Review-This is 40

This is 40 is promoted as the sort-of sequel to Knocked Up. So, before getting into this review, heed my warning: DON"T EXPECT IT TO BE KNOCKED UP! It's more of a spinoff of that movie with the same director of that film (Judd Apatow). It follows the married life of Debbie and Pete(Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd) years after the events in Knocked Up. The movie plays as a dramedy and it examines every part of marriage life, especially coming close to the age of 40. There are hilarious moments and there are moments of heartache, pain and growth. The movie is similar to Funny People and Friends With Kids. The film works because gives you a slice what their lives have been and will be about.

Rating 8.2 out of ten

Review-The Sessions

The Session is a movie based on the writing and real life experiences of Mark O'Brien. Mark(played by John Hawkes) had polio as a kid,which caused him to live life in an iron lung. He is a writer who has never know the touch of a woman. After confessing to Father Brendan(William H. Macy), he decides to hire a sex surrogate to lose his virginity to. The movie is very good, with a good balance of funny and heartwarming. All the performances are great in the movie. There are two in particular that stole the show. John Hawkes' performance was amazing , giving us the right emotional balance to show us his heart and spirit.  Helen Hunt's performance as Cheryl, Mark's sex surrogate, gives enough compassion and understanding to her character as well as to the film. I thought the movie was over ten minutes too soon. Considering the tone on the movie, I could understand why that was. Warning to the audience: there is a lot of nudity in the film but it is respectful.

Rating: 8.8 out of ten

Review-Parental Guidance

Parental Guidance is a new family comedy staring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei. Artie and  Diane Decker(Crystal and Midler) is a loving couple who have not seen their grandchildren in awhile. Their daughter Alice(Tomei) lives in a different state and doesn't come out to visit them that offer. When Alice's husband Phil(Tom Everett Scott) has a business trip that he wants her to accompany him on, they have to call on Artie and Diane to watch the kids while they are gone. That is when the craziness ensues. I absolutely love this movie. The movie examines the way the two generations are being raised and how the world has changed in between. The chemistry between Crystal and Midler is superb and is the glue that holds the movie together. The movie flows so effortlessly that there is really no slow moments. It is a 80's type of comedy living in the current world and it is done so well. This is a movie that the whole family can enjoy,no matter what age they are.

Rating: 9.5 of ten

Review-The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the prequel to the Lord of The Rings trilogy. It focuses on a young Bilbo Baggins(played by Martin Freeman) and the adventures that he encountered before we see him in Lord of the Rings. He is volunteered by Gandalf(Ian McKellen) to help a band of dwarfs to reclaim their home. The leader of the dwarfs in Thornin(played by Richard Artimage), who dreams of avenging the death of his father and the wrongs inflicted on his people. The movie works on many levels, including how the journey that a person takes can define your life. The cast is wonderful and the action/comedy mix works well throughout the film. I would definitely recommend seeing it, especially at the movie theater.

Rating: 8.8 out of ten.

Review-Playing For Keeps

Playing For Keeps is a new romantic comedy starring Gerald Butler and Jessica Biel. George(Butler) was an all star soccer player that had a touch of bad luck after he left the game. He still want to be a good father to his son Lewis(Noah Lomax) . To help do this, he promises her ex-wife Stacie(Biel) he would help coach his son's soccer team. In doing this, he opens himself up to the parents of the soccer players. These parents (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, Judy Greer) have things they want from George,which ranges from sex to guarantee of their kids' playing time. Can George focus of the right things? We shall see. The movie is good but has a bunch of issues to it.  The script doesn't blend the stories of George and the parents as well as it should. The main thing that makes it work is the story between George, Lewis and Stacie. The director of the film, Gabriele Muccino, is used to directing dramas (The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds). While he does a good job of filming the interactions of each of the characters, he doesn't do a good job of framing action/sports scenes. Overall, it is a decent movie that should be given a chance despite its flaws.

Rating: 7.3 out of ten

Review-Flight

Flight is a drama that deals with the consequences of one's action. It stars Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker, a man who goes through his life numbing his pain with alcohol and drugs. His job, as an airline pilot, is one where you have to keep alert and thinking straight. When there is a plane crash, Whip saves a lot of lives that day by his actions. His actions during this flight was under the influence. There lies the conflict of his life: should he continue to live life like a hero or tell the truth and face jail time. The movie is a good movie, especially to study a person going through life like an AA meeting. It delivers amazing performances from Denzel as well as from Don Cheadle and John Goodman. The trouble with the film is that it drags in certain spots. There's a storyline between Whitaker and Nicole (Mary Reilly) that stretches out way too long. It also repeats different parts of the film when it's not really necessary. The movie, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was beautifully shot and has nice bit of heart and some humor splice into the drama. Overall, I recommend the film,especially if you like Denzel Washington.

