we review...

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011-07-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

back by popular demand, our most requested guest blogger vegafoo has humbled us with his presence.

guest review by: vegafoo

Do you remember that scene in Talladega Nights where the drivers are involved in a massive car crash that's so long they cut to an Applebee's commercial in the middle of it?

Well Michael Bay has skillfully decided that his Applebee's commercial would be everything that happened in our lives over the last two years, as the massive car crash that is Transformers: Dark of the Moon picks up right where 2009's Revenge of the Fallen left off. Namely- being absolute garbage. They say you can't polish a turd and now we know for sure that you can't transform one either.

It's still too long. It's still racist (Yes Michael, offending races other than African-Americans still counts as being racist). Still sexist too. Still definitely not funny (though Bay seems to really think it is). I have a theory that he once filmed an entire terrible comedy that no one wanted to produce, so he secretly snuck it into this latest Transformers movie and hoped no one would notice or care. (We don't).

There are no characters worth caring about. The humans are all generic and pointless. Their role is still meaningless. Shia Lebouf continues to serve no purpose. He's also an awful actor. There, I said it. It's time we faced the truth and stop blaming all the really bad movies he's been in over the years. To be fair, everyone else is just as worthless. Oh, and the movie stops every few minutes for a blonde girl to walk on screen and do a Victoria's Secret commercial.

Also, we still don't care if the robots live or die. It's virtually impossible to connect with them when they can't display actual emotions with the trash heaps that are their faces and when their only defining personality trait is the color of their paint-jobs.

The plot is laughable and incoherent at best. I won't spend much time talking about it since the movie doesn't either. Nothing ever really happens and there's more actual drama in the commercials for the toys that these movies are based on. At least in those we can tell which robots are fighting each other. I honestly feel that at this point Michael Bay is just doing stuff to make me mad on purpose.

And don't give me that "Oh it's just a summer popcorn blockbuster" crap. I'm not buying it. "Oh you just have to check your brain at the door and enjoy it." No, no you don't. People who say that checked their brains at the door when they were born. I didn't have to check my brain to enjoy District 9, a great summer action movie. I didn't have to with Inception, a fantastic and enjoyable summer thriller. Blockbusters can have good characters, good dialogue, can be smart and meaningful, and well crafted in addition to being visually stimulating and entertaining. This movie is none of those things.

Grade:
F -

african cats

2011-05-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

i meant to write this review weeks ago...i'm sorry!

in this movie there were 3 different cat "families" featured. it was filmed over a period of 2 years, but of course you can't tell that at all by watching it. there are lions (2 packs) and cheetahs (a momma and her babies).

while all the footage was amazing of course, and it was neat to hear some of the stories, but there was a lot of repetition. there was also a lot of anthropomorphism. like, out of control...

also, its very skewed towards the cats point of view. it will show them taking down a wildebeest and will say how it's because they need food in order to survive. but you know they're going to use that same footage for some other show and do it from the wildebeest's point of view and how horrible the predation of the lions are. you know what i mean?

when i mentioned this movie on my blog, a few people asked about any violence/sadness. so i'm just gonna to say the parts that fall into this category. *SPOILER ALERT* 1. one of the lion moms is really old and gets hurt while hunting, and eventually she has to walk away from the pack and go die. and her cub has to be "adopted" by another lioness. and of course they show it in a super sad way [i cried]. 2. some of the cheetah cubs get lost. aka, die without the help of their mother. its sad. 3. it shows cats taking down their prey. and eating it. gross.

overall, the movie was interesting. like i said, the footage was great. it got annoying how they were making everything into elaborate stories, assigning names and feelings to cats, and over simplifying their actions.

the grade?

B-/C+

Best Picture Reviews 2011

2011-03-28T20:15:00.001-07:00

While I'm on the subject of movies that were nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards....here is the list with our ratings.

Black Swan: A+. Natalie Portman won for Best Actress

The Fighter: A+. Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won for Best Supporting Actor and Actress

Inception: A.

The Kids are All Right: ? The netflix DVD is sitting on our table right now.

The King's Speech: A. Colin Firth won for Best Actor. Best Picture

The Social Network: A.

127 Hours: A. James Franco nominated for Best Actor. (and probably should have won)

Toy Story 3: ? Haven't seen it, but heard good things....we don't really watch kids movies. sorry. Won Best Animated Picture.

True Grit: B. Not really sure why this was nominated. Good movie, but not like the others.

Winter's Bone: ? Haven't reviewed yet, but HATED the movie. Strange choice. Just...yeahh.

So there you go. We did pretty good huh? Those movies were almost all watched BEFORE they were nominated. Want a good movie to watch....here is your list, minus a few.

The Kings Speech

2011-03-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry, we're still really far behind with our reviews. Oops.

But, here's a good one for you. We actually saw most of the movies that were nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Picture" as soon as they were released in theaters. This one was an exception for a few reasons.

1. There wasn't a lot of talk about it at first.

2. It looked boring. (to me)

This, is The Kings Speech. (which eventually did win an Oscar for Best Picture) Now, let me just say this.....sorry, I'll get to the movie in a bit. Like I said, we've seen all of the Best Picture nominees, and now we own most of the DVD's. These really are the best movies of the year, besides one or two. It's always annoying when people say, "I don't listen to what the critics say, the best picture movies are always dumb" or "they're always rated R and stupid". Wrongggg!!! These literally are the best movies of the year.

All of the awards season, I was cheering for Black Swan (and still think it was the best). But time and time again, The King's Speech would win all the awards. It drove us nuts at the time b/c we hadn't seen it yet and we just thought it was that boring British movie. So finally, we got around to seeing it. We were wrong. This movie is great.

The movie centers around King George during the 1930's and 40's. World War II is approaching and England is in need of a leader who can bring the entire country together....someone to inspire them and build confidence. The only problem is, George stutters. Sooo, his wife arranges for him to meet with a therapist to help him learn how to speak. The whole movie revolves around their relationship. See why it didn't sound so interesting? I was thinking, "who wants to see a movie about a guy with a speech problem?" But really, it was good, and it really was one of the best movies of the year. (although I still favor Black Swan). So rent it when it comes out next month!

PS: Emily just reminded me. This movie is rated "R", but really should not be. There are 2 (say that number out loud again), 2, scenes in the movie with "inappropriate language".....if you want to call it that. I call it a day at work where the construction workers actually try NOT to swear. There are literally 2 scenes where the therapist tries to get the King to loosen up by yelling all the swear words he knows. It's actually 2 of the funniest scenes in the movie, it's done in a classy way, and it's not bad at all. Seriously, you'll hear worse at a day at Wal*Mart. That is the ONLY thing that gave this movie the "R" rating. Otherwise, this is a PG movie and completely acceptable for teens or 2 year olds. Ummm, i don't know ages. The End.

Buried

2011-03-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Back to one of my favorite genres.....thrillers. Buried stars Ryan Reynolds in what you could call a one man show. In this movie he plays a truck driver who is working in Iraq. He's a civilian, but obviously it's an extremely dangerous place to work. But we don't see any of that in the movie. Oh no. This movie takes place entirely in a coffin under the ground. Let me say that again so you aren't surprised or confused when you watch this.

This movie....the entire movie.....is of Ryan Reynolds inside a coffin. The movie begins with his character waking up (tied up no less) in the coffin. He's not sure why he is there, but throughout the movie he figures it out. It turns out, terrorists have kidnapped him for ransom. He wakes up with a cell phone, lighter, candle, and that's about it. The movie is intense b/c it feels like you're in the coffin with him. (because well, you are) When he makes phone calls, you only hear the voices on the line. Seriously, who knew you could make a movie that's completely a guy in a box.

Will he make it out before he runs out of air? How will he get out? Who will help him? What is going onnnnnnn???? Muah ha ha ha ha.....see why I like this movie? It really is crazy. The whole time we were screaming at the tv what we would do.

I will say, I didn't looovvvve the ending. It was just okay. BUT....it's getting there that makes this movie fun to watch. Rent it today.

B-

Catfish

2011-03-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ummm, it's been a while.....sorry. But never fear, we have been watching tons of movies (as usual). So we'll be doing our best to catch up on all of them. Here goes.....this is Catfish. We originally saw a short preview for this movie sometime last year. It's a indie documentary that I believe debuted at Sundance. The film follows 3 friends, 2 of which are brothers. The main Character, Nev, is a 24 year old photographer from New York. One of his pictures is featured in a newspaper, and shortly after that, he gets a message on facebook from an 8 year old girl in Michigan named Abby. Abby is an artist who asks if she can paint Nev's pictures. An online friendship begins between the two, as Abby begins to send more and more paintings to Nev.

And that's where the documentary starts....it's all about this little girls friendship with this photographer.....or at least that's how it starts. I really can't say too much more about the plot b/c things get interesting. Let's just say, it's fun to try to figure out the twist of this movie...

Good thing is, we get to figure it out WITH the main characters as the documentary progresses. You'll be interested, trust me. Check. it. out.

B+

yours truly dear's favorite movie of 2010: the fighter

2011-01-10T20:02:00.001-08:00

as you can tell from juji's last post, we had two favorite movies of the year. my #1 was the fighter, and juji's #1 was black swan. we both love both of these movies, i just happened to like this one a littttttle bit more (obviously they are both amazing though).

this movie is AMAZING, and is based on an incredible true story. Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is trying to revamp his boxing career and go pro. he has always been in the shadow of his older brother, former boxing champ Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale). the fact that his controlling mother is his manager hasn't done any wonders for his career, as she has put him in fights that he shouldn't have even been paired up in, among other set-backs.

in the movie, Dickie is being filmed by HBO for a documentary on him. Dickie's shining moment was when he punched out Sugar Ray Leonard. Dickie has gone extremely downhill since his glory days and is addicted to crack, but insists on training Mickey. this movie is mostly about Mickey's trials trying to make it pro, how he deals with his brothers shenanigans and addiction, and how he stands up for himself against his family. thankfully at some point he gets his act together and asks out a local bartender named Charlene (Amy Adams), who turns out to be a great support.

the acting in this entire movie is phenomenal, by all characters. Christian Bale is amazingly believable in his role as a crack addict who can't get over his glory days. Mark Wahlberg is perfection (as always!). And Amy Adams really shines in this role--I haven't ever been super impressed with any of her roles until this one, and she more than makes up for it. i definitely think she should win best supporting actress for this movie.

overall, the fighter was gripping and inspiring. it's definitely not your average sports movie. if you haven't seen this movie yet you need to go asap!!!

A+

Juji's favorite movie of the year...Black Swan

2011-01-10T19:20:00.001-08:00

2010 was a year of good movies. I had favorite after favorite. Among the best to me....
-Shutter Island
-Inception
-the Social Network
-127 Hours
-The Fighter (loved it)

Quite the list....but in my opinion, the best of the year (and my favorite) has to be......Black Swan.

I was instantly intrigued by this movie when i saw the previews....it looked dark, dramatic, thrilling, scary....and it was all of those things wrapped up into a beautifully twisted masterpiece. The movie stars Natalie Portman as Nina, an member of a New York Ballet company who is obsessed with being perfect. She has been a supporting dancer for several years, but after the aging star of the company retires, she gets the part of her life: the swan queen in the companies new rendition of "Swan Lake"

To say Nina is socially awkward would be an understatement. Though they never really say, it seems that she has schizophrenia. She constantly see's things, and imagines bizarre images. Her overbearing mother doesn't help her situation much either. She thrives while portraying the perfectness of the white swan, but struggles to dance as the "un-perfect" black swan. The role consumes her every being. She becomes paranoid that another girl is trying to steal her role and fears that she isn't good enough to be the lead dancer. There's so much going on, it's just hard to explain. It all culminates in a thrilling, and i think fitting, ending.

Now, let me say this. I will say, as a disclaimer, I saw this movie 2 times. The first time, i thought I liked it, but it's such a strange, freaky movie at times, I wasn't sure. I thought, "well, i liked it, but i'm not sure why". I was actually kind of let down b/c i had heard so many good things about it. But day after day, I became more obsessed about it. (much like the movie?....freaky) I kept thinking, "Maybe I really did love that movie". So we went again.
The second time, I was able to pay attention to so many things I missed before. It made a TON of more sense and I LOVED it. So honestly, seeing it again made the difference.

There are some people who just won't like this movie. (crazies, as I call them... ha ha) It's definitely not for someone who's just looking for a run of the mill, regular movie. It's artful, entertaining, dark, thought provoking, and strange. I loved it. Natalie Portman is a shoe in for the Best Actress Oscar and the movie has my vote for best picture.

A+

true grit

2011-01-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

i'm not going to lie, i did NOT want to see this movie. i don't really like western-y movies or shows, and it looked like it could be long/boring/annoying from the previews. my dad was dying to see this movie, so we were nice and went and saw it with him. let's just say, i was pleasantly surprised!

in this movie Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfield) is out to get revenge for her fathers murder. she enlists the help of a US Marshall, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) who is known for having true grit. Mattie is a sharp young girl who knows what she wants and will go after it until she gets it. Mattie and the marshall set off in Indian territory, and are joined by a Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who has been on the trail of Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) for quite some time even before he killed Mattie's father.

True Grit is an interesting story of an admirable young girl and her relationships with the marshall and texas ranger as they go after Tom Chaney. it's a great action movie with excellent acting and filming. all of the main characters (Mattie, Rooster, and LaBoeuf) are fantastic. Hailee Steinfield pretty much came out of nowhere (in the acting world), and she was wonderful and believable.

the only things we didn't really like so much about this movie:
-once they got to the bad guy, it was sort of over...just like BAM--took care of that, what's next?
-the ending almost seemed incomplete, we kept waiting for something else to happen..

besides those two points, the movie was adventuresome, captivating, and action-packed. we'd recommend going to see it if you haven't already! the grade?

