The first movie that we’ve been able to see in theaters in a very long time was We Bought A Zoo. I think it was a decent choice.
We saw this, partially, for Caleb’s benefit. He loves animals and we thought that might help keep him focused on that instead of up running around. This is also the first movie we’ve seen in theaters since Caleb’s diagnosis in December 2010, so it was a bit of a test to see how he would handle it. He did pretty well and he seemed to really enjoy the movie.
Mine and Ashley’s main complaint was the amount of swearing. It’s a PG movie and it was a lot heavier on the language than either of us thought it would be. There was even a part where the little girl called an adult a <insert euphemism for male body part here>, which in and of itself is not so bad, but in a PG movie that my 3-year-old was watching it rubbed me wrong.
Also, I think the creators miscategorized the film. They said it’s supposed to be a comedy with the inspirational drama thrown in, but it’s not. It’s the other way around. Granted, this has no bearing on my rating of the movie, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Overall it’s a pretty good movie, though. I really like Matt Damon as an actor and this was a good role for him.
“What you are about to see is top secret. Do NOT tell my mother!” -Agent Simmons.
I kept hearing that this movie had no plot until about half way through. I went in expecting that. I was happy to find these statements to be wrong. There wasn’t much action until about halfway through, but I saw a good plot all the way through.
Here’s the breakdown.
Characters
In addition to the characters from the last movie, there are a some new Autobots and Decepticons. The twins have to be the funniest of the newbies. Anyway, additionally Sam has some new friends from college: one girl that seems to be throwing herself at him, despite Bumblebee’s attempts to thwart her and one guy who is obsessed with finding all he can out about the alien machines that have supposedly been sighted in the recent past.
Story
Basically, there’s a really old Decepticon that Megatron has been working for named The Fallen. He wants to destroy the sun to create energon to help him build an army of Decepticons to rule the galaxy. He can only be killed by a Prime, like Optimus. Unfortunately, Optimus dies halfway through the movie protecting Sam from nearly all the Decepticons on Earth by himself. Of course, Sam, who accidentally touched one of the two remaining shards of the Allspark, has this knowledge floating around his brain that tells him there’s a way to save Optimus, and thus the planet and solar system.
Music
The theme was all based on Linkin Park’s song, New Divide. Apparently, after using What I’ve Done in the last one, they were approached for a new song for the new movie and created New Divide. It’s a good song and makes for a decent soundtrack for giant alien robots blowing each other up.
So it wasn’t a bad movie. It didn’t have the awe factor that the first one did, but sequels rarely do. It was better than people told me it was, in my opinion. Be sure to check it out if you get the chance.
“Well see, they wrote all this bank software, and, uh, to save space, they used two digits for the date instead of four. So, like, 98 instead of 1998? Uh, so I go through these thousands of lines of code and, uh… it doesn’t really matter. I uh, I don’t like my job, and, uh, I don’t think I’m gonna go anymore.” -Peter Gibbons
I watched this a few years ago, before I got married, and loved it. I finally got Ashley to watch it with me late last year and she thought it was hilarious, too.
Here’s the breakdown.
Characters
Basically it’s about a few people who are sick and tired of their dead-end jobs and the wacky stuff that office jobs do to their employees. One guy was let go and never told, another has 8 bosses to tell him about every mistake he makes in the office and a waitress gets hassled by her boss because she is only wearing the minimum amount of flair, unlike the other waiter who always wears more.
Story
The main character, Peter, get hypnotised into not caring about anything, and before the hypnotist can bring him out of the trance, he has a heart attack and dies, leaving Peter with no cares about anything. He stops going to work for a while, but when he does go back, he gets promoted to management.
Music
Unfortunately, I don’t remember it very well.
One of my favorite parts of the movie was when they took the printer out to the field and beat the crap out of it. I know I’ve wanted to do that on more than one occasion.
Anyway, it’s a really funny movie and you should watch it if you get the chance. Be warned, though: there is a lot of bad language and crude humor.
