Final Destination 5

In Final Destination 5, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man's premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death's sinister agenda.

Do I even have to bother reviewing this? Did you like the first four? Do you like these types of shocking death movies? Then this is an entertaining watch. Do you not like them? Then don't touch this with a ten foot pole. It's a bunch more crazy deaths put on the screen including the big bridge going down (WHY MUST YOU TORTURE ME WITH THESE VISIONS!?!) that starts it all. Lots of gore. Lots of build up suspense and then blatant over the top nastiness. I could have done without the cheating death plot twist they factored in towards the end. Just kill the people off and we'll be good at this point. No need to switch it up and what not. There is also one of those clever little karate chops at the viewer's brain towards the end.

Like I said - I would recommend this to anyone liking the others. I'm sure you will like this one just as much. If not - don't start watching it now.

Apollo 18

Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17th, 1972 was the last manned mission to the moon. But in December of 1974, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it's the real reason we've never gone back to the moon.

Exhibit B of why going to the movies in September sucks. This movie has been bounced back for over a year and half at this point and there is definitely a reason why. It is a complete and total waste of 90 minutes of your life. It is set up as old 8mm camera footage so that gets old and annoying about 2 minutes in to the movie. It takes like 7 years to get to the creepy part and then once it gets there it's really not that creepy anymore. This movie was basically an attempt at doing Paranormal Activity in space and it failed miserably.

Hell no I wouldn't recommend anyone seeing this. The audience was collectively bitching about the movie out loud at the end of it because it was so lame.

Straw Dogs

David and Amy Sumner (James Marsden and Kate Bosworth), a Hollywood screenwriter and his actress wife, return to her small hometown in the deep South to prepare the family home for sale after her father's death. Once there, tensions build in their marriage and old conflicts re-emerge with the locals, including Amy's ex-boyfriend Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard), leading to a violent confrontation.

This movie was lame, lame, lame.  There was like 90 minutes of build up for a 15 minute culmination which is everything that you saw in the trailer.  They dynamic between the wife and husband was retarded and the whole story was just way too forced. 

I wouldn't bother anyone checking this movie out.  It's a total snooze fest except for two scenes.  One scene is incredibly disturbing and should have totally altered the course of the movie and didn't and the other one comes at the end where you are too bored to really care anymore.

Warrior

Haunted by a tragic past, Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for Sparta, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan's unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart.

Holy $hit!!! At no point did I expect to walk out a movie about MMA fighting released in the movie going wasteland that is September feeling like I just witnessed greatness much less announcing the following statement . . . . . WARRIOR IS THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR! Seriously. This is not a joke. I'm not some MMA fanboy who is biased. Honestly, I've never even watched it. This movie is hands down one of the best sports movies and family character dramas at the same time I've ever seen. Every character had so many levels and were all so well developed. The tension was unbelievable and just kept going as the fight tournament built towards it's conclusion. I've never been so torn with how I wanted a story to turn out. I was equal parts cheering and crying inside for the two main characters and their quests. Hell, I was cheering out loud and got totally choked up at the same time.

This movie is an absolute must see for all. The movie is simply that phenomenal in story, direction and acting. As of right now - my pick for best movie of the year.

Dolphin Tale

Dolphin Tale is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Without a tail, Winter's prognosis is dire. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle—a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help scores of people around the world. The real Winter, who plays herself in "Dolphin Tale," today serves as a symbol of courage, perseverance and hope to millions of people—both able and disabled—who have been touched by her remarkable story of recovery and rehabilitation.

This is one of the biggest heartstring movies to come out in a long time. They pulled absolutely no punches to make you cry. It was textbook. You also pretty much saw the movie by seeing the commercial. I mean honestly - anyone think that the dolphin is not going to be okay in the end? Am I spoiling that for anyone? Come on now. The movie is somewhat watchable but ended up just kind of being there because I wasn't really hooked.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes weepy feel good movies. It's a great family movie if you have younger children. Sadly, Stinka has gotten to an age where she doesn't really have interest in this anymore. Beginning of the end, people. Beginning of the end.

