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Monday, August 27, 2012
Sunday, March 21, 2010
DVD Releases for May 16th
Did You Hear About the Morgans? – B- (Wait for It)
Hmm, Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker in a romantic comedy, that doesn’t sound familiar at all does it? Everything about this movie is mediocre at best. The story is entirely predictable; Grant and Parker play the typical husband and wife having marital problems, and even the small town they go to lives up to every country stereotype in the book. When they witness a murder and must be placed in protective custody, they are sent to a country town in Wyoming. While there they stay with the town sheriff and his wife, whose 50 year marriage seems to teach them the true meaning of being married. It has its laughs and moments, but they are few and far between. The movie does nothing to try and separate itself from any other movie in its genre. It may be worth watching once it hits TBS but should be completely skipped otherwise.
The Fourth Kind – B (Gotta Rent)
The Fourth Kind is a Sci-Fi movie about alien abductions that supposedly took place in Nome, Alaska. The opening scene starts with the main character, played by Milla Jovovich and the director saying how the movie is based on true events. It adds a bit of mystery to the film, thinking that what you are watching actually took place. They even add some interviews of the “real” psychologist that Milla plays and play them side by side with Milla’s interviews. If you believe in aliens and UFO’s then you’ll likely find this film frightening and chilling. Otherwise you’ll probably laugh at many of the scenes where the characters are possessed. Like many of today’s thrillers, such as Paranormal Activity, much of what is supposed to be scary is either not in focus, the camcorder becomes scrambled, or the voices are inaudible. Overall this is a good sci-fi thriller for the specific niche that likes alien movies, everyone else should probably just pass on it.
Hmm, Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker in a romantic comedy, that doesn’t sound familiar at all does it? Everything about this movie is mediocre at best. The story is entirely predictable; Grant and Parker play the typical husband and wife having marital problems, and even the small town they go to lives up to every country stereotype in the book. When they witness a murder and must be placed in protective custody, they are sent to a country town in Wyoming. While there they stay with the town sheriff and his wife, whose 50 year marriage seems to teach them the true meaning of being married. It has its laughs and moments, but they are few and far between. The movie does nothing to try and separate itself from any other movie in its genre. It may be worth watching once it hits TBS but should be completely skipped otherwise.The Fourth Kind – B (Gotta Rent)
The Fourth Kind is a Sci-Fi movie about alien abductions that supposedly took place in Nome, Alaska. The opening scene starts with the main character, played by Milla Jovovich and the director saying how the movie is based on true events. It adds a bit of mystery to the film, thinking that what you are watching actually took place. They even add some interviews of the “real” psychologist that Milla plays and play them side by side with Milla’s interviews. If you believe in aliens and UFO’s then you’ll likely find this film frightening and chilling. Otherwise you’ll probably laugh at many of the scenes where the characters are possessed. Like many of today’s thrillers, such as Paranormal Activity, much of what is supposed to be scary is either not in focus, the camcorder becomes scrambled, or the voices are inaudible. Overall this is a good sci-fi thriller for the specific niche that likes alien movies, everyone else should probably just pass on it.DVD Releases for March 9th
Old Dogs – B (Gotta Rent)
Old Dogs is an entertaining enough comedy about 2 old friends trying to manage newly acquired children and an important career move at the same time. It isn’t a laugh-out-loud movie that will have your side aching, but it does have its slapstick moments that provide a chuckle. It is a decent family film that everyone can watch and be entertained without having to worry about censoring to protect the kids. John Travolta and Robin Williams are the main characters with Kelly Preston, Seth Green and Justin Long all playing smaller roles. Most of the laughs rely on physical comedy (such as repeatedly hitting a golf ball into a man’s nether regions) rather than dialogue like we are used to from Williams and Travolta. Don’t expect a spectacular film and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as it’s a good family rental.
