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!