Twilight

Good teenage vampire movie. I love vampires, so I am biased – though I never read the book so I can’t compare. Kristen Stewart plays a human newcomer to Washington State who never smiles but manages to attract the school hunk harboring a secret, Robert Pattinson. I’ll have to read the book to learn why Stewart always looks so miserable despite having some cheerful human friends. There’s some good vampires, bad vampires, a forbidden romance and a really cool baseball game! Only for vampire lovers who don’t mind that these blood suckers have reflections and don’t burn to death in the sunlight. I enjoyed it, though as I pointed out, it’s not a traditional vampire movie.

Role Models

Mildly amusing movie starring Seann William Scott (Stifler from American Pie), Paul Rudd and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from Superbad). Scott and Rudd must act as “Big Brothers” to two young social misfits. While Scott’s charge is a cute kid with a foul mouth, Rudd’s charge – Mintz-Plasse - is a teen obsessed with this strange group that dresses in medieval attire and pretends to do battle with each other. Wait for it to come out on TV; although the copious profanity will all be bleeped out, which is almost as annoying as tolerating the vulgarity in the first place.

Quantum of Solace

James Bond fans and action lovers will love this one. Beaucoup chase scenes abound, on foot, by car, by boat, and by aircraft. But wait! There’s more! Bond is after bad guys who seem to be after oil – or are they? I still prefer the suave, tongue-in-cheek Sean Connery with the twinkle in his eye, but Daniel Craig holds his own as a tough guy you don’t mess with. I’m not sure what’s up with the R&B tune they played during opening credits. R&B just doesn’t seem the right fit for Bond. I’m a traditionalist, and was missing the jazzy, film noir-esque Bond theme song, but they finally played it in the closing credits. Good action movie.

Zack & Miri Make a Porno

I hadn’t planned on seeing this one, but I was bored and it was playing, and now I’m sorry I went. I love Seth Rogen, but I hated the Clerks and Chasing Amy movies that shared the same writer/director Kevin Smith. Zack and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are platonic friends who are broke and in debt so they decide to make a porno to pay the bills. It’s not too hard to see where this will lead. I was hoping for some funny embarrassing moments as in The Full Monty (a far superior film), but it was mostly lewd and crude and full of raunchy language. In the ladies room I overheard some young girls say “they said ‘F**k” an awful lot”. Yup. I did laugh out loud really hard once during a particularly gross scene, but that was about it. Even the droves of twenty-somethings in the theater didn’t laugh that much. There were some surprisingly romantic moments, but if you want romance, go rent Definitely, Maybe or go for a classic like Sabrina (either the Audrey Hepburn or the Harrison Ford version will do nicely). Or just go rent The Full Monty again for the laughs…

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

I like to Move it, Move it… Cute kiddie movie, but I liked the first one better - from what I remember of it. Ben Stiller plays the lion and they allow him to over do it, just like in his last effort: Tropic Thunder. Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinket Smith round out the rest of the main characters who try to fly a broken airplane back to New York, but wind up in a beautiful preserve in Africa. The pampered New Yorkers have a bit of trouble fitting in with their wild brethren. I still love the crazy penguins the best. Kids will enjoy it, as will kids at heart.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Excellent portrayal of a young boy who’s family moves “to the country” for Daddy’s new promotion as an “important soldier” during WWII. The boy is lonely for his friends and sees from his window a “farm” with people wearing pajamas. Of course he’s curious and sneaks off to check it out. You see everything from the boy’s perspective of not understanding that his Dad is the Commandant of a concentration camp. Starring Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie. Excellent movie about a terrible time in history.

Pride and Glory

Definitely a “guy film”. Lots of blood and guts and shootings. Colin Farrell, Ed Norton and John Voight star in this crime drama about good cops, very, very dirty cops and the drug dealers too. I have seen so many crime dramas now that I’m pretty sick of them. If someone were to keep track of how many times the f-bomb and all it’s derivatives were used in a movie, this one may be a contender for the most times used. I was so distracted by f-this, f-that, my f-ing f is f-ed, that sometimes I forgot to pay attention to the actual conversations :). OK, it’s an f-ing exciting movie, I’m just more of a happy-feel-good-movie type of girl…

Happy-Go-Lucky

British indie flick. Sally Hawkins stars as a fun, loony, goofball with a crazy wardrobe to boot. She sees the world as her oyster and tries her best to help other folks lighten up and smile. She’s seems a bit immature, but there is some depth in there as well – you just have to hold out for it. The most amusing scenes are when she drives her “type A” Drivers Ed teacher bonkers. Enjoyable film that has been the darling of several film festivals.