The American

As an assassin, Jack (Clooney) is constantly on the move and always alone. After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, Jack retreats to the Italian countryside. He relishes being away from death for a spell as he holes up in a small medieval town. While there, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact, Mathilde (Reuten). Savoring the peaceful quietude he finds in the mountains of Abruzzo, Jack accepts the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Bonacelli) and pursues a torrid liaison with a beautiful woman, Clara (Placido). Jack and Clara's time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of danger. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.


This is a stunning example of how false advertising can ruin a movie. The commercial for this looked great with tons of action and Clooney being all bad a$$. In the movie . . . . . none of this happened. There was one action scene that lasted about 2 minutes. Clooney could not have been less bad a$$ if he tried. He was actually more of a depressing bump on a log for most of the movie. The movie is not an action thriller whatsoever. Its actually more of an artsy independent movie and might have been enjoyable . . . . . . . if it was advertised as one.


I wouldn't really recommend too many people going to check this out. It ended up being a pretty big snoozefest due to misadvertising.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.


Why do they keep making these? I had actually lost count and had to ask around to find out that this was the fourth installment of this "franchise". I'm guessing it picked up right where the third one went off. I had no clue what the hell was going on because I clearly didn't care about the third one. I just kind of accepted that there were numerous versions of Milla Jovovich. It was tough to accept seeing as how one of her is painful enough. Side note - I still can't watch her without hearing her say multipass. Anywho, the movie is garbage. The whole franchise is garbage. The only thing that was a positive about this movie is that it is only the third movie out of all the "3D" movies that was made with the intention of it being 3D all along instead of that after the fact altering. You can totally tell the difference and there were some cool visual moments throughout the movie. But that really was all.


Hell no I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out. I want them to stop making these. Its ridiculous that this franchise has more movies that Spider-Man or Iron Man or even Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married franchises.

Salt

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who Is Salt?"


I am so shocked at how crazy, kick a$$ this movie was!!! I expected it to be your typical run of the mill espionage movie. This was like a female version of the Bourne movies. It played out like a video game. The action was crazy non-stop. The only slight pauses (I and I mean slight) were little vignettes in between to set up different locations and then the game was right back on. There really wasn't a chance for me to go to the bathroom. It was that intense.


I would definitely recommend everyone checking this bad boy out. Movies like this are what going to the movies in the summer is all about.

Easy A

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school – until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.


I thought this movie was great. All of the characters were entertaining (especially the parents!!!) and Emma Stone has a very bright future in front of her. The movie was very well written and witty throughout. It was full of 80s pop culture references. John Hughes would be so proud. The movie also felt very real and made you really get in to the whole how hard it is to be in high school thing.


I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Its got lots of huge laughs and more than worth your time.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Shia LaBeouf stars with Michael Douglas, who'll reprise his Gordon Gekko role. Langella will play Lewis Zabel, an old-time broker who mentors LaBeouf's character, a young Wall Street broker. When Gekko comes out of prison, he essentially has to redefine himself, redefine his character, he's looking for that second chance. LaBeouf portrays Jake Moore, who is the fiancé of Gekko's daughter, played by Carey Mulligan; Josh Brolin as the head of an investment bank; and Susan Sarandon as Jake's mother.


Maybe its just how not into the financial or economy world I am, but I was bored out of my mind watching this. It was a very long two hours with the characters either going bla bla bla bla or crying. Seriously. They were either talking about a bunch of stuff that I simply don't care enough to understand or crying about the backstabbing that was going on. I've always liked Michael Douglas and I'm a big Shia LaBeouf fan, but I just couldn't get into this movie at all.


I really wouldn't recommend people checking this movie out . . . . . . unless the state of the economy or day trading is up your alley. I have no interest in that stuff whatsoever so this movie was a huge snoozefest for me.

Step Up 3D

New York's street dancing underground comes alive in the third installment of the "Step Up" franchise as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global. A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Adam Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world's best breakdancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.


This movie was such a letdown after the second one. I have gotten over my shock at how much I enjoyed the second one. I believe its still one of Stinka's top 3 of all time. The dancing was fun, you kind of cared about the characters and it had that underdog story firing on all cylinders. This one not so much. It was all very forced with no effort in to any of the above things. It was basically just 3 or 4 big dances that they just wanted to get to. You only care about one character who was carried over from the second one, but it keeps going back and forth about how much he mattered.


I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to check this out. It was very forced, scattered, and the dance scenes weren't even that impressive. Go watch Step Up 2 The Streets instead.

Devil

A group of people trapped in an elevator realize that the devil is among them.


