Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant M.I.T. student who – needing to pay school tuition – finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leading the way, they've cracked the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).
Although this movie was beyond formula, it was very enjoyable. Kevin Spacey is a phenomenal actor and Jim Sturgess seems to be well on his way to getting to that level. Most important for me actor wise in this movie though was that Laurence Fishburne finally returned to the tough guy demeanor that he kicked ass at in The Matrix before becoming such a whiny little side kick in the two Matrix sequels. I still don't understand how people can count cards after seeing this movie even though they blatantly explain it at one point. I also still question how lame their signals to each other were when working the tables. I also don't understand how Jim Sturgess was starting to be recognized upon entry in to the different casinos even though I thought he was under different personas every time. Regardless of all these nagging issues, I still found myself totally enjoying this movie from start to end with all the twists and turns even though I pretty much saw every one of them coming.
I'd recommend people checking this bad boy out. Its a pretty good watch and worth your time.
Run, Fatboy, Run
Five years ago Dennis (Simon Pegg) was at the altar about to marry Libby (Thandie Newton), his pregnant fiancée. He got cold feet and ran for the hills and he's been going in circles ever since. When Dennis discovers Libby's hooked up with high-flying-go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria), he realizes it's now or never. He enters a marathon to show he's more than a quitter but then finds out just how much sweat, strain and tears it takes to run for 26 miles. Nobody gives him a chance but Dennis knows this is his only hope to more than a running joke.
Simon Pegg is one of the best up and coming actors in Hollywood. I've already gotten to the point where I will go see a movie just because he's in it. Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz were two of the best movies to come out over the last couple of years. I was under the thought that this movie was from the same people and was pretty disenchanted to find out it wasn't and that it was actually directed by David Schwimmer of Friends fame. However, Simon Pegg and the guy that played his best friend made this movie just as good as those other movies. There were huge laughs, a true to life character driven script and awesome supporting characters. As it all comes together at the end you find yourself unavoidably cheering for him to make it.
I fully recommend that everyone check this movie out. Its a very funny and heart warming movie that should be seen by all.
Simon Pegg is one of the best up and coming actors in Hollywood. I've already gotten to the point where I will go see a movie just because he's in it. Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz were two of the best movies to come out over the last couple of years. I was under the thought that this movie was from the same people and was pretty disenchanted to find out it wasn't and that it was actually directed by David Schwimmer of Friends fame. However, Simon Pegg and the guy that played his best friend made this movie just as good as those other movies. There were huge laughs, a true to life character driven script and awesome supporting characters. As it all comes together at the end you find yourself unavoidably cheering for him to make it.
I fully recommend that everyone check this movie out. Its a very funny and heart warming movie that should be seen by all.
Superhero Movie
The creators of The Naked Gun and Scary Movie are back with the comedy Superhero Movie. Meet Rick Riker. He's young, he's cool and he's got superpowers. Now, if he only knew how to use them... but the world is in danger and no one is safe when Zucker and the gang - headed by the hilarious cast of Drake Bell, Leslie Nielsen, Tracy Morgan, Pamela Anderson, Regina Hall and many others - take aim at some of the biggest blockbusters of our time including Spider-Man, Batman, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, to name a few.
As a big fan of spoof movies, this one is a breath of fresh air with some actual laughs when compared to the recent offerings of Date Movie, Epic Movie and Meet The Spartans. This movie was essentially a spoof of Spider-Man with a visit to the school in X-Men, a couple of Fantastic Four characters showing up in costume and the childhood death of parents a la Batman. It stuck close to the movies it was spoofing and didn't stray too far out of control. It was by no means a hysterical movie or a great movie. However, it was definitely watchable and had some pretty good laughs mixed in.
I'd recommend anyone who was interested in checking this out go ahead and do so. Its not a must see by any means, but worth the trip if its your cup o tea.
Shutter
For photographer Ben (Joshua Jackson) and his new wife Jane (Rachael Taylor), his new assignment - a lucrative fashion shoot in Tokyo - was supposed to be a kind of working honeymoon. With this exotic professional opportunity and the limitless possibilities of a new marriage, Ben and Jane arrive in Japan. But as they make their way on a mountain road leading to Mt. Fuji, their new life together comes to a crashing halt. Their car smashes into a woman standing in the middle of the road, who has materialized out of nowhere. Upon regaining consciousness after the accident, Ben and Jane cannot find any trace of the girl Jane believes she hit with the car.Shaken by the accident and by the girl's disappearance, Ben and Jane arrive in Tokyo, where Ben begins his glamorous assignment. Having worked in Japan before and fluent in the language, Ben is comfortable there, and he eagerly reunites with old friends and colleagues. Jane, a newcomer to the city, feels very much like a stranger in a strange land as she makes tentative, unsettling forays through the city. Ben, meanwhile, has discovered mysterious white blurs - eerily evocative of a human form - that have materialized on an entire day's work from the expensive photo shoot. Jane's concerns escalate as she believes the blurs in Ben's photos are the dead girl from the road, who is now seeking vengeance for them leaving her to die.
