Dinner For Schmucks

"Dinner for Schmucks" tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss' annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art.

This movie was hysterical. And the funniest part was that it was just Steve Carell's innocence that made it so hysterical. His delivery and responses to other characters was truly priceless. The story itself was beyond simple and the movie was absolutely 20-30 minutes longer than it had to be. Outside of that there are no knocks that I would make on this. It is a truly funny collection of characters and this is easily the laugh out loud movie of the year.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good laugh. It was one of the three movies that I was very excited for this summer and it didn't disappoint at all.

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore

In the age-old battle between cats and dogs, one crazed feline has taken things a paw too far. Kitty Galore, formerly an agent for cat spy organization MEOWS, has gone rogue and hatched a diabolical plan to not only bring her canine enemies to heel, but take down her former kitty comrades and make the world her scratching post. Faced with this unprecedented threat, cats and dogs will be forced to join forces for the first time in history in an unlikely alliance to save themselves - and their humans - in

Oh my god! Not that i expected anything from this turd at all, but this was just all out torture on all of your senses. Its movies like this that make me so mad that millions and millions of dollars are spent, not to mention all the money that parents spend on it. Its also the type of movie that makes me hate my movie addiction the most.

I recommend this movie to nobody. Dont get me wrong. Kids will love it but its just downright painful for the adults. Run for your lives!

Charlie St. Cloud

Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud (Efron) has the adoration of mother Claire and little brother Sam, as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when a tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. After his high-school classmate Tess (Amanda Crew) returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made four years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. And as he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.

This might be one of the most forced heart string movies I have ever seen. The problem is that no effort is made to get you attached to any characters so you end up not really caring when they end up dead. I know that sounds cold, but I cant remember a time when I cared less about movie characters dying.

I wouldnt recommend anyone wasting their time with this. Its blatantly forced heart string pulling and is a total waste of time.

The Kids Are All Right

The Kids Are All Right is the heartfelt comedy starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. Two teenaged children (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) get the notion to seek out their biological father and introduce him into the family life that their two mothers (Bening and Moore) have built for them. Once the donor (Ruffalo) is found, the household will never be the same, as family ties are defined, re—defined, and re—re—defined.

This was a very well crafted character drama/comedy. All the performances were realistic and great. The relationships and the different personality traits were all incredibly well scripted and genuine even though it isn't the textbook family that has been force fed to us as "normal". The only knock that I would make against this movie is that its one of those where the buzz reviews of it being the greatest thing may raise expectations too high. And for a "family comedy" this movie is chock full of sex, so be warned.

I would definitely recommend that those of you that are in to great/realistic peformances and a truly well crafted script about family dynamics. Outside of that, you should probably pass on this one. Its not really a mainstream movie.

Salt

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who Is Salt?"

I am so shocked at how crazy, kick a$$ this movie was!!! I expected it to be your typical run of the mill espionage movie. This was like a female version of the Bourne movies. It played out like a video game. The action was crazy non-stop. The only slight pauses (I and I mean slight) were little vignettes in between to set up different locations and then the game was right back on. There really wasn't a chance for me to go to the bathroom. It was that intense.

I would definitely recommend everyone checking this bad boy out. Movies like this are what going to the movies in the summer is all about.

Ramona & Beezus

The adventures of young Ramona Quimby (newcomer Joey King) and her big sister Beezus (Selena Gomez) come to life in this all new film based on the best-selling books by Beverly Cleary. Ramona's vivid imagination, boundless energy, and accident-prone antics keep everyone she meets on their toes. But her irrepressible sense of fun, adventure and mischief come in handy when she puts her mind to helping save her family’s home.


This was a very cute family movie. The kid was very cute. All of the relationships that she had and how everyone played off of each other were very cute. The story and how it all played out was very cute. Not sure if I'm getting my point across here or not. This movie is the dictionary definition of cute.


I would definitely recommend this movie to all families and anyone with children. Stinka absolutely loved the movie and I was able to enjoy its cuteness as well.

