Movie reviews...

Ok wow its been a long time since I've done this, I am going to review a boatload of movies here and I will be back blogging at least daily now after my 'blog vacation'. The movies I will be reviewing in order that I saw them (last to most recent) are, 'big breath'; Knight and Day, Toy Story 3, Grown Ups, Despicable me, Predators, Inception, The Sourcers Apprentice, and Salt. Along with IMDB and rottentomatoes.com ratings.

Knight and Day- Ok I really enjoyed this movie, the movie is like the Bourne series (not the last time I'm going to mention that) with humor and slapstick. Cruise can make fun of himself and overall its a very funny movie. It ends with a possible sequel and has cute side stories all throughout it. Unfortunately its out of play in most theaters so rent this movie when it comes out on DVD

my score: 7/10
IMDB: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 54%

Toy Story 3- The final (hopefully) and long awaited end to the Toy Story trilogy. Pixar outdid themselves on this one and I think that this should be nominated for best picture like Up was last year. This is the story about growing up and not going in to too much detail Andy does something very cool at the end. And you will have a tough time holding back tears because me and my guy friend I saw this movie with did, it was very cute though. This is probably in my top 10 movies I have ever seen and it was funny (like all Pixar movies) but it was so well done that you forget you are watching a CGI movie.

my score: 10/10
IMDB: 9.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes:99%

Grown Ups- Meh ok movie. It was unmemorable like most Adam Sandler filcks but I didn't think it sucked as bad as people said it did. A few laughs and rent it on DVD.

my score: 5/10
IMDB: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes:10%

Despicable Me- The evil genius movie with a twist and humor and a little soul too. If your looking for a movie like Toy Story 3 without all the tears at the end this is a good substitute. The inept evil villain, his rival, and his hilarious yellow minions (they never do explain where he found them, but it doesn't matter) and 3 little girls that change him for the better in the end. Great movie, fun for all ages (I don't see many movies like that) and a laugh riot all throughout. Best part of the movie is when Gru (Steve Carell) goes to the Bank of Evil (formerly Lehman Brothers) for a loan. I nearly died laughing. Go see it

my score: 8/10
IMDB: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes:79%

Predators- This is the movie that should have been made right after the first Predator. Big problem; I CANNOT BUY ADRIAN FUCKING BRODY AS A MERCENARY! ok that said it was meh, ok, but Topher Grace (Eric Foreman) adds something of a twist at the end that I honestly didn't see coming. I wouldn't recommend this movie, just too out there.

my score: 3/10
IMDB: 7/10 (that surprises me)
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%

Inception-Wow where to begin. Christopher Nolan says it took him 10 years to write this script and its not that hard to believe. At the end its a dream within a dream, within a dream, within a dream. If that doesn't make sense to you you probably haven't seen the movie. If you have and it doesn't make sense you didn't pay attention for the first 30 minutes of this movie. It demands a lot from you and rewards you. At the end it will make you go "what the..." and will be a part of debates for decades to come. It is amazing cinematography and the plot is well defined. You will enjoy this movie and will want to see it again when it comes out on DVD

my score: 9.5/10
IMDB: 9.2/10 (#3 alltime on the IMDB top 250)
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

The Sourcers Apprentice- Meh another okay movie that isn't anything special. I don't understand why everyone hates Nick Cage so much. He does a pretty good job in this movie as a tutor of magic. The plot moves along and has a good romantic ending. Nothing too special here though.

my score: 5/10
IMDB: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 41%

Salt- If it is possible to love and hate a movie at the same time I did with this one. First off, and I'm not ruining anything by saying this, there WILL BE a Salt 2. I was hoping for the last 30 minutes of the movie that they would wrap it up and give closure but noo... we have to drag this story out over 2 maybe 3, movies. Ugh... that being said the action was amazing, Jolie was believable as a Russian secret agent (or is she?) the movie keeps you guessing until the very end and you get the creepy feeling that this isn't all that unrealistic considering 10 Russian spies were just arrested here and shipped back. You didn't hear about that? Well the media did a good job not covering that story. The movie almost gives you a feeling like someone is trying to tell us something, warn us if you will. But I digress, great movie, Jolie is the female Jason Bourne and there is a twist (or two, or three) at the end that will leave you going, huh and wtf. And wanting to see the sequel right away.

my score: 7/10
IMDB: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 58%

Whew, that was a lot. More reviews next week or the week after depending on how often I'm able to get to the theater.

