Flyboys

Flyboys is inspired by the courageous tale of the American young men who would become known as the legendary Lafayette Escadrille. They were ordinary boys who volunteered for the first World War looking for adventure, and in the process, they became heroes. In 1917, prior to the official entry into the war by the United States, the Allied powers of France, England and Italy were on the ropes against the German juggernaut. Some altruistic young Americans volunteered to fight alongside their counterparts in France. Some joined the infantry, others chose the Ambulance Corps. But 38 young men had a different idea: they decided to learn how to fly. Their motivations for enlisting may have been different: Blaine Rawlings (James Franco) is searching for his purpose following the bank's foreclosure of his family ranch, Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) is shamed into joining by his disciplinarian father, while African-American expatriate boxer Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis) vows to repay his debt to his adopted, racially-tolerant country. But under the command of French Captain Thenault (Jean Reno) and the leadership of American veteran Reed Cassidy (Martin Henderson), these young American men took to the air with honor everyday as they risked their lives, not just in facing the formidable German aggressors, but also in boarding their newly-invented, mechanically-imperfect aircraft, which were being used in combat for the first time.

I'm not really sure why this movie was released (and left very soon after) in theaters so quietly. This was a very good movie. The story was great . . . . . and a true story! The flying scenes and the effects were awesome. Even the acting from a pretty lame overall group of actors was better than I expected. If this movie was better marketed - this probably could have been a really good box office draw. I don't understand what the studio was thinking here at all.

I would recommend this movie for rental. It was a really good surprise of a rental for me. I didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I did.

Catch A Fire

Catch A Fire is the story of a South African hero's journey to freedom. The political thriller takes place during the country's turbulent and divided times in the early 1980s, and in the new South Africa of today. Derek Luke portrays real-life hero Patrick Chamusso. Patrick is a charming and loving husband to his wife Precious (Bonnie Henna), and a caring father to his two young daughters. He works as a foreman at the centrally located Secunda oil refinery, which is a symbol of South Africa's self-sufficiency at a time when the world was protesting the country's oppressive apartheid system. In his spare time, Patrick coaches a local boys' soccer team and he couldn't possibly be less politically involved/interested. Tim Robbins plays Nic Vos, a Colonel in the country's Police Security Branch. Vos strives to maintain order in volatile situations, which have become more and more frequent as the outlawed activist organization African National Congress (ANC) rallies blacks against apartheid. He and his family live a world away from the Chamusso family......until the innocent Patrick comes under suspicion and is arrested (in June 1980) for sabotage of the Secunda oil refinery. His alibi is compromised, and Patrick is desperate to shield Precious from a past indiscretion and keep his job. But he is ill-prepared to withstand brutal interrogations by Vos' men. As Vos further insinuates himself into the lives of the Chamussos, to Patrick's shock and shame, Precious herself is jailed and tortured. Although he and Precious are soon released from custody, Patrick is stunned into action and completely reorients his sense of self and purpose. He leaves his family to join up with the ANC.

I've never been a really big fan of politically charged movies like this. I enjoy being in my little bubble of not knowing what is going on in other countries. I know that may sound beyond ignorant, but I also know how stuff like this can completely suck your brain in like a vacuum and before you know it - this stuff is all that you know. I digress. As for this movie, I surprisingly enjoyed it a lot. It was very well done and the characters were very well developed. I actually think that Derek Luke could have been nominated for Best Actor in 2006.

I would definitely recommend this movie for rental. Its definitely not a movie for everyone, but I still think it is very worth watching for anyone who would be interested in this kind of a movie.

The Marine

WWE wrestling champion John Cena makes his motion picture debut in this rugged action thriller. Cena is John Triton, a heroic Marine who returns home after being discharged- against his will- from the Iraq War. Stateside, he finds himself back in action, when his wife (Kelly Carlson) is kidnapped by a murderous gang led by the merciless Rome (Robert Patrick). With everything on the line, the Marine will stop at nothing to carry out his toughest and most important mission.

This movie might have been somewhat decent . . . . . . . if it was released in the mid-80s when people actually found senseless action movies with Arnold, Stallone, and Steven Segal entertaining. However, in today's day and age, this movie is nothing but a bunch of silly explosions and overdone fight scenes. There is no good quality about this movie at all and I was bored out of my mind watching it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone watching this. Not even those of you who still watch a Steven Segal movie every time it's on (okay - I sometimes do. I admit it). It's so pointless and you find yourself wondering why this piece of dung was ever made.

