November 2011!!!!

The month of "Thanksgiving" brings with it two movies to view the first being "A very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" starring Kal Penn, Jon Choi and Niel Patrick Harris which opened on the 4th.

 Plot

"Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buds Harold Lee and Kumar Patel cause a holiday fracas by inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree".

My Thought's

This review will be short and sweet, if you have seen the two previous Harold & Kumar films you know what to expect here, Nothing new. Kal Peen and John Choi are at their hilarious, vulgar, stoner best in this third entry in the film, The cast of character this time around is just as funny as the other two films (Special mention to the baby). The 3D was used very well in this film and i would put it right along with Piranha 3D in terms of usage and execution, Overall this was a welcome addition to the franchise and I hope there is a 4th not far down the line. On a last note NPH is great in his cameo and is a staple to this franchise.

Rating

Great entry to a hilarious franchise, Definitely see if you are a fan of this franchise 8.0/10!!!!.

 The Second Movie of the month is "Immortals" Starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Roarke and John Hurt which opened on the 11th.

Plot

Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

My Thoughts

I was not sure what to make of this movie when I first viewed the trailer a few months ago, I decided to wait a little bit and not see this movie on opening day. I waited a week and read some feedback and reviews about the movie before finally deciding to see it, I have to say that this is the first movie sine "300" where the art style caught my eye visually this movie is stunning like few movies I have seen before, The whole movie had this "epic" feel to it from the landscapes to the battles everything was done on a huge scale and it really attributed to the film, The acting for the way the film was made went well with it no actor/actress stood out but the cast did a good job. I do not usually comment on this but the sound in the film was masterful it really complemented well to  the film really well and helped set the scenes for the movie, The action and choreography for this film was beautiful and not since
300" had I seen a film with battle scenes like this I applaud the production crew for there was not much about the film that I did not like, If I had to nitpick about anything the film started off slow but finished with a flurry.

Rating

Did not know what to expect but this film greatly exceeded my expectations 8.2/10!!!!.

October 2011!!!

The "Halloween" Month brings with it two more movies to view the first being "The Thing" Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen which opened on the 14th.

Plot

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of the original "The Thing" it was such a great, classic monster/horror movie and was made during a time when movies of that genre were made with a great feeling of effort and time put into the films. When I heard that a new film in the series was on the cards, I was very interested in knowing what route the film was going whether it would be a prequel or a sequel, I was hoping for a prequel (I was really interested to see how the first crew handled the monster), I was ecstatic to find that the film would indeed be a prequel and would provide the full story on the Norwegian team's findings of the alien and how they dealt with it. The cast fit together perfectly, it was a good blend of American actors and Norwegian actors I was pleasantly surprised that the actors that they chose to play members of the Norwegian team were actually from Norway, Little touches like this add to the overall feel of the film. The acting overall was very good for what the film needed them to be Mary Elizabeth Winstead did a great job in her role as the lead in this film,  the supporting cast was great also. The setting if you saw the first film is pretty much the same a base set out in the middle of Antarctica, the setting compliments the film well and wouldn't work in any other place. The realness of the first film is what really keeps it fresh in my mind, the animotronics they used in the first film while outdated by today's standard really added to the film and it really helped make the film feel real. With it being 2011 and not 1982 CG is what would be expected to be used in today's films and the use of CG was a disappointment in my opinion, The scenes that involved "The Thing" to me looked really fake with the type of CG they chose to use and this took away from the film experience, every time the alien was on the screen it had this really glossy look that just screamed of CG and made me laugh which his not what a movie like this should be doing. If you plan on seeing this film there is one more thing I would like to mention the ending for me while it helps set up the 1982 film there are a few questions that I felt the film could have explained more but neglected to. Overall this was a good film and a welcome addition to the franchise and I am glad that it was made to help answer some questions those of us who saw the original still had, I will add stay during the credits for a scene that helps set up the 1982 film.

Rating

Good Film no real complaints other than than one or two plot holes (near the end of the film) and the CG of the alien, Good film and worth seeing 7.8/10!!!.

The Last Movie of the month is "In Time" Starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy which opened on the  28th.

Plot


"In a future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth. Here, Will Salas finds himself accused of murder and on the run with a hostage - a connection that becomes an important part of the way against the system".

