Here is my Opinion.........What's Yours?

The Dark Knight

2008-07-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale
Okay, so we all know the story of Batman, and since the new Christian Bale saga started, Neither of the two movies have been called Batman. Why? Well, watch this movie and that question will be answered. It lives up to its title, and is borderline disturbing, It really is DARK.
I don't want to give anything away in this film, so I will try to review it without ruining it. I will say this, I haven't spent much time thinking about the early ending to Heath Ledger's life until now, because after the performance he gave in The Dark Knight, I truly see it as a tragedy. He was so good in this role, it was spooky. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when going to see this, as I had mixed opinions on the first one. I liked it, and I really like Christian Bale as Batman, he plays it very well. I feel my thoughts on this film are a bit scattered, so let me tell you what I liked and what I didn't.

First, the movie was a little long, longer than I was anticipating, I think it was 2 1/2 hours long. My ideal movie is 1 hour 45 minutes, just so everyone knows. Second, Katie Holmes played Rachel in the first movie, and Maggie Gyllenhaal played her in this one, and I will have to say that this was a major downgrade, because there wasn't a scene in the movie where she looked at all desirable, and with all the fantasy in this film, the most far fetched aspect, was that Batman, and Harvey Dent were both fighting for her love, cause she was no prize. There wasn't much else not to like.

As far as what I did like, Batman gets a new suit, pretty awesome. He spends a lot more time on a two wheeler vs. the Bat mobile. He also comes up with a new device using "Sonar" that is pretty amazing. The stunts are anything but disappointing. The acting, especially by Heath, is award winning, and the story line kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the entire 2 1/2 hours. If you liked the first one, this one will Rock your World. Excellent Movie!!

HANCOCK

2008-07-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

HANCOCK, Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron.
This movie kicked ass. I was incredibly impressed with how good this movie was. Will Smith is the king of 4th of July weekend. A completely new spin on Super Heroes. This movie had it all, It was funny, actually super funny, lots of great one liners. It had drama, you saw a serious side to Hancock, as he was trying to figure out who he was. There is a plot twist, that even though you see it coming, you are not quite ready for it. There was a great action scene to end it. Great movie, left it open for a possible sequel. I would recommend this to anyone, and everyone.

WALL E

2008-07-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

WALL E, Pixar Films, Animation.
So, I took Kennedy and Zach to see WALL E, on a rainy afternoon, on opening weekend. Kennedy had a bag of sour gummi worms, and Zach a bag of Skittles. That was in hopes it would keep them interested for longer. We sat in the middle of the theatre, and anticipated the next Blockbuster from Pixar. First off, I hate the little cartoon they insist on playing before each movie, as if it isn't going to be a chore to keep my kids in their seats for the length of the film anyways. The most I can say is it was cute. I am sure there were some deep messages about the future throughout the movie, that kids would never catch onto, but the best part of the movie, was my kids trying to impersonate the voice of the robot. The movie was creative, and Pixar delivered on the story line, but not a lot of dialogue, and the communication between the robots, was muffled, and hard to make out, other than the names of EVE and WALL E. The kids liked it, and it was better than sitting at home watching the rain, but not quite as good as Toy Story, or Cars. Fun for the family, maybe a good renter.

WANTED

2008-07-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

WANTED, James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman.
Well, it was nice to see James McAvoy finally do something besides a chick flick, as this film had all the ingredients of a Summertime Action Movie. If you can get past the fact that there was absolutely nothing about this film that was believable, it was very entertaining. Angelina Jolie played a great supporting actress role, as a sexy hit woman, although I have to say she was not at the top of her game, as I am not sure if the hair and makeup artist was trying something new or he was looking in a fun house mirror as he applied it because she looked more distorted than beautiful. She left an impression that her doctor got a little botox happy and her lips were quite uneven, as the collagen injections are starting to sag. That said, she is still Angelina Jolee, and way hotter than anyone else they could have put in her place for this role. Morgan Freeman(Is this Guy in Every Movie?) did a great job, and his role was about the only thing that tied everything together. Over all, Entertaining enough, worth the price of the ticket, but will be forgotten over the next year. Lots of Swearing, Bloody Gun Shots, Rats covered in Peanut Butter, and 1 Butt shot of Ms. Jolie.

The Incredible Hulk

2008-07-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Ed Norton, Liv Tyler.

