Thursday, August 14, 2008

Sex and the City

Well I saw this movie only after seeing one episode of the tv series. So I didn't know too much about each of the characters. But the movie did a good job of bringing me up to speed and somehow managed to keep my attention. Overall it was an alright movie, nothing spectacular, but I guess if you loved the show then you might have a different opinion. To me it didn't seem like there was much character development. All the change (if any at all) happened near the end of the movie all withing a few seceonds, and not gradually like it would in real life.
The story wasn't that great in my opinion but still once again my lack of knowledge about the show might be working against the movie here.
I would give it a 4.5/10, and only worth watching if you can't find something better.
-Nick

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

I am not actually sure how I came across this move, but I am glad that I did. It was a nice break from all the big budget films I have seen recently. This first thing you need to know is that this is a British film, but you should be able to figure this out after a few seconds because of the accent. At first some of the terminology might be confusing but it's not too long before you start to understand. For instance snogging means kissing. For once I am kind of glad that my parents would occasionally use British slang.

The movie mostly revolves around Georgia (the main character's name) and her friends in what I believe to be either their first or second year of high school (or whatever the equivalent is in their schooling system). Very early on in the movie the girls spot these two boys who are new to the school, whom they describe as sex gods. The rest of the movie is about how they try to get the two boys to ask some of them out on dates. Most of the movie is quite hilarious, but there are a few serious moments sprinkled through out. Personally I think what makes this movie great is that you are actually able to see the characters mature as the movie progresses.

Some people would describe this a s a chick-flick but unlike most other films that get this tag this one is actually watchable, and you won't start screaming because of how emotional or stupid the girls are. Final note, this movie makes me glad to be done with high school and all of its unnecessary drama (even though the rest of life has drama it is at least justified somewhat).

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Batman: The Dark Knight

This movie definitely lived up to all the hype, even though it was a little on the long side. Not that this has anything to do with the movie but when I saw it for the first time I was in an IMAX and now can't imagine watching this movie any other way.
Right from the start the movie shows you just how crazy the Joker is by having him kill off the team which helped him rob a bank. As the movie progresses the Joker somehow manages to keep upping his antics, and thus pushing Batman to his limit. The development of Batman in this movie is more obvious than in the first, so you feel somewhat more connected (as far as connectedness to movie charters is concerned). The movie also included the pleasant surprise of another villain, who I will not name for the sake of those of you who have not seen the movie.
This might not be the first review of The Dark Knight that you read, and it might not even be the last, but I'll try to make it one that you remember in these last few closing sentences. Sure it might be a "dark" movie (look no further than the title) but this shouldn't stop you from taking your kids to see it. There is a reason the movie is rated PG-13 and hell if this movie ends up giving your kid (who I shall assume is 13 or older) then you should just find a way to keep them out of contact with any sort of news related media.
Overall Score: 197/199

Side note; for those of you that care you finally get to see that ugly bat-mobile destroyed. If they do decide to make another movie hopefully they will get it right and make it more sports car like. As for the motorcycle, I'm not going to even bother talking about how that was a disappointment.



Ann's note:
The part that stuck out to me the most in it was Heath Ledger's performance. he was.. AMAZING. there's just no other way to describe it. best villain i've ever seen. it makes you even more sad that he died. although, seeing the part he played makes you realize why he took all those sleeping pills and died. :-(. if he doesn't win anything for that part i would be thoroughly surprised.
There's also a lot of symbolism in the movie so watch out for that, paying attention to the DA. and the foreshadowing into the new villain. you'll catch on if you know the villains of Batman.
I agree with Nick, this movie definitely lived up to its hype.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The Happening

Not exactly scary or all that suspenseful. This can be attributed to the fact that the major mystery of the movie was given away almost halfway through. Normally this would not be a bad thing but for this movie once you knew what was causing the problem the rest of the movie became somewhat dull, not that it was all that exciting to begin with.
The minor side plots and relationships between the characters was surprisingly uninteresting. So much so that I don't remember any of them other than this one couple that was having relationship problems and ended up staying together at the end of the movie.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
It was the fucking trees. Kind of scary, I won't go into details but it makes you think of the way we are treating the planet.
The movie ends with a scene identical to the one at the beginning. The only difference this time is that instead of taking place in the United States it is in France (I was so proud that I was able to understand most of what was said in French in this scene).
Overall not the best movie, but it could be much worse I suppose. If you have a choice to watch something else, chances are that the other movie will be better. However, watching this won't be all too horrible, but you certainly will not want to watch it more than once.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sex and Breakfast

