Leap Year

When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin and get down on one knee herself.But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

They can't even get "chick flicks" right in January!!! As if this movie wasn't insultingly formula enough, I really don't think there was a single part of this movie that was not covered in the trailer. The trailer in fact was so much better than the movie becuase it was only 2-3 minutes long. The only person that made me laugh in this movie was Amy Adams friend in the beginning. However, that was probably more because she is "Dee" from Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which if you aren't watching - you REALLY should be. Outside of that - there really wasn't anything redeeming about this movie. Not even the "chick flick" satisfaction feeling. Nothing.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone waste their time with this bad boy. Once again, you should probably just rent movies that you missed instead of going to theaters in the month of January.

Youth In Revolt

Starring Michael Cera and based on the acclaimed novel by C.D. Payne, Youth in Revolt is the story of Nick Twisp – a unique, but affable teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Sinatra and Fellini – who falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful, free-spirited Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday) while on a family vacation. But family, geography and jealous ex-lovers conspire to keep these two apart. With Sheeni’s encouragement, Nick abandons his dull, predictable life and develops a rebellious alter ego: Francois. With his ascot, his moustache and his cigarette, Francois will stop at nothing to be with Sheeni, and leads Nick Twisp on a path of destruction with unpredictable and uproarious consequences.

Yet another shining example of why NOT to go to the movies in January. This comedy isn't remotely funny. Michael Cera plays the same damn character again and has morphed in to being pretty damn annoying. If you see this, you basically just sit there for an hour and half asking yourself why are you watching it.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone wasting their time with this one. Its one of those movies that will just make you annoyed that you can never get those 2 hours back.

Daybreakers

Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world's population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race.

So many questions were answered by watching this movie. Why doesn't Ethan Hawke do more movies? Because he sucks. What happens to vampires if they drink their own blood? They become mutant inbreds. Its apparantly like having a baby with your brother or sister. Why should you not go to the movies in January? Because all that comes out in January are big pieces of turd like this movie.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Ever. Its so mind numbingly stupid. Run for your lives.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a traveling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this 'coming of age' milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all.

Um . . . . . . what? I tried to watch this movie. I really did. I kept telling myself that Terry Gilliam made 12 Monkeys and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and that the movie would come off its high and straighten out. I just couldn't do it. After 30 minutes of watching what was clearly an acid trip on film, I couldn't do it anymore. I found myself actually getting nauseous and a headache trying to figure out what was happening while on screen was nothing but crayola/imagination madness. Maybe I will try to watch the rest of this sometime when I have free time and what not. Not sure that I have the stomach for it though.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out. Sure, its Heath Ledger's last movie and Terry Gilliam is one hell of a crazy director, but this movie is way too mish-moshed to be able to enjoy.

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Did You Hear About the Morgans? follows a highly successful Manhattan couple, Meryl and Paul Morgan (Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant), whose almost-perfect lives have only one notable failure – their dissolving marriage. But the turmoil of their romantic lives is nothing compared to what they are about to experience: they witness a murder and become targets of a contract killer. The Feds, protecting their witnesses, whisk away the Morgans from their beloved New York to a tiny town in Wyoming, and a relationship that was on the rocks threatens to end completely in the Rockies... unless, in their new BlackBerry-free lives, the Morgans can slow down the pace and rekindle the passion.

This movie was so beyond not funny. I sat there for 40 minutes and didn't so much as smile at some of the most set up punchlines that were completely lame. I wondered whether to stay or not but then I thought about it and knew damn well that after another hour plus of country bumpkin mishaps these two were going to fall back in love and probably choose to stay in Wyoming . . . . . . . still without any laughs for the audience. Add to that the fact that I can't stand Sarah Jessica Parker and the weight of there being so many better things I could be doing with my time so I pulled the plug.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to waste their time on this. Its not funny. Sarah Jessica Parker sucks. And the movie couldn't be more formula if they tried.

Nine

Nine is a musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), a young American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson) and his mother (Sophia Loren).

I didn't think it was possible for Daniel Day Lewis to do anything bad. I was wrong. This movie was horrible! I'm usually a big fan of musicals but this was beyond unbearable. After every song, I turned to WW and asked "what?" Every f'n song was about Guido. I started to wonder if the movie was called Nine because all it really was was nine songs about Guido. And I didn't give a rat's ass about guido. The only two performances that didn't make me want to stab myself in the ears were Fergie's and Nicole Kidman's. But they still sucked because they were singing about Guido.

I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this movie out . . . . . ever! It has ruined the always reliable holiday season/Oscar contending musical string. F Guido!

The Lovely Bones

Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, and directed by Peter Jackson, The Lovely Bones centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

I was very disappointed by this movie. Its not that the movie was bad. I just think that I let my hopes get the best of me after loving the book so much. I found myself questioning why they decided to film things a certain way. I kept questioning their casting choices. It all pretty much ruined the movie for me. The only thing that I really loved about it was Stanley Tucci as the murderer. He was creepy as hell and perfectly cast. Outside of that - not really thrilled with too much of this movie at all.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out. If you havn't read the book there will be plenty of times where you are asking what the . . . . ? If you have read the book you will probably feel the same as me.

It's Complicated

Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane's kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he's become part of a love triangle.

