Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

Bill Hader will voice Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone's life. Anna Faris takes on the role of Sam Sparks, a weathergirl covering the phenomenon who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior. James Caan plays Tim Lockwood, Flint's technophobic father. Andy Samberg plays Brent, the town bully who has plagued Flint since childhood. Bruce Campbell plays Mayor Shelbourne, who figures out that Flint's invention can put the town, and more importantly himself, on the map and Mr. T plays the by-the-rules town cop Earl Devereaux.

My expectations for this movie was for it to be a lame kids movie that was banking on the 3D effects. I was completely wrong. I loved the movie. It had that smart/witty humor in the script that makes animated movies just as enjoyable for the parents as it is for the kids. You really get in to the characters and their relationships. The monkey had me laughing my ass off at points. Plus - its super short. Huge bonus points on not wasting my time there.

I would definitely recommend that everyone check this one out . . . . . . . especially if you have kids. They will love it and you will too. As a co-worker of mine said "more like Cloudy With A Chance Of Awesome".

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

When Madea, catches sixteen-year-old Jennifer and her two younger brothers looting her home, she decides to take matters into her own hands and delivers the young delinquents to the only relative they have: their aunt April. A heavy-drinking nightclub singer who lives off of Raymond, her married boyfriend, April wants nothing to do with the kids. But her attitude begins to change when Sandino, a handsome Mexican immigrant looking for work, moves into April's basement room. Making amends for his own troubled past, Sandino challenges April to open her heart. And April soon realizes she must make the biggest choice of her life: between her old ways with Raymond and the new possibilities of family, faith... and even true love.

Which one is this? 6? 7? Why do they bother giving these movies titles? Its should just be called Tyler Perry 6. You know thats what even the biggest fans of his movies think of them as by this point. This movie is just like the others. Madea is hilarious. I'm sorry. I happen to be one of those people who find the character to be hysterical. The other part of the movie is depressing and drags on but this one made you care a little bit more than usual because it was about kids instead of poor me adults.

Recommending this really depends on if you like Tyler Perry's movies. If you would say yes to that - you should be enjoying this one. If you don't like them - why would you start now when you could wait for Tyler Perry 7? Or will the next one be 8?

Sorority Row

When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret...

Sorority Row is what it is. If you are going to see a quality movie - you should absolutely not see this. If you are going to see a smart or edgy horror movie - you should absolutely not see this. If you are going to see your textbook girls getting killed off one by one horror movie - then you should see this. It was essentially a remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer but it takes places in a sorority. The acting is atrocious. Its so bad in fact that I found myself wanting to see all the girls get killed and loving it when they were. Unfortunately, that was really the only good part of the movie. I guess that is a sign of poopage when the only satisfaction found in a movie is the characters getting killed off.

I really wouldn't recommend anyone checking this turd out . . . . unless you want to see a couple of girls get killed off and really bad acting. If thats the case - you should rush to see this.

Whiteout

Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, is investigating the continent's first murder, which draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with only three days until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.

This movie is poop. Straight up poop. Its like a really boring episode of CSI: Antartica. I have seen better suspense while watching paint dry compared to this movie. The story was absolutely horrible. She get duped by her partner, kills her in self defense and . . . . . . goes to Antartica to be the marshal there!?! Seriously? And the continuity in the freezing cold was the funniest stuff ever. They did this whole scene with the "new guys" showing them how cold it is there and then every time that she was out in this blisteringly cold snow, from her nose down was exposed. She lost two fingers to frostbite yet her lips, cheeks and chin never even got red much less frozen. It was absurd. Absolutely absurd.

I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie. Ever. Its a big steaming turd that should never be watched by anyone.

9

When 9 (Elijah Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.

I liked this movie alot. The animation was phenomenal. It ws super short and I'm always a fan of movies that are short and cut out all of the blah-blah-blah stuff. However, the one knock I can make against this movie is that it started really abruptly. I mean if you show up 2 minutes late for this movie you would be convinced you missed a 1/2 hour. I felt like there was a lot that could have been done or explained instead of 9 just kind of waking up. They explain how this alternate world came to be later, but it was a little bit strange how it started and could have been done better. This movie is also absolutely not for kids. Whenever animated movies come out, parents see it as a chance to do something with the kids on a rainy day. Your kids will have nightmares if you take them to see this. Its very dark and its very violent at times.

I would recommend that people check this out. Its not a mainstream movie whatsoever. Its animation on a Pixar level and you definitely enjoy the short ride.

Gamer

Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Humans control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online games: people play people... for keeps. Mind-control technology is widespread, and at the heart of the controversial games is its creator, reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). His latest brainchild, the first-person shooter game "Slayers," allows millions to act out their most savage fantasies online in front of a global audience, using real prisoners as avatars with whom they fight to the death. Kable (Gerard Butler) is the superstar and cult hero of the ultraviolent "Slayers." Kable is controlled by Simon, a young gamer with rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week. Taken from his family, imprisoned and forced to fight against his will, the modern day gladiator must survive long enough to escape the game to free his family, regain his identity and to save mankind from Castle's ruthless technology.

This movie is a prime example of why going to the movies in September can be so painful. This movie was advertised as a crazy adrenaline action movie. It seemed like it would be a simple enough watch. Basically like Death Race but in a video game form instead of car racing. I really didn't think that they could screw up something so basic. Needless to say, they did. The script and acting was cheesy as expected, but the main bad guy played my Michael C. Hall (usually a great actor) was absolutey horrible. It was just annoying every time he was on the screen. The camera work was also some of the worst I've ever seen. The editing was choppy as hell as it was and then the director decided to start getting creative with camera angles and moving them around and it was just nauseating.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone bother checking this movie out. Its not even good as an adrenaline action movie. The went and porked the simplest movie formula possible here.

