Burn After Reading

I was so excited to see this movie. I mean it's the insanity of the Coen Brothers! I loved Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

This film was a HUGE disappointment! After exactly one hour into the movie, I finally laughed. I was rolling on the floor in the first 3-5 minutes of Oh Brother and I never stopped. I think I only laughed out loud once during this entire weak sauce of a Coen Brother presentation.

It's about a CIA analyst quitting his job, meanwhile his wife and every other person in the movie is having an affair, a couple of not-to-bright fitness trainers find a CD they think has top secret info on it and try to turn it into money, meanwhile the CIA, and private eyes are watching everyone, and through a series of wrong place at the wrong time, and avid paranoia, the story unfolds.

It's not that the story wasn't interesting, or that the character's weren't colorful or not doing a terrific acting job. Heck Brad Pitt was awesome as usual; he played a moron perfectly. So what was wrong with this flick? It was not funny. Not at all. I would have put money on this one as the top comedy of 2008. But you would be much better off going to see Pineapple Express or Tropic Thunder.

At the End of Burn After Reading, the CIA director says, "What have we learned? Heck if I know! But let's not do it again." I hope the Coen Brothers have learned something as well and don't do this again! Catch it on cable one day peeps!

Bangkok Dangerous

Did you see No Country for Old Men? I liked the movie till the ending. Why? Because it did not have the typical "Hollywood" ending that I was expecting, or wanting for that matter since I have been trained or brain-washed over the years to expect a happily ever after ending. Sure the film makers have the right to buck the trend and give us the unexpected, just so long as I can't tell they are doing it just for the sake of bucking the trend. Confused yet?

Well Bangkok Dangerous, starring Nicolas Cage as an assassin (Joe) has an ending that I didn't expect either. But was it a good movie? I'd have to say that I liked it. Except for Nic Cage's hair! What is up with that? It's like the make-up department doesn't know what to do with it. So they dye it jet black and leave it a stringy tangled mess. He had the exact same hair in NEXT, it is awful looking.

Okay, enough about the bad hair. In this film the assassin, Joe leads a lonely life (go figure). He starts thinking about retirement and finding someone special to spend his days with. He just has a few more kills and then he can be out for good. He has four simple rules he lives by, and trouble begins when he starts breaking them.

Overall the acting and actions scenes fall a little flat (like his hair), but the plot moves along well enough to keep you interested. No need to check out Bangkok Dangerous at the theater, I'd add it to your Netflix queue. Cheers!

Babylon AD

I really wanted this movie to be great. The trailer of course got me excited for it. And while it wasn't a bad movie overall it still had its flaws.

Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop (Vin Diesel) takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman (Melanie Thierry) and her mentor (Michelle Yeoh) from Russia to America in a near post apocalyptic war-torn future. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah.

I will say that the settings were well done, you really get the feeling that Russia is in tatters from territorial fighting and corruption (art imitating life?), and the future gadgets, cars, and buildings were a nice touch to create a near-future atmosphere.

The film moves along pretty well with a balanced mix of action and exposition, but begins to unravel when they finally reach their destination and the plot becomes a little confusing and convoluted. (Note to Robert Downey Jr.: Don't go see this movie..you won't get it.)


Not much character development other than Thoorop (what a freakin name?) transforms from a hard-core mercenary to a... (well I can't say what he becomes that would spoil the movie) Let's just say he goes soft. And as for the girl he is protecting, we learn her life's story, but it had little effect on me and I did not care what happened to her character. I cared more about Michelle Yeoh's character than any of them.

I'm struggling between two stars (didn't like it) and three stars (liked it). I think I will lean towards liked it, just because I like Vin Diesel, and the settings were nice. But I would recommend Netflix or renting Babylon AD rather than spending your gas money going to the movies.

Deathrace

A remake of the awesome classic 1975 movie Deathrace 2000 starring David Carradine. This time Jason Statham is the star. It's a simple, violent over the top film that does what it is supposed to. Make us cheer for more!

In the year 2012, in response to the collapsing American economy, shady corporations have taken over the prison system and reap huge profits by staging gladiatorial pay-per-view contests among the prisoners. They can win five races and be set free.

Their star racer, Frankenstein is killed after winning four races and the psychotic warden, an ice-queen named Hennessey (Joan Allen), decides to secretly replace him with Jensen Ames (Statham), a former race car driver, so she can keep her ratings up. She promises him freedom, but has no plans to let him escape.

So naturally with help from his "team" he makes his own plans and B-Movie mayhem explodes onto the screen. I loved this thrill ride remake! It's rated R so leave the kiddies at home and buckle up for car flippin fun. Check out Deathrace!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This animated feature film was better than I expected. The action was furious, almost too much action! How many times can we see a droid sliced in half by a light saber? How many times can we see a Jedi use the force to retrieve a dropped saber and turn it on in the last second to block an incoming strike?

