June 2011

June brings with it two movies the first Being  Super 8 Starring Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney and Kyle Chandler which opened on the 10th.

Plot Summary

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.  

My Thoughts

When I first saw the trailer for this movie I didn't know what to make of it as the trailer didn't leave much to make of the film. I decided to see this on opening day, The movie is set in the late 70's which works perfectly for the film, the time and place of the film is set perfect for the late 70's. The acting was great the main cast comprised of young kids and the fun and adventures they have wither their Super 8 camera, Elle Fanning was great in this film and looks to follow in Dakota's Footsteps and have a great career, she played the role of the only female in the group very well . Joel Courtney plays the main character of the group and does a great job as a kid growing up in the late 70's with only a father (Played well by Kyle Chandler) who looks to his friends and filming to help pass the time. the other kids part of the group do a great job as well making you feel like they are just kids having fun making a movie. I will add the  teaser trailer did nothing to say what the movie is about, the theatrical trailer does a better job but still leaves some to the imagination. This was a great film with great acting by the mostly child cast and good jobs done by the supporting adult actors.

Rating

Great Movie, Great Acting, Great time and place setting 8.4/10!! Defiantly worth seeing.

The Last Movie of June is the anticipated "Transformers:Dark Of The Moon" Starring Shia leBouf and Rosie Huntington-Whitley which opened on the 29th.

Plot Summary 

During the final days of the war that devastated the planet Cybertron, a spacecraft known as The Ark attempted to escape. Piloted by the great Autobot leader named Sentinel Prime, the ship was said to contain special items that could help the Autobots win the war over the Decepticons. However, the ship was hit by enemy missiles, and the ship and its crew were lost into the far reaches of space.

My Thoughts

This was a no brainier to see on opening day, When seeing a transformers movie there are certain things that you have to take into consideration especially when reviewing it. Firstly the acting will not be great but that is to be expected, There will be a lot of things happening at once and at some parts it may be hard to keep up with, and lastly there will always be some eye candy (Megan fox in the previous two now Rosie Huntington-Whitley who will scream too much and prove to be another useless addition just be there). With all that said and knowing what you are getting yourself into you are set to experience Micheal Bay at his best. The Movie felt like a transformers Movie so not much  new here, there was the odd joke the eye candy being the main objective , and ROBOTS, ROBOTS and more ROBOTS!!. The special effects were top notch as with the other two films, I may be in the minority here but i feel the voice actors did a better job than the real actors in this film especially the voice actor for Sentinel Prime great job done by Leonard Nimoy. Like I mentioned earlier you know what to expect acting wise and the regulars from the first two films do a good job in their roles. Overall this was a good send off to this version of the Transformers saga we will have to wait and see what they do with inevitable re-re boot of the franchise in years to come but this was a good way to end this saga.

Rating

Great way to end this iteration of the Transformers Saga go in knowing what to expect and you will not be disappointed 7.8/10!!.

May 2011

The fifth Month of the year brings with it 2 Movies for viewing The first Being "Thor" Starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman which opened on the 6th.

Plot Summary

The warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.

My Thoughts

Not a huge fan of Thor so I skipped seeing this opening Day and waited till about a week later.this movie was disappointing while the effects where top notch which is expected with a movie of this caliber the acting was sub par, Natalie Portman fresh of her Oscar for "Black Swan" in this film felt to me her heart was not in this film and she did it for the money or did it just to be in a super hero moive. all of her scenes to me felt unneeded and she was just there for Thor to have a love interest just for the sake of it.Mr. Hemsworth did a passable job as Thor but it just did not work for me. The supporting actors were okay but nothing special. Overall it seems to me since Iron-Man in 2008 all the marvel movies have gone down in terms of quality but that is just me. Thor is an okay popcorn Summer movie but nothing more than that.

Rating

6.9/10!!! Nothing special here.

The second and last Movie for May is "Priest" Starring Paul Bettany and Maggie Qopened on the 13th.

 

Plot Summary 

PRIEST, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills

Rating

I saw this movie on opening Day and to be honest my expectations were not very high  so I did not expect much. After the movie was over I honestly forgot much of what I just saw it has no redeeming qualities that would make me really remember anything about it, The acting was okay for a movie of this caliber no stand out performances to  mention. It is not that this was a bad film but the fact of the matter is that it was a film that just blends in with the crowd and that for me makes it not worth more than a way to pass away 90 minutes and in the regard it did it's job perfectly. The one part of the movie that was good was the choreography of the fighting scenes those were done very well which was a plus.

Rating


6.8/10!! Passable movie unless you have time to kill.

April 2011

April rings in four new Movies starting with "Insidious" Starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson which opened on the 1st.

