I picked this up for rental on Netflix because I am a fan of Ray Stevenson (especially as Pullo on Rome on HBO), not expecting much, and was blown out of my seat! I can’t believe I had never heard of this film, and that it did not do well in theaters! It really is a new Scorcese film! A beautifully shot, well directed crime drama set in Cleveland, based on the true story of Danny Greene. This film is a must see! How this went under the radar I will never know, but it had better have a huge life on video, because this is a great film!

Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) is an Irish American in Cleveland, working at the docks. He is respected by his coworkers because he is smart and well read. He and his buddies are badly treated by the union, and the union leader Kerry Merke (Bob Gunton) sends his heavy after Danny, but Danny takes him out and kicks out Merke, taking over the union. He makes friends with the local mafia, especially John Nardi (Vincent D’Onofrio) and starts making a huge profit extorting ships out of their money. He meets and marries a waitress named Joan (Linda Cardellini), and has 3 kids. Danny grew up with a local cop Joe Madnitski (Val Kilmer) who is always watching him, and a reporter informs Manditski that he has a bunch of info on Danny, and runs a story. Everyone runs except Danny and he is arrested. The FBI comes in and takes Danny from the locals and make a deal to get information on the mafia from him, and he calls, though never really gives them anything.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Honestly I should get my head examined, because I actually enjoyed this film. It is over the top ridiculous, and I am sure would have been better in 3D, as the effects that were obviously for 3D looked pretty lame in 2D, but it was fun, and not what I expected. I don’t know what I expected, but not this, just Nick Cage being his over the top self and kicking some ass, and Amber Heard is pretty smoking hot, so… Not sure I can really recommend this to anyone but guys, and even most guys will probably hate this, but I thought it was pretty violent over the top fun with some great car action as well. Well worth renting on Netflix.

John Milton (Nicholas Cage) driving a classic muscle car takes out another car load of guys in his quest to find Satanic Cult leader Jonah King (Billy Burke). Jonah (nice name) has killed John’s daughter, and is going to sacrifice his baby granddaughter in order to create hell on earth and live forever. Milton meets up with a beautiful waitress named Piper (Amber Heard) driving a hot muscle car, and helps fix it and gets a ride with her. When she gets to her house, her boyfriend is fucking another woman, so she gets in a fight with him, and Milton saves her, and takes her in her car (actually her boyfriends that she paid for) toward Florida where she said she wanted to go, and his business is on the way. Milton is being chased by the Accountant (WIlliam Fichtner), who seems to have supernatural powers, and kills people wantonly on his way to get MIlton, including Piper’s ex.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Now I am a comic book fan, and have read Captain America on and off for a long time, but I have to say this film is way better than the reviews. I really enjoyed it, maybe better than Iron Man. I love the whole world war 2 setting, but also they really stayed true to the material, and made it great. I am really impressed by how good it was, and even more so by how much I enjoyed the 3D. I used to think I did not want to see 3D up converts, but if they are as good as Thor, Deathly Hallows 2 and this, then I am sold, because it looks amazing, and really does add to the film. In fact it makes me dream of having an 3D HDTV! I really think it adds so much! I have to say I was skeptical of Chris Evans as Captain America, but he is great, and the effect to make him look like a 98 pound weakling is perfect. I hear complaints of the modern tech in World War 2, but that was the story with Hydra, and I think they did it perfectly, and love how this leads right into the Avengers. Marvel is doing a great job, and I hope they keep it up, and hope they get back the films they sold the rights to, because honestly the new Spider Man looks awful, and I would rather have a more accurate X-Men, Fantastic Four and Daredevil. It is too bad they released this when they did, because being pinned between Harry Potter and Cowboys & Aliens it is not going to make as much as it should, at least domestically.

In modern times some US government agents are called into to the arctic to deal with a huge crashed something that is discovered. They go in and find a red white and blur circular shield and call their superiors. Back in 1942, the head of the Nazi science wing Hydra, Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull (the great Hugo Weaving) smash though a castle in Norway, and steal the cosmic cube, which is said to be something of Odin’s of great power. In New York city, the 98 pound weakling Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) keeps getting rejected for World War II Military service, not matter how many times he lies about where he is from. His best friend Sergeant James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) takes his out before he is to go to duty with two girls. They got to the Modern Marvels of Tomorrow exhibit and see Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) giving a demonstration of a flying car. Steve skips out on the date, to try and enlist again, and a scientist hears his plight, and decides he might be perfect for a secret project. This is Dr Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) from Bavaria who works fro the US Government Strategic Scientific Reserve. He has Steve enlisted, and has him brought to a camp under the command of Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and SSR Officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). Phillips doesn’t like Steve right off, as he is the worst soldier, but he proves the most spirit, even jumping on a dummy grenade he thinks is live to save everyone else. He is perfect.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Honestly one of the best films in the series, not as good as the third film (but none of them are), but as good as the 6th, and really an epic war film. And, it surprises me to say this, but I found the unconverted 3D version to be better than the 2D version. Sure there were moments where I felt the 3D was forced (too much depth on backgrounds), but it did make the film more dynamic, and having seen both versions it was far superior. Daniel Radcliffe hands down gives his best performance here, proving he might actually have a career after Harry Potter, and the film is really good. Of course that is not to say that I don’t think there are problems. First off Desplat’s score is mediocre at best, and should have been Williams gain, since it is all his score they are riffing off of anyway. Then some stupid changes, like why have to spell a goblin when they have Bellatrix’s wand anyway? The high points are the kiss, and of course Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) who really gets to shine. And I missed some deaths as well (though some were already in the book as not being there are felt rushed), and the final fight doesn’t really convey everything. And finally after the review I want to talk a little about some of the wholes that this film brings up in the whole series. I mean I still love the books, and greatly enjoy the films, but there are certainly some issues this final story brings up. Overall though this is an absolute must see film, and I am glad they split it into two films as more of the story got to be shown and it was better presented. I mean I actually like how they did Game of Thrones with 10 episodes being one book! This is a really great film, and go see it in 3D while you can, and after seeing it I am sure Warner will be re-releasing all the films in the theater in 3D, possible special editions in a few years, and I am sure my wife and I will be there opening day, maybe it will convince her to let me get a 3D TV! He he he!

