Seven Pounds

Will Smith reunites with the directors and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for the emotional drama Seven Pounds. In the film, Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

The movie studio was being so quiet about what this movie was about that it actually started to get annoying. Now having seen the movie, I understand because I still can't really tell you what its about. Apparantly, Ben Thomas has a lot of guilt about an accident in his past and finds it necessary to go to massive extremes seeking atonement. I found myself getting more and more frustrated as this movie went on because I couldn't tell for the life of me where it was going. To be completely honest, had Will Smith not been in this movie I would have thrown in the towel about half way through. However, since I am one of the millions across this land that are totally fascinated by Will Smith I toughed it out. I mean lets be honest here people, Will Smith (along with probably only Tom Hanks) is so beyond watchable that they could film him taking a dump for two hours and we'd all drop 10 bucks to watch it. Anywho, getting back to the movie - they push the whole mysterious angle way too much that by the time the payoff comes its not enough to truly satisfy the viewer.

I wouldn't really recommend this movie. Its not that its horrible or anything. It just doesn't really payoff enough in the end.

Marley & Me

As the snow falls on their wedding night, newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) decide to leave behind the harsh winters of Michigan and head south to begin their new lives in West Palm Beach, Florida. They obtain jobs as journalists, buy their first home, and begin to make their way through the challenges of a new marriage, new careers and, possibly, the life-changing decision to start a family. Unsure of his preparedness for raising children, John confesses his fears to his friend and fellow journalist Sebastian, who comes up with the perfect solution: John should get Jenny a puppy. Then came Marley. The Grogans adopt the cute, twelve pound yellow Labrador, who in no time at all, grows into a 100-pound steamroller of unbridled energy that turns the Grogan home into a disaster area. He flunks obedience school, chews off dry-wall, takes a bite out of the sofa, overturns garbage cans, steals a Thanksgiving turkey, consumes pillows and flowers, drinks toilet water, and chases the UPS guy. Amidst the mayhem he generates through the years, Marley sees the Grogans through the ups and downs of family life, through job and home changes, and most of all, through the myriad challenges of a growing family. As John and Jenny come to realize, Marley - "the world's worst dog" - somehow brings out the best in them.

I put off reviewing this movie for 4 days after seeing it in theaters because I didn't want to get all choked up again. I really don't care about spoiling this one because I really think that it NEEDS to be spoiled because nobody should walk blindly in to an oncoming mack truck. SPOILER ALERT - Marley dies. I knew this going in and the movie was still devastating. I can only imagine families going to see this and having no clue. That would have to blow Bambi's mother dying right out of the water. Not only does the dog die, but the goodbyes take about 20 minutes and if you don't get teared up (or openly cry like I did - I am man enough to admit this!) you do not have a heart in your chest. This movie is an absolute must see for any pet lovers. I have a cat that I consider to be like my son and I never thought I could love him more than I already did but this movie actually made that happen. All I wanted to do was race home after it was over and chill out with the J man. Putting animal loving aside, the movie was a great heartwarming story of how families grow. The only knock I can make against it is that I could have done without the extra 20 minutes of career angst with Owen Wilson. I found myself really not caring at all whether he should be a reporter or a columnist and shaving that out would have brought this movie down to the perfect running time of an hour and 40 minutes instead of the two hours.

I strongly recommend that everyone check this movie out. Especially if you are a pet lover. Just know that its going to put your heart in a vice and crush it and make sure the kids know beforehand. I took Stinka and two of her friends and they were fine since I told them. However, I still had quivering lip/ugly face cry going on even though I did.

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions.Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show?

This was a phenomenal movie. I never in a million years thought I would enjoy this movie as much as I did. The more great buzz I heard about it only made me doubt my possible enjoyment level of it that much more. However, it was worth all the hype. This could quite possibly win the Best Picture oscar. The storytelling was so well done with all the back and forth and how the parts of his past that explained his knowledge of questions during the game show was awesome. I was so fully enveloped in this movie and loved how it progressed and climaxed.

I couldn't possibly recommend this movie more. It really is a must see and is definitely one of the best movies to come out this year.

Bolt

From Walt Disney Pictures comes an animated comedy adventure featuring a super-dog named Bolt (voice of John Travolta), whose days are filled with danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of Mark Walton)—Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero.

This was a very enjoyable animated Disney movie. I saw it in Digital 3d and to be completely honest, I couldn't really see how the regular version would be any different. There were no added bonuses to it being in digital 3d except for showing some extra depth during chase scenes. I'm sure that the movie would be just as great in its regular version. The story was cute and very quickly explained so the movie doesn't really drag at all. The voices were great, especially the cat and the hamster. The hamster provided all of the laughs and really stole the show.

