Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides

Went to the see the new Pirates in a packed theater the other night.  And up front there is a scene at the end if you want to stay for the credits.  A lot of people I have talked to have been hesitant about the new movie since the last was not so good.  But in actually seeing I have to say that it was much much much better than the last two.  In this movie they are looking for the fountain of youth and of course you have to have a mermaid for that.  So some different aspects:  there is kind of a new Will Turner clone who plays a missionary but he pulled it off well.  And lets just admit it Jack Sparrow really is just the best pirate I mean some of the plans he formulates and bullshit he puts out are just insane and really could not be pulled off by anyone else.  And this was the best movie for Capt. Barbosa this really was the best movie for his character.  I did have two complains.  First there was not enough of the monkey I like the monkey.  And second, I didn't really like Black Beards character he was really Zen about his being evil and I would have liked to have seen him played a little more evil and ruthless.  But despite that is was a really good movie worth going to see.         

Thor

So went so see the new Thor movie and I really liked it.  And can I just say Chris Hemsworth YUMMMMMMMMM.  Anyhow this is the background movie leading up to the Avengers Movie which I am super excited about.  This movie shows Thor before he is banished to Earth for disobeying.  And have to say when Anthony Hopkins is on the screen he steels the show.  Thor is sent to Earth and has to redeem himself before Loki destroys the Earth and of course he falls in love with Natalie Portman.  But I really likes Hemsworth he played a good cocky Thor and then a really good humbled Thor.  The one complaint my husband had was that there was to much background, but this is what the movie is for and my husband is not a comic book person so his opinion doesn't count.  But the movie was really good and the way the Avengers is shaping up it ought to be awesome. And one side note Kate Dennings is in it and she is always just so funny.       

Hot Tub Time Machine

Ok I will give you one thing the premise of the story is completely ridiculous but it was actually a really good movie.  I mean I love John Cusack he is always so funny especially when he thinks he is loosing his mind.  So the plot of the movie is 4 friends spend the night partying at a ski resort and a crazy illegal caffeinated drink (don't ask) sends them back in time to the 80s.  And they spend the rest of the movie trying to relive the nigh exactly so they don't screw-up the future.  But of course that plan was never going to go well so they spend most of the time screwing everything up in the most hysterical ways.  In the end they get back to the future and their new future is pretty funny as well.  It is pretty explicit so be prepared but I highly recommend the movie.     

Pride and Glory

So Pride and Glory is your run of the mill NY cop movie full of murder and corruption.  It focuses on a family of cops who get pulled down by their brother-in-law Colin Farrell and Edward Norton plays the good cop.  The movie explores how corruption and bad cops operate within the system exploiting the drug trade and how the people in NY react to this.  The story was good kept you engaged and I liked it.  It had been a while since I had seen a good cop movie.   

The Mechanic

So finally go to see the Mechanic and I have to say I was a little disappointed.  I mean if you want to see people being killed then this the movie for you.  But Jason Statham was a little too zen and Ben Foster had a serious anger issue.  I much preferred Statham in the Transporter the fight scenes were better.  So if you are in the mood for a new hit man movie this is an ok choice but I was that thrilled.      

Unknown

So a movie that may not be on your radar is a movie called Unknown (2006), not the Liam Neeson movie.  It stars James Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Joe Pantoliano, Bridget Moynahan, and Jeremy Sisto.  So the plot is about 5 men who wake up in a locked warehouse in the dessert with amnesia.  They manage to figure out that two of the men are kidnapped and the rest are the kidnappers, however no one knows who is who.  All they know is that the rest of the kidnappers will be back and they have to work together to escape before they are all killed.  It was an interesting movie and I always like James Caviezel he is always so serious in all the roles he plays.  And one thing is for sure you will never see the ending coming.  It was a good thriller/mystery that had a great twist at the end.  

 

Tangled

OK I'm going to admit it I still love to watch Disney.  Tangles was great is was funny and cute and reminded me of the Disney movies I use to watch when I was a kid and lets face it its nice to be reminded of our childhoods sometime.  So tangles is the story of Rapunzel and her golden hair with a twist.  First there is a twist with the hair which you just have to watch to find out.  So instead of a prince a thief breaks in who has the voice of Zachary Levi from Chuck who I just love he has the best sense of humor.  So Rapunzel escapes with her sidekick Pascal who happens to be a quirky chameleon.  And the adventure includes singing vikings and a horse who sword fights.  So I highly recommend the movie for all ages especially if you were ever a Disney Princess lover when you were little.     

The Way Back

So last night we watched the Way Back.  The movie is about a group of men who escaped from a Siberian labor camp and walked to India through the Gobi Dessert, Siberia, and the Himalayas.  The story is based on the diary of man who claims to have made his journey during WWII.  The story is excellent and the acting is really good, but the only problem I had was that is dragged.  The movie seemed to go last forever.  But the action wasn't the point is was the human story and their struggle to survive.  It was a good movie and make you think about how these people could have survived and the horrible things they went through.       