Does anyone remember the Home Alone series? Well Macaulay Culkin is back. Just in case you were not able to guess from the tile of the movie this is definitely not something you would want to take the whole family to see.
Basically the movie is about two couples; James(Macaulay) and Heather(Alexis Dziena), and Ellis(Kunno Becker) and Renee(Eliza Dushku). Both couples have run into problems in their relationships. At first it seems like all of the problems are just sexual but as the movie progresses you begin to see that there are other underlying problems as well. However, all these problems seem to stem from their troubled sex lives which they are unable to talk about. Eventually both couples decide to sign up for "group sex therapy" and this is how they end up meeting each other.
The main problem that James and Heather have with their relationship is that Heather is never able to climax when she has sex with James, but she has never had this problem with any of the other guys she has been intimate with. On the other hand Ellis and Renee feel as if their relationship is becoming dull and routine. I guess they are just afraid to take the next natural step.
Before the group sex, each of the couples talks about their past sexual encounters and what some of their fantasies are, thus adding more problems to their already troubled relationships. For instance Renee has always wanted to sleep with a woman, just to see what it would be like. She eventually meets this woman and they are about to sleep together but Ellis explodes and "ruins it" so the event never takes place. Each couple has moments like these as the movie progresses.
I won't ruin the ending but from what I gathered, in the end one of the relationships became stronger while the other seemed to have died entirely because of their experience. (After watching half of the movie it should be which couple the about statements are referring to)
If you happened to like Juno then I think you will like this, although it's not as good as Juno it does have its moments and overall is worth watching.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fool's Gold

I watched this movie online, so the quality wasn't great, and I'm sure that watching it on the big screen with the better quality would make it better. but i still liked it.
it had adventure, funny moments, sub-history plot, buried treasure, and sorta a love story.
i still enjoy matthew mcconaughey and kate hudson's chemistry and that they are opposites and hate each other in this movie. the whole "bad-boy" rapper bad guy was a little over-done and unoriginal. so was the preppy rich daughter that hates her distant father and then learns to love him
though, i am a sucker for the treasure hunter, buried ancient treasure plots and this counteracted these ideas. that was complimented by the wit of the characters and great scenery.

another flaw i saw with it was its release date. it got released around valentine's day, i'm thinking as a valentine's movie. though, i would think that it would be much better as a summer movie. the setting was definitely during the summer and the love story was kinda typical. making it a summer fling type date movie.

even though most of the reviews i read didn't like, i personally enjoyed it.
recommended for: date night, girls night

Batman -The Dark Knight

I recently saw Batman Begins, and am I glad I did. Can't wait for the next one, only problem is that I have to wait a whole fucking month.


Sunday, June 15, 2008

The Incredible Hulk

You pay for 80 minutes of "entertainment" and you are only provided with about 10 to 20. When I decided to watch this movie I was looking for something action packed. Well boy was I ever disappointed. I had to suffer through an hour of "story" and a few minor non-impressive fight scenes. As if this is not punishment enough, the story is not even that great. It is almost all very predictable and not too many moments (if any) that make you say "wow". When you finally get to the last 10-20 minuets (yes it's at the end) you are expecting something spectacular. Well sorry to burst your bubble but it never quite gets to that level. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely better than the rest of the movie, but that really isn't saying that much.
Overall I think the only thing this movie has going for it is that the Hulk did not look completely computer generated, but that's about it.
Put the money you would have used to pay for a ticket to better use and get some food. (For those of you who would just find it online don't waste your time. Watch a different movie, chances are it will be much better than this one.)
-Nick

Friday, June 13, 2008

Secondhand Lions

so i know this movie isn't on the "movies to see" list, but it was on tv, and I really liked it.

