Fright Night

Starring Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin. People start disappearing, and then a vampire moves in next door. I have not seen the original. I don't know if that matters.

This movie was both fun and scary. The beginning scene promises a lot more scares than the rest of the movie delivers, but there were legitimately scary moments, and it has a good sense of humour too. I would compare it to Zombieland, but not quite as clever. Yelchin is still a cutie, and Farrell is satisfyingly creepy. A more complex plot might have been nice, but as is, a good movie if you're feeling like a light horror and some laughs, definitely entertaining.

The Help

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Octavia Spencer.

So, I assumed this would by the type of movie I would really like. And I did like it. It was kind of slow, and I didn't cry at all, but it was a good story, and there were a lot of different characters that you get to know well. It's pretty rare to have a half-dozen or so characters so well developed. Celia Foote is such a ray of sunshine, Abileen is stoic, and Minny is sassy. Hilly is easy to hate, and Skeeter is the glue.

The history person in me was a little disappointed, however. The subject matter was handled very safely and positively. The Help would definitely be a good starting point for opening dialogue with children about black history. The 1960's was a very turbulent time for black people, and this movie doesn't try to convey just how difficult it was. It results in a feel-good movie where we are uplifted about how much the black people achieve, and are reminded that not all white people were racists. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is a safe movie about black people in the 60's, which is fine, but maybe go and watch "A Time to Kill" afterwards for a bit of a harder edge on the issue.

Cowboys and Aliens

So, it's about what the title suggests: cowboys and aliens. It's 1873, and the wild West is being attacked by aliens. Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde come to the rescue.

Combining the western and science fiction genres was a very interesting move. I can't say if this has been done before, but the sheer novelty of having old school cowboys fight futuristic alien was enough to keep me watching. It is silly in some parts, like when they shoot their pistols at these big scary aliens like it's going to do something, but for the most part, the combination was fascinating. You have all the standard elements of a Western, and then these spaceships appear. There is mention among the cowboys that these aliens could be "demons", and not a whole lot more is discussed. I would have liked some more insight into the cowboys' thoughts on these aliens, and their technology

I like Daniel Craig, I may be blinded by his unnaturally blue eyes, but he seems to be a good actor. For some reason I wasn't too fussy on Harrison, he just doesn't come off as a hard-ass to me. Wilde's character is interesting and mysterious - I would have liked to have known more. Sam Rockwell plays Doc, but Rockwell will always be the hated Wild Bill from The Green Mile to me, and it makes him hard to like. His character was generic enough, though, to forget it was him. A shout-out to Paul Dano, who plays Ford's nut case of a son. I thought Dano was just super in There Will Be Blood, and I would have liked to have seen more of him.

Kind of a preposterous plot, but definitely an interesting combination. Good CGI, good acting, not a bad movie at all.

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen's newest film is about an engaged couple in Paris. He (Owen Wilson) falls in love with the city, while she (Rachel McAdams) thinks he's crazy.

At the stroke of midnight each night a car picks up Gil (Wilson) and transports him to the 1920's, we learn that Paris in the 20's is what Gil considers to be the ideal time to live in. He meets the great minds of that time including Hemingway, Picasso, and Dali. The plot is kind of whimsical in that it poses the question of: what would it be like to live in a different time? And, would it be better than our own? But harkening back to the 1920's, I find that it starts to become a little gimmicky. For example, Gertrude (Kathy Bates) wonders if 500 francs is a reasonable price for a Matisse, in hindsight, of course it is, and Gil wonders if he can buy 6 or 7. It's moments like that I think are supposed to be cute or funny or inside jokes, but it starts to come off as a little easy.

Another side to consider is that I did not get all the inside jokes. So while I got the one about the Matisse, I did not get the one about Dali and the rhinoceros. I'm not saying that I'm bitter because the movie made me feel stupid, but I think I could have enjoyed the movie more if I understood some more of the references (or maybe I just would have complained more about the gimmickyness of them)... (or maybe I just think they are gimmicky because I don't fully get them). Full disclosure here.

I certainly could have enjoyed this movie more if I had brushed up on my American lit beforehand, but as is, I liked it. Owen Wilson is well-cast in his enthusiasm and wonder, Rachael McAdams pulls from her Mean Girls repertoire towards the end, and Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, and Adrian Brody are always a pleasure. I'm not going to say this movie is for everyone, but for those who get it, they will enjoy it thoroughly. And for those who don't, there's enough of the in between stuff so you won't be totally lost.

Super 8

Super 8 is the story of a group of kids that witness a crazy train crash while filming a movie. Mystery and monsters follow.

So this movie was brought to you by Steven Speilberg and J.J. Abrams. Abrams is the guy behind Lost, and while I was a HUGE fan of the show, Super 8 suffers from some of the flaws of Lost. Super 8 (like Lost) takes on too much, in an effort to be mysterious and supernatural, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Like, why were those people hanging upside down? And if he could do that magnetic thing to get his Legoes back, why didn't he do it sooner? Why would Alice's dad have a problem with Joe? How could a pickup truck derail a train so violently? I had way more questions, but I don't remember them, but you get the idea. Also like Lost, the monster makes the same clicking noise as Smokie did from Lost, I thought that was a little too lazy, and an obvious connection

I haven't seen Cloverfield, but I did see the trailer for it, and I got sort of that same mysterious monster vibe from Super 8 (I think Abrams did Cloverfield too, try a different genre, buddy!) I also got a Stand By Me vibe for the first little bit, which I really enjoyed. A group of boys, 12 or 13 having an adventure, set a couple decades ago. Classic. The group dynamics are successful, and each are memorable in their own way. Elle Fanning (Dakota's sister) plays the love interest, and there is something fascinating about her. There also seems to be some remnants of early Spielberg movies, like ET, kids getting into trouble while the adults try to cover it up. These associations to older films kind of creates a nostalgia for that type of story and film making and I liked it.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie, I was pretty sure I thought it was a scary one, but it's more of a suspense, and it is so nice to once in a while be on the edge of your seat while watching a movie, wondering what will happen next, and only slowly have pieces of the puzzle be revealed. For all the holes and unbelievable parts (not to mention a little bit of an obscure monster) Super 8 ticks right along and delivers an interesting movie filled with action, drama, emotion, and suspense.

A little bit of this and that

So there are three movies that I've watched in the last week or so that I would like to review, and feel like the movies are piling up and I won't be able to do them justice because there are so many movie reviews swirling around in my head. So I will do them all at once here, and see what I can remember.

Cars 2
I did see the first one, but for some reason I don't remember thinking too highly of it. Cars 2 was really cute, Mater was great, maybe that's why I liked this one, because Mater was the main guy and not Lightening McQueen. Anyways, his obliviousness is adorable, and all the ways in which cars are personified are clever and cute. The scene where Mater was in the Japanese washroom was actually hilarious. People who are car fans should also enjoy this movie because it talks about actual brands of cars. I was in a parking lot once and noticed a strange looking car that looked kind of 70's, the emblem was of some weird little Buddha guy. I mentioned this to my dad, and he said it was a Gremlin, and that you don't see them around often. The moral of the story is that there were Gremlins in Cars 2, and I thought it was pretty funny.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I haven't seen any versions of The Planet of the Apes, but we all should know that Apes rule the world in it. I was excited that this movie was going to tackle how that happened. James Franco was the main guy, and I know that I said previously that I seem to like him in movies, but in this one I just felt like he was miscast. He was alright, but I think someone else could've done better (but don't ask me who). And Freida Pinto is beautiful, but they just don't have much chemsitry. Andy Serkis does his thing (a la Gollum and King Kong) as Caesar, the ape. There is buzz that Fox is trying to get Serkis nominated for an Oscar, which would really challenge what it is to be considered an "actor". The technology was amazing, the story interesting, John Lithgow was delightful. But the movie just seemed unfinished. See, in Captain America the movie ended, and you know that it's setting things up for a sequel, but it's ok, because the movie can pretty much stand as a whole, complete movie. The ending of this one though, still leaves questions unanswered and plot lines unfinished, it's more of a part 1 of 2, so yes, I am looking forward to part 2, but still feel a little short-changed.

