The Lookout

The Lookout is an intelligent crime drama centered around Chris, a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.

This movie was great. Suspense movies to me are the hardest things to pull off in Hollywood. 95% of the time they either end up really lame, don't have enough juice to keep you interested, or you couldn't care less about any of the characters. This movie was in the other 5% of suspense movies. You find yourself genuinely caring for the main guy and his blind friend (Jeff Daniels). It's the type of movie where you don't take your eyes of the screen. It's perfectly paced and even when you kind of figured out exactly what was going to happen, you still want to see it play itself out.

I fully recommend that everyone check this one out. I don't think it will be in theaters too long causing you to probably have to wait until rental, but it is definitely one of the best movies out right now.

Blades Of Glory

When rival figure skaters Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) go ballistic in an embarrassing, no-holds-barred fight at the World Championships, they are stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport for life. Now, three-and-a-half years on, they've found a loophole that will allow them to compete: if they can put aside their differences, they can skate together – in pairs' figure skating.

OH MY GOD! This might have been one of the funniest movies ever. I was crying from laughing and so was WW. As long as you take this movie for what it is - a completely silly laugh riot - there is no way you can't like this movie. It definitely helps that the filmmakers don't bother trying to take this movie seriously, but the duo of Will Ferrel and Jon Heder (although everyone and their mother knows him as Napolean Dynamite) are hilarious. Their facial reactions, the skating costumes/music, and thier one liners are all classic and the way that both of them speak are priceless.

I couldn't possibly recommend this movie more if I tried. This movie is one of the biggest laugh fests I've had in a movie theater in a long time. Get out there now and see it, people!

Shooter

Shooter is an action-packed thriller starring Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger, a former Army sniper who leaves the military after a mission goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country.

This movie is your typical action/revenge movie a la Steven Segal in the 80s. Dude gets screwed and he wants payback at all costs. Conveniently all of his bullets hit the target while all the ones aimed at him miss. All kidding aside, the movie wasn't that bad. It was totally formula but it was watchable. The only thing that I wasn't a really big fan of was that it was 2 hours long. This easily could have been an hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes and it would have been much better.

I would recommend this to people. It's nowhere near a must see but it is definitely watchable if you are in to these kinds of movies.

Reign Over Me

In Reign Over Me, two former college roommates Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) and Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) run into each other years later and rekindle their friendship. Charlie, who recently lost his wife and children in 9/11, has retreated from his life, while Alan is overwhelmed by his family and professional responsibilities. Their chance meeting becomes a lifeline for Charlie and Alan, both of whom are in need of a trusted friend at this pivotal moment in their lives.

This was a very heartwarming movie. I have never remotely thought of Adam Sandler as a legit actor, but he was great in this one. I would have loved to just cut his mop of a hairdo, but I digress. Don Cheadle was also great, but when is that man not awesome? This movie really did a great job of showing how something as traumatic as 9/11 can hit people and effect those around him that are trying to help. The other two things that I really liked about this movie was the music and the shots of Manhattan. When used right, music can make you actually feel like you are a part of a movie and I love when that happens. It usually makes me come home and download a bunch of the songs. The shots of Manhattan while Adam Sandler was riding around on his Go-ped were phenomenal. They were done so well that I remembered the last time I had walked past that particular spot.

I would fully recommend this movie to everyone. Unfortunately, it didn't open too wide and probably won't be out that long so checking it out of video might be a little more realistic.

The Hills Have Eyes 2

This is the sequel to the 2006 horror re-make, The Hills Have Eyes. The storyline follows a group of young National Guard trainees who are attacked by mutants during a training mission in the New Mexico desert.