This is another one of those Japanese horror remakes a la The Grudge and The Ring. Unfortunately, this one was more in the league of One Missed Call and The Return. I didn't find myself anywhere near as creeped out as The Grudge or The Ring. I was able to pretty much figure out all the twist and turns long before they actually happened and had lost all interest in the movie less than half way through it. They really need to hold off on some of these types of movies. When there is one coming out every two to three months, they all become a big giant blur of creepy oriental woman with long black hair looking at you creepy and it loses all effect.
I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this bad boy out. Its not the worst thing I've ever seen but its pretty much just a big waste of time.
This is another one of those Japanese horror remakes a la The Grudge and The Ring. Unfortunately, this one was more in the league of One Missed Call and The Return. I didn't find myself anywhere near as creeped out as The Grudge or The Ring. I was able to pretty much figure out all the twist and turns long before they actually happened and had lost all interest in the movie less than half way through it. They really need to hold off on some of these types of movies. When there is one coming out every two to three months, they all become a big giant blur of creepy oriental woman with long black hair looking at you creepy and it loses all effect.
I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this bad boy out. Its not the worst thing I've ever seen but its pretty much just a big waste of time.
Drillbit Taylor
After being harrased by a school bully, two teenagers hire a former soldier of fortune (Owen Wilson) as a bodyguard, only to find out that he has his own agenda.
This is totally one of those movies that you've essentially seen by watching the preview. You know that the bodyguard guy is only trying to take advantage of the bullied kids and will eventually have a change of heart and actually ended up taking care of them. There was nothing special whatsoever. There were a couple of pretty good laughs, but that was pretty much it. I remember when Owen Wilson used to be totally hilarious on sight. He has fallen quite a long way. The bullied kids totally carried this movie and if it wasn't for them this would have been horrid.
I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to check this out. It might be worth renting, but could completely wait until cable.
This is totally one of those movies that you've essentially seen by watching the preview. You know that the bodyguard guy is only trying to take advantage of the bullied kids and will eventually have a change of heart and actually ended up taking care of them. There was nothing special whatsoever. There were a couple of pretty good laughs, but that was pretty much it. I remember when Owen Wilson used to be totally hilarious on sight. He has fallen quite a long way. The bullied kids totally carried this movie and if it wasn't for them this would have been horrid.
I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to check this out. It might be worth renting, but could completely wait until cable.
Horton Hears A Who
Horton Hears A Who is a film based on the beloved book by Dr. Seuss. It is about an imaginative elephant who hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Suspecting there may be life on that speck and despite a surrounding community which thinks he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to help.
I enjoyed this movie a lot. That's not to say that it is in or near the ballpark of animated greats like Shrek, Finding Nemo or Aladdin. The thing that seperates those movies with this one is that the characters voices are perfectly cast for their animated counterparts. I was totally psyched about Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell voicing animated characters, but to be completely honest they didn't really bring much to the parts. Their two characters could have been voiced by anyone. That being said - this is definitely one of those animated movies where the adults aren't suffering while the kids enjoy it. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and a lot of them were moments that were put there for us because the kids weren't laughing nearly as hard. Its a great family film with a couple of really strong messages about friendship and respect along with the laughs.
I'd recommend everyone checking this out. Its definitely worth your time. Anyone with children should go out of their way to check this bad boy out.
I enjoyed this movie a lot. That's not to say that it is in or near the ballpark of animated greats like Shrek, Finding Nemo or Aladdin. The thing that seperates those movies with this one is that the characters voices are perfectly cast for their animated counterparts. I was totally psyched about Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell voicing animated characters, but to be completely honest they didn't really bring much to the parts. Their two characters could have been voiced by anyone. That being said - this is definitely one of those animated movies where the adults aren't suffering while the kids enjoy it. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and a lot of them were moments that were put there for us because the kids weren't laughing nearly as hard. Its a great family film with a couple of really strong messages about friendship and respect along with the laughs.
I'd recommend everyone checking this out. Its definitely worth your time. Anyone with children should go out of their way to check this bad boy out.