Rating: 8.0 out of ten  

Review- Here Comes the Boom

Here Comes the Boom is the newest comedy from comedian Kevin James. Scott Voss(James) is a biology teacher that puts out the bare minimum in his job, preferring to live on his past accolades. When the school decides that they must eliminate certain programs to make budget, Voss feels compelled to help. His idea to help the school's money woes is to fight in the mixed marital art circuit.With the help of former fighter Niko(Bas Rutten) and the school's nurse Bella Flores(Salma Hayek), he works on helping his school and his view of his life. I was surprised how much I liked this film. It has a Rocky meets School of Rock feel to it(but not as good as those films).Until the premise of the movie kicks in(about 15-20 minutes in), the comedy is hit or miss. After that, the laughs flow consistently and the movie gets your emotions invested in it. If you love movies about  the underdog, you should check this out. It also stars Henry Winkler and Joe Rogan.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review- End of Watch

End of Watch is the latest entry into the cop film genre. This is one brought to you by writer/director David Ayer, who is no stranger to cop dramas. He was the writer of Training Day as well as the director of Street Kings. This one focuses on officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala(Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) on their patrol. Brian insist on filming their watch with hand held and mini cameras(for a student film). Their path crosses everything from burning buildings to a local gang trying to run the neighborhood the way they want. As they get more recognition for their work, they also become targets of some that want them out of the way. End of Watch is a good film to see what regular cops go through on a day to day basis. It is like you are watching full length feature film of Cops. Gyllenhaal and Pena have great chemistry together, which is the glue that keep this movie going.While I do love the film, there are things I have issues with. It seems like everyone is recording someone in this film and not in a good structure type of way. The story doesn't hold up quite as well structure wise(like the main bad guys aren't the main bad guys). I found myself asking "Where does he go to school at and when is his project due"? Regardless, you should go and watch it for the great performances. Warning: it will have shaky cam here and there throughout the film.


Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Review- The Campaign

The Campaign is the newest political comedy starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. In the state of North Carolina, Cam Brady(Ferrell) is running for Congress. He is a stand up guy with a few vices. He usually runs uncontested for that seat but that is not good enough for two unscrupulous billionaire brothers(Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow). So, they hedge their bets a new challenger this time, Marty Huggins(Galifianakis). He is a son of a politician that never ran for office and marches to the beat of a different drummer. While both begin with good intentions, it turns into a battle with both sides being egged on by billionaires and each others' egos. I absolutely loved this movie. It is one of the best political comedies I have seen in a long time. It holds up a mirror to the real life absurdity of politics and takes it up a notch.It will have a Trading Places feel to it in parts. The cast is amazing and keeps it funny throughout. If you do not follow politics(even just a little bit), the movie may just ok for you.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review- The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy is the newest film in the world of Jason Bourne. This one is a standalone side story from the other three, with the timeline happening around The Bourne Ultimatum.This tells the story of Aaron Cross(Jeremy Renner), one of those soldiers that went through the same project Bourne did. While the government is trying to kill every strain of connection to the project, Cross fights to try to stay alive. He has a time clock on his life and the only one that can help is Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachael Weisz), who is tied to this project. The movie is really good.It is ultimately a comparative story of one side's violent causes and the other that just wants to live. It starts a little slow but builds up throughout the film. The cast is great(Renner, Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach) and the story holds together nicely. The director Tony Gilroy(Michael Clayton, Duplicity) has been the writer of all four films so the consistency is there with script and directing. There are scenes that are an amalgamation of the other three films but it doesn't hurt the film that much.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10.

Review-The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises is the third film of the Batman saga directed by Christopher Nolan. The results of what happened in The Dark Knight has Batman as a fugitive of the law. Bruce Wayne(Christian Bale) has turned into a recluse during that time. Even the help of Alfred(Michael Caine), he is having a hard time of getting on with life. When a mercenary named Bane(Tom Hardy) starts to wreak havoc in Gotham, Bruce must reemerge as Batman to put a stop to his plans. Along the way, his path cross with Selina Kyle/Catwoman(Anne Hathaway), a thief who has motives of her own. The only people on the police force that is on Batman's side is  Jim Gordon(Gary Oldman) and Blake(Joseph Gordon-Levitt).  One of the things that made The Dark Knight great is it had an underline theme of the times (how far do you go to catch a criminal). The Dark Knight Rises has a similar theme(the haves and the have nots and the bullying from those in control) but doesn't work quite as well. There are a few things that I didn't like(Bane is hard to understand at times, a scene later in the movie reminded me of a Calvin Klein commercial) but it doesn't hurt the feel of the film.  Overall, I love this movie! It is an intense action movie that most everyone can and should see(Dark Knight got too intense for some people).

