Disappearing acts

This weekend I caught two flicks, The Call with Halle Berry and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone featuring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey.

Now The Call I was skeptical about seeing because lately, Halle Berry's films haven't been all that great (cough-Movie 43-cough) but this one was really good! A total thriller, The Call is about a 911 dispatcher (Berry) who takes an emergency call from a young girl whose home is being broken into. Unfortunately, the police aren't able to make it to the girls home in time and the dispatcher has to listen to the poor girls screams for help, helpless herself to come to the girls aid. 

Cut to six months later, Berry's character is now responsible for training new dispatchers as she is no longer able to take calls herself. As she's finishing a tour of the calling center, Berry takes over a call when a newer dispatcher panics while taking trying to assist a girl in distress. Come to find out, this girl has been abducted by the same man who snatched and killed the girl from Berry's call six months before. How will Berry be able to help this girl from the other end of a phone line?

This one will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what would happen next. I really liked it and thankfully, it wasn't one of those movies where the answer is so obviously in front of you yet the characters never actually use their common sense; this film hits everything and still keeps going! It's a guessing game and the chase is on to find the killer before another girl is victimized. 

If you like films like Taken or Taking Lives, you should be pleased with this one. I won't say it's the most amazing film ever or anything like that, but it was definitely better then I expected. Check it out. 

Having gone to Las Vegas for the first time last year, I now look forward to any movie based in Sin City and was therefore really excited about The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Full of stars, this one looked like it would be full of non stop laughs and while it was very funny, the hour and forty five minute long film felt more like a four hour movie and I just kept wondering when it would end. I didn't hate it, it just seriously dragged. Saying that though, I don't know what they could have cut from the film, everything worked for the story. 

Burt Wonderstone is about two best friends who become magicians and grow up to become a well known Vegas duo. After ten years together as a Vegas staple, they start to get a little jaded and lose their love for the act-think David Copperfield (which is funny because he actually makes a tiny appearance in the film). Coupled with their lack luster act, a new "modern magician"  starts performing on the strip and slowly starts stealing their spotlight. I have to say, Carrey's character was my favorite because the writers were so very clearly poking fun at "performers" like Criss Angel and David Blaine. 

If you're a fan of Carell or Carrey, I recommend this one; but I wouldn't say it was one you need to see immediately. Don't take my word for it though, I was in a pretty full theater and a woman a few rows in front of me was positively dying throughout the entire film. She actually made me laugh more then the movie did. 

Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum

This weekend brought movie-goers three really good films. The first one I saw was Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell and Terrance Howard. 

I love mob movies and this one was excellent. It didn't have your typical mob movie storyline but it was all about revenge and double cross. Fans will spend the entire film following Colin Farrell's character as he tries to set a play in motion against members of an organized crime group that murdered his family. Like The Departed, this movie keeps folks on the edge of their seats wondering if and when Farrell will be found out and whether or not he'll make it out alive. 

If you're a fan of any of these kinds of films, you should check this one out for sure. 

I went and saw Jack the Giant Slayer next. Now, I must confess, I really wanted to see it for Ewan McGregors hair-do, boy looks good! But I was also interested in how Hollywood would run with this classic fairy tale. Would they over exaggerate everything like Hansel & Gretel? Would they underwhelm audiences like Snow White and the Huntsman? 

Thankfully, Hollywood got this one right! I felt this movie had a perfect blend of action, comedy and overall feel-good attitude. We all know the story of Jack and the magic beanstalk, but this time we get to see it all played out in giant splendor. The actors were great, the visuals were awesome and the plot kept you interested. I was also glad to see that it wasn't overly cheesy like these remakes can so often be. With a solid cast behind it, the story flowed seamlessly into a a film I think the whole family will enjoy. 

And finally, I returned to Oz.

Oz: The Great and Powerful, is the prequel to that classic film we all know and love only in this movie, no musical numbers-sorry music and theater geeks-you're just going to have to settle for a regular old awesome film. 

Another blockbuster packed with stars, much like Jack, this movie kept you entertained and waiting to see how everything would turn out. It was dark, it was light hearted, it was cute, it was scary, it was funny, and sometimes a bit sad; but all around the billion-or so people who saw it over the weekend left pleased with the film. 