Open Season

In Open Season, Boog (Martin Lawrence), a grizzly bear with no survival skills, has his perfect world turned upside-down when he meets Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), a scrawny, fast-talking wild mule deer. When Elliot convinces Boog to desert living in a garage decked out with all the comforts of home, and try the "wild" life, things quickly spiral out of control. With open season upon them, and the hunters arriving in force, Elliot must help Boog get in touch with his inner grizzly to unite the woodland creatures and take the forest back!

This is one of those awesome animated movies. The kids love it and the adults end up loving it just as much if not more. Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher are awesome as animated voices and the back and forth between them is hysterical. I even took the kids to see this one again in theaters and enjoyed it just as much.

I fully recommend this movie to all. It's not only totally worth renting, but if you have kids it's a must buy as well.

Saw III

Jigsaw has disappeared.With his new apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the puppet-master behind the cruel, intricate games that have terrified a community and baffled police has once again eluded capture and vanished. While city detectives scramble to locate him, Doctor Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is unaware that she is about to become the latest pawn on his vicious chessboard.One night, after finishing a shift at her hospital, Lynn is kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse where she meets Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), bedridden and on the verge of death. She is told that she must keep the madman alive for as long as it takes Jeff (Angus Macfayden), another of his victims, to complete a game of his own. Racing against the ticking clock of Jigsaw's own heartbeat, Lynn and Jeff struggle to make it through each of their vicious tests, unaware that he has a much bigger plan for both of them...

If you liked either of the other Saw movies - you will like this one. I think it's the third best out of the three but still enjoyed it anyway. I think that the most remarkable thing about the Saw franchise is how quickly they make these movies and that only makes the quality of the storyline that much more admirable. It's pretty hard to believe that a three movie franchise only started on Halloween of 2004 . . . . . and they weren't all filmed together or planned out ahead of time.

The movie is pretty gruesome at times (enough to make me look away at times), but if you are a fan of gory horror movies - I would fully recommend you rented this one. If you aren't in to those kind of movies, I fully recommend that you stay as far away from this movie (and the rest of the Saw franchise) as possible.

The Guardian

After losing his crew in a fatal crash, legendary Rescue Swimmer, Ben Randall (Kevin Costner), is sent to teach at "A" School, an elite training program for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. Wrestling with the loss of his crew members, he throws himself into teaching, turning the program upside down with his unorthodox training methods.While there, he encounters a young, cocky swim champ, Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher), who is driven to be the best. During training, Randall helps mold Jake's character, combining his raw talent with the heart and dedication required of a Rescue Swimmer.Upon graduation, Jake follows Randall to Kodiak, Alaska, where they face the inherent dangers of the Bering Sea. In his initial solo rescue, Jake learns firsthand from Randall, the true meaning of heroism and sacrifice, echoing the Swimmer's motto..."So Others May Live!"

I've never been a really big fan of Ashton Kutcher. I've always seen him as more of a jackass than an actor. So, I went in to this movie totally expecting it to be one of those movies that could be really good but a specific actor held it back (a la pretty much any Keanu Reeves movie). However, I was pleasantly surprised by Kutcher's decent performance and really liked this movie a lot. The story/drama was well done and the water scenes and effects where amazing.

I fully recommend this movie to everyone. It is definitely worth the trip to the video store and rental fee.

Employee Of The Month

For customers of Super Club, membership has its privileges. For workers at the cavernous store, the most coveted honor is the "Employee of the Month" award, and having one's photo immortalized on the wall of fame in the staff lounge. Enter Zack Bradley (Dane Cook) and Vince Downey (Dax Shepard), two ultra competitive Super Club workers whose ten years of employment have resulted in drastically different career paths. While Vince – with the aid of his trusty sidekick Jorge (Efren Ramirez) -- has advanced to become head cashier and winner of 17 consecutive "E of M" awards, Zack is the ultimate slacker whose scruffy appearance and laid back attitude has made him popular with his colleagues, but kept him stuck in the lowly ranks of the store's box boys. The duo's longtime rivalry comes to a bitter head when Amy (Jessica Simpson) – a new cashier with a reputation of only dating "Employee of the Month" winners – transfers to the store, immediately becoming the object of both Zack and Vince's affection and often comical gamesmanship.

