The Artist

Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), it seems the sky's the limit - major movie stardom awaits. The Artist tells the story of their interlinked destinies.

This was a great throwback to silent movies. I was not frustrated by the not talking at all and it kept my interest throughout. However, I feel like that was the pull of the movie. If this was a talking movie - it's poop. It managed to cash in on it's one trick hook well enough for it to be an enjoyable movie. I am having a problem though with how gaa-gaa people are for it. Is this what we've come to? Best picture nominations based on making a movie like they used to 80-90 years ago? This really was a rough year I guess.

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out. Don't get me wrong. It is a very entertaining movie with the silent factor added in and I definitely enjoyed it. I just am thrown off by the very high critical praise for it.

21 Jump Street

In 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.

This was a surprisingly enjoyable movie. I really had garbage expectations for this and it far surpassed though. It was very funny, had a good enough paced story, and Channing Tatum was probably the most watchable he's been in his whole career. I think that fact that they pretty much mocked themselves the whole time really helped the movie. Loved the cameos by all the actors from the television series in there. Also loved the chemistry between the two leads. Again - very surprising and very enjoyable.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It's definitely one of the better offerings out there and was very entertaining.

Wrath Of The Titans

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Worthington) --the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson)--is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus' godly son, Ares (Ramirez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans' strength grows stronger as Zeus' remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Pike), Poseidon's demigod son, Argenor (Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

This movie was pretty much poop. It was a 90 minute excuse for lots of CGI special effects. The acting was poop. The story was poop. I really didn't care from beginning to end so even the effects were not that interesting. The only entertaining/interesting parts of this movie was trying to recall who played Zeus, Poseidon and Hades in this as opposed to Percy Jackson. Couldn't for the life of me differentiate and a kid coming back in to the theatre fell down as he ran down the aisle next to us. Outside of that I was counting down the time for the credits to finally roll.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this. Again - it's nothing but special effects and even those are not worth the 90 minutes of your time.

Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror is a fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, It features breakout star Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over.

 

This was a really cutesy retelling of the classic story. The dwarves were entertaining and I liked the little twists that they put on their fighting against height. And Julia Roberts was awesome as the overly hammy queen. Her delivery and one liners were just as good as they looked in the trailer. 

 

I would recommend people checking this out. Its not a must see by any means but it is very entertaining even though you pretty much know the whole story.

A Thousand Words

Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack's life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he's got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he's a goner.

This is a formula movie across the board.  If you saw the trailer - you pretty much saw the movie.  Eddie Murphy plays the same character that he has played a bazillion times at this point.  It's not that the movie is necessarily bad.  It's just the same old $hit.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to get this or much less pay to watch it.  You can pretty much wait to catch this one in passing on cable at some point if you have absolutely nothing else to do.

Project X

Project X follows three seemingly anonymous high school seniors as they attempt to finally make a name for themselves. Their idea is innocent enough: let's throw a party that no one will forget... but nothing could prepare them for this party. Word spreads quickly as dreams are ruined, records are blemished and legends are born. Project X is a warning to parents and police everywhere.

This movie was essentially a home video camera version of Superbad. The kid that lived in the house that the party was at was Michael Cera, his loud mouth friend was Jonah Hill and the fat sidekick was fat McLovin. The movie itself was decent. I liked the parts where the friends were riffing on each other and the parts of the story where the party was continuing to spiral out of control. However, at least half of this movie was a music video with kids jumping up and down. They literally did a part of the movie, you would get in to and laugh and what not and then there would be a 2-3 minute music video segment. It kind of ruined the flow of the movie for me.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out. I did like the party careening out of control but it was a little too repetitive/choppy for me. I also would prefer movies like this not get made simply because having four kids I don't need stuff like this putting insane ideas in their heads. Never leaving the house again.

Wanderlust

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George's awful brother in Atlanta. On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can't buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them. Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?

I am shocked at how hilarious I found this movie. I went in with pretty much zero expectations and laughed my a$$ off. It's definitely a rated R movie since there is a ton of nudity - mostly male and a lot of the comedy was built on absurd sight gags and uncomfortable scenes going on for too long. However, the delivery of Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux was also great. I'm sure that it helps that I am a huge fan of Paul Rudd.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out for a good laugh. This was easily the funniest movie I've seen in a while.

Big Miracle

Inspired by the true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and a Greenpeace volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

This is one of those watchable movies but you pretty much saw the movie by watching the trailer for it.  There really isn't much more to say. 