“Let me tell you about my day so far. Coffee in Paris, surfed the Maldives, took a little nap on Kilimanjaro. Oh, yeah, I got digits from this Polish chick in Rio. And then I jumped back for the final quarter of the N.B.A. finals – courtside of course. And all that was before lunch. I could go on, but all I’m saying is, I’m standing on top of the world.” -David Rice
Another movie I was hoping would be good that disappointed me. That is saying something because I enjoyed X3: The Last Stand (though nowhere near as much as its predecessor).
Here’s the breakdown.
Characters
On one side you have the main character, David Rice. He can jump (teleport) anywhere in the world in an instant. He does not follow Hiro Nakamura’s hero’s code and uses his ability to serve himself. On the otherside, you have Roland, a paladin whose sworn duty it is to stop 9read: kill) any and all jumpers he can find. He’s hellbent on stopping them because they “always go bad.”
Story
Basically, Roland has been tracking David for years without knowing who he is. He only knows that he robbed a bank and that he’s a jumper. Once he finds him, he tries to kill him, but David escapes. One thing leads to another and Roland kidnaps the girlfiend. David has to rescue her, all while trying to prove to Roland that he’s not going to go bad.
Music
What I remember of it is basically popular rock songs mixed in with fast paced thematic music. Nothing to write home about, in my opinion.
In the end, I felt the movie was anti-climactic. I didn’t feel drawn in by the action at the end because the good guy wasn’t ever in believable danger. So when the movie ended, I was wondering why I had wasted my time with this movie.
Imagine being on the phone with your 17 year-old daughter, who just flew to Paris with her friend. While on the phone, she tells you that she sees people breaking in and kidnapping her friend. After it’s all over, the kidnapper picks up the phone and you can hear him breathing into it.
What would your response be?
Retired spy, Brian Mills, who’s trying to make up for lost time with his daughter, had this to say to the kidnapper;
“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”
The kidnapper’s response? “Good Luck.” Click.
The rest of the movie plays out similar to how you’d expect Jack Bauer to hunt down the people holding his daughter and getting ready to sell her into slavery to the highest bidder.
I remember seeing the teaser for this where you see scenes of the girl being taken and the audio is Liam Neeson saying that quote above. I instantly wanted to see this movie.
The acting is pretty good. From the friends who haven’t retired, trying to get him to come back, to the friend in the Paris police who got put behind a desk and has grown apathetic there, to the kidnappers who think that their scheme is perfect, right up until they are killed, tortured or knocked out by being slammed into whatever convenient object happens to be nearby.
It’s a good movie and anyone who likes some good old fashioned butt-kicking will love it.
So I finally watched Star Trek this weekend. I would have to say that, while I’m not a huge fan of the Original Series (can’t be a fan if you’ve never really watched it, right?), I guess you really wouldn’t need to be to see this movie. It’s a reboot that somewhat nullifies everything else in the Star Trek universe by creating an alternate timeline beginning with the day that James T. Kirk is born.
The acting was very, very good. I am, of course, a Zachary Quinto fan because of his role as my favorite psychopath on Heroes, and he does Spock very well. You can see him wrestling with his Vulcan and Human sides just through his eyes and subtle expressions on his face. From the little I know of Kirk’s character, Chris Pine nailed it.
The storyline was a good one, if somewhat predictable. It was good to see a villain who was both patient and vengeful enough to wait 25 years just to make his target feel his pain, yet also intelligent enough to look at the big picture and have something in mind for after he had taken his revenge. Not many villains anymore seem to have a plan beyond “kill this person” or “take over this organization/government.”
My favorite line was when Spock was saying farewell to…himself. “Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply say… Good Luck.” Second, would be Scotty’s “I love this ship!”
A very good movie overall. It does have a bedroom scene just before Kirk takes the test, but other than that it’s pretty clean, too. Be sure to see it if you haven’t already.
I loved The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe so I figured, I’d love this one too.
