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Reviews
The Big Year (2011)
A great surprise!
I rented this movie for my husband and I looking for a pretty good comedy given the main actors who were in it. What we got was a great little film! The acting was really good - Jack Black gives one of his best performances in this film, Steve Martin plays the great "dad/family man" part he has done in several good movies and Owen Wilson gives a great performance as the "villain", but the characterizations are not one dimensional. They are really well developed throughout the film.
The big surprise is that the movie is not played for humor, it is humorous because real life can just be funny. Don't get me wrong, the movie is quite funny, just not the slapstick funny we had expected given the actors in the film. What we got instead was a surprisingly charming movie about 3 guys who set out to break the record for the most birds sighted in a year - thus the Big year. The lengths they go to see the birds often result in humorous events, but it's the beauty of the scenery, the heartfelt moments, the real human experiences that makes this film what it is.
42 (2013)
Astounding film!
42 is not just a film about the life of baseball player Jackie Robinson, it is a film about the era and culture of life in the mid 1940's. America had just emerged from WWII which had focused on the elimination of fascism in the world only to walk right into it's own war with racism. Nothing in American history can really show that better than the story about Jackie Robinson and his major league baseball journey.
The movie is not just a baseball movie - but it does have some spectacular baseball scenes. It is a movie about the times, how racism permeated the fabric of America at that time. The open racism portrayed in the movie is both overwhelming and uncomfortable - which is it's design. I turned to my husband during one particular scene and said "I wish I could just reach through the screen and slap him upside the head". It really made me appreciate the choice of Jackie Robinson as the first African American to be picked to play in the majors. The person could not just have been a good ball player, he had to also be an upstanding citizen, and a man who would be able to take everything that was going to come his way. And Chadwick Boseman is perfect as Jackie Robinson delivering a heartfelt, gutsy and emotional performance of the man. He shows the many sides of Robinson - the love he had for his wife, the courage to stand, the anger at the constant racism, and, most important, the boldness to not fight back, holding his head high. He is a true American hero.
The story isn't just about Robinson though - it is also about his teammates, all cast splendidly, and how they went from wanting to walk away, to supporting and then accepting him. Some poignant scenes are portrayed throughout the movie. It is about his relationship with his wife, played fantastically by Nicole Beharie, a strong woman in her own right, eventually crossing her own barrier lines. It's about the very courageous Branch Rickey played with perfection by Harrison Ford, who has the guts, and a wonderful reason reveled in the film, for bringing in an African American player to begin with. It's about the beginning of a civil rights movement here in America, which begins, rightfully so, with the most American of all pastimes - baseball.
The Jennie Garth Project (2014)
can we say spoiled rotten!
I usually love HGTV shows, but this one is the exception. Unlike the Brian Boitano show which was great, the Jennie Garth remodel is horrible. One of the main problems is that Jennie Garth is spoiled rotten and really nasty to her crew. She didn't hire a designer, which she seems quite proud of, but should of as she has made some pretty poor design choices. When the professionals try to help her or she doesn't get her way all she does is throw a tantrum. What a waste! Then there's her voice - don't get me started. Let's just say she's very whiny. I can't even stand the commercials anymore. Note to HGTV, before letting another celebrity do one of these shows, make sure they are not going to be so annoying.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Breathtaking movie
This is a charming, gorgeously filmed movie. In the days of special effects, it's great to see a movie that just uses beautiful scenery to inspire that feeling of awe. The cinema photography alone is worth the price of the movie. If that wasn't enough, the story is wonderful too, it's Ben Stiller at his best. The storyline is simple - Walter Mitty is a daydreamer. He zones out at times and we get to see what he is dreaming about - be it romance, action, a man that can conquer all. One day, those dreams and reality meet and he embarks on a journey that will change him forever and the reality is better than he imagined it would be. Great supporting cast as well - a must see.
Knowing (2009)
You can tell there were 3 screenwriters
It's as if the 3 screenwriters credited with this film sat down and said "I'll write the beginning, you write the middle and you write the end and we'll see if we can match it up later." Well, I can tell you, it didn't match up. This movie started out promising. The whole time capsule thing with the little girl's list caught my interest and I wanted to know more. 50 years later they open the time capsule and we find the list was actually a list of predictions that have come true throughout those 50 years. Okay - I'm with the movie so far and can't wait to see what will happen next. Then the middle writer takes over and it gets a little lost (not a lot, just a little). We introduce this rock thing that was never explained and Nicolas Cage acts like - well every Nicolas Cage movie. The story does move along though and I'm still interested. That is, until the 3rd writer takes over and does the last 1/3 of the movie. At some point I just watched it because I knew I was near the end and I was hoping they would write themselves out of a mess. The introduction of the little girl and mother was almost a waste of time - they didn't move the plot anywhere and the mom annoyed me. Now, I don't always have to have a "happy" ending, but I do need an ending that makes some sense. I mean, why in the world do you even have predictions if in the end everything is totally pointless. I gave this 5 out of 10 stars only because of the great start to this film.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Not sure why this is considered good.