Our Idiot Brother
My own brother sent me an email pointing out the poster and release date for this movie, it was August 26th, his birthday. I laughed at how ironic it was that a movie called "Our Idiot Brother" was being released on my own brother's birthday. But my brother isn't an idiot, and neither is Paul Rudd's Ned - the idealist hippie who shakes up the lives of his three sisters. I really enjoyed this movie, the characters are all very different and well-developed. Paul Rudd is perfect. We are usually used to him being the clean cut, business-y character, but this bearded guy is so honest and sincere and optimistic, you can't help but like him. Funny and heartwarming, but not sticky-sweet.

The Change-Up

A married father (Jason Bateman) and his slacker playboy best friend (Ryan Reynolds) magically switch bodies.

When this movie first came out a couple of months ago, I remember reading Ebert's review of it, and he didn't have many nice things to say. So I watched it without any expectations. After the first few minutes with a poopy baby scene I knew what Ebert was talking about when he called the movie "vulgar" and "offensive". But I pressed on, and the movie wasn't THAT bad. Hard to believe? Sure. Stupid? Of course. But it has it's funny moments, Bateman and Reynolds are fun to watch (not to mention Leslie Mann and Olivia Wilde), and every one learns the lessons that they need to.

The opening paragraph of Ebert's review reads: "The Change-Up" is one of the dirtiest-minded mainstream releases in history. It has a low opinion of men, a lower opinion of women, and the lowest opinion of the intelligence of its audience. It is obscene, foulmouthed, scatological, creepy and perverted. As a bonus, it has the shabbiest low-rent main titles I've seen this side of YouTube.

Now that is pretty harsh. I agree with the part about the title, but the rest is a little mean, maybe Rog was having a bad day. This movie isn't super fantastic, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was nominated for a Razzie, but it fills the stupid comedy hole that you sometimes get.

Horrible Bosses

Three guys have horrible bosses (hence the title) and decide to kill each other's bosses because for one reason or another, quitting is not an option and these people are ruining their lives. The guys are Jason Bateman, some other Jason from SNL, and some other guy with a chipmunk voice.

This movie was pretty darn funny. Outrageous and unbelievable? Absolutely. But funny nonetheless. The bosses were really well cast, and include: Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrel, and Jennifer Aniston. While I am ambivalent towards Spacey in general, if anything, he comes off as a bit of a creeper (American Beauty?), but it is undeniable that he is a great actor, and he pulls off being a very horrible boss (and person). Colin Farrel was quite the surprise as the balding Bobby Pellitt - coke-addict, and all-round tool. Farrel will always first and foremost be a heart-throb in my mind. He's a good looking guy, has a dreamy accent, and has a kid with a disability that he is so proud of = swoonworthy. On the complete flip side, he is a spot-on tool in this movie, and it's great. Jennifer Aniston makes an admirable effort at the maneater character, it's nice to see her try something that's not the love interest, but her story line was missing something. Spacey's Harken has his cheating wife, Pellitt has his coke, and karate, and ladies, but we don't have a lot of back info on Aniston's Julia, why is she like this?!

I also had some issue with Jamie Fox's character - I wasn't too fussy on him. He was just silly, when the rest of the movie was funny. But on a positive note, I am always happy to see Donald Sutherland, especially in such a loveable (but small) roll.

While this movie is about planning three murders, it never wanders into the dark comedy genre, it is always just comedy, which is fine. You know the guys aren't going to be able to kill their bosses in the end, but everything will turn out fine. Watching what drives them to consider killing, and the subsequent planning, is good and hilarious times. The sale on peanuts and the peeing in the park were some of my favourite parts.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Cal (Steve Carell) has grown complacent in his relationship with Emily (Julianne Moore). When she asks for a divorce, he agrees to sign anything he wants as long as she'll stop talking about it. Cal meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling) at an upscale bar, Jacob is a smooth operator and takes pity on Cal and offers to give him some tips to pick up ladies. Jacob eventually falls in love with Hannah (Emma Stone), and Cal's son Robbie is in love with his 17 year old babysitter, who is in love with Cal.


So that about sums up the foundation for this movie. I really liked Crazy, Stupid, Love. You may remember that the last movie I watched with Steve Carrel was Dinner for Schmucks, and I thought he and the movie were incredibly annoying, but I liked him in this one. His humour was dead-pan, observational, and sarcastic and I thought his character was likeable and relateable, and you really kind of care about his life. And that's what makes this movie more than a comedy, or romance, or drama. It doesn't do ridiculous things for laughs (except maybe Marissa Tomei's character - she was a little over the top). And while the movie is about love, there isn't a whole lot of romance, and it's just too funny to be a drama. It has a wonderful balance that allows for characters to be developed and the story to be told.  On top of that, everyone has good intentions, there is no malicious character - everyone is allowed to figure things out on their own. Kevin Bacon has a small roll as the man Emily cheated on Cal with, and while he has feelings for Emily, he doesn't try to sabotage anything, which is nice for a change. I did have some issue with the chemistry between Stone and Gosling, but the scene where they spend the night together is just really well done, that you kind of forget about the odd pairing. I am struggling to classify this movie as a chick-flick or not, it's definitely approaching it, but I think that even guys will enjoy the humour and the relationship between Cal and Jacob.

A funny, heartwarming, realistic, serious movie.


And Ryan Gosling is just really attractive in this movie, and with me being Canadian and him being Canadian, it's like I actually have a shot, right?

Captain America: The First Avenger

Another superhero movie, coincidence? I think so.

Captain America is the story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) an American in the 40's whose ailments prevents him from joining the army and defending his country. A scientist (Stanley Tucci) sees potential in the scrawny idealist and helps him to enlist in a secret program that turns him into a superhero. Also starring Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, and Agent Smith from The Matrix. If you've been reading my blog at all then I won't have to say how much I enjoyed the fact that this movie takes place during World War II, but I will anyways. I do enjoy period pieces. Countries tried some crazy shit in the hopes of gaining the upper hand in WWII (Hiroshima, anyone?) and genetic mutation to create super-humans isn't really that far-fetched (using some magic power-of-the-gods stuff to achieve that though, maybe (but I wouldn't put it past the Nazis)). So the moral of the story is that I liked the basis for the plot and setting.

I also liked Chris Evans as Captain America. I found Ryan Reynolds to be distractingly good-looking in Green Lantern, and Evans seemed to be just the right amount of good-looking. He has this all-American quality to him, which is probably appropriate considering the movie. This movie also used some super technology to make Evans look really scrawny for the first bit, and it was so believable that it makes his character really likeable throughout, Captain America is truly a decent guy, even with a six-pack. I really liked Tommy Lee Jones, even though his character is pretty generic, he has that balance of hard-ass and softie that plays well for military characters. Stanly Tucci does a quality German accent and adds a bit of depth to all his roles, regardless of how small. Dominic Cooper (Sky from Mamma Mia) could have been played by anyone but I like the tie-in to Iron Man (he plays Tony Stark's father). Hayley Atwell played the love interest, they never explained why she was British (unless I missed it) and it bothered me how she didn't wear a helmet in combat (presumably because it would mess up her hair and be unlady-like) but her character was likeable enough.

This brings us now to the villain - Schmidt/Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving. I just didn't find him very scary or intimidating, and the fact that the serum turned his face red was kind of random. I don't know if the writers were hoping that a Nazi as a villain would be enough, because Nazi's are the worst kind of people, and that should speak for itself? I also had issue with Captain America's costume/uniform (I can't think of the word), it's kind of dirty and boring. And other than being stronger and faster than he was before (and brave to begin with) what, exactly, are his super-powers? It seems like a lot of his awesomeness comes from that shield, and well, that's just a shield. The ending was also kind of a let-down, clearly it's setting up for The Avengers movie, which is all well and fine, but darn it, he had a date with Peggy for next week, and what ever happened to that?!