The film starts right where the last one ended, looking at Dobby the house elve’s grave. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), and his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) go to talk to the Goblin Griphook (excellently played by Warwick Davis, though he was played by Verne Troyer in the first film) about the Sword of Gryffindor, which Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) thought should be in her vault at Gringot’s, along with something more important, which they figure must be one of Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) Horcrux’s (each containing a part of his soul and each must be destroyed before he can be killed once and for all). Griphook agrees to help them get into the vault. They then go to talk to the wandmaker Olivander (John Hurt) who says Bellatrix lestrange’s wand is still dangerous, but that Draco Malfoy’s (Tom Felton) is now Harry’s as he disarmed him. And they talk to him about the Elder Wand, which was Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon) but Voldemort now has, and is the most powerful wand and one of the 3 Deathly Hallows (along with Harry’s Invisibility Cloak and the Resurrection Stone). Hermione uses a hair of Bellatrix’s to change into looking like her (and Carter does as an awesome job as her) and they head to Gringots to get into Bellatrix’s vault.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS...

(more…)

I went to see Thor on opening day, but was suckered by AMC theaters as I wanted to see this film in 2D, but they reversed their 2D and 3D listings. so everyone was pissed to be having to pay $4 more for a 3D upconvert. That being said as an upconvert, it looked pretty good, with my only complaint of sometimes the faces seemed a bit strange, still at the very least it did not detract from the film, and it was an enjoyable film. Branagh may have in fact made the next most enjoyable Marvel produced film after the first Iron Man film. Even the changes from Thor’s origin story did not bother me (the Marvel movies have always felt more like the Ultimate Universe than the normal one anyway, and having Sam Jackson as Nick Fury further illustrates that point). And I liked the little in jokes about Donald Blake, being Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) old boyfriend. Overall I enjoyed the stuff of Asgard, especially making Bifrost the rainbow bridge technological. Honestly I am looking forward to seeing Thor again in the Avengers, and hopefully in Thor 2. Well worth checking out, a great origin story about a man growing up and learning responsibility, which is oh so much more important for a man with the power’s of Thor, who is next in line to the throne of Asgard.

The film starts with Physicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) taking her mentor Dr. Erik Slevig (Stellan Skarsgard) and assistant Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) out into the New Mexico dessert to see some strange atmospheric affects that Jane’s research had been able to predict. They see a huge flash from the sky and drive into a cloud, barely missing running over, and just hurting a huge strange name, Thor (Chris Hemsworth last seen as Kirk’s father in the Star Trek reboot). He is dazed, and babling and Darcy uses her stun gun on him, and they wonder where we came from, and we go back to Asgard, where Thor The God of Thunder is from.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I have to admit to have a soft place in my heart for these films. I used to hang with a couple of rice burners, and while the films were never accurate to the scene, they were always a fun time. And Justin Lin has been having a good run with these films. His first was a reboot, that was more about real drifting, and Fast & Furious was the best in the series until now. Sure the action is over the top ridiculous (I mean those metal cables would have snapped so fast in the final action scene), but it is still fun, and he has taken the series forward, from a racing film with some crime, to a full on caper film with racing. Hell the one real pink slip street race in the film isn’t even shown! And my only complaint is that the big fight scene between Diesel and the Rock looked too much like an American action film with close up shots and quick cuts, vs. a hong kong style action scene, where you can really see what is going on, but hopefully he improve on that in the inevitable sequel. And they really did everything else right, bringing back a ton of characters from the earlier films, and finally answering how Han Lue (Sung Kang who has been in the last two films, but died in the first of those and is also a carry over from Lin’s own excellent indie, Better Luck Tomorrow) is still alive (these are all prequels to that film as many have been speculating). I also love how while these are total caper films, the heart is about your friends as a family, who you will do anything for, no matter how crazy. This is really a fun film, and worth checking out, though might be weird to just jump in here, but it is a very enjoyable popcorn action film that I will certainly get on blu-ray. And if you see make sure to stay till at least the middle credits, as their is a hint at the next film.

The film starts just as Fast & Furious ends, with Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel) being carted off to Lom Pac Maximum Security Prison for his past crimes, even after helping FBI Agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) to bring a major drug lord. Well O’Conner who betrayed the gang once, but let Dom go, and paid for it, can’t agree, with the help of his lover, Dom’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Dom’s friends Tego Leo (Tego Calderón) and Rico Santos (Don Omar) wreck the bus he was in, and get him, and only him out, and they all head to Rio via separate means. Mia and Brian arrive first, where they meet up with Vince (Matt Schulze) who has a kid now. Vince was in Dom’s family in the first film, and never trusted Brian (mainly because Mia liked him, though he was right) and they still don’t like each other, but Vince has a job that is supposed to be easy money, and since Dom hasn’t arrived they agree to do it. And Mia does it even though she is pregnant, but hasn’t told Brian yet. The job is to steal 3 sports cars off a train going through the desert. Brian and Mia break in and get the keys, and find that they are from an American DEA seizure, and they know something is wrong. Vince and his gang show up in a buggy and cut through the side of the train, and Dom is with them, though disapproving of the job, and Vince takes the first car. The Brazilians are after the Ford GT40, but Mia takes it, but goes to a different location. The Brazillians try and double cross Dom and Brian, and kill the DEA agents, but Brian and Dom escape, only to be captured by more of Herman Reyes’s (Joaquim de Almeida) men. They learn they want the GT40, and manage to escape.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

This is a case where I am so glad that my wife gets screeners, because I would never have seen this film otherwise, not being a huge fan of Jim Carrey’s ridiculous comedies, but then I would have missed one of the best films of the year, and that would have been a real shame. In fact it is a real tragedy if Carrey doesn’t get nominated for an academy award for best actor, he is that good, and this film is that good. Really well done and really enjoyable. Too bad the title makes you think it is something that it isn’t (I thought it was about the cigarette company, but has nothing to do with it). A must see film.

Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) is dying in a hospital bed, and we go back to seeing hoe this all got started. Steven grew up in Virginia Beach, an adopted son, who became a happily married police officer with a wife named Debie (Leslie Man) and a lovely daughter, but his life changed when he was in a terrible car accident. He came out as he was really was, gay, and moved to Miami to change his life. Steven worked in at a grocery, but his extravagant lifestyle with boyfriend Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro) leeds him into the life of a Con man, until he is caught and sent to prison. In prison Russell meets and falls in love with the sweet and unassuming Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). From then on Steven does anything and everything for his love Phillip, getting transferred to his cell, having people beat up, and doing everything for him.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I have to say when I heard about this film it is not a film I felt like rushing out to see. Sounds like way too brutal of a story, and I am never a big fan of people losing limbs. And all I can say is I am so glad I did not stay away because this is easily the best film of the year. It fills you with wonder and hope, and James Franco deserves the Oscar. This is an absolute must see film, even if you must hide your eyes for some of it. Do yourself a favor and go see this film right now! This makes me want to read Ralston’s actual book Between a Rock and a Hard place. Wow, what a story and what a person.

In April of 2003 Engineer Aron Ralston (James Franco) is heading out to go hiking. He ignores a call from his mom, and can’t find his swiss army knife, only a really crappy multi-tool and heads out in his truck to go hiking in Utah. Ralston is in his element, and having a great time all alone in the wilderness, though he does run into two beautiful hikers, Megan McBride (Amber Tamblyn) and Kristi Moore (Kate Mara) who he shows a secret way to a watering hole, and has them dropping into it from above. The invite him to a party that night, and he agrees, but skips off on his own, electing not to go with the girls. Shortly thereafter he goes into a small canyon and a knocks a rock lose and it falls on him, pinning his right arm under it, leaving him stuck.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Wow, I have been excited for this film for a long time, and while it was visually stunning, the film’s story is laughable bad, as is the directed, and because of it the acting. Disney should have let someone who actually got the first film do this sequel, because great visuals do not make for a great movie. Sure the effect of making Jeff Bridges young is great, but the story veers completely away from the themes of the first film, and tries to be it’s own thing, but it’s storyline is just contrived and ridiculous, and even Olivia Wilde can’t lift the mediocrity that we see here. The first film was about computers taking over the fledgling computer networks of the world, and this movie abandons that for plans to take over the real world, huh? And while the 3D was great, I have to say the good electronic glasses they had at the Arclight were so covered in an oily film that the whole movie looked fuzzy, and my mom and I weren’t the only ones constantly trying to wipe out glasses!

in 1989 the CEO of ENCOM, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) tells a story about a fantastic new world, and then disappears that night, never to be seen again. ENCOM, though owned mostly by Flynn’s son, is run by it’s board of directors in complete opposition to Flynn’s ideas of free software, and they spend each year releasing a new upgrade to their system software (as developed by Edward Dillinger Jr [Cillian Murphy] a nod to ENCOM executive Ed Dillinger who was played by David Warner in the first film) which is really only advertising and doesn’t add anything. The only executive who fights it is Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) who stills believes in his old friend. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) an adrenaline junky pulls his yearly prank on ENCOM and steals the new OS and releases if for free, before being arrested after base jumping from the top of the building. That night Alan goes to see Sam to tell him that he got a page from Kevin’s old arcade, though the number has been disconnected for 2o years. Sam goes to the old arcade (which strangely features a Tron game instead of the Space Paranoids that is should have, and which they had at the recreation in San Diego for Comic Con) where he finds Kevin’s secret office, and using the same laser as the first film gets digitized into a world created by his father, the computerized world of the Grid.

Sam is taken, stripped and given an identity disc, and forced to fight in the game grid. Sam proves himself to be most able, defeating everyone who goes against him, until he goes up to the raining champion Rinzler who realizes that Sam is not a program but a User. Rinzler takes Sam to see the head of the Grid, Clu (a young looking Jeff Bridges) who is a program that Kevin created to help create a perfect world, and he took over from Kevin and forced him to go into hiding. Clu decides to take on Sam himself in the grid in a light bike competition.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

With Aronofsky I either love or hate his films, loving most of them, but having hated Requim for a Dream I didn’t know what to think here, but it turns out this is a hate. The film is completely one night and pretty nonsensical, seemingly about a dancer who is completely insane, and whose life is paralleling the story of the Black Swan. I am usually a fan of Natalie Portman, but even her seemingly prodigious ballet skills cannot help her completely one note performance, and she is so skinny that she seems to have gained 20 years. I really don’t see why this film has gotten so much oscar buzz because it is really not an enjoyable film in any way shape or form. Not even the lesbian makeout scene between Portman and Mila Kunis can help raise this film above the crappy pulp that it is.