My Thoughts

When I first heard about this movie the concept intrigued me, The premise of money no longer being valuable and the new currency being time was a fresh idea that if done the right way could make for a good film. This is not one of those times the film truthfully was not very good at all in any respect, I now see why Justin Timberlake is not offered mor leading roles, it wasn't that he was horrible in his delivery it is just the movie and the pacing of the film just didn not flow well with his acting ability. Amanda Seyfried didn't do much better she was actually in all honesty worse than Mr. Timberlake and that is saying something her acting was stilted and her expressions made me want to walk out of the theater on every occasion, The only bright spot acting wise was Cillian Murphy who payed the timekeeper who was chasing the two previously mentioned. As I mentioned earlier the concept of using time for currency was an interesting one and they blew it in this film it just got kind of comical when someone would g to buy a cup of coffee and it would cost 4 minutes it just didn't make any sense and after seeing this fil, I hope the idea is never used again. This film the more and more it went along the worse and worse it got by the time was over I was actually thinking in my head "This is the worse Movie I have seen this year" I had not had a truly bad movie experience this year until I saw this film utter Trash, I don;t ;like to slam a film like this but I cannot say anything good about it at all, Even the choice of cars were in bad taste (Mostly 50's and 60's style cars where used). Overall bad movie I would not reccomoned anyone to see this unless they had time to kill and just really wanted to see a film otherwise spend your money elswhere.

Rating

Everything about this film was under par and I give caution to anyone who wants to see this 5.8/10!!! worst movie I have seen this year.

September 2011

The ninth Month of the year brings with it Three more movies for viewing the first being "Shark Night 3D" Starring Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligann and Chris Carmack which opened on the 2nd.

  

Plot


"A sexy summer weekend turns into a blood-soaked nightmare for a group of college students trapped on an island surrounded by voracious underwater predators in Shark Night 3D, a terrifying thrill ride from director David Ellis (The Final Destination, Snakes On a Plane). Arriving by boat at her family’s Louisiana lake island cabin, Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends quickly strip down to their swimsuits for a weekend of fun in the sun.

But when star football player Malik (Sinqua Walls) stumbles from the salt-water lake with his arm torn off, the party mood quickly evaporates. Assuming the injury was caused by a freak wake-boarding accident, the group realizes they have to get Malik to a hospital on the other side of the lake, and fast. But as they set out in a tiny speedboat, the college friends discover the lake has been stocked with hundreds of massive, flesh-eating sharks! As they face one grisly death after another, Sara and the others struggle desperately to fend off the sharks, get help and stay alive long enough to reach the safety of dry land".

My Thoughts

I did not know much about this movie other than what the title gives away, Which all it really tells is that it is a movie that happens during the night that will involve sharks, After seeing the trailer for the first time I had had a better idea of what to expect when I went to see this on opening day. Let me say before I go any further that my expectations for this movie where not very high so I knew what to expect going in., I was right to have my expectations very low anyone expecting a good to great movie look elsewhere, if you are even looking for an enjoyable but not good movie this is not in that category either, The cast comprised mostly of of no names (other than Sara Paxton, Katharine Mcphee and to a lesser extent Dustin Milligan) either had to work with a very poor script or the material they are given to work with they cant convey properly no actor stands out here and all the performances are forgettable. The pacing of this movie from the start was  bad, but what really got me was at certain points in the film it does this speed up sequence where everything going on is in double speed to make time go faster which got annoying after a while and turned me off from the get go. One thing about the cast that irked me eve more was the fact out of the whole group of main characters in the movie they manged to put the two "Minorities" in a relationship which to me was the cliche way to go and I did not like one bit they even include the expected "racist" comment towards a member of the couple . This movie was touted as a "3D" film (hence the word being used in the title) and when i compared the 3D in this film to another movie in this genre from last year "Piranha 3D" it pales in comparison,  there are certain moments for example when water splashes up at you or when they are swimming and the water rushes towards that you notice it, but overall the 3D in this film was bad and felt to me as it was tacked on and was an afterthought. I am not a huge 3D fan but if the film is made in 3D i usually will give it a chance. The best 3D film I have seen was Avatar (I am sure most would agree). Overall I did not expect much and did not get much in return and I am not hesitant to say this movie is a waste of Money and if you want to waste 90 minutes of your life spend it elsewhere.

Rating

Didn't expect much and that is what I got, Bad Acting, Bad 3D,, Bad Cliches and to top it off sped up effect  made no sense to be in this film. 6.1/10!!! Watch at your own peril.



Next on the list we have "Contagion" Starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow which opened on the 9th.