Do you remember in 2003 when they released The HULK, with Jennifer Connelly, That movie really sucked. I saw it on DVD, and hated it. It was so bad, that I was very hesitant to see this one, but after seeing IRON MAN, which by the way was Awesome, and seeing how Marvel has done a great job recreating Superhero flicks, Like the new series of Batman with Christian Bale. So I gave The Big Green Monster another shot, and I am so glad that I did, because this version was so much better. It was really enjoyable, a little unbelievable, but if you didn't know that going in, you were definitely going to the wrong movie. The story line was great, Ed Norton did an amazing job, and Liv Tyler looked great! I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys Marvel Superheros.

Vantage Point

2008-06-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

Vantage Point, Dennis Quaid, Mathew Fox, Forrest Whitaker
The main story here is an assassination attempt on the President of the United States in Spain. There is a 23 minute window of time that is retold a dozen times from the different people in attendance at the event that this all takes place. Lots of action in this movie, and a well told story. The things is, it was like watching Ground Hog Day, but nothing funny about it. Dennis Quaid does a good job of playing a secret service agent, Mathew Fox is an agent that goes Rogue, and Forrest Whitaker is a civilian that catches most of the event on him personal video camera. If you can get past the way they tell this story, it is a pretty good movie, the ending is great, but again it is a little tough to watch.

Flawless

2008-06-30T23:54:00.001-07:00

Flawless, Demi Moore, Michael Caine
If you like stories inspired by actual events, this is a pretty good one to watch. Mike Chandler recommended this movie, and I love a good diamond heist, so I took him up on the suggestion, and gave it a go. First off, Demi Moore looks so bad in this movie, it kind of ruined it for me from the beginning, As hot as she is, she just did not have it in this movie, she was hotter in G.I. Jane than she was in this, and in that movie she looked as much like a man as Demi could. Michael Caine, who I think is one of the greatest actors of all time, pulled off another fantastic performance. The movie itself was a little slow for the first hour, they do a great job of building up the story to make you feel as if the thieves are justified in stealing diamonds from the London Diamond Company, the worlds largest diamond supplier. They tell the story, and you think this is just another diamond heist to get rich kind of movie, until Michael Caine tricks everyone, even the audience. The story changes from heist to revenge. And then there is another plot twist that you don't see coming. The ending is a bit different than I expected as well. Overall, the movie was really good. All the action takes place in the last 20 minutes of the movie, so if you can hang with it long enough, it is worth it. Also, if you are hard of hearing, you will have to turn the volume wayyyyy up, as the characters dialogue is almost completely done in whispers, that was my biggest complaint of the movie, is it was hard to hear everything they were saying. Good Suggestion Mike, I enjoyed the movie.

The List

2008-06-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

The List, Nobody
So, this was supposed to be a movie about Secret Societies, The movie summary had you believe that there was a Historical List of people that belonged to a society in the Carolina's, that was carried on since the Civil War. I was very interested in this, as most secret society movies are pretty good, and show a believable story line. This movie however, did not contain anything really even worth mentioning. I state this review mostly as a warning, because what this movie really is a release from some Christian Faith, I can't point it at any one faith, so we will say it is non-denominational, and told the story about how money and success are of the devil, and that you need to pray to God for a humble life full of family and friends and poverty. They really go out of their way to say that if you are rich, then it has come from the devil. This movie was so bad, and so poorly done, part of me wondered if the film creators for Cypher in the Snow, or Johnny Lingo had started production for other faiths. Yikes this movie really sucked!!

Semi-Pro

2008-06-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell, Woody Harelson
I am a huge Will Ferrrell fan, but I was not a huge fan of Semi-Pro. There could of been so much done with this movie, and I feel they missed the boat completely. I also tried to watch this movie on 3 different occasions, and fell asleep each time. I thought this was one of the worst movies that Will Ferrell has ever done. It had incredibly filthy language, that was really unnecessary, and the humor in it seemed really forced, and left you just feeling embarrassed for the people in it. Over all I would say that this movie really sucked, and wouldn't waist my time with it. It could be easily overlooked, and your life would actually be better for not watching it.