B/B+

burlesque

2011-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

yes, we're still playing catch up with our reviews, i apologize. next up: burlesque!

Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small town girl with a big dream. she loves singing and dancing, and so she takes off for the big city (LA) too see if she can follow her dreams. she ends up at a bar/neo-burlesque club and is immediately mesmerized by the dancing. Tess (Cher) is the club owner, and Ali asks her how she can make it to the stage. Tess brushes her off, but Ali is determined.

does any of this sound familiar? cyote ugly, anyone? this movie is literally just a cyote ugly remake... from the apartment break-in/stolen money stash to the tricky boy interest.

i don't even have to worry about giving too much away, because you can all guess what the ending is going to be. Ali becomes a star, she gets the boy, and she saves the club from being lost to the bank.

this movie is...entertaining. it made us laugh a couple times, and its kind of fun to watch the dancing and to hear christina sing like she did in her glory days; but it isn't a movie i would buy or even watch again probably. it was completely predictable, had only semi-good acting, and a semi-annoying story line. let's just say that cyote ugly did it better. if you only wanted to watch it for the singing/dancing, you might think it's pretty decent. otherwise... the grade?

C

Kick-A$$

2011-01-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

For the sake of not outright swearing on this blog, I will type the movie like I did in this blog title. Sorry, parents who are reading this...

Ok, now that I've got that out, on to this delightful movie. Now...when we first saw previews for this movie, I was intrigued and Juji immediately wrote it off as stupid. #1 reason why we didn't see it in theaters? Nicolas Cage. We sort of hate him, except for in this particular movie... As a store clerk said, "This movie almost made me not hate Nicolas Cage."

All thanks to Netflix, we finally got around to seeing it. Not only did we watch it twice while we had it from Netflix, we then proceeded to buy it and have watched it again since then. Yes, it is that [shockingly] good.

Aaron Johnson (who sort of appeared out of nowhere in the movie world...) plays Dave, who "becomes" a superhero and calls himself Kick-A$$. He had never amounted to much in his life as of yet, and starts wondering why regular people can't be superheros, and why there aren't any around... He ultimately decides to take matters into his own hands, and buys a scuba suit. After getting seriously injured and losing a lot of nerve endings, he gets lucky to come across a fight, have it filmed unknowingly, and win--making him famous overnight.

Two semi-legit superheros, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), take Kick-A$$ under their wing a bit, but their ultimate goal is to take revenge on a mob boss named Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong) for seriously wronging them. Frank D'Amico's son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) joins in the superhero fun, becoming Red Mist in order to draw in the other superheros so the mob boss can take them down.

This movie is more than just a typical comic book turned movie. It's inventive, funny, and spectacularly absurd. Definitely in our top ten movies of the year!

The grade:

A

127 Hours

2011-01-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well... We have been rather busy lately so there will be a lot of catching up to do. I've written myself a little list and I'll start tackling it right now. Here is one of the best movies of this year: 127 Hours.

I have always liked James Franco, but this movie made me love him. He is absolutely fantastic and 100% believable in this movie, which is great since it's a true story. Not just "based" on a true story... it is a true story. Did you hear about the guy who went out on his own in the Canyonlands, Utah, and got his arm trapped under a rock? He was stuck there for 127 hours, and eventually had to cut his arm off and climb out. Yeah, this is that story.

We had heard stories about this movie like people watching the movie and barfing/passing out in the theater over the scene where he cuts his arm off. Let's just say I was a little nervous... HOWEVER, I think all of those people were whack, because it was done in a way that was as tasteful as it could be. It was portrayed almost like they would in a medical tv show drama. so, if watching ER or House makes you vomit, maybe you should turn away during this particular scene...

This movie was fabulous. I loved seeing all the beautiful scenery of Utah. I loved how real James Franco was, and how I really felt like we were watching the true story play out. This is a story of stupidity, courage, endurance, and victory. Definitely one of the best movies of the year. If James Franco doesn't win an Oscar for this movie, my faith in the Oscars will go right down the toilet. Please watch this crazy, inspiring, and brilliant portrayal of a true story.

The grade:

A

unstoppable

2010-12-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

we saw this movie on thanksgiving with my parents. as you can tell, we're more than a little behind on our movie blogging. i apologize! we're working on updating them!

this movie was entertaining, and it kept you interested the whole time. it was suspenseful in that you were kind of anxious as to what was going to happen.

basically, there's a runaway train that is unmanned, and has tons of hazardous material so it's considered very dangerous. Denzel Washington (Frank) and Chris Pine (Will) are having a normal day until they hear that this train is headed right towards them. they need to get off the track so they don't collide with the unmanned train.

the runaway train is heading towards a large populated city where the railroad tracks has a large S curve, and the train is going so fast that it would derail at the S curve and could possibly destroy the whole city. this is a movie full of courage, stamina, and goodwill.

Both Denzel and Chris are excellent actors, and you really start to feel for their characters as you learn more about their personal lives throughout the movie. we thought this movie was good/okay. It's pretty exciting and entertaining, but it didn't blow us away or anything. It isn't a movie that we would purchase when it came out, or watch it again, but it was good for the entertainment value.

the grade?
C+/B-

The Social Network

2010-10-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Isn't it crazy that I'm posting a review about the facebook movie, and it will automatically show up as a post on Jess' facebook page? Or the fact that when we got home from this movie, we both immediately got on our facebook pages? (Not b/c we had just seen the movie, but b/c that's what I usually do when I first get on the computer)

Seriously, this website has consumed our lives....weird.

Anyways, on to the movie. When I first saw a preview for this movie, I turned to Jess and said, "umm, a movie about facebook?....paassss"

Then, the reviews from all the movie critics came out....straight A's. I couldn't believe it. They all said things like, "the first Oscar contender" Well, that got me interested.

This movie very loosely follows Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of facebook, as he creates his now global mega website. There's a whole lot of fiction thrown in there, but let me tell you, that just makes it better. We get to watch Mark as he allegedly steals the idea of facebook from 3 other Harvard students. They end up suing him (and so does his business partner). The acting is great, the music is really cool, and the story is interesting. It was one of those movies that went by really fast to me....I could have watched more. Oh, and in case you didn't know, this guy is now my age and is the youngest Billionaire ever...yeah.....

So what are you waiting for??? Go see this movie, b/c I couldn't agree with the critics more.

Paranormal Activity 2

2010-10-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

"The most anticipated horror event of the year".....??? Well of course I had to be in attendance! Ooookay, let's get into this one.

First off, I'm just going to assume you've seen the first one. If you haven't and you want to see this one, rent the first. It's not like it's extremely necessary, but this one will make more sense if you have.

The story of this movie takes place a little before the first movie, and a little after. Thanks to titles that pop up on the screen, you'll have an easy time figuring out how things fit together. I don't want to give too much away, but basically, this story involves a family who, just like the couple in the first movie, are haunted by some sort of demon. Lots of craziness happens....and like the first movie, lots of nothingness happens.

Overall, I liked the movie...I'll just say that. It's a movie that's kind of fun to get in to. So if you liked the first movie at all, you'll enjoy this one.

Now, here's my problems with it.

1. It's too similar to the first movie. Everything starts off happy, then slowly gets creepy, then gets insane by the end. Much too similar.

2. There are several times in the movie where it leaves you saying, "that is NOT what a person in this situation would do!!"

3. While I like how creepy the movie is, it still just relies on jumpy moments to scare you. This is NOT true suspense. Here is an example: Remember watching the movie "The Ring"? (My favorite scary movie by the way) Think of the scene where the main character returns to the creepy dad's barn/house and sneaks in at night. The house is dark and the lighthouse light keeps shining in. Then she finds the tape of crazy Samara in the nut house? Remember how scary that scene was? It's scary b/c the whole time you're thinking, "Get out of that house!!" It was scary b/c you can imagine yourself there.

That is true horror. This movie isn't like that. You may be scared, but you're only scared b/c you're waiting for the next [Extremely loud] jump out scene. Make sense?

Anyways, overall, I liked it. There was one scene that made us all want to pee, so I think you'll like this movie.

B-

Devil

2010-10-02T10:19:00.001-07:00

Sounds scary right? Well, not really.

Think back to the summertime when you first saw the preview to this movie. You remember where you were. You were sitting in the theater, getting ready for Inception to start.

(Side note: if this doesn't ring a bell, there is something disturbingly wrong with you)

Anyways, you were probably a little intrigued until you saw the phase, "From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan"

Then you probably laughed, or as I said, "Next"

It's true, Shyamalan is pretty awful....but the good thing is, he only wrote this movie, he did not direct it.

Okay, okay, on to the review. Basically, this movie involves 5 people who end up on the same elevator at an office building. We soon learn that all of them have a shady past. As we hear a narrator explain, every now and then, the Devil takes the form of a human to torment those that are not living right. All kinds of craziness happens in that elevator, but for me, it wasn't that scary. It was interesting in parts and creepy in others, but overall, not the scariest movie I've seen.

In the end, there is a good message to this movie, although you wouldn't catch that from the previews. The movie moves quickly, and at only 80 minutes, you won't be in the theater for too long. Overall, I would say that you should see this movie...but maybe just rent it. It's definitely better than Shyamalan's last 3 movies, but it's not quite like his first. Oh, and watch out for the devil.

B-

Easy A

2010-10-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

in this movie olive (emma stone) is "anonymous" in her high school. she has one good friend, who is sort of unbelievably...crazy? weird? i'm not really sure how to describe it, but she was a bit of a stretch if you're going for a high school girl. anyways, the fact that olive was anonymous was one of the things josh and i found to be another bit of a stretch. emma stone is super pretty, so honestly...how would she be anonymous? oh well...

so one day olive told her weird friend that she had a hot date with a college boy, to sort of get her off her back about what she did that weekend. olive talked up this little fake date and then her friends' imagination went wild. she accused her of sleeping with him, and olive didn't deny anything. of course her loud-mouthed friend started spreading it around that olive lost her virginity, and instantly she became the most talked about girl in school.

olive kind of liked the attention for a bit, and used it to a friends advantage (as you've seen from the previews, her friend is gay and was getting a lot of crap at school about it. so they hatched the plan to make it seem like they did the dirty). so then olive became even more talked about at school. in english class they were learning about the scarlet letter, and olive felt like she had a special connection with the book. she started wearing lingerie-influenced tops with a bright red A sewed on. in the less-popular-crowds, it got out what olive had done for her gay friend. she became a little entrepreneur, and started accepting gift cards so people could say they hooked up with the school hottie/harlot.

eventually her reputation got a little bit too much to handle, and she was put in some sketchy situations. she was blamed for things she didn't do, and lost her best friend in the process. the rest of the movie is how she deals with that, and this ultimately ties in to how the movie is presented.

i really liked how the movie was laid out, and how it all tied together in the end. olive makes some references to wanting life to be like an 80s movie (say anything, 16 candles, etc) in the movie, and this also ties in to the movie in its entirety. it's almost like they made an 80s movie, set in modern times. i loved it. [sorry that's hard to explain, but if you see it you will get what i mean]

besides the few unbelievable character traits (weird/crazy best friend; hottie being anonymous; religious freak amanda bynes not being as good as religious freak mandy moore in saved, etc), it was a good movie. enjoyable to watch, laugh out loud funny, and endearing. we definitely recommend this movie. the grade?

B

guest review: eat pray love

2010-09-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

review by emily

i really, really liked this movie. i had heard different things from different people but all in all i was thoroughly impressed. the beginning was a bit confusing and i found myself asking, "why are you freaking out?" there wasn't too much of an explanation there-- but when she goes to italy it gets good and i found myself completely intrigued. i think i might have to read the book now!

[editors note: my mother-in-law said the same thing about her freaking out at the beginning of the movie. it's explained more in the book but apparently they didn't preface it enough in the movie. she even said that people were laughing in the theater about it!]

yes, i do like almost every movie i see. and yes, i do lovejulia roberts and javier bardem...but let's just pretend that wouldn't affect my review of this movie. go see it! :)

the grade:

B+

babel

2010-09-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

where to even start....?! this movie came out in 2006, but we had never seen it. i didn't even remember it coming out but josh said he remembered it vaguely. anyways, we saw this movie the other night at a friends house. this movie got pretty good reviews and won awards, etc- so we were expecting a pretty good movie.

two and a half hours later we were wondering why we didn't turn this off after the first ten minutes. we all agreed we were waiting for it to get good. which it didn't... this movie was weird and all over the place. there were four different stories that were "interconnected" but really their connections were vague and not always very meaningful. a lot of scenes we were just baffled by, and wondered how they were even important to the movie. it was kind of just a big mess.

when i think of interconnected stories in a movie that are trying to make a point, i think of crash. that is a quality movie. babel, in comparison, is an absolute train wreck. honestly by the end i wasn't even really sure what point the movie was trying to make. i wish we would have turned it off.

i don't really know what else to say about this movie. the stories seemed unrelated, there were weird and awkward scenes that were unrealistic, the point of the movie wasn't clear, and it was too long, boring, and lame. if you have seen this movie please let us know what you think. i'm curious as to why it got such good reviews...

our grade:

D / D-

Going the Distance

2010-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

You've probably already been laughing out loud at the previews for this movie. I'm not gonna lie, this was a funny movie. Romantic comedies are definitely not my thing, but I would call this movie more of just a regular comedy.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long meet at a bar and start dating. The only thing is, Drew is only in New York for 6 weeks....after that, let the long distance relationship begin.

Let me just say this, Drew Barrymore is looking old. That's really not relevant, but i'm just saying....yikes. She kind of looked like Justin Longs mother.

Moving on.