All in all though, I did enjoy this movie. The casting was great, skinny Chris Evans was cool, and the retro 40's thing was appealing. I also thought it was really neat how they used actual recruitment/propaganda posters during the ending credits - clever and visually stimulating. I rate this movie better than Green Lantern, but not as good as X-Men: First Class.

Bad Teacher

I assumed this movie was going to piss me off. I am a qualified teacher with no teaching job, and there are thousands of us, and I figured that a movie about a person not appreciating having a coveted teaching job would make me mad. It actually didn't though. Cameron Diaz's character was so ridiculous that the whole thing was pretty unbelievable. It was also, however, entertaining. Bad Teacher has no moral and Diaz's character has little redeeming qualities, even at the end. Her character is just plain mean and barely likable. It's always interesting to see Justin Timberlake act, but he doesn't add much, and the random hook-up between Diaz and Jason Segel at the end is exactly that - random. What propels this movie is the sheer outrageousness of how Diaz's character acts, you kind of root for her to get caught, and I was actually happy when Ms. Squirrel gets JT. Bad Teacher is not necessarily a bad movie, like I said before, it's entertaining, but School of Rock did this genre waaay better.

Lars and the Real Girl

Starring Ryan Gosling and Patricia Clarkson, Lars (Gosling) has trouble connecting with people, he lives alone and avoids his brother and sister-in-law as much as he can. He finds the girl of his dreams in a life-sized doll named Bianca that he ordered off the internet. This movie definitely reminded me of The Beaver, that I reviewed previously. Both involved men struggling with mental illness and use an inanimate object to deal with their lack of connecting with the world.

Lars and the Real Girl is a sweet and oftentimes funny movie. Ryan Gosling is perfect as Lars, he is subtle and likable and makes this movie honest instead of a farce. The supporting cast is all what they need to be as well, the quirky and patient coworker, the struggling brother, the kind and compassionate sister-in-law. But what really makes this movie way more than about a man who falls in love with a sex doll, is the community. Lars' family fears that everyone is going to make fun of Lars (and them too), but instead (after initial hesitation) they embrace the positive change that Bianca is making in Lars' life. I found myself often wondering how I would act if faced with a similar situation, which can speak to how relatable this seemingly outrageous storyline is.

I enjoyed this film, I liked how patient it was in developing the relationship between Lars and Bianca, and between Lars and pretty much everyone else. I liked the message, I liked the subject matter. I do wish that we would have been privy to more of Lars' thought process when he decided to order the doll. Many things are not said in the movie, you have to infer often, and gather the moral for yourself, which is part of the subtly that I liked, but there were some parts where I would have liked more.

Green Lantern

This movie was strange. Maybe, like I am Number 4, I did not expect it to be so science fictiony. The last two superhero movies I've watched, if I can remember correctly, was X-Men and The Green Hornet. In both of these movies, the superheros are human, and everything takes place on Earth. Well, Green Lantern has a huge inter-galactic back story that I wasn't really expecting and I had a hard time buying into it. I don't expect the movie to be believable, but most of this one felt like a cartoon, and I had some The Mask flashbacks with all the green.

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Tim Robbins, Green Lantern is about a team of green superheroes trying to save the galaxy from a fear-thriving rogue alien. A green ring chooses Reynolds to be one of the Green Lantern, and Lively is the love interest. There's no denying that Reynolds is a good-looking guy, but there's just something about his face that seems hyperbolic, and is hard for me to take seriously as a superhero. Blake played one of the girls in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I've liked her ever since, she is a beautiful girl with an interesting voice. Peter Skarsgaard plays Hector, the disappointment of a son to Tim Robbin's Senator character. Hector could have been an interesting character, but the way things play out, he ends up being kind of pointless.

There are definitely some plot holes and this movie asks you to suspend belief in reality, but it isn't a bad movie, just strange.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Like the majority of the movies I watch, I didn't watch the newest installment of Pirates all in one sitting. It's a long one, and I watch movies at night usually, and turn them off to sleep. Anyways, the point is, is that this is the first movie in awhile that I seriously considered not finishing. Lucky for you (?) I didn't have much else to watch, so I did finish it, and here's my review!

Starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruze, on this episode of Pirates of the Caribbean everyone is looking for the fountain of youth. And that's about it. The first hour is full of silly fights and typical adventure music, but nothing much happens. To be honest here, I can't remember if I've seen all the Pirates movies (though I do remember seeing one at the theatre - maybe Dead Man's Chest?), I couldn't even tell you how many there are, but the first hour felt like all the past ones. Johnny Depp being tricky and silly, people chasing after him, etc. etc. My general thought was "This is lame". Luckily, Penelope has an enchanting accent, and like I said before, I had nothing else to watch.

The second half was moderately better, the mermaid thing was pretty cool and the missionary was cute, and ok, blackbeard was kind of cool too, but this movie just felt really half-assed plot-wise. Everything was overacted and over done. It sounds like Johnny's going to keep making these movies as long as the money is there, but the franchise has gone stale if this movie is any indication for the movies to follow.

X-Men: First Class

So we finally find out Magneto and Professor X's back story. I liked this movie, I would go as far to say that I really liked it. The history fan in me loved how real life events fit around the plot. For example, Magneto was Polish, and in a concentration camp during WWII. This aspect is carried through the movie, and why he has no sympathy for "men who are following orders". Later on, with the Cuban Missile Crisis, mutants are responsible for it starting it, and for resolving it. (Wouldn't it be cool if that was the truth?) Anyways, my review here is a little jumbled, I should have more of a plot, I'll find a synopsis from somewhere, hold on...

IMDB says: In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III.

That doesn't really say all I want you to know about it though. Let's try Rotten Tomatoes: X-Men: First Class unveils the epic beginning of the X-Men saga - and a secret history of the Cold War and our world at the brink of nuclear Armageddon. As the first class discovers, harnesses, and comes to terms with their formidable powers, alliances are formed that will shape the eternal war between the heroes and villains of the X-Men universe.

Between the two, I guess that'll do. I would like to add that this dictator/ nuclear Armageddon thing is a guy named Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon. Shaw is a mutant, I won't reveal his power, it's pretty cool though. Shaw just also happens to be the guy that killed Magneto's mom in the camp. I have some issue with the fact that both the government and Magneto have the same enemy, it seems like a lazy effort to keep the plot neat and tidy. And as much as I like Kevin Bacon, he just didn't seem right for the role. On that note, I will talk about the acting...

James McAvoy, I am generally a fan of, I loved him in Atonement and Wanted, but wasn't really fussy on him in this one. His character (Professor X) isn't that likeable, and the touching the temple thing to use his power comes off weird. Michael Fassbender plays Magneto/Erik, he was Lt. Hicox in Inglourious Basterds, but to be honest, I didn't give his character much thought, he was kind of a tool, and didn't last long. But oh sweet Jesus was he good in First Class, he is my new celebrity crush, that accent, those eyes, the strong chin, the intense gaze, the subtle smile, swoon. Delicious. His acting was good too. Jennifer Lawrence was Mystique, she seems like a solid actress in what I've seen her in. January Jones was pretty frigid and didn't add much. And I'm always happy to see Oliver Platt.

In regards to comparing this one to the other X-Men Movies, I've seen them, but it was a long time ago, so I don't really remember anything. I will mention though that I thought the naming of the mutants was kind of trivial, Raven just kind of decides on "Magneto", "Professor X", and "Mystique" without any deep meaning, and the cameos by Hugh "Wolverine" Jackman and Rebecca "Mystique" Romijn were kind of gimmicky.