Extract

To the outside eye, Joel Reynold (Jason Bateman) seems to have everything. After all, being the owner of a business he built from the ground up - with its patented brand of culinary extracts - should make the "Extract King" a happy man. However, if Joel hasn't reached his front door by 8 o'clock, he'll find his wife, Suzie (Kristen Wiig) cinching up her sweatpants – and about as interested in him as he is in her mastery of supermarket coupon design. Sexually frustrated, Joel confides in his best pal, Dean (Ben Affleck), a barkeep – and soon finds himself wrapped up in a convoluted scheme to make Suzie cheat on him first with a dim-witted gigolo (Dustin Milligan) – thereby allowing him to pursue beautiful new employee Cindy (Mila Kunis) with a clear conscience.

This is a tough to review movie. It was very well written comedy. Jason Bateman was awesome as always. There were good characters (JK Simmons always a favorite supporting actor for me). But ultimately the movie is totally pointless. It really just kind of treads water in terms of story/plot. Unfortunately, no matter how sharp I thought the writing was, knowing that the movie wasn't going to really go anywhere held it back big time.

I can't really recommend that anyone rush to check this out. Again, it has some good laughs. However, it is rather pointless and is just an hour and a half with some well written comedy. Looking back on it makes you really feel like you wasted your time.

All About Steve

Bullock's Mary Horowitz is a cruciverbalist - a crossword puzzle constructor. Her brain spins at warp speed with an endless stream of arcane information. She can come up with the perfect word - and dozens with the same meaning - at a moment's notice, but "normal" behavior eludes her. For Mary, nothing is typical, especially relationships. When she is set up on a blind date with handsome cable-news cameraman Steve, Mary thinks the chemistry is undeniable - that Steve is "the one." Steve, on the other hand, thinks Mary is crazy. Mary, who just knows she's found her soul mate, decides to do anything and go anywhere to be with him. She begins to pursue Steve relentlessly as he crisscrosses the country, covering breaking news stories. Mary's escalating infatuation with Steve is encouraged by the self-serving actions of news reporter Hartman Hughes (Thomas Haden Church), who enjoys torturing his insolent cameraman at every opportunity. With Mary never far behind and Hartman urging her on, Steve becomes increasingly unhinged.But when Mary becomes embroiled in the news story of the year, Steve and Hartman begin to see her differently. Hartman is plagued by guilt, knowing his game of one-upmanship with Steve has placed her squarely in harms way, while Steve is feeling his own pangs of remorse at his callous behavior. Despite the media storm surrounding her, Mary with her upbeat, unaffected manner brings together a small community of new friends. And all who encounter Mary will realize that sometimes the ones who don't fit in are the ones who really stand out.

Any time that a movie is willing to overexplain what their movie is about (see the above description I found for the movie), it tends to be a really really really bad sign. This movie is no exception to that. This is a really crappy movie. Its pointless. Its corny. Its garbage. This is also a prime of example of a movie studio turning crap in to gold based on circumstances. This movie was supposed to come out almost a year ago, but got shelved. I'm 99.9% sure that its because the movie didn't test well with audiences. Then Sandra Bullock made a huge comeback in The Proposal (although I think the credit for that should go to Ryan Reynolds) and Bradley Cooper was the hottest new star of the summer after The Hangover. So, the studio gets to repackage this movie as starring "the girl from The Proposal" and "the guy from The Hangover" when this movie was actually made before either of those actors did the aforementioned quality movies. And the piece of garbage that is All About Steve benefits off of the success of the other two. However, the people that get screwed are us. Needless to say, I saw one critic write "I saw All About Steve so that you don't have to" as his headline. That quote is beyond spot on.

I definitely would not recommend anyone check out this movie. I actually think the two stars should sue the studio for slander at how their names are being used to sell this garbage and probably putting a damper on the great buzz they had coming off their last movies.

Taking Woodstock

It's 1969, and Elliot Tiber, a down-on-his-luck interior designer in Greenwich Village, New York, has to move back upstate to help his parents run their dilapidated Catskills motel, The El Monaco. The bank's about to foreclose; his father wants to burn the place down, but hasn't paid the insurance; and Elliot is still figuring how to come out to his parents. When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers, thinking he could drum up some much-needed business for the motel. Three weeks later, half a million people are on their way to his neighbor's farm in White Lake, NY, and Elliot finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

This is one of the more pointless movies I've seen in a long time. Let me just make sure that any potential viewers of this know - you don't see Woodstock. The only scene of the concert itself is from about 7 miles away on top of a hill and the guy is tripping on acid when he sees it so it turns in to a massive wave/ocean as you are looking at it. There isn't even any music in this movie. How do you make a movie about Woodstock without any music? This movie is basically about this kid and his parents, who end up being the absolute best part of the movie by far, and their involvement in the happenings of Woodstock. And you really don't end up caring about them at all. The movie was funny at times and then serious at others. Unfortunately, it doesn't commit either way and just kind of ends up being there circling the drain. I really think that Ang Lee might be the most overrated director in all of Hollywood at this point.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone bother checking this out. Its a pretty big and pointless turd of a movie.

The Final Destination

On what should have been a fun-filled day at the races, Nick O'Bannon has a horrific premonition in which a bizarre sequence of events causes multiple race cars to crash, sending flaming debris into the stands, brutally killing his friends and causing the upper deck of the stands to collapse on him. When he comes out of this grisly nightmare Nick panics, persuading his girlfriend, Lori, and their friends, Janet and Hunt, to leave... escaping seconds before Nick's frightening vision becomes a terrible reality. Thinking they've cheated death, the group has a new lease on life, but unfortunately for Nick and Lori, it is only the beginning. As his premonitions continue and the crash survivors begin to die one-by-one--in increasingly gruesome ways--Nick must figure out how to cheat death once and for all before he, too, reaches his final destination.

For the record, this is an absolutely horrible movie. The acting is atrocious and its just about the worst writing/dialogue ever. That being said, seeing this movie in 3D was just plain fun. The theatre was packed. Everyone was jumping and then laughing at themselves for jumping. It was fun. That's really the only reason that you go to a movie like this. As horrible of a movie as it was it definitely met his true meaning of provinding the fun.

