new reviews coming in 2011

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With the fall television season over and football season coming to an end soon I will have more time to watch movies!  Also I've decided to give up Blockbuster and go with Netflix.  My good friend Michael is giving me Apple TV for Christmas so I will be able to stream movies directly to my television at my computer from Netflix.  I'm pretty excited about it and will let you all know how it works out.

So, see you here in cyberspace in 2011.  Happy holidays to all.

Karate Kid

* I wish Hollywood would stop making remakes and come up with an original idea.  This movie was so disappointing and just plain stupid. The Original story and movie may have been relevant and enjoyable 20 years ago, but in the 21st century this was just ridiculous.  The only reason I would recommend to watch this movie is if you like Jackie Chan; he does a respectable job with the script and part he was given. Will Smith's little boy was cute, but the only reason he got the role in this movie was because he is Will Smith's little boy.  Not recommended unless you're under the age of 12, and then you probably should NOT watch it because of the violence and "bully" aspects of the movie.

Facing Ali

****  If You are interested in boxing or Mohammed Ali then you'll enjoy this movie.  It is a unique documentary from the perspective of the opponents of Mohammed Ali during his boxing career.  It well made with excellent footage and interviews.  Recommended.

Even Money

***  An all-star cast in this movie about the addiction of gambling.  I don't even remember this movie showing in theaters, if it did at sure didn't last long or do that well.  It's well worth a DVD rental though.  Danny DeVito, Kim Basinger, Forest Whitaker are just a few of the great actors in this movie.  There are three or four different storylines through the movie which are expertly merged in the end around a basketball game. recommended

Letters to Juliet

***  I normally don't make it a point to watch romantic movies, it has to be a movie that we've selected together (Mineko and me).  This one however looked very intriguing when I saw the trailers and advertisements.  It turned out to be a pretty good movie and I enjoyed it very much.  The story about the Italian town of Verona and how the town women answered letters written to Juliet is very interesting, unfortunately I feel as if the movie could have developed that part of the story more deeply. The acting was fair, the photography and scenery of Italy was just lovely. (spoiler alert!) The ending would've been fine, a happy happy ending is always nice but to have the young boy to fall off the balcony was just too stupid.  "Come on man!" Recommended to watch with your partner.

Robin Hood

****  I really enjoyed this movie a lot.  Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott put together another entertaining adventure.  Similar to "Gladiator" but of course following the Robin Hood legend.  I liked how the movie flowed introducing the Robin Hood character and also the royalty and political conflict at the time.  Kate Blanchet is wonderful as usual, and the development of Robin Hood's band of merry men is well done. The Action Scenes are fun to watch and believable.  Unfortunately, they try to wrap up the story too neatly in the end so that it would fit historically with the Robin Hood legend, that made it corny and too much like a fairytale.  Still a good movie and worth a rental.  Recommend

Cop out

**  I was disappointed in this movie.  Unfortunately Bruce Willis can only act as Bruce Willis and is always typecast in the same roll and plot.  Tracy Morgan is the real reason I wanted to watch this movie, he had a few good moments, but is much funnier in "30 Rock"...  The movie should have gone completely comedy rather than a mixture of "buddy cop"/serious with some stupidity included. A Waste of Time unless you really are a Tracy Morgan fan.  Not recommend.

No Man's Land

***  A Very Good Movie if you're at all interested in a different perspective of the Bosnian-Serbian war.  Two soldiers get caught in the middle trenches of a war zone, one Bosnian and one Serbian.  Of Course they at first want to kill each other, but then they begin to realize they have to work together in order to survive.  I believe at one point they actually think that day have a lot in common and if the war was not going on they could possibly be friends. The incompetence of the UN peacekeeping force is shown as well as the hawkish attitude of the press.  Unfortunately the movie ends with the truthful statement that war is a very nasty thing and totally without merit.  The Film left me feeling sad that these types of things occur in our world, but I guess if it had a Disney like ending I would not have liked it as much. Recommended.

Untraceable

*** Another serial killer movie where the FBI agent is in mortal danger and of course saves the day at the end.  Diane Lane is a wonderful actress and does a good job in this movie.  The twist to this movie is that the serial killer carries out his murders on a website, where are the more people that logon the faster it is victims are killed. Definitely an attempt at a moral message for our generation that is so voyeuristic and given so much opportunity via the Internet.  Very gruesome scenes at times, but suspenseful and well-made.  Recommended for those that like crime dramas.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

**  A wild and confusing fantasy tale of good vs. evil.  It had some interesting scenes and a decent storyline, but it was just too bizarre for me.  And bizarre stuff usually entertains me at least for a while.  Part of the story outside of Dr. Parnassus' mind was intriguing, unfortunately that was not the main focus of the movie.  Instead we were transported through a mirror into the very chaotic and confused mind of Dr. Parnassus.  I don't really recommend this movie unless you like extreme fantasy.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?