This movie was one giant turd. I didn't even finish watching it because I was literally sitting there thinking of all the things that I could be doing instead of finishing the movie. Dane Cook is the dictionary definition of overexposed. The man's first comedy album is one of the greatest things I've ever heard. However, he then exploded and has been all over the place doing the same schtick over and over again to the point where his voice actually annoys me. What a shame. As for Jessica Simpson - she is seriously the biggest (correction - second biggest after Paris Hilton) walking around the entertainment world. She has no talent whatsoever and is just plain annoying to see in any sort of medium. The really disappointing thing about this movie was that the supporting cast had some really hysterical actors who have shined in other movies, but they even screwed the pooch with not being able to utilize any of them either.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Not on a rental shelf and not even on cable. There are so many better things you could do than watch this crapfest.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

The original 1974 film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, shocked audiences with its bone-chilling realism. The horrifying story, drawn from a series of true events, is considered by many to be one of the greatest thrillers of all time and a landmark of terror that has influenced countless films in its wake. Its menacing evil character, Leatherface, will forever be one of the most recognizable screen villains. Now the company continues on that path with a startling prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which details the beginnings of the Hewitt clan and exposes their psychotic idea of family fun. It's 1969. The conflict in Viet Nam has exploded to immeasurable proportions, and 18-year-old Dean Hill's (Taylor Handley) number is up. Dean's brother Eric (Matthew Bomer), who has already seen his share of combat, plans to take Dean to enlist in his beloved Marine Corps in hopes of keeping an eye on him rather than letting him take his chances at the local induction center.

How in the blue hell can anyone in Hollywood think that making a prequel to a horror movie is a good idea. Let's take a close look at this here. The whole crazy ass family is in the original movie, right? So we know going in that none of them are going to die. There are four random strangers that get entangled with the crazy family. None of them were able to prevent what happened to the four random people in the original movie so we can deduce that they are all going to die. Therefore, this is basically just a way to cram Leatherface gore down our throats and make some easy first weekend box office money? Got it. This movie was so beyond pointless its not even funny. The only storyline worthy points are that you learn how the crazy sheriff guy got his sheriff outfit and you learn how the dude in the wheelchair lost his legs. Was anyone losing sleep not having known how those two things happened? I know I wasn't.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Not even horror buffs. It's a total waste of time, people!

Gridiron Gang

Gridiron Gang tells the story of juvenile detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who, along with another officer, Malcolm Moore (Xzibit), turns a group of hard core teenage felons into a high school football team in four weeks. Confronted with gang rivalries and bitter hatred between his teammates, Porter teaches some hard lessons and learns a few himself as the kids gain a sense of self-respect and responsibility. Porter and his team fight their way to redemption and a second chance. Based on a true story, the movie sends out a message that one man can make a difference and the most hopeless kids in our society can change the course of their lives through hard work, commitment and bold leadership.

I am, and always will be, a sucker for a good sports movie. I loved this movie. I'm not saying that because it was a well done movie that I would proudly recommend to everyone, but I personally loved it. It's very formula and you've pretty much seen the movie by seeing the commercial. It didn't have jump out fantastic performances and what not, but it definitely pulled those sports movie heartstrings that I am a sucker for.

I would recommend people checking this out if they like sports movies and I was again a big fan of the movie, but it isn't by any means a must see.

The Night Listener

The Night Listener is about a popular public radio storyteller Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) developing an intense phone relationship with a young listener named Pete (Rory Culkin) and the social worker who rescued him from a life of abuse (Toni Collette). But Gabriel soon comes to the startling realization that it is quite possible that neither the boy nor his painful account of his childhood really exist.

I can't remember the last time that a "suspense" movie bored me this much. I've always been a huge fan of Robin Williams, but he has got to stop making these creepy, suspense movies. They just don't suit him at all. I'd give anything for him (as well as Bill Murray) to just go back to straight up comedy roles again. Anywho, I digress a bit. This movie couldn't have been less intriguing if it tried. I've been more on the edge of my seat waiting for Wonder Woman's awesome pudding pies to settle so I can eat them then I was during this movie. I was actually excited when the credits started rolling so that I could get the hell out of the theater.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to rent this snooze fest. If it's on cable, you could go ahead a check it out . . . . . . especially if you are having trouble sleeping.