Planet 51 – B- (Wait for It)
Planet 51 was a major disappointment for me. It had all the potential having an American astronaut landing on an unknown planet and meeting an entire community of aliens. However, the writers didn’t have any fun with the script at all. The movie is made for kids, yet they didn’t bother bringing out their inner kid in the movie. Everything on the planet was named exactly what it is named on Earth. They even speak better English than most people in the country today. They should have had fun with it by saying something like “let’s take the trash can to the tree” instead of the car to the store. The voices were cast just fine, nothing really standing out one way or the other. Kids will probably still enjoy the film because it’s a cartoon, but it could have been a great film in the same breath as Shrek, enjoyable by all. If you have little kids then it is worth a rent, otherwise just wait until its on cartoon network and watch it then.
Precious – A- (Gotta Rent)
The fact that such strong performances were given by an unknown teenager, a stand-up comic and a multi-platinum singer is what really makes this film stand out. The story rivals that of Revolutionary Road and Requiem for a Dream as one of the most depressing stories that’s been told. The story is about a girl named Precious who has a terrible life, living with an alcoholic and abusive mother, a teenage mother herself, and has nothing going for her. The movie is also very well written and directed. That being said, with all of the hype that it got as one of the top 5 movies of the year, I think it’s quite a bit overrated. It is well made and well acted, but I would never watch it again. The story is very depressing, and is basically just a mixture of many stories before it. I’ve seen the same plot of a teenager living in poverty with nothing going her way and just trying to make the best of it many times before. It is definitely worth watching once as it is really a testament to great acting, but I wouldn’t place it as a top-5 movie of 2009.
Boondock Saints 2 – B+ (Gotta Rent)
The first Boondock Saints is such a classic that it is hard to live up to, however this does come pretty close. All of the original characters return as the brothers return to avenge the murder of a priest. The film is very similar to the first one with its style of action and dialogue. The new girl that plays the investigator (Julie Benz) comes across a little annoying at first and isn’t nearly as good as Willem Dafoe in the first one. The action scenes are all just as impressive as the first one, including an awesome climactic ending that rivals any of the scenes in the first film. The new characters don’t add all that much to the movie, if anything they detract from it a little bit. Any fan of the first Boondock Saints will enjoy this, although not quite as much.
It is hard to turn such a tough situation as massive layoffs into a very comical film, but Jason Reitman was able to do just that. George Clooney turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as a man whose job is to go around to various companies throughout the country and fire its employees. Firing someone is one of the most uncomfortable and gut-wrenching tasks of running a business and Clooney adds a very humorous touch to it without coming across as a complete jerk. Reitman also does a great job at showing the hardships that many of today’s workers are going through as the country suffers through a recession. Anna Kendrick gives out a career performance as the new hot-shot of the company who wants to remove the personal aspect of firing someone and streamline it into a computer program. What really makes this film great is that there are so many layers to the story and to the overall tone of the film. It is just as much about George Clooney’s life in the air as it is about the rapid increase of unemployment. Just when you think you’re watching a drama you find yourself laughing at the situation instead. Up In the Air is one of the best films of the year and shouldn’t be missed.
Old Dogs is an entertaining enough comedy about 2 old friends trying to manage newly acquired children and an important career move at the same time. It isn’t a laugh-out-loud movie that will have your side aching, but it does have its slapstick moments that provide a chuckle. It is a decent family film that everyone can watch and be entertained without having to worry about censoring to protect the kids. John Travolta and Robin Williams are the main characters with Kelly Preston, Seth Green and Justin Long all playing smaller roles. Most of the laughs rely on physical comedy (such as repeatedly hitting a golf ball into a man’s nether regions) rather than dialogue like we are used to from Williams and Travolta. Don’t expect a spectacular film and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as it’s a good family rental.