Glee 3D: The Concert Movie

The multi-generational phenomenon that has inspired millions to embrace their inner-Gleek will soon bring them together to experience Glee a whole new way.

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this movie. I had taken Stinka to see the concert with our friends and really enjoyed how it was more of a production than just a concert. Still, I figured the movie would just be the same as the concert. Instead I found myself enjoying the production part of the whole thing just as entertaining and they had these great little vignettes from a couple of Gleeks throughout showing how the show and it's characters/messages had touched them.

I would definitely recommend this movie just like the show and the concert. It's got great characters, great performances and all these kids have a whole lot of talent.

Colombiana

In Colombiana, Zoe Saldana plays Cataleya, a young woman who has grown up to be an assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents as a child. Turning herself into a professional killer and working for her uncle, she remains focused on her ultimate goal: to hunt down and get revenge on the mobster responsible for her parents’ deaths.

This is one of your textbook August/September adrenaline movies. Honestly, this was basically a Jason Statham movie with the girl from Avatar in it instead of him. Cool action, badass characters, simple revenge story . . . . . with a girl.

I'd lukewarmly recommend people checking this bad boy out. It's not a must see by any means but if you like action/espionage type movies, this is definitely watchable.

Midnight In Paris

Midnight in Paris is a romantic comedy that follows a family travelling to the city for business. The party includes a young engaged couple that has their lives transformed throughout the journey. The film celebrates a young man's great love for Paris, and simultaneously explores the illusion people have that a life different from their own is better.

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this movie. Most of Woody Allen's recent movies have disappointed. I'm not familiar at all with the city of Paris - which I was told was like a character in this movie. And the thought of Owen Wilson as the lead in it seemed like a bad joke. However, I really enjoyed this movie with the back and forth between past and present and how the story progressed.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out. Its a quality, entertaining movie that doesn't disappoint.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

It's official - May 2011 will go down as the greatest looking month of movies on paper where every movie ended up being entertaining but were also disappointing at the same time because they could have been better. Just like the previous 4 entries, don't get me wrong . . . . . . I enjoyed Kung Fu Panda 2. The action animation was awesome. I like that they developed other characters a little bit and introduced new ones but didn't overdo it. I liked that they bothered with a story instead of just throwing characters up there we are familiar with and taking our money. The laughs were still there and the movie was a perfect length. It's just not a movie that I'm going to watch over and over again like the original and it took about 20-25 minutes to get going. It seemed kind of stuck in neutral for a little too long. Just like everything else this month - it could have been better.

I would still definitely recommend people checking this out. Its a good family movie and worth your time and money. Just don't have your expectations too high I guess.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a war unlike any other -- and to the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." The Oscar-winning visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of "Avatar" and "Lord of the Rings" is breaking new ground, creating a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

This movie was very well done. It didn't waste time with too much bla-bla build up. The characters were very well developed - especially considering that at least 3/4 of them were monkeys. The effects were awesome and I found myself gawking at the heavily ape featured scenes. The only knock I can make on this is that it's a straight up remake and you know every step this movie is going to make. There is not a single twist or variation you don't see coming. Regardless, it's still entertaining as hell.

I would definitely recommend this movie because it's a great watch. Not remotely original but done so well you find yourself legitimately rooting/caring for the monkeys.

Fright Night

Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he's running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he's so cool he's even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there's something not quite right-but everyone, including Charlie's mom (Toni Collette), doesn't notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

The movie started off great. It was creepy and campy. It felt like that movie Disturbia from a couple of years ago but with a vampire instead. I was looking forward to the cat and mouse type game of seeing if the guy really was a vampire. Unfortunately, they sped that up way too much and he was an acknowledged vampire with the whole second half of the movie left. At that point, the movie pretty much went right into the crapper, dragged like a slug and ended up stinking.

