John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) has retreated to northern Thailand, where he's running a longboat on the Salween River. On the nearby Thai-Burma (Myanmar) border, the world's longest-running civil war rages on. Rambo has long given up fighting, even as medics, mercenaries, rebels and peace workers pass by on their way to the war-torn region. That all changes when a group of human rights missionaries search out the American river guide. When Sarah (Julie Benz) and Michael Bennett (Paul Schulze) approach him, they explain that since last year's trek to the refugee camps, the Burmese military has laid landmines along the road, making it too dangerous for overland travel. They ask Rambo to guide them up the Salween and drop them off, so they can deliver medical supplies and food to the Karen tribe. After initially refusing to cross into Burma, Rambo takes them, dropping off Sarah, Michael and the aid workers. Two weeks later, pastor Arthur Marsh (Ken Howard) finds Rambo and tells him the aid workers did not return and the embassies have not helped locate them. Rambo reluctantly leads a band of mercenaries to look for the missing volunteers.
Just like when Rocky Balboa came out last year, I thought that making another Rambo movie was such a horrible joke. And just like Rocky Balboa, I was pleasantly surprised. Its not that this movie is an well done movie. Its not a sequel/prequel or remake like a lot of the garbage that comes out nowadays. Its simply a look at where this character is twenty years later and how he still has people to kill. Its just great for what it is. The movie is a blatant 80s action movie with lots of horrible dialogue, over dramatic pauses, and mounds of violence/gore. These are the types of movies that used to be the biggest movie of the year simply because it was all out testosterone and nobody had to think while watching the massive shoot outs and what not. The whole crowd started clapping the first time that Rambo killed people with his bow and arrow.
I'd strongly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoyed these types of action movies from back in the day. You won't be disappointed. If that wasn't up your alley - I wouldn't remotely recommend you checking this movie out though.
Strange Wilderness
Animal enthusiast Peter Gaulke (Steve Zahn) and his sidekick Fred Wolf (Allen Covert) host an ailing wildlife TV show Strange Wilderness, which is in a steep ratings decline. Desperate to save the show, Peter hatches a Hail Mary scheme to find the one animal that could truly turn the show around and change the nature show landscape forever – Bigfoot.
This movie was absurdly stupid. It was basically all of Adam Sandler's usual posse with Steve Zahn, who I usually find absolutely hysterical. He definitely had his moments in this movie, but couldn't carry it alone. There were some really big laughs when Steve Zahn was doing voiceovers for the nature videos, but not much besides that. A lot of it was way over the top sophmoric humor and drug gags. If you like that kind of stuff - you'd probably love this movie. It wasn't really all that funny to me though.
I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this. You could probably just wait for it to come out on cable.
This movie was absurdly stupid. It was basically all of Adam Sandler's usual posse with Steve Zahn, who I usually find absolutely hysterical. He definitely had his moments in this movie, but couldn't carry it alone. There were some really big laughs when Steve Zahn was doing voiceovers for the nature videos, but not much besides that. A lot of it was way over the top sophmoric humor and drug gags. If you like that kind of stuff - you'd probably love this movie. It wasn't really all that funny to me though.
I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this. You could probably just wait for it to come out on cable.
National Treasure: Book Of Secrets
In this follow up to National Treasure, treasure hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) once again sets out on an exhilarating, action-packed new global quest to unearth hidden history and treasures. When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben's great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln's death. Determined to prove his ancestor's innocence, Ben follows an international chain of clues that takes him on a chase from Paris to London and ultimately back to America. This journey leads Ben and his crew not only to surprising revelations – but to the trail of the world's most treasured secrets.
This movie was literally an extension of the original one. Its like a thinking man's Indiana Jones with not as much action, but you find yourself enjoying the adventure nonetheless (Drew 1993). If you liked the first one - you are sure to love this one just as much. The only real difference is that Helen Mirren is introduced as Ben's mother and the banter between her and his father (Jon Voight) is awesome. It wasn't as good as the one liners from Ben's sidekick (the best part of both National Treausre movies), but it was a close second.
I'd recommend people checking this movie out. Its an enjoyable adventure movie and worth the trip to the video store.
This movie was literally an extension of the original one. Its like a thinking man's Indiana Jones with not as much action, but you find yourself enjoying the adventure nonetheless (Drew 1993). If you liked the first one - you are sure to love this one just as much. The only real difference is that Helen Mirren is introduced as Ben's mother and the banter between her and his father (Jon Voight) is awesome. It wasn't as good as the one liners from Ben's sidekick (the best part of both National Treausre movies), but it was a close second.