***  An interesting documentary-type film in the same type of genre as Michael Moore, but less sarcastic.  The movie is a little bit old, made in 2006 so some of the impressions and comments made by people in the Middle East have probably changed by now.  The basic premise that "we are all people seeking peace" and that a few extremists are causing all the problems is a positive message. Of Course the policy of the American government is made out to be the cause of most of the problems.  The movie doesn't offer any solutions, but does give some perspective to the issue.  Recommended if you're interested in a semi-documentary point of view.

Kick Ass

***  OMG!  While watching the 12-year-old girl slice and dice bad guys, below heads off, slit throats, break arms and legs, and all the while cursing like a drunken sailor...  I kept thinking this is wrong, wrong, wrong.  But, I could not take my eyes off the screen.  The action was riveting, extremely well choreographed similar to "Kill Bill" style, the music was great and the characters were deep and engaging.  This was a comic book action thriller made for adults with an adult sensibility but about teenagers wanting to be superheroes.  I especially liked where the filmmakers used actual comic book frames, graphics or subtitles to make the point that this was a comic book film.  Much better than the usual comic both movie that tries to make itself seem realistic.  This film "is what it is" extremely violent but fun to watch.  Recommended for hard-core action viewers.

The Losers

* This was a loser of a movie.  If I was 12 I might have enjoyed it.  The cheesy comic book dialogue was enough to make a 54-year-old man puke.  The story was lame.  The acting was worse.  The action sequences were not that bad, but not realistic enough to keep me interested.  The only reason I gave this one star was because the actress "Zoe" from Avatar was in it and she had one good action scene where she survived a gunfight in her underwear.  Thus, the star.  Not recommended unless you're 12 years old.

Valentine's Day

** Another disappointing movie.  Even Mineko thought this movie was shallow and not worth the time spent watching it.  The only reason I gave it two stars was because of all the high-powered stars in this movie.  If you like seeing movies stars and you want to see a bunch of them in one movie, each with shallow and short parts, but they're there on the big screen... then this is the movie for you.  The whole premise somehow connecting all of these shallow love stories at the end of the movie just did not work.  A pure waste of talent and money.  Not recommended unless you're a real "entertainment tonight" type of fan.

Repo Men

***  A science fiction future action movie that doesn't quite pull itself together.  It couldn't possibly deserve three stars, but it was so bizarre and gory that there were a few moments I even turned my head or closed my eyes. The actors were actually good, Jude Law and Forest Whitaker played good roles and did their best with the story. The action scenes were quite engaging and the end of the story had a good twist to it.  Recommended only if you're interested in futuristic action films and enjoy blood and guts action.

The Bounty Hunter

* This movie was a total disappointment.  I didn't expect a lot, but I did expect to be entertained for a couple of hours.  And as many of you know, I'm easily entertained.  However, this movie completely missed the mark.  I even shut the DVD off halfway through the movie it was totally stupid and not funny at all.  Poor Jennifer Aniston, a lovely actress who is always typecast in the same kind of movies.  Not recommended at all.

Date Night

****  It is rare for me to give a comedy four stars, but this movie earned each one. Steve Carrell and Tina Fey make the perfect comedic married couple.  Mineko and I watched this movie together, laughing at many of the same jokes and comic situations.  That's a rare for a movie to make us laugh out loud.  LOL.  Funny, action-packed, heartwarming and just plain enjoyable to watch.  Recommended.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

**** This is a very well made suspenseful and unique murder mystery drama made in Sweden. The books are very popular at the moment and when I saw that a movie based on the first book had been released in Sweden now on DVD I thought I'd give it a try.  I really enjoyed this movie immensely.  The main characters are superb, well acted and extremely interesting.  The story is intricate and well written, it pulls you in immediately and keeps you engaged throughout.  The only reason I did not give this movie five stars was because of some of the graphic and disturbing scenes and also because it was subtitled. The Movie shattered my unfounded peaceful and idyllic image of the Swedish people, according to this movie many Swedes are quite twisted and disturbed.  Recommended.

