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She's Out of My League (2010)
Hilarious with a bit of romance... FANTASTIC!
I saw this at a sneak preview showing knowing very little about the film other than one preview.
This film is along the same lines as "Knocked Up" or "Superbad" in that it is rather funny, but at the same time makes you relate to the characters in a way that also tugs at your heart. There were many times when the theater full of people burst into laughter, and I even found myself crying at some points I was laughing so hard! The actors all do a fantastic job with their parts, and you can easily identify with most of them. (No "over the top" characters ever do a hostile takeover of the plot.) This movie is probably a notch below movies like "The Hangover," "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Wedding Crashers," but it definitely holds it own and you will most definitely find yourself laughing hard more than once. Well worth the $$ to see it in the theater!
The Lovely Bones (2009)
Still wondering what to think? Perhaps...
I didn't really know what to expect in this film going into it, but knew that the visuals and imaginry would likely be good considering Jackson directed it. Overall, the film definitely kept my interest in it throughout the entire film. I was a big fan of flow of the plot and the cgi effects and imagination Jackson shows in the main character's world was really nothing short of fantastic. Character-wise, I felt there were many that were either under-developed or they "disappeared" during large parts of the movie. This wouldn't have been as big of an issue had they not omitted the development of one character that was (in my opinion) a key part of the film.
As my sister stated, the plot wasn't as predictable as I initially thought and even 3/4ths of the way in, I was still puzzled by some of the minor and major twists given. After the movie ended, and still to this point, I have been thinking about the film and trying to figure out all of the messages it was trying to convey. I now realize that much of what I can take from this film is what I decide to take from it... there is a freedom that Jackson and company gives you to decide what to make of the holes, what to put in the spots that at first you believe are a gaping plot hole.
The rating of this film seems a bit low for the tones and situations it deals with: Murder, afterlife, "pedophelia," etc. All in all, I want to see this movie at least one more time as perhaps I can get a little bit better understanding of the underlying themes this movie offered up to me the first time I saw it.
The Comebacks (2007)
So-So Effort
I walked into the theater expecting to see a spoof about sports films. I walked out with what I had expected, no shock or amazement of how good it was, nor was I overly disappointed with the film.
I am a fan of the Spoof/Slapstick films... my favorites: Naked Gun Series, Top Secret, Scary Movie Series, Not Another Teen Movie. This movie falls in somewhere just below these films, but above Epic Movie and Date Movie (I didn't laugh at those movies.) This was a hearty effort from all of the actors, however, no one really stood out for me in the film. The closet breakout was that part Matthew Lawrence played, though he didn't have many funny parts/lines, he did the most with what he was given. Another con regarding this film would be that it was too plotty at times. I can remember a few scenes that not only did I not laugh at, but seemed to drag on a bit.
I did find myself nearly in tears at a few points of the film, most notably the "Aseel Tare" (or ACL Tear if you are Coach Lambeau) scene where you were anticipating his career-ending injury. I don't know if it was that funny, really, but it struck a nerve with me and I laughed my butt off.
Overall, I would give this about 5 of 10 stars... it will entertain you for most of the length of the film and have you laughing in stitches at times as well.
I would not take any children that haven't had the "birds and bees" talk though... I am surprised that it was given PG-13, but I guess times have changed. Parents be warned: There are sexual references and such that had a couple of kids behind me asking "what is that" or "that's gross" comments.
Knocked Up (2007)
Outstanding Dramity
I had read most of the reviews of "hatred" for this film before seeing it opening night. Not one of the people whom disliked the film seemed to give it a bad film because of the plot, poor acting, bad jokes, etc. The only flaw people seemed to bring up was that there was no way that the main characters would ever get together in real life. This "criticism" not only didn't hold water to me (I have bore witness to many a one-night-stands of odd proportions in my lifetime), but I found it to be a very small critique of what appeared to be a much better film than that.