I'm telling you, this movie is funny. Christina Applegate plays Drew's sister, and I think she's the funniest part. She's really neurotic and she doesn't like Justin Long's character. It causes several funny moments. Okay, so I've noticed that this review isn't going anywhere. The point is....this movie is funny. The end.

Children of Invention

2010-09-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

hey! jess here with another indie movie. this movie was an official selection at 2009's sundance film festival. i think it was recommended to me on netflix, but i can't remember. i was intrigued though, and watched it one day while i was sewing or something of that nature. anyways, about the movie:

this movie is about a single mom with two young children who immigrated to america from asia (i forget where exactly, sorry). the father is still living out of the country, and doesn't do much to support his kids except answer the phone most sunday's when they call. the family gets evicted from their apartment because they can't pay the rent, and they end up squatting in a model apartment (they are friends with a guy in real estate). the mom is trying to find a good job so she can afford to go back to live in a real place, and to improve their life in america. the majority of the movie is about the family's struggles being immigrants, finding work, being a single parent, and the children's forced independence. it is very interesting, and the kids are absolutely charming. i love the little girl, tina.

the movie title comes about from the entrepreneurial mind of the older child, raymond. he is always inventing new products and enlisting his sister to help him. when the mom doesn't come home one night from work, the kids have to figure out what to do. it's interesting to see how the kids work through this dilemma, and what the outcome is. it's definitely an interesting movie. at times it can be a little slow, but it all works together. the ending is sort of abrupt and you almost feel like the story is unsolved, but i like it because i think it reflects their reality.

overall i was fairly impressed with this movie. like i've mentioned before, sometimes you never know with indie movies. this movie is humorous, complex, touching, and out of the ordinary.

the grade?

B-/B

Defiance

2010-08-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

well hello james bond! well, ok, he isn't james bond in this movie, but he's just as tough. this movie came out in 2008 so we're a couple years late at watching it, but i'm glad we did. this is basically a holocaust movie, but not of the typical variety. also, it is based on a true story. [like a legit true story, not some fake "true story" like the strangers or the fourth kind]. Daniel Craig plays Tuvia, the oldest of four brothers. the nazi's kill his parents, and him and his brothers flee to the woods to hide. more and more jews come into their camp, and everyone has to figure out how they are going to survive. this movie is about their struggles as jews, as family members, as leaders, and more.

like the caption on the movie poster reads, "Freedom begins with an act of defiance." watch how they maintain their freedom in this movie, and you will be amazed at the story. even though there were times when josh and i were going, "wait, who is that? whose side are they on? what?!?" it was still good to watch [i guess maybe we need to brush up on our history? haha]. you will grow to love and respect the characters, and become engrossed in their story. i even cried a little, i won't lie. so go watch this movie to be both inspired and entertained.

what do we give this movie?

B/B+

TiMER

2010-08-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

hello, jess here! so, random fact about me. i like watching random movies sometimes. like indie films or smaller known movies. before netflix i would just walk around blockbuster and look at almost every new release, especially if i hadn't heard about them before. sometimes this just results in watching duds, and other times you find some quality randoms (gigantic, love and other disasters, pheobe in wonderland, lars and the real girl, factory girl, etc). now that i have netflix i get to do this online and it's so much easier. so the other day i strolled upon the movie TiMER. it had an interesting concept so i watched it:

there is this company that produces a product/service that you get installed in your arm and it will tell you down to the day that you will meet your one true love. there's all this scientific stuff that proves that it always finds your soulmate. when you get your timer, if your "one" doesn't have a timer yet then your timer will be blank and it will be the waiting game. if your "one" does have a timer, it will tell you how long you have until you will meet them. and when you do cross paths, your timers beep. so you know.

so the main character Oona, Emma Caulfield, is turning 30 soon and is stressing that her timer is still blank. every guy she dates and feels like it could be serious: she brings to get them a timer. obviously, it always turns out that he's not the "one." her quirky step-sister (and best friend) has the attitude of dating anyone for fun, regardless of what their timer says. after a rough day oona is at the grocery store and gets hit on by a cute younger guy, and decides to take a walk on the wild side. the rest of the movie is how she deals with the problems of falling in love with someone who isn't the "one," finding the "one," and worrying how much faith she really should put in the timer. it's pretty interesting, and even delves into some ethical dilemmas and interesting social situations.

the ending is kind of abrupt, and doesn't answer every question (which some people hate), but i don't really mind that so much. i would recommend it if you want to watch an interesting and fun comedy/romance/drama. the grade?

B-

It's Complicated

2010-08-09T19:44:00.001-07:00

Oh, it most certainly is. Hi.....yikes. Okay, where to begin? First off, this is definitely not a movie I would normally watch. But, since Meryl is in it, I decided it might be worth our time. Oh dear....

Meryl Streep plays Alec Baldwins ex wife. The premise of the movie is this: 10 years after getting a divorce, Alec is re-married and Meryl is still single. After they see each other for their sons college graduation, they end up having an affair with each other. It all becomes a jumbled mess after that. It was previewed as a comedy, but it really wasn't that funny. Don't get me wrong, Meryl was excellent in it (she always is and I would never say anything bad about her), but still, this movie was ALLLLL wrong. And no offense to my older readers, but It just creeps me out to see old people flirting with each other. Nothing is more fun to watch than Alec Baldwins hairy chest/man boobs.

........................................

excuse me while I clean up the vomit off my computer.

Anyways, this is one of the only times I'll tell you to miss a Meryl Streep movie. Pass.

D+

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

2010-08-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Let me just say this....if you don't have Netflix....get it. It's cheap, and it has a million movies to choose from. That's all. [You're welcome for the plug Netflix. I'll accept my check please]

This is an older movie from the early 90's (older?) starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. I've decided that Leo is my favorite male actor. He plays a mentally handicapped brother in this movie, and it's scary how believable he is. Johnny depp plays the older brother in this semi-disfunctional/loving family. Set in a small town in Iowa, this drama shows that even in bad circumstances, your family can still be there for you in the end. Wait, is that the real message? Okay, so I didn't really get the message, and I didn't love it. But I enjoyed watching it the whole time, and I would recommend it.

All the acting is excellent and the story really pulls you in, so you shouldn't be disappointed. Anyways, go ahead and get Netflix and then you can stream it instantly from your computer or PS3. You're welcome.

Salt

2010-08-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

...needed a little pepper. (ba dum cheeee) Ha ha ha. Tacky? mehh. Anyways, what to say, what to say?

I've been looking forward to Salt for a long time now. I've grown to like Angelina as an actress, and this movie looked like it had the prospect of being amazing. Word is the role was originally written for a guy. (Tom Cruise actually. Thank goodness Angelina got the part instead. She's a better actor and much more manly) But I digress.

Angelina plays Salt, a CIA agent who is accused of being a russian spy. She's pretty much running the whole movie and easily fighting off every bigger, stronger guy that gets in her way. The movie has great action, and extremely cool stunts. Here's the problem though. I wanted this movie to be a lot darker and more complex. It was just missing something. They try to trick you and confuse you, but there really is no mystery to this movie. It's obvious "who salt is" from the minute she starts running. It was a fun ride anyways. Go check it out. If you like the Bourne movies, you'll like Salt.

B-

Paranormal Activity

2010-07-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

So. I really like scary movies. I figured, since jess is gone, this is the perfect time to rent one that I've been interested in seeing for a long time. I had seen all the previews for this movie and I thought It would be scary and fun to watch. The movie is shot with a handheld camera by the couple in the actual movie. It's all from their perspective. ( at least thats how it's made to look) Basically, the girlfriend in the movie has been seeing things since she was a little girl. She thinks a demon of some sort is haunting her, so her boyfriend sets up a camera in their bedroom in order to catch all the happenings. Sounds scary enough.

So heres the disclaimer: I watched this movie at about 4 in the afternoon all by myself. I really think this movie would have been 10 times scarier to me had I watched it with someone else, in the dark, at night.

That being said, this movie was honestly boring to me. I think it could have been scary had I been in the right situation, but it just wasn't all that exciting.

Night #1: you hear footsteps

Night #2: you hear banging on the walls

Night # 8: the door slams shut

......see where I'm going? It's just not that exciting. There were about 3 nights where cool, scary stuff happens. Other than that, it's a bunch of nothing. Tiddy was scared b/c it would go from being really quiet to really loud sometimes, but he's just a cat so his opinion doesn't matter. In my opinion, if you're gonna see this movie, see it with friends and make sure you really get into it so it will scare you like I think it could.

Inception

2010-07-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, the first great blockbuster of the summer. Inception has been extremely hyped and deserves every bit of it. Let me just say this, I really like Christopher Nolan. He's a great director. (The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Memento) This movie is up there with all of them, and passes them in most instances as well. Leo, he's solid as always, as he has been in some of my other favorite movies. [ Check out Blood Diamond, The Departed, or Shutter Island ] Every actor in this movie is and all the characters are interesting and entertaining.

The plot is complicated, so I'll just give you the basic premise. Leo is in the business of going into people's dreams and stealing information. Things get a little more crazy when he tries to pull off Inception, or planting an idea in a persons mind while they are sleeping. Let the complexity and mind boggling effects begin.

Really, it's an extremely well made movie, and it's exciting the whole time....even when you don't have a clue whats going on. The best part is, it doesn't feel like a copy of any other movie. It took the director about 10 years to write the thing. Honestly, I don't know how he wrote it, or how he got the actors to understand it and star in it. At any rate, GO see this movie. Oh, and don't worry if you miss the previews. They were all pretty terrible, including a new stinker from M. Night Shyamalan. Close your eyes during that one, otherwise you might try and kill yourself and miss out on this years best movie so far.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-07-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....oh I'm sorry, that was me waking up from the middle of this movie. Not a good sign.

Okay, so this is Tim Burtons new Alice and Wonderland creation. I'm a Johnny Depp fan, as well as a fan of Helena Bonham Carter, so I had decent hopes for this movie. But here's the deal.....I thought this might be dark or disturbing (at least that would have been entertaining), but no, it was really just a snooze fest. Everyone in this movie kept changing heights and body size, it was so confusing. I could never tell what height was regular and what was small/tall. One guy had a normal human head, but an odd computer generated body. It was just strange. Plus, Johnny Depp just wasn't that good in this movie. He was annoying and kind of hard to understand. When Alice first meets the Mad Hatter (Depp), they have a conversation at the dinner table. At the end of the scene I turned to Jess and said "what in the world is going on, what were they saying?" Jess goes, "I have no idea" But worst of all, the movie is just BORING. I'm having a hard time finishing this post b/c I'm getting distracted by re runs of "The Hills".....that's how boring this movie was. I fell asleep near the end and when I woke up I just said, "is it over yet". Anyways, if you must see it, see it, but it's really just a waste of time. Go rent the original Disney version instead....and that's coming from a person who doesn't really like kids movies..

Knight and Day

2010-07-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

First off, I know...it's been forever since we reviewed anything. Sad, b/c we've watched at least 50 movies since the last review. Oh well, time to get it together.

I had mediocre hopes for this action movie. I don't hide the fact that I DO NOT like Tom Cruise. He's strange and really doesn't make that great of movies. But, I'd heard decent things about this movie so I had an open mind.

Tom Cruise plays a CIA agent who has gone rogue (ala Sarah Palin). He runs into Cameron Diaz and the craziness begins. There is a LOT of action throughout this movie, and while I usually don't like movies like that, I really didn't mind it. You have to understand, most of it is incredibly unbelievable. But, there's enough humor to make up for it. Cameron Diaz is especially funny in her "I'm a ditzy blonde who is scared of weapons, but by the end of the movie I can shoot a gun while riding a motorcycle backwards" role. She plays it well.

This is one of those movies where the main characters are never in any danger....at lease you don't feel like they are. They literally walk around sometimes while being shot at. If you can get past things like that, you'll enjoy the movie. Plus, they go to all kinds of cool locations like Spain and Germany. Overall, I liked it. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a fun movie to watch.

B-

Date Night

2010-04-13T22:37:00.001-07:00

With tina fey and steve carell starring in your movie, it's kind of hard to go wrong. Date Night definitely got it right. This comedy centers on Phil and Claire Foster, an everyday couple that have gotten in the same old same old marriage routine. Nothing is really exciting in their lives. Just work, and taking care of their kids day in and day out. Until, that is, they decide to have a fancy night out at a New York restaurant. They steal the reservation of another couple and the chaos begins. That couple just happens to be wanted by the mob.

The plot and story line isn't all that deep. I mean, basically they get chased around all night. What makes this comedy work, is the actors. Tina Fey is funny as ever. She always makes situations funny, even if they normally wouldn't be. Steve Carrell is the same way. They MAKE this movie. If you liked Baby Mama, or if you like The Office or 30 Rock, you'll like this movie. Trust me, as soon as you hear Tina yell "I don't want the kids to live with your mother....she's awful!!", you won't stop laughing.

B+

Zombieland

2010-04-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

What a title, huh? So lets get some things out of the way. Yes, there are zombies in this movie....and yes, they are gross. And or course, lots of zombies die. But if you didn't already know, this is a comedy. It's set in the future, where some sort of virus has turned most humans into zombies. There are humans scattered throughout the country, trying to survive in a world full of human eating zombies. In order to live in zombieland, you have to follow the rules. (for example, you have to be good at cardio in order to run from the zombies)

The movie follows a group of people trying to make it to a California theme park that is allegedly a zombie free zone. While there is plenty violence and zombie craziness, you'll be laughing the whole time...especially during a well timed cameo by Bill Murray. Check it out.

