Dear John

Dear John tells story of John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by John's increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letters overseas--correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences.


I'm not really sure what to make of this movie. Its not as traumatic as most of the other Nicolas Sparks books turned in to movies. And I think thats pretty much because there was just too much going on with this story. For the first 3/4 of the movie its going one way and then all of a sudden takes a really strange turn that kind of throws away what they spent so much time building up for the first 1/4 of the movie. I really can't say too much more without giving it away. But I definitely think that they kind of dropped the date movie/romantic story ball as the movie progressed and decided to just pull as many "disease" heart strings instead. Its not that the movie was bad - it just kind of shot off in a completely different direction. and left me confused about liking it or not.


Like I said - can't really say whether to recommend it or not. Just be warned that the formula portion of what to expect from this movie based on the commercial ends up not being true.

The Road

The Road is an epic post apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth.


I really liked this movie. I just can't really figure out why. Its not that I shouldn't have liked the movie. The performances were great. The cinematography was amazing and really took you to the post apocalyptic world. Maybe it was just that the movie took right off? The movie didn't really have a beginning. They were just kind of there in this really crappy future for our world. They kept flashing back to conversations between the father and mother where they kept talking about knowing what they had to do . . . . . . but never really said what it was. The father and son just kept travelling . . . . . but I'm still totally in the dark as to what they were travelling to. They finally got to the ocean . . . . . . but what closure does that provide? Even with these knocks against the movie, at no point was I bored or not interested in what was going on. I'm still very confused as to what it was that made me really like this movie. Usually I'd be able to go on and on about how great it was. This vexes me.


I'm not sure whether or not to recommend this movie because of my aforementioned confusion about liking it. Its a downright dreary journey that really sucks you in. I really liked it. I just don't know why.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day follows the intertwining storylines of a group of Los Angelinos as they find their way through romance over the course of one Valentine's Day.

This is a somewhat watchable movie, but there is simply way too much going on. Too many characters. Too many stories. Too many pairings to tie up. And the movie is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. If this could have been a tighter 90 minutes movie, I probably would have enjoyed it much more. To be honest, looking at the poster to the left, at least half of those faces are completely uneccesary in the movie. Again - its not horrible. There were 2 or 3 really funny scenes and there were some storylines that panned out in a way that you really do enjoy. I just think that ultimately it took too long to get there and ends up desensitizing you and what not. The other thing that I have to say is that having a young "teenage" daughter who is dying to see this - the teen stars in this movie that the younger kids want to see are tied in to a storyline of whether or not to have sex so be warned about placating the youngsters by taking them to see this. Probably not a fun ride home. Really glad I saw this first before accidentally taking that plunge.

I would very lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. Its not a horrible watch by any means but not nearly as good as it could have been because of way too many ingredients.

Invictus

The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Every year there is one of these. There is always one movie that comes out this time of year that is a very well made movie in every way. It will probably get nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and numerous Best Acting nominations. However, I am just not into it at all. Last year it was The Reader. This year it is Invictus. I knew all along that I was watching a "great" movie, but I wasn't remotely hooked by it at all and just kind of watched it completely uninterested. I guess it didn't help that I know absolutely nothing about Rugby. There were a lot of very dramatic rugby scenes where I had no idea what was going on. I have a whole new respect for people sitting through sports movies that have no idea about sports after seeing this one.

I am really not the right person to be recommending or not recommending this movie. If you want to see all the oscar worthy movies - you should check this out. I was pretty bored by it though and felt it lacked a legitimite emotional hook.

The Spy Next Door

The Spy Next Door stars Jackie Chan as Bob Ho, an undercover CIA superspy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian (Amber Valletta). But Bob has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him: winning over her three opinionated kids.

Ugh. And now we have the incredibly craptastic family movie released in January to cross of our list. I used to love Jackie Chan. However, this movie is a definite sign that the man is done. And this might seriously be the most annoying collection of kids ever. I want to kick the crap out of them myself. This movie is just a blatant attempt at putting a family friendly movie out there to take advantage of parents wanting to find something to do with their kids since its cold and they are off from school for MLK day.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone bother checking this out. Not even those of you with kids. If you are totally desperate just take them to see Alvin and The Chipmunks 2 again.

Extraordinary Measures

From his working class roots, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) has finally begun to taste success in corporate America. Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen (Keri Russell) and their three children, John is on the fast track. But just as his career is taking off, Crowley walks away from it all when his two youngest children, Megan and Patrick, are diagnosed with a fatal disease. With Aileen by his side, harnessing all of his skill and determination, Crowley teams up with a brilliant, but unappreciated and unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford). Together they form a bio-tech company focused on developing a life-saving drug. One driven to prove himself and his theories, the other by a chance to save his children, this unlikely alliance eventually develops into mutual respect as they battle the medical and business establishments in a fight against the system – and time.

This movie is exactly what you expect it to be. It was advertised as a made for tv/Lifetime type movie and that's exactly what it was. That's not saying that its bad. Its a very watchable/enjoyable movie if you are in to the blatant heart string pulling type of stuff. Harrison Ford is great. Brendan Fraser is his usual overacting self. Even though its completely formula in every way, the story progresses quickly enough so that you don't feel that crazy boredom creeping in.