I liked this one.
It was missing the same sense of wonder and awe I got from the first one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great movie, but it’s a sequel which, in my book, makes it harder to measure up to the first one.
I love the new characters in this one. I have been waiting to see Reepicheep in this since I saw the first movie and I think they did an excellent job with him.
“You’re a …mouse!”
“You people have no imagination.”
One of the other things I liked was that the kids weren’t at each others throats as much as they were in the first one. They actually acted like a family, like the Professor said.
Anyways, it’s a great movie and a lot of fun to watch. Pick it up if you can! Or give it as a gift – they are sure to love it.
This movie blew me away. I was expecting much the same thing as the first one, but, no, they had to go and make it better. Sweet!
The Joker is the best villain to hit the big screen in years. The best villains are the ones who stop at nothing to achieve their goals. No rules. No limits. And Joker did that.
Plus, he made that pencil disappear. That’s just cool.
It’s no wonder Heath Ledger OD’d after this role. It would be hard to play a character like that and not have some issues. This was definitely his best performance.
It’s one of the best movies in a long time. Be sure to see it soon!
When I heard that Family Guy had done a Star Wars parody, you know I had to watch it. I found a few clips on YouTube and convinced Ashley that it was worth a shot (unlike most of the series after the fourth season). We watched it tonight.
It was freakin’ sweet!
From Leia having trouble recording an Mpeg to the pimped out TIE fighter to Han and Chewie stealing a couch from the garbage compactor, the laughs never stopped. They made fun of just about everything in the movie, including the “renegade paragrahs” flying through space at the beginning of the movie.
My biggest problem with this was their choice for Obi-Wan’s character. It’s the creepy old guy that’s always after Chris. Still, they did a decent job toning his normal character down.
Parents should note that this is just as bad as the show is, so it may not be good for your kids. However, I enjoyed it alot.
I know Christmas has passed, but I still have seen the movie so here’s my thoughts on it.
I thought it was a decent movie. Not a Christmas classic by any means, but decent. Basically the town’s Christmas guru is threatened when his new neighbor tries to make his house visible from space by lighting his house with Christmas lights. This begins a hilarious rivalry between Matthew Broderick as a dentist and Danny DeVito as a guy who can sell anything to anyone. Nothing is sacred to these two. One cuts down the town Christmas tree and puts it up in the other’s living room. The other lights illegal fireworks at the other’s house as payback for the lights and music keeping him awake all night for the entire month. Unfortunately, neither one’s families can stand their rivalry.
It’s a pretty good movie for a good laugh, but it’s not a great movie. Also, beware the thinly veiled sexual references throughout the movie.
I haven’t watched too much of The Simpsons on TV, but after seeing the previews for the movie, I knew I would be seeing it.
Holy Freaking Crap! It’s funny as heck! I laughed the whole way through and even now I still smile when I think about any part of the movie.
The story is a bit contrived, but what cartoon comedy isn’t? Anyway, it starts with the EPA realizing that Springfield’s lake is polluted to a catastrophic level. Of course, it’s Homer’s fault. And that’s only the first time in the movie he dooms Springfield. I don’t want to give too much away so I won’t talk about the story any more, but it’s hilarious.
I highly recommend this for adults to have a good laugh at.
NOTE: Parents may not want their kids to watch this because it’s as bad as the TV show. It’s definitely meant for more mature audiences.
Usually, by the third movie in a series, especially a comedy series like Shrek, it’s not worth watching. Shrek the Third, however, is a nice exception to that. This movie was freakin’ sweet and I hope to get it for Christmas (or any other reason someone wants to give a copy to us ).
The King, who, as of the end of Shrek 2, is a frog,is dying. Since Fiona is the princess, Shrek is next in line to be King – a position he doesn’t want. So when the king says something about another heir, Shrek jumps at the chance to push the throne off on someone else. As he leaves, Fiona reveals she’s pregnant, giving Shrek nightmares.
