Tropic Thunder

Hello again, dear readers. I am quite sorry that it has been awhile since my last review, I had the opportunity to take a much needed vacation. I want to make sure you know that this is not a frequently occurring thing; there will be reviews, news, and posts on this blog at least 3 times a week, more if life allows.

So, now that that is out of the way, on to the review!!

As you can tell from my previous blog post, Seems Promising..., I had high hopes for this movie. I am a huge fan of Jack Black and Ben Stiller and pretty much thought that anything these two would star in together would be hilarious. Add Robert Downey Jr. playing a white man who is playing a black man to the picture, and I pretty much thought the laughs would come in spades...

Alas, I was disappointed. Tropic Thunder is a movie filled with testosterone and low brow jokes. It even goes a little too far by making fun of retarded people.. There was an article in the Washington Post asking readers to ban this movie for that reason... Here's the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/10/AR2008081001869.html .

There is some comedy to be found in this movie, just not too much. Sure, there are a lot of people who will look at it different than I do. Personally, however, I didn't think this was that good of a comedy...

I give Tropic Thunder 1 star: because honestly, this could have been done so much better. These actors are of more caliber than that...

Check it out on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0942385/ .

And until next time, happy viewing! :)

Taken

Do you want to see a movie that keeps you watching? How about take a look into a father's mind? Check out Taken.

I watched this movie thinking that it wouldn't be all that good. Liam Neeson, in my opinion, is a good actor; but not great. I must say, I was proven wrong.

Mr. Neeson shows his propensity for greatness in this movie. He plays a father willing to go to the ends of the earth to find and rescue his kidnapped daughter. He portrays the emotions of a father on a mission so well it's believable. One tends to think they're looking in on someone else's life...

Not to say the story itself isn't far fetched: the dad just happens to be an ex-CIA agent. But somehow, whether it's the director, the actors, the story, or just the overall tone of the movie itself, it is believable.

I highly recommend you check this out. It is very much worth it.

I give Taken 5 stars: because the ride it took me on was absolutely exhilarating.

Check it out on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/

And until next time: happy viewing!! :)

Seems Promising...

With a huge all star cast featuring comedy kings such as Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and , Robert Downey Jr. {who, by the way, is in black makeup for this film} this movie is sure to make you laugh.

Premiering August 13, 2008, Tropic Thunder is about a group of spoiled actors sent to Vietnam to film a movie. This group set out to make the "most expensive war movie," but eventually the producers shut them down.

After that the fun begins when the self absorbed actors are forced to encounter real bad guys and real war situations in Southeast Asia.

Also make sure to look out for some cameos by Nick Nolte and Tom Cruise.

With this cast, and the great makeup job done to Robert Downey Jr, I can't wait to take a peek at this movie.

Check out Tropic Thunder on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0942385/ , and look for the review on this blog, coming soon!!

Kill Switch

One sees a Segal movie and thinks, "Alright! Action! Cool fight scenes! I'm there!!"

I hate to say it but this movie just does not deliver.

In Kill Switch, Steven Segal uses a double in his fighting scenes, so they lack the usual luster of an awesome Segal movie... But that's not all; Segal is trying way, way too hard to talk with a southern {/ghetto??} accent in this movie. It is almost torture every single time this man opens his mouth in this movie.

The only thing this movie might have going for it is the plot, which isn't altogether horrible. But as well as the script was written, between the crappy accent and the fighting scenes with a double {that doesn't much look like the star} it might be hard to follow, and keep down your lunch.

I give this movie one pathetic star: because it really was that terrible. It's not even worth one cool looking gold star... Don't waste money on this movie, don't even waste time; if you do you will lose respect for Steven... And we sure don't want that, do we...

Check it out, if you feel like wasting some time, on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1107859/ .

Until next time, happy viewing!!

The Dark Knight {Batman}

The American Psycho. As Batman.

For me, it didn't work. Christian Bale, in my humble opinion, didn't step up to the plate like his predecessors who have played the hero. He seemed to be trying way too hard. Conversely, Heath Ledger brought a new brand of insane to the joker. When he was on screen, he made you forget to compare this Batman rendition to the previous films. He made you realize that this is not part of those, but independent.

The story in this movie twists and turns, and Christian Bale really needs to bone up on his Bruce Wayne; this guy played Bruce as cocky and somewhat self absorbed; something the character has never been.

The action scenes are fantastic, and the special effects are fun; I really liked the way they made Harvey Dent {Aaron Eckhart} look after his accident. It's wicked.

All in all I give Dark Knight 3 stars: because I truly had higher expectations for this movie.