I would never recommend that anyone see this movie based on the quality of it. Its a fun scary movie and is even more fun in 3D. If you enjoy that type of thing - do not miss this movie. If you don't - this is one of the biggest turds out there, people.

Halloween II

It's that time of year again, and Michael Myers has returned home to sleepy Haddonfield, Illinois to take care of some unfinished family business. Unleashing a trail of terror that only horror master Rob Zombie can, Myers will stop at nothing to bring closure to the secrets of his twisted past. But the town's got an unlikely new hero, if they can only stay alive long enough to stop the unstoppable.

I couldn't even make it through the first hour of this movie. It is just plain crap. And this is coming from someone that growing up found Halloween to be my favorite horror series by far and would get pumped for every reincarnation of Michael Myers even though it was just the same movie over and over again. The "original" Halloween II scared the hell out of me. I absolutely loved it. This one is poop. Its just like the first Rob Zombie take on Halloween. Its just a whole lot more gore and bone crunching sounds while the attacks are happening. He is also completely in love with characters yelling "f#ck". I'm not going to pretend that I'm not a potty mouth at numerous times, but words do no justice to how many times this was the only word that characters were saying or yelling repeatedly. Rob Zombie has made a complete mess out of what was my favorite horror franchise.

I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this movie out ever. Its a complete and total waste of time and even a die hard Halloween franchise fan like me couldn't make it through this whole movie.

Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own...

I loved this movie. I have always been a huge Tarantino fan and was totally psyched when I saw this trailer. My expectations then were destroyed when I found out that the parts of the trailer did no justice whatsoever to what actually goes on in the movie, that it was 2 1/2 hours long and that at least 2/3 - 3/4 of the movie are in subtitles. I always got turned off a little bit when Tarantino's scripts got out of control chatty and the thought of reading it all via subtitles was not intriguing in the least. Now, I don't know how much my lower expectations effected my viewing of the movie but as I mentioned before - I loved this movie. Like I said - the parts with Brad Pitt and company that fill the trailer with all the violence make up such a small (and violent) part of the movie. The best part of the movie is the part of Nazi colonel Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz. This guy had better get an academy award nomination. He was phenomenal. You find yourself glued to watching him speak the same way you were when Hannibal Lecter spoke to Clarice or when The Joker speaks in The Dark Knight. I found myself totally mesmerized as he talked people in circles about absolutely nothing and then flipped the switch into actually interrogating them. He (and Tarantino's script for his character) totally made this movie. Tarantino also did an awesome job of building up the tension towards the eventual awesome climax. As always, it could have been shorter and there could have been much less talking but Tarantino did an awesome job of having all his seperate little stories come together and he did it without jumping back and forth like he usually does.

I strongly recommend this movie to everyone. Its my favorite movie of the year at this point. Yes, its long. Yes, there are subtitles. Yes, there are some pretty violent parts. Its awesome filmmaking though. Its not Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs good, but its easily Kill Bill good if not better.

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

Who is Don Ready? Salesman? Lover? Song Stylist? Semi-professional dolphin trainer? Ready is all of the above, except for a dolphin trainer. When he's asked to help save an ailing local car dealership from bankruptcy, Ready and his ragtag crew descend on the town of Temecula like a pack of coyotes on a basket full of burgers. Selling, drinking, selling and going to strip clubs is their stock and trade. And they do it well. What Don doesn't expect is to fall in love and find his soul (cue heartfelt piano).

I watched exactly 23 minutes of this movie. It was stupid. Just plain stupid. Its another one of those sophomoric comedies that is pretty much targeted at an audience that is either too young or just old enough to see it. There were one or two one liners that made me chuckle but it was more the awkwardness of how they were thrown in there than actually being funny. This movie is literally built around Jeremy Piven's ability to launch in to convincing monologues. It gets old after about . . . . . . .23 minutes.

I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this bad boy out. Its another of those dime a dozen comedies that end up not being too funny.

Julie & Julia

Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron's adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell's "Julie & Julia" and "My Life in France," by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme. Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

This was a very simple, enjoyable movie. On a side note, I have never watched anything that has made me so hungry in all my life. Seriously. I was ready to start gnawing on my own arm while watching this with all the delicious looking cooking. Anywho, the movie wasn't necessarily a chick flick. Pretty much anyone can enjoy this as long as you don't expect some sort of an eye-opening biographical thing. Meryl Streep will no doubt be nominated for an academy award as she was perfect playing Julia Child. Amy Adams was a little over the top whiny at times but represented the world of blogging quite well. I would have to say that was one of my favorite parts of the movie with her and her husband debating about her "readers". How many are there? How much do they care? I found it all very accurate and funny when related to blogging.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out. Its not a must see by any means but is a pretty enjoyable visit to the theaters.

Shorts

Shorts is set in the suburb of Black Falls, where all the houses look the same and everyone works for BLACK BOX Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated, whose Mr. Black's BLACK BOX is the ultimate communication and do-it-all gadget that's sweeping the nation. Other than keeping his parents employed, however, Mr. Black's BLACK BOX has done nothing for 11-year-old Toe Thompson, who just wants to make a few friends...until a mysterious rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes everything. The Rainbow Rock does Mr. Black's BLACK BOX one better: it grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Before long, wishes-gone-wrong have left the neighborhood swarming with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, giant boogers...and outrageous magical mayhem around every corner. But it's not until the grown-ups get their hands on the Rock that the trouble really starts. Now Toe and his newfound friends must join forces to save their town from itself, discovering along the way that what you wish for is not always what you want.

This is an enjoyable off the wall kids movie. It could have pretty much been called Spy Kids 3 with it having the same look and feel as the other movies. Its heavy on the sight gags and silly makeup/effects. This one was actually told in a non-linear fashion which actually made it slightly more interesting than it would have been. The best part of the movie was that the bad girl (Hellvetika)had a theme song that they kept playing for her and I haven't stopped singing it since.