A-

julie & julia

2010-04-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

so, obviously this review is pretty late, considering it's been out for a while and all the hype has died down a bit. the thing is, we had NO desire to see this in theaters. and, since we aren't real movie critics, we dont get paid to see the movies. i honestly thought i would probably never see it. but the other day i was at work and decided to see what was streaming on netflix, and voila! the funny part is, after like 10 minutes i was bored and going to turn it off but then my coworker came in and said she liked it, so naturally i had to finish it.

as you may know, this movie is about julia child, and some random chick who was obsessed with julia child. i'm sorry, i mean blogged about cooking her recipes. the story of julia child was very interesting since i didnt really know much about her, and meryl streep was of course AMAZING. for a while i really thought i was watching julia childs, because she acted and sounded exactly like her.

so even though a few parts of julia's story were a little boring, it was nothing compared with julie's parts. i was disappointed because i actually like amy adams, but she acted horrible in a horrible role. it was like it was some lowly soap-opera-level-actress trying to be amy adams. julie is a modern day woman who is in a slump in her personal life and then out of nowhere decides that she's going to cook her way through the whole julia child's cookbook and blog about it. she gives herself a timeline for some bizarre reason, and starts immediately. as the story goes along she changes from "oh boohoo only my mom reads my blog" to "oh my goodness my readers NEED me!" and it's really quite annoying.

overall, the only reason i even remotely liked this movie was because of meryl streep. she is amazing, and really should have won some awards for it. the negatives are summarized as follows: the movie is extremely long (unnecessarily so!), slow in [a lot of] parts, annoying (julie's parts), and a bit boring. it will, however, make you want to cook and look into julia's cookbook.

the grade?
C+

The Box

2010-04-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hands down, this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It's so bad, I almost don't want to even attempt to explain the plot. In fact, it's hard to do so anyways. Here is a quick run down. A mysterious man drops off a box on the doorstep of a young couples house. Yes, they even say the title of the movie within the first 5 minutes. "What is it honey? I don't know, looks like a box!"......yeeaaahhhh. The box contains a button. They are told if they press the button, they will receive 1 million dollars, and someone in the world, that they don't know, will die. Sounds interesting enough......it's not. Oh, it's also 1976 and Cameron Diaz has a terrible southern accent. I was laughing for half the movie every time she opened her mouth. It was awful.

Overall, the acting was just bad. BADDDD. And the music throughout the movie? Even worse. Even though we just finished watching it, I still couldn't explain what went on. It went from science fiction, to drama, to action, to random scenes that didn't fit it. I didn't know what was real and what was going on. Seriously, You might as well just take a hammer to your own head before you try and watch this. It makes NO SENSE!!! Stay away. It's not even one of those movies that's bad, but you want everyone else to watch just so they'll know how bad it was too. No, just stay away altogether. Wait, I should end this review with a movie critique cliche'.....when it comes to this movie, don't open the box, and don't push play. Did that make you want to barf?....welcome to my world.

Brothers

2010-03-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

You might have never even heard of this movie. It came out in December of last year, but kind of got lost in the mix of all the holiday movies. We watched it today, and I liked it a lot. It's a drama, and it definitely lives up to that title. Here's the deal.

Natalie Portman is married to Tobey Maguire. Tobey's character is in the military and is being deployed overseas once again. Jake Gyllenhaal is Tobey's bad news brother. He's just gotten out of jail and has a rocky relationship with his family. After a little time, Natalie receives the news that her husband has died at war. Overtime, she and her husbands brother become closer. They never really get together, but they become emotionally close, and her daughters grow to love him too. A few months later, they find out that her husband, Tobey Maguire, is actually alive. He had been kidnapped by the terrorists and made to do terrible things. He comes home, terribly disturbed, and can't seem to get back to normal. Let the drama begin!

This is a great movie. Lots of craziness. The only letdown might possibly be the ending. I won't say anymore. Check it out if you want.

Surrogates

2010-03-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

Poor Bruce Willis. He hasn't made a truly good movie since....hmmmm. Quiz Time!!! Who can name the last good movie Bruce Willis was in. And to make things more difficult, you can't use "The Sixth Sense". GO!

(i think my answer would be...The Original Die hard?...good grief, he has really been in a lot of awful movies) Anyways, I digress.

This movie is set somewhat in the future. The entire worlds population has started living their lives through surrogates, robots who look like their human counterparts, except without flaws. (One might argue that Bruce Willis' surrogates' disgusting, wig-looking hair is a serious flaw, but that's neither here nor there)

With surrogates roaming the earth, and the humans hooked up to machines in their homes, crime has ceased. By using a surrogate, humans can do whatever they want without consequence. There are villages of humans left around the country who think the surrogates are immoral and should all be destroyed. Bruce Willis plays a detective who must investigate the first case of a human being killed after its surrogate is murdered...something thats not supposed to happen.

Confused yet? I'm having a hard time typing it. Look, the movie fails on so many levels. At best, it's a good made-for-tv movie. I mean, I was slightly entertained throughout it, but it's nothing special. After seeing movies with amazing special effects, like Avatar, this movie is quite lackluster. Plus, even a "perfect" looking, surrogate form of Bruce Willis looks aged and out of place. If you're looking for a sci fi movie to watch with friends, go ahead and rent it. Just remember that this isn't a groundbreaking movie that's going to impress you at all.

Oscar Review 2010

2010-03-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about this movie. I haven't seen it, and quite honestly, I don't really have a desire to see it. So Kudos to Jeff Bridges. Besides, I don't think I saw any of the movies that the other nominees were in either. (I know, shame on me, the movie critic)

Who I thought should have won: Morgan Freeman.....just b/c I like him.

Best Acress: Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"

Shocker, we haven't seen this yet. We've wanted to since the previews first started back in the summer, but the movie came out at a time that just somehow didn't work for us, so we missed it. Don't worry, we'll see it. BUT, I've heard great things about it and I really like Sandra Bullock, so I'm happy she won. She had a great year, so I'm okay with it.

Who I thought should have won: Meryl Streep.....she's the best and everyone knows it (and agrees). It's a shame that she's been nominated 16 times and only won 2. Stop nominating her if you aren't going to pick her to win, thats RUDE!!!!!

Supporting Actor: I don't even know his name, nor do I care. (this is obviously a biased review) "Inglorious Basterds"

I didn't see the movie. I will in a few weeks.

Who I thought should have won: meh, didn't care.

Supporting Actress: Monique' "Precious"

I've been dying to see this movie. We finally got it on Netflix today and we're watching it tomorrow. This one wasn't my fault. Provo showed the movie for about a week and we were out of town....and luck. Monique is supposedly amazing in this movie. We'll review it soon

Who I thought should have won: Monique'

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow "The Hurt Locker"

Like I said in the review of this movie, this is a great war movie. It doesn't take sides, it just presents a story....and it's good. Definitely was one of the best directed movies of the year, and very deserving.

Who I thought should have won: Kathryn Bigelow: she earned it.

Best Picture: "The Hurt Locker"

Of all the nominees (10 this year), The Hurt Locker was the best in my opinion. All around, it was entertaining, interesting, and intense. Okay, lets take this opportunity to deal with the Avatar fans. You'll notice I gave Avatar great reviews. It was a great movie. I loved how Avatar looked, I loved the story, I loved all of it. The problem with Avatar is two-fold. 1: It's a science-fiction movie, and those types of movies always have a hard time winning awards. Who knows if that's fair, but that's how it is. 2: (more importantly) Honestly, Avatar was not very original. Yes, James Cameron created his own world and his own language....but the story has been told before, and told better. Watch Dances with Wolves, you'll understand. In a nutshell, Avatar is about a soldier joining a group of people that are different and looked down upon. The soldier eventually becomes one of the people, and fights against his former military unit. Ring any bells? So yes, I loved Avatar, but I wouldn't consider it the Best Picture, b/c Dances with Wolves already won for telling that story.

Who I thought should have won: The Hurt Locker. Although, I would have loved to see District 9 win....even though it probably didn't deserve it as much. But I loved that movie, so I was glad to see it nominated.

THE END. Agree? Disagree? Meh, who cares.

Shutter Island

2010-02-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to see the new Martin Scorsese film, Shutter Island. Set in 1954, this thriller stars Leonardo Dicaprio as a U.S. Marshall who is investigating the disappearance of a patient at a mental institution for the criminally insane. This institution just happens to be off the coast of Massachusetts on a creepy and secluded island.

Things begin to unravel for Teddy (Dicaprio) when it seems that no one at the institution will help him. Everyone is suspicious, and nobody seems eager to help with the investigation. Over time, Teddy begins to believe there is some sort of conspiracy going on at Shutter Island. I don't want to give away too much, so suffice it to say, lots of crazy stuff goes down.

If you read different reviews of this movie, you'll notice that the critics are really divided about it. Some love it, some hate it. I can see where they are all coming from. Personally I loved it. There are parts of the movie that "cheat" the audience, but I think it was appropriate. The acting is wonderful, you won't be disappointed there. Plus, it's incredibly eerie and suspenseful....not scary though. Okay, some people will say it's scary, but......it's not. Overall, I think you'll like it. We're going again tonight.

A-

Shooter

2010-02-15T16:12:00.001-08:00

We watched this movie in Blu-ray, so I enjoyed it that much more. Shooter stars Mark Wahlberg as a former miliary sniper. Years after his last mission, when he has already left the military, he is visited by high ranking officials who have a job for him. They have news that a sniper might try to kill the president of the U.S. and they want Wahlbergs character to scope out the sight of the Presidents speech to tell them where he thinks the sniper might be.

Lots of twists and turns happen after this, which I won't discuss as to not give away the ending. What I can say, is that this movie is cool. Lots of action, good acting, and plot twists make this movie a step above your average action flick. Wahlberg does a great job. You'll like it, I promise.

B+

The Hurt Locker

2010-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

For someone who doesn't really like war movies (that would be me), this is the war movie for you. This movie features a relatively unknown cast, but has become all the buzz for the Oscars.....it's nominated for Picture of the Year.

This movie is about a group of soldiers fighting in Iraq. Actually, they are on a bomb squad, a group of men who locate road side bombs and hopefully, disarm them. There is a lot of tension throughout the entire movie, so it will definitely keep you entertained throughout. Plus, this story is true, as in , there are real people out there doing this job.

The acting was great, the story was interesting, and the suspense was there the whole way through. Like I said, I really enjoyed it and i don't usually like war movies. A real contender for movie of the year.

A-

sherlock holmes

2010-01-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

i really dont even know how to start this review... everyone knows the story of sherlock holmes, even if you learned it from wishbone like i did. so basically, you know the premise of this movie. sherlock holmes (Robert Downey Jr) is a detective, and his sidekick is dr watson (Jude Law). they solve crime together.

the strange thing about this movie is that it deals with the supernatural. lord blackwood (mark strong) is convicted of murdering at least 5 women, and dealing with black magic. he is convicted and hung, but its what happens after his execution that makes things interesting.

in this movie, holmes and watson's relationship is quite amicable, and really quite funny to watch. it makes it feel like they are bff or brothers or something. it is pretty entertaining. the one thing that seems a bit off with holmes' character is that they portray him as being crazy. not only crazy, but also a martial arts master. of course sherlock holmes is supposed to be kind of quirky and interesting, but they make him seem downright looney, and quite obsessive. also, asking people who have read the books, i have learned he doesnt really fight people. but i guess they felt they had to throw in an element to keep the audience interested or something.

the major thing that bugged me about this movie is that you saw holmes doing kooky things at crime scenes, but you just thought he was being crazy. then at the very end you find out that they are all important clues, and how [most of them] fit together. it is very frustrating, and makes it hard to follow along at times. the whole movie you were just being stringed along, and then the last 5-10 minutes it all miraculously comes together. but even when it was all explained, sources of information were not always clear, so it was a little muddled.

all together, this movie was only so-so. i wouldnt really recommend it, especially if you are a fan of the books. my parents liked it less than we did, and it was because they felt it really didnt do justice to the true characters and the books.

the grade: C+

avatar

2010-01-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

have you seen this movie yet? no!?! GO SEE IT!!! personally i recommend not seeing it in 3D, but that is because i am not a fan of 3D and i want to go back and see it in 2D. but whichever way you see it, know that it will be amazing, awesome, incredible, fantastic, etc. i had my doubts, i wont lie, but josh said it got rave reviews. so we went and saw it on christmas day.

the main character in this movie is Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington), and he is an ex-marine who is paralyzed. he had a twin brother who was part of the avatar program, and who died. because they were twins, the DNA was satisfactory to have Jake replace his brother in the program. While his brother had done years of research and preparation, Jake was simply thrown into the program. He was sent in, looking like the indigenous people, to learn more about their culture. He also had an alternative mission to learn how to penetrate the indigenous peoples' main housing area in order to refine the natural resources it was placed on.

while Jake worked in the avatar program he became increasingly involved with the people and their culture, and his views on his alternative mission change. in order not to spoil the movie for anyone, that is as far as i will go into the plot.

this movie is amazing. the CG is literally out of this world. this is a movie that will revolutionize filmmaking. not only does it have a good plot and good actors, it leaves you feeling good. i hate when you see a movie and you leave feeling disappointed or flustered. everything is resolved in avatar. there are no apparent plot holes or loose ends. in the world the movie creates, nothing seems unrealistic or far fetched.

the movie is long, almost three hours, but it isnt a pain to sit through (compare to say, benjamin buttons...pure torture). you enjoy all of it, and the CG enhances the movie to its full potential. avatar is definitely a must see, and i cant wait til it comes out on blu-ray!

the grade: A

the boy in the striped pajamas

2009-12-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

this movie is about this cute little boy named bruno. his family lives a very privileged life, and his father is in the army working for Hitler. the family has to move out to the countryside because bruno's father was needed to be stationed there. the transition is hard for everyone in the family, except the father it seems. bruno's sister becomes nazi-obsessed due to a cute soldier who works around the house. bruno is left to play on his own, isolated from the world.