Check it out on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/ .

And until next time, may the popcorn be hot, may the Pepsi be nice and refreshing, and may your movie be all that you want it to be! :)

Hancock

Big police chase. Guns going off. Banks getting robbed. Chaos ensuing and all. What is a city to do? Well, here comes Hancock, like it or not, to the rescue!!

His style of hero is much different from the norm, which is what makes this movie fun. He's rough, gruff, and out of control. He drinks, he smells, and he really doesn't seem to care what people think of him. His fashion of heroism involves wreaking more havoc than the criminals; perching a group of robbers on the point of a tall building stuck in their car... It's refreshing to see a brand new take on heroes; that they can be "human" too.

Then one day the gruff Hancock saves the life of Ray {Jason Bateman}, a public relations manager and a very nice man. Hancock is impressed with Ray and seems to really like him. Ray and Hancock become friends, and the story continues from there. Ray helps Hancock with his PR problems...

There is also a clever plot twist you never would have seen coming. This movie has it all. It's funny, packed with action, laughs, and lovable moments.

I give Hancock 5 stars: because yes, I really liked it that much. It was fun to watch, and even the end left you with a smile on your face.

I definitely recommend seeing this movie as soon as you can. As for taking the kids? Depends. There is some strong language used in this movie {"Hancock, you smell like alcohol!" "That's cuz I'm drunk, bitch!} so I'd say keep it for the older set.

Check it out on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/ .

So, until next time, happy viewing!!

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

So, have you seen Hellboy? It's actually a fantastical, comic book like movie about a demon baby, who was brought up from hell from Nazis and recruited by the "forces of good" to help fight the "forces of evil." The first movie has a lot of what you're looking for in a good "dark comic" movie; action, romance, and above all, colorful characters. The story was great, and the movie was fun to watch.

I was excited to see a sequel to Hellboy. The villains looked even more intriguing, and the new characters seemed to be interesting. All and all, the movie was good, but it lacked something the first movie had: a good, fulfilling ending.

Hellboy II seemed to end abruptly, making you thirst for more. You know by the ending that there will be another in this series, and I have a feeling it really won't measure up. Just a gut feeling, but I really think that it will pale in comparison to its two predecessor.

Hellboy II was, all in all, a good watch. Like most sequels, it wasn't as good as the first, but it was good. You got to be thrust into that comic book world again, and even got to know Hellboy's friends a little better. Actually, you got to see what it would be like to sit and have a few beers with them.

I give Hellboy II: The Golden Army 4 stars: because when you watch it, you feel like you are in that world.

Check it out on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411477/...

Until next time, dear readers, happy movie watching, popcorn eating, and Pepsi drinking!

Wanted

Notice the poster. First person you see is Angelina Jolie. Enticing. Makes you think, "Oooooh, this is gonna be good! Angelina with a gun!" Or at least somewhat good; reminiscent of Mr & Mrs Smith... Turns out, the main character ISN'T Angelina at all...








It's this guy , whose only other noticeable film credit is The Chronicles of Narnia. {Yes, he has done other things... Atonement, The Last King Of Scotland, and Becoming Jane}, but in this movie he is almost unnoticeable, even when he becomes "dangerous". By the way, if you don't know his name by now, it's James McAvoy...

This movie is so far fetched in so many ways. I love a good story, a good make-believe. But not when you are trying to pass it off as present day reality. Do you really think that those of us who suffer from anxiety attacks could shoot the wings off of flies if only we learned how to "control" our attacks? That just seems way too unlikely...

Angelina does play the sexy assassin; she seems to fit that role perfectly. But McAvoy just can't play the part he was cast very well at all. He muddles in it, and when he is supposed to be cocky, he just looks like one of those poor schoolyard nerds who, in a moment of triumph after winning the national chess tournament, gets slapped a high five by the prettiest nerd in the room...

The action is there, the story is there, and even some of the right actors are there. But if they would have just cast a better leading man, the movie would have been a whole lot better. Mr. McAvoy can act, there is no question about that; just not in this kind of film...

So, dear readers, don't waste money on this film. Check it out for free if you can. The action and the story are worth your time. The ending is good; you really don't see the twist that comes.

So, all and all, I give this movie three stars:

The effort was there, and the writing was ok... If you can believe some of the far fetched things the writers want you to, {which anyone with an imagination can, I assume, for the sake of a story} than you will enjoy watching Angelina shoot 'em up and drive some nice, fast cars and kill some bad guys. :)

Check it out on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493464/.

So, dear readers, until next time... Happy viewing!! ;)