All this happens right as Prince Charming, feeling more than a little slighted by Shrek for not getting to marry Fiona and rule the kingdom, attacks the kingdom with all the fairytale villains he can find.
I won’t reveal more of the story, but it’s full of Shrek hilarity and twists and fairytale cameos. Definitely a good movie.
No, I’m not talking about the song. Well, I guess I am, kinda. I’m actually talking about the movie that is based on the origins of the well-known, oft-sung classic, so maybe I am talking about the song.
Actually, I’m not talking at all; I’m typing.
Silliness aside, this is an excellent movie about Britain’s abolishment of the slave trade and the man who made it happen in Parliament. It makes you feel the struggles he has along the way politically, emotionally and even physically.
For me there was no more poignant moment in the movie than when he slammed his cards on the table and exclaimed, “This game is over!” when the other guy offered his slave as part of the bet. Now this man that the movie follows is not the author behind the song; his old pastor is. He goes to the haunted man for guidance and direction a few times throughout the movie. My favorite quote from him was this: “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly. I’m a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”
It’s an excellent movie and great for families. If you haven’t seen it, get up right now and go see it. I give it a 5 out of 5.
NOTE (2011): This was originally part of a group of posts I called the “Quad Shot”. This was “Quad Shot Part 1″.
Fearless is apparently Jet Li’s final movie. Which is okay. It’s his choice; his life.
The movie is pretty good in my opinion. I know Jet Li’s not exactly known for acting ability, but then, I doubt Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan are either. I’ve always liked his martial arts and I’ve enjoyed his movies a lot more than I ever enjoyed Chan’s. Li is good at what he does and what he does is beat the crap out of people in movies. Fearless is no exception.
It’s the story of a man who became the best wushu fighter in his town only to lose everything due to one of his “students.” He goes into a self-imposed exile for a few years and returns to unite China with his newfound view on life. Of the movies I’ve seen Li in, only in Unleashed was he a better actor.
The fighting is good and has little [obvious] wire-work or CG’d moves. The fight at the end between him and Tanaka was freakin’ sweet: katana vs. a wierd three-poled weapon I don’t know the name of.
Overall, it’s a good movie for Li to go out with. Good story, good fights, just good overall.
So my family, Ashley and I went and saw Eragon yesterday. Holy crap!
Let me preface my review, here, by saying that I’m an avid fan of the series. I love the books and had such high hopes for the movie. I cannot wait until the third book comes out to finish the series.
The movie, as a film-based-on-a-book, sucks like a Hoover. They got the names right, and about a quarter of the events, but other than that there was no resemblance to the books. The movie had Saphira telling Eragon her name, in the book he went through a list of male names before he realized she was even a she (as she could only say yes in his head at the time). He took care of her for weeks (if not months) in the book and only a few days in the movie before fleeing Carvahall with Brom. And there was no shadow dragon in the book. Also, where the heck was Angela’s talking were-cat, Solembum? I was looking forward to his wit and the look on Eragon’s face at the prospect of a talking cat. Where were the dwarf twins that mentally probed Eragon and Murtagh when they found the Varden? Where was the visit to Teirm? The journey through the Hadarac Desert? The extensive training of Eragon’s magic and sword skills at Brom’s hand? All this and more is missing from the movie.
The good points? It is a good movie. My family, who has not read the books, thoroughly enjoyed it, and now want to read the books. If you don’t expect it to be like the books, you will enjoy a good story and awesome special effects. It’s prime fault lies in the fact that most of everyone who goes to see it will expect it to be like the book and those people will be sorely disappointed.
I’d give it a 3 stars out of 5. If you’re going to make a movie based on a book, at least try to make it seem like it follows the book. If it wasn’t based on a book, however, this would be 3.5 star movie in my opinion, because it’s a good movie.
Boxing Day. It’s that day after Christmas that no one knows what it’s about. I’ve heard a theory that it’s for all the fights we get in returning the junk we got the day before. “I’d like to return this fruitcake.” “We can’t do that.” *POW* “Happy Boxing Day.”