After watching the film, I have to say that this not only had me laughing me almost out of my seat at times, but also had me really knotted up into the love story and coming of age of the characters. Judd Apatow has the Midas touch when it comes to appealing to both the childish man comedy and the classic chick-flick flare. My wife even commented that Seth Rogen even had her pulling for him and that he has a really sneaky attractiveness to him in this movie. Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd both completely lived up to the billing and improved an already talented cast. This movie was well worth every penny I spent at the theater and then some. I may go see it again just to make sure that I catch all the "other" things that I know I missed the first time.
Blades of Glory (2007)
It will make you laugh, but not continuously...
Let me first state that I believe Ferrell is a comedic genius and have just about every single film of his (yes, even Bewitched).
I am very open-minded when it comes to comedies... I like simple comedies that make me occasionally laugh throughout as well as the slapstick, gut-wrenching ones that I never stop laughing at. I walked into the movie expecting the first kind, but hoping for the second... I got what I expected.
Ferrell and Heder worked very well together, the plot was well worked and there was the occasional scene that I turned to my friend and just burst out laughing at. Overall, I didn't laugh continuously like many people are saying they did. Don't get me wrong, this was a funny film, but those of you that are used to the Ferrell characters and films that make your belly hurt 30 minutes in may be a bit disappointed.
As far as films that feature Ferrell as the main character go, this ranks around the middle of the pack, hence the 6 of 10 stars. It's not as hilarious as Anchorman, Elf, or Old School, but is certainly as good if not better than Talledaga Nights, Bewitched, or Kicking and Screaming.
Within (2005)
People are unfairly voting this movie a "10".
First let me say that those of you that voted it "10" are only kidding yourselves and trying to get the votes to a respectable level... something that this movie doesn't deserve. (The only movies deserving a 10 IMO are the classics... Godfather, Shawshank, etc. Look at the top rated films of all time for the complete list.) I also noticed that many people gave this a positive vote for being so realistic as far as what it's like inside a cave. Though I would have to agree with them on the surroundings, they simply aren't rating the movie as a whole... they are infatuated by the surroundings but miss the overall review. That would be like me voting a 10 for the movie "From Justin to Kelly" because I think that the beach scenes remind me of what it's like in the Florida Keys... though that may be true, it does not merit the film getting a 10 because the movie as a whole was rancid.
I wish I could tell you that something saved this movie, as usually if one thing stinks in a horror flick, something else picks up or makes up for the weakness. (Ex. - Bad actors are overshadowed by a great plot and/or great camera work and scenery.) We started the DVD and it all started out fairly normal. We jokingly started to pick out who would be the first to die... after a brief bit of driving and hiking, they set up camp for the night. At that moment, I keyed in on some things which really made me tune out the rest of the film. Two main problems I had: Bad effects and an even worse story line. The first thing that we all noticed was that the campfires weren't real... you can plainly see the "cgi" or fake flames that they were all sitting at. For a horror film to have such a blatant effect flaw should have told me what I was in for the next hour.
Only minutes later, I was shown how poorly written this film was. I don't remember exactly how they arrived at the point, but basically, we find out that the "token Nerd" is writing a book about exploring caves, etc. Another guy in the group wants to tell a story about an experience, but hesitates stating "I don't want this story in your book." The author convinces and coaxes the other that he will not put the story in his book and that he can trust him. (A direct quote: "If I tell you the story, you will definitely want it in your book.") At this point, I was fully expecting a nice 5+ minute story, complete with flashbacks and heartfelt acting. What I got was a short, poorly told (and acted) statement. I say statement because what he ended up telling was about 10 seconds and 5 sentences. I don't remember the exact quotes, but basically he says: "We were in a cave, the cave flooded, a girl died as our friend watched her drown." You may think I am over exaggerating and being really critical, but that isn't far off from a direct quote, line for line, from the movie scene.
Over the next 50 minutes or so, the film takes place in the cave and though the lighting is what I would imagine to be like in a cave, I could have really done without the really fuzzy/hazy look to the film, and the camera shaking is just one that I didn't go for. (I have really good vision, and after watching the main parts of the film, I felt like I was legally blind.) I was emotionally detached from this movie, therefore the parts that probably should have been scary weren't. Maybe had I been able to overlook the very slow and poorly acted start to this film, I would have at least been scared, but I don't remember anyone in the dark room even twitching at any of the "action" scenes.
