand. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: My next review will be either on the Australian movie Animal Kingdom or The Company Men. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens...

Super 8

            So how do you write a review about a movie that has been so shrouded in mystery since its title was mentioned for the very first time?  Well, I'm going to choose to do it by doing the same thing the ad men at Paramount have tried to do; and that is keep almost everything a mystery. Regardless if you like this ad tactic or not you should respect it. Is it kind of frustrating to go pay for a movie you seem to know nothing about? Of course it is. But this is something movies don't do anymore, and far to many times than not now a days do movies give too much information or jokes away in their trailers. Trust me, the mystery of not knowing practically anything just makes this movie better.
            So in case you haven't seen one of the trailers here is what information you'd be able to gather from it. Super 8 is about 6 kids in 1979 who are shooting a homemade zombie movie they witness a horrific train crash. From that crash something big and dangerous escapes and weird things begin to happen in their small Ohio town. The kids set out to try and discover what is happening in their town and why, all while trying to continue to shoot their movie and avoid the military, who has gotten involved. There's your basic outline with minimal detail.
            Now some of you may go and see this and think that its not much of a new idea. Group of kids get into something unexpected, find trouble, and so on. Sounds similar to "The Goonies" and other movies. But then again, how many truly original ideas are really coming out of Hollywood anymore? Many movies follow similar story outlines, but it's how complex each individual story is and how it's told that makes it a great movie or not; and Super 8 is well done in both regards. With director J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) and executive producer Steven Spielberg as the two big brains behind this they help create something much more in depth than what you may have come to expect from a film of this type.
            First off, the cast of six kids did a fantastic job, especially considering that they're all pretty much unknown and fairly new to the business. Joel Courtney (Joe) and Riley Griffiths (Charles), the two with the biggest workloads, are in their acting debuts, but you'd never know it from the way they interact and work with each other on screen. Elle Fanning (Alice) is probably the most experienced of the bunch, yet you never get any disparity that anyone in the group hasn't been doing this for awhile. The dialogue between the kids is what really seals the deal as it feels real. They talk to each other exactly how you expect close friends to talk to one another, with swearing and trash talk, all of the way to a complete 180 degree difference when around adults. It really helps the audience connect.
            Super 8 I thought was a great film. It was highly entertaining, with plenty of great action, and keeps you in a constant state of mystery, which will keep you intrigued throughout the entire movie as you want to know the answer to every single question. The depth and stories of the characters allow the audience to get an emotional connection with them as well. Where I think the movie faltered was at the end as I believe it didn't end as strongly as I was expecting. Now the ending was not bad, it just wasn't as climactic as perhaps I thought it would be.
            Overall, I give Super 8 a thumbs up and a solid 3 out of 4 stars. It wasn't blow you away fantastic, but it's a very fun and exciting movie that allows every audience member to feel like a kid again and go on their own crazy adventure. I recommend seeing it in theaters due to the action and if you do stick around as the credits role as there's more to see! Enjoy!

Editor's Note: My next review will be on the comedy Just Go With It starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, and Brooklyn Decker

Little Fockers

            As I said in my last review, Hollywood will make a sequel to anything as long as they believe a profit can be made and they don't care how good or bad it turns out. It always comes down to the money. Sometimes though I wish they'd just put the viewer first and decide, "You know what? This isn't needed." Instead that decision, if made, usually comes down to the actors deciding they don't want to play the same character again, and even then the studios sometimes go on without them.
            However, if it seems as if I'm getting all riled up to absolutely trash this movie I'm not. The movie wasn't great though either. The thing when it comes to sequels is that to make them good there are a bunch of things to do and not do. Unfortunately, with Little Fockers they do to many of the don'ts. One of the big don'ts is to not use your predecessors as a crutch and Little Fockers relies on the two movies before it heavily. No thought is put into the plot as it fully relies on continuity from the previous movies.
            In Little Fockers, Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) have twins (little Fockers haha get it?) now. With the twins' birthday approaching the whole family is coming to town to celebrate. From both sets of grandparents to even Pam's ex love Kevin (Owen Wilson). Due to all of these expenses cash strapped Greg begins moonlighting for a pharmaceutical company thanks in large part to the sexy sales rep Andi (Jessica Alba). This causes some familiar problems between Greg and Jack (Robert De Niro), as Jack is looking for a successor to the Byrnes' family legacy. Jack begins to feel he can't trust Greg, thus causing for friction and mayhem between the two.
            As I stated above the plot is weak and relies heavily on the formula from the previous movies, especially the first, just with the necessary upgrades. It is nice they were able to get all of the same actors to come back. Blythe Danner is back as Pam's mom Dina, while Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand reprise their roles as Greg's parents Bernie and Roz. Though that is nice, you don't always have to bring back every single character from previous movies. It gets to crowded trying to fit them all in and that's one of the problems here.
           Overall, with its problems Little Fockers could have been much worse than it was. Though some of its jokes and gags are recycled there's enough fresh or seemingly fresh material throughout to keep you from being terribly upset. In the end, this movie wasn't necessary and they should've stopped after the second one.
           Though through all of my negativity I'm going to give this movie a thumbs down, yet 2 out of 4 stars. I still laughed enough throughout to be able to look past the obvious errors and weak storyline. If you liked the first two movies as I did, I say feel free to give this one a whirl. You'll probably enjoy it enough and if you go to Redbox it's only a buck. You can also get this movie via Netflix or OnDemand on Xfinity. Enjoy!

