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...