All in all, this was a great superhero movie, I liked how the historical events were weaved in, I liked the mutants finding each other and harnessing their powers, I liked Magneto's beautiful, beautiful face.

The Romantics

College friends come together when two of their own are getting married, but the groom may still have a thing for a past love ...I'm kind of impressed that I summarized this movie so easily, I guess that speaks to how complicated this movie was. Starring Josh Duhamel, Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Adam Brody, and Murphy Brown.

I bought this movie pretty much just because Anna Paquin was in it. My guy really likes her in True Blood, so I figured her presence in this movie would be enough to make him want to watch it. It wasn't. I watched it alone, which I am actually happy about. We don't watch many movies together, and it would have been disappointing to waste the rare one on this silly movie.

After watching, I read a couple reviews, because whenever I think a movie is kind of bad I like to get some back-up. I always think "maybe I missed something, or just didn't get it". I found out that this movie was based on a book, and considering what the reviewer said about the book and how the movie was lacking, I could definitely see how this story could be a good book, but I'm sure a lot was lost in translation. This movie doesn't say much, it doesn't go anywhere, and nothing is solved. I don't know enough about the characters to care much about them, and they act in ways that I would prefer them not to. Plus is has that indie movie feel where some shots are a little fuzzy, and the camera pans instead of moving to the next shot, etc. The music, when there was some, was good though.

Zombieland

I'm feeling especially lazy today, so I am just going to copy and paste the synopsis for this movie from Rotten Tomatoes:

A cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos.

I watched this movie a couple days ago with my brother who recommended it highly. This movie came out about two years ago, and if I remember correctly, my initial impression was that it seemed like a good movie, but the zombie-gore might be a little much. This impression was fairly accurate. The movie was definitely entertaining, it was funny, and quirky, and silly. The narration done by Eisenberg was a welcome aspect, the first bit where Columbus is going over the rules of Zombieland definitely got me interested in the movie, but there was a little too much gore for my delicate self.

The part with Bill Murray was hilarious, and I guess the best way to describe this movie is just that it's entertaining. I did have some issue with the lack of back info. Columbus quickly explains the mad cow turned into mad people, and then they turned into zombies or something, it's not really clear how it happened or how it spread to fast, and if it was just the US or if it was the whole world. The ending was kind of disappointing as well, there isn't much resolution.

Overall though, this is a zombie movie that's meant to be funny, not scary, and it accomplishes this.

Water for Elephants

Starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, and Christoph Waltz, Water for Elephants is about Jacob (Pattinson) who joins the circus as its vet after his parents die. Waltz plays August, the circus owner, and Witherspoon is Marlena, his wife, and Jacob's love interest.

My thoughts on those involved: I loved, loved, loved Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds, there's something about his face, mannerisms, voice, and acting that is so fascinating you can't help but like him and want to see more. After a stumble with The Green Hornet, Waltz is back to form in Water for Elephants, he has that same vindictive but charming persona as he did in Basterds and I love him for it. I may not say it as loud and proud as others, but I am a fan of Twilight, I'll admit to not having read the books, but I have seen the movies and eagerly wait for the new one to come out this year. A big part of Twilight is, of course, Robert Pattinson, he is just so darn dreamy. His shy smile, his intense eyes, his tousled hair, strong cheekbones, he just exudes romance. In this movie he is chivalrous, smart,  moral, *sign* everything. Witherspoon is a sweetheart, enough said.

I realize this movie was based on a book, a very good book I am sure, but unfortunately I haven't read it either. I'm sad to say I haven't done a lot of reading lately, and while books are generally infinitely better than movies, they are just more of a commitment than I have been willing to make lately. Anyways, the point I was getting to was that one of my favourite aspects of this movie that the book wouldn't have(other than Waltz and Pattinson of course) is the beautiful visualizations of the 1930's (argue with me about your mind's eye all you want, valid point). The clothing, the music, the buildings, and foremost, the circus itself was just a treat for the eyes. I went to the circus probably every year it came to town when I was young and none of that comes even close to the spectacle that came out of those train boxcars.

I really liked this story too, the fact that it takes place during the American depression with a traveling circus is different and cool. The story in a story with the old Jacob telling the story kind of reminds me of The Notebook which I think we can agree on as probably one of the best love stories of our time (as a young person). But unlike The Notebook, where the chemistry between Rachael McAdams and Ryan Gosling was just bursting out of them, the same cannot be said for Reese and Robert. They kiss once, and then pretend it didn't happen, and then all of a sudden she's willing to run away with him? I'm not buying it, there wasn't enough build up or tension. No real stolen glances or hand grazes, you know, the standard forbidden love stuff. And I know they were trying to tell us that pretty much the only reason Marlena is with August is for stability, but to be honest, I believed their love for each other was stronger than Marlena's love for Jacob, and I don't think that's what the director was going for. And this lack of chemistry is what keeps this good movie from being great. I wanted their love to be so intense that it made me cry when they were torn apart or when they get their happy ending, but it didn't. That scene were August is calling out Marlena and Jacob for having an affair should have been powerful and sad, but it was just random, because in reality, nothing had really happened between them except that one kiss.

The lack of chemistry can almost be forgiven though because everything else works so well, the acting, the story, the set, all really well done. But like I said before, this movie could have been great.

   
This makes me laugh more than it should.

The Beaver

Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, and Jennifer Lawrence, The Beaver is about a man named Walter (Gibson) who is a husband and father, but suffers from depression. After finding a beaver puppet, he finds that he can talk to people better through the puppet.

I was kind of on the fence about taking the time to watch this one. On one hand, Jodie Foster will always have a special place in my heart because she is Clarice Starling. But on the other, I don't want to support Mel Gibson's crazy. Foster directs The Beaver, and she must have some balls to work with Gibson in the midst of the ruin of his personal (and I would certainly argue professional) life. But The Beaver works for me, and I actually enjoyed it.

It was easy to forget Mel's personal crazy because Walter's is almost as bad, but at least he talks through a puppet with an adorable accent which helps us to forget about the man who's attached to it. I also found it interesting that it is quite obvious that Walter is the voice the Beaver, there is no attempts at ventriloquism which I always found as a good reminder that Walter is always in control of what the Beaver is saying, even though he has a personality of his own. I also applaud the fact that this movie is very much about depression, that in a society where mental illnesses are still taboo, that this movie tackles it big time. I do wish that we would learn more about Walter's illness in the beginning, what he was like before his depression and why things changed. I really don't want to be insensitive about depression and realize that maybe nothing triggers it, but I don't know. In the end though, is the audience forced to suspend belief regarding the liklihood of this being possible? Not really, I thought it was well done and generally believeable. Would I have said "enough is enough" way before his wife did? Oh heck yes.

There was also a parallel storyline involving Walter's song Porter (Yelchin) that I also enjoyed. Yelchin I most remember from Charlie Bartlett, and I just find him so charming yet vulnerable, and he was the same in this one. His love interest is Norah (Jennifer Lawrence) who you may remember from Winter's Bone, and she is definitely a strong actor.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Beaver, it was interesting and quirky and different.

Your Highness

Starring Danny McBride, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, and Natalie Portman, Your Highness tells the story of Prince Fabious (Franco) who goes on a quest to rescue his bride (Deschanel) after she is captured by a wizard (Justin Theroux) and his lazy brother Thadeous (McBride) is forced to come along.

Every thing I heard about this movie was negative, but I figured it couldn't be THAT bad, and I like comedies and medieval stuff, so I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised actually, the movie wasn't really anything special, but it wasn't particularly bad either. The plot is pretty standard, the twists and betrayals and ending wasn't anything unexpected, there weren't many laugh out loud moments, but it was funny enough. As I have mentioned before, I am not a big fan of James Franco in real life, but I seem to like him in movies, and I really didn't mind him in Your Highness, he was pretty good-looking with the long hair, and his character was likeable. Danny McBride from Pineapple Express (which I never finished) is largely unknown to me - I keep confusing him for Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury, Take me Home Tonight) who is also a curly-haired, stoner type. McBride isn't as likeable to me as Fogler, but as the main guy behind this movie he gives the character what it needs. I was happy to see Justin Theroux's name come up in the opening credits, he's Jennifer Aniston's new person, and I really had no idea who he was until I watched this movie. Marteetee and the Great Wize Wizard were really creepy, but I guess they were supposed to be, but I was uncomfortable nonetheless.