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a ballet dancer with the New York Ballet company, living with her overbearing mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who was a failed dancer and now controls every aspect of Nina’s life. The ballet company’s director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassell) has cast away the companies old lead Beth (Winona Ryder) and is searching for someone new to play the White and Black Swan’s in Swan Lake. Nina is amazing as the white Swan, as she is all about perfection, but doesn’t seem to have the emotion to play the Black Swan. And her rival Lily (Mila Kunis) who has just joined shows emotion without even trying. When Leroy tries to kiss her, she bytes him and this surprises him, and excites him, causing him to cast Nina, but wants her to try and find her emotion, trying to get her to seduce him, and giving her homework of masturbating (which she tries but stops when she realizes her mom is in her room sleeping in a chair).

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I have to admit that the Cohens have become really hit or miss for me. Sure, No Country for Old Men was decent (though in my opinion not deserving of all the hype), but A Serious Man, Burn After Reading, The LadyKillers, Intolerable Cruelty and the Man Who Wasn’t There all stunk. Of course all before that were pretty fantastic, but that is a pretty big list of stinkers. Of course the trailer of this film looked amazing, and I must say the film easily lived up to the trailer. The Cohen’s are back and in force. Everyone is amazing is in this, and it is a really great Western. This is another must see film this holiday season. And this film should certainly easily get some acting nods. Jeff Bridges is as fantastic as he usually is. Matt Damon is hysterical. And wherever they found Hailee Steinfeld, they really found a gem. She makes the film and is fantastic.

The young girl Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) heads into town to deal with her murdered father. He was killed by his hand Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Mattie sends her slave back to her mother with her father’s body, and then sets out to hire someone to catch Chaney. She manages to get money her father was owed, and sell the horses he bought. She decides to hire, the baddest of the U.S. Marshals, the notorious one eyed Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). Cogburn doesn’t want anything to do with her. A bit of an idiot Texas Ranger named La Boeuf (Matt Bamon) shows up also looking for Chaney, and wants to team up with Cogburn, as he knows the Indian territory an terrain, but Mattie will have none of it, as she wants to take Chaney home to be hanged and not to Texas for his crime of killing a congressman. Mattie does manage to hire the drunken Cogburn, though he gets more than he bargained for, when she decides to come along. Cogburn attempts to leave her behind, and meet up with La Boeuf, since with 2 bounties he can make more money, but Mattie will have nothing of it, and swims her horse along the river and comes along anyway.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Now my wife is a huge Harry Potter Fan, and I do love the books, but the movies have been more let downs to me than joys, and this one has proved no exception. The films hit their peak with the third film, The Prisoner of Azkabhan by Alfonso Curon, and the only film to come close was David Yate’s Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but his Order of the Pheonix film is my least favorite in the entire series, and this one has dropped back down in my opinion. Not only does Eduaro Serra’s cinematography not touch that of the amazing Bruno Delbonnel’s, but the pacing was off enough to drag at times, and though they claimed to not have cut anything out, they did in fact cut things that seem like they should be important to the story. And the did in fact add to the film, though the big addition of a dance between friends Harry and Hermione I did enjoy, though it does seem to suggest that Harry does love Hermione which is not even hinted at in the books. Honestly the kids do a great job here, and have really grown as actors, but the film really left me flat. First off the score I thought was jarringly bad, and really should have been John WIlliams, and should have continued some of his themes for characters, even if they had grown and gotten darker. But with all new music here, I am never drawn into the world as I was with William’s score. Once again it felt to me like they really didn’t get the novel, and were just going through the motions, instead of really getting into it. And the big opening chase scene was not only too confusing, but to me it felt like it was staged as a big 3D spectacular, which really fell flat without the 3D conversion (which I am glad they did not do), but I think the scene could have been done better if it wasn’t intended to have been done for 3D. I also felt that the film wasn’t ominous enough, as in the book Voldemort is always right on Harry’s heals waiting to get him, but here we only see him in the big chase, and that seem is so disjointed that I couldn’t tell if Voldemort was supposed to be there, or Harry was dreaming it. Maybe the ultimate extended edition they will eventually release will make it better, as maybe they filmed it all, but if that is the case, what they ended up with was just badly paced (something that really bothers me as an editor) and didn’t draw me as I hoped it would. Sure it had some good moments, but had too many things that threw me out of the film (why did Dobbie’s voice sound so different, especially with Toby Jones playing him in the two films he appeared in?). I am sure after repeated viewings I might find more to like in the film, but overall it just left me feeling flat. Let’s hope part 2 is better, and since they covered so much of the book in the this film, lets hope for an hour long battle scene at the end (especially since they cut the big battle out of Half Blood Prince which took a lot away from the ancillary characters and made the ending fall much flatter than it should have).

The film starts with the new Minister for Magic Rufus Scimgour (the great Bill Nighy) giving a speech about how the ministry still being strong, while Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) meets with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and the Death Eaters at the house of the very damaged by prison in Azkhaban, Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs). Snape informs them of the exact time that Harry Potter will be moved. Voldemort knows his wand will not kill Harry so he takes Lucius’s wand to do the dead. Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) erases the memories of her parents, erasing herself from her parents lives (an awesome addition to the film). The Dursley’s leave for their safety, leaving Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) alone at the house. Mad Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson) along with Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Hermione, Fred and George Weasley ( James and Oliver Phelps), Bill Weasley (Domhnall Glesson) and his fiancee Fleue Delacour (Clémence Poésy), the thief Mundugus Fletcher (Andy Linden), Rebueus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) and Nymphadora Tonks (Natalia Tena). Half of them take Polyjuice potion and they head out to fool the death eaters, but are ambushed. Harry with Hagrid is saved by his owl Hedwig who is killed, but is still almost taken by Voldemort, but again the wand will not kill Harry, and he manages to get to the Weasley’s house the Burrows. Mad Eye Moody is killed though when Mundugus evaporates, and George is hexed and hurt. Harry wants to leave so no one else is hurt, but Ron convinces him to stay. Scimgeour arrives with Dumbledore’s will. Ron is left his Deluminator to get him through his darkest time, Hermione is given a copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard and Harry is given the snitch from his first Quiditch game. He is old told he was left Godric Gryffindor’s sword, but not only is it lost, but it belongs to the ministry so it won’t be given to him. At Bill and Fleur’s wedding, death eater’s attack, and Harry along with Hermione and Ron apparate and arrive in London, and start on the run.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I had stayed away from this because the trailer just looked so bad, but I am a fan of Kevin Smith, so I rented this POS from Netflix and wish I hadn’t, because I want that 107 minutes back. This film is just plain horrible. In fact it is easily the worst thing Bruce Willis has ever done. This could be the worse action buddy drama ever made. I mean it is that bad! Just a waste of celluloid. What the hell was Kevin Smith thinking? This movie should never have been made!

Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) are cops who have been partners for 9 years at the NYPD. The two screw up a collar and cause a shootout, so they get suspended without pay. This is bad because Jimmy’s daughter Ava (Michelle Trachtenberg) is getting married, and he doesn’t want his ex wife’s new husband Roy (Jason Lee) to pay the $40,000 for the wedding, so he decides he has to sell a very rare baseball card he has. Paul meanwhile thinks his beautiful wife Debbie (Rashida Jones) is cheating on him with the neighbor, so he sets up a camera in a teddy bear. At the baseball card store the store is robbed by Dave (Seann William Scott) who also steals Paul’s gun, so the two set out to catch the robber. They get Dave, but find he has sold the card and gun for drugs, so they must search for them.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

A darker high budget effects remake of the classic 1981 film that does not live up to it’s promise. The effects are good, but the story isn’t nearly as accurate to greek mythology here, more like they are just making it up. It has so much promise, but really it kind of falls flat. I mean why does everyone have long hair in the film, but Sam Worthington has a modern buzz cut? And it really is sad to see Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson so wasted. And many characters that are introduced, but have almost no parts, which makes the film seem badly edited. The one saving grace is the effects are fun to watch, especially the digital cities, but overall I was pretty letdown and very glad that I waited until I could Netlfix the blu-ray. I think my favorite moments was the cameo of the mechanical owl from the original film.

THe film starts with a voice over explaining how the three gods Zeus, (Liam Neeson), Poseidon (Danny Huston) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) conspired to take Olympus, with the use of a creature created by Hades, the Kraken, but Zeus betrayed his brother, and when he took over Olympus he had Hades banished to hell forever. Zeus and the other Olympians lived off the love and prayers of the humans who worshipped them, but over the millennia, that worship has waned, and the Gods no longer have the power they once had. A fisherman named Spyros (Pete Psotlethwaite) sees a coffin come from the deep, and in it is a dead woman and her baby son. The fisherman adopts the boy and he grows to be a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington). The fishing is bad, and the are trying new places, and near Argos they see soldiers having declared war on gods knock down the giant statue of Zeus. Hades in response sends his harpies, which kill most of the soldiers, and also hit Spyros boat, killing him, his wife and daughter, sparing only Perseus. Perseus is found by the troops and taken back to Argos and meets King Kepheus (Vincent Regan), queen Cassiopeia (Polly Walker) and their daughter Aphrodite (Agyness Deyn). Queen Cassopeia describes her daughter as being more beautiful than any goddess. Hades meanwhile has convinces Zeus that they must scare the people back into prayer, and set the Kraken against Argos. Hades appears and kills the soldiers and kills Cassopeia. He recognizes that in fact Perseus is a demi-god and a son of Zeus, and threatens Argos to either sacrifice Aphrodite or the Kraken will take the city. Persues is imprisoned by Kepheus. Io (Gemma Arterton from Prince of Persia) a woman cursed by the gods to never age for not falling for the seduction of the God Ares comes and tells Persues who he really is. Zeus, in order to punish the king Acriscus (Jason Flemyng) changed into his form and impregnated his wife Danaë (Tine Stapelfeldt). Arriscus had his wife and her son locked in a coffin and cast into the sea, where the wife died. Acriscus was struck by Zeus and left as a monster. When Persues learns that killing the Kraken will allow him to have his revenge on Hades he agrees to destroy the Kraken and is released.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I was looking forward to this film as the idea of people repossessing organs is a great idea (and I didn’t want to see the previous musical which had the same premise), but boy do I wish we had stayed away. This movie is all around completely awful. It is shot well, but that is all it has. The premise is good, but the pacing is awful and the story is not good either, and every character is so unlikeable that you never care for anyone. And the twist at the end is laughable, because it doesn’t add anything and you just don’t care any which way. This must have been a good script to get this cast, but it sure was a waste with this director because this is such an awful film it should never have been released. It is utter crap.

In the near future a corporation called The Union has created artificial organs, but they do not make money by selling them, instead they make more money by selling them at exorbitant interest rates, and when they people go 90 days past due they “reposes” the organs, killing the patient and getting their property back. Remy (Jude Law) is a class 5 repressor, the best of the best, matched only by his best friend and former partner Jake (Forest Whitaker). They work for the slimy Frank (Liev Schreiber) and do their job very well. Remy’s wife Carol (Carice van Houten) wants Remy to move to sales, because she hates his job, and threatens to leave him, though their son does still love Remy. Jake isn’t happy about Remy wanting to leave, as they have been friends since they were kids, and were in a tank in war together. Carol says Remy must quit, but he and Jake find a tanker ship filled with people with past due organs and they go in and take many people including some who had jammers which made them seem normal, though they killed them anyway and took their hidden organs. Remy wants to quit anyway, but takes one last big job taking the heart of a record producer, but his defibrillator malfunctions and he wakes up the hospital after a heart transplant, which he doesn’t want, but he cannot kill anyone anymore, as he thinks of his own heart.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

It is really too bad, because I was so looking forward to this film, but really it is such a let down. It is awesome to have all these action stars together, but the story is mediocre at best, and even the action is not that impressive, with not much gore (and with most of it being digital). Honestly this needed a decent script as well. I mean they go in at the end without a plan and the building they are in blows up, but does not blow them up? WHAT?!?!??!?! And while it is great to see Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger on screen together, but the scene is really a throw away and didn’t need to be here (though it does have some funny lines it). Overall this film is really a let down, and not worth all the hype.

