Obsessed

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

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

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

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

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

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.

F

The Watchmen

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

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