If you have kids - they will enjoy this. You will not enjoy it as much as them but you've definitely suffered through much worse on their behalf.

Post Grad

Ryden Malby (Bledel) had a plan. Do well in high school, thereby receiving a great college scholarship. Now that she's finally graduated, it's time for her to find a gorgeous loft apartment and land her dream job at the city's best publishing house. But when Jessica Bard (Reitman), Ryden's college nemesis steals her perfect job, Ryden is forced to move back to her childhood home. Stuck with her eccentric family – a stubborn do-it-yourself dad (Keaton), an overly thrifty mom (Lynch), a politically incorrect grandma (Burnett), a very odd little brother (Coleman) – and a growing stack of rejected job applications, Ryden starts to feel like she’s going nowhere. The only upside is spending time with her best friend, Adam (Zach Gilford) – and running into her hot next-door neighbor, David (Santoro). But if Ryden's going to survive life as a post grad, it may be time to come up with a new plan...

This movie is great . . . . . . . . . . . for teenage girls ages 11 - 17 or those of you that have the mentality of teenage girls ages 11 - 17. I went to see this with Stinka (and because I have a movie seeing addiction) and she liked it. I would go ahead and essentially tell you that this movie was Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 3 except Alexis Bledel's family really made this movie more watchable than that. Her mother, grandmother, and brother were all very weird and provided enough laughs that it wasn't a downright painful experience. The movie itself is beyond predictable and formula. You know everything just by watching the commercial and its your textbook teeny bopper movie. The one rant I have to make is how hard it is to watch Michael Keaton now playing these corny dad roles. It is just downright painful how Michael Keaton (as well as Matthew Broderick) were icons to me when I was growing up. This guy was downright hilarious and he was Batman, people!!! Now he has fallen so far that he is the dad in Post Grad!?! Its just sad and it cuts real deep.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone unless you are the aforementioned 11 - 17 year old or have the mentality of someone that age and gender. If you fall under those categories - go check it out!

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife is based on the best-selling book about a love that transcends time. Clare (Rachel McAdams) has been in love with Henry (Eric Bana) her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler—cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry's travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.

This movie is just plain dumb. Seriously. This is a movie that only girls who like to cry just for the sake of crying could like. It was a silly sapfest that the director/editor barely bothered to actually put together. It was essentially a bunch of vignette conversations between Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana that were just mushed together and thrown up on the screen. There were numerous times where you couldn't even tell at what point in the overall "story" the scene was taking place. Then, as if the movie wasn't absurd enough, they introduced the baby portion of the "story" that just made me get that "what the f@ck" look on my face. It then stayed there for the rest of this movie as it continued to get dumber and dumber.

This movie is garbage. I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their money or time on this. Its just plain silly. They try to take themselves seriously but when audience members are laughing out loud at some of the most serious scenes - you've clearly missed your mark.

District 9

28 years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's "District 9" as the world's nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens' welfare – they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens' awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable – he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9.

This is a very tough movie to review without knowing the specific person that you are recommending it to. I loved it. I think its one of the better movies to come out this year. I have always been a big fan of sci-fi and this movie is a great sci-fi movie. It takes you to an alternate world and does a good job that you can believe it really exists. The story and how it is developed is very well scripted. It has well written political themes. Besides all that, I just kept telling myself that this was a 30 million budgeted sci-fi movie and I loved it. However, it is completely not a mainstream movie. I could see 75% of the people that see this based on the marketing campaign hating this movie. It reminded me a lot of Blair Witch Project. I saw an advance viewing of that movie a month before it came out and thought it was phenomenal, especially based on how simple it was. Then the marketing came out hyping it as the "scariest movie of all time" and people went in to the movie with such massive expectations that most ended up disappointed. This movie is awesome for what it is, but if you are expecting a major blockbuster type movie - you will be completely disappointed.

I can't blindly recommend this movie to anyone. I can say that I absolutely loved the movie. It was a well written sci-fi movie that suceeded in taking you to a alternate version of our world.

Bandslam

Aly Michalka and Vanessa Hudgens join Gaelan Connell, Scott Porter and Lisa Kudrow in the music-driven comedy Bandslam. When gifted singer-songwriter Charlotte Banks (Michalka) asks new kid in town Will Burton (Connell) to manage her fledgling rock band, she appears to have just one goal in mind: go head-to-head against her egotistical musician ex-boyfriend, Ben (Porter), at the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.Against all odds, their band develops a sound all its own with a real shot at success in the contest. Meanwhile, romance brews between Will and Sam (Hudgens), who plays a mean guitar and has a voice to die for. When disaster strikes, it's time for the band to make a choice: Do they admit defeat, or face the music and stand up for what they believe in?

Never in my life have I been more embarassed or shocked to write something like what I'm about to write. Here goes. I loved this movie. Its out there. I can't take it back. Everyone reading this will know now. I loved Bandslam. Its beyond formula. Its beyond cliche in every way possible. Its a girly teeny bopper movie. And I loved it. This will forevermore be on my top ten list of guilty pleasure movies. I don't know if I loved it just because Stinka loved it so much (her favorite movie of all time now knocking off Step Up 2 The Streets) or not, but I can't tell a lie when it comes to movie reviews. I loved Bandslam.

Even with my above admittal, I can't fully recommend that everyone go and check this out. It is not a good movie. I just loved it. If you have kids - they too will love it. If you are a teenage girl - it will challenge Step Up 2 The Streets for your fave of all time.

Ponyo

Ponyo is a story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid. Already a box-office success in Japan, the story of a young and overeager goldfish named Ponyo (voiced by Noah Cyrus) and her quest to become human.

This is NOT your normal, run of the mill animated movie. Its one hell of a tough sell for mainstream kids and adults wanting to see you usual Disney fare. That being said, I really enjoyed the movie. Its weird and very foreign, but very well done. The animation seemed so simple, yet perfectly done. There really isn't too much more that can be said about this movie.

