| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sin City 2 - Unrated | January 2, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Spider-Man 4 - Unrated | January 2, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Thor - Unrated | January 2, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Red Sonja - Unrated | January 2, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Iron Man 2 - Unrated | January 2, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - PG-13 |
So, what were you expecting...pure genius?
I have seen the bad reviews and I agree, but what did you set out to watch? Did you expect some mix of Platoon with The Matrix? This is more like "Inspector Gadget" meets "Transformers." Set your expectations where they belong...low and this film will sit fine. Good eye candy delivered via CGI. Good eye candy delivered In the shallow acting of some very pretty people (Come to me Rachel ;). Tons of action and explosions. Hollow characters. Loose plot. Things that make no sense. Blockbuster fodder. If you wanted more than this then you would have chosen something that was not named after an action figure, but you didn't...you chose "G. I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" and as ridiculous as it was to watch it was simply candy and delivered that quite well. That is all this movie was good for and nothing else. Something to rest those Alpha/Beta waves. Now, stop complaining and go watch "Apocalypse Now." |
December 31, 2009 | N/A | |||
| District 9 - R |
Sci-Fi as it is meant to be. Truly brilliant.
Mirroring the prophecy, message, philosophy and moral turpitude driving through the literature of Gibson, Stephenson, and Dick-taking on the stark reality of what has passed, what is now, and that which has yet to come we're brought where few producers and Directors have dared to tread. Truth. This is Cyberpunk married to true Sci-Fi. The irony of it being set in Johannesburg. An oppressed race...not human. Alien and we, as usual, are the oppressors. Documentary style start gives way to some high tech action as we watch the inhumanity of man unfold in a political morass filled with the angst of any war on Earth built on the backs of a feared, misunderstood and hated race. Watch the propaganda machines work diligently to make the masses despise what they cannot understand and all to its own end. We fear what we do not understand and seek to break that which succeeds us. Watch this when you can, but don't go looking for a straight up sci-fi thriller. This film perfectly depicts the struggle of the displaced and the evil in men's hearts. Excellent film. |
December 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| All About Steve - PG-13 |
I'm really not sure what to say about this movie. It is as you probably expected it to be.
Sandra Bullock is always so much fun to watch as she can go from tomboy to sexy to shrew (a la "The Proposal" which was no great fare). The common denominator between most of her characters is that they are always smart and usually quite strong. Here she plays "smart," but only in the book sense. As for everything else-she gets it all wrong. She is a "geek," but takes it to the level of psychotic and it is actually painful to watch her in this role and not just because of the boots. There is no chemistry at all between Bullock and her male lead played by Bradley Cooper (that was at least one redeeming point in "The Proposal"). Her character is simply unbelievable and I am confused as to why she took this role unless it was to try on some clown shoes for a change (and again, I don't mean the boots here either...ok the boots too). Thomas Hayden Church is the only well-cast character in this movie and his talents are wasted here as well. If you want to see Bullock in light fare go elsewhere for it because this one will only make you feel for her and perhaps taste the last meal you ate. |
December 28, 2009 | N/A | |||
| (500) Days of Summer - PG-13 |
When an indie film receives as much hype as this one had one gets set to be a bit disappointed. In this case, one would be wrong.
Swimmingly excellent in every aspect this film was just a delight to watch. We are told from the word "go" how this film will end and usually that is a pitfall, but in this case it leaves us wondering where the trail will lead as we weave in an utterly un-chronological fashion through our lead's recall of the relationship. Isn't that how it really goes though? Never from 1 to 100 (or in this case 500), but snippets that get us from here to there. We remember the most recent and then perhaps insight into the middle and back to the start an then somewhere else in between. Some people might find this vehicle trite, but I feel it was very well done. In fact, many vehicles are drawn upon to make this marvelous story work. Time, black and white, musical numbers and dance. We even get a little Fellini on you, but they all work. They are a perfect depiction of how perception takes hold and love holds sway to tell the story rather than having us believe the reality which is what our lead must eventually come unto if he is to walk away in one piece...maybe even wiser (if not too jaded) than he was before. Fantastic performances by Joseph Gordon Levitt (Tom) and Zooey Deschanel (Summer) both of whom never disappoint. Levitt came into his own in my opinion in "The Lookout" and "Brick" and continues his great performances in great films here. Deschanel, ever the stunning, velvet-eyed Goddess, is perfect in her part as the independent, smart, beautiful woman that we all want, but, as she tells us from the start...we cannot have. That is just the way she feels and she never professes otherwise. She is not the product of some bad mix of emotional baggage she simply is as she is with no apologies. Watch this as soon as you can and go with it...it will take you places you have been before if you are honest with yourself. Summer was. |
December 24, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Extract - R |
The casting is perfect. Bateman, Kunis, Wiig, and even Affleck all superb.
