Ninja Assassin

Raizo (Rain) is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them...and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive...and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

Even though you just read the incredibly long plot summary, this movie is one of those where it is what it is. You can try to explain the "story line" all you want. Its got ninjas in it and its got lots of action/violence. Mission accomplished. They weren't trying to win an Academy Award here and anyone going to check this out doesn't want to see anything like that.

If you want to see a movie with a "story" about a ninja that kicks a lot of ass - this is a great movie. If you aren't in to that kind of stuff - then avoid this. Pretty simple concept.

The Fourth Kind

The Fourth Kind is a provocative thriller set in modern-day Nome, Alaska, where—mysteriously since the 1960s—a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year. Despite multiple FBI investigations of the region, the truth has never been discovered. Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented. Using never-before-seen archival footage that is integrated into the film, The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses. Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details, the validity of which is investigated throughout the film.


I found this movie to be annoyingly filmed and stupid. I could, however, see how someone could enjoy this. The fundamental divide exists in how much you buy in to the "never before seen archival footage". I didn't buy it at all. That just made the movie all the more insulting. I just kind of feel like they tried to make the movie too smart and ended up making it dumb instead. It starts with Milla Jovovich introducing herself as . . . . . . Milla Jovovich and how she will be playing the part of Abigail Tyler. She then tells the audience that they will be going back and forth between "archived footage" and the actors. WHAT!?! It kinds of takes away from the movie when you are blantantly telling me that its a movie. I knew that it was a movie going in but I found myself unable to enjoy any of the parts that weren't "archived footage" because of this stupid introduction. As for the "archived footage" it seemed like some of the most bogus crap I've ever seen. Maybe its because I'm not really in to all that alien abduction hoopla and what not. I could see someone who is really liking this a lot more than I did.


I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. It could have been so much better if they just made it as a normal movie or a home video, archived video type thing. Instead they mushed the two together - even airing them both simultaneously at times - and made it a pretty big turd.

Astro Boy

Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive "blue" energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it means to be a hero.

This movie is a decent watch. Not much more than that though. The animation pales in comparison to other recent fare. The story line of robot vs. human is interesting but would probably not make as much sense to the children as the adults. This might make this movie a bit of a tough sell for those of you just trying to take your kids to the theater for a couple of hours. The voices are good and the action is pretty decent, but for the most part this movie is just sort of average at best.

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out unless you really have nothing to do and have some extra money/time to spare. Its not horrible. Its just kind of there though. You can go ahead and wait for rental on this one.

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Did You Hear About the Morgans? follows a highly successful Manhattan couple, Meryl and Paul Morgan (Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant), whose almost-perfect lives have only one notable failure – their dissolving marriage. But the turmoil of their romantic lives is nothing compared to what they are about to experience: they witness a murder and become targets of a contract killer. The Feds, protecting their witnesses, whisk away the Morgans from their beloved New York to a tiny town in Wyoming, and a relationship that was on the rocks threatens to end completely in the Rockies... unless, in their new BlackBerry-free lives, the Morgans can slow down the pace and rekindle the passion.

This movie was so beyond not funny. I sat there for 40 minutes and didn't so much as smile at some of the most set up punchlines that were completely lame. I wondered whether to stay or not but then I thought about it and knew damn well that after another hour plus of country bumpkin mishaps these two were going to fall back in love and probably choose to stay in Wyoming . . . . . . . still without any laughs for the audience. Add to that the fact that I can't stand Sarah Jessica Parker and the weight of there being so many better things I could be doing with my time so I pulled the plug.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to waste their time on this. Its not funny. Sarah Jessica Parker sucks. And the movie couldn't be more formula if they tried.

Armored

A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist... against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.

This is yet another dictionary definition of you saw the movie by seeing the commercial. Its a tough guy, testosterone movie with some guys feeling guilty and some guys feeling greedy. Its formula in every way and there isn't a single non-cliche character in this.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone unless you have a desire to see a mindless good guy vs bad guy movie. That really is all that this movie is and there's no way you don't know every second of the movie by watching the commercial.