I walked away happy as well and especially pleased to find that the writers gave a few subtle nods to the original Oz without actually being so obvious that they might as well have had a guy in the corner of the screen going "Hey! Remember when they had this in the first one?!". Subtly is key, less is more, and I think the writers on this one got it just right. 

The actors were all cracker-jacks as well. I won't give anything away but I will say Mila Kunis gave a decent performance. I wish I could go into further detail but I'm not in the business of spouting out spoiler alerts-I want you guys to enjoy these films as much as I did! So see it for yourself, I think you'll be glad you did.

Did we just kill Jeff Chang?

This afternoon I went and saw 21 and Over featuring up and coming "teen" hotties, Sklar Astin (Pitch Perfect), Justin Chong (Twilight) and Miles Teller (Project X-think a mini Vince Vaughn, that's all I could think while watching this kid).  

As the poster states, this puppy was written by the same team of "party boy" geniuses that brought us The Hangover. While this one was as epic as that classic, I think I almost liked it a little better. 21 and Over presents us with the tale of a young college student whose getting ready for an important interview set up by his over-bearing father. His two friends visit him on his 21st Birthday, the night before his 7am interview and convince him to go out on the town for birthday festivities. Naturally, drunken insanity ensues. 

This one was fun with an actual storyline behind all of the hilarity. If you're a fan of any classic college comedy, I don't see any reason why you'd want to miss this. 

Say No to Drugs...

...seriously, or The Rock will come after you. Just caught Snitch tonight and, surprise, surprise, it was awesome!

I love me a "Based on True Events" movie and this one certainly did not disappoint. I confess, I thought it would be a little slower paced then it actually was (I've been burned before), and was surprised by the amount of action throughout the entire film.

This movie actually sheds a lot of light on the messed up legal system we have to live with in this country. The war on drugs is so important to the American government, that it's regarded with more seriousness then child molestation, rape or murder. And again, while the film focuses on one father's mission to get his wrongfully imprisoned son out of jail, it does shine a light on just how flawed things are.

This totally makes up for the disappointing addition to the Die Hard family I caught a few weeks back. If you're looking for a good, (true) story that's action packed-I highly recommend this flick.

Yipee-Ki-Yay?

Hello again dear readers! As you may remember from my first post, I had the privilege of attending a Die Hard Marathon in celebration of the franchises most recent release: It's a Good Day to Die Hard. That's right kiddos, all FIVE Die Hard films in one day! It was glorious!

In addition to seeing the latest John McClane movie, I also had a chance to check out the new animated film Escape from Planet Earth and Beautiful Creatures.

Now this is a difficult review for me as I want to say nothing but wonderful things about the movies I see, but sometimes it just isn't possible. While I liked all three movies, I can't say they changed my world in anyway.

Let's just get this one out of the way:

I want to love this movie. I want desperately to tell you I love this movie. But I can't, I simply in good conscious, can't do it. Now I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I watched all four Die Hard films right before this latest one, but I left the marathon feeling really let down. It just wasn't a Die Hard film.

Don't get me wrong, Bruce Willis was amazing as always. But he wasn't the John McClane we all know and love. Firstly, this was the first Die Hard film to take place in a different country and while it shouldn't really make a difference, for some reason, it just bothered me right from the beginning. Secondly, this is the first time McClane had a sidekick that actually kicked ass. In all of the other film he had help but it was always from unsuspecting supporting actors whose characters were thrown into the chaos against their will. None of them ever picked up a gun and actually ran towards the danger. Bruce is there to rescue them, not stand back to back with them, killing bad guys. Let Bruce do his thing! 

There was also a lot more back and forth between McClane and the bad guys. A witty banter between the educated bad guys and the wise cracking blue collar cop from New York. I feel like this installment of Die Hard barely had any dialogue at all! At least nothing memorable like in the other four films. 

This one also had an interesting twist in the end. Again, this shouldn't be an issue, but if you're a true Die Hard fan you'll appreciate where I'm coming from. It's just not the same. It's not your standard Die Hard format and I just can't move past it. The movie on it's own, say with Tom Cruise or Jason Statham, would be good, acceptable. But presented as a Die Hard film, it just doesn't hold up. 

