Red

Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA's top agents – but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history.


This movie was fun. Lots of great action scenes and tongue in cheek dialogue. The premise is entertaining and the cast sells it very well. I just felt like that they held back too much. It could have had more action. It could have been more tongue in cheek. And the pace could have been much better. This movie really shouldn't have felt as long as it did.


I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie. It's a fun watch but just could have been better.

Secretariat

Based on the remarkable true story, "Secretariat" chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery--with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)--manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.


This movie is exactly what you would expect. It's got the textbook build up with the textbook hurdles and successes. John Malkovich is very entertaining as the quirky trainer. It's a good sports underdog movie . . . . except it's about horse racing. There is really only so excited that I am able to get about horse racing.


I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie. If this were about most other sports I probably would have loved it. It's a good movie but just pretty dull subject matter.

Saw 3D

As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror...


This movie is the same as the others. They have the really weak storyline playing out with jigsaw's 700th apprentice by this point. There are random traps for no apparant reason outside of pushing the limits of gore. They also went out of there way for 3D gore scenes.


If you liked the others, you will like this one . . . . and there is something wrong with you. Outside of that I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone and really hope this franchise is done.

Nowhere Boy

Imagine... John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year-old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned-up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock n' roll where his fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney. Just as John begins his new life, tragedy strikes. But a resilient young man finds his voice - and an icon explodes into the world.


This is another one of those just kind of there movies. There really is not much to write about it at all. Its not too good. Its not too bad. Its just there. There are a couple of cool connections shown on how the Beatles started and I had high hopes for the kid playing John Lennon after his turn in Kick-Ass, but there really wasn't much to the movie.


I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to check this out. Its really not worth the time or money. You'd probably be better off just waiting for it to randomly show up on cable.

Takers

Takers revolves around a notorious group of criminals (Idris Elba, Paul Walker, T.I., Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen and Michael Ealy) who continue to baffle police by pulling off perfectly executed bank robberies. They are in and out like clockwork, leaving no evidence behind and laying low in between heists. But when they attempt to pull off one last job with more money at stake than ever before, the crew may find their plans interrupted by a hardened detective (Matt Dillon) who is hell-bent on solving the case.

This is literally an urban wannabe version of Heat. Heat happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. Its one of those that I stop what I'm doing if I'm flipping through the channels and see that its on. Unfortunately, this wannabe urban version of it is just kind of there. Idris Elba is no Robert DeNiro. Matt Dillon is no Al Pacino. Chris Brown and T.I. aren't even actors! And the director comes nowhere near building the level of tension that Michael Mann did in Heat. Hell, most of the really cool scenes are taken straight after other heist movies. For example, the armored truck stuff . . . . been there done that in The Italian Job. And of course I have yet to address the biggest problem with this movie . . . . . or any movie he is in . . . . Hayden Christiansen. I hate him. The second I see him I get angry at how he destroyed everything I came to love about Star Wars.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering checking this out. Its not that its bad. Its somewhat watchable but it is literally a knockoff of Heat and other heist movies.

Stone

As parole officer Jack Mabry (De Niro) counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Norton), in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both. Stone skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. Set against the quiet desperation of an economically ravaged community and the stifling brutality of a maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled pasts to face uncertain futures.

This movie had two phenomenal actors in it (with a truly horrible actress). It had a pretty simple storyline. It could have been a decent watch. Unfortunately, the director fell in love with really lame single camera dramatic shots where we are shown a ton of deep in thought shots of the characters. I'm guessing we were supposed to be really deeply involved in what they were thinking and what not. I wasn't. I couldn't have cared less about any of these characters. There was no hook whatsoever. And this made the overdramatic camera work beyond annoying.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to see this. I felt like I pretty much wasted away 2 hours of my life that I can never get back.

Buried

Paul Conroy is not ready to die. But when he wakes up 6 feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time - fighting panic, despair and delirium, Paul has only 90 minutes to be rescued before his worst nightmare comes true.


This movie was a hell of a creepy premise. And it was really creepy to watch for a long time. However, as time went on I kind of got bored. This would make a much better episode of television with a 41 minute running time . . . . like CSI did a couple of years back. It also might have been a little bit better to leave the coffin from time to time. It was still watchable but felt dragged out for a while in the middle before picking up steam again.


I would sort of recommend people checking this out. Its a good premise and has a short running time but there is a dead zone in the middle that kills the tension too much before the pick up at the end.

The Social Network

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.


This was an amazing movie. The story telling was top notch with the back and forth between litigation and how they ended up there. The direction was great as always. David Fincher and Chris Nolan are easily the two most automatic directors in the business today. The acting was awesome. Jesse Eisenberg should be nominated for an oscar and I'm not excited for the Spider Man reboot after getting a look at Andrew Garfield. Even Justin Timberlake was great as an actor in this movie. Granted, there were numerous times where the talkling was too fast or too nerdy for me to fully follow what was happening, but I didn't care because I was so dialed in to the story. It really captures society as we know it today and made me that much prouder for NOT having a Facebook.


I would absolutely recommend everyone checking out this movie. It should end up getting nominated for a bunch of awards in a couple of months and looks to make my Top Ten list as well.

Pirahna 3D

Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for Spring Break; a riot of sun and drunken fun. But this year, there's something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. A new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake Victoria. After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents.


Holy no shame, Batman! This movie features the most blatant nudity and insane gore I've seen since a 70s/80s B movie. It was crazy. I expected it to be gory, but not THIS gory. I expected there to be nudity, but not THAT much nudity. This is the R-est of R movies I've seen in a while. There was really nothing that they held back on. The only thing that made this movie enjoyable is that it was supposed to be like this. The thing about these movies is that they don't try to be something they're not. Its a lame ass movie about killer fish. Everything is blatantly over the top and it ends being enjoyable/laughable because of that . . . . . as long as you can handle the gore. There is one scene with the fish in particular that had be howling with laughter. Beyond gross - but so campy and funny.


