bravo

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

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

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

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

See____Not____

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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