I wouldn't really recommend this movie to anyone. It is a lot of fun for 45 minutes but is total garbage for the other 45 minutes.

The Debt

The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.

This movie was a decent watch. The suspense wasn't all that suspenseful, but the story playing out was more than intriguing enough to keep my attention throughout. You care about the characters and the back and forth between the present and the past was well put together.

I would lukewarmly recommend this movie. It's not a must see by any means whatsoever, but there are many worse things out there.

The Hangover Part II

In the follow-up to the record-breaking hit comedy "The Hangover," Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.

It's now official. This is definitely going to be one of those summer where all the movies are equally entertaining and disappointing. This is the fourth straight week where the main movie was fun to watch, but could have been so much better and therefore didn't meet expectations. This one is literally a carbon copy of the first movie . . . . . . which makes it less funny. Don't get me wrong. I still laughed and I love the characters. It wasn't a total waste of my time. It just could have been better and honestly, I probably would have laughed much harder if I would have just watched the original at home.

I would still recommend people checking this out. It's a fun watch. Just don't have high expectations and you might be able to enjoy it for what it is . . . . . . . "Hangover 1 with Asians".

The Help

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, The Help stars Emma Stone ("Easy A") as Skeeter, Viola Davis ("Doubt") as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.

This movie was awesome. I keep debating back and forth over whether or not Super 8 or X-Men: First Class are my best movie of the year on a "favorite" scale. This movie is technically the best movie of the year in terms of year end awards. This was an excellent story and I could see the entire Best Supporting Actress field being filled from this movie alone, as well as a Best Actress nomination for Viola Davis. And I'm not even counting Emma Stone who has completely solidifed herself as the best young up and coming actress in Hollywood.

I absolutely recommend this movie. It's easily one of the best movies of the year and a must see.

Cowboys & Aliens

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear.But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

I really enjoyed this movie. This is a straight up summertime popcorn movie. With all the reboots and origins and sequels and remakes that have truly destroyed any sense of creativity, this one was equal parts creative and simple. Take a western and throw aliens in there. Enjoy the ride. Different and simple and fun as hell. They develop all the characters enough so that you care and the action looked really good. This movie was straight up fun. The only warning is that alot of the alien stuff was too scary for younger ones. WW jumped numerous times.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out. It's definitely one of the better movies of the summer on an entertainment level.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

In this family comedy, Jim Carrey is Mr. Popper, a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life – until he inherits six penguins. Popper's penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland – and the rest of his life upside-down.

This movie is formula in every way. If you have seen the trailer, you have pretty much seen the movie. It pulls on every heartstring it possibly can. That being said - it's still an enjoyable family comedy. There are laughs. Not the usual amount associated with Jim Carrey, but they are definitely there. The penguins are cute as is the father trying to connect with his kids and dealing with his own daddy issues. It really is a movie for kids or families.

I would recommend those that fit the above bill check this movie out. It's not a horrible watch but it's definitely family geared as opposed to straight up comedy.

The Smurfs

Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

I'll be honest. I was a little excited about this just because of how much I used to like The Smurfs when I was a kid. I knew I had to temper that because spade a spade this is a movie for kids. I was hoping it was more Alvin & The Chipmunks than Yogi Bear and that was exactly what I got. You see the trailer and you see the movie. Tons of overacting, but I did find Hank Azaria pretty stupid funny as Gargamel.

I would recommend this movie for anyone with kids. It's not the best watch for the parents but I've seen much worse.

Friends With Benefits

Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis) think it's going to be easy to add the simple act of sex to their friendship, despite what Hollywood romantic comedies would have them believe. They soon discover however that getting physical really does always lead to complications.

I really liked this movie. It's easily the best romantic comedy of the summer - although it's definitely a rated R movie. It has more than enough laughs. Most importantly, the chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis was awesome and they played off of each other so well. They were both flawed and you totally understand why and root for both of them because they are perfect for each other.

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out. Again - it's a legit rated R but it is a great romantic comedy for adults.