I think what makes this movie watchable though is that it seems like everyone is having fun, they recognize the cheese and silliness and play it up. The setting, costumes, and graphics are well done, I am a sucker for princes and quests but if I had paid money to see this, I would have probably liked it less.

If you go into this movie with low expectations, you might almost enjoy it.

Limitless

Starring Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro, Limitless is the story of Eddie Morra, a guy trying to write a book but has a serious case of writer's block (and is an all-round schmuck) until he randomly runs into his ex-brother-in-law who gives him a drug called NZT that allows you to use all of your brain power.

My first thoughts were that the opening credits were kind of bush-league, the music and the font of the writing seemed like a cheap 90's movie or something. Afterwards though I was impressed at how unattractive they made Bradley Cooper for the first bit of the movie. I also thought the concept of a drug allowing you to optimize all of your brain was interesting. I think back to all the world history I learned in the four years of my degree, and I always say the only thing I learned was how to write an essay well, because in actuality, I remember very little of the dates and facts. I would love to be able to recall everything I ever heard or learned or saw.

I think this movie relies too much on the intrinsic interest people will have with this concept of using all of your brain and will be supported by the charm of Cooper and DeNiro, because there are many holes in the plot that just make it seem like the writers were lazy. Questions I had included: If he made so much money in those first few days, why didn't he pay back the Russian right away? What was the point of the woman being murdered, just so the lawyer could have the coat? They kind of randomly dropped that storyline. And the ended leaves it with us questioning whether he is still taking the NZT, and to be honest, I don't really care, it doesn't really make a difference if he is or not. The writers think they are being clever, but really, it's just a pointless ending. And so what that a pharmaceutical company makes the drug? And why wouldn't they ever sell it? Seems like it would be a big money-maker. I don't know it just seems like the plot was half-assed, and it would have been nice if DeNiro had some good lines or was more interesting.

With that said, it wasn't a bad movie, it certainly entertained, but I may have just been blinded by Brad's sparkling blue eyes and dreamy smile.

Insidious

I think I read something about Insidious a couple months ago and that it was a legit scary movie about a haunted house. The "legit scary movie" part interested me, but also kept me from watching it the last week because I had to build up my courage. Starring Rose Byrne who was Helen from Bridesmaids, and Patrick Wilson, who was the love interest from Morning Glory and The Switch.

So, the first half of the movie is about this family: mom, dad, and three kids. They seem like a normal enough family, until the mom starts seeing things in their new home. You know, the pretty standard creepy sounds (bonus points for scary static sounds through the baby monitor), flashes of ghosty people, you know, pretty much your standard haunting. Things take a different turn when one of the kids doesn't wake up one morning; he's in a coma for no apparent reason.

The second half consists of them finding out what this haunting and coma is all about and trying to fix it. I will leave the plot synopsis at that to avoid spoilers.

I will admit my scary movie bias here: I find the more a movie relies on scary sounds and things jumping out, or walking sneakily in the background for scares, the less legit of a scary movie I find it to be. The first half of the movie relied a lot on this sort of stuff, but it was still kind of creepy mostly because I think the family seemed so normal. There is a scene at the beginning where the mom is making breakfast for screaming kids while on the phone with some automated company while the dad is upstairs quietly brushing his teeth. This, I'm sure, is a familiar family scene for many, and I think the fact the movie takes the time to establish the normality and relatability of this family makes what later happens to them a little scarier.

When what is happening is given a name during the second half, and we know what's what, I kind of breathed a sign of relief, kind of like the unknown was scarier than what it turned out to be. The second half was more interesting than scary, I was intrigued to see where things would lead. What started out as a kind of normal-family-in-a-supernatural-situation turned into a little bit of cheese and camp. I always thought Tim Tiny's version of "Tip-toe through the Tulips" was hilarious, but after watching Insidious, it will only ever be creepy to me.

Not much new here, but it's a solid horror that keeps unnecessary gore and violence to a minimum and adds enough new stuff to the horror movie formula to keep it interesting.


...so I was just looking for the poster of this movie to put with this post and thought I would mention how ridiculous I thought the poster is. I thought demon kids ran their course with The Ring, and the kid in this movie is in a coma for the large majority of this movie anyways. Silly.

The Ghost Writer

Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, and Kim Cattrall, The Ghost Writer (2010) is the other half of my 2 for $6.98 deal from Blockbuster. I was kind of surprised I hadn't heard of this movie before, it has an A list cast and is directed by Roman Polanski. You may have notice I like to explore my inital thoughts about a movie based on who's in it and go from there, this review will be the same... (I just wanted to let you know that I know I do that, and it doesn't really have any fact, but just my personal feelings).

I fell in love with Ewan MacGregor the first time I saw Moulin Rouge and he belted out "Your Song" to Nicole Kidman, I am not ashamed to say that scene made me bawl like a baby. His eyes are an incredible shade of blue, and his voice is just delicious. Point to Ghost Writer. I have a conflicted opinion of Roman Polanski, on one hand, I know he is a fabulous director. The Pianist was a masterpiece. I love his name, and have been convinced for a couple years now that my first son will be named Roman Michael Carlo (dibs!). So he even gets points just based on his name. But there is that whole raping a thirteen year old in the 70's that I just can't excuse. So, we will say Polanski's involvement in The Ghost Writer is a neutral first impression point for the movie. So, moving on to the actual film....

Adam Lang (Brosnan) is a Tony Blair-esque sort of character, he's the ex-prime minister of the UK, and is writing his memoirs. His original ghost writer is found dead, and McGregor is hired as his replacement. Things get a little more twisted when Lang is accused of war crimes and McGregor finds a link between Lang and the CIA. My first critical thought was "the music is really weird, and doesn't really fit."But the more it played and when it was repeated during the special features, it really grew on me. It creates an atmosphere that is eerie, but fantastical; that is urgent and thrilling. And that was another thing, this movie is a thriller without a big chase scene or explosions or crazy violence, or even things jumping out at you. It is smart, and calculated, and everything seems intentional and well thought out. The location, the weather, the buildings, are all designed to set the tone and make things more interesting in the absence of overused CGI, scary music, and violence.

Brosnan and MacGregor are just great. Brosnan is smooth and charming and always keeps you guessing. I was never quite sure if Lang was a bad guy or not, if he was to be feared or loved, and that is exactly how he needed to be. There is something so innocent and sincere about McGregor, you just can't help liking him. And it is undeniable that Polanski was the architect of this movie, he creates something subtle and beautiful and eerie.

On the negative, Kim Cattrall had a really hard time with an English accent, and the movie can be heavy, so don't watch it when you are in the mood for something light and fun. The revelation at the ending could have been followed through a little more, and McGregor's fate was a neat idea, but seemed a little contrived. But, I'm really just splitting hairs because I really did enjoy this movie.

Leaves of Grass

I've mentioned before how much I like Edward Norton, he's smart, thoughtful, and just a quality actor (and kind of a cutie, and I really like his voice). And during one of my rare visits to Blockbuster I discovered Leaves of Grass (2009) in the 2/$6.98 bin. I hadn't heard of this movie before, but with Norton, Kerri Russell, Susan Sarandon, and Richard Dreyfuss, I figured I couldn't go wrong for $3.49.