Doomsday
A lethal virus spreads throughout the British isles, infecting and killing millions. To contain the threat, acting authorities brutally quarantine the country as it succumbs to fear and chaos. The quarantine is successful. Three decades later, the Reaper virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists, including Eden Sinclair, is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare.
This is one of those movies where I'm going to just blatantly talk about what happens. If you don't want to know because you plan on seeing this and don't want it spoiled - just skip to the last paragraph to see whether or not I recommend doing so.
This movie started off really good. I was shocked. It was kind of like a mix of 28 Days Later and War Of The Worlds. It was still really good when the team first went in looking for a cure. It was like a zombie movie combined with that kick a$$ scene in Aliens when they are trying to get back out of the medical area with the Aliens attacking them. The violence during all of this was totally hardcore and incredibly gory. Guilty pleasure wise - I was loving it. Then the movie started to shift in to a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome mode and it just got totally over the top and retarded. The psycho leader guy came out to some sort of a ridiculous stage show entrance while Good Thing by the Fine Young Cannibals was playing and then his entourage danced around to the can can. Seriously. This actually happened. I had to literally pick my jaw up off the floor because of how absurd this scene was. They then cooked one of the soldiers. Again . . . . seriously. Cooked him. Over a fire. Cut off pieces of his flesh and threw paper plates out in to the crowd. Jaw once again on the floor. Somehow the soldier girl and her buddies manage to escape these crazies, get on a train, start it up and take the train to some random tunnel off in the woods. After coming out the other end of the tunnel, they literally stepped in to a scene from Gladiator. They now had to fight their way out of this and find another tunnel. This time the tunnel had bad ass sports cars, cell phones, and weapons. Please remember that none of this is made up. They then went driving around really fast until the Terrordome crazies caught up with them so that they could attempt to re-enact that car scene from that movie. The "cure" was helicoptered out of the quarantine zone but the crazy soldier girl decided to stay behind and become the leader of the terrordome people. Did you follow all of that? This was some of the silliest crap I've ever seen. However, the fact that it was so horrible along with the crazy violence/gore made me actually want to see how it ended instead of blatantly campaigning to leave early. Still . . . . it was poo.
I really wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Some people might feel the same way that I did and think that it was watchable based on the meter of horridness, but I couldn't ever see myself recommending this to anyone.
This is one of those movies where I'm going to just blatantly talk about what happens. If you don't want to know because you plan on seeing this and don't want it spoiled - just skip to the last paragraph to see whether or not I recommend doing so.
This movie started off really good. I was shocked. It was kind of like a mix of 28 Days Later and War Of The Worlds. It was still really good when the team first went in looking for a cure. It was like a zombie movie combined with that kick a$$ scene in Aliens when they are trying to get back out of the medical area with the Aliens attacking them. The violence during all of this was totally hardcore and incredibly gory. Guilty pleasure wise - I was loving it. Then the movie started to shift in to a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome mode and it just got totally over the top and retarded. The psycho leader guy came out to some sort of a ridiculous stage show entrance while Good Thing by the Fine Young Cannibals was playing and then his entourage danced around to the can can. Seriously. This actually happened. I had to literally pick my jaw up off the floor because of how absurd this scene was. They then cooked one of the soldiers. Again . . . . seriously. Cooked him. Over a fire. Cut off pieces of his flesh and threw paper plates out in to the crowd. Jaw once again on the floor. Somehow the soldier girl and her buddies manage to escape these crazies, get on a train, start it up and take the train to some random tunnel off in the woods. After coming out the other end of the tunnel, they literally stepped in to a scene from Gladiator. They now had to fight their way out of this and find another tunnel. This time the tunnel had bad ass sports cars, cell phones, and weapons. Please remember that none of this is made up. They then went driving around really fast until the Terrordome crazies caught up with them so that they could attempt to re-enact that car scene from that movie. The "cure" was helicoptered out of the quarantine zone but the crazy soldier girl decided to stay behind and become the leader of the terrordome people. Did you follow all of that? This was some of the silliest crap I've ever seen. However, the fact that it was so horrible along with the crazy violence/gore made me actually want to see how it ended instead of blatantly campaigning to leave early. Still . . . . it was poo.
I really wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Some people might feel the same way that I did and think that it was watchable based on the meter of horridness, but I couldn't ever see myself recommending this to anyone.
10,000 B.C.