This movie was hilarious. Streep, Baldwin and Martin all played off of each other excellently and you really get hooked in to the whole demented family dynamic that is created. The unsung hero of the movie is John Krasinski (Jim on The Office) as Streep and Baldwin's future son-in-law who is aware of the affair that's going on. His reactions to what he sees and the pot smoking scenes with Streep and Martin had both WW and I laughing out loud. The movie ran a little bit longer than it had to. Outside of that - there really isn't too much to knock about this movie.

I definitely recommend that people check this movie out. Its one of the more simple and enjoyable comedies out there.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2009

Honorable Mentions - The Blind Side and Paranormal Activity

The Blind Side was easily the feel good movie of the year. Its one of those rare movies that just makes you happy to be a human being and knowing that there are such amazing situations/circumstances/truly decent people out there. Paranormal Activity was not a "great" movie by any means. However, it was one of the most terrifying movie going experiences of my life. They both deserve honorable mentions for that.

10. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

What more can be said about this franchise? Six movies deep and they are always on my ten best list. The only reason that this one is so low is because I'm still mad that they cut out my favorite part of the book with the bad guys working their way up to the tower through Hogwarts.

9. Up In The Air

This was a great character piece. I think all the best picture of the year buzz is a little bit too much to say the least, but it is still a great watch.

8. Where The Wild Things Are

Loved the book. Loved the movie. Its that simple. I thought they did an awesome job of capturing all the different emotions that kids go through and how Max projected them in to the different "wild things" amazingly.

7. I Love You, Man

I love Paul Rudd. His dry humor is awesome. I also love Jason Segel. The chemistry between the two of them was hysterical and this movie was loaded with great supporting roles that were equally as funny.

6. Watchmen

I know that this movie failed to meet most people's expectations. Not mine. I loved the story. I loved the political satire of it. I loved the way it was filmed. This movie deserves a lot more credit and accolades than it received.

5. Avatar

You can knock the story line for being unoriginal. You can harp on the movie being too long. Regardless, this is the most amazing visualization that I've ever seen.

4. The Hangover

Easily the funniest movie of the year. Honestly, its one of the funniest movies ever. This is by far the movie that I watched the most this year and it never stopped being funny.

3. Star Trek

Never was a trekkie. Honestly, never liked the movies too much. This one kicked total ass though. Great young cast. Great quick paced action and story. If they others would have been more like this I would have been a trekkie.

2. Up

I've said it ten times now. Pixar doesn't do bad movies. This one is actually one of their best. Never in my life did I think I could become so connecting to an animated on screen couple based on a 6 minute montage. I was devastated when Carl's wife passed away and couldn't stop pulling for him for the rest of the movie.

1. Inglourious Basterds

Easily Tarantino's best movie since Pulp Fiction. The subtitle thing bugged me, but the way that he had so many storylines come together was amazingly flawless.

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2009

10. Gamer

Pretty decent premise with how life consuming XBOX Live can be. Unfortunately, they screwed the pooch so royally with the way they filmed it that the movie was basically unbearable.

9. The Time Traveler's Wife

One of the worst romantic/date movies I have ever seen in my whole life. The characters were crying based on the "drama" of certain scenes and I was literally laughing out loud at how ridiculous they were.

8. All About Steve

In a year where Bradley Cooper was the biggest breakout star and Sandra Bullock could not have returned more prominently - there is no excuse for this movie. NONE! The studio kept delaying it and managed to be able to take advantage of the two actors stock going up. Pathetic.

7. Whiteout

This might be one of the most unsuspenseful suspense movies of all time. It was like watching a really bad episode of CSI: Antarctica.

6. A Perfect Getaway

Wait . . . . . this was the most unsuspenseful suspense movie of all time. If you didn't see the "twist" coming in this movie you are an idiot and should be hit in the head with a hammer.

5. Crank: High Voltage

The only thing worse than the influx of torture porn movies is the rising flood of adrenaline porn movies. I barely made it 20 minutes in to this movie. Stop the madness!

4. Miss March

Literally watched 7 minutes of this. After 7 minutes I was able to decide that I will never watch the other minutes of this movie and I feel horrible for the current generations "sex comedies". They used to be so much better.

3. Jennifer's Body

I don't care if people think that Megan Fox is hot. She is the worst actress in Hollywood. I watched this whole movie with a WTF look on my face.

2. Year One

How can a movie with this many comic actors be so unfunny? All those guys and they had to resort to fart jokes and what not? Really?

1. Land Of The Lost

I love Will Ferrell and I love Danny McBride. This was just painful. This wins the worst movie award simply because I actually expected something from this. Not a lot. But something. It made me smile twice and want to throw things at the screen for the rest of it.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

This movie was a lot of fun. It had many flaws if you are looking for a well made movie, but the performances of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law were great. The chemistry between the two of them was amazing. Right off the bat, they played off of each other phenomenally well. There was a winding story line that if you really end up analyzing it would probably make the movie stupid and sucky. However, I chose to just enjoy this for the holiday popcorn movie that it was and really enjoyed it. I also liked that they had the gusto to not only put this movie out there, but to be blatantly building towards a built in sequel all along as well. I'm already looking forward to it.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Its a great watch as long as you don't over analyze it. Just enjoy the ride. Downey and Law were really great together.

The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans

In Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs -- while playing fast and loose with the law. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manically humorous.