Rating:9.0 out of 10

Review-Savages

Savages is the newest film from director Oliver Stone(Platoon, Wall Street). It centers around best friends Chon(Taylor Kitsch), a war vet and peace loving Ben(Aaron Johnson), who run a lucrative pot business. The glue that holds both together is a woman by the name of O(Blake Lively). When the Mexican drug cartel run by Elana(Salma Hayek) kidnaps O, the best friends must go to extreme measures to get her back. Complicating this process is DEA agent Dennis(John Travolta),whose motions are unknown, and the ruthless killer Lado(Benicio Del Toro), who is Elena's right hand man. Overall, I think the movie is ok. While I wasn't upset that I watched it, this movie is far from perfect. The narration,done by O in the film, will wear you down and make you want to pull your hair out. The only characters is the movie that have any depth to them is Elena and Ben. There is technically one action scene in the whole movie. By the time you get to the end, it leaves an unsatisfying taste in your mouth. This movie is like a special stew that you can wait to make. You put all the ingredients in and ,with the final results, you felt it would have been really good if you left this out and put this in. Wait for it to come on DVD and Blu ray before you watch this.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Review-The Amazing Spider-Man

The Spider-Man series of movies started in 2002 and just had its last entry in 2007. So, who's ready for a reboot? Apparently, Columbia Pictures was by having a new director, a new cast and retelling the origin story. The results of that is the new film The Amazing Spider-Man, a "better than I expected" movie. The movie centers around Peter Parker(played by Andrew Garfield) who is an awkward science geek that's big into photograph. He also has big crush on a girl in his high school named Gwen Stacy(played by Emma Stone). While visiting the OsCorp research facility, he gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gains super abilities. While reviewing this movie, it's hard not to compare it with Spider-Man(2002).
Here's the things I thought the movie got right:

The relationship between Parker and Stacy(and the fact that she was his film love in the comic book)

 Spider-Man/Peter Parker-Spider-Man has more of the funny smart ass feel that he has in the comic.The movement of Spider-Man was more acrobatic and that played well in the movie. Peter was mostly on point(except for the tempter tantrums)

The actions scenes in general.

The things not so right:
Certain aspect of the story.(Peter Parker's parents aspect of the story was introduced as big plot point but never goes anywhere with it.)

Other relationships in the movie(namely between Parker and Uncle Ben(Martin Sheen) and Parker and Dr. Conners (Rhys Ifans).

First person shooter cam (no pun intended)

The slow pace of the movie until he gets bitten.

The graphics of The Lizard and anything to do with missing limbs.

So, while the movie was good, it wasn't perfect and not as good as the 2002 movie. The comparison of the two would be like this movie was like The Hulk(scientific and story wise) and the 2002 film was like Incredible Hulk(dealt with things evenly and the action was more spread out and came quicker).

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Review-Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Does everybody remember the movie Armageddon? If you do, the next few sentences won't spoil anything for you. Imagine if there was a What If  premise off of that movie's ending. That exist in the movie Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, an independent comedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. Carell plays Dodge, a man whose personal life unravels after he finds out the world is going to end. As the world is on the final countdown, Dodge cross paths with Penny(Knightley), a neighbor that he has never met before. Due to certain events that connect them, they embark on a road trip to work on their "bucket list". The movie does a good job of examining the things we would do if we collectively found out we don't have much time to live. It also feels an apocalyptic version of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind due to the relationship between Dodge and Penny. There are questions presented that we never get an answer to by the end and the movie slows down in the second half. Overall, I did like the movie. If you're not up for a movie examining people's reaction to extreme crisis, you may want to wait a moment for it. 
Review: 7.3 out of 10