In a remote mountain tribe, the young hunter D'Leh (Steven Strait) has found his heart's passion - the beautiful Evolet (Camilla Belle). But when a band of mysterious warlords raid his village and kidnap Evolet, D'Leh leads a small group of hunters to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. As they venture into unknown lands for the first time, the group discovers there are civilizations beyond their own and that mankind's reach is far greater than they ever knew. At each encounter the group is joined by other tribes who have been attacked by the slave raiders, turning D'Leh's once-small band into an army. Driven by destiny, the unlikely warriors must battle prehistoric predators while braving the harshest elements. At their heroic journey's end, they uncover a lost civilization and learn their ultimate fate lies in an empire beyond imagination, where great pyramids reach into the skies. Here they will take their stand against a tyrannical god who has brutally enslaved their own. And it is here that D'Leh finally comes to understand that he has been called to save not only Evolet but all of civilization.
This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Unfortunately - it was not meant to be funny in any way. It was total garbage and I found myself laughing out loud at how absurdly ridiculous it was. My biggest problem was that they were speaking regular English. In 10,000 B.C.? As if that wasn't bad enough - the dialogue was horrible and the acting right there with it. This movie was as a fellow blogger put it the anti-Apocolypto. The only way that I made it through to the end of the movie was by telling myself that it was actually a spoof of Apocolypto and laughing about how crappy it was. Even the special effects couldn't save this movie. There were three "creature" encounters in this movie and I didn't find myself the least bit awed by the CGI animals. Roland Emmerich made Independence Day back in 96 I believe and has amounted to pretty much nothing since then.
I wouldn't reccomend anyone waste their time on this steaming turd. It was truly a waste of two hours of my life that I can never get back.
This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Unfortunately - it was not meant to be funny in any way. It was total garbage and I found myself laughing out loud at how absurdly ridiculous it was. My biggest problem was that they were speaking regular English. In 10,000 B.C.? As if that wasn't bad enough - the dialogue was horrible and the acting right there with it. This movie was as a fellow blogger put it the anti-Apocolypto. The only way that I made it through to the end of the movie was by telling myself that it was actually a spoof of Apocolypto and laughing about how crappy it was. Even the special effects couldn't save this movie. There were three "creature" encounters in this movie and I didn't find myself the least bit awed by the CGI animals. Roland Emmerich made Independence Day back in 96 I believe and has amounted to pretty much nothing since then.
I wouldn't reccomend anyone waste their time on this steaming turd. It was truly a waste of two hours of my life that I can never get back.
College Road Trip
Choosing which college to attend can be the most exciting and thrilling time of a young woman's life... unless your overprotective father isn't quite ready to let you go. In the Disney family comedy, "College Road Trip," Melanie (Raven-Symone) is eagerly looking forward to her first big step towards independence when she plans a "girls only" road trip to check out prospective universities. But when her overbearing police chief father (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her instead, she soon finds her dream trip has turned into a hilarious nightmare adventure full of comical misfortune and turmoil.
This was a totally formula family film from Disney. Even though it was so textbook, it was still very enjoyable and had some huge laughs. Casting Raven as Martin Lawrence's daughter was brilliant and their physical/facial humor played awesomely off of each other. The younger brother and the pet pig were also very entertaining from a silly standpoint. They spare nothing at all when it comes to pulling the heartstrings at the end of this movie and anyone with children that they will have to "let go" of one day as part of the growing up process will be brought to tears.
I'd recommend people checking this one out. Its worth the trip to the theater - especially for those of you with children. Its not too often that you get a rated G family comedy nowadays.
This was a totally formula family film from Disney. Even though it was so textbook, it was still very enjoyable and had some huge laughs. Casting Raven as Martin Lawrence's daughter was brilliant and their physical/facial humor played awesomely off of each other. The younger brother and the pet pig were also very entertaining from a silly standpoint. They spare nothing at all when it comes to pulling the heartstrings at the end of this movie and anyone with children that they will have to "let go" of one day as part of the growing up process will be brought to tears.
I'd recommend people checking this one out. Its worth the trip to the theater - especially for those of you with children. Its not too often that you get a rated G family comedy nowadays.
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl is a tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family's power and status by courting the affections of the King of England (Eric Bana). Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life – and what began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king. Initially, Mary wins King Henry's favor and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne, clever, conniving, and fearless, edges aside both her sister and Henry's wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon, in her relentless pursuit of the king. Despite Mary's genuine feelings for Henry, her sister Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize; Anne will not stop until she is Queen of England. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a king – one driven by ambition, the other by true affection – England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequences, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, and they remain forever connected by their bond as sisters.
I'm usually not a fan of movies like this. Honestly, I have such a hard time watching people dressed like that. How the hell did they do that? Could you imagine walking the streets around her seeing people with the frilly hats and pompous/poofy shirts and dresses that they wore back in the day? Its just plain silly, people! Now that my rant is out of the way, I ended up liking this movie alot. Bana, Johannsen and especially Portman (surprise! Star Wars didn't destroy her talents completely) all contributed great performances. The woman that played the Queen was also amazing. The story was very tight and managed to keep you interested despite all the annoying frilly costumes. Plus, its based on a true story and those always seem to be more enjoyable when done right.
