Sci-Fi, Comedy
4 stars
Loved it, though it didn’t have as many fun distractions as the previous films. Agent J (Will Smith) must go back in time to 1969 to prevent bad guy Boris the Animal (Jermaine Clement) from killing Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin). I have to say Brolin was awesome as a young Agent K, though I’m really not sure if he used his own voice or lip-synched? I’m not giving any more of it away. If you loved the previous Men in Black films, you’ll love this one too.
Friday, May 25, 2012
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Comedy
3.5 stars
Funny, but forgettable. Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and Anna Kendrick are in different circumstances and all expecting, in one way or another. The “dudes” (Chris Rock, Ben Falcone, etc) are probably the most fun to watch, though I couldn’t help but cringe every time Rock’s oldest son got hurt. I didn’t think that part was funny at all. And enough with the vomit jokes already! It’s a cute date-night movie, but certainly not the best thing in theaters (there is still time to catch The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel!).
3.5 stars
Funny, but forgettable. Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and Anna Kendrick are in different circumstances and all expecting, in one way or another. The “dudes” (Chris Rock, Ben Falcone, etc) are probably the most fun to watch, though I couldn’t help but cringe every time Rock’s oldest son got hurt. I didn’t think that part was funny at all. And enough with the vomit jokes already! It’s a cute date-night movie, but certainly not the best thing in theaters (there is still time to catch The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel!).
Battleship
Sci-Fi, Action
4 stars
Fun movie, though very macho and gung-ho with plenty of arena rock songs to get you going. Giant alien spaceships hide in the Pacific Ocean to wreak havoc on the world with no apparent agenda other than to blow things up. Our good guys fight them off of Pearl Harbor. The hero is played by Taylor Kitsch, who supposedly rose through the Navy ranks with lightning speed despite being a screw-up. But all I kept think was “damn, he so darned cute!”. Super model Brooklyn Decker plays his love interest as a physical therapist who also happens to be the daughter of Admiral Shane, played by Liam Neeson. What sold me on this film, despite the Navy realizing they were out-gunned, out-manned and overpowered (so hey, let’s attack (doh!) and get revved up with some AC/DC!), was the use of real war veterans; most notably, Gregory Gadson. Gadson is an Army veteran of the wars in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq where he lost both of his legs. He may not be winning any awards for is acting performance, but I’d go watch him in another action film anytime. It’s a fun movie. So it’s Memorial Day weekend; if you need to feel patriotic, go see this film.
4 stars
Fun movie, though very macho and gung-ho with plenty of arena rock songs to get you going. Giant alien spaceships hide in the Pacific Ocean to wreak havoc on the world with no apparent agenda other than to blow things up. Our good guys fight them off of Pearl Harbor. The hero is played by Taylor Kitsch, who supposedly rose through the Navy ranks with lightning speed despite being a screw-up. But all I kept think was “damn, he so darned cute!”. Super model Brooklyn Decker plays his love interest as a physical therapist who also happens to be the daughter of Admiral Shane, played by Liam Neeson. What sold me on this film, despite the Navy realizing they were out-gunned, out-manned and overpowered (so hey, let’s attack (doh!) and get revved up with some AC/DC!), was the use of real war veterans; most notably, Gregory Gadson. Gadson is an Army veteran of the wars in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq where he lost both of his legs. He may not be winning any awards for is acting performance, but I’d go watch him in another action film anytime. It’s a fun movie. So it’s Memorial Day weekend; if you need to feel patriotic, go see this film.