I'd have to know who I was recommending this movie to specifically in order to decide whether to say yay or nay. Its not a simple animated movie. It has in depth themes and foreign ways of translating them that handicap me from doing so. I happen to love it though.

A Perfect Getaway

Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they’ve found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back. Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins...

This movie is a humongously huge turd. Its the most boring "suspense" movie I've ever seen. Its basically an hour of watching four people talk while hiking and then there is this "mega twist" that I actually called a month ago when watching the commercial. To make matters worse, there is still another 30 minutes after the major twist is revealed. The trick with these twists is that it has to be a much more climactic reveal. This movie was downright horrible. And for the record - I don't think I will ever be able to watch Milla Jovovich speak and not hear her saying "Multi-Pass" over and over again.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone check out this movie . . . . . . . ever. Seriously. The print of the movie that I saw was scratched and had two lines running down the middle of it. I'm dead serious when I say it was more enjoyable watching the scratch than the movie itself.

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos.

I was so geeked out when I heard that they were making this movie. I was a HUGE G.I. Joe fan when I was a kid and loved placing the names of all the characters with the marketing stuff that was coming out. There were a couple of years there where I used to carry my Snake Eyes figure with me everywhere. He was a favorite of mine on par with Yoda, people!!! Then, I saw the trailers for this movie and figured it was going to be horrible. However, I'm not sure if its because they made me have such low expectations or what but this was a simple summer popcorn movie action flick that ends up being easily enjoyable. Snake Eyes was worth the price of admission alone. The action was over the top and the script was beyond corny. However, its fun. Its not going to be winning any awards or gettting critical acclaim whatsoever, but its just plain fun. And for those of you that are G.I. Joe fans, this movie actually did an awesome job of laying the groundwork for character development with the intent of this becoming a movie franchise. The build up of the the villain trio of Cobra Commander, Destro and Zartan was great to the old school fans of the cartoon and toys. The only bad thing with this stuff was that I really wish they would have gone with a different mask for Cobra Commander. Just the geek in me talking out loud here.

I would recommend people checking this out. Its in no way a "good" movie, but it is a surprisingly good time at the movies considering how bad it looked. To quote my friend, "they should really kill the guy that put together the trailer for this movie."

The Collector

The Collector follows the story of handyman and ex-con Arkin, who aims to repay a debt to his ex-wife by robbing his new employer's country home. Unfortunately for Arkin, a far worse enemy has already laid claim to the property – and the family. As the seconds tick down to midnight, Arkin becomes a reluctant hero trapped by a masked "Collector" in a maze of lethal inventions while trying to rescue the very family he came to rob.

This was one hell of a f*cked up movie. It was pretty much like one of the Saw movies with a different killer. If you like those movies then you'll like this one. This killer tortures a family in their own basement and sets up all sorts of traps throughout the house. You've got a series of nails pointing up on the staircase, bear traps in the living room, razor wire crisscrossing in front of the back door and nails in the phone receivers to name a few. Its got tons of gore. The mask on the Collector is freaky. The dude never says a word but scares the hell out of you every time you see him. The only thing that really bothered me about this movie is that they killed the cat. I always get a kick out of how I have no problem seeing fingers get cut off and guys getting disembowled but if you go after the animal - Matty no likey. To make matters worse, this cat looked like my cat. I literally sat there rocking back and forth with my fingers in my ears go la-la-la-la until I was told the scene was over. NOT COOL, makers of The Collector. NOT COOL!

I'd recommend that anyone in to the nasty gory movies like Saw or Hostel go ahead and check this out. Its not a scary movie as much as its an ewwwww fest of human torture. But its a pretty good low budget attempt at an alternate Saw franchise.

Aliens In The Attic

Aliens in the Attic is an adventure/comedy about kids on a family vacation who must fight off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-destroying ambitions--while the youngsters' parents remain clueless about the battle.

Unless you have gone to see this movie with kids and are only there for their viewing entertainment - this is a truly horrible movie going experience for you. This movie is blatantly for kids and adults who are used to watching movies/television with their kids. If it wasn't for Stinka being such a wonderous part of my life - this movie would have been beyond painful. However, I was able to laugh at parts and just be happy that she was loving the movie. This is one of those movies that Hollywood makes just to make money off of parents having nothing else to do on a rainy day in the summer with their kids.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone who doesn't have kids check this out. If you do have them - go ahead and take them and just keep reminding yourself that its only an hour and half and enjoy the 3 - 4 laughs.

500 Days Of Summer

An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman (Deschanel) who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man (Gordon-Levitt) who falls for her.

This movie was great. I really enjoyed this movie. I thought it looked good from the preview but I didn't think I would enjoy it nearly as much as I did. It is one of the more realistic relationship movies I've ever seen. The back and forth storytelling was very well scripted and filmed. The chemistry between the two main characters was very believable. The supporting characters were well written (especially the young girl helping Gordon-Levitt). They also had these really great mocking film/commercial scenes randomly throughout the movie that were hilarious and fit in perfectly. SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT . . . . . . . . This is probably the best non-"happy" ending date movies you could possibly imagine.

I fully recommend that everyone check this bad boy out. Its opened very limited, but if you have the chance, its definitely worth your time and money.

Funny People

Judd Apatow directs Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann in Funny People, the story of a famous comedian who has a near-death experience.

This movie was completely great . . . . . . . for the first 2/3 of the movie. It was more of a drama than a comedy, but I was totally in to the characters and the one liners were all perfectly delivered by the great cast and were hilarious. I was really impressed with Adam Sandler actually acting and not being over the top silly like he always is. The relationship between him and Seth Rogen seemed very genuine. You really felt for Sandler as he coped with death coming. You were excited when he found out that he wasn't going to die. And then the movie just kind of hit a wall and had no idea where it wanted to go. It just sort of stopped and treaded water. It was so disappointing considering how in to the first 2/3 of the movie I was. I ended up not caring what was going to happen with Adam Sandler and Leslie Mann and was generally annoyed at how it turned out.