I'd fully recommending everyone check this out. Its a fun movie and a must see for anyone with kids.

Quantum Of Solace

Quantum of Solace continues the high octane adventures of James Bond (Daniel Craig) in Casino Royale. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judi Dench) interrogate Mr White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organization which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined. Forensic intelligence links an Mi6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organization. On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio). Using his associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land. In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene's sinister plan and stop his organization.

I loved this movie. I was always a fan of Bond movies, but always found them to be more on the campy side regarding the action scenes. Not any more. This movie had some of the best (and most real looking) action scenes ever. The best part of this movie was its pacing. The only knock that I could make against Casino Royale was that it dragged tremendously at many points. This movie took right off at the beginning with an amazing car chase and didn't let off the gas at all. Dainel Craig, and his awesome gritty/rididness, further cemented himself as the second best Bond to Sean Connery. His chemistry with Judi Dench as the only person who has faith in him were great.

I couldn't possibly recommend this movie more if I tried. It is awesome and is a must see for anyone looking for a great ride and adrenaline in a movie.

Twilight

Twilight is a modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for – a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires – James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) – come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life?

I've read all the books in this Twilight series and tried to temper my excitement for this movie. Its basically a movie made for teenage girls and their romance loving mothers. It was made by a small movie studio with a tiny budget by modern day standards. There was only so good that the movie could really be. It definitely didn't help that with the book series being finished and dying to see the end game portion of it play out on screen, you now have to watch the beginning of it all and deal with the dragging parts that you forgot about. That all being said - the movie met pretty much all of my expectations dead on. It was watchable but definitely dragged at parts. The acting was pretty dull and reading the book was definitely a necessary prerequisite to being able to enjoy the movie. I definitely think that the following movies will be a 1000 times better than this one, but taking this movie for what it really is and NOT the blockbuster that it was advertised as being makes it a better than average watch.

I'd recommend this movie to people who read the book. Then again, would anyone who read the book not see this movie? If you haven't read the book - try to see it with someone who has so they can point things out as it goes on and you aren't stuck wondering what all the hype was about.

Punisher: War Zone

Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. With the "Punisher Task Force" hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished.

Why is it so hard to make a good Punisher movie!?! I was a huge fan of the Punisher comic book series and couldn't wait for them to put him on this big screen. Granted, this attempt isn't as bad as the original Dolph Lundren one from years back but it makes the last attempt with Thomas Jane as the Punisher look like a phenomenal movie by comparison. This movie just decided to up the gore in terms of the Punisher's attacks and the corniness of Jigsaw was beyond atrocious. I couldn't even make it through the whole movie. I pulled the plug when Jigsaw's brother started throwing himself in to mirrors to cheer up Jigsaw because he didn't like the way he looked in them. Seriously. That happened. Go back and read that again and ask yourself if you should ever see this.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to my worst enemy. Its a downright piece of steaming dung and is an insult to Punisher fans.

Rachel Getting Married

Rachel Getting Married is a contemporary drama with an aggressive sense of humor about the return of an estranged daughter to the family home for her sister's wedding. Kym's (Hathaway) reemergence throws a wrench into the family dynamics, forcing long-simmering tensions to surface in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking.

This is definitely one of those too much buzz movies. I had heard so much about how great it was that by the time I saw it I kept asking myself why everyone though it was so great . . . . except for Anne Hathaway's performance. That was great. This movie is basically like the female equivalent to The Wrestler for me this year. Hathaway and Rourke put forth awesome performances but the rest of both movies was pretty blah. I actually found myself getting pretty annoyed during this movie because this was the weirdest wedding I've ever seen. It ended up hitting me as completely absurd to be honest with you. However, it was nice to see Anne Hathaway break out of the Disney princess roles she usually takes on and she was deserving of her best actress nomination.

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone rush to rent this. The movie is as a whole is kind of "eh" and she didn't win the oscar so waiting for cable might be a better choice.

Flash Of Genius

The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis (Lauren Graham) and, by their mid-thirties, had six kids who brought them a hectic but satisfying Midwestern existence. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the world, the Kearns think they have struck gold. But their aspirations are dashed after the auto giants who embraced Bob's creation unceremoniously shunned the man who invented it. Ignored, threatened and then buried in years of litigation, Bob is haunted by what was done to his family and their future. He becomes a man obsessed with justice and the conviction that his life's work--or for that matter, anyone's work--be acknowledged by those who stood to benefit. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.

This is one of those movies that I find the hardest to review. Its a good movie. Its well done, has great performances, and is a great story of perserverance. I just found myself limited with how much I really was into it. I don't know if it was just my energy level while watching it or if it was the movie banking too much on pulling the right heart strings. Either way its a good, watchable movie. I just don't know how necessary it was to be made.