The Avengers
Sci-Fi, Action
3.5 stars
Jim loved it; I liked some of it. Thor’s evil brother, Loki, opens a portal to let all kinds of mayhem loose on Earth, so all the superheroes are teamed up to save the world. Now I love Robert Downey Jr. and his cocky Ironman persona, I’ve never heard of Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye character and didn’t get his never-miss, exploding arrows, and as hot as Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are, they looked pretty stupid in their superhero costumes. Why couldn’t they just fight shirtless and in ripped jeans? But I digress... I so much prefer Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk rather than smarmy Ed Norton from the 2008 film. Even though suddenly the Hulk is now able to control himself while hulked-out - which I thought was quite a stretch - the Hulk scenes were probably the most fun; you’ll agree on one scene in particular. Oh yeah, Scarlett Johansson is in it too. The six Navy guys sitting behind me really enjoyed her scenes, a lot. They did left me hanging, wondering about Thor’s one true love at the end. Stay all the way through the credits. There is one scene shortly after the credits begin, and another scene ALL the way at the absolute very end. You should have time to go the bathroom and come back for that final scene. It’s a fun action movie. There are a lot of little details that bothered me, but as I said, my husband loved it.
3.5 stars
Jim loved it; I liked some of it. Thor’s evil brother, Loki, opens a portal to let all kinds of mayhem loose on Earth, so all the superheroes are teamed up to save the world. Now I love Robert Downey Jr. and his cocky Ironman persona, I’ve never heard of Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye character and didn’t get his never-miss, exploding arrows, and as hot as Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are, they looked pretty stupid in their superhero costumes. Why couldn’t they just fight shirtless and in ripped jeans? But I digress... I so much prefer Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk rather than smarmy Ed Norton from the 2008 film. Even though suddenly the Hulk is now able to control himself while hulked-out - which I thought was quite a stretch - the Hulk scenes were probably the most fun; you’ll agree on one scene in particular. Oh yeah, Scarlett Johansson is in it too. The six Navy guys sitting behind me really enjoyed her scenes, a lot. They did left me hanging, wondering about Thor’s one true love at the end. Stay all the way through the credits. There is one scene shortly after the credits begin, and another scene ALL the way at the absolute very end. You should have time to go the bathroom and come back for that final scene. It’s a fun action movie. There are a lot of little details that bothered me, but as I said, my husband loved it.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Dark Shadows
Sci-Fi, Comedy
4 stars
Loved it! Johnny Depp and Tim Burton bring back to life an old soap opera featuring vampire Barnabas Collins who awakens after being buried for 200 years. This is for fans of Burton & Depp, lovers of vampires, and those nostalgic for the old soap; though many changes have been made to the original characters and storylines (I Netflixed the original soap; FYI: Barnabas doesn’t appear until episode 210). The most fun is in watching Depp attempting to acclimate to 1972. Younger viewers need to keep in mind the film is based on a soap, so the characters behave accordingly (i.e. stiff and mysterious) and quite hilariously. The “dramatic” climax seemed a bit overdone, but it was still fun to watch. Co-stars include Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz and Johnnie Lee Miller as members of the Collins family, Bella Heathcote as Depp’s love interest, and Eva Green as the slutty witch who is so fun to watch. Fun film.
4 stars
Loved it! Johnny Depp and Tim Burton bring back to life an old soap opera featuring vampire Barnabas Collins who awakens after being buried for 200 years. This is for fans of Burton & Depp, lovers of vampires, and those nostalgic for the old soap; though many changes have been made to the original characters and storylines (I Netflixed the original soap; FYI: Barnabas doesn’t appear until episode 210). The most fun is in watching Depp attempting to acclimate to 1972. Younger viewers need to keep in mind the film is based on a soap, so the characters behave accordingly (i.e. stiff and mysterious) and quite hilariously. The “dramatic” climax seemed a bit overdone, but it was still fun to watch. Co-stars include Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz and Johnnie Lee Miller as members of the Collins family, Bella Heathcote as Depp’s love interest, and Eva Green as the slutty witch who is so fun to watch. Fun film.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
British, Comedy 4.5 stars
Loved it! An assortment of retirees from England is mislead by an advertisement for a retirement home in India; they expected it to be luxurious but it is quite rundown instead. Of course, you know how most things will turn out, but the fun is in watching it all unfold. The impressive cast includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson to name a few. Also costarring is Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) whose character is a cliché as the hotel manager, but the fun is in watching the older Brits trying to adjust their expectations and adapt to their new environment. There is some depth, especially with Wilkinson’s character, but the rest is pure fun.