I fully recommend that everyone check out the first 2/3 of this movie. Its awesome. Just be sure to stop watching after Adam Sandler ends up being okay because it becomes rather pooptastic from there on.

Orphan

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate's fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there's something wrong with Esther--this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther's sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded until it may be too late...for everyone.

I am completely surprised with how much I enjoyed this movie. This was a really well done creeper. The girl was scary as hell and the build up of tension was exactly as it should be for a scary movie. For the record - I called the twist two months ago when I saw the preview, but its pretty crazy how it all pans out. This is probably one of the three best scary movies (out of 100 it feels like) in the past year with The Strangers and Drag Me To Hell.

I fully recommend that everyone check this movie out. Its probably the biggest surprise of the summer in terms of enjoyment.

G-Force

G-Force is a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Tapped for the G-Force are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of Sam Rockwell), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (voice of Tracy Morgan), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of Penelope Cruz), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles (voice of Nicolas Cage), the computer and information specialist.

Lets be honest. This movie is completely brainless. Its stupid. Its an insulting assault on our wallets. Its assinying. Its just another marketing masterpiece by Disney where they blatantly target our children 24 hours a day on the Disney Channel forcing us all to throw away or time and money because of our love for them. I could easily see this being on many peoples 10 worst movies of the year list. All of that being said . . . . . . . . I enjoyed the movie. I know full well how terribly horrible the movie was in terms of quality and substance. However, I chose to leave my brain at the door (and it definitely helped that it was free) and enjoyed going to a simple, "fun" movie with the wifey and the little stinker. It was simple fun after a crazy weekend and was enjoyable. I also chose to see it in 3D and would have to say that the 3D in this is better than most of the 3D ripoffs that have been put out there lately.

Regardless of me being able to enjoy this movie, I could never truly reccomend it to anyone. It is absolutely a bad movie. However, if you have kids they will absolutely enjoy it and if you can leave your mind at the door you might be able to as well.

The Ugly Truth

The battle of the sexes heats up in The Ugly Truth. Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a romantically challenged morning show producer whose search for Mr. Perfect has left her hopelessly single. She's in for a rude awakening when her bosses team her with Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), a hardcore TV personality who promises to spill the ugly truth on what makes men and women tick.

This is a great date movie. The chemistry between Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler was awesome. Even though you know damn well where this movie is going to end up from watching the commercial for it, the connection between the two of them makes you completely enjoy the short ride to get there. This movie also had a great collection of supporting characters that provided a lot of humor to go with Gerard Butler's great one liners. There is a restaurant scene in this movie with Katherine Heigl wearing vibrating underwear that is beyond hysterical. Just that one scene is worth the price of admission alone.

I fully recommend that people check this out. Its a great date movie for both guys and girls. Its also one of the funnier movies to come out in a summer full of comedic duds.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Buffalo Grove High School valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) has had quite an academic career... on paper, at least. Superlative student, conscientious young gentleman and patently obvious dork, Denis has played it safe and made it all the way to graduation day without ever having really experienced some of the joys of higher learning: breaking curfew, destruction of property, over-consumption of alcohol, fist fights, late nights, fast cars or faster women (actually, women of any sort). But all of that is about to change, and all by uttering five little words: "I Love You, Beth Cooper."

This is yet another of those movies that is just kind of there. It can't really decide what kind of movie it wants to be. It pulled up short of being a pushing the envelope sex comedy. But it went a little too far to be considered a teeny bopper movie. Its basically a movie that is meant for the type of nerdy guys that the main character is. Outside of that, there really is no hook that gets you with any of the characters and I found myself pretty bored and not caring. I laughed a couple of times but it was too few and far between to be considered a funny movie.

I wouldn't really recommend this movie to people. Its not that its flat out horrible. Its just not that good.

Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen's gay Austrian supermodel Bruno comes to the big screen with similar hijinks and celebrity interviews as seen on "Da Ali G Show."

The first thing that I can't help but wonder after seeing this movie is how in the blue hell it didn't get a NC-17 rating. I mean really . . . . . a penis speaks after spinning and slapping about. I would think that would be the bottom line guideline in terms of rating. Its inevitable that this movie will constantly be compared to Borat, which I absolutely loved (and as a bit of a history lesson was the movie that started this blog site people. Show the love!), so I'll go on record as saying that I didn't find this movie nearly as funny as Borat. Don't get me wrong, there were some really big laughs in it. Unfortunately, this movie played a hell of a lot more like that one "oh my god - why am I watching this" scene from Borat with the naked wrestling and running. 3/4 of this movie are more scenes like that. I found the other 1/4 very funny but really wasn't too entertained by the over pushing of the rest of the movie.

I can't really recommend that anyone see this not. This is one of those movies where you really have to know who you are recommending it to before doing so. I know people that would love this movie and I know people that would think I was out of my mind if I told them to see it. Just be forewarned that this movie is beyond raunchy in a full frontal male nudity kind of way and see at your own risk.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Harry Potter movies are always awesome. The books were awesome and every installment in the movie franchise always makes my top ten list at the end of the year. This movie is no different. The magical effects are great and not too over the top. We are just as attached to the characters as we've always been and its actually pretty amazing to see how much the kids have grown as actors. The back and forth between Harry and Ron in this movie was some of the funniest moments in the franchise. There really is only one knock that I can make against this movie and its only because of how I felt about the book. The movie standing alone is awesome. However, my favorite part of the book was the battling at Hogwarts that led to the climactic scene in the tower. I couldn't wait to see that all played out on screen. Apparantly I'll never get to see it though because that was what ended up on the editing room floor. The bad guys showed up and the next thing you know they are in the tower talking to Dumbledore. It was a little disappointing because of how excited I was to see that part from the book. Outside of that, this movie is just as good as the others. If I had to rank them in order, this would probably be in the top three for me with Prisoner Of Azkaban and Goblet Of Fire.