bruno notices that there are kids at a farm that he can see from his bedroom window, and wants to go play with them. when his parents hear of this, they board up his window. bruno doesnt really understand it, and just wants to go adventuring.

as the movie goes along, bruno slowly sees his father for what he truly is. he secretly meets a little boy, shmuel, at the "farm" (concentration camp) and becomes friends. their relationship is very sweet, and sad at the same time. especially once bruno learns he isnt supposed to talk to people from the farm since they are all evil jews.

the movie portrays the Holocaust very well, and gives us a glimpse of how twisted life was then. it is heart wrenching, especially at the end. the whole film was done excellently, with great acting, sets, cinematography, etc.

a beautiful movie, i recommend it.

the grade: A

the taking of pelham 123

2009-12-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

[sorry we havent posted a lot lately. we'll try to make it up to you]

in this movie, john travolta and his little gang hijack a subway train. denzel works as a train operator person (he sits at his booth and makes sure the trains are all going smoothly, etc). when denzel notices that train 123 is stopped, and shouldnt be, he tries contacting them by radio. finally, travolta responds and explains the hostage situation. they demand $10 million from the mayor, and have a time limit of an hour.

so first of all, there were so many unrealistic things that it made the movie seem stupid. for example, there was a sniper who was in position where he could kill a guy, but his superiors told him to wait. then, a rat goes up his pant leg and allegedly bites him, which causes the sniper to fire, kill someone, and gets all the the bad guys mad. ok, ever seen the movie shooter? snipers are trained to not let anything distract them!!

also, this movie was so typical that we were hoping for a twist. it just made it a little on the boring side. everything we thought could possibly be a twist didnt happen [and if it had, the movie would have been more interesting]. the only thing that could be considered a twist was something we all called near the beginning. therefore, not much of a twist. nice try tho..

most of the actions done by everyone in the movie just didnt make sense. characters would do something that was so stupid, or pointless, etc. one time they randomly showed the major do a little cough, and then cut away to another scene. we were all like what!? was that an editing mistake or something? it made no sense at all (like most of this movie).

i felt by watching this movie at least a few brain cells died. maybe several, im not sure. it was just weird, stupid, boring, etc. i dont really recommend it.

the grade: C-

Burn after reading

2009-11-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

c...or watching. Look, I'm just going to cut to the chase on this one. This movie is terrible. Awful. Pointless. I should at least attempt to explain the plot to you, but I honestly can't...not in less that 10,000 words. It's a convoluted mess. I can definitely tell that the directors (who have had success with other movies, No Country for Old Men) think they are much smarter than I think they are. The plot goes round and round, all to end up with a big nothing. I kept thinking, "okay, this movie is all over the place....but just maybe, by the end, they are going to surprise me with a big twist that explains everything." Nope. Nada. The crazy thing is, most film critics gave it good reviews. Even one of my favorites, Ebert. If you don't want to believe me, fine, watch this movie, and waste a hour and a half of your life. By the way, can someone please tell my why Brad Pitt is an actor? He is actually quite awful. I'm really drawing a blank, can someone tell me the last time he played an interesting or believable character in a decent movie? [Note: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Benjamin Button are coming to my mind now and those DO NOT fit under the categories I just listed] Anyways, avoid this stinker at all costs. The end.

D+

This is it

2009-10-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

If you are a Michael Jackson fan, this is the movie to see. If you are a skeptic, and you wonder if Michael can really sing and dance like he used to, you should see this movie.
(answer: yes he can)
Shot over a 3 month period before his sudden death, This is it gives us a behind the scenes look at the practices for Michaels come back tour. He sings and dances to all his hits, and it sounds better than ever. He even gets a lot of laughs by his attention to detail. He is seen several times correcting the director or musicians. He has trouble with his ear monitors and the timing of songs, and wants to make sure every detail is checked. While watching the movie, there is no sign of fatigue....he keeps up with the much younger dancers the whole way through. After seeing this movie, you realize just how much of a shame it is that he is gone. This would have been the concert of the decade. This movie will only be in theaters for 2 weeks, so if you're planning on seeing it, don't wait too long.

A

Quarantine

2009-10-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is a horror movie, based after a Spanish version called [REC]. The movie is shot in the hand held camera style.
A reporter and her cameraman are following a group of firefighters into an apartment building where there has been a 911 call. One of the residents has been screaming in her apartment. Basically, there is some sort of rabies virus that turns people into zombie-like animals, and it is spreading throughout the building. The tenants (and firefighters, reporter, ect) are then locked in the building by the center for disease control, thus preventing them from escape. Let the madness begin.

Okay, so that wasn't a very good explanation of the movie. Here's what you need to know:
-The camera is not nearly as shaky as some other movies shot in the same way.
-Lots of people die
-This movie is very cool.

Granted, you will have to like horror movies to enjoy this, but it's pretty intense and exciting. Rent it...if you dare. Muah ha ha ha......But seriously, check it out.

A-

The Invention of Lying

2009-10-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

This movie was extremely hilarious and everyone should go and watch it......wait, that was a lie. Here's the deal. I thought this movie was going to be good, and it simply didn't deliver. The story is clever enough: The people live in an alternate reality where there is no such thing as lying. Everyone just says the truth. The problem is, the writers didn't think this one through. Instead of people just telling the truth, this reality actually involves people just blurting out random thoughts from their mind. Example: if you walk up to someone and think they are ugly, you are not telling a lie if you don't say to them "hey, you are ugly". If they asked you how they looked, then you could say it, but if they didn't, you would have the sense not to say it. Get the idea?

The story is all about this man who suddenly discovers how to lie. His life becomes so much better. He becomes wealthy and popular, but still can't seem to get the girl. She won't marry him, even though she admits she loves him, because he is "fat with a stub nose". She's actually quite rude to him throughout the whole movie, but he still says she's the nicest girl he's ever met. blaahahh. So ridiculous. How can we, as an audience, root for a couple that do not work together. We all wanted to yell at him, get rid of her! Anyways, the dialogue is funny for a while, then gets old. The jokes are okay, and you will be somewhat entertained throughout, but all in all, the invention of this movie should have never happened.

C

Gigantic

2009-09-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

as most people should know by now, i love zooey deschanel. i found this movie on netflix, and i decided to see how it was. paul dano (little miss sunshine) is the main character, and he works at a mattress store. one day an interesting man (John Goodman) comes into his store, and dano sells him a top of the line mattress. before he leaves, he says that "he'll send his girl over later to do financing," and then leaves as quickly as he came in.

later, "the girl" comes in, Happy, who is goodman's daughter (deschanel). her quirky charm intrigues dano, and they start to develop a relationship of sorts. things turn sort of awkward when it comes out that dano's goal his entire life has been to adopt a baby from china. he's been saving up and going through the application process for years, but when he starts dating deschanel, it gets put on the back burner.

the only thing i didnt really like in this movie is that they would randomly show this homeless guy that would come beat up dano and hurt him pretty bad. really, i think it is just trying to symbolize some sort of mental instability, or demons in his head, because there is no real homeless man who's mission in life is to kill dano. his injuries are real though, so somehow he is really just harming himself. this whole theme is pointless, and never is resolved in the movie. it never expounds upon it except for showing him get hurt a few times, and being stalked by the homeless man.

besides these weird dillusions that occur every so often, the movie really is excellent. funny, interesting, engaging, and just plain good. i wont give away anything, but i highly reccommend it.

the grade:
B+

phoebe in wonderland

2009-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

who knew dakota fanning had a younger sister, and that she was so talented?? in this movie, elle fanning plays a young girl named phoebe. she was raised to be a little different from the norm, and to also love "wonderland" (as in alice in wonderland).

as the movie goes on, phoebe's behavior becomes progressively worse and uncontrollable. after a few incidents at school (example: spitting at a classmate), she is sent to therapy.

family dynamics are very interesting, as phoebe's mother fires the therapist and blames herself for raising her daughter poorly. the mother thinks that phoebe doesnt know she loves her, which causes more angst and drama within the family.

the only place phoebe seems to thrive is at play practice. she got the role of alice, in alice in wonderland. phoebe's theater teacher, mrs hodgins (patricia clarkson), seems to be permanently living in wonderland, but her character inspires the children--especially phoebe. the principal doesnt ever seem to fully trust mrs hodgins, and questions her behavior, and her influence on phoebe.

as phoebe struggles with her actions, which she does not want to do but can't help doing, she also starts seeing characters from alice in wonderland. the red queen and alice are seen most frequently. this development concerns all parties involved (parents, principal, and therapist).

i wont spoil the movie, but seriously i really liked this film. all of the roles were well developed, had excellent acting, and were very interesting. phoebe's story will keep you entranced throughout the entire movie. there were even a few times i laughed out loud, and other times when i might have gotten a little teary. i feel that this movie has something for everyone, and is very well done.

the grade:

A-/A

The king of kong

2009-08-31T11:13:00.001-07:00

This documentary was first brought to my attention by guest reviewer, vegafoo. I guess I just didn't remember it, b/c I found it on accident on netflix yesterday and finally got around to watching it.

The story revolves around the world of classic arcade games and the challenge of obtaining the world records. In it, excentric Billy Mitchell (who could be considered the best arcade game player ever) has his high score and world record on the game Donkey Kong challenged by an ordinary father of 2 from Washington named Steve Weibe.

The movie follows the twists and turns of various people who make these games their lifes work. It was actually very interesting and funny at the same time.

I promise you, you will not be let down. Billy Mitchell is....well, interesting to say the least. He is talented (this is the guy who played a perfect game in pac man), but he is also insane. Watch this movie and you will be entertained. Will Steve beat the high score? (which was set in the early 80's) Will billy cut his disgusting hair? Will this make you want to beat the high score of Donkey Kong yourself?...you'll just have to watch it and see.

A-

sunshine cleaning

2009-08-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

in this film, rose (amy adams) is a single mother who works as a maid. she does a cleaning job and goes to tell the house owner that she's finished, and it turns out to be a girl she went to high school with. apparently rose was very popular in high school, and was the head cheerleader. she tries to get over the embarrassment of being seen as a maid by her former high school friend, and is frustrated that she feels her life is headed nowhere. there is talk of getting her real estate license, but it is just that: talk.

rose's little boy, oscar, is quite a handful and always gets into trouble. the principle and teacher of oscar call rose into the office to explain that he needs to take medication and go into special needs. rose refuses, and takes him out of school. the only alternative she has is to put him in private school, which she can't afford.

through all of this mayhem, rose is having an affair with her high school sweetheart, mack, who married someone else from high school. mack is always making empty promises to rose, like how he will put her in classes to get her real estate license. however, he proposes an interesting plan to rose as to how she can make extra money for oscar to go to private school. mack is a police officer, and he sees that the people who clean up after crime scenes make quite a bit of money...

rose's deadbeat sister, nora (emily blunt), gets roped into the idea, and soon enough rose and nora have their own business: sunshine cleaning. they clean up the mess that is left when someone dies. while rose is working to earn money for oscar's private school, oscar is hanging out with his grandpa--who has a couple of screws coming loose. he is always thinking of new quirky ideas to make money, most of which fall through.

the story is a complex web of peoples lives: rose, nora, oscar, mack, grandpa, and the people they come in contact with. rose has to grow up a little and realize what this affair with mack is all about. she hopes that he will leave his wife, but comes to realize that may not ever happen. also, rose and nora have issues they have to work on, and their relationship is constantly fluctuating.

as her business grows and develops, rose becomes more independent and realizes that she is not just a maid, she affects peoples lives and makes a part of a bad situation (death) a little better (by removing it).

there were a couple of issues i had with this movie:
1. there were a lot of side stories that weren't always followed through with
2. along with #1, there are some characters that seem to just be put in to throw you off, because they are never followed through with

i watched this movie with the expectation that i would love it, and it just didnt measure up all the way. it was funny, sweet, dramatic, and interesting. but it did not make me love it. they needed closure with all the characters, which i felt was lacking in the end. the movie just sort of ended. it was one of those endings where you go "WHAT??? that is the end?" it was a relatively happy ending for sure, but just happened too fast and with little explanation.

the grade:

B-

hi my name is ryan

2009-08-30T14:27:00.001-07:00

ok sorry, i kind of distorted this picture, but it was really small and you wouldnt be able to see it.

this is a documentary done by my bffs brother-in-law, paul eagleston, and his friend (cousin?) stephen rose. the official website can be found here. we saw it at the slc film fest a couple weeks ago.

this film is all about a boy named ryan, who is very into music and being creative. he has about 5+ bands with himself and friends, all within different genres. he will do weird/strange things just to do weird/strange things. he wants people to see things in a different way, and understand deeper levels or motives. he admits he isn't "normal" [although these days who isnt, right?], but his main goal in life seems to become a sort of superhuman, who is just plain awesome.

one thing about ryan is he has some sort of growth deficiancy, and therefore has an extremely young looking face. he is also lds, and even serves a full-time mission. it almost seems ironic that these two facts are about the same boy who sings songs like "spank the world" in his thrash band "Fathers Day." this particular band appears to be a product of a difficult upbringing in which his father seemed to have little interest in (go figure). oh, and he also dropped out of highschool because he didnt like it (understandable), and his interests and life-path so far have been fine without the rest of his high school education.

the documentary is pieced together very well, with different aspects of his life: from his family to his fake-mustache-wearing habit, his bands, and the people he interacts with (via shows, theaters, etc). with interesting shots, interviews, clips of shows, and graphics, the film will keep you entertained the whole time. by the end you really are almost in awe of ryan, and the kind of activities he does for fun.

one of the funniest characters in the movie is this crazy art guy (who isn't a very good artist actually), who is taped saying some obscene things about ryan and his cohorts. it is really quite amusing just to hear the things that come out of his mouth. it's a riot. i believe one line he is quoted as saying about Ryan is "I will bake you like a chicken!" ...now those are some classic one-liners.

all in all, the documentary is interesting/funny, well put together, and really captivates the audience. paul and stephen did an incredible job, and hopefully we will be seeing this film going places. :] sundance perhaps? bravo to them, and way to keep striving for awesome-ness ryan.

the grade?