The stage is well set and there are some truly hysterical moments, but we are left in tepid running water here and I just don't know why. "Office Space" was pure comedy genius with both "in your face" comedy and subtleties that have made it a classic. "Extract" had some serious potential with the casting and premise as well as some of the gags, but the execution and pacing were just not there. Some of the scenes just drag on and on long after the laughter is gone (see stoner sequence). Still, there were enough "laugh out loud" moments that I wanted to see more. I read an interview with Mike Judge who spoke about this film which he wrote a long time ago and only now got to make it as he wanted to make it so long ago and I am wondering where that vision went. Some fantastically funny moments, some great comedic acting/timing and some really wasted potential for a superlative comedy. Good movie. Definitely watch it, but I had hoped for more. |
December 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - PG-13 | December 23, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Sherlock Holmes - PG-13 | December 23, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Proposal - PG-13 |
Very vanilla and even knowing where, how and with whom it would end I still found myself enjoying this just enough to hold my interest.
It could have been the fact that I love Sandra Bullock as well as Ryan Reynolds (his timing is just impeccable and I really wish I had his abs!). It could have been the beautiful vistas. It might have been the tight editing and occasional snappy dialogue, good chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds, but whatever it was...it held up just enough. This is an old story, you have seen it a million times before. There is really nothing overly special about it, but the execution gave me just enough gas to get through it. I keep reading how this movie was simply "by the numbers" and I cannot disagree, but I just couldn't hate it (and please bring me more of Ms. Bullock in recently showered splendor to the screen). A solid three stars and just fine for an evening fluff affair. |
November 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Funny People - R |
Very impressive foray into more serious material Judd Apatow hits home with this tale of a man besieged by his own choices in life. Having forgotten where he came from reknowned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) begins to allow his darker self (exacerbated by terminal illness) to seep into his comedy. He finds himself completely out of touch with "the common man." He takes on Ira (Rogen) as his assistant to help him write jokes, but the true nature of the relationship is far deeper.
This is the story of a man who is desperately trying to connect with himself and in doing so connect with humanity...if he can find his own. This is a "Dramedy." There are some very funny moments, good jokes, and a lot of the racy stuff we expect from Apatow, but once again he infuses it with that wonderful sense of being in touch with people and who they really are and how they really speak. We aren't just bombarded with jokes we are asked to look at selfish and selflessness and what it takes to find the self once it has been lost. Very well done and forgiven for some of its foibles in loose plotlines this movie brings it home and feels just right in delivering exactly what it sets out to deliver. |
November 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Spring Breakdown - R |
Oh, come on! When I see names like Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, and Will Arnett paired with SNL staples like Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and Seth Meyers I am thinking that there might be something funny going to happen even if just borne of improvisation.
I was really wrong. This was horrible. This is a Rachel Dratch creation and was stillborn. This is a very talented group who need to fire their agents for having them put into this long SNL skit cr@pfest. There were a couple of decent set ups and some funny performances and for that it gets 1.5 stars. The premise was old, the jokes were mostly stale, it basically flatlined out of the gate. I am very upset with myself for watching this through until the end and I hope that this great group will come together again in some form or another and redeem themselves having taken a few showers to get the stench off first. Miss this. |
November 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Star Trek - PG-13 |
Reboot and set phasers to stunning...no seriously...how is my hair? Shut up Jim, I'm a Doctor not a hairstylist!
OK, I love what Abrams has done here-A reboot, prequel, new kids on the block meet old without making any excuses kind of film and it just looks so pretty. He is not trying to recreate an old experience here, but build a new one out of the old. Our characters are delivered newly developed and while maintaining much of their original flavor (even the way Pine sits in the Captain's chair had me laughing) they are also very new. Quinto shined. Pegg was awesome. Some of the performances were 'interesting,' but I wonder if they were not meant to come off exactly as they did. The effects were really well done and even though they went for a bit more realism I could still feel a bit of the old creaky set and "don't bother asking me to explain that" retort in many scenes (please see "How I escaped from the proximity of a black hole 101" for starters). This movie will thrill old school trekkies and burgeoning new trekkies alike. We are not asked to forgive the foibles nor are we asked to forget what has come before we are simply asked to accept what is now before us in this marvelous, never-ending saga and those are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. I'm in! Come on...join me! |
November 25, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Year One - PG-13 |
I gave this 2.5 stars for being more amusing than I thought it was going to be.