I don't think it hit it big in the movie theaters or anything, but i think it should've.
if you don't know the story, this kid, Walter (or haley joel osmond) gets dropped off at his great uncles' house (Michael Caine and Robert Duvall) by his mom. his two uncles had just turned up after 40 years and rumor had it they had a lot of money. Walter's mom drops him off there for the summer and tells him to find where the money is hidden while she goes off to "school." not long after being at his uncles' house, walter tries to phone his mother because he wants to leave, but can't reach her because she's not at the college.
after this, walter stays with his uncles and has an growing better time.
the whole movie is hilarious with various traveling salesmen stopping by the house, relatives trying to stay with them so they could get the money, the crazy things they buy, and the stories they have from those 40 years they were missing.

it seems like half fantasy, but yet believable. it still has its heartwrenching moments and i pretty much love the lifestyle they had. very carefree. and no cheesy relationships. well there's one, but it's only reflected on, not in the present. it's just a feel-good movie

recommended for: the next movie you see. anytime.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Wanted



it looks pretty cool. i'm excited about it
-Ann



Yeah I will have to agree with Ann that it does look interesting. Also she's kind of pretty.
-Nick

PS I love you

So when I first saw this movie, i thought it was pretty good. not the best, but alright.
Although, the second time i saw this movie, i felt it moved slower than before.

It still kind of puzzles me how her husband set up all those things and notes after he died. I know there are some explanations for it. but it's still kinda confusing.

the idea behind the letters was really cute. and i liked the characters a lot (hilary swank, the husband (who i found out the second time i watched it was leonitous) and lisa kudrow) they were all very cute and messed together. however, the letters went on for too long and hilary swank just needed to get over herself.
a part i did like was when hilary swank and leonitous met for the first time in Ireland. it was a love-at-first-sight moment and very cute. and the scenery was gorgeous.

the ending i enjoyed as well. she didn't go and marry some other guy nor did she get with the rude guy (who i didn't like too much), and her mother found someone who would make her happy too.

overall, the movie was cute, but moved pretty slow. the plot was original, but still not stellar.

recommended for: chick flick when you have nothing else to do.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

21

Please no comments on how card counting is cheating. These comments will be deleted.

"Winner winner chicken dinner." The opening line to the movie and surly this movie is a winner.
If you couldn't tell from the previews or the name the movie is about a card counting ring at MIT which consisted of a few undergraduates and their professor. Personally I found the movie fascination. I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. Following what was going on what somewhat easier since I already knew the basic concept of card counting and how to do it (just not at a decent speed). As not to ruin the plot I will try not to divulge too much, I think that if you only get to see one movie this year then this is your movie. The actors did a magnificent job especially the "eyes in the sky" (Laurence Fishburne aka Morpheus from the Matrix trilogy) spectacular. The little love story between Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) and Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth) was in my mind unnecessary but I suppose there are those people who would only like a movie if there was some kind of romance.
In case you were not aware the movie is based on a book (Bringing Down the House, I believe this is the title) which is based on real life. If anyone would happen to know where I could obtain a copy of this book I would greatly appreciate it. This movie has spiked my interest, and if the usual trend of the book being better than the movie hold true then I am almost positive that this will be one of my top five favorite books.
-Nick

Iron Man

Oh great, just what we need, another super hero movie. Honestly how good could this movie be? Guy gets powers, has to learn to use them, faces a dangerous situation and overcomes it. Nothing special. Well if this is what you are expecting from this review you are most certainly in the wrong place my friend.

The movie starts off in the present but a few minuets in it goes into short flashback. You don't notice that the flashback is over until you realize that you are seeing the beginning of the movie again. Pretty cool concept in my opinion.

As is expected there is the typical "getting used to powers" stage. However, in this case it is more like building the suite and fixing all of the bugs and what not. This portion had its share of funny moments some of them were unintentional since it did not seem like the producers intended for them to be humorous in any manor. The lab set up was pretty interesting, makes you want to invest in technology companies so that you might one day have one in you own home. The ending show down was only par, it wasn't anything that would make you say "WOW". As far as the computer animation went, it was pretty difficult to tell when it was being used if you didn't think about what a real human could and could not do.