B+/A-

(500) days of summer

2009-08-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

we saw this movie yesterday. loved it.

tom hanson (joseph gordon-levitt) is working at a greeting card company, although he studied to be an architect. he meets his bosses new assistant, who is a beautiful girl named summer finn (zooey deschanel-love her!). they start off kind of awkward, but find out they have similar interests (like the same type of music, etc). becoming friends moves to unknown territory, in which a lovelike friends-with-benefits relationship unfolds.

summer is against labels, doesnt believe in love/fate/destiny, and does not want a boyfriend. tom wants to meet his soul mate. as the movie clearly states, this is not a love story.

the movie is really impressive; from the way that the story line is presented, to the acting, to the actual story. as the movie goes on, you will be irritated with summer and love tom.

relationships in this movie teach the characters new things that they needed to figure out. like what love is, and if fate or destiny is real. getting out of dead end jobs and following your dreams are also themes. although this paragraph i just wrote sounds mushy, it really is all presented into a wonderful story.

the movie does not end like you would like to think it would. but in a way, it ends better. this movie does not disappoint. everything is well done, pretty believable (although juji doesnt think there are really people like summer, which i disagree with), and compelling. go see it now!!!

the grade:
A-

Guest Review: Funny People

2009-08-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Funny, Yet Not So ‘Funny People’

Guest review by an old friend, Jon

Going into this movie I was prepared, I knew it wasn’t “what everyone expected” thanks to a friend (who I don’t remember) telling me about it. Maybe it was Luke. I also knew it was over two hours long. I was looking forward to the laughs it provided, yet was pleasantly surprised by the seriousness of the plot. Though despite it’s sometimes sobering scenes, I was found to be humored just by the situations these comedians (literal and figurative) became wrapped up in. Concerning the length of the movie; it was not LOTR long and epic, nor was it Benjamin Button all encompassing long. As I sat there and watched Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, I felt I was watching the very humorous, dramatic and ironic parts of their characters lives. All-be-it for a small, yet very important, chunk of their lives.

For the most part it was well put together, I didn’t notice any glaring editing flaws (which happen a surprising amount these days). And the overall flow of the movie felt natural throughout, minus the speeding semi that was Sandlers ex-fiance suddenly deciding she wanted him back. Her character had the worst development, she was more of an extension of Sandler than the independently fueled character she should have been. It detracted from the obvious hang-ups Sandler still had for her.

Sandler and Rogen played their characters well through the duration of the story, they stayed true to who they were, yet had believable personal growth occur. I can’t comment too much on the directing, as I have always been a poor judge unless it is beyond-bad, but it appeared to be spot on for this particular movie. Cinematography was used only in such a way to properly portray characters and story development.

Whatever failings the script might have possessed were neatly ironed out by those charged to bring it to life. Sandler, a very well off/jerk comedian fit his role wonderfully and gave him some challenges with the whole ‘near death’ experience. While he did good, Luke Wilson I think takes the cake on the gonna die/aint gonna die in this psuedo-comedy genre. Seth Rogen, he did good, especially since you can tell he might have drawn a lot of experience playing a struggling comedian from his own life.

I admired this movie and highly commend it on a very strong morale point. While some very grievous mistakes are made between characters, the morale high path is chosen, a move not made often in movies, yet seems to come about on occasion. Perhaps Hollywood is learning from Las Vegas, sin sells, but families pay the most $$$.

Final word, go see it. This movie is about people. It’s funny, dramatic, and while it might not beg any social issues, it’s a movie I want in my collection.

District 9

2009-08-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Before watching this movie I had been reading all of the reviews online. (as I usually do) They have all been phenomenal, so I had very high expectations going into this one. Let me tell you, they were all met.
This movie has officially become:

my favorite movie of the year.

Yes, it IS as good as they say.
The story is set in South Africa, where 20 years earlier, an alien space ship settled over Johannesburg. The aliens were basically harmless and just wanted to leave. Instead, they were forced to live in District 9, which became a sort of refugee camp. It is a disgusting place, filled with crime and filth. Overtime, the humans have grown tired of the "problems" caused by district 9, and a task force has been created to move the aliens to district 10, located some distance from the city. Problems arise when the man who is put in charge of moving the aliens becomes infected with some substance that begins to alter his DNA, and turn him into an alien.
What makes this movie so amazing is its story, and characters. There are no cheesy 1 line jokes, no random explosions for no reason (though there are plenty of explosions). No actresses are here to show skin and sell sex. This movie shows aliens from another point of view. By the way, the aliens are very cool and entirely done with CGI. They have human qualities and make you feel for them. Go see this movie. You won't be disappointed. Promise. If you are, just wait another year until your awful big budget movies of next summer arrive.

A

Reviewer Spotlight, part ii

2009-08-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

yours truly dear

if there's one thing i have always loved as a hobby, it's movies. and yes, i consider it a sort of hobby. if people ask the weird question "so what do you like to do in your free time?" i give them an awkward stare and then say "we love watching movies."

when i was little i used to watch my favorite movies over and over and over. on this list were: 101 dalmations (my fave as a youngster), shirley temple movies, and my fair lady. i was raised watching disney, shirley temple, and musicals (state fair, oklahoma, brigadoon, the divorcee, singing in the rain, sound of music, etc).

my movie tastes have changed (obviously), and now i love dramas and comedy, and some action movies. juji loves scary movies so my viewing of those has increased, but usually begrudgingly. i have left the theater a time or two when i get too scared... i also hate gore. anything gory is absolutely disgusting to me. violence is not appealing to me. if it is in some sort of action movie i can usually be ok, but i just hate it.

there are some movies i refuse to watch, which i think are just stupid. example, the twilight movies. another example, transformers 2 (i wasted enough of my time watching the first one). if anything looks too childish or unbelievable, or based on a stupid book, i wont watch it.

anyways, i just love movies, and feel like i have a pretty good grasp on if they are awful or not. (dont ask juji though, because he will bring up movies i like such as "failure to launch" or "sex and the city" and then will say i have movie faults). i hope you enjoy my reviews, and i like feedback so feel free to leave comments.

some of my favorite movies are: best in show, baby mama, gran torino, slumdog millionaire, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, misery, the river wild, changeling, dark knight, and many more

favorite actresses: zooey deschanel, britney murphy, sarah jessica parker, kathy bates, tina fey, amy poehler, lisa kudrow, jennifer anniston, kate winslet, meryl streep

Reviewer spotlight

2009-08-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

Juji
So here's the deal, I like movies. They can be fun, scary, entertaining, and exciting all at the same time. Here's the issue: They can also be boring and awful. I am NOT one of those people who just thinks movies are to be enjoyed for "entertainment value." What does that even mean? No, I expect more from my movies. That's why I consider myself an amateur critic.

No matter what genre of movie your watching, there are some things to look for that can tell you if it's a good movie or not. Acting, plot, believability, dialogue, character development...ect. It goes on an on. However, some genres can be weak in some of these categories and still be considered good in my book. For example: in some comedies, a story may be somewhat unbelievable and still be okay. You wouldn't fall for those awful costumes in White Chicks, but that movie is nonetheless hilarious.

The point is, for me to like a movie, it has to make sense, have a great story, and be told well. For this reason, you may notice that I don't really like action movies all that much. Especially when summertime comes around and all the big production companies start churning out their usual blockbuster disasters, which are generally lapped up by the public. I'm more into thrillers, dramas, suspense, and comedies.

So enjoy my movie reviews. If you disagree with any of my reviews, great. I like to hear others opinions, and then quickly explain why they're wrong. :) The end

Favorite movies: Slumdog Millionaire, Misery, Changeling, Best in Show, Clue, Gran Torino.

Double Jeopardy

2009-08-07T23:05:00.001-07:00

This ain't the game show....Double Jeopardy stars Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones in a suspense/thriller from the 90's. Libby (Judd) is accused and convicted of murdering her husband on a boating trip. She loses her son and is quickly whisked off to jail. The trouble is, she has been framed by her husband. Thanks to the "Double Jeopardy Law", she can't be tried for the same crime twice. Once she gets out of jail on probation, killing her husband for real is no longer a crime. The movie follows her attempt to find her son and bring justice to her husband.

Okay, sorry that synopsis was only so-so, but I'm so ready for the analysis I can hardly stand it. There are many different problems with this movie, it's hard to know where to begin. First off, we are never told a motive as to why her husband framed her in the first place. He gets with another woman for a while, but then we discover later that she's been killed under questionable circumstances herself. (It is implied that he kills her a few years later).

And another problem: In the attempt to find her son and husband, Libby commits numerous crimes herself, including breaking her probation, destruction of property, resisting arrest, theft, assault, vandalism, breaking and entering, etc. After all this, I'm supposed to feel sorry for this woman? Hardly. This movie has a promising story, but something is just off. Judd is somewhat convincing, but Jones, playing her probation officer, merely takes up space. While extremely rude to her at first, he somehow begins to believe her "I'm innocent" story only AFTER she's wrecked his car, stolen his gun, and bashed him on the head.....righttt.....and by the way, when they finally do find her husband, who has since changed his name, wouldn't just providing a picture of him prove he is who she says he is? That would be too easy.

And as I predicted halfway through the movie, by the end, Libby is "cleared of all charges". Ummmm, hello?, remember all the other crimes mentioned above? That scene made me roll my eyes almost as much as the cheesy scene where Libby is finally reunited with her son. ( the one where he's playing soccer and seems un-phased by the fact that his dad has been shot and killed) I'm sorry, I just gave away the ending AND vomited a little bit. This movie left me annoyed and only slightly entertained.

C-

Movies Movies Movies

2009-08-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Got a movie in mind that you would like reviewed? Leave a comment and it just might end up on this blog. Got your own opinion on things...email us with a guest review. We're up for other opinions....of course if we disagree, we'll let you know.

A Perfect Getaway

2009-08-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

In this movie, a newly married couple goes to Hawaii for their honeymoon. They set out to go backpacking on a major trail on one of the islands, and while they are on their journey they find out that a newlywed couple just got murdered the island over while on their honeymoon. While wary about the news, they decide to press on with their honeymoon plans.

They meet up with some interesting characters, including an ex-special ops guy and his girlfriend--Niko and Gina. Both couples are going the same way, and decide to travel together. Niko and Gina prove to be interesting characters, who kill and clean a goat, carry dangerous weapons, and seem to possibly have a few screws loose.

While they are worried that their fellow travelers may be the murderers, they see a young couple (who were seen earlier in the movie and seemed shady) get arrested, with evidence found in their bags. All is fine and dandy then, as they enjoy the rest of their vacation together with their new friends knowing that they aren't the murderers.

Most of the action occurs in the last 15 minutes of the movie, which is slightly annoying on the movies part but oh well.. A twist in the plot leaves you with an unexpected ending, which really makes the movie.

This film is just ok in our opinions. Although the twist is crazy, it may become quite apparent to you while watching it. Josh figured it out within the first twenty minutes (although I said he got helped because he knew their was a cuckoo twist...). A lot of the movie may seem slightly boring, until the end. Because really you just watch them hike and camp a lot. It's interesting to see the fishy relationships between all the characters though.

The grade: C/C+

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-08-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

Guest Review By: Vegafoo

Transformers 2 is trainwreck...but perhaps i'm judging it incorrectly, bc i was judging it as a movie. Perhaps i should have been judging it as a test to see if you were a 13 year old with mental retardation. What, not sure if you're a 13 year old with mental retardation? heres a simple test. Watch the following scenes from the movie:
2 dogs humping, a different shot of the 2 dogs humping, a small robot humping a robots leg, the same 2 dogs now humping in a different location, a giant robot with balls.
If any of those scenes made you legitimately laugh, you are a 13 year old with mental retardation. If so, congratulations, I found the movie for you.

Also, for all of you racists/sexists out there who have been disturbed by the lack of prejudice in recent giant robot movies, you are in luck. There's plenty racial profiling, bigotry, and female degradation to meet your needs. Just ask the stereotypical black robots, neckbone and cheesegrits. (The names may be a little off, but that doesn't really matter does it?)

Let me give credit where credit is due: Director Michael Bay did make the tough discision to film the entire movie without an actual plot. It was a bold move, but then again, Bay is a bold man. Wait, is bold the right word? Serioulsy though, even as a pure mindless action film, it also exceeds at failing miserably. The CGI is impressive. Who knew that with the technology we have today, futuristic robots can actually be made to look like piles of metal vomit, only distinguishable from one another by bumblebee's yellow color and Optimus' red.