I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys campy horror movies like this. Its a truly horrible movie but they all knew that making it. Enjoy the schlock if you can.

Alpha & Omega

What makes for the ultimate road trip? Hitchhiking, truck stops, angry bears, prickly porcupines and a golfing goose with a duck caddy. Just ask Kate and Humphrey, two wolves who are trying to get home after being taken by park rangers and shipped halfway across the country. Humphrey is an Omega wolf, whose days are about quick wit, snappy one-liners and hanging with his motley crew of fun-loving wolves and video-gaming squirrels. Kate is an Alpha: duty, discipline and sleek Lara Croft eye-popping moves fuel her fire. Humphrey's motto – make 'em laugh. Kate's motto – I'm the boss. And they have a thousand miles to go.Back home rival wolf packs are on the march and conflict is brewing. Only Kate and Humphrey can restore the peace. But first, they have to survive each other.


This was a watchable kids movie. Unlike most animated movies that are just as entertaining for the adults, this one was blatantly aimed more at the kids. There are some good laughs for the adults, but without younger children to enjoy this you will find yourself asking why you are watching it.


I would definitely recommend this movie to those with younger kids. Its short and worth the visit. Those of you grown up animated movie fans - be warned that this one isn't really made for you.

Dinner For Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss' annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art.


This movie was hysterical. And the funniest part was that it was just Steve Carell's innocence that made it so hysterical. His delivery and responses to other characters was truly priceless. The story itself was beyond simple and the movie was absolutely 20-30 minutes longer than it had to be. Outside of that there are no knocks that I would make on this. It is a truly funny collection of characters and this is easily the laugh out loud movie of the year.


I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good laugh. It was one of the three movies that I was very excited for this summer and it didn't disappoint at all.

Case 39

In Case 39, family services social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) thinks she has seen it all... until she meets 10-year old Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) and the child's cruel and dangerous parents. Her worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to harm Lily, their only daughter. Frightened for her life, Emily enlists the help of Detective Mike Barron (Ian McShane) and takes Lily in while she continues the search for the perfect foster family. Just as it seems as though Lily is on her way to a more loving home, under the guidance of Emily and psychiatrist (Bradley Cooper), dark forces surrounding this young girl come to light and, little do they know, their attempts to protect her will only bring on greater horror.


I'm really confused by how little fanfare this movie got. It seems like there is a crazily overmarketed horror/"thriller" coming out every other week. I see them all and maybe one out of five ends up being worth the time. Then there is this movie, which is barely advertised at all. I didn't even know about this movie until about a week before it opened. Even more shockingly, this movie was one of the rare "thrillers" that actually delivered. The kid is creepy. The story build up is good and there are LEGIT actors in this. How in the blue hell was this kept so on the down low?


I would definitely recommend that "thriller" fans check this out. Its one of the better offerings in that genre for a while.

Catfish

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel's brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, "Catfish" is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue.


For the record, this movie is not scary in any way. Its not thrilling in any way. The advertising is totally false . . . . . . except for the disturbing part. It was very, very disturbing. My initial reaction to this is that this is exactly what I've always thought was wrong about facebook. I can't really go into too much detail without giving the movie away, but it is a very psychologically upsetting movie. Its also one of those movies that people are either going to totally love or totally hate and think its stupid. I loved it. It felt very real and believable throughout the movie and the way that it was filmed in both style and build up was very catchy and kept me beyond intrigued until the end. Its not something that I'll ever watch again, but it was a major eye opener.


I would definitely recommend everyone seeing this but ask them to keep an open mind and don't rush to judgement about whether the movie was good or not. Wait a while and let it digest so that you can really take in just how disturbing it was.

Machete

The feature version of the trailer from Grindhouse finds Machete (Trejo) a renegade former Mexican Federale, roaming the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Reluctantly, Machete takes an offer from spin doctor Benz (Fahey) to assassinate McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run Machete braves the odds with the help of Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, Padre (Cheech Marin) his "holy" brother, and April (Lindsay Lohan) a socialite with a penchant for guns. All while being tracked by Sartana (Jessica Alba), a sexy ICE agent with a special interest in the blade slinger.


I must tell the truth and say that I turned this movie off after 33 minutes. It wasn't that it was the worst thing I've ever seen. I just figured I had too many things to do other than continue watching it. This is yet another of those it is what it is movie. Its a 70s exploitation movie with crazy over the top gore, lame writing/acting and a grainy feel to the film itself. Machete kills anyone that gets in his way . . . . . in the nastiest way possible. For example, I turned it off shortly after he gutted some guy and used his intestines as a rope to jump out of a window and go two floors down.


My recommendation for this movie solely depends on if you like these kinds of movies. If you do - you will laugh and have a great time watching it. If you don't (or you are too busy like I was) you shouldn't bother with it.

The Last Exorcism

When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine "exorcism" on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus' own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.


I really liked this movie. You know how after the Blair Witch Project opened up so many movies tried to do the same mockumentary hand held camera approach and it was all over done and got beaten to death? Well, this one finally delivers just like The Blair Witch Project. Its super short, they establish legit doubts about exorcisms and what not, the camera angle approaches build up in creepiness, and then it culminates in a way that you are glued to the screen. Granted, I didn't really expect too much from this movie. Maybe that led to my enjoyment of it, but I still liked it alot.


I would definitely recommend people checking this out . . . . . if you enjoy movies like this. There is hand held camera throughout so avoid if that makes you naseuous. It also gets pretty grisly at the end so be warned.