I had a high expectation considering the actors playing in the film, the accolades given the film and the reviews I read about the film. Sadly, I was sorely let down.
This has to be the most boring film I have watched in a long time. The plot made no sense and the characters were bizarre at best. Most of the great actors in this film suffered from a horrible script and terrible direction. For a "comedy" it had few laughs and I spent most of the movie wondering why I continued to keep watching. I guess I thought it had to at least have a decent ending, or that something would finally come together and make sense.
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
A fun adventure film!
First, I have never read the Tin Tin comics so I just have the movie to go by. I thought it was great! The story flowed well, the characters were very well done and the animation was fantastic. I really enjoyed the way that the film introduces us to Tin Tin in the opening credits. It was a good thing too, because the only thing I disliked about this movie was the beginning - it didn't seem to introduce anyone really well and seemed a bit rushed, so I kind of felt lost for a bit. After that though, I found myself really caught up in the story. The characters were great and I loved the dog! I really forgot it was animated, it seemed so real.
Prometheus (2012)
lots of special effects, very boring story
If you are looking for a movie with lots of great scenery and lots of special effects then this might be the movie for you. It was beautifully set and the special effects were great.
But... if you are looking for a good story that actually makes any sense whatsoever, this is NOT the movie for you. The story is dull, the characters are lifeless, it didn't make any sense - it was very confusing and the ending is hopeless.
It may be a movie better left to the $1 theater where at least you can see the special effects, but you won't be wasting your money. Better yet, just see a better movie.
Knight and Day (2010)
surprisingly good
Well, we had a snow day and needed something to watch. We rented this movie and, surprisingly, I really enjoyed this film a lot. I wasn't too sure about it at first, as I'm not a Tom Cruise fan, but, this is Tom Cruise having fun and showing off his comedic side - and he has one! I think I laughed more during this movie than at many so called "comedies" that are out today. It has it all - action, comedy, fun, good guys, bad guys, romance and a little spy stuff thrown in. Both Tom Cruise and Cammeron Diaz are quite good in the film and they seem to be having a lot of fun. The chemistry between the two is great. So, if you just want a fun movie try this one.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
could have been good but...
Iron Man 2 is mildly entertaining, but the problems are glaring. First, the "hero" of the story is actually quite obnoxious - what he learned from Iron Man 1 didn't seem to transfer over. Second, too much talk, talk, talk without any content. The dialog didn't really move the story along. It was mostly made up of Tony Stark arguing back and forth with every character in the story. Third - the under use of a really good bad guy. Mickey Rorke makes a great bad guy, but they didn't use him near enough. Fourth - The over use of the obnoxious bad guy - Hammer just got on your nerves. Fifth - the under use of a great actor like Samuel L. Jackson - who was he suppose to be in the movie and why was he even there??? All in all it was a bit of a mess - it could have been so much better.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Not all that great
I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with the movie - after all the grand hype, it turned out to be pretty dull. I usually love Tom Hanks, but this time he might as well of not even showed up. His character was lifeless at best. Audry Tautou was also a bad choice of actress for this role. She certainly didn't capture the spirit of the character. It doesn't bode well when you have a film with the two main characters that are boring and devoid of chemistry.
The standouts are Ian McKellen who was great as always and Paul Bettany who was chilling as Silas.
As for the story - I saw the movie before I read the book and found the story to be quite interesting. After reading the book I will say that the movie faithfully follows, with a few exceptions, the book. As for it being fictional - no doubt as most of the references to Da Vinci's paintings, Templer history and the Priory of Sion was lacking in any reality. Interestingly, Dan Brown wants us to think that all the art and architecture was based on fact - this is quite laughable when he mistakenly (most certainly for effect) says the pyramid in front of the Louve has 666 panes of glass when in fact it has 673. I guess the real number just doesn't have that Hollywood appeal! All that aside, the movie had a lot of potential to be good. To bad some bad casting ruined that.
War of the Worlds (2005)
too much screaming not enough ending
This had a lot of potential to be a really great and fun film but... It starts out good with the main characters connecting and disaster happening quite quickly. Then there's lots of action, twists and turns. Then the little girl screaming got on my nerves - that's all she does except whine. Then it just ends. No heroes, no explanation, it just ends. It's like a good roller-coaster ride - lots of great dives and loops. You see the huge loop coming and then they suddenly they stop the ride and tell everyone to get off. "But what about that giant loop", you say. "Get off" they say. That's the ending to this movie - it could have been great but...
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
at least Jar Jar Binks didn't speak
Well, it's finally over - the 3rd, and hopefully last, episode of Star Wars is out. This very dark installment lacks the very essence of what made Star Wars great - great characters, humor in the right places and a brilliant plot line. Episode 3 is much better than episodes 1 or 2 (which isn't saying much). It's main value is to answer all the how questions - how did Darth Vader get horribly burned? How did Luke and Leah get to where they are in episode 4? How did the transformation take place? Etc.