Plot Summary

A gripping story of a family in search of help for their son, Dalton, who fell into a mysterious comatose on one ordinary morning. Little do they know that there is much more to this endless sleep than meets the eye as they explore the paranormal, and rediscover the past; the key to getting their son back once and for all.

My Thoughts

I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on opening day and I have to say it was a great experience. If you are a fan of suspense/horror movies this is the one to see. This film had a great Mix of suspense and the right amount of scenes that will make you jump if you are prone to that. The acting was top notch for what the movie was and that is just fine. Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson are great as the parents who are given this task of finding what is wrong withe their son. Byrne as the caring compassionate mother and Wilson as the steadfast and strong willed father. Overall this is a great film and was a pleasant surprise that I highly Recommend best horror movie I have seen this year so far.

Rating

This was a great film for what it was and for that it was great 7.9/10!!!

The Second Movie for the month of April is "Hanna" Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana which opened on April 8th.

Plot Summary

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one, sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Ms. Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

My Thoughts

I have not seen many films with Ms.Ronan but after watching this movie I need to. She was great as a teenage Assassin (and to me much more awesome than Hit-Girl). She was great in her role of a young child raised in the wilderness by her father (Played greatly by Bana) to be an assassin who is to hunt down an F.B.I. Agent named Marissa (played by Ms. Blanchett). The pacing and flow of this movie is great it is nice to see how Ronan reacts to being in contact with humans outsider of her father for the first time and to experience the real world. The acting was brilliant the three lead roles hold the movie together perfectly and the supporting cast is great as well. This is a great film and the best I have seen this year so far.

Rating

As I stated above this is the best film of the year for me so far, the pacing, the setting and the acting was top notch 8.8/10!! Defiantly see.

The Third movie for the month of April  is scream 4 starring Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox-Arquette which opened on the 15th.

Plot

Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill and her Aunt Kate. Unfortunately, Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger.

My Thoughts

I have seen the previous three films in the series and honestly say that to me this is the best one yet. The film from start to finish feels like a "Scream" Movie if you have seen the other three you know what I mean.  I have to mention that the opening sequence was classic and applause to the director for putting it in there. The cast was put together perfectly from some of the old guard (Campbell,Cox-Arquette and Arquette) to some of the new blood (Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts and Rory Culkin) they all fit and play off each other very well. Emma Roberts I will say surprised my in her roles as Sidney Prescott's young cousin I have not seen her in many roles but she did a good Job here and I will have to check out some of her older films lets see if she can live up to the Roberts name. Overall this was a great addition to a classic Series and I hope if anymore sequels are made they can top this and become cult classics.

Rating


8.2/10!!! Best scream movie so far.

The last Movie for the month is "Fast Five" Staring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson which opened on  the 29th.

Plot Summary

Former cop Brian O'Conner partners with ex-con Dom Toretto on the opposite side of the law. Since Brian and Mia Toretto broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.

My Thoughts

The fifth installment in the popular "Fast" Franchises sees a collection of old and new characters brought together for a sole reason.  I am a huge fan of movies that bring back past characters and new alike  and throw them together and see how they react to each other and play off each other, In the case of "Fast five" they work together great the many different personality's work and flow together. The acting on the other hand works for what the movie is, this is not a movie that you would expect  academy award winning performances or anything of that nature, and for that the acting overall gets the job done. The one thing I feel the series has lost a bit on is the car racing it seems every movie has less and less of what made the series so popular in the first place. But i also understand if every movie just focused on street racing like the first one I doubt there would be 5 of them to date. Overall this is second in my rank of movies in the franchise behind "2 Fast 2 Furious" a welcome addition.

Rating

This is a welcome addition to the franchise and a good movie to boot 8.3/10!!!.

March 2011

The third Month of the year brings two more movies to view starting with "Battle:Los Angeles" Starring Aaron Eckhart which opened on the 11th.

 

Plot Summary

Los Angeles and other cities around the world are being bombarded by meteors that seem to be slowing down once they hit the earth's atmosphere. The earth is suddenly being invaded by space aliens that have landed off the shore of LA, and who begin killing everybody along the beach. The military is ordered into action. Marine Staff Sergeant Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), who was about to retire, is reassigned to a new platoon. The platoon, flown by chopper to the forward operating base at Santa Monica Airport, is being led by a new 2nd Lt. Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez). They are sent on a mission to rescue some civilians who are trapped at the police station within alien territory. They only have 3 hours to complete their mission and get out before the Air Force bombs that zone.