That's really it for the synopsis. This movie is super short and that pretty much sums it up. The movie felt like a Tales From The Crypt episode. It was very watchable but I feel like they could have easily scared the hell out of more but held back. The trailer was more terrifying than the movie. Its watchable . . . . . especially because its like a hour and 15 minutes long. They keep you interested in what is going on. I just feel like they pulled their punches big time.


I would sort of recommend people checking this out. Its not nearly as scary as expected, but is a short, watchable visit to theaters.

Winter's Bone

17 year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) sets out to track down her father, who put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared. If she fails, Ree and her family will be turned out into the Ozark woods. Challenging her outlaw kin's code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth.

This was a surprisingly good movie. It took you deep in to a culture for the area and definitely hooked your interest level in the battle of Ree Dolly. This kid has a really bright future ahead of her. This reminded me A LOT of a movie called Frozen River from a year or two ago.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out. Its definitely worth the rental and the kid could end up getting nominated for some year end awards.

The Town

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang's latest job, when they briefly took a hostage--bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). Though they let her go unharmed, Claire is nervously aware that the robbers know her name...and where she lives. But she lets her guard down when she meets an unassuming and rather charming man named Doug...not realizing that he is the same man who only days earlier had terrorized her. The instant attraction between them gradually turns into a passionate romance that threatens to take them both down a dangerous, and potentially deadly, path.


This was an exellently well crafted movie. I kind of got that Heat or The Departed vibe from watching the trailer and was very excited to see the movie. While the movie wasn't necessarily on par with the two aforementioned movies, it was still an excellent story that was told in perfect fashion. Factoring in the part where this was directed by Ben Affleck and that just makes it that much more impressive. The performances across the board were great. Being familiar with Boston and how much of a part it plays in the story made it that much better.


I would definitely recommend everyone checking this movie out. Its the way story build up should be done and a great ride.

Legend Of The Guardians

Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky. The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences--causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole--Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.


The animation in this movie was phenomenal. The aerial stuff made the 3D actually matter more than it usually does. Unfortunately, the story was beyond convoluted. I had no clue what they were talking about most of the time. It was like an animated version of Lord Of The Rings with how in depth the story was. Go read the above synopsis above and you'll completely understand what I'm saying here. All I kept asking myself is how in the blue hell kids would be able to follow this.


I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out. Even with how great the animation is, the story is way too much to be able to just enjoy the movie.

Despicable Me

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.


I can't remember the last time that I quoted a movie trailer as often as I have quoted this one for the last two months. As absurd as this may sound - this was actually one of the top 3 movies that I was looking forward to this summer. There was just something super quirky about all the ads for it that made me laugh . . . . . . . and the movie did not disappoint. It wasn't drop dead awesome like I had hoped, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very funny, very cute, and super short. There is no way that you can't LOVE the little girl in the movie. If you don't - I will officially hate you in return. The only knock that I can make against this is that with the 3 -4 different trailers for this movie, I felt like I had already seen at least 1/2 of the movie already. They probably should have held back more on that.


I definitely recommend everyone checking this out. Its great for both kids and adults and is more than worth your time and money.

The A-Team

The A-Team follows the exciting and daring exploits of a colorful team of former Special Forces soldiers who were set up for a crime they did not commit. Going "rogue," they utilize their unique talents to try and clear their names and find the true culprit.


This movie was sooooooooooooooooo much fun. The television show was my favorite growing up so to say I was beyond geeked out for this is beyond an understatement. This completely captured all the fun and camaraderie of the television show and its awesome characters. I was pretty pissed when they cast the movie that they went for an UFC fighter to play BA Baracus. Were Ving Rhames and Michael Clarke Duncan really that busy? It ended up not really mattering because the other three actors were so perfectly cast that they ended up making the "non-actor" look good. Even with all my excitement and enjoyment that came from this movie - I should probably pause and point out the fact that I haven't completely lost it. This is not an excellent movie in that its going to be nominated for a bunch of awards or anything. It is, however, an excellent movie in which to go and watch a bunch of crazy action, huge laughs and great characters.


I would definitely recommend that everyone check this out. Its a whole lot of fun and easily the best movie to come out this summer so far.

The Other Guys

Set in New York City, The Other Guys follows Detective Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell), a forensic accountant who's more interested in paperwork than hitting the streets, and Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), who has been stuck with Allen as his partner ever since an embarrassing public incident with his quick trigger finger. Allen and Terry idolize the city's top cops, Danson and Manzetti (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson), but when an opportunity arises for the Other Guys to step up, things don't quite go as planned.