The Grand

2008-06-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

The Grand, Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross, Chris Parnell, Dennis Farina
This movie was completely unorthodox, and I absolutely loved it. I laughed from the beginning until the end. Appearances from actors you know from TV, but don't remember their real names show up throughout the movie. For instance, the teacher from Welcome Back Kotter plays a pretty significant role and he is really funny. The premise of the film is a spoof on Poker Tournaments. They walk you thru the characters and their families and what goes on behind the scenes. This movie will not win any Oscars, and was probably a straight to DVD release. But totally worth the rent. Not much more to say about this movie, but if you want a good non- thinking laugh, watch this movie!!

CHAOS THEORY

2008-06-30T23:51:00.001-07:00

CHAOS THEORY, Ryan Reynolds, Emily Mortimer
This came in my Blockbuster selections, and I didn't remember putting it there. But it was a pleasant surprise. Great movie. Kind of a redundant story of jealousy, and relationships, but a huge plot twist that makes the movie. Ryan Reynolds plays a pretty serious role, which is good for him, because he really makes a switch from his comedy to a real life situation. It reminded me of Jim Carrey making the switch from Ace Ventura to Truman. I found myself really feeling for this guy, as his life is turned upside down, just because of a few things getting off schedule. I was completely entertained the entire movie, as it takes you on a emotional roller coaster, while you just can't help but laugh in a few places. Great Movie, worth the rent. Favorite Line in the movie is when Ryan Reynolds approaches a old acquaintance in a bar, and she asks if he is still saving the world 5 minutes at a time, and he asks her is she is still a Home Wrecking Whore? Great exchange, between 2 people. Again, Great story, a few unexpected reveals, and a pretty good ending.

The Good Night

2008-06-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Good Night, Danny DeVito, Penelope Cruz, Gwyneth Paltrow
So, Did you know that one of the biggest exports that the USA has, comes right out of Hollywood. It is our American Made Movies. Well, I kept thinking about that as I watched this British piece of Crap movie. I watch a British film every now and then cause you never know if a good one might come along, but unless it has violence, like Snatch or Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels, they all pretty much suck. I will admit, I have never watched a Monty Python movie, because that humor doesn't appeal to me very much, but I know millions of people love them, so I will excuse my opinions from those. Okay so THIS MOVIE... Well, wasn't that impressed, actually I was a bit bored. It is about a ex-musician, who is going thru a mid life crisis, and starts thinking that his dreams are windows to reality, until he tests it, and reality actually really sucks. The movie is a bit twisted, and tries to be clever with a plot twist, but everyone knows dreams are dreams, and reality is reality. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, except maybe for a couple of teenagers, that are looking to rent a movie just so they can make out, this would be perfect, cause you wouldn't miss a thing.

The Signal

2008-06-30T23:50:00.001-07:00

The Signal, ALL NO NAMERS
This was a Horror film, and I am not a big fan of horror. This movie was pointless, and pretty much stupid. If you want to spend an hour and a half watching Zombie like humans kill each other with really no purpose, this is a great film, or you could clip your toe nails, and gain about the same amount of satisfaction. Stupid Movie, Mad at myself for even watching it. Total Dud, I couldn't wait to get it back in the mailbox.

There Will Be Blood

2008-06-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

There Will Be Blood, Danial day Lewis
This was a first for me, because I hate long movies and this one was 2 1/2 hours long. However I absolutely loved this movie. There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie, and I believe it delivered. First of all Daniel Day Lewis is one of the greatest actors of our time. He makes every role he ever plays believable.He plays Daniel Plainview an Oil Prospector at the turn of the century. He is driven by greed, and doesn't feel the least bit bad about it. I loved his explanation about his competitive nature to "Henry". When his eyes opened and he said he didn't want others to succeed, -I got shivers. The religious zealot, "Eli" was a total freak, and the ending of this film, to me, is what made the movie. The film goes all out, so we could really see what kind of mad man Daniel Plainview was, and at what lengths he would go to get his point across. His famous line of, "I Drink your Milkshake!" was classic. This is the kind of movie I would want to own, as I think it is a timeless story, that was well thought out, and incredibly interesting all the way through. My warning on this film would be-That not everyone will like this movie, there are some violent scenes, some slower stretches, and it is 2 1/2 hours long. I was captivated the entire time, and would probably watch it again.