My Thoughts

I saw this movie opening day and "awesome" is the word to describe it. I did not know much about this movie going into it but the movie did a great job of showing how an inter galactic war fought against the backdrop of Southern California would look like and if this movie is anything what an alien invasion would like it will be an awesome war. Aaron Eckhart was great as the grizzly old leader of the troops, some honorable mentions would be Michelle Rodriguez Ne-Yo and Ramon Rodriguez as other standouts among the troops, the special effects and the scale of this movie really put it over the top and made it a great movie, the pacing really made it feel like you were experiencing the war right along with them, Great Movie and a pleasant surprise.

Rating

This was one of the best movies of the year i have seen and i recommend it to anyone who wants to see a good action movie set against the So. Cal background 8.1/10!!

The Second and last Movie for the month of March is "SuckerPunch" Starring Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish opened on the 25th.

Plot Summary


A young girl (Baby Doll) is locked away in a mental asylum by her abusive stepfather where she will undergo a lobotomy in five days' time. Faced with unimaginable odds, she retreats to a fantastical world in her imagination where she and four other female inmates at the asylum, plot to escape the facility. The lines between reality and fantasy blur as Baby Doll and her four companions, as well as a mysterious guide, fight to retrieve the five items they need that will allow them to break free from their captors before it's too late...  

My Thoughts

I will be honest here the only reason I saw this movie for was Emily Browning (BabyDoll), other than her I didn't have a real interest in the movie. The movie overall can be very confusing if you do not pay close attention, the only way to explain this would be "a movie, within a movie, within a movie" is the best way to put it. Overall the movie just does not feel complete, the action scenes are good but random, the acting is okay nothing special but you would not expect that in a movie of this caliber. The movie honestly felt like the girls were eye candy (nothing wrong with that) and not much more than that and if you see the movie for what it is you will not feel disappointed, Decent movie.

Rating

I didn't have high expectations for this movie and I am fine with that Emily Browning was the only reason I saw this movie everything else was extra My final rating for this movie is 7.3/10!! worth seeing with a caution of making sure you pay attention as there is a lot going on and can be easily confusing.

February 2011

We start the second month of 2011 with two movies on the cards starting with "The Eagle" Starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell which opened on the 11th

Plot Summary 

In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.  

My Thoughts


This Movie I saw on opening day and I can say that it was pleasantly surprising. The expectations for this movie were not very high, but I decided to give it a shot and I am glad that the shot was given. The pacing of the film was unbalanced in some parts it start off very slow but picks up speed Midway and ends strong. Channing Tatum was actually decent in this film all of his other roles I have seen (except for G.I. Joe) he has been forgettable and his acting is stilted and the emotion I feel is lacking, But he did a good job here, let's hope he goes up from here. Jamie Bell was great in a supporting role and went well with Tatum in the scenes they share, the action was good, the fighting was well choreographed solid movie.

Rating

This move was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed and the score reflects so 7.4/10!! Worth seeing. 


The Last Movie for the month of February is "Unknown" Starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones which also opened on the 18th

Plot Summary

Dr. Martin Harris, an American Bio-technologist, arrives in Berlin with his ravishing wife, Elizabeth to attend the Biotechnology Submit. On reaching the hotel, he finds some part of the luggage missing. He takes a cab back to the airport in order to locate the missing luggage, but before he could inform his wife the cab meets an accident and falls off the bridge into the river. The female driver of the cab, after rescuing him, flees from the scene. Dr. Harris is taken to a medical facility where he finally regains his consciousness after spending four days in a coma. He seems to have suffered from a bout of temporary amnesia, but he soon remembers of his wife and the purpose of their visit to Berlin. He is suddenly overcome by a desperate urge to unite with his wife and he leaves the hospital immediately. On arriving at the hotel, he confronts the security to arrange for a meeting with his wife. To his dismay, he realizes that his identity has been taken by someone else as even Elizabeth refuses to recognize him. Now his only hope lies with the female cab driver, who is the only witness to the accident that he suffered. As he tries to unravel the mystery behind this collusive subterfuge, he must overcome not only those who have rendered him a pariah, but must also confront his own dark past.

My Thoughts

I decided to see this instead of "I am Number Four" On opening day and I am glad that I made that choice. Word of warning do not compare this to "Taken" many thought that this would be just like that movie and it is not thankfully. "Unknown" has its own story to tell and it tells that story very well. Liam Neeson is great as a man who has lost his life and treks his way through Germany to find it unraveling clues along the way, Diane Kruger is also great as the taxi driver who tags along and tries to help him piece his life back together. I would also like to add January Jones does a good job as Neeson's wife who always felt a little "off", the movie flows together in a great way and has the right mix of action, suspense and drama.

Rating

This was great Movie and I am glad that I chose this over "I am Number Four" 8.2/10!! Defiantly worth seeing.