I don't really think it matters if I recommend this movie or not. Most people are going to see it and the ones that haven't seen any of the Harry Potters probably won't. Its yet another great addition to an already amazing franchise.

Public Enemies

In the action-thriller Public Enemies, we are shown the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. But while the adventures of Dillinger's gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw's capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing "Clark Gable of the FBI." However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis' men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous "Lady in Red" to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

This was a very enjoyable movie. I have always been of fan of Michael Mann directed movies. I just like the look that his movies have. Johnny Depp is one of the top three actors in Hollywood and has pretty much reached that "We'd watch this guy take a $hit" status. Christian Bale finally shed the Batman overacting voice and was a solid supporting actor in this. The bank scenes and action scenes were great and the tension going back and forth between the bank robbers and the cops getting towards their eventual climax was very well done. The one real downer of this movie was the lovey dovey garbage between John Dillinger and his girlfriend. The movie would be trucking along at a great pace and then would hit such a wall when the two of them were on screen together. It really didn't seem to work at all. Its unfortunate because this movie would have been excellent without that major distraction that kept rearing its head every time the movie would build up a great head of steam.

I would still recommend people checking this bad boy out. Its not a must see by any means, but is a pretty good watch.

Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs

The sub-zero heroes are back. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while, maybe, finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth, Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs; and Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he's growing too "soft" hanging with his pals. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna run amuck - and meet a relentless, one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck.

I'm usually a huge fan of animated movies. However, I never really got in to the Ice Age franchise. I thought that the first one was pretty good. I thought that the second one could have easily been a straight to DVD sequel. I can't really put my finger on why. It actually bothers me that I don't like these more because like I said before, I tend to always love animated movies with these kinds of characters and humor. This one definitely fell in line with the others. I would say it was better than the second one though. Its watchable and if you are taking kids to see this they are pretty much guaranteed to love it.

I can't really say if I would recommend checking this out. I'm admittedly biased to not being that big of a fan of the franchise. I also saw this in 3D and it is definitely another one of those movies that isn't worth the extra money and what not because there wasn't remotely that big of a difference.

My Sister's Keeper

Sara and Brian Fitzgerald's life with their young son and their two-year-old daughter, Kate, is forever altered when they learn that Kate has leukemia. The parents' only hope is to conceive another child, specifically intended to save Kate's life. For some, such genetic engineering would raise both moral and ethical questions; for the Fitzgeralds, Sara in particular, there is no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep Kate alive. And what it takes is Anna.Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) and Anna (Abigail Breslin) share a bond closer than most sisters: though Kate is older, she relies on her little sister--in fact, her life depends on Anna.Throughout their young lives, the sisters endure various medical procedures and hospital stays--just another part of their close-knit family's otherwise normal life. Sara (Cameron Diaz), a loving wife and mother who left her career as an attorney to care for her daughter, is sometimes lost inside the single-minded caregiver she has become in her efforts to save Kate. Her strong, supportive husband, Brian (Jason Patric), is often rendered powerless and passive by his wife's strength and determination. And their only son, Jesse (Evan Ellingson), drifts, at times all but forgotten as Kate and Anna take center stage.Until Anna, now 11, says "no." Seeking medical emancipation, she hires her own lawyer (Alec Baldwin), initiating a court case that divides the family and that could leave Kate's rapidly failing body in the hands of fate.

I watched about 20 - 30 minutes of this movie while at work the last two shifts. From what I saw, the performances all seemed pretty solid and it showed all the different fractures that a family can make when going through things like what is shown in the movie. I'm sure that overall its a pretty good movie. I just don't for the life of me understand how anyone can watch it. It was possibly the saddest 20 - 30 minutes of my life. It was just downright gut wrenching. This is just an all out assault on your heart and tear ducts. The only good thing that came from watching the brief parts of this movie emotionally was that I realized that things could be so much worse.

So I guess that if you are down in the dumps about your life you should go check this one out. It will definitely help you get your head out of your ass. Outside of that - its really just two hours of your life spent crying.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons.


Instead of Transformers 2 this will forever be referred to by me as Transfomers 2 Much. Holy crap! Why couldn't they just make a simple sequel. Instead they crammed in too much action. There were numerous points where there was so much happening that I had no clue what was going on. Too much robots. What was wrong with the ones we had already been introduced to? What in the blue hell was the need for the robot that somehow turned in a human? Especially, since it was basically for one part of the movie never to return? Too much blah blah story. The autobots work with the government . . . . but the government wants them out? Sam goes to college. I got that in the preview. Why did we need a 30 minute build up of that. Too much time on Sam and the girlfriend. As well as they played off of each other in the first one - at no point have I ever actually given two craps about whether or not they love each other. Too much of the parents. They were the funniest part of the first one. Why couldn't we just leave it alone with them being in the beginning? They really need to end up being part of the big battle and what not? Too much annoying complimentary characters. Including the aforementioned parents - the complimentary characters were great in the first one. This one consisted of the overexposed parents, John Turturo in the most stupid way to possibly be written in, the most annoying college roommate ever, and two sidekick autobots that made me want to scream every time they were on screen. Seriously. They made Jar Jar Binks seem awesome. Too much forced humor. What made the first movie so enjoyable besides the effects was the sarcastic humor running throughout. This one was filled with stupid humor. The two Jar Jar robots talking ghetto? The bad ass Devastator robot having wrecking balls for testicles? Even with all of my ranting this is a watchable movie . . . . . as long as your expectations are really low. The first movie was one of my favorite movies of all time. Needless to say - I had pretty high expectations for this movie.


I don't really think it matters whether or not I recommend this movie. Everyone will be seeing it at some point regardless. Just be sure to have low expecations because this is nowhere near as good as the first one. Its essentially a massively overdone sequel in every way possible.

Away We Go

Away We Go is a film follows the journey of an expectant couple (John Krasinski from The Office and Maya Rudolph from Saturday Night Live), as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.