How to Train Your Dragon

So I loved how to train your dragon.  Its funny its cute its got scary dragons its just all around great.  And not to mention most of the smaller dragons act kind of like little cats, love it.  So I liked and it and for those of you with kids it is a good kid movie but maybe not too young because the dragons can be a little scary.  And did I mention Gerald Butler makes a great viking even if it is in voice.  So the main plot of the movie revolves around Hiccup who is the runt of the viking clan.  Hiccup shoots down a dragon and when he can't kill it takes it under his wing and trains it.  The rest of the movie is spent with him dealing with the dragons and vikings and triumphing in the end.  So I think this movie is great even if it is a kiddy movie but hay even adults can watch kiddy movies too :) 

Skyline

So I rented Skyline and had great hopes for the movie, but that really didn't happen.  Lets just say that it is a Scifi B movie with a bigger budget and I have seen better on SyFy.  So the movie is about a group of friends party all night and wake to find the world is being taken over by aliens and the rest of the movie is spent with them trying to figure it out and survive.  The aliens were a little strange you never really got a sense of what they were, there are different kinds but they are all powered by brains they harvest from humans.  Eric Balfour plays the main guy who gets infected somehow even though no else does by this light the aliens use and he starts gaining super human strength.  In the middle of this he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant and the rest of the movie is spent trying to protect her which leads to a very bizarre ending where his brain is harvested but his brain manages to override the alien body and he trumps off to save his girl.  The other characters in the movie spend there time doing one of two things 1) Dying in stupid ways and 2) arguing about how to escape and survive and no one and I do mean no one had a good idea.  So the move was a disappointment but if you got a thing for scifi B movies go for it.       

The King's Speech

Ok been away for awhile finishing the semester so time for catchup.  So I finally watched the King's Speech and I have to say I know why it won so many awards at the Oscars.  Colin Firth was great and the movie all around is great.  If you have been living under a rock the basic plot of the movie is the rise to power of King George VI who suffered from a stutter.  And the movie is about how he overcame this and led England into WWII.  The cast is incredible and everyone plays the parts so well.  So if you have any interest in the time period the actors or just anything I suggest you go rent the movie NOW!!!!

Whiteout

So I watched Whiteout last night and I have to say I didn't like it.  The plot was very predictable and there was a lot of unnecessary parts to the plot including nudity and flashbacks.  The movie was about a US Marshall that is stationed in Antarctica who has to deal with a murder.  I'm getting tired that every time you watch a movie about Antarctica the lead person always has an issue and they are escaping their life to the most isolated place on earth.  Frankly there are other places to escape to so can we just stop with this theme.  The other problem with this movie was it could not decide what it was.  Whether it was a slasher film, a Russian mystery, a cop movie, or a conspiracy.  The entirety of the movie was spent leading up to the ending which was very subdued and kind of disappointing.  So if you are looking for a slasher movie with lots of snow go for it but I didn't think it was really worth it.      

The Adjustment Bureau

So my husband Steven and I went to see The Adjustment Bureau last night.  This was probably the first time I had been to see a movie in the theater in forever.  For us the review was split.  Steven didn't like it but only because it had Matt Damon in it and he doesn't like him for some strange reason, but we are not going to listen to him anyhow ;).  So on to my review.  I liked the movie I though Damon and Emily Blunt had really good chemistry together and it made it a really good romance.  And my God Blunt went though some serious ballet training for this movie which means I am not going to the gym nearly enough.........
Anyhow, the movie wasn't just a romance it was also a strange Sci Fi movie as well.  It was kind of like a movie called Dark City in that people's lives are being manipulated.  FYI if you have not seen Dark City you must see this movie it is one of my all time favorites!!!!!   So back to the Adjustment Bureau.  The main plot it that Damon plays a politician who's like is being manipulated to suit the greater "plan" but he meets Blunt who he absolutely can't live without and the movie is about how he tries to keep them together.  This is very over simplified and the plot is a whole lot more crazy but I don't want to give to much away. And it makes you think about how much of your life is controlled by fate and chance.  So I would recommend this movie I really liked it and it had an intriguing story.   

The New Robin Hood

So for this weekend I watched the new Robin Hood movie with Russel Crow.  I liked it, I was a little skeptical going in cause you can do Robin Hood really bad with very minimal effort.  However, this was not your standard Robin Hood movie in fact this version really didn't have anything to do with other versions I've seen.  But what the hell not like any of them really go along with British history real well.  So this version was kind of a mix between Braveheart, Gladiator, and Richard Gere movie called Sommersby (don't ask). And the way it was filmed was interesting it kind of had a dark tent to like how they filmed Dark Knight so I think that added to the intensity of the movie.  And hey lets face it who wouldn't want Russel Crow to be your Knight in shinning armor and come same you from the sheriff of Nottingham, I digress.  So overall I liked the movie and the story was really good.  So if your in the mood for a Robin Hood flick you might want to check it out but if you can watch the Director's Cut version there are better scenes in that one. 