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this movie out. Again - its a blatant heart string movie and if you like those kinds of movies I guarantee you will like this movie. If not, you probably shouldn't go anywhere near this one.

The Messenger

Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will's emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival.

This is another one of those powerful but dark character dramas that flood the zone this time of year. Bottom line with this one is that its a great movie with amazing performances that I could see getting nominated for numerous awards. However, it is a dreary watch. Just like Brothers a couple of weeks ago, I watched this knowing that it was a great, well done and well acted movie but you really feel down and drained after watching it.

I would definitely recommend anyone who is in to award nominated movies check this one out. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster put forth two of the better performances of the year in this one.

Edge Of Darkness

Edge of Darkness is an emotionally charged thriller set at the intersection of politics and big business. Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father. When his only child, twenty-four year-old Emma (Bojana Novakovic), is murdered on the steps of his home, everyone assumes that he was the target. But he soon suspects otherwise, and embarks on a mission to find out about his daughter's secret life and her killing. His investigation leads him into a dangerous, looking glass world of corporate cover-ups, government collusion and murder – and to shadowy government operative Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who has been sent in to clean up the evidence. Craven's solitary search for answers about his daughter's death transforms into an odyssey of emotional discovery and redemption.


This movie was pretty bad ass. I really enjoyed it. It was a great ride and I really bought in. It also featured two of the most shock you out of your chair, violent and realistic killings I've ever seen on film. All I'm saying is that the thought of actually seeing up close someone shot at close range by a shot gun or suddenly hit by a car has got to look EXACTLY like it looked in this movie. Again - sudden, gruesome and freakishly real looking. I'm shocked that they didn't actually kill the actors for those shots. Anywho, you really buy Mel Gibson as the vengeful father and I think Ray Winstone is awesome in everything he does. You find yourself completely engaged in the conversations that him and Mel Gibson have together.


I very strongly recommend people checking this bad boy out. Be warned that parts of it are incredibly violent/graphic, but it is a great watch.

Legion

In the supernatural action thriller "Legion," an out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany).


Yet another awesome example of why to stay home when it is cold in January. The only good part of this movie was with the nasty old lady in the diner that is in all the commercials. Outside of that its just silly, over the top, wannabe prophetic crap. This movie was quite possibly the lamest character development I've ever seen in my life because no matter what there is no way that any of us are going to care about these people. You know damn well that they are going to die one by one so why bother getting too in to them. This was basically one of those movies where they tried to take themselves too seriously . . . . . and they clearly love shots of Paul Bettany firing two machine guns at once.


I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. It really is a total waste of time.

Daybreakers

Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world's population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race.


So many questions were answered by watching this movie. Why doesn't Ethan Hawke do more movies? Because he sucks. What happens to vampires if they drink their own blood? They become mutant inbreds. Its apparantly like having a baby with your brother or sister. Why should you not go to the movies in January? Because all that comes out in January are big pieces of turd like this movie.


I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. Ever. Its so mind numbingly stupid. Run for your lives.

Tooth Fairy

Dwayne Johnson is The Tooth Fairy, also known as Derek Thompson, a hard-charging minor league hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids. When Derek discourages a youngster's hopes, he's sentenced to one week's hard labor as a real tooth fairy, complete with the requisite tutu, wings and magic wand. At first, Derek "can't handle the tooth" - bumbling and stumbling as he tries to furtively wing his way through strangers' homes...doing what tooth fairies do. But as Derek slowly adapts to his new position,he begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.

Yet another totally horrible family movie released in January. I don't think I have ever looked forward to February in my entire life as I do this year. Its just downright painful at this point. Anywho, the only reason that I was able to make it through to the end of this massive turd is because of The Rock. Sure, I could refer to him by his real name, but who are we kidding. He has always been and will always be The Rock. I find him incredibly entertaining and forced my way through this due to my liking of him. Outside of that it was totally formula in every way and just downright bad.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to check this one out. Not even those of you with kids. Its not worth the pain, people!

Leap Year

When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin and get down on one knee herself.But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

They can't even get "chick flicks" right in January!!! As if this movie wasn't insultingly formula enough, I really don't think there was a single part of this movie that was not covered in the trailer. The trailer in fact was so much better than the movie becuase it was only 2-3 minutes long. The only person that made me laugh in this movie was Amy Adams friend in the beginning. However, that was probably more because she is "Dee" from Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which if you aren't watching - you REALLY should be. Outside of that - there really wasn't anything redeeming about this movie. Not even the "chick flick" satisfaction feeling. Nothing.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone waste their time with this bad boy. Once again, you should probably just rent movies that you missed instead of going to theaters in the month of January.

Nine

Nine is a musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), a young American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson) and his mother (Sophia Loren).

I didn't think it was possible for Daniel Day Lewis to do anything bad. I was wrong. This movie was horrible! I'm usually a big fan of musicals but this was beyond unbearable. After every song, I turned to WW and asked "what?" Every f'n song was about Guido. I started to wonder if the movie was called Nine because all it really was was nine songs about Guido. And I didn't give a rat's ass about guido. The only two performances that didn't make me want to stab myself in the ears were Fergie's and Nicole Kidman's. But they still sucked because they were singing about Guido.

I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this movie out . . . . . ever! It has ruined the always reliable holiday season/Oscar contending musical string. F Guido!