Believe me, it pains me to say this, it really does. I want to take this movie and put on a pedestal and tell you that there is yet one more Willis movie for all of us to worship. But I just can't. I'm going to try and see it again, maybe I'll have a different opinion if I see it alone but I really don't think I will. Again, I'm not saying it was a bad movie, not at all. I'm just saying it's not one I can consider to be a part of the Die Hard family. 

Go see it for yourself though and let me know what you think.

Here's one I almost didn't see:

I was actually thinking the other day that it's been a while since a good kids movie had come out. I don't think there's been anything animated since Rise of the Guardians, over two months ago at least and that just ain't fair! The kiddies need stuff to watch on the weekend too!

So here's Escape from Planet Earth. This one was a cute movie about aliens that go to Earth in response to a distress call they received. Only, when they land, they discover it was all a trick and are captured by the military and taken to Area 51 where they are told that if they help finish a "project" using technology from their planet, they'll be released unharmed. 

They meet other aliens who had been captured and promised the same thing and believe that everything the humans are telling them is true. Then they discover the "project" they are working on is actually a giant weapon the humans wish to use to destroy all of their home planets and the aliens then try to escape their captors. 

It's a fun film about family, friendship and bravery and one the kids will enjoy. It wasn't a laugh out loud classic like say Finding Nemo or Monsters Inc., but it was cute. There were also some pretty big stars lending their voices to the various characters so that was pretty cool too. 

And finally:

I had been looking forward to this one for weeks! The trailer looked really cool and it seemed like this one was going to be pretty sweet. 

Again, visually it was really lovely, and it was loaded with big stars (can you say bad guy from Die Hard with a Vengeance?!) But this one just seemed to drag. There wasn't nearly as much action as the trailers would have you believe and it seemed like the dialogue just went on and on. It wasn't terrible dialogue, just more then I expected I suppose.

Now I knew going into the film that this one was 2 hours long, but it really felt like 2 hours and that is never a good sign. All in all though, I did enjoy it. Interesting story, good cast and the ending made me happy. If you were someone who was interested in checking this one out, I say go for it.

I'll leave you with this picture of myself and my movie-sidekick Miranda at the Die Hard Marathon. It was an extremely wonderful day full of John McClane quotes, horribly bad for you foods and frequent bathroom breaks. Not a bad way to spend your day off.

Damn You Snow

Only got to see two this week, thanks to the annoying New England weather. I'm sorry, I've lived here my whole life and I'll never be used to it. Snow is my mortal enemy!

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Today I went and saw Identity Thief staring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy and Side Effects with Channing Tatum and Rooney Mara.

Let's start with Identity Thief:

This was one I was really looking forward to. I'm in love with both of these actors and was really excited to see them in what promised to be an outrageous comedy. Jason Bateman's character finds himself a victim of identity theft and, finding that the law can do nothing to help him, takes matters into his own hands and attempts to track down the person (McCarthy) responsible for ruining him financially. 

We meet McCarthy, living it up in Florida and Bateman somehow convinces her to travel back to Colorado with him so he can put his life back together. Can someone say road trip?! 

Now, while I did find this film to be extremely enjoyable, I can't say I left feeling like I needed to immediately  see it again with everyone I know. It was as funny as the trailers would have you believe, but it wasn't any funnier then that. I still recommend you see it if you like either of these actors, you'll be happy you did.

Now Side Effects:

This film was completely unexpected! I was on the fence about whether or not I was going to see it. The trailer made it seem a little boring and you couldn't really figure out who the victim was. 

Now normally I start writing these reviews in my head halfway through the movie. I was totally prepared to talk about how this film was an interesting commentary on the state of mental health in this country, and very perfectly timed after everything that happened in Sandy Hook. Then the story took a turn and I had to scrap that review entirely.

I won't say the movie was a shocker or had some genius plot twist, but it was definitely interesting and one that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good story. But again, also not one I felt I needed to see again immediately.