Why am I mentioning this? No big reason. I saw Annapolis last night. It has a lot of boxing in it. That’s why. Annapolis was a pretty good movie. Nothing great, but nothing bad either. And it was clean. Clean of the mouth and of the body. That means little to no swearing and no sex for those who can’t figure it out. It’s about a guy that boxes occasionally getting into the Naval Academy and his struggles to make it the first year. Again, good movie.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was pretty good. It’s not quite as good as the first because of a major flaw that Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2 and Matrix Reloaded all had, which I will elaborate on in a minute.
The story was good. Sparrow has to pay a debt to Davy Jones, who raised the Black Pearl for him to Captain. That debt is his soul. Of course, it doesn’t work out like that for Jack, but I’m not going to reveal how. It was a bit less believable than the first one, not that cursed treasure causing a severe case of undeadness is terribly believable. This one had a lot more “supernatural” elements to it, with the Kraken, the Flying Dutchman, and Davy Jone’s crew mutating into sea creatures. It wasn’t quite as humorous as the first one, but Jack keeps all his quirks in this one.
The major flaw to the movie is the ending. It ends with a major cliffhanger, requiring a third movie to finish the story. This also affected the other movies I mentioned in varying degrees. It killed the Matrix sequels and hurt Spider-Man and X-Men only slightly. Ending a movie like that builds hype and anticipation for another sequel, but makes the second movie sorely lacking. Star Wars even did this with Empire Strikes Back, but that was a complete story unto itself. Spidey 2 and X2 were complete stories as well. Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions couldn’t stand on their own at all. The Pirates sequel can stand on its own, but not as strongly as the first one could.
That’s my opinion on the movie. I enjoyed it and can’t wait for Pirates 3 to come out next year.
Wow. When you compare this sequel to the original movie, there’s no comparison. This movie just blows the first one out of the water (even though it’s still a good movie).
The story is put together almost perfectly and flows just as well. The graphics and effects are excellent and the new characters aren’t so numerous that it’s hard to follow.
It starts off with Nightcrawler infiltrating the White House and almost assasinating the President. That sets off a sequence of events that leads to an attack on Xavier’s School. I find it funny that all but six escape. Supposedly the best troops in the coutry and they can’t capture a school full of sleeping kid-mutants. Go figure.
One of the few things I have against this movie is the fact that American fighters were able to get a lock on the BlackBird. The first movie said that noone had the technology to detect it, much less lock on (at least that’s what I got from it). But the scene is still great anyways.
My biggest complaint against the movie was that they didn’t hide Mystique’s chest as much as they did in the first one. It’s kind of annoying and wrong that they feel that they needed to do this.
Well, I can’t say much more without giving away the story, so I’ll just conclude in saying that it’s worth the time and moeny to watch.
I have the same opinion (only stronger on this one) for Reloaded as for the first one: Everything before meeting the Oracle could be cut.
It starts off as slow, if not slower than the first one. There’s a short fight scene in the beginning between Neo and two agents, but he never uses the speed he had at the end of Matrix (the one-arm blocking Agent Smith speed).
The whole side-story with Smith didn’t make a whole lot of sense, and the fight scene with him was a bit much. While the CG Smiths were decent, they were easily seen as CGs.
One thing I did like was the fact that everyone used weapons and the fight with all the exiled programs was awesome, as was Morpheus fighting the ghost twins. I also liked the reference to Vampires when the lady shot the one guy with a silver bullet.
My biggest complaint is the sexuality in the movie. From the party scene in the beginning to the lady with the cake to Neo and Trinity, the whole movie is laced with it. I was really tempted to walk out during the sex/party scene. I really lost a lot of respect for the Matrix sequel and the brothers behind it. I can only hope the finale will be better than the this one.
Definitely don’t see it with the kids, and even then, you’ll probably want to cover your eyes through part of the first half. I regret spending the money to see it in the theater.
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