Saturday, December 26, 2009

Avatar



This is a very creative and visually spectaular film. I saw it on the IMAX 3D screen to get the "full" effect of this much hyped new film by James Cameron. I don't think you will miss much if you don't see it in 3D; just a few arrows popping off the screen at you, and some floaty jelly-fish thingys. But you won't be dissappointed if you see the IMAX version either.

The story is about the earthlings, sky people, traveling from their dying world to this new planet called Pandora which happens to be rich with a new energy source. Unfortunately, the indiginous people, the Navi are in the way. This eventually leads to a Star Wars-esque climatic battle at the end.

There was an underlying "green mother earth" theme and "we stole the indians land" comparison going on here, but they didn't shove it down your throat. The story, the acting, and the impressive visuals take center stage of this two and a half hour epic.

You definately want to see this on the big screen! So journey light years away to Pandora and check out AVATAR!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Armored



Well this movie was a little short on dialog substance, but it made up for it in action and suspense. A very interesting premise with some interesting characters made for a good day at the movies. It could have been way over the top, but they kept things down to earth and it was a fun ride.

Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard) plays Ty Hackett, an ex-soldier working as a security guard on an armored truck. Ty is also raising his younger brother, Jimmy (Andre Kinney) after both of their parents passed away in the same year. The cause of their death is never really addressed but the effect is easy to see. The bank is hassling Ty for payments that is he struggling to make; Jimmy is missing school and Social Services is threatening to split the brothers up and put Jimmy in foster care.
Ty is looking for extra shifts at work but there just aren’t any to be had. That’s when his friend, co-worker, partner and godfather Mike Cochrone (Matt Dillon) comes to him with this plan to rob their own trucks. He and a handful of the guards – Quinn (Jean Reno), Baines (Laurence Fishburne), Palmer (Amaury Nolasco) and Dobbs (Skeet Ulrich), have decided to recreate an armored truck heist from 1988 where as Cochrone puts it, “There are no bad guys.”

But of course things don't go acorrding to plan and some of the "good guys" chose to become bad guys and total mayhem ensues.

If you miss this one during the holiday season then be sure to save it in your Netflix queue and check out Armored!