I am shocked at how funny this movie ended up being. I saw the preview and figured it would just be another Will Ferrell movie with a few laughs but not really worth the time. I also figured that Mark Wahlberg would fall so completely flat. I was wrong on both accounts. Mark Wahlberg actually ended up being the funniest part of the movie and I think this was the funniest that Will Ferrell has been since Elf, taking away any roles where he was playing off of John C Reilly. The two of them worked off of each other much better than I could have imagined.


I would definitely recommend people checking this out for a good laugh. Although, I should state for the record that I went in to this with NO expectations whatsoever and was pleasantly surprised. Not sure if it would be as good if you were to go in with expectations.

Nanny McPhee Returns

Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she's arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that Mrs. Green's children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in and refuse to leave. Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant who turns up in the oddest places, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.


I'll admit that I actually really enjoyed the first Nanny McPhee. It was a quality family movie with morals for the kids and some pretty decent laughs. This one was kind of over the top and they took away the moral magic and replaced it with actual magic. Once that cutesy part was gone, the movie kind of ended up being blah.


I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out. Even those of you desperate for something to do with your kids. This is a pretty big waste of your time and money.

Cyrus

Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiancé Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else's surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei). Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John's house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man in Molly's life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom's best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love—and it appears only one man can be left standing when it's over.


This was a strangely enjoyable movie. It is not a mainstream movie by any means. Its not straight up funny either. Its an artsy character comedy/drama with great performances by all three. As weird as it was, they all seemed like very real people and you ultimately do care how it turns out. Its actually one of the better performances from Jonah Hill (who I've never really been a fan of) as well as John C Reilly.


I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. I enjoyed it, but I could see people not liking it at all so view cautiously.

Inception

Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible—inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.


This movie was insanely intense right off the bat. They didn't waste any time with credits or explaining the whole entering the dreams thing. They just hit the ground running and it was such an assault on your senses of sight and hearing. The score was intense. The visual effects were mind blowing. The acting was awesome across the board. The whole idea of dream extraction seemed about as normal as eating breakfast. The back and forth between two completely different stories, one of intesnse action and espionage - the other a character drama dealing with loss and letting go, is as fluid as it could possibly be. I actually don't want to go in to too much detail because the not knowing about what this movie is really about is the best part of the intrigue. I will go on record as saying that this is by far the best movie of the year so far and yet another testament that Christopher Nolan is the greatest director since Steven Spielberg in his prime.


I couldn't possibly recommend this movie any more if I tried. It is absolutely a must see by all.

Shrek Forever After

Shrek is feeling over-domesticated in the fourth installment. He has lost his roar. It used to send villagers running away in terror. Now they run to him and ask him to sign their pitchforks and torches. To regain his ogre mojo, he strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. The pact goes awry and Shrek must confront what life would be like in Far Far Away if he had never existed. That translates into Donkey being forced into cart-pulling duty, fat and lazy Puss in Boots trading his sword for a pink bow and the underhanded Rumpelstiltskin ruling the kingdom.


The original Shrek is one of my favorite movies ever. I loved the second one. The third one . . . . . not so much. I found it insulting, it seemed like the writers really mailed it in and that it could have easily been a direct-to-DVD movie. Therefore, I had seriously low expectations for Shrek Forever After. The trailers for it really didn't do much to help raise them whatsoever. I'm not sure if it was because of my super low expectations or just because they tried harder, but I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I expected to. The random pop culture stuff was back and better than in the third one. I'm still laughing about the Pied Piper playing a Beastie Boys song and the three little pigs being forced to breakdance to it. I also really liked Rumpelstiltsken as the bad guy. He was the best one in the series besides Lord Farquaad in the first one.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Its another entertaining movie to come out this summer. None of them have been what I would call awesome, but none of them have really been bad either. They've all been simply entertaining and this one is no different.

The Twilight Sage: Eclipse

In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.

Does it really matter what I have to say about this movie? If you are a fan you are going to see it - and probably already have - and if you are not you won't touch it with a ten foot pole. This is probably the best of the three movies so far simply because the studio put more money in to this one so it seems like much more of a legitamite movie than the prior two. The special effects have gotten much better as the franchise moves on and the battle/fight scenes in this are pretty good. Unfortunately, the movie is filled with numerous scenes of Bella and Edward face to face professing their love for each other and Bella and Jacob face to face saying how she should love him. This movie easily could have been an hour an a half long without all the fluff.

Regardless, fans of the series will LOVE this movie and those of you that are not won't care.