Inception

Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible—inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

This movie was insanely intense right off the bat. They didn't waste any time with credits or explaining the whole entering the dreams thing. They just hit the ground running and it was such an assault on your senses of sight and hearing. The score was intense. The visual effects were mind blowing. The acting was awesome across the board. The whole idea of dream extraction seemed about as normal as eating breakfast. The back and forth between two completely different stories, one of intesnse action and espionage - the other a character drama dealing with loss and letting go, is as fluid as it could possibly be. I actually don't want to go in to too much detail because the not knowing about what this movie is really about is the best part of the intrigue. I will go on record as saying that this is by far the best movie of the year so far and yet another testament that Christopher Nolan is the greatest director since Steven Spielberg in his prime.

I couldn't possibly recommend this movie any more if I tried. It is absolutely a must see by all.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It'll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."


This movie is exactly what you would expect it to be. It has some good moments. It has plenty of who cares moments. And of course it has a continuation of craptastic acting by Nicolas Cage. Disney basically just tried to capitalize on some cool visuals and making a movie based on the famous Mickey Mouse short from Fantasia. Ironically, the scene with the brooms that pays homage to that short is the most ill placed scene in the whole movie.


I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out. Its not outright horrible, but its not really worth your time either.

Cyrus

Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiancé Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else's surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei). Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John's house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man in Molly's life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom's best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love—and it appears only one man can be left standing when it's over.

This was a strangely enjoyable movie. It is not a mainstream movie by any means. Its not straight up funny either. Its an artsy character comedy/drama with great performances by all three. As weird as it was, they all seemed like very real people and you ultimately do care how it turns out. Its actually one of the better performances from Jonah Hill (who I've never really been a fan of) as well as John C Reilly.

I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. I enjoyed it, but I could see people not liking it at all so view cautiously.

Despicable Me

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

I can't remember the last time that I quoted a movie trailer as often as I have quoted this one for the last two months. As absurd as this may sound - this was actually one of the top 3 movies that I was looking forward to this summer. There was just something super quirky about all the ads for it that made me laugh . . . . . . . and the movie did not disappoint. It wasn't drop dead awesome like I had hoped, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very funny, very cute, and super short. There is no way that you can't LOVE the little girl in the movie. If you don't - I will officially hate you in return. The only knock that I can make against this is that with the 3 -4 different trailers for this movie, I felt like I had already seen at least 1/2 of the movie already. They probably should have held back more on that.

I definitely recommend everyone checking this out. Its great for both kids and adults and is more than worth your time and money.

Predators

Robert Rodriguez presents a bold new chapter in the Predator universe. The film stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet... as prey. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers - mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members - human "predators" that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.

This was the first legit Predator movie since the first one. I'm not saying that is a must see or as awesome as the first Predator was, but this had the same feel to it finally. There was a lot of stuff that didn't need to be in there and did nothing but run the time of the movie longer (I'm talking specifically about Laurence Fishburne's entire arc here, people), and the acting was horrible. But, the Predators were pretty bad ass, the action was cool enough to suffice, and they finally went with the gore infused R rating.

I would recommend this movie to those of you that were looking forward to it. Its not as kick ass as it could have been, but its worth the time if you are a fan.

Eclipse

In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.

Does it really matter what I have to say about this movie? If you are a fan you are going to see it - and probably already have - and if you are not you won't touch it with a ten foot pole. This is probably the best of the three movies so far simply because the studio put more money in to this one so it seems like much more of a legitamite movie than the prior two. The special effects have gotten much better as the franchise moves on and the battle/fight scenes in this are pretty good. Unfortunately, the movie is filled with numerous scenes of Bella and Edward face to face professing their love for each other and Bella and Jacob face to face saying how she should love him. This movie easily could have been an hour an a half long without all the fluff.

Regardless, fans of the series will LOVE this movie and those of you that are not won't care.

The Last Airbender

Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), to restore balance to their war-torn world.

This movie was beyond disappointing. I never watched the cartoon so i didn't have anything to base it on. I'm not sure that would have mattered though since it was the acting as bad as from the Twilight movies that made it so painful. Add to that how this bottom of the barrel production was hyped as a summer blockbuster and the annoyance by it triples. This was some of the worst "special" effects and green screen shots since the Wolverine movie last summer.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to check this out. I was so bored half way in that I stopped paying attention to the way over the top story line and just found myself getting mad that I was still watching the movie.