This was one of the most horribly overacted movies I have ever seen. Nicolas Cage was beyond painfully bad. Eva Mendes was equally awful. Why either one of them chose to be in a movie that would have been a great dirty cop movie . . . . . . in 1983 is beyond me. I pulled the plug after about the first 45 minutes because it was bad and the only reason that WW made it to the end was that she kept telling herself that it would have to get better. It didn't.

I would never recommend anyone bothering to check out this movie. This is one of those movies that didn't get a limited release for nomination cred and buzz build up. It got released limited because it is just straight up poop.

An Education

It's 1961 and attractive, bright 16-year-old schoolgirl, Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is poised on the brink of womanhood, dreaming of a rarefied, Gauloise-scented existence as she sings along to Juliette Greco in her Twickenham bedroom. Stifled by the tedium of adolescent routine, Jenny can't wait for adult life to begin. One rainy day, her suburban life is upended by the arrival of an unsuitable suitor, 30-ish David (Peter Sarsgaard). Urbane and witty, David instantly unseats Jenny's stammering schoolboy admirer, Graham (Matthew Beard). To her frank amazement, he even manages to charm her conservative parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour), and effortlessly overcomes any instinctive objections to their daughter's older, Jewish suitor. Just as the family's long-held dream of getting their brilliant daughter into Oxford seems within reach, Jenny is tempted by another kind of life. Will David be the making of Jenny or her undoing?

This was a really good character drama. Every character seems very genuine and you could totally see Jenny and her parents being "seduced" by David. You know that somehow its going to fall apart and feel for all of them as it does and watching them deal with it.

I'd definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Its a great watch. I wouldn't put in on my 10 best list like a lot of critics have, but it is absolutely not a waste of your time.

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

There have been many great movie sequels. There have even been prequels. Now, get ready for the world's first "Squeakquel," in which Alvin, Simon and Theodore finally meet their match – and maybe more – in the newly arrived female trio, The Chipettes.

This movie is exactly what you would expect it to be. Its a replica of the first one. They sing some current songs. There are a few chuckles for the adults and kids are guaranteed to love it. The best part of the movie is that its like an hour and 20 minutes long. If you liked this first one, you will enjoy this one just as much.

I would recommend that anyone with kids (or adults that liked the first one) bite the bullet and check this out. Its too short to be overly painful and they will absolutely love it.

The Messenger

Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will's emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival.

This is another one of those powerful but dark character dramas that flood the zone this time of year. Bottom line with this one is that its a great movie with amazing performances that I could see getting nominated for numerous awards. However, it is a dreary watch. Just like Brothers a couple of weeks ago, I watched this knowing that it was a great, well done and well acted movie but you really feel down and drained after watching it.

I would definitely recommend anyone who is in to award nominated movies check this one out. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster put forth two of the better performances of the year in this one.

Avatar

The story's hero is Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. Bitter and disillusioned, he's still a warrior at heart. All Jake ever wanted was something worth fighting for, and he finds it in the place he least expected: on a distant world. Jake has been recruited to join an expedition to the moon Pandora, which corporate interests are strip-mining for a mineral worth $20 million per kilogram on Earth. To facilitate their work, the humans use a link system that projects a person's consciousness into a hybrid of humans and Pandora's indigenous humanoids, the Na'vi. This human-Na'vi hybrid – a fully living, breathing body that resembles the Na'vi but possesses the individual human's thoughts, feelings and personality – is known as an "avatar." In his new avatar form, Jake can once again walk. His mission is to interact with and infiltrate the Na'vi with the hope of enlisting their help – or at least their acquiescence – in mining the ore. A beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, albeit reluctantly, because even in his avatar body, Jake represents to her the human encroachment on the Na'vi's unspoiled world. As Jake's relationship with Neytiri deepens, along with his respect for the Na'vi, he faces the ultimate test as he leads an epic conflict that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

This is without a shadow of a doubt the most visually amazing movie ever made. I can't remember the last time that I said "Wow" out loud so many times during a movie. I was afraid that the effects and method of filming would be all there was to this movie, but I was wrong. There was a story. It was pretty basic for a 3 hour movie, but it was there. The character development was done well enough that you get pumped up by the good guys and are totally rooting against the bad guys as the movie goes on. Is it too long? Of course it is. They could have easily trimmed out some of the tribal scenes to bring this to 2 1/2 hours. And the script at times was silly to say the least. I'm not sure that I will ever recover from the fact that they actually named the hard to obtain mineral "unobtanium". That was rough. Outside of that, I really have no complaints about this movie.

I strongly recommend that everyone check this movie out. Its a must see visual treat and the movie is very enjoyable.

Up In The Air

Up in the Air stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road but is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he's worked toward for years: reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

This was a great movie. Its worthy of all the award recognition but its not one of those overly artsy movies. Its a really enjoyable watch. You really feel for the characters and you are fully invested in the short journey of thier lives you get to watch for 2 hours. Its also beyond realistic in every way and really makes you see all different ways that life can be lived and the reasoning behind it.

I fully recommend everyone checking out Up In The Air. Its a fun watch, a very well done movie, and one of the better movies to come out this year.

The Princess & The Frog

The Princess and the Frog is a tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. The Princess and the Frog marks the return to hand-drawn animation.