Review-That's My Boy

That's My Boy is the newest comedy film from Adam Sandler. The premise of the movie will turned some off. It centered on a teacher's inappropriate relationship with one of her students,Donny. This action lands them a love child.  Many years after his son's eighteen birthday, Donny(Adam Sandler) seeks out his son Todd(Andy Samberg) for help. This comes in the middle of Todd's wedding weekend. Overall, I like the movie. It's more of an Andy Sandler movie than an Andy Samberg film. It starts out slow and has a lot of hidden jokes that's funny if you get it. If you don't, it's more minutes of non laughter moments. It's also laced heavily in 70's and 80's references, which may not fly with the younger crowd there watching it for Samberg. Women may not like this movie that much but a guy that grew up in the 80's will love it more.
Rating:7.5

Review-Men in Black 3

Men in Black 3 is the latest installment of the movie franchise about aliens on Earth starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.  Agent J(Smith) is still trying to get his partner, Agent K(Jones), to loosen up and share stuff with him. K has a secrets that he keeps lock up tight. When a mysterious alien from K's past named Boris the Animal(Jemaine Clement,looking like Randy "Macho Man" Savage) resurfaces, K goes missing. J has to jump back in time to save his partner and the world. The movie starts off a little slow but picks up after about ten minutes. Men in Black 3 is a very good film that delivers the action and laughs like the first movie had. All the pieces work in the film to make this something you could watch over and over again. Josh Brolin does a fantastic job as the young K, which is essential to make the film work. Michael Stuhlbarg gives a good performance as Griffin, an alien that can see multiple timelines in the future and is key to the plan to save the world. The movie also features Emma Thompson as Agent O, an agent with a past connection with K.

My grade: 8.5 out of ten.   

Review-The Avengers

Welcome to the summer movie season! Here to usher it in is The Avengers, a movie crossover of epic proportions. This is takes the characters of Marvel's most recently successful movies (Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye) and put them together as a superhero team.  They have been assembled (showing my geek there) together to stop Loki (Tom Hiddleston) from taking over the Earth. He has stolen a very powerful weapon from the government agency called S.H.I.E.L.D and its director, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Loki plans to have his kingdom down on Earth, no matter what it takes. Each superhero involved has their strengths and weaknesses to deal with along the way too. I would say that The Avengers is the best superhero team movie that I've seen throughout the years. It gives you laughter, excitement and everything that you want in an action film. It will leave on the edge of your seats and wanting more at the end. If you like comics, the movies and/or really good action films, you should definitely check this out. Just like the other films, you need to stay after the credits. These are two particular things this time that come up.

Review-Lockout

Lockout is the newest  sci-fi film from the makers of Taken. The story takes places in the future where criminals are frozen and sent to an out of space prison. The protagonist, Snow(played brilliantly by Guy Pearce), is wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit. Before he gets to the space prison, it is taken over by recently unfrozen prisoners. Snow is sent in to rescue the president's daughter,Emilie Warnock(Maggie Grace), out of the prison in exchange for his freedom. The movie, overall, was fun and entertaining.The movie's plot is simplistic but it works. The graphics, when shown, make the scenes look like a video game movie clip(not it a good way). There are some spots that will make you scratch your head. It's one of those "check your brain at the door" type of  films. Lockout will show glimpses of Die Hard, Escape From New York and Pitch Black throughout. While it does not measure up to those films, it is a solid entry into the action genre. I would recommend this film.

Review-21 Jump Street

For those who do not know this, 21 Jump Street was a popular television show in the 80's staring Johnny Depp(yes,the same) and Holly Robinson(before she added Peete). In this date and age, remakes are the way studios believe that can attract new and original viewers. Here comes 21 Jump Street, the latest movie that tries to capture in on that trend. The good news is that it is not a a remake. The movie works well when it is totally aware of it. It starts with geeky Schmidt(Jonah Hill) uniting in police academy with the jock from his high school Jenko (Channing Tatum). They both get transferred to 21 Jump Street to go undercover as high school students. The movie even has Ice Cube being angry as their captain. This is the good part of the movie, which it stops at the halfway mark. The second half was uninspired and killed every momentum it earned before. There was a big high point towards the latter part of the movie that I thought would redeem it(can't tell you what it is without spoiling something). That idea went out the window real quick. By the end, I didn't care what happened. I definitely will not recommend this movie to anyone.

                                                                                        

Review-Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Nicholas Cage is back as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider in the new film Ghost Rider:Spirit of Vengeance. This sequel to the 2007 film finds Johnny hiding from the world to avoid unleashing the Rider. He still suffers with this "curse" from the deal he made with the devil to save his father. When a man named Moreau (Idris Elba) offers him a way to lift his curse, he comes out of hiding. His job is to locate and protect a boy from Roarke(Ciaran Hinds), aka the devil. The movie has a good amount of pyrotechnics graphics and Nicholas Cage being Nicholas Cage. If you like the first one, you will have a better shot of liking the second one. The movie almost seems like a good direct to video(or indie film) sequel than a straight up theatrical release. The budget of the movie will show at times compare to that of the first film. I did like the direction of the film(the directors were Neveldine/Taylor, the directors of the Crank movies) and had some really cool scenes. If you blink, you will miss appearances of two stars of sci-fi lore.
P.S. There is no need to watch this in 3D.