Editor's Note: Alright I finally got around to Little Fockers. However, now I'm not to sure what to review next so you have any suggestions please feel free to let me know and comment below. I do have one request for the animated movie Surf's Up so that could be next.

Megamind

            If there is any animation studio out there that is going to legitimately compete with Pixar, the undeniable powerhouse, I believe it's DreamWorks Animation. In fact they're really the only ones to give Pixar any real competition in recent years. DreamWorks Animation has brought us the Shrek and Kung Fu Panda franchises, as well as Megamind which came out in November of 2010. Megamind follows in the same line as DreamWorks' previous ventures. A clever story with plenty of well known voice talent and tons of satirical humor, all while being family friendly. 
            Megamind is a story about, well, Megamind. Ever since he was a baby Megamind (Will Ferrell) has had a nemesis. That nemesis is Metro Man (Brad Pitt). From the time they were both sent to Earth from distant planets, all of they way through school and up to adult hood. In adult hood Metro Man became the superhero of Metro City while Megamind became the evil villain constantly trying to take out the city and its beloved superhero. What's that old saying? Be careful what you wish for? Well that definitely applies to the plot of this movie.
            When Megamind, with the help of his sidekick Minion (David Cross), finally takes down his nemesis Metro Man he finds himself with complete control of Metro City and everything he's ever wanted. However, he soon finds himself bored as he now has no one to fight. What good is evil when there's no good to fight? So Megamind sets out to create a new superhero/nemesis for himself. He takes lonely cameraman Hal Stewart (Jonah Hill) and sets out to turn him into Titan. Of course things don't go exactly according to plan and Megamind finds himself in a situation he never imagined being in and must figure out a way to fix it.
            As mentioned above Megamind is a very family friendly movie. It's rated PG, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have plenty of jokes for adults. As with most movies like this there are plenty of jokes for adults that go right over youngsters heads. A lot of this humor is satirical and very witty. With a voice cast of Ferrell, Hill, and Cross, with the aid of Tina Fey as news reporter Roxanne Ritchie, there's plenty of comedic presence. Even Brad Pitt does a good job of line delivery and portraying his character.
            This movie's storyline was not what I thought it was going to be going into it. It changed into something actually quite more complex. That's in no way a bad thing either. In fact it's added depth made the story that much more enjoyable. I had thought it was going to be something much more straightforward and instead I was presented with a story that kept me guessing, caring, and laughing all of the way through.
           As a result, I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. It is no Toy Story 3, but it's definitely above average for your everyday animated feature. Find it OnDemand on Xfinity, go to Redbox, or get it via Netflix. It'll definitely be a fun time. Enjoy!