I'd recommend people checking this movie out. Its an enjoyable adventure movie and worth the trip to the video store.
The Great Debaters
Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and inspired by a true story, The Great Debaters chronicles the journey of a brilliant but volatile coach (Denzel Washington) who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small, modest black college in East Texas into an elite debate team while challenging the social mores of the time, culminating with a groundbreaking invitation to debate Harvard's championship team.
This movie was a really powerful drama. All of the performances were phenomenal. Especially the three younger actors who actually did the debating. They were more captivation that Denzel and Forest. That's a pretty amazing achievement. The only problem with this movie was that I probably would have been more captivated by it a lot more if I would have seen it in theaters. Seeing this at home allowed me to be distracted too much and I found myself enjoying the movie but not all that in to it. I'm not sure if that makes sense but I figured I would take a crack it. Regardless, this is a really good movie and Denzel Washington continues to show that he can direct as well as act.
I'd recommend people checking this out if they are in to powerfully acted dramas like this. Its definitely worth the rental fee.
This movie was a really powerful drama. All of the performances were phenomenal. Especially the three younger actors who actually did the debating. They were more captivation that Denzel and Forest. That's a pretty amazing achievement. The only problem with this movie was that I probably would have been more captivated by it a lot more if I would have seen it in theaters. Seeing this at home allowed me to be distracted too much and I found myself enjoying the movie but not all that in to it. I'm not sure if that makes sense but I figured I would take a crack it. Regardless, this is a really good movie and Denzel Washington continues to show that he can direct as well as act.
I'd recommend people checking this out if they are in to powerfully acted dramas like this. Its definitely worth the rental fee.
Mad Money
Bridget Cardigan (Diane Keaton) is shocked to learn that she is on the verge of losing her home and comfortable upper middle class lifestyle when her husband Don (Ted Danson) is downsized from his job. Bridget is forced into the unfamiliar labor market with no job skills. Finally, she accepts the only position she can find—janitor at the Federal Reserve Bank.The one-time suburban mom soon discovers she has more in common with her new co-workers than she thought. Bridget forges an unexpected bond with Nina (Queen Latifah), a hard-working single mom with two kids to raise, and Jackie (Katie Holmes), an free spirit with nothing to lose. After a lifetime of playing by the rules, the three devise a plan to smuggle soon-to-be destroyed currency out of the supposedly airtight Reserve. As the unlikely crime syndicate amasses piles of cash, it looks like they have pulled off the perfect crime—until a minor misstep alerts the authorities. With more money than they know what to do with, the women are pushed to the limits of their ingenuity to stay one step ahead of the law!
This movie was just plain stupid. I kept thinking that it would get better, but it kept staying stupid. What is the deal with Queen Latifah? She's like the female version of Hugh Jackman last year in terms of overexposure. The woman seems to show up in every other movie. And as far as Katie Holmes goes - she must have gotten incredibly annoying via injection from Tom Cruise because I spent the whole movie wanting to punch her in the face for her horrible acting and her annoying quirky character. This is one of those movies that you are annoyed on the ride home that you just spent an hour and a half of your life that you can't get back.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Certainly not in the theaters for the love of God. I wouldn't even rent it. If you are stuck at home doing nothing when this comes on cable then I could suggest maybe watching it.
This movie was just plain stupid. I kept thinking that it would get better, but it kept staying stupid. What is the deal with Queen Latifah? She's like the female version of Hugh Jackman last year in terms of overexposure. The woman seems to show up in every other movie. And as far as Katie Holmes goes - she must have gotten incredibly annoying via injection from Tom Cruise because I spent the whole movie wanting to punch her in the face for her horrible acting and her annoying quirky character. This is one of those movies that you are annoyed on the ride home that you just spent an hour and a half of your life that you can't get back.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Certainly not in the theaters for the love of God. I wouldn't even rent it. If you are stuck at home doing nothing when this comes on cable then I could suggest maybe watching it.
Untraceable
Within the FBI, there exists a division dedicated to investigating and prosecuting criminals on the internet. Welcome to the front lines of the war on cybercrime, where Special Agent Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) has seen it all... until now. A tech-savvy internet predator is displaying his graphic murders on his own website – and the fate of each of his tormented captives is left in the hands of the public: the more hits his site gets, the faster his victims die. When this game of cat and mouse becomes personal, Marsh and her team must race against the clock to track down this technical mastermind.