In conclusion, here's a list of things I would rather do than watch this movie again:
-Watch every movie Lindsay Lohan has ever made
-Read the Twilight Series
-Have a cavity filled by the new dentist, Lindsay Lohan
-Come in contact with Lindsay Lohan in any way

No no no, don't stop reading this review. You will sit here and read the funny things I would rather do than watch this movie!!!...

for those of you smart enough to avoid this tragedy, here is the cliff notes version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRS90V8BQGo

the end

F

Hancock

2009-07-26T19:19:00.001-07:00

So I finally watched Hancock, the movie that got a lot of publicity last year, but never really got me that interested. Okay, here's the deal (and try not to turn on me)....I didn't get it. I know, I know, it had Will Smith in it, and don't get me wrong, I love his work.....but not this one.
The problem is, the movie really doesn't have a point. The whole time I was trying to decide exactly what they wanted me to get out of it. Hancock is a super hero, who apparently everybody in the world hates b/c he is so lazy and rude. He acts this way (I think) b/c he's mad that he's the only super hero in the world....or something like that. Spoiled brat anyone?
Anyways, he meets people, things happen, he fights incredibly pathetic bad guys who aren't scary or threatening at all. Think annoying jail thugs.
Things happen that are supposed to make us feel sorry for him, even though they aren't really sad. Weak story, okay acting, lame action.... Annnyways, I can't go on anymore. Major dud. The end.

C-

Orphan

2009-07-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, back to the movies I like, the scary ones. This movie has been portrayed as a horror film, although I'll let you know it's mostly a suspense/thriller. (oh....besides the killing)
Esther is a 9 year old Russian Orphan who is adopted by a family who has recently lost a child at birth. She seems like a perfectly polite little girl at first, but obviously, things change very quickly.
Accidents seem to follow Esther everywhere she goes, and her past is almost impossible to uncover.
Esther has a secret.....and it makes for a very exciting twist and ending.
There are funny parts in this movie too, including the end line of the movie which mimics (and mocks) the last line of "The Ring 2". Remember that one?
I liked it. If you like scary movies, you'll like it too.

B+

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-07-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

So...I went and saw a scary movie with Josh (that I actually ended up liking), and I figured I could indulge in a silly chick flick. Which was entirely what this movie turned out to be: silly.

Granted, I like silly. I am silly. But as far as movies go, if its going to be silly- it needs to be hilarious (ie White Chicks). There were funny parts and cute parts, and a lot of themes I felt I could relate to. I am a bit fashion obsessed and a bit of a shopaholic (ask Josh) so it was funny to see some of myself in the main character.

In this movie we meet Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher), a journalist who racks up the credit card bills to a freakish amount just by shopping. She decides to take a job at a financial magazine in order to work her way up to a fashion magazine that stems from the same publisher. Her kooky personality and the situations she gets in will keep you entertained. There is a lot of screaming over bills, shopping (of course), shopaholics anonymous, and calls from the dreaded debt collector.

Of course, being a romantic comedy, she gets busted for giving such brilliant financial advice yet having debt up to her eyeballs. This lie destroys all her relationships, including her budding romance with her (cute) boss, Hugh Dancy.

Overall, this movie is mildly entertaining, whether you are laughing at the jokes or the sillyness (read: stupidity) of the script.

The grade?

C+

Guest review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks Cam for this guest review:

I just got back from watching "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and I thought I'd write down my thoughts. I'll keep this review brief, so if you're looking for an in-depth analysis, you'll have to look elsewhere. This movie, the sixth in the series, was without a doubt the best of them all. I've already gotten in several facebook arguments with people who disagree, but my opinion has not changed.

Reason one, the style of this movie is very visual and efficient without disrupting the flow of the story. There are never special effects for the sake of special effects, and the focus is always on the characters and plot instead of visually stunning or amusing magic. The third movie's major downfall was it's overreaching representation of Hogwarts. They had an enormous pendulum swinging in the doorway of the great hall in that movie, for pete's sake. The sixth movie cuts away all unnecessary special effects, such as moving staircases and talking paintings. We were done being wowed by those things halfway through the first movie. We don't need to be reminded of them in each subsequent movie.

Reason two, the acting is immensely better. I won't deny that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint aren't the best actors, but I will submit that their acting has vastly improved since the beginning. I think they have also been assisted by better dialogue (the funny lines are actually funny in this one). There are also not as many characters straining to get lines in. We see a lot of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (of course), a lot of Dumbledore (as it should be), a lot of Horace Slughorn, and just the right amount of everyone else (I'm so glad we got to see some good bits of Prof. McGonagall too. You can never have too much Maggie Smith. Some of the other movies have definitely been lacking her presence).

*SPOILER ALERT*
There were a few faults I would have liked to have been fixed. First being the scene where Bellatrix and Greyback come to the Burrow and set it on fire. I didn't see any reason why that needed to be in the movie. I'm not one who feels that adaptations need to follow the book too closely, but I didn't see any reason for this departure. Especially considering that many scenes in the beginning of "The Deathly Hallows" need to take place at the Burrow. Maybe this will be cleared up in the next movie, but overall I thought this scene was time wasted.

Second, I didn't like that Snape and the death eaters got out of Hogwarts at the end without a fight. Snape blasts one auror out of the way and they don't see a single other person. I wouldn't even care if we had key characters fighting the death eaters at the end (I can see how having Bill Weasley get attacked by Greyback would eat into the time), just as long as it showed SOMEONE putting up a fight. A friend of mine felt like there was no climax to the movie and I partially agree. A bit more of a fight at Hogwarts would fix that problem.

Like I said, I firmly believe that this is the best movie so far and I hope the next two movies (apparently they're splitting book 7 into two movies) will follow the same style as this one. In conclusion I'll leave you with my favorite trailer for "The Half-Blood Prince." I couldn't find that good of a copy of it, but I think this is the most chilling trailer they released.

The Proposal

2009-06-28T15:59:00.001-07:00

Again, Sandra Bullock. This time joined by the attractive Ryan Reynolds (yum). Sandra Bullock is an uptight, top editor for one of the largest publishing firms in America. She appears to have no life outside of work, and no personality except for being known as the office witch. Her poor assistant, Ryan Reynolds, has to succumb to her every whim.

When Sandra realizes that she will be deported to Canada and replaced by a second-rate editor she just fired, she quickly comes up with a plan to be able to stay. She announces to her superiors that she is engaged to her assistant, and therefore will be able to stay in the US after marrying him. Ryan Reynolds is shocked, needless to say, and only sticks with the plan in order to get the promotion of his dreams. The immigration officer they have to meet with is suspicious of foul play, and warns them many times what the consequences of such activities would be.

This comedy is the story of how Sandra comes with Ryan on a vacation to stay with his family in Canada. Watching this movie you will fall in love with Ryan's family, especially his mother (Mary Steenburgen) and grandmother (Betty White). Sandra's character starts opening up and her true personality starts to come out, and the pretend couple slowly (of course) fall in love.

This comedy will give you big laughs, and maybe even a few tears. Oscar (from the Office) is even a prominent and ridiculous character. Purely entertaining on all accounts, this is a great movie for anyone to see.

The grade: B+

The Net

2009-06-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

In case anyone doesn't know, we love Sandra Bullock. This is an older movie, but definitely a good one. In the movie, Sandra is a sort of computer programmer who's expertise is viruses/bugs. When her friend sends her a particularly strange sort of virus to check out, Sandra's world is slowly turned upside down. She goes on vacation while simultaneously working on the virus, and meets a handsome computer programmer. They hit it off and she spends most of her vacation time with him.

While on vacation, her wallet is stolen. Her new lover turns out to be someone entirely different than he seems, and Sandra has to literally fight for her life. Her entire identity is stolen, and she is wanted by the police. Sandra realizes all these problems are connected to the virus, which she tries to crack while she also fights to stay alive.

This intense thriller will keep you intrigued the entire time. Sandra Bullock does not disappoint!

The grade: B

the river wild

2009-06-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

so we're on a bit of a meryl streep kick...nothing is wrong with that! if you have not seen the river wild, you need to rent it stat. this movie is a lost kind of thriller...more movies need to be made like this nowadays.

meryl streep wants to take her son, roarke, on a river trip before the river gets ruined "by pollution and all that stuff..." roarke's father is on shaky terms with meryl due to his obsession with work, but at the last minute he is able to come too. the family (and their dog maggie) meets up with some interesting characters who are essentially stranded, and they decide to help these 2 guys out. things start getting a little sketchy and the rest of the movie is them trying to ditch the weirdos. [there is more to the plot obviously but i dont want to give anything away!]

if you dont hate kevin bacon already, you will hate him for sure after seeing this movie. all the acting is top-notch, and the characters are all very interesting in their own way. meryl streep is truly the hero of the story, and you will love watching her kick butt.

like i said before, this is a kind of lost thriller. they just dont make them like this anymore. go watch it ASAP!

the grade: A+

Doubt

2009-05-31T15:45:00.001-07:00

This weekend we watched this movie. I loved it (excluding the very last scene). One reason i liked it was b/c it was starring Meryl Streep. Nominated for an academy award for her performance, she plays the principal of a catholic school. She's extremely strict and all of the kids are terrified of her. No matter what Seinfeld might say, she's no phony. She's very believable and makes every scene interesting. In the movie, Streep accuses the Priest of some inappropriate behavior with one of the school boys. Throughout the whole movie she keeps trying to find out if he really did what she thinks he did. There's tons of drama, funny moments, and good acting. As for the last scene, well, it just did what I didn't want it to do. I won't spoil it for those who want to (and should) see it, but it's just something that I personally didn't want a character to do. Other than that, it's a great drama. Check. it. out.

B+

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

2009-05-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today I made the long overdue purchase of this classic. The new Terminator movie (which i don't want to see....read the reviews) inspired me to go get this one. Most of you know that I am not a big action movie fan. They're usually all flash with no substance. This movie is different. This is my kind of action movie. It actually has a story to tell (much like the original Die Hard movie).
I'm not going to spend forever explaining the plot of this movie b/c it is kind of complicated, but basically, a robot from the future (Arnold), is sent back to protect John Conner. A better, more advanced model of robot is also sent back to kill him. Annnnnddd so forth. It is such a good movie. Love it love it love it. Forget Star Trek, forget Transformers, forget the new Die Hard, forget allllll of those pathetic excuses for "blockbuster" action movies. THIS is an action movie. You'll love it.

A

star trek

2009-05-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

so, hello to any lurking trekkies. i myself am not a 'trekkie,' but i have wanted to see this movie. i had heard it appeals to the masses, not just the trekkies. you dont need to know everything about star trek to watch it, it was sort of designed as an action movie rather than a fan movie. the previews were good and i was excited. somehow i managed to convince josh to come with me, and we went with my sister and her hubby.

anyways, about the movie...

the movie overall was good. my only main problems with it were:

1. the plot was kind of all over the place. the timing of everything was confusing. there was a lot involved and there were a few times when i was like huh??
2. the bad guys werent that bad. they werent super intimidating or scary. just kind of "bad" looking... not the villain you love to hate, you know?

besides those two little setbacks, the movie was very good. it was exciting and entertaining. josh isn't a huge action fan but he said that he remained "entertained the entire time." the characters were pretty true to the original star trek, and the original Spock was even in the movie. it was all pretty cool. there were some funny parts too, which is always good.

the movie ended with the nerd clap. you know, all the trekkies clapping because the movie was so great when the credits start rolling? true story......yikes.

the grade?
B

wanted

2009-05-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

we just saw this movie last week with our friends. at first i was a little hesitant because it has angelina jolie in it, and everyone knows how we feel about her...

this movie was pretty good. the beginning seemed a little weird and didnt quite set up the entire plot very well. it just sort of randomly jumped into the action.

the action was pretty good though, and it was fun to watch. there is an underground....society(?) called the Fraternity. they are in charge of killing people chosen by "fate." the main character, James McAvoy, is recruited because his father was murdered and he was supposed to avenge him.

i cant remember seeing James McAvoy in anything, so i had no idea who he was. i liked him, i think he did a good job with his character. the amazing Morgan Freeman is also in this film, which is always a plus.

the story ends with an interesting twist. the very ending line is incredibly corny but its funny. anyways, the grade is:

B-

Obsessed

2009-04-24T22:31:00.001-07:00

Today we saw the brand new thriller, Obsessed, starring Beyonce'. Now look, this movie looked pretty cool in the previews, but it's not like we expected something spectacular. It had beyonce and wasn't set in the 30's.... so we were hooked. Beyonce' did a very good job. Overall, the story was okay. The problem was, it wasn't believable and it was veeerrry frustrating. The whole thing was frustrating. You know I hate it when movies create fake drama, or cause characters to do things no normal human being would do. Well, this movie does it time and time again.

I'll sum the movie up quickly. White girl becomes freakishly obsessed with beyonce's husband, antics begin, big fight scene ends the movie. (even with the classic, you think she's dead and then her eyes pop open with loud music moment....which was hilarious)
Beyonce' and the girl have a really (unintentionally) funny fight scene at the end. You never worry for B b/c she's much bigger than the other girl. In the end, it was pretty predictable and frustrating, but fun to see Beyonce'.