The characters were pretty believable. Robert Downey Jr. played the role of the cocky, somewhat arrogant Tony Stark. Also having Gwyneth Paltrow play Pepper Potts was a good call. She's a beautiful lady but not so much that Tony Stark would not be able to overlook her by thinking he could do better. This works perfectly for the minor romantic side story.

Overall I would say this is one of the better movies I have seen all year. Rent it, watch it in theaters, see a boot leg version. I don't care what you have to do, but you must see this movie.
-Nick




yeah, i loved this movie and loved the Tony Stark character. He wasn't the usual superhero, because he mostly thought about himself and brought home girls everynight (though that'd kinda be like James Bond), but you see my point. He was a filthy rich arrogant big shot, but you still liked him because he was funny and was first introduced as the victim.
After he escapes and makes his suit, I enjoyed how he didn't have a "revelation" that he needs to save the world and be a better person, it just always seemed a part of him and this suit kinda brought that aspect of his personality out.
I also agree with Nick on the good choice of Gwyneth Paltrow and also liked her character.
recommended for: a movie night, great action movie, but not necessarily a "dick flick."
-Ann

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

27 Dresses

Very cute movie. Katherine Heigl (or Izzy) and James Marsden are good together and very cute.
Izzy still fits the nervous, happy, has to please everyone role (like Grey's Anatomy) but finally gets what she wants and needs.
I enjoyed the progression of events in this movie, it didn't fee forced. I mean you could tell that she was going to get with the guy at the end, but the plot didn't make it as obvious as it could've been. Such as when he's trying to get a date with her and she continuously turns him down, and then the roles are somewhat reversed when she finds out he's the writer of the commitment section. Also, when they first "get together" comes naturally: he just found out she's in love with her sister's fiance and she's all upset, and he tries to cheer her up.
I also enjoyed the subplot with izzy's sister and boss. another "be true to yourself" type of thing.
And I enjoyed the "opposites attract" theme as well between Izzy and James Marsden. Izzy's the sweet, romantic girl and James is the cynical, anti-romantic who can write. and even though they are very different, they mesh very well together. compliments on that

overall, very cute, sweet movie that has some twists from the cliche Runaway Bride plot.

recommended for: girlfriends. definitely a chick flick

Juno

I enjoyed this movie. Its main enjoyment was the sarcasm of Juno and the witty comments.
The plot was pretty straightforward: girl gets pregnant, puts it up for a adoption, has baby, gets boy at the end. The whole movie was about how the family and adoption family and Juno coped with the pregnancy.
The thing that made this movie was Juno and her family, who were hilarious. And what made everyone fall in love with Ellen Paige.
The many awards it was nominated for shows that it is a good movie, and it was in the theater for months.

recommended for: anytime. it's just a feel-good movie

Superbad

So I saw this movie a while ago, but I though I'd start out the movie reviews.

Overall, I felt it was pretty funny. It definitely had the bathroom humor and essence of "Knocked Up" too.
The beginning was funny, and progressed nicely, and so did the end. However the middle of the movie seemed pretty slow, and VERY unlikely. I didn't like it because it was so unreal. When they are at that party and came with some random guy.. that just seemed kinda dumb.
Also the cops with "mclovin" was pretty funny but still kinda dumb at times such as when they were taking him by those bars and parties and such.
again, near the end, I liked better, when it actually showed the teenage aspect of the movie (what it was suppose to be based on..)

A funny movie, like I said. The middle was pretty slow, but the beginning and end were good.

Recommended: when you want a laugh and don't want to think too much.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Introduction

If it is not entirely clear from the title we will be watching movies and then telling you what we thought about them, pretty straight forward.

Every now and then we will put up a list of movies we plan to or would like to watch in the near future so be on the look out for those in addition to the usual reviews. If there is a movie you feel we should watch our would like us to review feel free to let us know in the comments, or just email us (please make the email subject "Movie to Watch BLOG").

If we find any interesting trailers online there is a good chance we will embed them in here and give our initial thoughts.

We will end this post here and get a start on watching movies so that you will have something worth reading.