The Expendables are a group of Mercenaries who fight for the highest bidder. They are Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his best friend Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Toll Road (Randy Couture), Hale Ceasar (Terry Crews) and Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) They start by attacking some Somalian pirates and saving the hostages, but the junkie Gunnar goes too far trying to hang the pirates, so they kick him out. When they return Barney Ross goes to see his old friend Tool (Mickey Rourke) to see about work, and learns of a new job. Christmas goes to see his girlfriend, and finds her with another guy.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I am a huge fan of Edgar Wright, but was a little worried to not have Simon Pegg or Nick Frost in it, and honestly I have gotten sick of Michael Cera, but I have to say my worries were unfounded because this is a great film. Fun witty, enjoyable and just plain bad ass all the way around. This film gets the look and feel of video games and really comes down to a sweet little love story. This is a must see film, and it is too bad it isn’t doing too well in the theaters because this is destined to be a cult classic.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a down on his luck bass player in the band Sex Bob-Omb who seems to be irresistible to women, but his heart was badly broken a year ago, so now he is dating a a high schooler named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) who he has barely held hands with. Scott lives in a one room apartment with his gay best friend Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin) right across the street from where he grew up. Scott sees and falls for a mysterious girl named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who he wants to be with At the bands show in a concert to win a record label, Scott is attacked by Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) who turns out to be the first of Ramona’s 7 evil exes who he must defeat to be able to date her!

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

With Christopher Nolan I either love or hate his films, but this trailer has had me really excited for some time. Still I was a bit wary. I refuse to see Insomnia because I love the original too much, and I absolutely hated the Prestige (I mean the ending was just painfully bad), but Memento, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were all phenomenal. Anyway, it has been in the 100′s in Los Angeles, so Kelly opted to go to a show in the morning on release day of this to beat the heat, and I have to say this film blew me away, easily the best film so far this year, and some of the best special effects I have ever seen. This movie is phenomenal and a must see, and I would love to see it again right now! The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is perfect, and DiCaprio is the best I have seen him (he finally seems grown up and after this I would love to see him as the Ridler in the next Batman film! Actually everyone is great here (well Ellen Page is nothing special really, she is cute enough, but doesn’t bring too much depth). This is an awesome look and take on the world of dreams, and is not only a great psychological thriller, but Nolan proves he could easily do an amazing Bond style action film too. And I am really still blown away by the effects, which are absolutely seamless, except when they are not supposed to be. Inception is easily one of the best films of the year, and an absolute must see! See it now, and see it again and again!

A man is found washed up on a beach carrying only a pistol and a small metal top. He is brought to the japanese household here and the old man who is the master (Ken Watanabe). The man’s name is Cobb, and he is there to help the old man Saito remembers something very important to them both.

At an earlier time we see Cobb in along with his team consisting of Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his architect (who designs the dream worlds they project into) named Nash (Lukas Hass). They are on a train, while jacking into the dream of Japanese the young Japanese industrialist Saito. They are actually in a dream within a dream, which starts to go bad when a woman from Cobb’s past named Mal (Marion Catillard) shows up and starts to work with Saito against the team. The end up in the second dream, but Saito can tell that the details that Nash has created are not correct, so he knows he is still dreaming, and admits that this is in fact an audition for this team. He does not want them to do the normal and steal information from someones dream, but do an inception, which is to plant a dream into someone’s mind so that they think it is their own. Cobb and his team try to run, but they are betrayed by Nash and led to Saito. Saito takes away the traitor and gets Cobb to agree to try to do an inception in exchange for Saito helping Cobb with his legal issues in his home of the united states, where he can no longer return to see his young children. Arthur doesn’t even think an inception can be done, but Cobb says it can, because he has done it before.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS...

(more…)

I don’t know why I stayed away from this because I love all of Gervais’s British shows and his standup, and this continues along with those, being enjoyable and funny. And I can easily see why this film did not do better, because this country is too religious for such a blatant attack on religion (I mean come on, that there can be no religion without lies! THAT ROCKS!), but for me that made the movie so much funnier and so much more enjoyable! This movie is awesome and hysterical. One of the best comedies I have seen in a long long time. Really a must see. And I love all the cameos, people must have loved the script or love Gervais, because there are a ton of people in this who make the movie even funnier!

Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) live in a world where lies have not been invented and in fact everyone must tell the honest truth all the time. Making cruel statements all the time, because it is the truth. Mark works as a writer for films, but in this world the only films feature a man sitting in a chair talking about a period of history, and Mark has the dark ages in the 13th century, which does not make for interesting stories, and he is on the edge of losing his job because of it. He manages to get a blind date with a beautiful and successful woman named Anna McDoogles (a very funny Jennifer Garner, especially when we are introduced to her telling that she was just masturbating and probably will go do it again as she gets ready). Despite herself Anna actually laughs and has an enjoyable time, but it is not to be because Mark is just not genetically matched to her, he is too fat and ugly. Mark arrives at work the next day to find his very unhappy secretary Shelley (Tina Fey) celebrating that he must be fired, as well as his genetically superior nemesis Brad Kessler (Rob Lowe). And finally his both Anthony (Jeffrey Tambor) manages to build up enough courage to fire Mark. Mark returns home and his landlord gives him eviction notice unless he can come up with $800 by the next day, which without a job there is no way her can do. Mark goes to the bank, where he only has $300 dollars, and while waiting to get his money, he tells the worlds first lie, that he has $800 in his account. The computer says differently, but the teller assumes it must be a mistake, and gives Mark the money. Mark’s entire world has just changed!