Before the Devil Knows your Dead

2008-06-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei.
So, My Brother Dane told me to rent this movie, I am not sure if he said it was good, or weird, so I won't hold him accountable, but this is one of the most F@#*ED up movies I have seen in awhile. This is a dark tale of a robbery that goes bad, and when I say bad, not just going to get caught bad, but the wrong people die -bad, the burglary doesn't net them any profit, and sends tow brothers into a tailspin of crazy decisions that ultimately bring you to the end of the movie. The performances by Hoffman and Hawke, are both amazing. Marisa is naked in almost every scene of the movie, almost at an uncomfortable level. Then Albert Finney makes an appearance as the dad to these two idiot brothers, that are both in financial despair, thus pushing them to the heist. Twisted Movie, lots of swearing, plenty of nudity, and a really messed up plot. To top it off the movie is showed in a back track mode, so you see the burglary, then it works backwards to develop character history, then circles back to show you how it plays out afterwards. Crazy Movie, not a huge fan of the story, but if you love PSH and Ethan Hawke, it is worth the rent.

JUNO

2008-06-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

JUNO, Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman.
This Movie breaks the Academy Awards Rule for 1 reason only. It was basically an Independent Film, as this is the first movie that Diablo Cody had written that really got any attention. I have one word that describes this movie, "Relatable". I am not sure if that is a real word or not, but it is the best word to describe what this film offers. You can totally relate to at least 1 character in this movie. You may not have been knocked up at age 16, or done the knocking up, but Diablo wins the best screenplay because she wrote this film, so that we could all identify with someone in the movie. I don't want to get all deep about this movie, because it was a comedy after all, but as far as stories go, this one followed the plot while adding real life scenarios. I laughed out load more than once, and that is a good indicator for me. Awesome movie, Paulie Bleeker is the biggest stud, in a Napoleon Dynamite way. I don't have anything bad to say about the movie either, and that is rare for me, as I can find fault in just about anything. I still think Diablo Cody is a freak, but she did a good job with JUNO.

Tristan + Isolde

2008-06-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tristan + Isolde, James Franco, Sophia Myles.
This was a film Kourtney rented, and didn't like, she asked me to watch it, because she thought I would like it. I will admit, it really wasn't that bad. Most of it was pretty good. I also was not familiar with the story, as it is a well known legend amongst the Irish and the Britain's. The movie had aspects of A Knights Tale, Braveheart, and Robin Hood. The setting amongst the British Isles, and of Ireland are amazing. The love story was a romantic tragedy similar to Romeo and Juliet. The ending was a bit disappointing, but I guess you can't change history. A little bit long in places, some great war scenes, pretty bloody in some of the battle scenes, but the overall feeling of the movie keeps you involved, and wondering what is going to happen next. I enjoyed this movie much more than I anticipated, especially for one that Kourtney rented, as we do not have similar tastes in movies. Good Renter!

Definitely, Maybe

2008-06-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

Definitely, Maybe, Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher.
Guys, I will admit it, this was a total chick flick, and I should be ashamed for watching it, but in my defense, when you take the main character from Van Wilder, and the crazy girlfriend from Wedding Crashers, you have to take a shot, and hope that there was a reason that these two were brought together to make a movie. I know I may face ridicule for this, but it was a great story. I thought the foretelling of it was actually pretty creative. The characters were all drawn out, and as the mystery unfolded, you found yourself guessing who was who, what will he do now? and how is it all going to work out. I love Ryan Reynolds, and he was pretty funny in this film, The little girl had some great lines like, "Dad I forgive you for smoking when you were young, and for drinking, and for being such a slut." The ending was good, they threw a couple of twists in there to add a little spice to it, but for the most part, it was predictable. Still it was a good show, and Definitely worth renting.

No Country For Old Men

2008-06-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

No Country For Old Men, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
Heads This movie was Awesome, Tales this Movie Sucked. I think I will take Tales. Unless I just missed the overall message that this movie was suppose to deliver, all I got was disappointment. If there is one thing that I hate about a Movie, it is when there is no resolution. Okay I get the whole Tommy Lee is an old Sheriff, and the world has changed, and his law isn't the same as what the world expects of the law, but I mean he did nothing and all we did is watch a psycho go on a killing spree. This movie reminded me of finding a journal of a murderer, only to find that the last 20 pages are missing. I was so upset that this movie was so bad, because I usually like chase movies, but this one left you wanting there to be some distinction between characters other than there being a bunch of bad guys all scrambling for a bag of money. This movie lacked a lot of elements to be great, and once again, an award winner ends up being a dud in my book.