Planet 51 was a major disappointment for me. It had all the potential having an American astronaut landing on an unknown planet and meeting an entire community of aliens. However, the writers didn’t have any fun with the script at all. The movie is made for kids, yet they didn’t bother bringing out their inner kid in the movie. Everything on the planet was named exactly what it is named on Earth. They even speak better English than most people in the country today. They should have had fun with it by saying something like “let’s take the trash can to the tree” instead of the car to the store. The voices were cast just fine, nothing really standing out one way or the other. Kids will probably still enjoy the film because it’s a cartoon, but it could have been a great film in the same breath as Shrek, enjoyable by all. If you have little kids then it is worth a rent, otherwise just wait until its on cartoon network and watch it then.Precious – A- (Gotta Rent)
The fact that such strong performances were given by an unknown teenager, a stand-up comic and a multi-platinum singer is what really makes this film stand out. The story rivals that of Revolutionary Road and Requiem for a Dream as one of the most depressing stories that’s been told. The story is about a girl named Precious who has a terrible life, living with an alcoholic and abusive mother, a teenage mother herself, and has nothing going for her. The movie is also very well written and directed. That being said, with all of the hype that it got as one of the top 5 movies of the year, I think it’s quite a bit overrated. It is well made and well acted, but I would never watch it again. The story is very depressing, and is basically just a mixture of many stories before it. I’ve seen the same plot of a teenager living in poverty with nothing going her way and just trying to make the best of it many times before. It is definitely worth watching once as it is really a testament to great acting, but I wouldn’t place it as a top-5 movie of 2009.Boondock Saints 2 – B+ (Gotta Rent)
The first Boondock Saints is such a classic that it is hard to live up to, however this does come pretty close. All of the original characters return as the brothers return to avenge the murder of a priest. The film is very similar to the first one with its style of action and dialogue. The new girl that plays the investigator (Julie Benz) comes across a little annoying at first and isn’t nearly as good as Willem Dafoe in the first one. The action scenes are all just as impressive as the first one, including an awesome climactic ending that rivals any of the scenes in the first film. The new characters don’t add all that much to the movie, if anything they detract from it a little bit. Any fan of the first Boondock Saints will enjoy this, although not quite as much.Up in the Air – A (Gotta Own)
It is hard to turn such a tough situation as massive layoffs into a very comical film, but Jason Reitman was able to do just that. George Clooney turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as a man whose job is to go around to various companies throughout the country and fire its employees. Firing someone is one of the most uncomfortable and gut-wrenching tasks of running a business and Clooney adds a very humorous touch to it without coming across as a complete jerk. Reitman also does a great job at showing the hardships that many of today’s workers are going through as the country suffers through a recession. Anna Kendrick gives out a career performance as the new hot-shot of the company who wants to remove the personal aspect of firing someone and streamline it into a computer program. What really makes this film great is that there are so many layers to the story and to the overall tone of the film. It is just as much about George Clooney’s life in the air as it is about the rapid increase of unemployment. Just when you think you’re watching a drama you find yourself laughing at the situation instead. Up In the Air is one of the best films of the year and shouldn’t be missed.Wednesday, March 17, 2010
DVD Releases for March 2nd
2012 – B (Gotta Rent)
Given the 200+ million dollar budget, there is really only one reason to watch 2012, and that is it’s impressive visuals. The story is based on the belief that the Mayan calendar predicts the world will end in 2 years. As the world begins to come to its inevitable demise, John Cusack must find a way to protect and save his family from their impending doom. The story is pretty stupid and the end result isn’t much better. Although I think this film was supposed to be serious (dealing with the end of the world and all) it actually comes across as quite humorous. Woody Harrelson is quite funny as he plays a crazy conspiracy theorist that knows what is coming. The absolute ridiculousness of the action scenes aren’t all that riveting and suspenseful, but rather make you laugh at how someone could actually come up with such an insane scene. The movie could be a little terrifying to those that believe this will actually happen in a few years, but to most everyone else it’ll be a good laugh and some nice eye candy with its impressive CGI.
Given the 200+ million dollar budget, there is really only one reason to watch 2012, and that is it’s impressive visuals. The story is based on the belief that the Mayan calendar predicts the world will end in 2 years. As the world begins to come to its inevitable demise, John Cusack must find a way to protect and save his family from their impending doom. The story is pretty stupid and the end result isn’t much better. Although I think this film was supposed to be serious (dealing with the end of the world and all) it actually comes across as quite humorous. Woody Harrelson is quite funny as he plays a crazy conspiracy theorist that knows what is coming. The absolute ridiculousness of the action scenes aren’t all that riveting and suspenseful, but rather make you laugh at how someone could actually come up with such an insane scene. The movie could be a little terrifying to those that believe this will actually happen in a few years, but to most everyone else it’ll be a good laugh and some nice eye candy with its impressive CGI.
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