One of the problems with this film is the acting, which is horrible once again. Lucas is once again trying to rely on the special effects to carry the film forgetting that he is still telling a story. Hayden Christensen, while doing much better in this episode, was still stilted and bland. The only good thing he has going for him is his evil stare. Other than that, he is pitiful. Ewan McGregor is okay, Samuel L. Jackson is wasted in this film and Natalie Portman whines a bit too much - maybe it's because she is pregnant. The only really good performance comes from Ian McDiarmid who is successful at being very evil and Yoda - who is a puppet. There sword fight did provide a bit of humor although I don't think that was the intent.
Speaking of - one thing that is missing in this film is any humor. I realize that this is suppose to be a dark film, but come on - it's star wars. C3PO and R2D2 could have been utilized for this.
All in all, it was another disappointment, but I wasn't really expecting much after Episodes I and II. I think I will stick to the originals!
Westender (2003)
one of the worst movies I have ever seen
And I'm not kidding. To say this movie is slow is an understatement. The screenplay must read: He walked through the forest. Then he walked through the forest some more. He walked through the forest even more. Now he walks through a desert. He walks through the desert some more. He walks through the forest... Not much there. The characterization is horrible and the acting is so stilted it hurt. The lines sounded like they were read on a teleprompter - badly. We never do learn who the main character is and just why he is in his current state. The characters that he crosses paths with are one dimensional at best. I rate this one of the worst movies I have seen in the past 10 years. 1 out of 10.
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003)
Not worth viewing
*****May contain spoilers***** Okay - where do I start. Although he has quite a pretty face, Olivier Martinez can't act his way out of a bag in this movie. He just wasn't convincing and his lines were stiff at best. I personally thought that Rodrigo Santoro who played the beggar in the street was better looking and more appealing - this should tell us something.
Anne Bancroft was a miscast in the role of the "pimp". She came off as a comic character - you just had to laugh at her trying to be pathetic and evil. It lacked any feeling at all.
Brian Dennehy probably was the best portrayed although he dies in the first 20 minutes of the movie.
Then there is Helen Mirren who is quite a good actress, but is surrounded by lack luster performances. Nothing she could have done could drag this movie out of the ditch.
I also think that the people who see the ending as some death wish are reading way to much into it - I can't give this director that much credit. I just think it shows how far Mrs. Stone has sunk - she wants so badly to be loved and wanted that she takes the beggar/stalker off the street.
All in all - just pass this one up folks and get the 1961 original.
Braveheart (1995)
the most overated film to date
This is the most overated film that I have ever seen. After hearing so many people say it was great, I finally sat down to watch them thing. After seeing it, I'm sorry, I just can't see what all the fuss is about. It is incredibly LONG, horribly boring, and overacted. I could hardly keep my eyes open for the whole thing. Why this won any awards I am sure I don't know.
The "love" story failed miserably as he wasn't even faithful himself. This made it very unbelieveable. The battle scenes are overblown and so very long. I just wanted them to get it over with, kill him and end the movie. I was so glad to finally get this movie over with.
I give it a 1 out of 10.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Typical 2nd movie
This movie starts off confusing and the confusion never ends. There was nothing really great about it - the special effects were not new and the movie seemed to be a rehash of the first Matrix movie. The Zion world certainly wasn't what I imagined (and I liked my imagination better than what I saw). After seeing Zion I couldn't figure out why we needed to save it. The introduction of so many characters continued the confusion. None of the new characters were fleshed out very well. I will say, the freeway chase was well done. I am hoping for a better 3rd movie.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
very disappointing
I was hoping that the second star wars film would be better than the first one, but I was sadly disappointed. As a Star Wars fan for many years, the latest 2 movies have really not come up to the standard of episodes 4-6. The only redemption for this movie is that Jar Jar Binks has a lesser role!! The special effects are quite nice, but the character of Anakin is wooden at best. Hope that a new actor will be playing the part in the 3rd episode.
Kate & Leopold (2001)
it had potential
This movie has potential but just doesn't pan out. It had all the ingredients of very good looking man, Meg Ryan who usually does well in these films and an interesting story line. Instead it ends up being a very cutsie movie that was so predictable that I wasn't sure I wanted to stay around for the end. And what's up with Meg's hair????
Two Weeks Notice (2002)
not that great
The one thing this movie lacks is chemistry. There is very little between Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock, both actors that I usually enjoy watching. The movie is somewhat cute, but as a romantic comedy, it just doesn't seem to ever get there. There isn't enough tension between the characters to suggest that Sandra's character would ever really be interested in Hugh's character. They just don't make it believable. Everything between them happens way to late in the movie - by that time you just want the movie to be over.