Disney has finally gone back to its roots with awesome success. Disney was at its best when it would churn out one of these a year. They had that amazing stretch with The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King and Beauty & The Beast. Then it kind of faded a little bit with The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan and Tarzan. They were all still great and then Disney fell in love with Pixar and stopped making these types of movies that inevitably become classics just because of the mix of great storylines for kids, awesome sidekick characters and original music/dance scenes mixed in. The Princess And The Frog returns to that formula in every way. They can go ahead and get these characters walking the streets of Disney World. Its not quite on par with those four absolute triumphs that I mentioned, but its pretty close and thats very impressive considering the long layoff. I hope that Disney can capitalize on this and keep making these types of movies to go along with Pixar's greatness. It would be awesome to have an Up and a Princess And The Frog every year.

I fully recommend this movie. Its a great trip to the movies for kids and adults. Probably the best universal option that you'll have for the holidays.

Invictus

The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Every year there is one of these. There is always one movie that comes out this time of year that is a very well made movie in every way. It will probably get nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and numerous Best Acting nominations. However, I am just not into it at all. Last year it was The Reader. This year it is Invictus. I knew all along that I was watching a "great" movie, but I wasn't remotely hooked by it at all and just kind of watched it completely uninterested. I guess it didn't help that I know absolutely nothing about Rugby. There were a lot of very dramatic rugby scenes where I had no idea what was going on. I have a whole new respect for people sitting through sports movies that have no idea about sports after seeing this one.

I am really not the right person to be recommending or not recommending this movie. If you want to see all the oscar worthy movies - you should check this out. I was pretty bored by it though and felt it lacked a legitimite emotional hook.

Brothers

Shipped out to Afghanistan, Sam is presumed dead when his Black Hawk helicopter is shot down in the mountains. At home in suburbia, the Cahill family suddenly faces a shocking void, and Tommy tries to fill in for his brother by assuming newfound responsibility for himself, Grace, and the children.But Sam is not dead; he and a fellow soldier have been captured by Taliban fighters. In Afghanistan's harsh, remote Pamir Mountains, Sam is subjected to traumas that threaten to rob him of his very humanity. At the same time that Sam's sense of self is being destroyed overseas, Tommy's self-image is strengthening at home. And in the grief and strangeness of their new lives, Grace and Tommy are naturally drawn together. Their longstanding frostiness dissolves, but both are frightened and ashamed of the mutual attraction that has replaced it.When Sam unexpectedly returns to the States, a nervous mood settles over the family. Sam, uncharacteristically withdrawn and volatile, grows suspicious of his brother and his wife. Their familiar roles now nearly reversed, Sam and Tommy end up facing the ultimate physical and mental challenge when they confront each other.

This is one hell of a character drama. All three actors put forth great performances and were completely believable. I could never imagine having to go through what Tobey Maguire's character went through and the dementia that something like that would cause. As a movie goer, this is one hell of a heavy watch though. You feel exhausted and spent after watching it because it is so real and jarring.

I'd recommend people checking this out. Just be warned that it is a very heavy watch. With this being such a down year for acting, I could see some of them maybe being considered for awards.

The Blind Side

A homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, Oher (Quinton Aaron) is taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential on and off the football field. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

This is easily the feel good movie of the year. I had laughed watching the marketing of this movie and can't remember the last time that a movie reached every possible demographic like this. They had the whole Oprah/female circuit with the story of the mom. Its about football so the guys are in too. They pushed the hell out of the funny little brother so kids are in as well. And then when you factor in how senior citizens LOVE true stories, there is nobody that wasn't looking forward to seeing this movie. I am a HUGE football fan and leading up to last years draft this was actually one of the guys I wanted the Jets to move up and draft based on the film I had seen of him. That was before I knew all the background story. Now I might go out and get myself a Michael Oher jersey. How can this story not make you feel great to be a human being? Every performance in this movie was on point. This is easily Sandra Bullock's best performance to date.

I am giving this movie the stamp of must see. It is a fabulous movie. It is a great story. It makes you laugh, cry and leaves you feeling good.

Armored

A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist... against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.

This is yet another dictionary definition of you saw the movie by seeing the commercial. Its a tough guy, testosterone movie with some guys feeling guilty and some guys feeling greedy. Its formula in every way and there isn't a single non-cliche character in this.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone unless you have a desire to see a mindless good guy vs bad guy movie. That really is all that this movie is and there's no way you don't know every second of the movie by watching the commercial.

Old Dogs

Two best friends -- one unlucky-in-love divorcee (Robin Williams) and the other a fun-loving bachelor (John Travolta) -- have their lives turned upside down when they're unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kid-savvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins (newcomers Ella Bleu Travolta and Conner Rayburn), leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what's really important in life.

This movie had a couple of big laughs. Its also short enough and paced fast enough that you don't feel completely weighed down by it. The part that throws me off is that this is a Disney family comedy with a lot of material that maybe shouldn't be thrown at the kids. The whole premise is based on a one night stand that produced two kids. I'm not so sure that should be comedic material in a family movie. Its also a lot of cheap humor. Don't get me wrong. I have a very high tolerance for cheap humor and did chuckle at a lot of it, but I will call it like it is.

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone be rushing to check this out. Its not fully for kids, but its kind of too low brow/formula for adults.