Plot

An action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.

My Thoughts

I knew nothing about this movie until I saw the trailer for this film last year. The idea of the film was a good one, on one hand it is similar to a zombie film (apocalyptic circumstances), But in another it is different (The circumstances of the situation. After I first viewed the trailer I was very interested in learning more about the film, Once i heard about some of the cast which featured such names as Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow (Not a fan), Jude Law, Sanaa Lathan and Also Matt Damon (Not a big fan of him, that sealed the deal for me on whether I would see this on on opening day which I did. The pacing of this film flowed together very well, the setting's set around various cities around the world all had a part to part in the story coming together and being told to the audience. When doing a movie of this stature character development is crucial, and t his movie did a very good job introducing the viewer to the important and even the minor character and explaining there roles very well which made you feel for character who may have not survived the entire ordeal. The acting was top notch which would be expected with a cast of this magnitude all of the main big names did very good jobs in the roles they are given (Even Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow) special mention to Kate Winslet and Jude Law for their performances in this film. I want to also mention that watching this film really made me feel that I was actually experiencing this with the actors and gave me a real sense of if something like this where to actually happen how people from all different backgrounds, and countries would handle it, this film really takes you into places most movies that deal with global disasters do not, I really felt that this movie was made to show how both sides handle conflict one side you have the Governments trying to fend off the infection and keep the people safe by limiting what knowledge they know of the outbreak. And on the other side you have the civilians those caught up in the disaster and are totally unaware of what is going on around them and are just trying to survive, some will do more than others but in the end they aIll want the same thing. This overall was a great film and one of the best I have seen this year so far, Great Acting, Great Story, Great setting and pace definitely worth seeing.

Rating

One of the best of the year so far 8.6/10!!!!.

The Last Movie of the month is "Dream House"  starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts which opened on the 30th.

Plot

Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

The last movie off the month is "Dream House" starring Danie l Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts which opened on the 30th.

 Plot

Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

My Thoughts

This movie was not on my radar at all, I only found out about this movie by going to a website and looking at their upcoming movie schedule, Once I read up on the plot I was interested and when I saw the main cast (Craig, Weisz and Watts) that sealed the deal for me. Let me say that I had very high expectations for this movie given the cast and the idea of the film. Once I saw a trailer for this film my expectations piqued even higher. Seeing this film on opening day was a must, The setting of this film was perfect for what the movie, The dark snowy suburb went nicely with the pacing of this film and led to the suspense well, The acting by the main cast was excellent which is expected with names such as Craig, Watts and Weisz (I must add Elias Koteas in his supporting yet limited role was also very good). But that is where my praise ends, the movie let me down in several areas. First the movie felt short (it was 98 minutes which for me is short)  that is not a huge concern on my part, my biggest fault with this film was the plot as a whole, the potential for this film was so great and I felt that they shortchanged not only the audience but also the amazing acting talent they had at their disposal if you see this movie and watch the story play out by the time you see the end you just don't care anymore. While the actors did great jobs in their roles it just didn't flow together well for me, maybe it was the way the script was written but I am not so sure that is why, maybe it was the way director wanted the lines to delivered by the actors again I am not so sure that is why, my last gripe with this film was the story overall, I expected it to be told in a complete different way than it was actually shown to the audience, after the movie was over I felt like I mentioned earlier shortchanged and felt as though what I just experienced was much less than what this movie could have been, On the other hand maybe my expectations where to high, If you look at the actors associated with this film and the story before seeing the film you would expect a great things, what I felt I saw was much less than that and disappointment was my final emotion.

Rating

Great Cast, Great Potential Story and Great setting for the film, Yet it didn't come together and all that potential went to waste, This is not a horrible movie but maybe if my expectations where not so high maybe I would have not been so disappointed, still worth seeing 7.2/10!!.

August 2011

The Hottest Month of the year brings with it 3 new movies to take a look at the first being "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" starring James Franco, Andy Serkis and Frieda Pinto which opened on the 5th.

 

Plot Summary

An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy."