While not a total bomb it fell pretty flat with obvious jokes and some really lackluster performances. It seemed as if even the cast was pretty bored with the material they were being asked to deliver. That being said, there were some "laugh out loud" moments. Enough of them that I actually wanted to see if they would push it just that much further given that I was watching the unrated version. They didn't. It wasn't completely awful, but it just was not good. We could have had some burning chili going with the concept and the actors, but cold chicken broth was what got served. See it if you are bored...or sleepy. |
November 10, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Outsourced - PG-13 |
When I began watching this film initially I was put off. It looked like a hackneyed attempt to inject comedy into a situation that has touched many Americans; Outsourcing.
What I found instead was a very insightful look into the other side of the equation-that which has touched the people who have taken these jobs. The movie goes even further to speak to the culture in India (both the beauty and the difficult) as well as the work ethic. Pair this with a lovely romance, a very touching romance at that. This sleeper gem had real heart and made me care about the characters as well as the subject matter. It also asks the viewer to look at what defines you...what really matters in life. It is most definitely a comedy and has some great laughs, but it is so much more. Excellent script, wonderful sites, perfect, fresh new faces to play the parts. See it as soon as you can. |
November 2, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Push - PG-13 |
Take an episode of "Heroes" that you didn't think too much of smush it together with the safe and boring movie "Jumper" add in some plot lines that make no sense and mix that with a way of getting to the end that is impossible to follow as there is nothing to tie it together and you have..."Push."
Much like "Jumper" I had really high hopes for this movie. Great concept (though this one we have seen), decent effects (in this case just barely decent), and a really poor execution. We have telekinetics playing with guns that so obviously look like they are on strings (I kid you not). I thought I was watching marionette mutant mafia in one scene...you'll know which one if you watch this. "Watchers" whose powers are barely defined. "Sniffers" who-well they were kind of cool. They had so many chances to take this movie so much farther and just didn't! This is a bunch of good ideas thrown together and only a few stick. The plot twists were contrived and dumfounding and not in a good way, but the entertainment factor was high when I was not getting too frustrated with the inconsistencies. Check it out if you like, but let;s hope the sequel is better as they seem to be gearing up for one. Almost 3 stars for entertainment factor only. |
October 26, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - PG-13 | October 22, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Astro Boy (AstroBoy) - PG | October 22, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Saw VI - R | October 22, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Duplicity - PG-13 |
It has been a while since I have seen a movie that attempts to pull off something as complicated as "Duplicity." While the performances were excellent and the story very intriguing the complexities make the movie difficult to stay involved with the characters at times and it ends up stumbling over itself now and again.
Two persons brilliant in the ways of espionage seek to find the perfect game to bring the money home while they also play games with one another and search for a heart in the midst of the chaos brought about by corporate 'spy vs. spy' and subterfuge.. The banter between Owens and Roberts is fantastic and Giamatti's performance was off the charts brilliant. You could see this movie for these reasons alone. The concept is a great one and again I must stress that it has been some time since I have seen a movie try to deliver a tale that weaves in this fashion. It can come off as convoluted, but I would ask the viewer to stick with it. All in all, this movie delivers the goods in a package that can sometimes be difficult to translate. If you can follow it the payout is actually quite good. See it when you can. |
October 12, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Surrogates - PG-13 | The premise, while not wholly original, was quite sound. The acting was pretty good. Where this movie fails is in execution, predictability, PG-13, lack of depth and pretty much just plain playing it too safe to care. They could have gone so much further with this and I have read that they did, but it never made it to the screen. The movie runs under 90 minutes. It could have gone on for well over two hours had they taken the time to bring flesh to life (no pun intended). The story behind the rebellion, the conspiracies...they never ran with it. In addition, all plot turns are so transparent that the movie becomes flat out pedestrian playing to the lowest common denominator. The back-story is so cobbled together that it feels choppy and unsatisfying. NOTE: At the same time...I was pretty entertained. I love Bruce Willis in anything and he does not disappoint here save for the fact that...we don't really get to know his character as well as I would have liked. No development. The message is there, but we only geta glimpse. The premise gets a 4 reminiscent of a Phillip K. Dick sentience. The execution gets around a 2.5. A solid 3.25 to end the summer movie fare with a whisper that could have been a bang. You can wait for the DVD to see this one and hope that they bring us the "Director's Cut" with more meat. | October 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The X-Files - Fight the Future - PG-13 | September 28, 2009 | N/A |
3296 ratings
339 reviews