Everybody's Fine

Everybody's Fine follows a widower (De Niro) who embarks on an impromptu road trip to reconnect with each of his grown children only to discover that their lives are far from picture perfect.

When I saw the trailer for this movie, it did nothing other than open up the massive scars from "The Family Stone". Not sure if anyone remembers that movie. I sadly will never forget it. It was advertised as a feel good, family comedy for the holidays. WW and I were all psyched to see it. Turns out the movie was about the kids finding out that their mother was dying of cancer and this would be the last holiday that they would spend with her. It might honestly be the most devastating movie going experience ever. I saw the trailer for this and immediately assumed that Robert DeNiro was going to die. SPOILER ALERT . . . . . . . . . . . I was wrong. He makes it. However, this movie is horribly misadvertised. Its marketed as a comedy drama. There is NO comedy in this whatsoever. Actually, I'm wrong. I laughed at one scene that DeNiro has with his grandson about 15 minutes in to the movie. Outside of that there was nothing. Even the title is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off. It should have been called Everybody's Not Fine. Putting my rambling aside - this is a watchable movie - IF you can identify with the crazy family dynamics. Essentially the mother passes away and the father who never really had a connection with any of the kids is trying to establish one now and the kids are trying to shield him from all the tough things in their lives.

As for my recommendation, if that last part above strikes an understanding nerve with you then you could check this movie out. If you have no idea what I mean by that or don't understand it - you won't enjoy this movie at all. Its purely a situational watch.

The Road

The Road is an epic post apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth.

I really liked this movie. I just can't really figure out why. Its not that I shouldn't have liked the movie. The performances were great. The cinematography was amazing and really took you to the post apocalyptic world. Maybe it was just that the movie took right off? The movie didn't really have a beginning. They were just kind of there in this really crappy future for our world. They kept flashing back to conversations between the father and mother where they kept talking about knowing what they had to do . . . . . . but never really said what it was. The father and son just kept travelling . . . . . but I'm still totally in the dark as to what they were travelling to. They finally got to the ocean . . . . . . but what closure does that provide? Even with these knocks against the movie, at no point was I bored or not interested in what was going on. I'm still very confused as to what it was that made me really like this movie. Usually I'd be able to go on and on about how great it was. This vexes me.

I'm not sure whether or not to recommend this movie because of my aforementioned confusion about liking it. Its a downright dreary journey that really sucks you in. I really liked it. I just don't know why.

Ninja Assassin

Raizo (Rain) is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them...and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive...and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

Even though you just read the incredibly wrong plot summary, this movie is one of those where it is what it is. You can try to explain the "story line" all you want. Its got ninjas in it and its got lots of action/violence. Mission accomplished. They weren't trying to win an Academy Award here and anyone going to check this out doesn't want to see anything like that.

If you want to see a movie with a "story" about a ninja that kicks a lot of ass - this is a great movie. If you aren't in to that kind of stuff - then avoid this. Pretty simple concept.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Mr. and Mrs. Fox (Clooney and Streep) live an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson (Eric Anderson). But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil Farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean - who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr. Fox at any cost.

I really enjoyed this movie. The animation was nothing short of phenomenal. The characters' voices were perfectly cast and the story was beyond quick witted and fast paced. The only problem with this movie is that its an animated movie that really isn't for kids. Its not that the kids won't like it. They probably will just because of the different kind of animation. However, the quick banter and story will probably shoot right over their heads. That being said, I liked it alot and could really see any adults taking kids to see this enjoying it much more than their children.

I would recommend people checking this out. Just be warned that if you are going simply to take your kids to the new animated movie, you should probably check out one of the other ones. If you are going so you can both enjoy the movie - and maybe you could get more entertainment than the usual child's fare -than this is the one for you.

Precious

Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write. Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn’t know the meaning of "alternative," but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.

Wow! This is one powerful movie. I thought for sure that this was going to be the overly great reviewed movie that would be completely be ruined for me because of my inability to watch it thinking why did everyone say this was so great. Not to say that there weren't moments where my level of being in to the movie faded a little bit. However, MoNique's performance might be the most despicable and hated performance of all time. I've never watched certain scenes of a movie with such feelings of disgust towards a character. There were a couple of the domestic violence scenes where I actually had to look away. Not that they were too graphic. They were just so mentally jarring. Anyone who thinks that they have it "so hard" should go right ahead and check out these scenes. I'm pretty sure it will give them a whole new perspective on life.

I would strongly recommend that people check this out. Its a truly powerful drama with one of the most disturbing yet well done performances ever.

Planet 51

Planet 51 is an animated alien adventure comedy revolving around American astronaut Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker, who lands on Planet 51 thinking he's the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world reminiscent of a cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders...like Chuck! With the help of his robot companion "Rover" and his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the dazzling, but bewildering, landscape of Planet 51 in order to escape becoming a permanent part of the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum.

This movie was a somewhat decent watch. Its nowhere near the standard of awesome animated movies. Kids will definitely like this more than the adults that take them. Its short enough that it does end before it becomes less than a decent watch. As a huge fan of animated films, I have to honestly say that I was somewhat disappointed by this movie. The only part that I really enjoyed was "Rover". Outside of that, there really wasn't too much that I could take away from this movie other than being able to cross it off my list.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone go rushing to see this. It is not a must see by any means, even for those of you looking for an escape with the kids. If you really have nothing better to do - you could waste an hour and a half by checking this out.