This movie was essentially a two hour episode of Criminal Minds or CSI. If you find any of those procedural shows on tv, like myself and WW, then you will definitely enjoy this movie. The overall premise is pretty creepy and kind of freaks you out when you think about how stuff like this could either be really happening right now or surely will be soon. I must have turned to WW fifty times during this movie to tell her that I don't want the kids on the computer anymore. The only knocks that I could make against this movie is that it could have easily been 15 - 20 minutes shorter and it pushed the cop bravado thing a little too much. You'll see what I mean by the extremely corny last scene before the credits. Outside of that - it was a pretty good suspense movie.
I'd recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys procedural television shows and/or suspense movies. Outside of that - you might find it kind of boring.
This movie was essentially a two hour episode of Criminal Minds or CSI. If you find any of those procedural shows on tv, like myself and WW, then you will definitely enjoy this movie. The overall premise is pretty creepy and kind of freaks you out when you think about how stuff like this could either be really happening right now or surely will be soon. I must have turned to WW fifty times during this movie to tell her that I don't want the kids on the computer anymore. The only knocks that I could make against this movie is that it could have easily been 15 - 20 minutes shorter and it pushed the cop bravado thing a little too much. You'll see what I mean by the extremely corny last scene before the credits. Outside of that - it was a pretty good suspense movie.
I'd recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys procedural television shows and/or suspense movies. Outside of that - you might find it kind of boring.
Over Her Dead Body
Devastated when his fiancée Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) is killed on their wedding day, Henry (Paul Rudd) reluctantly agrees to consult a psychic named Ashley (Lake Bell) at the urging of his sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane). Despite his skepticism over her psychic abilities, Henry finds himself falling for Ashley, and vice versa. But there is a big snag. Ashley is being haunted by Kate's ghost, who considers it her heavenly duty to break up Henry and Ashley's fledgling romance.
I figured that this would be one of those totally formula date movies, and for the most part it pretty much was. However, Paul Rudd and Lake Bell provided some pretty huge laughs at different points of the movie and this ultimately made it somewhat enjoyable. I was really surprised at how much I ended up liking this movie even though you could guess how it goes step by step by watching the preview for it. Eva Longoria is just as over the top and annoying as she is on Desperate Housewives, but the other two totally save this movie and even managed to make Longoria look better at times.
I would recommend people checking this one out via rental. Never in a million years did I expect to write that, but I laughed a lot more during this movie that I thought I would.
I figured that this would be one of those totally formula date movies, and for the most part it pretty much was. However, Paul Rudd and Lake Bell provided some pretty huge laughs at different points of the movie and this ultimately made it somewhat enjoyable. I was really surprised at how much I ended up liking this movie even though you could guess how it goes step by step by watching the preview for it. Eva Longoria is just as over the top and annoying as she is on Desperate Housewives, but the other two totally save this movie and even managed to make Longoria look better at times.
I would recommend people checking this one out via rental. Never in a million years did I expect to write that, but I laughed a lot more during this movie that I thought I would.
P.S. I Love You
Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) is married to the love of her life—an Irishman named Gerry (Gerard Butler). So when Gerry's life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it's a good thing he planned ahead. Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief but in rediscovering herself. Holly's mother (Kathy Bates) and best friends, Sharon (Gina Gershon) and Denise (Lisa Kudrow), begin to worry that Gerry's letters are keeping Holly tied to the past, but, in fact, each letter is pushing her further into a new future. With Gerry's words as her guide, Holly embarks on a touching, exciting and often hilarious journey of rediscovery in a story about marriage, friendship and how a love so strong can turn the finality of death into new beginning for life.
This movie was all over the place. At times it was great. Some times it was painfully lame. I laughed my ass off a couple of times. Then, I came close to tears at others because they went out of their way to pull every possible heart string that they could. Unfortunately, I'd have to lean towards this movie not being too good simply because there really wasn't the necessary level of believable chemistry between Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. It all felt very forced. The only thing that made this movie remotely watchable was the funny parts. They were hilarious. Sadly, there weren't quite enough of them in the second half of the movie and it made the movie feel like an hour too long.
I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out. Its extremely sad by nature and is frustratingly scattered to boot. Wait for cable on this one, people.
This movie was all over the place. At times it was great. Some times it was painfully lame. I laughed my ass off a couple of times. Then, I came close to tears at others because they went out of their way to pull every possible heart string that they could. Unfortunately, I'd have to lean towards this movie not being too good simply because there really wasn't the necessary level of believable chemistry between Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. It all felt very forced. The only thing that made this movie remotely watchable was the funny parts. They were hilarious. Sadly, there weren't quite enough of them in the second half of the movie and it made the movie feel like an hour too long.
I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out. Its extremely sad by nature and is frustratingly scattered to boot. Wait for cable on this one, people.
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