Loved it! An assortment of retirees from England is mislead by an advertisement for a retirement home in India; they expected it to be luxurious but it is quite rundown instead. Of course, you know how most things will turn out, but the fun is in watching it all unfold. The impressive cast includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson to name a few. Also costarring is Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) whose character is a cliché as the hotel manager, but the fun is in watching the older Brits trying to adjust their expectations and adapt to their new environment. There is some depth, especially with Wilkinson’s character, but the rest is pure fun.
Chimpanzee
Documentary, Nature
5 stars
Loved it. Disney’s annual Earth Day films are consistently among my favorite films of each year. This film follows the story of a young chimp named Oscar and his life growing up with Mom, until he’s forced into finding another to take over Mom’s role. Fortunately, no bloodshed is shown, so little kids shouldn’t be traumatized by any of it. Scenery is lush. I wish narrator Tim Allen also described some of the amazing plant life, such as those plants that exploded when struck by raindrops, or that yellow liquid, or for what reason were those mushrooms glowing in the dark? It was all so cool; Jim loved it too. Excellent film.
5 stars
Loved it. Disney’s annual Earth Day films are consistently among my favorite films of each year. This film follows the story of a young chimp named Oscar and his life growing up with Mom, until he’s forced into finding another to take over Mom’s role. Fortunately, no bloodshed is shown, so little kids shouldn’t be traumatized by any of it. Scenery is lush. I wish narrator Tim Allen also described some of the amazing plant life, such as those plants that exploded when struck by raindrops, or that yellow liquid, or for what reason were those mushrooms glowing in the dark? It was all so cool; Jim loved it too. Excellent film.
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Five-Year Engagement
Comedy, Romantic
2.5 stars
Disappointing and way too long. Emily Blunt and Jason Segel star as a couple who keep putting off their wedding for reasons that don’t make any sense. If you’ve seen the previews, you’ve already seen all the best parts of the movie. The rest is just really, really long. Some of it is groan worthy, and though I’m not usually opposed to some profanity, it just seemed to be used unnecessarily. If not for the useless insertions of the f-word, this probably could have been a PG-13. Skip it.
2.5 stars
Disappointing and way too long. Emily Blunt and Jason Segel star as a couple who keep putting off their wedding for reasons that don’t make any sense. If you’ve seen the previews, you’ve already seen all the best parts of the movie. The rest is just really, really long. Some of it is groan worthy, and though I’m not usually opposed to some profanity, it just seemed to be used unnecessarily. If not for the useless insertions of the f-word, this probably could have been a PG-13. Skip it.
The Raven
Period, Crime Drama
3 stars
So-so fictional take on Edgar Allen Poe assisting detectives investigating a copy-cat killer who recreates the morbid murders from Poe’s poems (kind of like TV’s Castle, but without the comedy). John Cusack stars as Poe, but Cusack should really stick to silly comedies like Hot Tub Time Machine because he’s really not that good of an actor. Luke Evans plays the detective, Alice Eve plays the object of Poe’s desire and Brendan Gleeson plays her disapproving father. It’s not a bad movie, but it could have been better – like if Johnny Depp starred, he would have made it awesome. Wait for cable.
3 stars
So-so fictional take on Edgar Allen Poe assisting detectives investigating a copy-cat killer who recreates the morbid murders from Poe’s poems (kind of like TV’s Castle, but without the comedy). John Cusack stars as Poe, but Cusack should really stick to silly comedies like Hot Tub Time Machine because he’s really not that good of an actor. Luke Evans plays the detective, Alice Eve plays the object of Poe’s desire and Brendan Gleeson plays her disapproving father. It’s not a bad movie, but it could have been better – like if Johnny Depp starred, he would have made it awesome. Wait for cable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