New Moon

In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer's phenomenally successful "Twilight" series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of—only to find herself in greater peril than ever before.


Let's be perfectly clear that these movies are blatantly made for the fanbase. These are not stand alone movies that should be reviewed based on merit or Academy consideration. This movie was made to win only the MTV Movie Award, people! Its just like the first one with absolutely horrid acting and even worse writing. But again - none of that was a factor when making this movie. This movie was made for the die hard fan base and although some of them may be willing to admit how cheesy the movie is - absolutely none of them are or will be disappointed.

I would never recommend this movie to anyone outside of the Twilight fan base. It is a downright awful movie. If you are a fan though and by some remote chance in hell haven't seen it already - go right ahead and do so. You'll love it and will immediately start counting down to seven months from now when the third one comes out.

2012

Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

This movie is exactly what you expect it to be. Its got crazy special effects, lots of action, stereotype characters, pulls lots of heartstrings and has lots of extra storyline fluff that wasn't necessary. There is absolutely no way that this movie should have been almost 3 hours long. The could have mimized the governmental should we-shouldn't we blah blah. They could have cut out entire characters who really ended up not mattering in the end anyway. They could have left characters getting together by the end of the movie alone because not a single person in the audience cares. This easily could have been an hour and a half disaster movie. That being said - the movie is very watchable as long as you leave your brain at home and just enjoy the ride because ultimately thats all the movie is - one crazy ride. If you are able to do this, you can end up enjoying your time . . . . . . even though it is almost 3 hours of your time.

I would recommend people checking this movie out if you are in to special effects bonanza popcorn movies. Its probably Roland Emmerich's best movie since Independence Day. That's not saying much considering that the offers inbetween were Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow and 10,000 BC, but its the closest he's come to the fun and crazy movie going experience that he first threw out there with Independence Day.

Pirate Radio

Pirate Radio is the high-spirited story of how 8 DJs love affair with Rock n Roll changed the world forever. In the 1960s this group of rouge DJs, on a boat in the middle of the Northern Atlantic, played rock records and broke the law all for the love of music. The songs they played united and defined an entire generation and drove the British government crazy. By playing Rock n Roll they were standing up against the British government who did everything in their power to shut them down. The band of rebels is lead by The Count, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Quentin the boss of Radio Rock, Gavin the greatest DJ in Britian, Midnight Mark, Doctor Dave and Young Carl who comes of age amidst the chaos of sex, drugs and rock n roll.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was a lot of fun. The characters are all eclectic and great. The music was awesome. There really isn't that major of a storyline, but the music and character interaction are so great that you really don't care.

I'd definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Its just a simple, fun, enjoyable time at the movies.

The Box

What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars...but simultaneously take the life of someone you don't know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? The year is 1976. Norma Lewis is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, is an engineer working at NASA. They are, by all accounts, an average couple living a normal life in the suburbs with their young son...until a mysterious man with a horribly disfigured face appears on their doorstep and presents Norma with a life-altering proposition: the box. With only 24 hours to make their choice, Norma and Arthur face an impossible moral dilemma. What they don't realize is that no matter what they decide, terrifying consequences will have already been set in motion. They soon discover that the ramifications of this decision are beyond their control and extend far beyond their own fortune and fate.

This movie was an absolutely awesome psychological thriller . . . . . . for the first hour of the movie. It was like watching one of Alfred Hitchcocks movies. Just the old school tension music alone was awesome at getting you amped up to see what the couple was going to do. Then the movie turned in to this really weird over the top pile of poop that spiraled insanely out of control. I had no clue what was going on and even though I was so into the first hour of the movie - they managed to have me completely not caring at all by the end. I was just relieved that the credits were finally on. Its really unfortunate for a movie that started off this good to end so horribly bad.

I wouldn't recommend anyone going to check this movie out . . . . unless you want to go watch the first hour and then just leave pretending that the movie ends much better than it does. If you are up to doing that - this is an awesome movie. Staying to the end will make you want to punch a small child.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought. A legion of "Warrior Monks" with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program's founder, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady's mission is to find him. Intrigued by his new acquaintance's far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to accompany him on the search. When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), the reporter is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between the forces of Django's New Earth Army and Hooper's personal militia of super soldiers. In order to survive this wild adventure, Bob will have to outwit an enemy he never thought possible.

I think this movie was ruined by my high expectations. The marketing for it made it look laugh out loud hilarious. It was not. Honestly, it was only watchable because of the talent involved. I was able to push through thinking that it would get better. It never really does though. It ends up just kind of being there. The only good laughs in the movie come from how downright silly whats going on is. It was a major disappointment.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this movie out. Its ends up being one of those movies that is just kind of there and I really can't figure out how this cast was gathered for this movie at all.

A Christmas Carol

Disney's A Christmas Carol captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in groundbreaking 3-D. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late.

I still am not sure how much I enjoyed this movie. I kind of liked it, but . . . . .
1 - Its way too early for them to be releasing a Christmas movie.
2 - How many different tellings of A Christmas Carol can be made?
3 - Was this a kids movie? Way too dark. Way too Old Englishy. I didn't understand half of the expressions. There's no way your kid is going to.
4 - As great as the action part of this kind of animation is, I just find the characters looking freakishly creepy.
5 - I don't remember the Ghost of Christmas Present being some laughing viking.