Leaves of Grass is the story of twin brothers Bill and Brady. Bill is a young and smart philosophy teacher, and Brady stayed in his hometown and grew weed. They haven't seen each other in twelve years. Norton plays both brothers. Both are smart in their own way and have some interesting things to say about God and life. I guess this could best be called a dark comedy, it is interesting, and well-acted, but things kind of change in the last 15-20 minutes and get a little wacky and maybe a bit too dark. The ending was one of those that feel like it's saying something profound, but you can't quite figure out what. I'll leave it at that, because you can't say much without giving spoilers/

With that said, this movie was a quirky gem.

Soul Surfer

Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt, Soul Surfer tells the true story of Bethany Hamilton - a young teen surfer who loses her arm in a shark attack. Going into this movie all I knew was that it was Carrie Underwood's first foray into acting, and the losing the arm part. I think the movie makers figured most people would know about the shark attack, so for the first half hour before it happens, every time there is an underwater shot you think "this is it!" but it isn't. The actual attack is kind of weird and random, I think it's good that it wasn't sensationalized, but it still just seemed silly. With that said though, the minutes following the attack are really well done, the confusion, the horror, the urgency, well played.

Carrie Underwood's acting seemed a little mediocre, but as a first try, it was passable. AnnaSophia Robb, who you may know from Bridge to Terabithia (one of my favourite childhood books) was wonderful and I am always a fan of Dennis Quaid, his smile is just contagious. I watched a lot of "Mad About You" when I was young, so Helen Hunt has a special place in my part. And I must say in a totally platonic way, that at 48, she is smokin'. Oh! And I almost forgot to mention that Hercules, Mr. Kevin Sorbo was in it too! I used to watch that and Xena all the time... good times.

The plot is pretty sticky sweet and typical, adversity overcomes etc. And why does the competition have to be in black? Does Melina know she is the villain? But it's a nice story, I like that there is the faith angle. Bethany is really optimistic and understanding, sure there are the obligatory moments of weakness, but she mostly just presses on, which is what makes the story so inspirational I guess. It's pretty much what you think it will be with some pretty cool surfing scenes.

FYI

It's the season premiere of Storage Wars tomorrow night at 10pm on A&E!

Source Code

I'll try to summarize Source Code without giving anything away. If you've seen the trailer, it's about some guy who gets to (has to) repeat the same eight minutes until he finds a bomb and the person who planted the bomb on some train. I'll leave it at that, but also mention it stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, and that married chick from the airplane movie with George Clooney (sorry if I ruined that for anyone).

The premise of this movie was really interesting and smart, it didn't feel gimmicky or outrageous, but almost believable at times. I was, however, kind of disappointed with what parts of the plot were made a priority. Jake finds the bomb and the terrorist really easily, I kind of thought those things were important and the way it happens seems kind of swept over. Instead the movie focuses on the relationship between Jake and Michelle, and Jake trying to figure out where he is and why. The more I think about it though, the latter is what makes this movie so interesting and so much more than your run-of-the-mill sci-fi action. The love stuff I could take it or leave it, but I guess he needs some motivation to keep on going.

What I thought was the ending (without ruining it, but also to let you know the part I am talking about) where everyone on the train freezes, I was happy with. I don't always need a sappy happy ending to make the movie satisfying. And I kind of groaned in cheesiness when I could foresee the neat and tidy happy ending coming when the movie continued past the part I thought was the ending. But I was pleasantly surprised, yes there was some cheese, but the way it ended left much more to think about than if it would have ended when I thought it did.

Source Code is an original thinker that you will probably enjoy.  There are holes in the reasoning and science they are asking us to believe, the explosions are kept to a minimum, there is no high-speed car chase, but you leave feeling that this movie delivered enough action, romance, and thought-provoking plot to be successful on all those levels.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, and Ryan Philippe, The Lincoln Lawyer is about Mick (McConaughey) who represents high-profile scumbags, but things become more complicated when he questions the guilt and innocence of a current and past client.

This movie is based on a book by Michael Connelly, I haven't read anything by him, but it had the feel of something by John Grisham, who I am a huge fan of. When I feel like reading something light, I don't head for Danielle Steele or a romance, Grisham is my easy-reading standby. So even though going into this movie I didn't really know what it was about, I got right into it, because I love those legal-drama type movies. McConaughey still has that smooth Southern charm, and we know Philippe can do creepy well, but the last movie I saw him in (MacGruber) he shoved a piece of celery up his ass, so the contrast made me giggle a bit. I like that McConaughey and Tomei were the main love-interest, they are both showing their age and I can appreciate Hollywood movies that go with quality over youth.

This is a good story with a great cast. In addition to those already mentioned, there are roles for Josh Lucas, William H. Macy, Trace Adkins, and John Leguizamo. It is well acted and the plot is interesting. Most of the stuff you can see coming a mile away but you like where it is going anyway.

Like some movies that are based on books fall victim to, it feels like this movie was overwhelmed with the material and had issues fitting in all the plot twists. It doesn't develop some parts, it feels a little disjointed and like something is missing to make it complete. The twist at the end doesn't really serve any purpose except a joke at the hands of a biker gang. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but they don't explore how the mother knew what she knew, or why she did what she did. They don't follow through with the relationship with Mick and Maggie, and the movie is named The Lincoln Lawyer, because he works out of his Lincoln car, but it never really felt like that fact was very important.

Probably if I didn't have this blog, I wouldn't over-think this movie, and just think it was really good. But as it is, it just feels like this movie needed more, a more flowing plot I guess. While McConaughey wasn't as good in this movie as Grisham's A Time to Kill, if you like Grisham-type stuff, you will enjoy The Lincoln Lawyer.

Take Me Home Tonight

What a lazy, lazy attempt at a movie.

Four years after graduation Matt (Topher Grace) has graduated from MIT, but is working at a movie store because he doesn't know what to do with his life, unlike his twin sister (Anna Faris). He runs into his high school crush Tori (who he never made a move on) and tells her he's a banker. And there just happens to be a part that same night and Tori is going. With his BFF Barry (Dan Fogler from Balls of Fury) in tow, they head out.

This movie is set in the late 80's which is cool, because even though I was too young to appreciate the 80's, it's still neat to see what it was like back then. Well, the only thing this movie gains from setting it in the 80's is 80's hair, clothes, and music. Put them in modern clothes and it's no longer a period piece. Although I enjoyed the music, having this movie take place in the 80's was totally pointless, kind of just a gimmick used in the hopes that it would set this movie apart. Just look at the movie poster!

Topher Grace was his usual awkward Eric Foreman self, Dan Fogler was his usual goofy self, Anna Faris was actually the stable one, so that was different. Teresa Palmer (from nothing special) plays Tori. In the commercials I thought she was Kristen Stewart, and thought "cool, K Stew is in a comedy". Well, Teresa is a slightly prettier than K Stew with a little bit more personality.

This movie tries too hard to be cool and funny, or maybe doesn't try enough, either way it misses the mark and is just mostly stupid and cliche. It's nothing we haven't seen before. I was kind of disappointed though because I watched an interview with Topher and the director on some Ryan Seacrest thing and they were talking about the movie and Chris Medina (that guy from American Idol whose fiance was in an accident and has brain damage) and the guys gave Chris some money plus promised him a percentage of sales from the movie to go towards the charity for Chris' fiance. I hope you were able to follow that story, the moral is I was hoping it would do well (and be good) because the people involved did a good thing. Unfortunately this movie was neither.

The ending was lazy. Sure, it ends happy enough, but with movies like that you usually expect a funny follow up showing where the characters end up later on, or even some funny scenes/deleted scenes/bloopers while the credits roll. There was none of that. For goodness sake, the song that is this movie's namesake isn't even in the movie or the credits! (Though the soundtrack is a pretty solid mix of classic 80's) The dad is funny enough, and the movie doesn't deserve a Razzie or anything, but it just doesn't have a lot going for it. Nothing special.

Rango

With the voice talents of Johnny Depp and Isla Fisher, Rango is the story of a pet lizard who has dreams of being a hero and finds himself in the Mojave desert, the sheriff of the animal town of Dirt, trying to give the townspeople hope as they run out of water.