I really liked this movie. The couple played amazingly well off of each other and were completely believable. The cast of characters that they meet along the way on their journey are totally off the wall and hysterical. Its not your run of the mill straight up comedy, but its smart funny. A lot of humor is in the reactions to what the people are saying and the two main characters delivered perfectly with this. It also did a really good job of displaying the emotions that couples go through when starting a family.

I totally recommend that everyone check this out if they have the chance to do so. I'm not sure how wide it is opening but it is a fun and touching comedy about life and relationships.

Year One

When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers (Jack Black and Michael Cera) are banished from their primitive village, they set off on an epic journey through the ancient world in Columbia Pictures' comedy Year One.

I thought for sure that Land Of The Lost was a lock for worst movie of the year. There was no way that it could be topped. Then I went to see Year One. How in the blue hell could a movie with the actors in this and directed by Harold Ramis be this horrible. I couldn't even watch the whole thing. I left about half way through when Michael Cera had to rub oil on an overly fat/hairy Oliver Platt's chest. Why is it so hard to make a quality comedy!?! The Hangover is completely hysterical. Its simple and its balls out funny. This (preceeded by Land Of The Lost) is one of the most unfunny movies I've ever seen. The really insulting thing is that it could have been funny . . . . . if it went with high brow smart writing. Instead, there would be a one liner or a scene that could have been funny (like the cavemen experiencing the wheel for the first time) but the scene goes way too long and then falls in to juvenile fart humor.

I wouldn't recommend anyone seeing this ever. I couldn't even finish it. I'm not sure if its the worst movie of the year over Land Of The Lost yet because I think I expected more out of that one but if its not number one this is a lock for number 2.

The Proposal

When high-powered book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), who she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family (Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White) and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences.

This movie is beyond predictable. You have pretty much seen the movie just by watching the 2 minute trailer. There are no swerves or surprises. The characters are beyond cliche. However, I found myself laughing out loud a lot more than I expected. Even though the whole movie is completely textbook, Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock played off of each other incredibly well. Ryan Reynolds plays the same role he always does and his line delivery was as perfect as always. Sandra Bullock returns to the kind of role that made her big in the first place and is definitely back where she belongs. Her going back and forth between being completely stoic, fighting off tears of sadness, and then being completely over the top silly was great.

I never thought I would say this going in, but I would definitely recommend this movie. Even though it is beyond formula it is a fun watch and a great date movie.

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker is a suspenseful portrait of the courage under fire of the military's unrecognized heroes: the technicians of a bomb squad who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives doing one of the world's most dangerous jobs. Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and one another as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad—in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike. Their mission is clear—protect and save—but it's anything but easy, as the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. This thrilling and heart-pounding look at the psychology of bomb technicians and the effects of risk and danger on the human psyche is a fictional tale inspired by real events by journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq. In Iraq, it is soldier vernacular to speak of explosions as sending you to "the hurt locker."


This was a great movie. Unfortunately, we will probably never get the chance to see it in theaters since its opening very limited. The movie really took you there with the soldiers. It reminded me a lot of a tv series on FX a few years back called Over There. The characters were well acted and real. The bomb diffusing scenes had you sitting on the edge of your seat. This is one of those movies that made me feel like I was actually seeing what its like over there instead of the mindless drivel that the news pushes on us.


I'd recommend people checking this one out if they have the chance. If not, be sure to rent it when it comes out.

Imagine That

In Imagine That, Eddie Murphy stars as a successful financial executive who has more time for his blackberry than his seven-year-old daughter (Yara Shahidi). When he has a crisis of confidence and his career starts going down the drain, however, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter's imaginary world.

This is another one of those movies that is just kind of there. I can't believe how many of the summer releases this year have been like this. I only found it cute because the moments where he is playing with his daugher remind me of playing with Stinka. Eddie Murphy plays the same role he has played a thousand times before and the movie couldn't be more predictable if it tried.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing out to see this. Its watchable and kids would enjoy it but you could easily wait for rental or cable with this one.

The Taking Of Pelham 123

In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.

This is one of those great summer popcorn movies. There are good guys that you root for. There are bad guys that you love to hate. There is some good chases/action. The tension is tight enough to keep your eyes stuck to the screen. Its movies like these that make going to the movies in the summer so fun. John Travolta as the bad guy was completely worth the price of admission alone. Denzel Washington could have brought more to the movie, but the character was written pretty lame and restricted.

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out. Its a really fun watch and a nice break from reality for two hours.

My Life In Ruins

In My Life in Ruins, Georgia (Nia Vardalos) has lost her kefi (Greek for "mojo"). Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece while waiting to land her dream job. Opening their eyes to an exotic foreign land, she too begins to see things in new ways—finding her kefi and possibly love in the process.

This was actually a pretty cute movie. It was also pretty much just a variation on My Big Fat Greek Wedding with much less laughs. It was enjoyable but was mostly just kind of there. Its one of those movies that there really is no reason to get out there and see it, but down the road if you catch it in passing isn't a total waste of your time. You pretty much know the whole movie before it even starts, but doesn't make you start listing other things that you could be doing.

I'd recommend people check this one out on rental or definitely on cable. Its a decent watch but there is no urgency towards seeing it necessary whatsoever.

Land Of The Lost

Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into one and spat back through time. Way back. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world - a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.Sucked alongside him for the adventure are crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) named Will. Chased by T-Rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally - a primate called Chaka (Jorma Taccone) to navigate out of the hybrid dimension. Escape from this routine expedition gone awry and they’re heroes. Get stuck, and they'll be permanent refugees in the Land of the Lost.

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I stared at the screen for an hour and a half with a disgusted look on my face that I couldn't get off for another hour and a half of mumbling how horrible it was. And I have always been a big fan of Will Ferrell. I love Danny McBride too. I liked the tv show. This was just plain atrocious. It was so bad I don't even want to rant about it. I don't want to spend one iota of time referring to this piece of garbage.

Don't see this movie. Ever. Seriously. Its a lock for worst movie of the year and might make my top 10 of all time turds.