Basically, what happens in Hollywood with horror movies is that if a low budget gore fest makes 40 million dollars - the studio is so psyched that they decide to cast a bunch of craptastic actors, have a bunch of senseless gore, and don't bother with a screenplay just so that they can get a putrid sequel out in theaters as fast possible to try and make another 40 million dollars. Hence . . . . The Hills Have Eyes 2. The first movie was silly, but at least it was a witless, lost family against the mutants. In this one they are up against a troop of OUR NATIONAL GUARD . . . . with proper training . . . . and machine guns. As if that alone wasn't demoralizing enough, the senseless gore is so outrageous. For example, the movie starts off with the grossest child birth scene I've ever seen and there is even one scene where a guys climbs out of porta-potty . . . . FROM INSIDE THE TOILET! This movie was absolutely horrid.

I wouldn't recommend anyone seeing this. Not even horror buffs. They will leave the theater just as annoyed as the rest of us.

The Last Mimzy

The Last Mimzy tells the story of two children who discover a mysterious box that contains some strange devices they think are toys. As the children play with these "toys," they begin to display higher and higher intelligence levels. Their teacher tells their parents that they seem to have grown beyond genius. Their parents, too, realize something extraordinary is happening. Emma, the younger of the two, tells her confused mother that one of the toys, a beat-up stuffed toy rabbit, is named Mimzy and that "she teaches me things."As Emma's mom becomes increasingly concerned, a blackout shuts down the city and the government traces the source of the power surge to Emma's family's house. Things quickly spin wildly out of their control. The children are focused on these strange objects, Mimzy, and the important mission on which they seem to have been sent. When the little girl says that Mimzy contains a most serious message from the future, a scientific scan shows that Mimzy is part extremely high level electronic, and part organic and the children's destiny is to get Mimzy back to where she belongs.

This movie was like a lower scaled E.T. You find yourself immediately liking the two kids and hoping that things work out for them . . . . . and Mimzy. It's the type of movie where you don't even realize you are watching very heavy science fiction. That is the best kind of science fiction as far as I'm concerned. The story moved along very well and the adults were great in their supporting roles. WW and I liked this movie just as much as my future stepdaughter and "niece" . . . . . actually we probably enjoyed it even more than them so this movie definitely reaches to all audiences. It was just a simple, enjoyable ride of a movie.

I would recommend this movie for everyone. It's a feel good/great family movie and you should all check it out.

TMNT

After the defeat of their old arch nemesis, The Shredder, the Turtles have grown apart as a family. Struggling to keep them together, their rat sensei, Master Splinter, becomes worried when strange things begin to brew in New York City. Tech-industrialist Max Winters is amassing an army of ancient monsters to apparently take over the world. And only one super-ninja fighting team can stop them—those heroes in a half shell—Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. With the help of old allies April O'Neil and Casey Jones, the Turtles are in for the fight of their lives as they once again must face the mysterious Foot Clan, who have put their own ninja skills behind Winters' endeavors.

I was a big fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT in today's world for some reason) when I was younger. I loved the first movie even though it was a bunch of guys in birthday party entertainment suits. I was a little bit skeptical about this one since it was going to be animated, but the animation was awesome. It was done so well that when you are watching the fight scenes you actually felt like you were watching a real movie. The storyline was interesting enough to keep the adults attention, but the bottom line is that this movie is for the kids. Even though the story seemed a little too thick at the beginning - the kids will love this movie.

I very strongly recommend that anyone with kids take them to see this. It's one of those movies that isn't an absolute horror for the adults to sit though as well.

Dead Silence

Newlyweds Jamie (Kwanten) and Lisa Ashen have established a new life for themselves far from their hometown of Ravens Fair--a sleepy, near-forgotten blip on the map haunted by late-night whispers and ghost stories from generations past. But when his wife is gruesomely murdered, Jamie reluctantly returns to Ravens Fair for the funeral, intent on unraveling the mystery surrounding her death. Once back under his family's roof, reunited with his ill father (Gunton) and his father's new young bride (Valletta), Jamie begins to explore the creepy town and encounters the legend of Mary Shaw, a famous murdered ventriloquist whose presence still casts a pall over Ravens Fair. Himself the lead suspect in his wife's murder, Jamie is forced to dig deep into the town's bloody past for answers, where he soon uncovers the truth behind the curse that ended Lisa's life...and threatens to take his as well.