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

I was really looking forward to this film, as it had good previews and is getting awesome reviews, but have to say it was a total let down. It had potential and good moments, but overall it just fell completely flat. Maybe it would have been better in 3D, but I doubt it, as there were certain scenes that seemed like they were the “3D” scenes, and the rest didn’t matter. To me this film falls to the folly that so many children’s films do, of just targeting children. Sure there were a few older jokes, but mostly this was for little children (and they did enjoy it) and the story nor the characters never really hit it enough to make a film that adults can enjoy. The animation is great, but unlike Pixar they just don’t get how to target a wider audience. Oh well.

The film starts with the original teaser, with a bus of US tourists in Egypt going to see the pyramids, and it turns out one has been stolen and replaced with a blow up version. We then return to america and follow the self proclaimed super-vilain Gru (Steve Carell) who we see making children cry. His assistant Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) calls to tell Gru of the theft, and that all other villains are now seen as nothing. Gru then plans his biggest heist, to steal the moon, by first stealing a shrinking ray. He heads to the bank of Evil, but is turned down for a loan by Mr. Perkins (Will Arnett) whose son it turns out is Vector (Jason Segal) who stole the pyramid, and who Gru freezes his head, making an enemy. Gru goes and steals the shrink ray anyway, with the help of his little yellow minions, but as they escape it is stolen from them by Vector, and Gru can’t get into Vector’s base. Gru sees three orphan girls Margo Miranda Cosgrove). Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) get in while selling cookies, so he hatches a plan to adopt them to get into Vector’s base.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS...

(more…)

I can honestly say that this is easily one of the best films of the year, easily surpassing the second film in the series, and possibly topping the first. This is a fantastic film and it even made me cry! This was not a movie that I thought would make me cry, but it did, and I am proud to say it. Such a great film with an great story, and amazing cast, and such lovable characters. This film must at least be nominated for best picture. I have nothing bad to say about this film at all. It is a must see. I did not see it in 3D though. UP in 3D did not impress me too much, as it was dimmer and not as sharp, and this is a film that benefits from that sharpness because the 3D looks absolutely amazing! Pixar is the best! I would so love to work there, it sounds like the best company in the world to work for.

Woody (Tom Hanks) and Jessie (Joan Cusack) are in a western scene going after One Eyed Bart and Betty [Mr and Mrs Potato Head (Don rickles and Estelle Harris)] and trying to save a train filled with kids, which is saved by Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Then the Evil Dr. Pork Chop [Hamm (Cliff Claven himself, John Ratzenberger)] shows up in a space ship and drops a monkey bomb on them! We find out that this was an imagined adventure that the toys kid Andy (John Morris) had as a kid, but he is now 17 and getting ready to leave for college. Andy plans on taking Woody, and putting the rest of the toys into the attic, but their is a mix up and the rest of the toys end up being put out as trash by his mother. The toys get away from the garbage truck, but they don’t believe Woody, and decide to get into the donation box for Sunnyside daycare, Woody goes along to try to get them to go home. They arrive and meet a big pink bear with a limp, Lotso (Ned Beatty) who along with Ken (Michael Keaton) and a baby doll named Big Baby great them warmly, with Barbie (Jodi Benson) quickly falling for Ken, but things are not as they seem. Woody leaves alone, but is found by a little girl named Bonnie (Emily Hahn) and taken home with her toys. Buzz and the others are all happy until they see they are left in the Caterpillar Room, which turns out to be the toddlers room, where the toys are beaten and almost destroyed, and they realize they have been imprisoned, and must get home to Andy!

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

This movie had a great trailer, and looked like an American Shaun of the Dead, a rip roaring Zombie comedy, but instead we got this mess. This film is not enjoyable in the least. Sure the part with BIll Murray playing himself is pretty funny, but the rest of the characters are not at all likeable, and the story is mediocre at best. Maybe if I cared for anyone this movie would matter, but I don’t. Skip this with extreme prejudice!

America has become infested by Zombies, and it now known as Zombieland by it’s surviving inhabitants. A loser loner college student Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is on his way to Columbus, Ohio to try and find his parents. He lives by a series of rules that so far have kept him alive. He loses his car and ends up meeting Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), and the two start traveling together. At a grocery store they meet sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who con them into thinking Little Rock has been bitten, an steal their car and guns. Columbus and Tallahassee set out to find the girls, and manage to find a truck with a cache of weapons.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Why couldn’t they have let David Slade direct all of these films, since after watching this he is obviously the most competent director yet? Really this is hands down the best film in the series so far. It really seems like Slade gets it, and Melissa Rosenberg’s screenplay seems more on the mark. The first film was decent, and well cast (for the most part), but this is so much better done, and would have brought more people in if it was this well done. Not my favorite story in the series, but as I have said this film is in almost all ways better than it’s predecessors. It has gorgeous cinematography, great editing, excellent effects (the vampire running is finally done right), and great action. Now that is not to say that all is perfect. First off is the replacement of Victoria, originally played by Rachelle Lefevre and here replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard, who is just too sweet looking, and plays the part that way as well. Not enough ferocious menace, which Lefevre had so well. The studio made a huge mistake not allowing her to come back! And the second major mistake is the music, both the score and the soundtrack. Howard Shores score does not fit the film at all, nor does it fit within the series as a whole. It is too much, and not fitting at all. And the soundtrack while it has a couple of good tracks cannot touch the first or even the second soundtrack. Still that being said, the rest is pretty damn good, and well worth checking out. And I love that at the Arclight theaters they have the Cullens costumes, though the mannequins don’t seem to be the correct heights, but that is a minor complaint. Go check this out, especially if you are a fan of the series at all. And it is fun to see with an audience, because it is a laugh to hear the girls all drooling over Taylor Lautner!