The story is classic Western: there is the new guy in town, bad guys, corruption, showdowns, fighting, and romance. The story is smart too though, it had a lot to say about our dependence on water, and how it's running out, and about how big business is capitalizing on our basic needs. The animation is detailed and brilliant, although it kind of bothers me that I can't identify what some of those weird little animals were, and that foxes and cats were about the same size as lizards and moles.

I don't know if it's because I have motherhood on my mind, or it's just the way I think, but this movie definitely has some parts that I would be nervous showing my little person. I'm glad it's rated PG and not G because there are certainly some adult moments. And there are TWO scenes with people smoking, the first is towards the beginning - a quick shot of a guy smoking in his car, and then later when some toad or something is smoking a cigar. I really thought that was a major faux pas in kids movies these days.

The characters are what you need them to be: Rango and Beans are likeable and well-developed, the mayor is sweet on the surface but conniving and evil, and there is a good balance of other characters, the helpful but oblivious spoons, the wise raven, the cute Little Sister, and the scary Jake.

A solid and smart animated offering from Nickelodeon.

TV Recommendations

I thought I would just share two of my favourite shows about people who buy and sell things.

First is Storage Wars, it's on A&E, not sure when (though there was a marathon tonight). This show is a real-life thing that follows four different guys who bid on storage lockers that have been abandoned or defaulted on and are up for auction. Three of them are looking to make a profit, and the fourth is looking for cool things. The neat thing about the storage lockers is that you can't really tell what's in them, so whoever wins the auction is usually taking a risk and it's fun to see who comes out on top. A plus is that all the main people are charismatic, some feud, all bicker and chirp each other.

Next is the similar but different Canadian Pickers (there is an American Pickers, but the guys are not as entertaining). The show is on History, not sure when either (but it was advertised a bunch while I was watching Gladiator, and still can't remember when). The show follows Scott and Sheldon as they drive across the country picking through people's treasure and trash looking to buy collectibles and sell them for a profit. It's the two guys who make this show, sure it's neat to see what they find, but Scott and Sheldon have such a funny rapport with each other and the people they come across that keeps you watching.

Gladiator

In case you can't tell, my guy is on nights this week. I watch a lot of movies when he is on nights because I usually stay up late. The last couple of weekends I have discovered that there is a lot of movies on tv every weekend, and I have kind of been looking forward to what's playing. Why is it that you're so much more likely to watch a movie when it's on tv? Some of the movies that are on I own and I haven;t seen them in years, but if it's on tv I'll sit through those commercials and watch it. Tonight I had all sorts of options: Ray, Unforgiven, War of the Worlds, Beowulf, and a  whole bunch of others.

I went with Gladiator, Ridley Scott's 2000 film starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. It was playing on the History channel, and as a fan of all things historical I really appreciate how the History channel prefaces and concludes each movie they play with some extra historical info. One thing I did not appreciate though was the running time was three and a half hours, and I'm sure some was cut out because they always do that when they play movies on tv, and the actual movie is only two and a half hours, so if my math is correct, that is a solid hour plus of commercials. Super annoying.

As far as historical accuracy, I wouldn't say it was as off as Braveheart, but don't watch this for a history of Maximus (who never existed) or Commodus. But Gladiator tells a good story, a classic story, and an epic story. It has romance, revenge, fighting, death, severed heads, power, etc etc (just about everything!) The scenery is authentic, Russell Crowe is still hot, and Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerizing.

An epic movie.

The Good Girl

From 2002 and starring Jennifer Aniston, John C. Reilly, and Jake Gyllenhaal, The Good Girl tells the story of Justine who starts an affair with an emo cashier who works at the same department store she does.

This was a very strange movie. It started out normal enough, but things happen and decisions are made that are a little wacky. It was definitely a thinker and I found myself thinking about I would do in the given situations, what I would say, what I would admit to. I was happy with the final decision Justine (Aniston) makes but it wasn't a happy one by any means.

Aniston was exactly what she needed to be. This was one of her first serious roles after Friends, and it showed a different side of her. Jake Gyllenhaal's character wasn't what I wanted him to be, he was annoying, but I guess that's how it was supposed to be.

It was funny without being laugh out loud funny, it was amusing, but serious and really sad.

Sucker Punch

I had heard the bad reviews, but was trying to keep an open mind going into Sucker Punch. And let me tell you the beginning was amazing, the first five minutes were so perfect in getting you hooked on this movie. The music is perfectly creepy and ominous, the colours are drab and eerie, and the fact that there is no dialogue is really cool. The cinematography throughout the whole movie is really amazing, the angles and closeups and lighting gives this movie an edge, I really wish I was watching it in HD. This is a good looking movie that your eyes will enjoy (and I'm not talking about the girls).

Things go a little downhill from there. This movie asks way too many questions without answering them. Now I am a huge LOST fan, and am thusly used to unanswered questions, and just like the LOST finale, the ending of this movie didn't really satisfy me. I had a lot of questions that were left unanswered (they were all in heaven?!).

Before I go any further, I should probably tell you what the movie is about. Our main girl, Babydoll (why are the names so stupid?), is institutionalized by her awful stepfather, there she imagines an alternate reality where she makes a plan to escape. It's one of those "which parts are reality?" movies, and I don't really see what is gained from her going (in her mind) from the nut-house to the whore-house - her mother and sister just died, and she is imagining herself trying to escape from being de-virginized by the "high-roller"? Random. All those fighting scenes could have been imagined from in the nut-house and worked just as well (possibly better from a making sense point of view). I suspect that a whore-house is more sexy and sexiness is definitely something this movie struggles with.

If you know anything about Sucker Punch you probably know there is a group of sexy young girls fighting awesomely, one is always wearing like a sailor-type outfit. This movie was definietly marketed towards guys, and I'm sure a lot of guys were dissapointed. Sure the outfits are sexy enough, but there is no sexy dancing (only the promise of), no boobies, no seduction. And for a movie that takes part largely in a whore-house, this came as a surprise to me, and I'm sure a bigger surprise to the guys who were hoping for more.

Okay, so the whore-house and the nut-house were all well and fine, but those random action scenes were so non-sensical and awful, I dreaded each time a new one started and looked forward to its end. For example, in one scene the girls fight Steampunk robot Nazis during WWII. The next one is like demon guys in armour, medieval style, and a dragon, but the girls are in a plane and have guns and stuff. SOMETHING DOESN'T FIT HERE! Okay, most all of it doesn't fit.

Again the music was pretty good throughout, it set the atmosphere perfectly, and there were some neat covers. The cinematography (and computer graphics) were also well done, I kept thinking "that looks so cool" while I was watching. The acting was reasonable, Vanessa Hudgens was definitely the weakest link (goodbye), and I was happy to see John Hamm in a small role. The ending was cute, but not satisfying. The parts I could make sense of were okay. But like I said at the beginning, if the first five minutes hook you, get ready for two hours of not-so-sexy-non-sensical-fighting.

This movie is a feast for your eyes but not for your brain.

Paul

Paul had the potential to be a really decent movie: a solid cast including Simon Pegg, Jason Bateman, Seth Rogan, SNL alums Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader, and cameos by Jane Lynch and Sigourney Weaver. This movie also had really good computer animation - that alien is adorable, and blended seamlessly into the live action. Where the movie falls flat though is with the plot, this one could have used some better writers (which I feel bad saying because the writers were the two main characters: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.) The story is pretty standard: two geeks run into an alien and help him find his way home. There is the love interest and the bad guy trying to stop the alien from reaching his destination. There is the obligatory slight twist at the end followed by a heartwarming finale. It's not as funny as it could have been and more predictable than it should have.

With that being said, it wasn't all bad. It was just good enough to not feel like I wasted my time, but not good enough to leave me with a "whoa, that was awesome/hilarious/epic...". Geeks will probably enjoy it more than I did - sci-fi references were aplenty and it includes a trip to Comic Con.