The preview for this movie was the scariest thing I've seen since The Grudge. I was literally afraid of the preview. I had super high expectations for the movie because of this, and I'd have to say that the movie didn't really meet them. However, the movie was still plenty good enough for me to have loved it. That's a pretty rare occurance and I must give kudos to the filmmakers for being able to pull that off. There were plenty of moments in the movie that made both WW and I jump or cover our eyes because let's be honest people that there are few things scarier than creepy old people and creepy dolls.

I fully recommend people checking this out . . . . . especially horror buffs. The best part is the last five minutes when it all ties together. I actually want to go see this again because of that.

Premonition

Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) has a beautiful house, a loving husband and two adorable daughters. Her life is perfect, until the day she receives the devastating news that her husband Jim (Julian McMahon) has died in a car accident. When she wakes up the next morning to find him alive and well, she assumes it was all a dream, but is shaken by how vivid it felt. She soon realizes it wasn't a dream, and her world is turned upside down as the surreal circumstances lead her to discover that her perfect life may not have been all that it appeared. Desperate to save her family, Linda begins a furious race against time and fate to try and preserve everything that she and Jim have built together.

I'm not really sure what to think about this movie. There were points in the movie where I really liked it, there were parts where I thought it was kind of blah, and there were points where I wasn't completely sure what was going on. It was a little bit too all over the place. If they would have tightened it up a bit - this could have been a really kick ass movie. WW and I didn't hate it, but definitely thought it could have been better. I can't really say too much more without giving stuff away so I will leave it at that.

I don't fully recommend everyone checking this one out, but if you don't have anything to do and want to see it - it's worth the trip.

The Host

Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) works at a food-stand on the banks of the Han River. Dozing on the job, he is awakened by his daughter, Hyun-seo ( Ah-sung Ko), who is angry with him for missing a teacher-parent meeting at school. As Gang-du walks out to the riverbank with a delivery, he notices that a large crowd of people has gathered, taking pictures and talking about something hanging from the Han River Bridge. The otherwise idyllic landscape turns suddenly to bedlam when a terrifying creature climbs up onto the riverbank and begins to crush and eat people. Gang-du and his daughter run for their lives but suddenly the thing grabs Hyun-seo and disappears back into the river. The government announces that the thing apparently is the Host of an unidentified virus. Having feared the worst, Gang-du receives a phone call from his daughter who is frightened, but very much alive. Gang-du makes plans to infiltrate the forbidden zone near the Han River to rescue his daughter from the clutches of the horrifying monster.

I don't know if anyone has even heard of this movie, but I happened to check out the trailer for it because it was attached to my blog (FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT ANY OF THESE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, PEOPLE!), so WW decided to go and check it out. This movie is the dictionary definition of a tale of two halves. The first half of this movie was awesome. The monster attack scenes were great, and let's face it that besides Aliens and Predator - those types of scenes usually screw the pooch. This movie nailed it though. Also, you find yourself falling totally in love with the goofy/dysfunctional family that has decided to find their taken young one and the monster. Unfortunately, about half way through the movie it goes from being totally kick ass to completely boring and assinying, and I found myself staring more at my watch than the movie wondering how much longer was left.

I wouldn't really recommend this movie to anyone in theaters. Not that it really matters anyway because it's barely playing anywhere. It's somewhat worth checking out on rental though because the first half of the movie really was great. Damn them for not finishing it that well!!!