A twenty something named Riley Biers (Xavier Samuel) is attacked and turned into a vampire by the vengeful vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Seattle, not too far from Forks. In Forks Isabella “Bella” Swan (Kristen Stewart) discusses becoming a vampire with her lover, the vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). He does not want her to become a vampire as he worries for her immortal soul, but she is dead set on it. He tells her he will turn her, but only if she will marry him first, but she is dead set against marriage, not believing in it after her parent’s failed marriage, and also thinking of what people will think if she gets married so young (she is 19), but Edward is from another era, and wants to do things right. Edward get’s Bella’s father Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) to agree to let him and Bella go to Florida to visit her mother Renee (Sarah Clarke), and Bella willingly goes since if she is to become a vampire soon, this will be the last time she sees her mother ever. Returning to school, Bella’s best friend, the werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) shows up to confront Edward about Emmet Cullen (Kellan Lutz) crossing the border into Quillete territory while hunting Victoria, which Edward had not told Bella about. Bella leaves with Jacob on his motorcycle, as he has been unwilling to talk to her since Edward returned. Eventually Jacob confesses his love to Bella, and tries to force a kiss on her, but she wants none of it, and sprains her hand punching him. He loves her, but will hate her if she become a vampire, and if she does it will permanently break the treaty. At the Cullen’s high school graduation party, which Jake shows up at (even after kissing Bella) Alice Cullen (Ashley Green) has a vision of a newborn vampire army, led by Riley, coming to get Bella in Forks. Jacob overhears, and agrees to fight with the vampires against their mutual enemy, even though Bella does not want the werewolves to help, as she sees them as vulnerable compared to the vampires.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott back together again, and in another film that looks and feels a lot like Gladiator. And it is well played and looks great, but the editing and story are lacking. Honestly this feels like Scott knew he would be doing another of his greatly extended director’s cuts on DVD and blu-ray and so just thought it was OK to cut directly for time here, leaving some characters, and plot points here only as the barest bones suggestions, and seemingly hugely out of place. Even the battle sequences seem to be missing a great deal of material, and seem to jump from place to place without any bridging material. What is here is decent enough, it just doesn’t tie together well enough, and one element of the end is pretty much laughable and completely out of place. I like the idea of an origin story for Robin Hood, and making him not actually the noble he is always portrayed to be, but I wanted more on his friends, and more depth to the elements introduced. I would probably wait on this until the extended edition which will surely make more sense, and other than that skip it unless you are a huge fan.

Richard the Lionheart (Danny Huston) is on Third Crusade, and has been mostly unsuccessful, for finance or any gain and is on his way back to England, pillaging Europe on the way. He goes amongst his troops to find an honest one and see what their opinion is of him and this crusade. An archer named Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) along with his friends Alan A’Dale (Alan Doyle) and Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes) end up in a fight over a game of chance Robin has been winning. The fighter is Little John (Kevin Durand), but Robin is proved to have been honest, and the King reveals himself and asks Robin his opinion. Robin truthfully answers that they lost God’s grace when they slaughtered women and children, and he and his friends are locked in stocks. In battle shortly thereafter the king is killed, and a friend of theirs releases them, and they go off on their own, Robin realizing with a dead king their is no chance of ever getting paid. Richard’s right hand, Sir Robert Loxley (Douglas Hodge) is dispatched to bring word and the King’s crown back to England, but he and his men are attacked and slaughtered by the English traitor Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong) who is working for the French. Robin and his men see this, and attack, and drive the French off, scarring Gofrey’s face. Loxley gets Robin to swear to return his sword to his father before he dies. He and his men dress as knights, and take the crown to the English ship and return to England. Robin pretends to be Loxley and hands the crown to Richard’s younger brother John (Oscar Issac). Robin and his men head for Nottingham. John becomes king, divorcing his wife and marrying the French King’s niece Isabella of Angouleme (Léa Seydoux who is a little hottie) and firing Sir William Marshal (WIlliam Hurt) and sidelining his mother Eleanor of Auitane (Eileen Atkins). And Sir Godfrey is given all the power in the realm.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)

A big summer action film in the vein of the mummy films. Sure Jake Gyllenhaal isn’t quite as enjoyable to watch as Brendan Frazier, but Gemma Arterton is as cute as can be, and the effects are great, but this film follows the rule where the film won’t be great if Ben Kingsley wears Eye Liner, and he tons on here. Still I think this movie got more bad press than it deserved. It is a fun action ride and a big summer blockbuster from a video game. It is certainly better than most video game adaptions. My biggest question is why exactly everyone has an english accent in ancient Persia. Nothing spectacular, but I would watch it again.

Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a street orphan in ancient Persia who was adopted by the King. The King had 2 natural sons, Tus (Richard Coyle) and Gardiv (Toby Kebbell) and along with their uncle Nizam (Ben Kingley) they are out at war, and decide to attack the sacred city of Alumet which they believe to be selling weapons to their enemy. The city is not supposed to be touched, but Tus on the machinations of his uncle starts the attack, though it will be a long and hard siege. Dastan with his own warriors sneaks into the city, and without losing anyone manages to open the gates. In the fight Dastan manages to get a sacred knife. The princess of Alamut, Tamina (Gemma Arterton) is captured and agrees to marry Tus in order to save her people. The king Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) arrives, and berates Tus for going against his wishes and the law, and sets Dastan to marry Tamina. Dastan gives Sharaman a robe given to him by Tus, and it is poisoned and kills the king, and Dastan is blamed and flees with Tamina.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

(more…)