The Hangover Part II

            You know it's not often that a sequel is better than the original it follows. Some may say a sequel in the Star Wars franchise or Indians Jones franchise is better than the first, but there will always be debate when it comes right down to it. However, though I'm sure some out there may think otherwise, I don't believe The Hangover Part II will ever be heavily debated as being better than the original.
            First off, the first movie was never made with the intention of a sequel being created. But like with anything in Hollywood now a days, if it makes a bucket load of money than you can make a pretty safe bet a sequel will be made. If one isn't than I guarantee it wasn't from a lack of trying.  The problem with this movie is the fact the original was a not a script where a sequel could easily be adapted off of its storyline. Sure there are a couple sub plot lines you could try to roll with, but there really wasn't enough there to make a whole other movie. The plot of the first Hangover was pretty much one and done. This is where The Hangover Part II runs into its only problems.
           The plot of The Hangover Part II is essentially the exact same as the original only in a new location and other details slightly altered. Then again as I have pointed out above this is really the only way to have created a sequel to begin with. Plus, I give credit to director Todd Phillips and the marketing team behind this film as they have never pretended it was anything else. They knew what they did and needed to do and they advertised it as such. They went with the old saying, "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it."
           In this go around Stu (Ed Helms) is the one getting married. He's getting married in Thailand as to please his soon to be wife and her parents. After what happened last time he does not want a bachelor party, much to the disdain of his friends Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Doug (Justin Bartha); well mainly Phil. As a favor to Doug, Stu agrees to invite Alan (Zach Galifianakis) to the wedding, thus completing the Wolfpack.
           The guys fly to Thailand and are doing the usual pre-wedding festivities. They go out on the beach one night, along with Stu's soon to be brother-in-law Teddy (Mason Lee), to just kick back and have a beer. Next thing they know they're waking up in a crappy hotel in Bangkok and don't know what has happened. Their old friend Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) is there, and oh, Teddy is missing. Thus the adventure begins.
            Contrary to how it might sound above I didn't care that the plot was exactly the same. I wish more of the jokes had been a bit more original though as a lot of them seemed to play off ones from the last movie as well. However, this didn't make them unfunny, it just diluted the instant hilarity you got from the similar jokes in the first movie.
            Overall, I still really enjoyed this movie. It was still hilarious and outrageous like the first with plenty shocking/gross/funny moments. The only problem is trying to find that absolute hilarity the first one gave so well, when you're already looking for it.
             I give the movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. If you haven't seen it yet and you really don't want to have to wait a few more months to see it on DVD, then by all means go the theater to see it. I did and I by no means see it as a waste of money and I highly doubt you'll disagree with me. Enjoy!

Editors note: Due to my vacation and long absence from the blog I figured I should skip the review of Little Fockers this time and go with the most recent movie I have viewed, especially because of its popularity and the fact that it's out in theaters now. Little Fockers will most likely be next up to be reviewed, though I do have a few options to pick from so stay tuned!

The Tourist

             The Tourist is one of those movies that has a lot of potential, yet puts in no effort to entertain the viewer what so ever. It left me questioning at the end of it if anything had really been accomplished in the last hour and 45 minutes. It truly is a shame too, as I believe this movie could have been a good one if it really had just put in the effort.
            The movie stars Johnny Depp as American teacher Frank Tupelo who is visiting Italy on vacation. While here he meets Angelina Jolie's character, Elise Clifton-Ward, on a train to Venice. From the beginning we know that Elise is on the run from Paul Bettany's (Wimbledon, Legion) character, Inspector John Acheson of Interpol, and a gangster due to some stolen money. Elise and Frank hit it off as Elise is using him in order to help shake her tails. She gets Frank sucked into a case of mistaken identity which causes him much distress and to be put in harms way frequently.
            Overall, the plot isn't entirely terrible. The idea and main conflict I am okay with, but it was the execution and dialogue that are the problems. In fact there were even a couple nice twists throughout the film that were great because they prolonged me predicting what the end result of the movie would be. However, this wouldn't last forever and even if I had not predicted the ending it still would have been quite uneventful and unexciting.
             As I have been saying, a movie with a good story idea and two A-list actors such as Depp and Jolie, with a quality supporting actor in Bettany, should not turn into such crap. There was absolutely no chemistry between Depp and Jolie's characters which made it completely unbelievable when they were supposed to have any serious and meaningful emotional scenes together. One factor of this must be because the entire script was poorly written. I am truly amazed that both Depp and Jolie received Golden Globe nominations for their performances, none the less the entire film getting a nomination for best picture at the Golden Globes. It's completely ridiculous.
            All of the bad aside there was a tiny bright spot to shine through it all. The entire film was shot on location in Rome and Venice. I have a feeling this was a strong factor in the actors' decision to do this movie. I can't imagine anyone watching this movie and not wanting to go to Venice afterwards.
            Finally, if you couldn't tell already, I do not recommend this movie. I give it a thumbs down and 1 star out of 4. If you're really determined to see this movie it is available at Redbox. Thankfully, I only spent $1 to see this. I feel for anyone who saw it in theaters. Perhaps, the person who said it best is Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times who wrote, "There is a moment in "The Tourist" when Johnny Depp turns to Angelina Jolie and asks "Why is all this happening?" It's a question moviegoers will be asking themselves as well." Isn't that the truth. Enjoy!

Editors Note: I know this review was supposed to be on Little Fockers, but that was an error on my part. Little Fockers will NOW without a doubt be the next review after this one.