300

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller's acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

This movie is pretty much worth going to see just because of how it looks visually. It was so well put together from a sight standpoint. The fight scenes are also very well choreographed. Gerard Butler was awesome as King Leonidas. His delivery (while blatantly overdramatic most of the time) was great and his occasional sarcastic comments made you laugh your ass off. Unfortunately, after you get past the visual feel of the movie and the main character, there really wasn't much else. The movie lacked the necessary flow that make movies like Gladiator or Braveheart classics. There was too much dead space because of the lacking flow and you find yourself asking historical questions that, for me, make me end up laughing at the movie instead of taking it seriously. Were the Persians card carrying members of Mr. T fan club? Were the Persians basically a bunch of circus freaks that fought wars with the 10 foot tall king, the crab clawed man, the charging rhinos that looked like they were borrowed from The Lord Of The Rings, and the turncoat hunchback? Can anyone say Sparta or Spartans without yelling? Did the Spartans really think that the best way to go in to battle was with bright red banana hammocks and capes? . . . . . no protective armor? . . . . . . or even a top for that matter? Anywho, I digress.

The movie was by no means horrible. It was pretty watchable, but nowhere near the level of great epic classics. I would lukewarmly recommend people checking it out based on its phenomenal visual appearance, but be warned that the story might bore you a bit.

Music & Lyrics

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a washed-up 80s pop star who's been reduced to working the nostalgia circuit at county fairs and amusement parks. The charismatic and talented musician gets a chance at a comeback when reigning diva Cora Corman invites him to write and record a duet with her, but there's a problem—Alex hasn't written a song in years, he's never written lyrics, and he has to come up with a hit in a matter of days. Enter Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), Alex's quirky plant lady, whose flair for words strikes a chord with the struggling songwriter. On the rebound from a bad relationship, Sophie is reluctant to collaborate with anyone, especially commitment-phobe Alex. As their chemistry heats up at the piano and under it, Alex and Sophie will have to face their fears—and the music—if they want to find the love and success they both deserve.

This was a pretty good date movie. It's beyond predictable, but more than worth watching anyway. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are actually really good together. His quick wit and delivery suit this movie very well and some of the supporting characters (Brad Garrett and Kristen Johnson) are also very funny. The constant references to the 80s has been stuff are priceless and the actual music video from the group Pop shown at the beginning and end of the movie are totally worth the price of admission by itself.

I would recommend this movie to all. It's a cute date movie and there are some really huge laughs in it.

Wild Hogs

Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy hit the road in this comedy-adventure about a group of middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip. Taking a long dreamed-of breather from their stressful jobs and family responsibilities, they can't wait to feel the freedom of the open road. When this mis-matched foursome, who have grown far more used to the couch than the saddle, set out for this once-in-a-lifetime experience - they encounter a world that holds far more than they ever bargained for. The trip begins to challenge their wits and their luck, especially during a chance run-in with the Del Fuegos, a real-life biker gang who are less than amused with their novice approach. As they go looking for adventure, they soon find that they've embarked on a journey they will never forget.

This movie was just plain fun. I remember when movies like this used to come out more often. I truly miss them. Today's comedies either rotate around sophmoric humor, T&A, or holier than though sarcasm. Simple comedic writing has so sadly faded away. This movie brings it right back. It was just a whole lot of fun watching and laughing to this movie. You find yourself loving the four characters and pulling for them as if they were your actual friends. As far as the level of funniness, I haven't belly laughed like this in a movie theater in a long time.

I truly loved this movie and couldn't possibly recommend it more to everyone. It's simple, it's fun, and it's hysterical. Go see it right now!

Zodiac

Based on the actual case files of one of the biggest unsolved crimes in the nation's history, Zodiac is a thriller from David Fincher, director of Seven and Fight Club. As a serial killer terrifies the San Francisco Bay Area and taunts police with his ciphers and letters, investigators in four jurisdictions search for the murderer. The case will become an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.

I really think that David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood. He is able to keep you glued to the screen in every one of his movies (including The Game and Panic Room) and Zodiac is no different. The movie wasn't as jumping out of your seat thriller as the commercials may have made it seem, but it was very thrilling from an intellectual point. I found myself as interested in them finding the killer as the detectives and reporters were themselves. The movie was a tad bit long, but the performances by everyone were awesome.

I very stronly recommend this movie to everyone. It is well worth the trip to the theater.