I'd say that nobody has to run out and rent this. You could probably just wait for cable on this bad boy.

Nobel Son

Nobel Son is a tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge. Barkley Michaelson (Bryan Greenberg) is struggling to finish his Ph.D. thesis when his father, the learned Eli Michaelson (Alan Rickman), wins the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. But Eli's past indiscretions begin to collide with the present. When Barkley is kidnapped on the eve of his father accepting the prize, Eli refuses to pay the ransom. So starts a game of intrigue and deception that proves that payback's a bitch.

This movie was in theaters for about five seconds. However, I really kind of liked it. It was full of a wide assortment of characters who all changed massively over the course of the movie. You find yourself still intrigued with the story even though its going all over the place. Alan Rickman is awesome as always.

I would actually recommend that people check this out. I'm not saying its a must see, but its definitely worth your time if you want to check it out.

The Boy In Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a fictional story that offers a unique perspective on how prejudice, hatred and violence affect innocent people, particularly children, during wartime. Through the lens of an eight-year-old boy largely shielded from the reality of World War II, we witness a forbidden friendship that forms between Bruno, the son of Nazi commandant, and Schmuel, a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp. Though the two are separated physically by a barbed wire fence, their lives become inescapably intertwined. The imagined story of Bruno and Shmuel sheds light on the brutality, senselessness and devastating consequences of war from an unusual point of view. Together, their tragic journey helps recall the millions of innocent victims of the Holocaust.


This is one of those movies that simply reaches in to your chest and rips your heart out. This probably would have made my top ten list had I seen in theaters when it came out last year. As if these things having happened wasn't disturbing enough, the movie portrays it through the eyes of a child. The innocence and confusion of it all through the children's eyes brings it all to a newly disturbing level. The movie is so well crafted that you are literally talking to the screen while watching the ending unfold.


This movie is an absolute must see for all. Go and rent this movie right now.

Cadillac Records

The story of how the blues became popular and gave birth to rock and roll begins at a dingy bar on the rough South Side of Chicago in 1947, where the owner Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), hires a talented but undisciplined blues combo that includes quiet and thoughtful guitar prodigy Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright) and impulsive and colorful harmonica player Little Walter (Columbus Short). Chess treats his musicians like family – he buys them a Cadillac when they record their first hit record. But it's not until 1955 when a Chess artist finally "crosses over" into the realm of mainstream ("white") America – a skinny guy from St. Louis named Chuck Berry (Mos Def), whose dynamic "duck walk" and catchy, country-tinged tunes mark the birth of rock-and-roll. When Berry is arrested and jailed at the height of his career, Chess finds another talented performer to cross over – singer Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles), an emotionally scarred young woman whose vulnerability tempts Chess' loyalty and concern in unexpected ways. As rock-and-roll grows more popular, the Chess artists find themselves revered by a new generation of musicians, but they have also each earned and lost a small fortune on booze, women and the high life, and their addictions begin to take their toll. Even as tragedy befalls, their music and their spirit remain strong: as the sixties wind down and Leonard Chess gets out of the record business, the blues live on.


As you can tell from the absurdly long synopsis - this movie was way too overdone. It started off really good and I was really enjoying it for the first half. It then started twisting and turning all over the place and I very quickly lost interest in the characters and what was happening to them. I kind of just wanted the movie to end already. I thought that all the performances were good but the script was too big and they definitely could have cut the movie down a lot.


I wouldn't really recommend that anyone rush to see this. Its not a horrible watch, but you can just wait for cable.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Just how hard is it to be happy? Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher who brings an infectious laugh and an unsinkable sense of optimism to every situation she encounters, offering us a touching, truthful and deeply life-affirming exploration of one of the most mysterious and often the most elusive of all human qualities: happiness. Poppy's ability to maintain her perspective is tested as the story begins and her commuter bike is stolen. However, she enthusiastically signs up for driving lessons with Scott (Eddie Marsan), who turns out to be her nemesis – a fuming, uptight cynic. As the tension of their weekly lessons builds, Poppy encounters even more challenges to her positive state of mind: a fiery flamenco instructor, her bitter pregnant sister, a troubled homeless man and a young bully in her class, not to mention that she has also thrown out her back. How this affects not only Poppy's world view but also the outlook of those around her begs the question "glass half full or half empty"?


I've never thought of myself as an unhappy person. I've always considered myself to be somewhat "happy go lucky". But if this movie is what it means to be happy go lucky, then consider myself to be Scrooge. This character was so over the top happy that it was one of the most annoying things I've ever seen. I couldn't even finish watching this movie because I wanted to punch the girl in the head. Her constand talking and laughing grated on my nerves like a cheese grater. It was brutal.