But you can't say the movie was boring. However I did not like the movie's premise. And by that I mean the mission Anakin and his new padawan are sent on. I won't spoil it but I thought the story was weak and a bit silly. Not Jar-Jar silly, but still...maybe I am getting to old for Star Wars. *gasp*


The animation was a bit "blocky" and a different style, but I didn't mind that. The soundtrack was the most surprising! I loved it. Even the familiar opening music seemed to have an edge to it and there were new beats and rhythms I have not heard in the previous films. I'll have to get the score.


Overall if you are a Star Wars fan boy, you'll go see this, and if the kids are dying to see it, then by all means pick up the plactic red/green/blue/purple light saber off the playroom floor and check out THE CLONE WARS!

PS- From what I hear, this is a pre-lude to a new animated series coming to Cartoon Network.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

This is the third installment of the Mummy series. Hey if it's making money why stop? Brendon Fraser reprises his roll as Rick O'Connell, but Rachel Weisz is AWOL. Instead Maria Bello replaces her as Evelyn "EV" O'Connell. They mix things up a bit this time around with the O'Connell's having a boring life and a grown up son, Alex O'Connel (Luke Ford).

But they keep the same formula as the previous films. Ancient mummy comes to life, tries to kill them, Insert comic relief by John Carnahan (John Hannah) and add a crazy pilot (Liam Cunningham) named Mad Dog Maguire. Luke Ford plays O'Connell's son pretty well but he is no Brendon Fraser. I liked Maria Bello better than Weisz for the Role of O'Connell's wife.

The film starts out as Alex O'Connell follows in his father's footsteps in discovering ancient trap filled tombs. Meanwhile back at home Mom and Dad are living a boring, dull life. And I don't know if it was intentional, but the first half of the movie was rather dull and boring as well. A far cry from the relentless action packed trailers that have filled the TV screen nightly for the past four months! Could they over-promote a movie anymore than this one? There is even an Olympic/China tie-in trailer.

Things don't get interesting until of course they awaken the mummy and the action finally begins. But as I said before, nothing new here. Jet Li as the Emperor was a nice choice but he was not as charismatic as the previous mummy, Imhotep played by Arnold Vosloo. They tried to add a new twist with a love interest for Alex O'Connell but it felt forced and you really didn't care for the character's too much.

But Overall, if you are a fan of the previous two mummys (well same mummy TWICE), then you'll have to see this one. This film seems to herald the end of the summer block busters. It has been a fabulous year for movies!

PS- You may not know or care, but a prequel film, The Scorpion King starring The Rock was created from the first Mummy movie. Well in the theater they showed a trailer for the prequel to the prequel if you can believe that! The Scorpion King 2 goes straight to DVD 8/19!

X-Files 2

Mulder and Scully are together again in this decade-too-late second movie. And boy are they together! Were they able to recapture that fantastic chemistry they had back in the day?

Yes they did. It was just like watching an extended episode of the X-files. Loved it! Chris Carter decided to stay away from the alien-conspiracy theme from the series. Some people were disappointed by that, but not me. I could barely follow the convoluted plot line when I was watching the show, much less remember any of the details after so many years. I was worried about Billy Connolly's role as Father Joe, but he pulled it off well.

If you're a die hard X-Files fan, you've probably already grabbed your sunflower seeds and headed to the theater. If you've never seen the X-Files, you'll miss a few subtle throwbacks to the series, but the movie stands alone as a good murder-mystery thriller. So cue the eerie music and check out the latest X-Files!

Meet Dave

I thought this movie would be silly, corny, goofy, and absurd. What I discovered was that i was right! It was silly, corny, goofy, and absurd. But you know what? It was fun to watch. I had a great time! I guess since I knew it was silly and that was the their goal, it was a success. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

There were plenty of laughs, the film was the right length, and kept my interest so I never felt bored. The website is surprisingly fun as well MeetDaveMovie.

So if your looking for a way to spend a few hours on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, check out Meet Dave!

The Dark Knight

BEST BATMAN MOVIE EVER. (nuff said)

Hellboy II: Golden Army

Hmmm. Hellboy 2. What can I say? More of the same? Maybe not. I think the characters seemed more developed, the story was good with interesting characters, monsters, and villains, and it was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth).

So overall I'd have to say that this sequel bucks the trend (that most sequels suck) and was actually a decent continuation of the first film. I had fun watching it and I thought the visual effects were top shelf!

So if you are a Hellboy fan, or a "We made a movie out of this comic book" genre lover, then by all means, wake the baby and check out Hellboy II.

Hancock

Obviously this was not your typical superhero movie. It comes with a couple of nice twists. One you already know, Hancock is an uncouth, rude, and belligerent superguy with anger issues. The other twist, is you'll have to see the movie to find out.