Red

So I recently bought Red I had wanted to see it in the movie theatre but never had the time.  And I have to say I love this movie.  In recent years we have had the addition of new action stars, however, it’s nice to go old school.  So the basic premise is that Bruce Willis is a retired CIA agent who gets targeted.  And he joins forces with Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich who are also retired spies.  Meanwhile Bruce Willis is trying to protect the life of the girl he likes played by Mary-Louise Parker.  So first off I am a diehard Bruce Willis fan I don’t care how old that man gets he can still kick some serious ass.  Another thing is just how funny these people were because they are trying to get use to being old and retired and it just makes it hysterical and Malkovich is just insane which makes it so much better.  So if you enjoy any of these actors I suggest you check out this movie.

Easy A

So the movie for the night was Easy A, which is a teen movie but I liked it.  If you were a child of the 80s like me you will appreciate this movie in not just the references to the great 80s movies but also how this girl deals with everything.  So the main plot is that this outcast girl (who hasn't been there) starts lying that she is sleeping around the school and gets chastised for it. So its kind of like Molly Ringwald meets Hester Prynne in a strange updated kind of way.  There were a couple of things I liked about it.  1)  Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci play hysterical parents.  2)  The thing that always bothered me about the 80s movies was that the outcast girl kind of always got saved by here Knight in shinning armor, but in this movie the girl deals with and works it out for herself.  So if you are in the mood for something that will take you back to the 80s without breaking out the Breakfast Club for the millionth time you might want to check this movie out.         

Thank God for British Sci Fi

So I can't tell you how glad I am that the new season of Being Human started on BBC America.  If you have never seen the show here is the basic gist: A vampire, werewolf, and ghost share a flat and try to deal with being monsters in the everyday world.  What makes this show good is the British humor.  So please do no be fooled by the Syfy channel's version.  I normally live on the Syfy channel but in this case we are having a big issue.  I'm not sure what happened but Syfy didn't get the British version and decided to adapt their own and change the character names.  However, they follow the British script version word for word and I hate to break it to you but the British humor is not translating!!!!!  And another thing is the American characters especially the vampire they are trying so hard to tap into the Twilight mania that is is ridiculous and it is driving me insane.  So do me a favor if you are looking for a new Sci Fi show and you get BBC America watch the British one because the humor is the best thing about that show.

Octopus Aliens.....Trust Me It's Good!!

So the movie for the night was Monsters (2010) and while I was a little skeptical at the beginning I am definitely recommending this one.  Don't let the title deceive you this is a Sci Fi flick were the main idea is that aliens which believe it or not look like octopuses that are the size of a house infect a good portion of the North American continent and most of the movie takes place in Mexico.  However, this is really the backdrop to the real story.  The main story follows a photographer who is charged with getting his bosses daughter across the border and back to safety.  The journey leads them through a war torn Mexico and explores how people would have to live with the reality of living with a alien force.  Most alien movies show the craziness that ensues when the aliens get here but in this movie they look at life several years afterward and how people are adapting to this situation.  I was surprised who much I liked the movie considering the bulk of it was relatively slow but when the movie ended I found myself staring at the black screen of the TV in almost a state of shock.  This movie really does just sneak up on you.  One word of advice is that when the movie is over you are going to notice something familiar rewind it back the very first scene and re-watch the first 2 or 3 minutes.  This wont make any sense to you until the very ending cause you are not going to notice what is going on but trust me you want to DO THIS!!!  So if you are a sci fi alien monster etc...... fan I think this little alien movie that I had never even heard of before I found it buried in the Sci Fi section of netflix is a must see!!!

French Dirty Dancing......

So I recently watched Heartbreaker a quirky French movie.  In the movie the main character's job is to break up relationships of women who are in bad relationships on behalf a loved one.  So its kind of your basic con movie but the last woman they are set to con is really uncooperative and as you can probably tell the con man falls in love with her.  So in that sense it is kind of generic con movie.  But it makes up for it in the humor department.  Between the crazy brother in law who looks like the missing link, the ridiculous lies they tell, and oh yes a complete rendition of the infamous dirty dancing dance its pretty funny.  So if your in the mood for french movie (and I do mean it is in French) you might want to check it out.  

SALT: A Russian Triple Cross???

After sitting on my coffee table for half a week I was finally able to watch Salt last night.  It started off like your normal Soviet Union sleeper agent spy movie, but in the end it turned out to be a triple cross.  Other people who I know who have seen it kept telling me how predictable it was, but I didn't think so.  There were lost of twists and turns and it took a while to understand what was going on.  Another thing about the movie was Angelina Jolie's character it was a strange mix between a heart felt wife and a super spy so I thought that was an interesting twist to the plot then just having a standard spy flick.  I personally like Jolie she always does a good job with her movies and she is one of the bigger action stars these days and in this movie she kicked the shit out of everyone in this movie! Hell she even made a home make rocket which was pretty cool.  The only critique I have of the action was they used a lot of that urban acrobat stuff where the guys are always jumping around on buildings and that was a little strange.  But overall I liked it, it was a good spy film and if your in the mood for an action film might want to put it on your list to rent.