Charlie Bartlett

2008-06-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Charlie Bartlett, Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis
I would call this the 2008 version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off(1986), if Ferris actually went to school. Charlie Bartlett is a rich kid forced into public schools, after being expelled from just about every private school there is. His #1 goal is to be popular, and he accomplishes this by becoming the school bodies self appointed psychiatrist. He medicates, offers counseling, and makes a nice profit while putting a new spin on being drug dealer. You can' help but love this character, as he has problems of his own, and his journey though popularity helps him understand how he can help himself as he helps others. Worthwhile movie, lots of laughs, as long as you are not too sensitive to humor about mental illness. There are some flaws with the story line, and certain elements don't add up, but overall it is a funny Movie, and worth the rent.

Lars and the Real Girl

2008-06-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Lars and the Real Girl, Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer.
Wow! If you like feeling uncomfortable for 2 hours, this is a great movie. I was both embarrassed for the character, and hated him at the same time. I think that is why I have such a hard time with Mental illnesses. They are so hard to understand, when you just want to shake the guy silly and say wake up, get over it. Ryan Gosling has an outstanding performance, as he plays a small town recluse, who becomes delusional about his new girlfriend, who is actually a life like sex doll that he buys off the Internet. He has Christian values, so his intentions are never about sex, just having a relationship with this inanimate object. The most interesting thing about this film, is how the town wraps their arms around this situation, and pretends along with him that "Bianca" is real. For the most part, it is a therapeutic window into the life of a mental illness, and how it affects those around him. Other than the incredibly disturbing plot, this movie was pretty good, as I felt for the characters, and was hoping for a happy ending. I will admit, I kept waiting for the doll to come to life like Kim Catrell did in Mannequin. Not bad for a Independent Film. At least the story was original.

Little Children

2008-06-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Little Children, Kate Winslett, Jennifer Connelly.
So, I have a Blockbuster account, and Kourtney has a Netflix Account, and every now and then I watch one of her movies. This was one of them and all I can say about this movie is it really, really, really SUCKED! This movie was so awful, The plot was horrible(Cheating Spouses), there were three different stories being told, they used a narrator to help you figure out what was going on, there was a side story about a Child Sex Offender, played by the cool motorcycle kid from the Original Bad News Bears( Kelly 1976). There was no resolution for anyone, none of the stories had any correlation or outcome to tie it all together. This movie was a waist of money, and a waist of time. But now you know why we have separate accounts.

NUMB

2008-06-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

NUMB, Mathew Perry, Kevin Pollack.
I rented this movie, mainly because I like Mathew Perry, if he had not been in this, I don't think I would have liked it as much as I did. This was another Independent film, probably straight to DVD release. The story of a screenwriter that all of a sudden finds himself suffering from acute depersonalization disorder. Everything feels unreal to him, as if he is just going through the motions he has no emotional attachment to anything, and then along come a girl, and she accepts him, mainly on the assumption that he will get better. The film takes you though a journey of how he tries to cope with his disorder, at times it is frustrating to watch, but you feel for him, and when he learns the lessons of life, mainly caring for others and not just yourself, he finds new meaning to his life. It could almost be categorized as a chick flick, but it is funny enough, to work itself out of that category into a dark comedy. I thought is was pretty good, but definitely a good choice to bypass the big screen and straight to DVD. I would recommend it to anyone that likes Mathew Perry, also the Girl(Lynn Collins) she is pretty hot, so that makes it better.

ATONEMENT

2008-06-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

ATONEMENT, James McAvoy, Keira Knightley.
This movie gets a big fat DNF from me, and those from Kentucky know what that mean. This movie was so bad, that I couldn't even finish it thus giving it a (Did Not Finish). It was so incredibly twisted, and demented, I hated myself for watching as much as I did. Kourtney had to finish it for me, and tell me the ending, which proved to me it was a good decision to stop watching. As far as the events that I did watch, I felt dirty just for witnessing film making as bad as this. I mean I am sure the cinematography was award winning, but it also proves my theory, that most Academy Award winning movies actually really SUCK. If you don't agree with me, that is fine, so please punish yourself by watching this 2 1/2 hour hunk of trash!