All Good Things

            Though I have no legitimate expertise when it comes to making a movie, I'm going to express an opinion anyway. In my experience as a viewer I have found that when creating a movie that is inspired by true events it usually goes one of two ways. Either it's really well done and is a great picture (i.e. Remember the Titans), or it can become a complete crap fest (i.e. many horror movies and Pearl Harbor). In the account of the movie All Good Things, it did the unusual maneuver or hovering mainly in the middle to the positive side of these two opposites.
            All Good Things is inspired by the true events surrounding Robert Durst and the disappearance of his wife Kathleen McCormack. Of course in the movie all of the names of people have been changed. The film takes place between 1971 and 2003. The movie stars Ryan Gosling (The Notebook) as David Marks, the son of a powerful commercial real estate mogul in New York, who is not to keen on joining the family business. The film begins with David meeting working class Katie McCarthy who is played by Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman), with whom he falls in love with and marries.
           The two move to Vermont and open up a health food store in order to help David avoid joining the family business and his overbearing father Sanford Marks, played by Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon). Eventually, David folds to his father's pressure and joins the real estate business as a part of his father's company.
           Though they are deep in love, much still separates David and Katie as he is increasingly closed off, goes through constant mood swings, and has a strong will against having kids. Once they return to New York, Katie goes back to school, in turn making her more independent which causes David to become violent and controlling.
             Everything begins to come to a head when Katie goes missing. From here on out the mystery really begins as the skeletons in the Marks' family closet begin to slowly come out as police and others try to figure out what happened to Katie; and if David had something to do with it.
             I thought the acting by Gosling and Dunst in this movie was great and helped make this movie what it was. Their chemistry together was spot on as they had to transfer between being newly in love to complete emotional separation from each other. That goes without saying the portrayal of their individual characters was difficult enough, yet done quite well.
            I enjoyed this movie a lot as the mystery behind it all is quite compelling and the acting was good. My main problem with it was the fact that I don't think you ever get to really find out who David Marks is. There's so much mystery set behind this character with not enough answers given. I put the blame on that to the director partly, but also perhaps the fact because maybe the answers I was looking for aren't known due to some of these events the movie is based on; and that I found frustrating.
           Overall though, I found it entertaining and eye opening. I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. All Good Things is available for instant streaming or by mail via Netflix and is also available at Redbox. Enjoy!

Look forward to my next review which will be on the comedy Little Fockers, starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro.

Kick-Ass

            With so many superhero movies that have come out in the last 10 years it is hard to make one that is different and unique from all of the others, besides that of the superhero. This task is even harder when your movie is centered around superheroes that don't even exist in the fictional world yet. This is the route the movie Kick-Ass takes, and I have to say...they did quite a good job at it.
             Going into this movie I had a certain expectation of what I probably would see. I knew what the general plot was about anyway. The one thing that caught my attention was its R rating. It seemed somewhat odd from viewing the trailer what in this movie could cause it to deserve an R rating. Well let me tell ya, it deserved its R rating and this movie was nothing like I thought it would be; in a good way.
             Kick-Ass stars Aaron Johnson (Nowhere Boy) as Dave Lizewski, an unnoticed high school student who is a big geek when it comes to comic books. Curious as to why no one has tried it before, Dave decides one day to become a superhero named Kick-Ass, even though he has no powers, training in fighting, or any real meaningful reason to do so.  Of course this isn't the easiest thing to just pick up and do and Dave finds that out the hard way, while also becoming famous thanks to a video phone.
              As Dave goes down this road of being a superhero he runs into some legitimate heroes, Damon McCready (Nicholas Cage), a.k.a. Big Daddy (who is a take on Adam West's Batman which is hilarious), and his 14-year-old daughter Mindy (Chloe Moretz), a.k.a. Hit Girl. He also runs into some legitimate trouble in the form of organized crime headed by Mark Strong's (Sherlock Holmes) character Frank D'Amico. Then there is the addition of one last hero named Red Mist who is played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Role Models) who adds another element into the tangled web of good and evil that needs to be sorted out in this movie.
              I thought this movie did quite a good job of taking everyone's back stories and motivations and tying them together in a good way. As with any superhero movie this one had a lot of action and fighting bad guys. What I didn't expect to see is how real they kept it. This isn't Batman or Superman taking down bad guys and giving them to the cops. This is a story of real people fighting other real people with knives and guns. So these heroes don't just use martial arts against you...they shoot back; and this movie wasn't afraid to show all of this violence even from the 14-year-old Hit Girl. This is why the movie is rated R.
             Overall, I enjoyed this movie a lot as it was funny and very entertaining. It was a fun take on superhero movies that stayed realistic to it's plot most of the time and went away from that when it needed to. After all it's still a superhero movie. I give it a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. You can stream it instantly or get it in the mail via Netflix and your local Redbox may have it as well. Enjoy!