I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this movie out. It didn't make me happy at all.

Transporter 3

Frank Martin has been pressured into transporting Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Ukraine, from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. Along the way, with the help of Inspector Tarconi, Frank has to contend with the people who strong armed him to take the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercept him, and the general non-cooperation of his passenger. Despite Valentina's cynical disposition and his resistance to get involved, Frank and Valentina fall for each other, while escaping from one life-threatening situation after another.


I never really thought that Transporter would turn in to a franchise. I mean is there really that much of a need or a sense of wonder to what crazy driver Frank is up to? It just seems like a giant waste of money to me. The weird thing is that these movies aren't actually bad. I mean they are pretty much photocopies of each other, but in terms of bad ass adrenaline action stuff - these are pretty decent watches. Who would have thought that?


I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. As I said - its not a bad choice if you are looking for a good action movie. If you aren't - this is total poop though.

Milk

Milk charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk's life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change.With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk's actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk's political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk's platform was and is one of hope – a hero's legacy that resonates in the here and now.

This movie was full of excellent acting performances. This is that type of movie where you could see 3 or 4 actors getting nominated for best supporting actor along with the obvious nomination that Sean Penn should get. He was excellent as Harvey Milk. The movie started off a little bit too gay. Sean Penn and James Franco pretty much just start going at it. Right off the bat I was wondering what the heck I had signed on for. However, it settled down and really got you interested in the evolution of Milk's rise in politics. New people were introduced very fluidly and the movie was very well done as a whole.

I strongly recommend that everyone check this one out. Just push through the first ten minutes or so and you will truly enjoy this powerful character drama.

Role Models

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott star in Role Models as Danny and Wheeler, two salesmen who trash a company truck on an energy drink-fueled bender. Upon their arrest, the court gives them a choice: do hard time or spend 150 service hours with a mentorship program. If they can just make it through probation without getting thrown in jail, the world's worst role models will prove that, sometimes, it takes a village idiot to raise a child.

I thought this movie was beyond hysterical. This is one of the best character comedies to come out in a long time. Stifler played his usual self. Paul Rudd continues to impress me. McLovin was probably the best actor in the whole movie and the little kid that played Ronnie had me belly laughing the whole time. The movie is of course totally formula and you know everything that's going to happen the whole time but you still find yourself laughing uncontrollably at the one-liners and gags. The way that the four of them were dressed at the end of this movie had tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard.

I couldn't possibly recommend this movie more if I tried. Its a much welcomed laugh fest that doesn't push the envelope too far.

Australia

Australia is an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local (Hugh Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles of the world's most beautiful yet unforgiving terrain, only to still face the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor.

I am shocked at how much I really enjoyed this movie. I'm actually pretty pissed at myself for not taking this movie in while in theaters. I thought for sure based on the trailers for this that it was going to be horribly bad and the almost 3 hour running time made my expectations for it even worse. I couldn't have possibly been more wrong. This movie was awesome. The cinematography was phenomenal and at no point did it drag even with the massive running time. You find yourself completely hooked by all of the characters and very attached to the voyages of all of them. This movie probably should have received more oscar consideration than it did.

I strongly recommend that everyone check this out. This movie is more than worth the visit to the store and rental fee.

Beverly Hills Chiahuahua

Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore), a diamond-clad, bootie wearing Beverly Hills Chihuahua enjoys her luxurious lifestyle so much, she hardly notices Papi (voice of George Lopez), a tough looking Chihuahua who happens to be head-over-paws for the pampered pooch. But when Chloe gets lost in the rough streets of Mexico with only a street-wise German Shepherd (voice of Andy Garcia) to help her find her way home, Papi heads south of the border -- joining forces with a motley crew: two humans (Piper Perabo, Manolo Cardona), a sly rat (voice of Cheech Marin) and a nervous iguana (voice of Paul Rodriguez) – to rescue his true love.

This was an excellent kids movie. There are few movies that your kids would enjoy more than this bad boy. Unfortunately, its not as entertaining for the adults taking the kids. Don't get me wrong. There are definitely numerous big laughs, but there is nothing in this movie that you didn't already chuckle at in the trailer. However, these movies are in no way made for us, people. Its made for the kids and it definitely reaches its target audience perfectly. On a totally unrelated side note - how with the US economy being so bad does this movie making 30 million dollars on its opening weekend? Seriously?

I completely recommend this movie for anyone with kids. They will fully enjoy it and it will make it worth your time watching them laugh regardless of what you think of the movie.