C+

the skeleton key

2009-04-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

tonight we rented the skeleton key from the playstation network. being the scary-movie-hater that i am...i got a bit nervous. to be honest the whole thing was suspenseful and i was tense the entire time.

this movie is very good and engaging. it keeps you involved, and always wondering exactly what is up. kate hudsen is an excellent star in this film, and her character is believable and likeable. she always asks the right questions, not like some other movies where you just want to yell at the screen and go "what are you doing!?!" (well, that happened a couple times, but it wouldnt be a scary movie if it didnt).

kate hudsen is a nurse who gets hired to do a hospice job out in the swamps around new orleans. there is an old married couple, and the husband had a stroke so he is paralyzed and can't speak. the house is spooky and old, and weird things happen...

the movie ends with an unexpected twist. if i had to compare it to another movie i would say the sixth sense. it was suspenseful, scary, and ends with a bang outta nowhere. go rent it now!

the grade:
A-/B+

earth

2009-04-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

just saw this yesterday. GO SEE IT!! every ticket bought gets a tree planted. the footage is amazing and breathtaking. as much as i love nature, this movie just enhanced it. if you love planet earth (or just the earth/animals in general) than you will love this movie.

there were a few times that an animal was running away from a predator and i was going "runnnnnn!!!!" then i almost got sad but i was like ok ok they need to eat too.

please go see this movie. it will increase your appreciation for the earth and the wildlife it supports. (my favorite part is when they talked about water and how it makes everything possible etc etc and i was like yayyyy my future career has meaning!!)

the grade?
A+

march of the penguins

2009-04-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

i know this movie came out a while ago, but we had never seen it. so this weekend we rented it on the playstation. we had heard so much about how awesome this movie was, so we were really psyched up for it...

the movie was good, but not what we expected. there was a lot that wasn't really explained very well. several times i asked out loud "wait, what is going on!? why arent they telling us!?!" also, the movie was filled with several stretches of monotony. it would zoom up on a melting icicle for like 5 minutes straight. we got the idea after the first few seconds...

besides those two problems, i did like this movie. the penguins were sooo cute, and its amazing how their bodies work. i didnt like it when they showed dead penguins though. i even cried at one point... it was interesting though and generally good.

overall, i'd say the grade is a B-

Pan's Labyrinth

2009-04-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

New post time. Ahhh, Pan's Labyrinth. Personally, I love this movie, although I realize that not everyone will. This is a foreign film from Spain, so yes, It is completely done in Spanish, by spanish actors, with english subtitles. The reason everyone won't like this movie is it mixes history with fantasy. A young girl moves with her mother into the home of a Spanish general who is currently fighting the rebels. Turns out the girl is actually a princess in some alternate world. She is approached by a creature who presents 3 tasks for her to accomplish to prove that she is still the princess. It has some pretty scary/thrilling moments which make it very intense at times. Anyways, as long as fantasy doesn't completely turn you off, you should enjoy this movie. It even won a few Academy Awards. Highly Recommended.

B+

The Benchwarmers

2009-03-17T19:10:00.001-07:00

Well, by request, here is the tragedy that is...the benchwarmers. Now, to be honest, I haven't watched this movie all the way through. No, this is one of the only movies that I have ever walked out of the theater on. Sad to say, I did pay to see this movie. I have no idea why now, but I did. Believe me, I've seen some awful movies, and stayed the whole time. But this, this was beyond awful. The acting is horrific, the jokes would be funny to 5th graders, and the story (what I saw of it), was just stupid. Really, if you somehow saw and liked this movie, don't let me know....I'll only think less of you. 2 notes: not surprisingly, the people in the theater were dying laughing at all the jokes...we are in Provo, the gene pool isn't too deep around here. Also, if you think it's funny to see people pee in bottles, get poop put on their face, or see people held down while someone else farts in their face...you might like this movie.

The Watchmen

2009-03-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

so we went and saw this movie today in theaters. i was a little hesitant to see it to be truthful, since some reviews were mixed, and i dont like violence. i decided to give it a chance though...

i actually really liked it. the fight scenes were really cool, and i almost wish there were more. my favorite characters were the girl, Miss Jupiter, and the guy with the cool changing mask, Rorschach. they both kicked butt.

it isnt as much of an action movie as you might think, since it revolves around war and world peace. but the fight scenes with the superheroes were still pretty cool. (there were a couple instances of unnecessary violence i admit, and i had to look away once). the ending is different from the book, which is probably a good thing since apparently in the book there was a giant squid involved. the ending of the movie was really good though.

my only problems with the movie is that it was a teeny bit long, had moments of unnecessary violence, and could have had more cool fight scnenes (like jason bourne kind of style you know? not gross/bloody etc). there were a few jumpy moments, but maybe that was just because its me and im really jumpy :]

overall, we both really enjoyed this movie. i would say that some of the reviews and even content descriptions are misleading.

what grade do we give it?
A-/B+

bravo

2009-02-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

we are so glad that slumdog millionaire won EIGHT oscars last night!!! this was probably my favorite movie of the year. i downloaded the soundtrack last night, and i have been listening to it all day. i can't say anymore how much i loved this movie, and i was so proud of the cast and crew for getting so much recognition. if you havent seen it, go see it right now. thanks.

Taken

2009-02-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

As the most popular movie in Utah right now, we were excited to go see it this weekend. I know, we should have seen it a lot earlier blah blah blah, but the last time we tried to see it, it was sold out. So we finally saw it yesterday.

This is an action movie, sort of a mix between Bourne Identity and James Bond. In the movie Liam Neeson is an ex-government "preventor", sort of like a bonafide security guard. His daughter goes on vacation, and gets taken (mostly because her and her friend are idiots). Because of his previous work history, he is able to get all the information he needs (which sort of tells all and is semi-unbelievable) and goes to Paris to find her.

My two beefs with this movie:
1. the daughter. I think they told her to act like a 9 year old, when really she's supposed to be 17. She runs everywhere, and is unbelievably childish. She also has an unmemorable face which makes her hard to distinguish in later scenes and then you can get confused.
2. The dad almost knows too much. As someone pointed out, if that much information was really accessible we would have gotten Saddam Hussein in like 24 hours. He also seems to be invincible (thus the major comparison to the Bourne movies), and never gets hurt or too stuck in a situation.

Overall, this movie was entertaining and exciting. A good action movie, with some great scenes and unexpected events. The grade?

B

Family Guy: Blue Harvest

2009-02-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

this. movie. is. hilarious.
it follows the story line of the original star wars movies pretty well, but actually includes witty banter and a whole lot of comedy. it is a condensed version of the originals, highlighting the key moments.

you will never watch a funnier animated movie. there is even an "I've had the time of my life" montage from Dirty Dancing, preformed by Obi-wan aka Herbert, with backup vocals from storm troopers.

Peter plays a perfect Han Solo, with Lois as Princess Leia, Chris as Luke Skywalker, Brian as Chewbacca, and Stewie as Darth Vader. all around this movie is a true masterpiece. we cannot thank the producers from Family Guy enough.

The grade?
A

let us know

2009-02-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

please let us know what movies you would like to see reviewed. new movies, old movies, funny movies, cruddy movies, whatever. leave a comment and let us know what you would like to see on the review blog. thanks guys!!

josh + jess

SeeNot

2009-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a snapshot of movies from different genres that you might want to check out:

Musical:
See "Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"...
Not "Mama Mia"

Comedy:
See "Blades of Glory"...
Not "Step Brothers"

Drama:
See "The Shawshank Redemption"...
Not "Fracture"

Fantasy:
See "Stardust"
Not "Lord of the Rings"

Action/Adventure
See: "Eagle Eye"
Not: "King Kong"

Horror/Thriller
See: "The Strangers"
Not: "Prom Night"

Best in Show

2009-02-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Now how could we have a movie review blog without including my favorite movie of all time??? Best in Show is by far one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It is a "mocumenary" about a bunch of people taking their dogs to a dog show. The humor doesn't come from old jokes or slap stick comedy (which I do love in certain movies). No, this is smart humor....which is usually the best. Meaning, if you are not intelligent, you might not get a lot of it. This is a funny movie b/c the characters are over the top, crazy, insane, BUT believable. It's funny in much of the same ways as the movie "Clue" is funny. Not because it's a similar movie, but in Clue, the characters personalities are what is so likable. Same thing here. These people are genuinely funny. So anyways, rent it, buy it, download it, just watch it. I love it.

A

Changeling

2009-02-09T13:31:00.001-08:00

I know you're looking at this picture of Angelina Jolie and thinking about how you'd rather stab yourself in the eyes than watch her on the big screen for more than 20 minutes....i'm usually right there with you. But this one is actually good. It's a true story and you'll probably like it. It's a story set in the 20's or 30's about a woman who's son goes missing. The L.A. police are corrupt at this time in U.S. history so in order to make a good name for themselves, they "find" her son and return him to her. All the press is there to cover this wonderful occasion. Only problem is, it's not really her son. She fights to find her son and even gets thrown into a mental hospital against her will. Very very good, I can't wait to rent it when it comes out. You should definitely put aside your angelina hatred for a minute and watch it. I'm glad I did.

A

slumdog millionaire

2009-02-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

in this movie, a slumdog goes on the show "who wants to be a millionaire" and on the first night he makes it all the way to the second to last question (then the time ran out). he was interrogated that night because everyone thought he had cheated, since there's no way a slumdog was that smart. the movie goes through all the moments in his life that led him to know the answers for each question.

this movie is amazing. i loved it from beginning to end. the movie ends the way you want it to, which is nice to have every once in a while. i would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. one of the best movies i've seen in a while.

what do we give this movie?

A

the crush

2009-01-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

i have always loved alicia silverstone. love her. this is her a couple years before clueless. she plays a sultry little 14-year old who crushes hard on the new guy that rents the extra apartment on her parents lot.

alicia's character becomes consumed with romantic obsession. the renter starts out flattered, but things go from weirder to wrong. watch this thriller and you will appreciate alicia in a way you never thought you could.

oh, and the princess bride guy is in it. he's ok, but when has he ever been especially memorable except as the princess bride guy, right?

plus, this is a movie from 1993, and some could describe its quality as a 'made for tv movie.' but really, just watch it because its interesting and suspenseful, and you will think that alicia is a little nuts.

the grade??

B-/C+

saved!

2009-01-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

mandy moore.....you might already be thinking "...gross."
dont worry though, her character is so annoying in this movie you will love to hate her.

this comedy is laugh-so-hard-you-might-pee-a-little funny. this flick makes fun out of hardcore self-righteous christians. watch it for its comedy, and you will appreciate it.

my favorite character? the rebel jewish girl who gets kicked out of every school shes been too. she delivers the best lines throughout the entire movie.

this movie also makes you awkwardly love macaulay cilkin for more than his Richie-Rich side. overall, just a really fun, silly movie that you will definitely get a kick out of. go rent it. or ask us if you can borrow it.

what grade do we give it?

B/B+

the curious case of benjamin button

2009-01-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

ok, i know people that like this movie, and i am not trying to offend you or anything if you liked it. personally, i hated it. the movie was about 3 hours long, and the whole time i was just thinking "ughhhh is this over yet!?!"

benjamin is born as an old nasty baby-guy, and gets discarded on the doorstep of an old folks home, where a black caretaker takes him in and raises him. he grows from old to young, which is a phenomenon that is not well explained in the plot. when there is narration it is by an old raspy woman whose voice is beyond irritating.

cate blanchett's character is annoying, promiscuous, and quite rude until near the end of the movie when she gets a little more calmed down. by that point, benjamin is only getting younger. by the end of the movie, i was entirely depressed, emotionally tired, and was concentrating more on keeping my eyes open than what was going on in the movie. when i tried to recall what the point/message of the movie was afterward, i couldn't quite put my finger on it. to this day i'm still not completely sure...

what grade do i give this movie?

D-

Misery

2009-01-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

Misery is one of my all time favorite movies. It's scary, but not horror-movie scary. The whole movie is intense and you feel like you are trapped with James Caan the whole time. Basically, he plays a writer and Kathy Bates is his "#1 fan". Turns out, she's a bit psycho and keeps him locked away. The whole time he has to try and find a way to get out. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for this one. Very very good. If you love thrillers....rent it.

A

four christmases

2009-01-26T21:46:00.008-08:00

Now I know this movie will be coming out on DVD soon and you might be thinking to yourself..."Hey, I forgot to see that one, i should rent it." Do yourself a favor and go burn the 3.50 you would spend renting it...that would be a better use of your money. This movie was a pile of garbage. The plot is terrible (and bizarre at times), the acting is sub par. Hate hate hated it. Do not waste your time. Basically, reese and vince have to go visit family members for christmas. They hate doing this, and who could blame them...their families are insane, over-the-top, and truly unbelieveable. Most importantly, they are annoying. Every house gets more and more frustrating to watch. You'll be praying for it to end sooner. This movie did well in theaters, so people were definitely fooled by the previews. (myself included)

grade: F

wait until dark

2009-01-26T21:34:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn, right?? I do and I have since I was little. I used to watch My Fair Lady about once a week growing up. Until this past year, I had never heard of this Audrey movie before. A little different from some of her more well known classics, this is a thriller. Yes, it may have been made in 1967, but it is still freaky. Not in a 'hide-my-face-pee-my-pants-i-hate-this-movie' kind of way, but in a suspenseful and intriguing way.

Audrey plays a blind woman who is being harassed by some drug-dealers who believe she has a doll full of heroin. They go to extremes in a kind of evil Sherlock Homes way, and Audrey is left fending for herself.

Audrey won an Academy Award in 1967 for 'best actress' in this film. She is absolutely fantastic in this movie, and very convincing. Go rent it, you will like it!

What did we give this movie?

A

the house bunny

2009-01-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

So if you're in the mood for something really funny, "the house bunny" is definitely a good bet.
It has many many stupid-funny moments ala "white chicks"
(which i really like), but it's actually just a really clever movie. Mostly it's because of Anna Faris. She plays Shelly, a former playmate who gets kicked out of the mansion for being too old. She finds a job as a sorority house mother for a misfit bunch of girls. No big surprises here, but still hilarious throughout. The most funny moments come when Anna's character randomly yells out funny words after getting hurt, and when she does her weird, and totally original, deep voice.

"I've got to do something mysterious..." hahaha, check it out.

A-/B+

gran torino

2009-01-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

We saw gran torino in theaters on saturday.

This is Clint Eastwood's last film as an actor. (He is getting a little old, after all). This movie is a great drama that is a must see, just be prepared for some racial slurs. It's a very interesting, compelling story with great character dynamics. Some characterizations are a bit over-the-top, but it adds to the story in a good way. The ending is a combination of unexpected and expected situations, in a way that will leave you both sad yet ultimately content. Overall, this movie is a winner, and you need to go see it immediately.

what grade do we give it?

A