I'd recommend anyone interested in checking this out go right ahead and do so. Even if the old English period pieces aren't your thing - this is still worth viewing.
I'm usually not a fan of movies like this. Honestly, I have such a hard time watching people dressed like that. How the hell did they do that? Could you imagine walking the streets around her seeing people with the frilly hats and pompous/poofy shirts and dresses that they wore back in the day? Its just plain silly, people! Now that my rant is out of the way, I ended up liking this movie alot. Bana, Johannsen and especially Portman (surprise! Star Wars didn't destroy her talents completely) all contributed great performances. The woman that played the Queen was also amazing. The story was very tight and managed to keep you interested despite all the annoying frilly costumes. Plus, its based on a true story and those always seem to be more enjoyable when done right.
I'd recommend anyone interested in checking this out go right ahead and do so. Even if the old English period pieces aren't your thing - this is still worth viewing.
U2 - 3D
For over a quarter-century, U2 has been recognized not only for their musical innovation, but for their incomparable gift for reaching millions of fans through new technologies. U2 3D is the first digital 3D, multi-camera, real-time production. Marrying advanced digital 3D imagery and 5.1 Surround Sound with the unique excitement of a live U2 concert, U2 3D takes viewers on an extraordinary cinematic journey, a quantum leap beyond traditional concert films.
This is probably one of the greatest experiences of watching something in a movie theater that I've ever had. I have always been a HUGE U2 fan and yet they are just about the only band that I have followed that I haven't seen in concert. This movie was awesome because you truly felt like you were there. The stage production that they put on was just as amazing as hearing them perform the music live and their selection of songs was perfect as far as I was concerned. This is the type of movie going experience that I would gladly do again and again if this movie wasn't playing so limited.
If you have a chance to check this out with it playing so limited - you MUST get out there and do so. It is truly phenomenal and its like seeing a concert for $15, people!
This is probably one of the greatest experiences of watching something in a movie theater that I've ever had. I have always been a HUGE U2 fan and yet they are just about the only band that I have followed that I haven't seen in concert. This movie was awesome because you truly felt like you were there. The stage production that they put on was just as amazing as hearing them perform the music live and their selection of songs was perfect as far as I was concerned. This is the type of movie going experience that I would gladly do again and again if this movie wasn't playing so limited.
If you have a chance to check this out with it playing so limited - you MUST get out there and do so. It is truly phenomenal and its like seeing a concert for $15, people!
Step Up 2 The Streets
Step Up 2 the Streets is the follow-up to Step Up. When rebellious street dancer Andie (Briana Evigan) lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school's most popular dancer Chase (Robert Hoffman) to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore's underground dance battle The Streets, she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds.
This is one of those completely formula movies. You saw the preview - you saw the movie. Regardless, I didn't go to see this for my own enjoyment. Future steppie Stinka really wanted to see it and I decided to sacrifice two hours of my life for my little buddy. She absolutely loved the movie and to be completely honest - it wasn't the worst two hours I've had to sacrifice. The choreography of the dance scenes was actually really good and there were some pretty enjoyable supporting characters in the movie, namely "Moose" - the doofy sidekick guy. He was great. This was by no means a good movie, but was a lot more watchable than I thought it would be walking in.
I'd recommend this movie to anyone that was interested in seeing it and/or enjoyed the first Step Up. Outside of those people or those of you willing to make sacrifces for the teens/pre-teens in your life - I'd recommend that you stay away from it. Those of you with younger kids be warned that there is a lot of scenes with annoying ghetto talk.
This is one of those completely formula movies. You saw the preview - you saw the movie. Regardless, I didn't go to see this for my own enjoyment. Future steppie Stinka really wanted to see it and I decided to sacrifice two hours of my life for my little buddy. She absolutely loved the movie and to be completely honest - it wasn't the worst two hours I've had to sacrifice. The choreography of the dance scenes was actually really good and there were some pretty enjoyable supporting characters in the movie, namely "Moose" - the doofy sidekick guy. He was great. This was by no means a good movie, but was a lot more watchable than I thought it would be walking in.
I'd recommend this movie to anyone that was interested in seeing it and/or enjoyed the first Step Up. Outside of those people or those of you willing to make sacrifces for the teens/pre-teens in your life - I'd recommend that you stay away from it. Those of you with younger kids be warned that there is a lot of scenes with annoying ghetto talk.
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