My Thoughts

The taste of the abomination that was 2001's "Planet Of The Apes" directed by Tim Burton still lingering with me, had my expectations for this film not very high. When I first saw the trailer I was not sure what to make of it, The trailer left much to be determined other than the fact that a drug was created that apparently made the apes smarter thus leading to them wanting to take over. The more I read about this film, the more I was intrigued by the reboot once I found out it had nothing to do with that capitalistic movie that Tim Burton made. Before I delve into the overall movie I must say that the cg was top notch some of the best I have ever seen in a movie WETA Digital (Lord of the rings films, X-Men Films special effects) Should be applauded for the work they did to bring the apes to life, the movement and facial expressions they were able to convey on the apes faces was brilliant. I also want to mention that it was very good of the studio to use all CG apes and not any real life or actors in Costumes (again Tim Burton's piece of trash) was a really good idea. Now onto the movie itself one world to describe it AWESOME!!!!, the voice acting of Andy Serkis (Gollum, Smeagle) was great and he should be applauded. James Franco did a very good job in his role as the scientist who started out just wanting to make a cure for his ailing father (John Lithgow) and like so many others his invention is used not for its intended purpose, Frieda Pinto was good in her supporting role as his girlfriend. Overall the way the movie focused on the ape side of things really made you feel for the apes instead of focusing on the humans and just having the apes become savages that just want to take over. The ape side angle really made it feel when the apes defended themselves you did not feel bad..This was a great movie and I must add a little unexpected from the standpoint of previous reboots definitely worth seeing.

Rating

Great movie the emotion, the pacing and the overall feel of the movie is of top notch pleasant surprise 8.4/10!!!

The next Movie of the month is "Final Destination 5" Starring Nicholas D'Agostino, Emma Bell and Arlen Escarpeta which opened on the 12th.

Plot Summary

In this fifth installment, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.
My Thoughts

If you have seen any of the previous films in this franchise, then expect nothing new here. The basic plot for every Destination films is there is a group of people gathered together in a certain place at a given time, One of the persons in the group has a premonition or vision that some thing bad will occur causing mas deaths of many in the area. This movie follows the same formula this time a bridge collapsing is location of the disaster this time around. The cast comprised mostly of unknowns does a decent job for what they need to do, but do not expect any Oscar nomination worthy acting here but I doubt anyone seeing this movie would expect that. Creativity in the deaths is one aspect of these films that stay fresh (unlike the plot) and is one aspect I look forward to seeing. After 5 films you would think they would run out of ways to kill characters creatively but that is not a problem at all. This movie was shot in 3D and while do support 3D in certain applications (ex. Avatar) for the most part I skip movies made in 3D, I read that the 3D in this film was actually pretty good. The Opening credit scene (which lasted all of 5 minutes) was completely in 3D which I guess if you saw the 3D version would be pretty cool to look at for me it was a waste of time. Overall I put Final Destination 5 in the category of "You Know What To Expect" and if you look at it from that point of view it will not be a bad movie, This is a decent movie for what it is a death filled romp that will fill 98 minutes of your life with something to see.

Rating

Decent Movie if you take it for what it is 7.0/10!!!.

The Last Movie of the Month is "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" Starring Katie Holmes, Guy Pierce and Bailee Madison which opened on the 26th.

Plot

the story follows Sally (Madison), a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father (Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Holmes) in the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own.

My Thoughts

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was intrigued but had no idea what the movie was about other than it looked like a movie that involved family living in a house that was inhabited by little monsters. I decided to do some research into the background of the film and found out that it is a remake of a film of the same name made in 1974. After finding out what I needed to know about the background and history of the original and the remake, I was prepared and had a good idea of what to expect when I saw this film on opening day. The Film as a very dark and surreal feel to it which complements the setting of the movie very well. The pace of the film also fits well with the way the story is told, I must mention the cinematography of this film was also very good there is one scene when the daughter wanders into the backyard of the house  it is a beautiful scene with everything that is going on all at the same time. The acting was also very good, Before I continue i want to give a special to mention to Bailee Madison she did a great job as the lonely daughter who felt isolated, and alone from the world, who eventually becomes the main target for the house inhabitants, will have to keep an eye on her to see what she does in the future based off this role she looks promising. Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce do great jobs as the parental figures in this film, I will say that Katie Holmes character ads much more to the film the Pearce's especially the bond she creates with Madison's character . The CGI in this film was decent for the budget provided for a film of this stature (On a side note if you have seen the movie "The Gate" then the monsters will not shock you with their appearance). Overall this was a good film that had very good acting, a great setting for what the movie was about, Decent CGI and a decent story (though not believable) to hold it all together.

Rating

This movie actually surprised me a little, I say this because after reading the synopsis of the 1974 version I had low expectations but I am glad that glad that I saw this Solid Film 7.6/10!!.

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.