Sunday movie reviews

This is something new I'm starting for the summer. I will be reviewing the movie I have seen in theaters and at home on DVD. The two for this week are From Paris With Love and Get Him to the Greek.

First the movie I saw on DVD last night, From Paris with Love. It is a rip-off of the James Bond title "From Russia with Love" back in the early 60's. Other than that it has nothing in common with the movie Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) plays James Reece, a semi-spy that is the main assistant in Paris for the US Ambassador to France. Enter Charlie Wax, John Travolta's character that is basically Jack Bauer bald and on steroids. He is hilarious and walks away with the movie hands down. Director Pierre Morel (who also directed Taken back in 2008) does a great job letting Travolta be his crazy self. Wax also makes refrence to the last character Travolta did that was any good in Pulp Fiction. All I'm going to say is Royal with Cheese and people who have seen the movie will understand what I'm talking about. This is a solid action movie with a twist that is telegraphed. Also the red-haired woman who plays the Secretary of State does a REALLY good Hillary Clinton impression. Me and my Dad both agreed it was an obvious slam on her. Solid movie, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes basic action movies i.e. diehard and such.

IMDB- 6.4/10
rottentomatoes.com-37%
me- 8/10

Get Him to the Greek is a "sequel" to Fogetting Sarah Marshall, which I never saw, but this was a great little movie too. This isn't original but it is this summer's version of The Hangover. This movie will do just fine and while blockbusters will come and go this movie should remain in the top 5 for at least a couple more weeks because it just will be one that people will want to see. Russel Brand as Aldous Snow is great and if the Academy had any balls they'd give him a nomination for best actor. He has the rockstar attitude down cold and there is even a cameo by Lars Ullrich of Metallica which is funny as hell. The songs are Spinal Tapesque with the best being "We got the Clap" which he sings on the Today Show. Paul Krugman and Merdith Vierra have a couple funny cameos too. Jonah Hill plays Aaron Green a lame low-level record executive who evolves as much as the story does. He is genuine and has to deal with his boss Sergio Roma, P.Diddy, who seriously steals every scene he is in. He should get a best supporting actor nod but won't because the Academy is filled with a bunch of left-wing pussies. Anyway go see this movie now. It is the best comedy of the summer (for older people). Oh and DONT bring anyone under 15 to the movie. While funny it is a massively hard R with everything from nudity to drug use (shocking I know for a movie about a rock star). Have fun with this one people, I know I did

IMDB- 7.1
rottentomatoes.com-73%
me- 9/10

Next week I hope to review these movies....
In theaters
Shrek Forever After
The A-Team

DVD
Alice in Wonderland
TBD by Dad's Netflix queue...

Movie Reviews...

This is going to be a monthly (maybe bi-monthly) thing I will do. I might also start reviewing books that I've read. What I am going to do is not just one movie review but a bunch of ones from movies I've seen (either in theater or DVD) recently. I will show the reviews from RottenTomatoes.com and IMDB.com that are user (IMDB) and critics (Rotten Tomatoes) ratings too on top of my personal rating.

Avatar
Yes I actually did see this in theaters and no I'm not going to criticize it like most conservatives have done out there. It is for all practical purposes a lefties wet dream (or as some have referred to it as, Dances With Wolves on another planet). The plot is a yawner and Sigourney Weaver does do a good job playing the nerdy scientist and you need to go see this movie if for nothing else the special effects. Be prepared for nothing like you have ever seen, go see it for the special effects and please turn your brain off. My brain was going for the movie and it actually kind of ruined the experience for me. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. Go see it and try not to puke, seriously (because of the effects, yes they are that intense). I almost did.
My review: 6.5/10
IMDB: 8.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes 82% positive reviews


Inglourious Basterds (DVD)
Unlike a lot of people I've talked to I actually thoroughly hated this movie, Quentin Tarantino spent most of the movie jacking off and apparently making old movie refrences. I say apparently because I didn't get them but my Dad sure did. It was too long, drawn out, and flat out rewrites history, and is probably the most disappointing movie I have ever seen. I went in with high expectations and they were crushed. If you've seen the commercials/previews of it they show the only funny parts of the movie, I'm not kidding.
My review: 2.5/10 (and I'm being generous)
IMDB: 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes 88% positive reviews