All that being said - I think that Jim Carrey was perfect for the part and the best parts of the movie were when they gave him to time to just be Scrooge without all the craziness going on with the action animation.

I'm not sure how much I could really recommend this movie though. Its really not for kids and its way too early for Christmas movies. The enjoyment level really is nowhere near an automatic either.

The Fourth Kind

The Fourth Kind is a provocative thriller set in modern-day Nome, Alaska, where—mysteriously since the 1960s—a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year. Despite multiple FBI investigations of the region, the truth has never been discovered. Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented. Using never-before-seen archival footage that is integrated into the film, The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses. Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details, the validity of which is investigated throughout the film.

I found this movie to be annoyingly filmed and stupid. I could, however, see how someone could enjoy this. The fundamental divide exists in how much you buy in to the "never before seen archival footage". I didn't buy it at all. That just made the movie all the more insulting. I just kind of feel like they tried to make the movie too smart and ended up making it dumb instead. It starts with Milla Jovovich introducing herself as . . . . . . Milla Jovovich and how she will be playing the part of Abigail Tyler. She then tells the audience that they will be going back and forth between "archived footage" and the actors. WHAT!?! It kinds of takes away from the movie when you are blantantly telling me that its a movie. I knew that it was a movie going in but I found myself unable to enjoy any of the parts that weren't "archived footage" because of this stupid introduction. As for the "archived footage" it seemed like some of the most bogus crap I've ever seen. Maybe its because I'm not really in to all that alien abduction hoopla and what not. I could see someone who is really liking this a lot more than I did.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. It could have been so much better if they just made it as a normal movie or a home video, archived video type thing. Instead they mushed the two together - even airing them both simultaneously at times - and made it a pretty big turd.

Michael Jackson's This Is It

Michael Jackson's This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before.

I have always been and will always be a huge Michael Jackson fan. As big of a freak as he became in his later years - he will always be one of - if not the number one - best entertainers of all time. That being said, I dreaded seeing this movie. I figured it would be the biggest sham and just a way for his estate to milk as much money out of the movie going public as possible. And that is exactly what it is. In terms of movies or documentaries or concerts - this is horrible. Its all rehearsal footage so Michael only gets in to the performances or parts of them featured in the movie to a certain extent. The scenes in between the songs show both the musical genius that was Michael Jackson and the nutjob that he had unfortunately become. There were times where I think they put in footage that just made him seem silly and nonsensical with his inability to function properly. All of that being said - I still managed to enjoy this movie. I bopped in my seat and I sang along. I think that if these concerts were to have taken place, they probably would have been the greatest shows ever put on. The crowd that was in the theater I saw it in was dead though. That was unfortunate. If you could see this movie in a full crowd of real Michael Jackson fans instead of a bunch of lumps watching a movie (which again - this is not!), this would probably be a really good time.

I would only recommend this movie to the die hard Michael Jackson fans. Even then, please be warned that its just a mix and match of rehearsals. The concerts never sadly took place so there is no culminating scene.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take filmgoers into uncharted territory. With both humor and outrage, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story explores a taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Years ago, that love seemed so innocent. Today, however, the American dream is looking more like a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal... and 14,000 jobs being lost every day.

I usually have two problems when watching a Michael Moore movie. One - he doesn't remotely tell the "other" side of the story. Its his point of view crammed down your throat. Two - I enjoy my ignorance. I like not thinking about things going on in the world and focusing more on what is going on right in front of me. These movies usually just get me mad or annoyed or depressed. Why would I want to feel that way. This movie was just like every other Michael Moore movie in that it accomplished those same two things. This one was especially hard to watch due to living month to month financially. When I watch movies, I want to be distracted - not kicked in the stomach. Putting my personal feelings aside, I actually thought this was one of Michael Moore's better movies. You can tell that he was VERY into this one. The only problem with how into it he was is that the movie is MUCH longer than necessary. He easily could have gotten all this in to a 90 minute movie instead of closer to 120 minutes.

I would mildly recommend this movie to people. If you are a Michael Moore fan - you will definitely like this one.

The Stepfather

Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school to find his mother (Sela Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David (Dylan Walsh). As the two men get to know each other, Michael becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand. Is he really the man of her dreams or could David be hiding a dark side?

Yet another movie this month that is just kind of there. This might really be one of the most boring "thrillers" of all time. At no point was I scared, thrilled, or actually interested in what was going on. You knew everything that was going to happen a good 20 minutes before it did. Who am I kidding? You knew everything that was going to happen before you even sat down in the theater.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Its really boring and is a total waste of your time.

Saw VI

Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.


Why are they still making these movies? Why am I still watching them? I like the first three of this series. I cared about the pretty clever story line. However, the story line has now become so convoluted that they have to keep showing you flashbacks to random scenes in the first 5 movies in the franchise to refresh your memory. And even though they are showing you the flashback - I still don't remember it ever happening much less mattering. I mean someone is really writing parts in to Saw VI based on a random scene from Saw III from three years ago!?! That's just plain silly. And don't even get me started on how Jigsaw has now been dead for three movies. Would we still be watching Friday the 13th movies if Jason wasn't in them? Seriously! This franchise really needs to be put down.