Yippe Ki-Yay

So this is my first post on my new blog! I'm afraid the movies I have to review aren't the best I've seen, just the most recent.

I intend to use this blog as a means of posting detailed, up to date reviews of the films I see each week. I try to see at least two movies a week and if I get the hankering, you might be privy to some throw back movie reviews of flicks I believe everyone should see.

I'll also leave little notes here and there about upcoming films I'm looking forward to checking out. This blog post is dedicated to the upcoming Die Hard film: It's a Good Day to Die Hard. AMC theaters (I frequent the one in Danbury, CT) is having a full fledged Die Hard marathon on opening night, all five films back to back and for only $35 bucks!

You may think sitting in one room all day, watching five films back to back sounds a little crazy. Just think about it though; we're talking about Bruce Willis doing what he does best. And you can't argue with a $35 price tag for this lot! Considering everyone knows every film they're seeing is a complete hit, I'd say you're getting more then your moneys worth!

But let's press on to the films currently out now. I saw two this past weekend and, if the great outdoors decides to calm the heck down by Sunday, I hope to see at least two to three more.

Last week I saw the latest Stallone film Bullet to the Head, Stand Up Guys with Christopher Walken and Al Pacino and the giant mash-up of shorts, Movie 43.

Let's go with Sly's action movie first:

It certainly wasn't Expendables or Rocky, but if you're a fan of Mr. Stallone's work, you'll be just fine with this one. He delivers a typical guys' movie with this one. The acting isn't much a priority  but the action and story line are good enough to keep you entertained.

This one is the typical, tough-guy out for revenge movie. Stallone plays a hit man whose partner is killed after a job and when Stallone's character uncovers they've been double crossed, he takes matters into his own hands as only our John Rambo can. He teams up with one of those "honest cop" type characters and together they uncover information about the folks who set them up.

You'll find the standard "knock-around/old guy" jokes that Stallone likes to deliver, along with some decent fight scenes and of course, a whole lot of booze and, you guessed it, lots of bullets to the head.

It wasn't my favorite, but I thought it was decent enough. Stallone does look incredible! I don't know what he's changed between the Expendables 2 and this movie but the guy is back in fighting shape for sure!

Now Stand Up Guys was one I was absolutely looking forward to. Christopher Walken, Al Pacino and Alan Arkin, play "retired" mobsters who get together after Pacino's character is released from prison. Christopher Walken is sent to kill him but, being long time friends and "Stand Up Guys", Walken and Arkin decide to give their friend one last night to enjoy his freedom and relive some of the old days.

It isn't a laugh out loud comedy but it definitely has it's funny moments and is one mob movie you can actually say is full of heart. I'll also say, this movie ended exactly the way I'd hoped that it would and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. It's a lot of story telling but it will certainly hold you're interest and honestly with this cast, how can you expect anything less?


Now I wish I didn't have to do this, but I must end my first review on a sour note. You hate to come across a bad film, let alone spend any money on it, but hopefully you'll use this blog as a tool and potentially avoid making the mistake of handing over your hard earned cash to only end up disappointed.

Here's Movie 43:

Don't you dare let the poster pull you in. I don't care how many Oscar Award winning actors you throw at me, this one is not worth a single dime. 

It's actually a real shame because the concept is really cool: take a series of shorts, written and directed by completely different people, get the most incredible actors together and put them all in roles they wouldn't normally touch with a ten foot pole. To be honest, I have no idea how they got the stars they got, let alone got them to do the things they did. But still, there was no saving this one.

Yes, I'll admit, there were a few shorts I found to be pretty good, but like all MADtv sketches, they ran too long and ultimately lost me in the end. This was a classic case in which the trailer of the film presented fans with literally every funny line in the movie. I wish I could go into more detail but frankly, I don't want to gross you out. 

While the shorts were all different in story, the vast majority of them were full of cheap jokes, gross visuals and crass situations that were just too over the top. I liken it to a movie that could have been written and directed by the dream team of Beavis & Butthead, Charlie Sheen and anyone whose ever posted a drunken act of tom-foolery on YouTube. 

I beg you, don't bother with this one. You might enjoy it if you're stoned but even then, there's surely something better on.