The Illusionist

The Illusionist stars Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti as two men pitted against each other in a battle of wits: Norton as mysterious stage magician Eisenheim, and Giamatti as Vienna's shrewd Chief Inspector Uhl, with Jessica Biel sharing the screen as Sophie von Teschen.When word of Eisenheim's astounding illusions reaches the powerful and pragmatic Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), the ruler attends one of the magician's shows in order to debunk Eisenheim during the performance. But when the Prince's intended, Sophie von Teschen, assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods—and a dormant love affair is rekindled. As the clandestine romance continues, Uhl is charged by Leopold to intensify his efforts to expose Eisenheim, even while the magician gains a devoted and vocal public following. With Uhl doggedly searching for the reasons and the man behind the trickery, Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet.

This movie is the one with Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti - NOT the one with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. That would be The Prestige (which will always be linked with The Illusionist because of how similar the stories were and the fact that they came out so close together), and no matter how much you watch of The Illusionist those two will not show up on screen. You'll have to wait a month or two to catch that one. To tell you the truth though, The Illusionist was a much better movie. I think that Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti are two of the most underappreciated actors in Hollywood. This movie keeps your interest throughout and ends in a way that will make you want to go back and watch the movie all over again afterwards.

This movie is definitely worth the rental price and I recommend that everyone check this one out.

Crank

Chev Chelios is about to begin his morning with an unexpected wake-up call. Groggy, practically unable to move and with a heart that's barely beating, he hears the voice of thug Ricky Verona, who reveals Chev has been poisoned in his sleep and only has an hour to live.As it turns out, Chev is a hit man who freelances for a major West Coast syndicate. A run of the mill job the night before instead went awry: he let his target slip away in an effort to quit professional killing and start a new life with his girlfriend Eve. Now, Chev must keep moving to stay alive: the only way to prolong the poison from stopping his heart is to keep his adrenaline flowing. As the clock ticks, Chelios cuts a swath through the streets of Los Angeles, wreaking havoc on those who dare stand in his way. He must rescue Eve from danger, stay two steps ahead of his nemeses and search for an antidote to save his own life.

This movie was beyond atrocious. It was one of the worst movies to come out last year. I couldn't believe what I was watching as this movie evolved. One would wonder if they were even really following a script here because it was beyond spontaneous. The unfortunate thing is that I really like Jason Stratham. He's got that great tough guy quality, but is completely wasted in this movie.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Not via rental. Not on cable. Not if you were stranded on a island with only this movie to watch. Don't ever waste your time watching this.

Snakes On A Plane

Do you really need a summary of what this movie is about after reading the title? If so - you are an moron and need to get smacked upside the head. Samuel Jackson stars in this movie about . . . . . . snakes on a plane. He plays a cop that is transporting a witness via plane and it ends up that the killer he is a witness again has put a lot of . . . . . snakes on a plane. Get the picture now?

This movie is a textbook guilty pleasure movie. You know that the movie is not going to have any redeeming value. You know that it is going to be beyond corny. But you want to (and should) watch it anyway. It is full of skin crawling moments with the snakes, cheesy one liners galore, and couldn't be more predictable if it tried. The only thing that I was disappointed about a little bit was that I thought I would jump from the scariness/suddeness of the snake attacks. I only did that once. They could have made it a little bit more suspenseful.

I would fully recommend this movie to everyone. It's not a good movie by any means but is definitely worth watching and you should all rent this one.

The Covenant

In 1692, in the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, five families with untold power formed a covenant of silence. One family, lusting for more, was banished - their bloodline disappearing without a trace. The Covenant tells the story of the Sons of Ipswich, four young students at the elite Spenser Academy who are bound by their sacred ancestry. As descendants of the original families who settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600's, the boys have all been born with special powers. When the body of a dead student is discovered after a party, secrets begin to unravel which threaten to break the covenant of silence that has protected their families for hundreds of years.

This is one of those movies that never should have been made. Even when the ads for it were on television I thought that they were some kind of a car commercial because of a scene where a car seperates in to pieces to avoid hitting a truck and then reassembles after the truck passes and keeps on driving. The casting director must have specifically looked for the worst possible actors. This movie would have even been a big giant turd even if it was made for tv as the FOX movie of the week.

I wouldn't recommend anyone renting this or even sitting through it once it's on cable. It was totally horrible in every way.