Watch the trailer.  If you like the trailer - watch the longer version of said trailer.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room... until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) and not only is he Holmes' intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder, a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction, all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.

I really enjoyed this movie. I think I liked it even more than the first one. Downey Jr was great again with all his silly quirks but then amazing fighting. Jude Law played perfectly off of him again. I thought the Dr Moriarity villain was great and the movie was perfectly paced.

I would definitely recommend everyone checking this out. It's a very fun and enjoyable ride that won't disappoint.

Good Deeds

A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) has always done what's expected of him, whether it's assuming the helm of his father's company, tolerating his brother's misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiance, Natalie (Gabrielle Union). But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a down-on-her-luck single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. When he offers to help her get back on her feet, the chance encounter with someone so far outside his usual circle ignites something in Wesley. This one good deed may finally spark his courage to exchange the life that's expected of him for the life he's always really wanted.

This is pretty much just another one of Tyler Perry's non-Madea movies. A lot of hardship and personal drama and characters working through it all. I know that I sound blah saying that, but I don't mean it that way at all. It's just that they are all pretty formula and melodramatic, but I also find them pretty watchable. I enjoyed this movie. Not in a way that I would say it's a must see, but just that it wasn't painful to have on while getting stuff done around the house and what not.

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this out. It's not a must see again by any means, but there are much crappier things you could waste your time watching.

Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance

Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. In this gritty new vision for the character, Johnny is still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter - but he may risk everything as he teams up with the leader of a group of rebel monks (Idris Elba) to save a young boy from the devil... and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

Dearest lord in heaven this was awful. I wasn't expecting much. The first Ghost Rider took care of that. I loved this comic book when I was younger and was hoping that maybe they would make it better the second time around. At least the flaming skull effects looked better in the trailer. I was beyond wrong. About halfway through the movie, Stinka and I were BEGGING WW to leave. It just got worse and worse and she finally relented after they showed Ghost Rider peeing fire. I mean really? What in the blue hell made anyone think that was necessary?

This is pretty much a lock for Bottom 10 of 2012. Nobody should see this. Ever. Spare yourselves. And Hollywood - I am officially begging you now. Stop putting Nicolas Cage in movies. No good can come of doing this.

Safe House

Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds star in the action-thriller Safe House. Washington plays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA, who comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.

Now these kind of political suspense/intrigue movies I like. As long as there is enough action (as well as not too many talky talky suits) to keep a story moving - I'm all in. I like both actors regardless and they played surprisingly well off of each other. At no point did I feel myself bored or not caring about where it was going to go. This was a nice breath of fresh movie going after an atrocious month of January.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It's a fun watch.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

In this follow-up to Journey to the Center of the Earth, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island begins when 17-year-old Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It's a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

This movie is exactly what you thought it would be. A quick, no real story, creature effects heavy movie for young teens. However, they put The Rock in it. Therefore, it was much more watchable. I absolutely love this guy and his going back and forth with Michael Caine and Luis Guzman was vintage stuff from his WWE days. In terms of continuity - there really is none from the first movie. I don't remember any explanation as to why Brandon Fraser wasn't in this or what happened post Journey 1, but I didn't care because The Rock was in it.

I would somewhat recommend this movie to anyone that was interested in it. There are some scenes that might be a little too scary for little kids and it's overall a pretty cheesy movie. However, The Rock is in it so that always makes everything better.

John Carter

John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

This is a decent/watchable movie. It is REALLY sci-fi. Probably a little too much. It would have been better if he wasn't a civil war veteran that randomly gets sent to Mars . . . . . like maybe just have it take place on Mars. The mix of the two didn't really work for me. The action and effects were cool but I actually think that this movie was held back from being something much better by being waaaaaaay too over the top across the board.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out. Again - it's not a bad movie but it could have been so much better if it wasn't overly produced in every way.

Act Of Valor

When a mission to recover a kidnapped CIA operative unexpectedly results in the discovery of an imminent, terrifying global threat, an elite team of highly trained Navy SEALs must immediately embark on a heart-stopping secret operation, the outcome of which will determine the fate of us all.

This movie is pretty much nothing more than a movie version of a video game. They decided to try and capitalize on the XBOX Live thing with the Call Of Duty series. That's really it. There is a borderline story, with no actors and some cool action stuff. Again - that's really it. I was pretty much non-interested the whole time.

I would only recommend this to those of you that are addicted to Call Of Duty/Xbox Live. Outside of that, there is no reason for any of you to waste your time with this.