Review-Safe House

Safe House is the lastest action/drama film starting Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. The story focuses on Tobin Frost(Washington), an ex CIA operative wanted for espionage and treason. For reasons known only to him, he surrenders and is taken to a safe house. When things go awry, it is up to CIA agent Matt Weston(Reynolds) to deliver Frost safely to face the crimes that he has committed. On the surface, Safe House looks like a carbon copy of action dramas like Man on Fire, Smokin' Aces and Broken Arrow. When you look beyond that, you get a good solid entry into that movie genre. The movie, underneath it all, is a very good morality play. It lets you see both sides of the coin while they are wrestling with each other. It is because of this and the great acting of its stars that I can recommend this film. There are visuals and sounds in here, especially the last twenty minutes, that gives even more weight to the theme of the movie.

Review-The Grey

The Grey is the newest action/drama film from director Joe Carnahan(Narc, Smoking Aces, The A-Team) starring Liam Neeson. Ottway (Neeson) is part of an Alaska oil drilling team that keeps separate from the group and his thoughts to himself. When the plane that the team is on crashes, Ottway must become the vocal leader of the survivors. Not only do they have to brave the elements(snowstorm) but survive a pack of wolves as well. The crash happens right where the wolves live at, which makes them angry and territorial. I thought this movie was well done and I really enjoyed it. You have so many layers of conflict to this film. You have man versus man, nature, and beast that is woven together pretty good. There is also man battling versus himself throughout the film that is handled exceptionally well. Every survivor does not have a black and white story to them(hence the title). As I recommend this film wholeheartedly, I do offer this advice. PLEASE, when you watch the movie, STAY PAST THE CREDITS! This movie will leave you disappointed if you don't watch the last scene after the credits.

Oscar Nominations are in.

The Oscar nominations were released today and there were plenty of things to talk about. It can be broken down into four categories.
1. The no surprise nominations*:
      George Clooney and Brad Pitt got nominated for their roles in The Descendants and Moneyball,   respectfully.
      Meryl Streep and Glenn Close are nominated again. Streep for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady and Close for the title character Albert Nobbs.
      The Help got nominated for Best Picture and for three of its actress(Viola Davis for Best actress, Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actress).
*because he/she/that movie was that good

2.The surprise nominations were:
     Bridesmaids got two nominations (for Best Original Screenplay Melissa McCarthy for Best   Supporting Actress)
     Jonah Hill (for his role of Peter Brand in Moneyball)
     Hugo (for getting eleven  nominations, the most of any film this year)

3.The Snubbed section:
     50/50  not getting nominated
     Any song,other than two, that wanted a chance at a Best Original Song Oscar.
     The Adventures of Tintin not getting nominated for Best Animated Film
     Judi Dench for Best Supporting Actress for My Week with Marilyn

4. Wow. I'm happy about that nomination.
    The rest of the nominations for My Week with Marilyn
    Melissa McCarthy(mentioned earlier)
    Gary Oldman getting his first nomination for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The Oscars winners will be announced February 26.  Here's the list of nominees to prep you for your Oscar pool this year.

My top 10 of 2011 list

My top 10 movies of 2011

My guilty pleasure movies that I've seen in 2011

Review- My Week With Marilyn

My Week With Marilyn is a true story about two people working in a world that is bigger than themselves. The movie takes place behind the scenes of the movie The Prince and the Showgirl. In 1956, Colin Clark(Eddie Redmayne) is eager to break into show business. He gets picked by actor Laurence Olivier(Kenneth Branagh) to work crew on his directorial debut. His costar for the film is a young actress named Marilyn Monroe(Michelle Williams,in a marvelous performance). Colin and Marilyn strike up a bond throughout the filming that threatens their hearts as well as the completion of the film. The movie is beautifully directed and has great performances in it, including Williams and Judi Dench.The complexities of the characters in the movie mirrored that of the movie world they live in and created. It is a intimate story that I would recommend everyone should watch, especially if you're a fan of film and Marilyn Monroe. For all the Harry Potter fan out there, Emma Watson has a supporting role in the movie as well.