The film was not without it's problems, in my always correct opinion. The dialogue or really the fact that everyone in the movie happens to use the same curse word when referring to Hancock (that would be A-Hole), which also happens to be the word that triggers his anger, was annoying and distracted from the story I thought.

The other problem was the villains in the film. While I think they were mainly used as background to the true story, it was still weak. There is no super villain to fight against or even a natural suspenseful disaster that Hancock has to overcome as is typical in most super movies. But again this was not the typical "Save the Earth" film anyway. So I guess we couldn't expect that. But the few bad guys in it were pretty lame.

Despite those minor issues you couldn't help but like Hancock, just like his friend played by Jason Bateman, and even his wife (Charlize Theron) ends up liking him. but with Will Smith playing Hancock how could you not like his character?

So if you are looking for something a little different and a break from the typical super-hero movies that are rolling out this summer (Ironman, Hulk, Batdood, and Hellboy Deuce), then take a wobbly flight over to the theater and check out HANCOCK!

Wanted

I did not have high expectations for this movie, even with the star power of Morgan Freeman (Sloan) and Angelina Jolie (Fox). It looked like it could really be silly and ridiculously over the top. And at times it certainly was, but it kept me along for the ride anyways. I was on board, and ready for a popcorn flick with plenty of stunts and cgi.

James McAvoy (Wesley Gibson) did a decent job and overall I enjoyed the film up until the big finish. That's where it went off the rails, literally. The end was so silly and over-the-top that I was sad for it. If they had just carried through and not gotten so crazy, it would have been a fun flick all the way, but this was a case where I hope the DVD has an alternate ending!

By the way, kudos to Trojan for their product placement, I am sure sales will sore, especially watermelon flavor. With Blockbusters still rolling out like WALL"E and THE DARK KNIGHT, I would catch Wanted on NetFlix or Cable!

Get Smart

I watched this show religiously when I was a kid. As Star Trek was the beginning of my love for all things Sci-Fi, Get Smart was the beginning of my love for all things spy. From The Saint, to James Bond, to Bourne. I love a good spy flick. Of course Get Smart is all in it for laughs and you really can't compare him to Bond. (Or can you?) He gets cool cars, cool gadgets, and Agent 99.

I was afraid they would get "Will Farrell" stupid and over the top with Get Smart, but they did an excellent job of keeping everything on an even keel and things were funny enough to have your rolling in the floor and not rolling your eyes at the ceiling! Steve Carell does a great job with his role in The Office and he is no less superb here. And Anne Hathaway makes a feisty Agent 99. They surprisingly give the characters amazing depth for a comedy.

This re-make of the series was a fun ride and I can highly recommend it! Find the nearest phone booth and check out Get Smart!

The Incredible HULK

Two Liv Tyler movies back to back. WooT! Well I am a week late with this review!! Sorry, been busy. Kid broke his arm and stuff :(

Let's just cut to the chase on this one shall we? THIS HULK was better than the last Hulk or the First hulk movie. (Even though I didn't think the first one was too bad.)

But having said that, it was still not as good as IRONMAN. So if you haven't seen Ironman, see it first! But if you are a marvel fan then you have already seen Ironman and by now Hulk. It is a must see for the superhero movie fan.

Norton did a good Bruce Banner. It was nice to see them give a nod to Bill Bixby at the start of the movie, and of course Stan Lee makes a customary appearance. (Maybe that Hulk Juice finally did him in!) And the surprise cameo at the end was cool, like the one at the end of Ironman. At least they didn't make you sit through the credits this time.

Hey go see this movie or .... HULK SMASH!!!!!

The Strangers

The trailer seemed very intriguing and I was excited to see Liv Tyler (Kristen McKay) as the leading lady. The premise of the film was very similar to the 2007 film, Vacancy, that starred Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson. In both films the couple has relationship issues and they are trapped in a secluded area, and attacked by sadistic psychopaths.

However, The Strangers is just another slasher movie and brings nothing new to the genre. I hated the way the movie ended. I thought is was uncreative, unimaginative and disgusting. The movie uses old tricks to illicit the few scares and thrills that is does have.

There are several better movies out right now and more summer blockbusters coming, so save your movie bucks for those and pass on The Strangers!

Indiana Jones: KOTCS

Spielberg and Lucas just couldn't leave those extraterrestrials out of it could they? Indy is back along with his old flame, Marrion (Karen Allen), and newcomer Henry Jones III (Shia Leboeuf).
Hey it's an Indy movie--It's got creepy tombs, crawling bugs, natives with blow darts, and long fight scenes with evil foreign powers. (And boy are the russkies pissed about it).

Cate Blanchett (Irina Spalko) plays the evil villian. She was more amusing than evil. But I loved seeing Indy in action one more time! Go check out Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!