The last scene was probably one I will never forget, and that isn't a good thing. Basically, two women are trapped in a room naked. The "monster" comes in to attack/kill the women... he is stopped when he sees a picture of a little boy. A flashback occurs where we find out that the "monster" was injured as a little boy, and spent his entire life in the cave. Cut back to present time, and he takes his "mask" (a large skeleton with what appears to be a deerskin shirt). He glances at the picture and the two women appear to have found the caveman's weakness/soft spot. At that point, he stabs and kills one girl, then proceeds to rape the other woman, rather graphically. After about 30 seconds of watching the camera jiggle and shake as he rapes her, roll the credits, movie's over.
Honestly, if I had to do it all over and I wasted money on renting this movie, I could have saved myself an hour and watch the first scene and last scene of this film and still left with the same thoughts about it that I have now.
Those of you comparing this to Blair Witch are way off... if any of you had read up on how the director and writer ran the filming of Blair would realize how revolutionary it was... handing each cast member a script the day/night of filming without the other cast members knowing what the other actor was doing is genius.
If IMDb would let me, it would get a negative score... I don't understand how anyone in their right mind can recommend this movie.
Night at the Museum (2006)
Perfectly entertaining movie...
Let me start by saying that I only give out 10's to movies that are epic/blockbusters that I love... so for me to give this an 8, it means it's a great movie to me.
As you can all see by the cast in this flick, everyone came together and played their part in this film very well, the best chemistry for me was between Owen Wilson (Jedediah) and Steve Coogan (Octavius), though pretty much all the relationships in the movie seemed to mesh well.
I walked in expecting to see a family comedy, and that is exactly what I got... nothing I wouldn't want my kids to see, yet entertaining and adult enough to keep a parent well entertained. To see Stiller put most of his comedic personality on the back burner was great. I loved him in Zoolander, Dodgeball, Meet the Parents/Fockers, etc. and to see him play a more serious role was something new to my eyes.
At first, I thought this movie was going to be a fairly serious flick about a man and his will to impress and keep a good relationship with his son and Ex-wife. At about the halfway point, things really picked up comically for the film... my theater wasn't filled by any means, but the laughs were audible and spread throughout the theater. The highlight for me was with Atilla the Hun and his crew and Stiller... I couldn't help but continually chuckle at the scene, and there was barely any dialogue or physical action.
The weaknesses for me in this film was the slow start to it, and the fact that his relationship with his son wasn't better developed. Had Stiller and his "son" had a closer relationship earlier on, I think it would have made the ending a bit more dramatic and fulfilling, but it wasn't enough of a downfall to upset the film's message as a whole.
I would encourage those of you skeptical about this film to see it at least once, it's certainly worth one view!
Rent (2005)
I loved the Broadway show... but I loved the movie even more!
As far as this movie goes, I would put it in the classification of a Broadway Musical made Movie. Compare it to Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Guys And Dolls, etc. I'm sorry, I absolutely LOVE Broadway Musicals... Rent was no different, I saw it twice on Broadway, twice off, and I own the CD set.
I heard about this Movie was reluctantly went with my wife, my sister, and brother-in-law. I was fully expecting a tanker... or at the very least, and experience far less emotional and exciting than the play. Boy, was I wrong! The Movie was stunning on so many levels... I was genuinely surprised at how it was lengthened (by adding lines/scenes not in the play) and it actually grabbed the audience even more than the musical. The visual flashbacks during songs alone was enough to add to the plot of the movie. The most dramatic scene is when all of the characters are dealing with issues between them, and Angel dies... unlike the musical, Angel's death is more dramatically shown. (I felt like the musical was more of a "ok, Angel is dead" type of scene, whereas the movie drew more of a picture of the entire road to afterlife, again by using visuals and flashbacks.) It was at this point that I found myself tearing up... my wife and sister were crying as well... the scene finally faded into a moment of silence and darkness. The entire theater was silent, except for a sniffle. I could definitely feel the emotion present at that moment... every single person in that theater was simply captivated by the movie. From the moment that Angel died to the very last scene in the movie, I had to wipe tears from my face... I am an emotional person, but when I saw the musical versions of this one, I was never so moved as I was by this movie version.