Sherlock Holmes
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law walk away with this Guy Ritchie (my favorite director outside of Tim Burton) adaptation of the classic novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Playing the coked out of his mind genius and facing his current foe, Lord Blackwood, he rapidly at the ends exposes Blackwoods scheme to eliminate Parliment and basically take over England by force. All the time there is this suspicious character lurking in the background, we go to find out at the end of the movie (you would have already figured it out if you have read any of the books) that Professor Moriarty, which basically means they are setting up the second movie villian. Sort of the way that Batman finds the Joker card at the end of Batman Begins. Great, fun little movie, go see it.
My review: 8/10
IMDB: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes 69% positive reviews


Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
I'm not going to lie, I'm kinda embaressed I even saw this one. Date movie, period. But it actually wasn't that bad, the movie had some fun parts and there were old movie refrences thrown in there so I was kind of entertained by that. Don't go see it unless you see it for the $5 matinee price, otherwise your getting ripped off.
My review: 4/10
IMDB: 3/10
Rotten Tomatoes 21% positive reviews


More coming next month

Movie reviews

A new segment I am doing on either Saturday's or Sunday's now.

Link in the title is for IMDB.com, THE place for average people reviewing movies. Rottentomatoes.com is where the "elite" aka movie reviewers have their say.

500 days of Summer

I had gone in expecting an interesting movie. When the movie opens you see the two main characters holding hands and her with a diamond wedding ring on so you know everything works out in the end like any lame-ass chick flick right? Wrong, dead wrong, and as a sidenote this story hit close to home because of how the guy gets dragged through hell but the secret (that I've learned, the hard way) is to never let things get you down too much. Zooey Deschanel (Summer) is absolutely amazing and might get nominated for some awards for her role, she had some very memorable lines. This movie could almost be viewed as a 16 candles version for guys in their 20's who have had their hearts broken by previous girlfriends. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom) (also the kid from 3rd Rock and oddly GI JOE, more on that later) does a great job. Doing the male version of Ice Cream and chick flicks after his heart gets broken (his version is vodka, orange juice, and TWINKIES). The movie is what I hope chick flicks can become so the guys that get dragged to these enjoy it too. There is Chloe (Tom's 12 year old, and wayy too wise for her age little sister) who steals the few scenes that she was in. Overall I can honestly say I enjoyed this movie from its first to last frame, no fill 95 minutes of hilarity, heartbreak, and wisdom.

I give it a 9/10 and say this could be a dark horse for best picture.
rottentomatoes.com- 89% positive reviews (almost unheard of)
IMDB.com- 8.7(#129 on the top 250 all-time movie list, as of 8/9/08)

G.I. Joe

Let me start off by making two points, one I was too young to see the G.I. Joe saturday morning cartoons and two I went in to this movie having absolutely no expectations. I actually half expected to have to walk out of this movie. That being said I was STUNNED and sadly almost no one agrees with me on this. I thought that despite lacking in plot the two main characters, Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) steal the show in the obvious good vs. bad and lost love angle. Of course the movie ends like all "good" movies do today, setting up the inevitable sequel (I was hoping they would wrap it in one movie like watchmen did but alas no luck). I haven't even mentioned the chase scene in Paris which is basically taking the best of the Jason Bourne car chases and the fight scenes of the Matrix and combining them. My jaw hit the floor a few times, this movie was visually stunning. A Transformers like performance but with more humans this time. Hasboro has made lightning strike twice what can I say I loved this movie.

me: 8/10
rottentomatoes.com: 39% (frankly I thought that was high considering I hadn't seen a positive review yet)
IMDB.com: 6.2

Orphan

Ok I have to say that this director did a really good job putting the audience on edge for the first half of the flick. He likes toying with your emotions and at first its cool but I have to say by the fourth and fifth times he did it I screamed "fuck you" at the screen, and people around me laughed because I think they agreed. Isabelle Fuhrman (Esther) I think should get a best actress nomination because she absolutely stole the show. I have not been so freaked out by little girls since that scene in the shining where those little girls appear in the hallway when the kid is riding around in his big wheel. Except Esther is on screen for 100+ minutes while those girls had 10 seconds tops. I'm not going to get to detailed but there is a twist at the end you will not see coming but will make things come together nicely. It's hard to call this a horror flick but it kind of is. I would put it in the category of psycological thriller like the 6th sense. I had to drive home in a massive thunderstorm after which freaked the hell out of me and added to the creepiness of the movie. You know how some movies will have you sleep with the lights on or look around corners before you step out into the open? This movie will have that effect on people. Go see it, during the day though.

me: 9.5/10
rottentomatoes.com: 51%
IMDB.com: 7.2