Up In The Air

Up in the Air stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road but is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he's worked toward for years: reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

This was a great movie. Its worthy of all the award recognition but its not one of those overly artsy movies. Its a really enjoyable watch. You really feel for the characters and you are fully invested in the short journey of thier lives you get to watch for 2 hours. Its also beyond realistic in every way and really makes you see all different ways that life can be lived and the reasoning behind it.

I fully recommend everyone checking out Up In The Air. Its a fun watch, a very well done movie, and one of the better movies to come out this year.

Precious

Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write. Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn’t know the meaning of "alternative," but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.

Wow! This is one powerful movie. I thought for sure that this was going to be the overly great reviewed movie that would be completely be ruined for me because of my inability to watch it thinking why did everyone say this was so great. Not to say that there weren't moments where my level of being in to the movie faded a little bit. However, MoNique's performance might be the most despicable and hated performance of all time. I've never watched certain scenes of a movie with such feelings of disgust towards a character. There were a couple of the domestic violence scenes where I actually had to look away. Not that they were too graphic. They were just so mentally jarring. Anyone who thinks that they have it "so hard" should go right ahead and check out these scenes. I'm pretty sure it will give them a whole new perspective on life.

I would strongly recommend that people check this out. Its a truly powerful drama with one of the most disturbing yet well done performances ever.

Old Dogs

Two best friends -- one unlucky-in-love divorcee (Robin Williams) and the other a fun-loving bachelor (John Travolta) -- have their lives turned upside down when they're unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kid-savvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins (newcomers Ella Bleu Travolta and Conner Rayburn), leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what's really important in life.

This movie had a couple of big laughs. Its also short enough and paced fast enough that you don't feel completely weighed down by it. The part that throws me off is that this is a Disney family comedy with a lot of material that maybe shouldn't be thrown at the kids. The whole premise is based on a one night stand that produced two kids. I'm not so sure that should be comedic material in a family movie. Its also a lot of cheap humor. Don't get me wrong. I have a very high tolerance for cheap humor and did chuckle at a lot of it, but I will call it like it is.

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone be rushing to check this out. Its not fully for kids, but its kind of too low brow/formula for adults.

Planet 51

Planet 51 is an animated alien adventure comedy revolving around American astronaut Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker, who lands on Planet 51 thinking he's the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world reminiscent of a cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders...like Chuck! With the help of his robot companion "Rover" and his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the dazzling, but bewildering, landscape of Planet 51 in order to escape becoming a permanent part of the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum.

This movie was a somewhat decent watch. Its nowhere near the standard of awesome animated movies. Kids will definitely like this more than the adults that take them. Its short enough that it does end before it becomes less than a decent watch. As a huge fan of animated films, I have to honestly say that I was somewhat disappointed by this movie. The only part that I really enjoyed was "Rover". Outside of that, there really wasn't too much that I could take away from this movie other than being able to cross it off my list.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone go rushing to see this. It is not a must see by any means, even for those of you looking for an escape with the kids. If you really have nothing better to do - you could waste an hour and a half by checking this out.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take filmgoers into uncharted territory. With both humor and outrage, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story explores a taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Years ago, that love seemed so innocent. Today, however, the American dream is looking more like a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal... and 14,000 jobs being lost every day.

I usually have two problems when watching a Michael Moore movie. One - he doesn't remotely tell the "other" side of the story. Its his point of view crammed down your throat. Two - I enjoy my ignorance. I like not thinking about things going on in the world and focusing more on what is going on right in front of me. These movies usually just get me mad or annoyed or depressed. Why would I want to feel that way. This movie was just like every other Michael Moore movie in that it accomplished those same two things. This one was especially hard to watch due to living month to month financially. When I watch movies, I want to be distracted - not kicked in the stomach. Putting my personal feelings aside, I actually thought this was one of Michael Moore's better movies. You can tell that he was VERY into this one. The only problem with how into it he was is that the movie is MUCH longer than necessary. He easily could have gotten all this in to a 90 minute movie instead of closer to 120 minutes.

I would mildly recommend this movie to people. If you are a Michael Moore fan - you will definitely like this one.