If you love the musical Rent, please have no fear about seeing this movie. If you have never heard or seen this before, even more of a reason to be introduced to it. I would expect to see more people going to the play because of this movie.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Stop whining and enjoy it!
Let me just start off by saying I HATE movie critics... that being said, I loved this movie!
You may see others say that the dialouge was bad, that the effects were so-so, and that there was too much drama, etc etc. Well, I have to say that the first movie in this series is the best by far... it was original both in plot and in the new special effects. Though I liked Reloaded, I still had a hard time with following parts of the plots, and there were points when even I could see some flaws in the CGI (the Agent Smiths vs. Neo was most noticable.)
I came into Revolutions with high expectations and with hope for an entertaining, action-packed closure, and that's exactly what I got. They didn't dilude the movie with old effects (i.e.- excessive bullet time use, etc.) It was refreshing to me that so little time was spent in the matrix in this movie... the first two movies for the most part, took place in the matrix. Seeing the ins and outs of the "real world" was excellent!
Plot-wise, I have heard that there was bad acting and too much talking, not enough action... I beg to differ as I felt that there were so many loose ends to tie up, there was a great balance of dialouge and action. The machines vs. Zion scene was both action-packed and stunning to watch from an effects point of view. Neo vs. Smith was done in a way that I think was tailored away from the classic fighting scenes. The leader of the machine world was just an amazing job, the effects on him alone made the ending that much better!
At the end of the movie, I was left thinking about all that just took place. I got my closure, but I am still trying to figure out what it all meant... it leaves a lot of thinking to do. If you watch the first two movies, then see this, you will do yourself a favor as there are many hints and references to the first two plots. I am going to go see this movie again tomorrow to take my fiancee (she was working tonight) and also so I can try and process the whole movie again. If I spend two trips to the theater to see a movie, then it's DEFINATELY my cup of tea.
Try not to go into this movie looking to pick it apart, and just enjoy the excellent entertainment of it for ___'s sake!
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Stop whining and enjoy it!
Let me just start off by saying I HATE movie critics... that being said, I loved this movie!
You may see others say that the dialouge was bad, that the effects were so-so, and that there was too much drama, etc etc. Well, I have to say that the first movie in this series is the best by far... it was original both in plot and in the new special effects. Though I liked Reloaded, I still had a hard time with following parts of the plots, and there were points when even I could see some flaws in the CGI (the Agent Smiths vs. Neo was most noticable.)
I came into Revolutions with high expectations and with hope for an entertaining, action-packed closure, and that's exactly what I got. They didn't dilude the movie with old effects (i.e.- excessive bullet time use, etc.) It was refreshing to me that so little time was spent in the matrix in this movie... the first two movies for the most part, took place in the matrix. Seeing the ins and outs of the "real world" was excellent!
Plot-wise, I have heard that there was bad acting and too much talking, not enough action... I beg to differ as I felt that there were so many loose ends to tie up, there was a great balance of dialouge and action. The machines vs. Zion scene was both action-packed and stunning to watch from an effects point of view. Neo vs. Smith was done in a way that I think was tailored away from the classic fighting scenes. The leader of the machine world was just an amazing job, the effects on him alone made the ending that much better!
At the end of the movie, I was left thinking about all that just took place. I got my closure, but I am still trying to figure out what it all meant... it leaves a lot of thinking to do. If you watch the first two movies, then see this, you will do yourself a favor as there are many hints and references to the first two plots. I am going to go see this movie again tomorrow to take my fiancee (she was working tonight) and also so I can try and process the whole movie again. If I spend two trips to the theater to see a movie, then it's DEFINATELY my cup of tea.
Try not to go into this movie looking to pick it apart, and just enjoy the excellent entertainment of it for ___'s sake!