So much potential, but falls flat.

The Adjustment Bureau

I thought this movie would be about politics, from the trailer I remember Matt Damon was always wearing a suit, and the title itself seems like it could be political. Well, I wasn't entirely wrong, politics plays a small role, but this is more a sci-fi thriller with some romance. At its core this movie is about free-will versus fate. Do we really make our own choices, or is everything already "meant to be"?

I really liked this movie. The supernatural aspect of things kind of reminded me of Damon's previous movie Hereafter. But The Adjustment Bureau was way better. It has to do with a higher power, and the influence it has on our lives. The chemistry between Matt Damon and his love interest (played by Emily Blunt) is fun and flirty and electric. But all that chemistry didn't stop me from still questioning why she would take him back towards the end. Until then, I was totally buying it, hook, line, and sinker. I love what this movie has to say about a higher power, I might not believe or agree with it, but it was still interesting to entertain the thought.

A smart movie.

Unknown

On a trip to Germany with his wife (January Jones), Liam Neeson gets into a car accident and loses his memory, and then people deny they ever knew him. The movie is a little more complicated than the previous sentence suggests, but that's about the gist. It amazes me that Neeson is getting all these leading-man-action-movie roles these days. He's getting a little older, but Taken was a pretty good movie, and so was this one, so all the power to him. January Jones was bland and forgetful, I think the most memorable thing about her is her blonde hair. Diane Kruger (who you may remember from Inglouious Basterds) plays the cab driver that Neeson gets into the accident with, and then helps him later on. And Bruno Ganz plays an adorable ex-Stasi (I'm a sucker for a cute old guy).

From what I can remember from the previews I knew there was a scene where his wife says she doesn't know him, which I thought was interesting, but didn't know what to expect from there. The dynamic totally changes once someone is killed by some sort of assassin and you know this isn't going to be a drama, but more of an action movie. The plot was interesting and there was a big twist that I didn't see coming. The action was a little much, too many people were killed without consequence. I thought the biotechnology aspect was timely, because having diverse and dependable crops are going to become more of an issue for society. I am also glad that the writers didn't pursue any sort of romance between Neeson and Kruger. There are some holes in the plot, like why wouldn't he tell his wife he was going back for his briefcase?  But overall a solid movie with interesting turns.

Yes, I realize the second paragraph is a bunch of unconnected sentences, but that's all I got tonight.

Movie Night

Sundays have historically been good tv nights. The Glee Project premiered on Oxygen last night, but I looked, and I don't think Bell has that channel. There were, however, a bunch of movies on tv. First up was Bruce Almighty (yes, I watched more than one).

From 2003 and starring Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston. I like what this movie says about God, He is not usually such a prominent character in Hollywood movies, and the way it is dealt with here is clever and has a good message. Jim Carry is still funny in this one, and Jennifer Aniston holds her own.

Next was Enough from 2002 and starring Jennifer Lopez. I generally like everything that Lopez is in, and there were parts of this movie that I really liked, and other parts that were a little much for me to buy in to. Roger Ebert gives it a pretty scathing review, you can read it here: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020524/REVIEWS/205240302/1023

What did you watch last night?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

My sister is a big fan of the books, I even read a few pages of one, so I kind of know what the fuss is about. The books are different, they are as they say - a diary. Greg Heffley's to be exact. And what makes the books even more appealing is that they look like a diary, there are page lines and the writing looks like a kid wrote it (but neater) and there are cute pictures and comics. Like Harry Potter, the Wimpy Kid books are getting kids reading, but with more realistic content this time around. The movie I am reviewing is the second one, I haven't seen the first.

Greg Heffley lives in modern suburbia with his parents and one older and one younger brother. Roderick is the older one. If you are like me and have limited knowledge of the Wimpy Kid, you may have thought, like me, that the chubby kid lip-syncing to Kesha in the commercial was Rodrick. We were wrong, that was the friend Rowley. So the commercial tells us nothing about the movie, perhaps even misleading us a bit. But I guess if we read the books in their entirety we would have known better.

Anyways, Rodrick Rules focuses on Greg`s relationship with his brother and there is a love interest and a talent show - the middle school staples. Now Rodrick is mean, like really mean. I have a brother that is four years younger than me, and we have never been that mean to each other, not even close. Rodrick seems to enjoy ruining Greg`s life. I thought maybe Rodrick was that mean so that kids could feel better about their own mean siblings, "at least my brother/sister isn't as mean as Rodrick" etc. But still, some sadistic kids might think it's funny and get ideas about how this kind of cruelty can be acceptable. Ok, so maybe that was a little extreme, but I still thought there were spots were Rodrick was unnecessarily mean.

Verdict: The story was cute enough, I watched the whole thing. Rowley was adorable. The kid playing Greg did a good job. Steve Zahn played the dad and had some funny parts.

Beastly

Beastly is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and stars Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, and NPH. It's kind of like what they did with Cinderella in the movie with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray only slightly darker and less romantic.

The beginning is a little choppy and I get that they are trying to tell us everything we need to know about the characters before Kyle is changed into a beast, but it feels a little cramped. The two main characters could be played by any one really, Alex and Vanessa don't offer anything special or different, but Neil Patrick Harris is charming as always, and provides a little bit of needed humour. It's also nice to see Mary Kate Olsen in something, haven't seen those twins in much, and when they are out in public they usually look like bums, so while my Michelle Tanner nostalgia has not been fulfilled, it was nice to seen an Olsen looking good.

The story doesn't tell us anything he haven't heard before, but the parallels with the original story were mostly cute, like how the girl likes roses, and how the beast tries to win her over with gifts. I never really felt the love though, Hudgens is boring and cliche, and the situation with her dad is weird, and you never really feel like she loves the guy, even when she says so. The best acting she did was when she tells Kyle that he's a good friend - I genuinely believed her and thought maybe it wouldn't end happily ever after. I also thought this again at the end when the last flower blooms on his wrist or whatever, and hoped that he would stay ugly, what's so wrong with that, she loves you anyways darn it! But he does turn back pretty and I really wondered how much he had changed.

Beastly keeps a good pace, so you don't really get bored. It's pretty shallow and nothing special though.

Risky Business

As iconic as the Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear to "Old Time Rock 'n Roll" is, I have actually never seen Risky Business. Lucky for me, it was on tv last night and I can check this movie off my list of ones to watch. After every commercial the PG symbol would pop up, but PG this movie was not, there were boobs and bush and f-bombs, which isn't a bad thing, but surprised me because I was expecting PG.

Risky Business is the story of Joel (Tom Cruise) who is left home alone while his parents are away on vacation. Joel is in his final weeks of high school and has finals and SATs and getting into to college to worry about. He's a good kid, and his parents "trust his judgement". Joel's friend encourages him to say "What the fuck" more often, and live a little. Well this includes calling a hooker named Lana (Rebecca De Mornay), and things fall apart from there. Mom's expensive egg is stolen, Dad's Porsche ends up in Lake Michigan, and Lana's pimp is a looming threat. We know that everything will end up ok in the end, but it wasn't a cliche, it was interesting. The relationship between Joel and Lana is complex, as are both of the characters, you can't assume anything about how they'll act or what they'll do. The backing music was dated and strange, but created a very distinct atmosphere.

This movie was release in 1983, a couple years before I was born, and when the world was very different. Even in my 25 years here I notice the changes, a lot of that has to do with changing morals and changing technology. I can only imagine how this movie would have been received in 1983 when teens having casual sex (in movies) might not have been as prevalent as today. This is a story without a moral because sometimes there just isn't one to be had and that says a whole lot about the world we live in. This movie was funny and interesting, but after you think about it, it's also very empty and what it says about the world is kind of depressing. On the surface though, it's a good movie with solid leads. (Plus it's nice to see Cruise before the crazy)