My next review will be on the mystery thriller All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst

Easy A

          Ah the classic teen comedy. It usually centers around high school and all of the troubles that come with it. Are you popular or a geek? Do you have sex or are you a virgin? Blah blah blah. We all know this. Most of us have seen plenty of teen comedies that we never need to see anymore ever again. The thing that makes some of these movies classics or better than others, is of course the writing and how funny it can be, but that also usually centers around a fresh take on the same old story lines. The movie Easy A does precisely this.
          In Easy A, Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland) plays Olive, a smart, average, middle of the pack high schooler. That is until a little white lie that she tells her best friend gets spread across the entire school like wild fire. That lie is that she has had sex and from this point on her life begins to mirror that off the main character in the book "The Scarlett Letter," which she happens to be studying in school.
           Discouraged by this at first, as she begins to be judged and discriminated against by everyone in school, Olive decides to make the best of the situation. She begins to use the school rumor mill to propel her social and financial standing within the school. As always, this doesn't come without its own set of consequences that Olive must deal with.
            As usual with these type of movies there are the secondary story lines of romantic relationships, friendships, and other moral dilemmas that come our way in high school. Though this movie is aimed towards girls it doesn't trap itself in that mindset as all of the jokes and innuendos can be appreciated by all, especially by any one who has ever been to high school.
           Though Emma Stone does a great job in this role, the supporting cast cannot be overlooked. Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) and Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island, The Green Mile) do a great job as Olive's laid back trusting parents. Then there is Amanda Bynes (What A Girl Wants, Hairspray) who is perfect as the highly religious over the top goody-goody. Throw in Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) and Lisa Kudrow (Friends) as the married school faculty that affect Olive's life and it's quite the ensemble supporting cast.
           Easy A is an easy going teen comedy that has plenty of laughs and is a fun watch at anytime. It doesn't try to be something its not and that's what makes it work. Like I said above, even though it is aimed toward a more female audience it doesn't come out that way, so I recommend this movie to all looking for a good laugh. I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. Enjoy!

My next review will be on the movie Kick-Ass starring Nicholas Cage so look forward to that.

The American

            This movie was lost and the best way to describe it is with a terrible pun. It was lost like a lonely American in the beautiful Italian landscape in which it was set. Told you it was bad. This movie did have a lot of things going for it though. It had tons of potential to go somewhere good, but it just never seemed to get off of the ground. I mean it's premise alone gives one the idea that this could potentially be very fun and entertaining, but it just leads the viewer on to think something it is not.
             The American stars George Clooney as Jack, an assassin working for some unknown company. We first find him in the outskirts of Sweden in the middle of winter with a woman (strange how that happens in these movies). Anyways, the movie starts with a bang as Jack's life is instantly thrown into danger and there's a firefight. At this point Jack must go into hiding for awhile while things cool down hopefully and his agency can take care of whoever is after him. He decides to go off of the grid to Castel del Monte in Italy after becoming nervous about the orders he received from his company on what he should do.
             Once comfortable Jack contacts his boss and is set up with another job while he lays low. He is contracted by a woman named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten) to build a custom made sniper rifle for an assassination. During this project Jack's perspective on his life seems to change as he starts seeing and dating a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido). He decides that this present contract will be his last and then he is out of this business for good. But, of course it is never that easy to leave this sort of business so Jack must outwit everyone who is after him if he wants to lead a normal life with Clara.
             As I said above I expected something much different out of this movie, especially once it started with all of the action that it did. However, once Jack gets to Italy it is a totally different take on your typical spy/assassin movie. It moves quite slow and is more centered on the evolution of Jack's character then it is about his profession. This was unexpected, but still okay as the movie was not dead yet. As the movie progressed I was hoping the ending where all of the problems would finally intersect would be much grander and eventful. However, I found myself figuring out how most of it would go and in the end it was just disappointing.
            I did think there were some great things about this movie. One, it was entirely shot on location so you get to see the beautiful Italian landscape throughout the entire movie. Also, Clooney is the only American actor in the film as the rest of the supporting characters are all Italian or of some other foreign ethnicity, which I thought was a nice touch. Overall, I saw no problem with any of the acting, I just had my reservations about the plot and ending.
           I give this movie a thumbs down and 1 1/2 stars out of 4. I think it got over rated by other viewers and could have been much better than it was. As always this is just my opinion and if you're a huge fan of Clooney then give it a shot. You may find yourself not being as critical as me. This movie is available on Netflix as well as Redbox I believe. Enjoy!

My next review will be of the teen comedy Easy A starring Emma Stone.