Speed Racer

Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized-the legendary Rex Racer - whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner but uncovers a terrible secret-some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival-the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) - to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

WHEW, that was a mouthful and that's why I didn't write it! I grew up watching Speed Racer, loved it. The live action film nearly mimics that anime cartoon, maybe they should have just done an animated feature film?

I was excited to take my kids to see this, and they were excited to see it. After all McDonald's was shoving Speed Racers cars down our throats through the Happy Meals and the boys begged for cereal boxes containing them. I was very disappointed while watching the movie that there were "Simpson-Like" jokes in the dialogue, along with adult words that you would never have heard on Saturday morning cartoons.

There's no way the kids could even begin to follow the convoluted plot lines, heck I had trouble myself. But maybe they didn't have to, as with the cartoon, we just wanted to see the races and cool cars. Overall the film matches the over the top style of the cartoon, and it was fun to see them brought to life, so if you are nostalgic about having the hots for Trixie, check out Speed Racer!

Narnia: Prince Caspian

The four kings of Narnia are summoned back to the magical land after being home for a year. (Or 1000 years in Narnia) I thought this sequel was much less magical that the first. The characters, new and old were not as interesting as in the first one. Once again Narnia is threatened with a massive battle and the war drums beat, and armies are assembled and marched. Not nearly as dramatic as the first film, this second take had something missing.

The lion, Aslan (Liam Neeson) was not in the movie till the end and only played a small role which was disappointing. And Prince Caspian, the film's namesake did not do or say anything very interesting. He was just sort of there. I mean the film wasn't horrible, but definitely lacked the magic needed to bring it up to the level of the first film. It was almost like the film makers and actors made the movie as if is was a chore, something they just had to do and get it done. Rather than a labor of love, like Lord of the Rings.

I still recommend checking this out at the theater, just do a matinee. It's good to see a return to that magical place that is Narnia and I believe a third film is in the works, let's hope they do a better job next time!

Street Kings

My friend asked me if I had seen this movie. I told him I had not even heard of it. Until recently, I finally saw a "First Look" on G4TV. So having nothing better to do one afternoon, I popped into the theater for a view. It was the middle of the week, but still I was the only one in the theater. If fact, I had to tell the manager to start the film, otherwise I'd still be sitting there. That shoulda told me something.

Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.

The movie was a little flat over all, just like Reeves character. They tried to build a little depth, with a tiny back story, you get snippets of later in the film. Even Forest Whitaker (Capt. Jack Wander) couldn't lift this Training Day wannabe. There is a scene where Tom Ludlow is assigned to the complaint department. I think the movie studio needs to open one!

Wait until this film has Departed the theaters and check out Street Kings along with Point Break during a future Keanu Reeves double feature weekend on cable!

Ironman

If your reading this, you probably have already seen Ironman. It's the first summer blockbuster and I don't know anyone that is not rushing to the movies this opening weekend to see it. And if you're not then you probably don't care what I think about the film. (But I'll tell ya anyway)

I was a hugh Batman and Spiderman fan growing up. I collected everyone of those comics I could get my hands on. So I never really followed Ironman. Sure I'd see the comics on the stands. I was like, "Big Deal, a man in a robot suit! Who cares?" After seeing the movie, I wish I had at least picked up a few of the comics to see what he was all about.

I loved the movie! It's a must see at the theater! I am now an Ironman fan. At first I was a little leery of Robert Downy Jr. (Tony Stark/Ironman) playing the lead role. (Not as freaked out as I was when I learned Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice) was going to play my hero Batman) but Keaton did a great job and Robert Downy nailed the Tony Stark role. (At least in my superior opinion).

The movie follows a super rich and super smart inventor of the highest tech weapons on the planet. A bad guy even tells Tony Stark that once he has enough stark weapons, he will rule the world. Tony revels in selling his shock and awe weapons to the military and living a playboy life-style with the proceeds. Until one day his eyes are opened when his convoy is attacked and people are killed with his own weapons, plus he learns his company is selling weapons to both sides of the conflicts in the world.

So to fight this injustice, he literally has a change of heart and builds his greatest weapon ever; Ironman.

The film had a lot of humor mixed in with it, which was just the right amount, no over the top love stories aka Spiderman. (Hey I'm not knocking Mary Jane!), and plenty of robot action.

I liked that they took the time to show the testing and development process Tony went through to create Ironman in this formative first film. That's right folks, stay tuned to the end after the credits to see a peek of what's coming in Ironman 2. Plus maybe catch a cameo appearance of Tony Stark in the upcoming Incredible Hulk sequel.

Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane) plays Tony Stark's mentor, and father figure. He had a very different look! I liked it. And Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) is his assistant/love interest. So if you like the super hero movies, heck if you don't like super hero movies, go check out Ironman!