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

"The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" is the highly-anticipated sequel to indie cult classic, "The Boondock Saints." The film is the continuation of writer & director Troy Duffy's tough, stylized cutting edge saga of fraternal twins, the MacManus brothers (Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery). The two have been in deep hiding in the quiet valleys of Ireland, far removed from their former lives or modern technologies. When word comes that a priest has been killed by sinister forces in the tough underworld of Boston, they return to mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to those who must now suffer the consequences, with a new partner in crime (Clifton Collins) and a sexy FBI operative (Julie Benz) hot on their trail!

This movie was literally made for the die hard fan boys from the first Boondock Saints. If you are not one of them, you will find this movie to be absolutely silly and a lot more worthy of a direct to dvd release. Honestly, I'm not even sure that you would really be able to enjoy it too much if you are one of the Boondock Saints fanboys. It really is just a lot of really lame set up for a decent shoot em out at the end. The FBI girl is arguably one of the most annoying characters I've ever watched. There really isn't much more to say about this bad boy.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out. I mean the fanboys are going to do so regardless, but its really not worth the time at all.

Where The Wild Things Are

Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in Where the Wild Things Are, a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.

This was one of my three favorite books as a child. Shout out for Caps For Sale and Green Eggs & Ham as filling out the trifecta, people! Anywho, I had HUGE expectations for this movie. I was getting to the point where I figured there was no way that I wouldn't be massively disappointed. However, I was dead wrong. I loved this movie. It was everything that I had hoped it would be. I saw this with a group of 25 people. It was the tight circle of our friends and all our kids. The kids were able to enjoy it because it was lots of fun and different emotions portrayed very well. The adults were able to enjoy it as well - probably even more - because the movie did such an absolutely amazing job of capturing everything we've ever felt as children and how we learned to process things.

I completely recommend everyone checking this movie out. It might be a little too artsy for some kids, but it is a very well done movie across the board.

2012

Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

This movie is exactly what you expect it to be. Its got crazy special effects, lots of action, stereotype characters, pulls lots of heartstrings and has lots of extra storyline fluff that wasn't necessary. There is absolutely no way that this movie should have been almost 3 hours long. The could have mimized the governmental should we-shouldn't we blah blah. They could have cut out entire characters who really ended up not mattering in the end anyway. They could have left characters getting together by the end of the movie alone because not a single person in the audience cares. This easily could have been an hour and a half disaster movie. That being said - the movie is very watchable as long as you leave your brain at home and just enjoy the ride because ultimately thats all the movie is - one crazy ride. If you are able to do this, you can end up enjoying your time . . . . . . even though it is almost 3 hours of your time.

I would recommend people checking this movie out if you are in to special effects bonanza popcorn movies. Its probably Roland Emmerich's best movie since Independence Day. That's not saying much considering that the offers inbetween were Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow and 10,000 BC, but its the closest he's come to the fun and crazy movie going experience that he first threw out there with Independence Day.

Ponyo

Ponyo is a story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid. Already a box-office success in Japan, the story of a young and overeager goldfish named Ponyo (voiced by Noah Cyrus) and her quest to become human.

This is NOT your normal, run of the mill animated movie. Its one hell of a tough sell for mainstream kids and adults wanting to see you usual Disney fare. That being said, I really enjoyed the movie. Its weird and very foreign, but very well done. The animation seemed so simple, yet perfectly done. There really isn't too much more that can be said about this movie.

I'd have to know who I was recommending this movie to specifically in order to decide whether to say yay or nay. Its not a simple animated movie. It has in depth themes and foreign ways of translating them that handicap me from doing so. I happen to love it though.

Gentlemen Broncos

Benjamin (Michael Angarano), home-schooled by his eccentric mother (Jennifer Coolidge), is a loveable loner whose passion for writing leads him on an offbeat and hilarious journey as his story first gets ripped off by the legendary fantasy novelist, Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement) and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town's most prolific homespun filmmaker.

I only attempted watching this because it was from the same guy that did Napolean Dynamite. It was horrible. Granted, most people that saw Napolean Dynamite also found it stupid and it got funnier based on repeated viewings. I'm not sure that the same thing would apply to this, nor do I have any intentions of finding out. This was just plain stupid and a blatant waste of time no matter how you try to slice it.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone ever bother checking this out. There simply is no reason to press play on this.