I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out. Avoiding this really is the only way to stop them from churning them out year after year.

Astro Boy

Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive "blue" energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it means to be a hero.

This movie is a decent watch. Not much more than that though. The animation pales in comparison to other recent fare. The story line of robot vs. human is interesting but would probably not make as much sense to the children as the adults. This might make this movie a bit of a tough sell for those of you just trying to take your kids to the theater for a couple of hours. The voices are good and the action is pretty decent, but for the most part this movie is just sort of average at best.

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out unless you really have nothing to do and have some extra money/time to spare. Its not horrible. Its just kind of there though. You can go ahead and wait for rental on this one.

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, based on the popular series of books by Darren Shan, is a fantasy-adventure about a teenager who unknowingly breaks a 200-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires. Pulled into a fantastic life of misunderstood sideshow freaks and grotesque creatures of the night, one teen will vanish from the safety of a boring existence and fulfill his destiny in a place drawn from nightmares.

I hadn't read this series of books so I had no advanced ties to the story or the characters. I would like to think that maybe I would have enjoyed this better if I had read the book though because there really was no hook with this movie whatsoever. The main kid was annoying. The special effects were pretty cheesy to say the least. The assortment of freaks, some actually played by legit actors, weren't on screen nearly enough. The only thing that made this movie the slightest bit watchable was John C Reilly's vampire. Unfortunately, most of his screen time was shared with the really annoying main kid.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone check this out. Its just kind of there and is in no way worth your money much less your time.

Law Abiding Citizen

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice.Fast forward ten years. The man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die.Soon Shelton follows through on his threats, orchestrating from his jail cell a string of spectacularly diabolical assassinations that can be neither predicted nor prevented. Philadelphia is gripped with fear as Shelton's high-profile targets are slain one after another and the authorities are powerless to halt his reign of terror. Only Nick can stop the killing, and to do so he must outwit this brilliant sociopath in a harrowing contest of wills in which even the smallest misstep means death. With his own family now in Shelton's crosshairs, Nick finds himself in a desperate race against time facing a deadly adversary who seems always to be one step ahead.

This movie is beyond formula. You have essentially seen the movie just by watching the commercial. It is also filled with every possible cliche. Putting all of that aside, its still a decently enjoyable watch. As farfetched as Gerard Butler's character plannings are - I know that I would do everything in my means to get someone if they did anything to my WW or Stinka. As long as you can leave your brain at the door and enjoy that adrenaline part of this movie, its fun to watch.

I'd somewhat recommend people checking this out. Its not a must see by any means, but is not a total waste of your time.

Where The Wild Things Are

Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in Where the Wild Things Are, a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.

This was one of my three favorite books as a child. Shout out for Caps For Sale and Green Eggs & Ham as filling out the trifecta, people! Anywho, I had HUGE expectations for this movie. I was getting to the point where I figured there was no way that I wouldn't be massively disappointed. However, I was dead wrong. I loved this movie. It was everything that I had hoped it would be. I saw this with a group of 25 people. It was the tight circle of our friends and all our kids. The kids were able to enjoy it because it was lots of fun and different emotions portrayed very well. The adults were able to enjoy it as well - probably even more - because the movie did such an absolutely amazing job of capturing everything we've ever felt as children and how we learned to process things.

I completely recommend everyone checking this movie out. It might be a little too artsy for some kids, but it is a very well done movie across the board.

Paranormal Activity

After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban "starter" tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.

I'm not going to beat around the bush here. This movie f#cked me up royally. I have had a hard time sleeping the last two nights. I have woken up the past two nights at 2 or 3am and haven't been able to fall back asleep for like 2 hours each night because of the paranoia that this movie has instilled in me. Movies as a whole don't tend to scare me. I feel kind of crazy to say that I feel like I've been desensitized to the violence and what not after seeing so many of them. Its usually certain scenes from movies that will get me (the last one being The Grudge . . . . . still haven't recovered from that crazy things face in the closet). This movie is probably the most terrifyingly transfixed I have ever been watching a movie. During the night scenes where the camera was on a tripod filming their bedroom like the poster depicts, my whole body was tense. I was afraid to movie. I was too petrified to even talk. I was relieved when the movie would go to the daytime parts. Those parts were pretty crappy movie making wise but at that point I was just relieved for the tension release. This was one of the best movie going "experiences" I've ever had.

I couldn't recommend this movie more if I tried. Not because it is necessarily a great movie. To be honest, its really not. The terrifying experience of watching what happens to these two people while they are sleeping is so believable and frightening that this makes seeing this movie in theaters a must see experience.

The Boys Are Back

In the adaptation of Simon Carr's serio-comic novel "The Boys Are Back in Town," Owen plays a widower struggling to raise his two sons.

This movie is just kind of there. Its not necessarily bad. Its not too good. Its just there. I wasn't really hooked by either the story or the characters. Its a blatant heartstrings movie. The wife gets sick and passes away and the dad now has to raise his sons while having no prior practice at this because all he used to do is work. He adopts this "just say yes" philosophy which is actually pretty enjoyable at first, but that wears out pretty fast.

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone rush to check this out. Honestly, you probably don't have a choice anyhow seeing as how the movie is barely released in theaters. I'd just wait for this to be on cable and watch it in passing.