AVATAR

***** This is the first movie that I have given five stars.  I'm sure some of you will agree and some will disagree.  I've seen this movie several times now on DVD.  I hope that when it comes back to the theater someday, I will be able to see it on the big screen in 3-D.  Of course the visual effects are wonderful.  The computer generated world of Pandora was a perfect blend of fantasy and realism.  The combination of real actors and computer-generated images/actors made the story, dialogue and action totally engaging.  At times the story was a little bit cliché and corny, especially the references to good and evil, greed vs. green, native Americans,war and peace.  I cringed each time the NaVi girl whooped and hollered, bared her teeth and growled.  But all in all, it was a beautifully made feel-good good message good story fantasy science fiction film.  If you haven't seen it, it's worth a rental.  Recommended.

Ghost Writer

*** This Film would have gotten four stars from me if it had been by any other director.  The photography, suspenseful story, acting and set location combined to make an excellent political thriller.  I especially like the aspect of a ghost writer, which is probably more commonly used than we realize.  Unfortunately, halfway through the movie it was pretty clear "who done it"...  But that did not spoil the end or in the engaging pace of the movie.  I recommend this one.

Clash of the Titans

** This Movie should have been watched at the theater or on a very large HDTV.  On my small 22 inch TV it looked pretty ridiculous.  The story was kind of silly, unless you're into Greek mythology.  The only redeeming factor for the two hours I wasted on this movie is that now I can say "release the Kraken!"

Brooklyn's Finest

**** This was a powerful hard-hitting good-cop bad-cop, mostly troubled disturbed cop, action drama.  A well-written story that follows the lives of three Brooklyn cops and one gangster. I kept expecting the three cops to somehow interconnect during the movie, but they did not until the very end and that was just because the location in Brooklyn brought them to the same building, but for different reasons.  All four actors in this movie did a great job.  I'm not sure how accurate and realistic the movie portrayed life and crime in Brooklyn, but I clearly sympathize with the characters and remain fully engaged throughout the movie.  The action and violence was sometimes almost too realistic for me.  If you enjoy cop movies and you're interested in the more disturbing and difficult aspects of their work or lives, this movie is for you.  It probably only deserves three stars, but I gave it four as it was one of the better cop movies I've seen in a long time.  Recommended.

The Runaways

*** This movie brought back some memories from my own teenage years in the 1970s. I don't remember the band "The Runaways" but I do remember "Joan Jett and the Black Hearts"...  As a young teenage boy, I wanted all my girlfriends to be hard-core rockers.  The acting was good, the music good if you like rock 'n roll.  Sex, drugs and rock 'n roll.  If that's for you, then you'll probably enjoy this movie. Recommended.

Boondocks Saints

**** This is one of the best action movies I've seen in a while.  I would've given it five stars if the Movie had not gotten a little bizarre towards the end.  This is the original Boondocks Saints, I haven't seen the more recent sequel.  William Defoe as the lead detective does a great job.  The action is detailed, choreographed and well filmed.  I was engaged from beginning to end and a few times I thought "that was cool."  If you like action, guns, and bloody vengeance, this movie is for you.  Recommended.

Alice in Wonderland

*** This Was an entertaining movie!  I love the Alice in Wonderland story, so see the remake and Tim Burton adaptation was enjoyable.  However, I can only give this movie three stars for the same reason that I really wanted to give it four stars.  The combination of Tim Burton's beautiful but sometimes disturbing imagery, with the insanity and beauty of the Alice in Wonderland story, made for a roller coaster of a ride movie experience.  Kind of like this review: chaotic and nonsensical, but also entertaining and fun at the same time.  Johnny Depp was able to fit into this dichotomy with relative ease, the other characters; Alice and the red Queen were also well cast.  I recommend it, especially if you enjoy the Alice in Wonderland story.

Greenberg

* This movie really missed the mark with me.  It was so boring.  It seemed self-indulgent and stupid.  I think we were supposed to somehow understand and sympathize with the main character being confused, mentally screwed up in his mid-40s.  It just never happened.  I just thought he was basically a good for nothing jerk and I felt no connection to him whatsoever.  Perhaps I'm a little more critical than most.  I wouldn't watch this movie unless you're a Ben Stiller fan.  Not recommended.

Shutter Island

**** Martin Scorsese creates a wonderful intertwining of reality and fantasy with this movie.  The story was very interesting and had a wonderful twist of plot at the end.  The blurry line between reality and insanity was palatable throughout the movie.  The characters, the sets and the photography moved the plot along wonderfully.  Leonardo DiCaprio did a great job, and he is not my favorite actor by far.  Some parts the movie were a little bit disturbing, but violent insanity is not supposed to be necessarily enjoyable to watch.  The connection to the Nazi concentration camps and the second world war seemed a little bit stretched, but still an integral part of the story.  I recommend this movie, for adults only.

Nine

**- I fell asleep in the middle of this movie and didn't even attempt to start it over.  Mineko fell asleep within the first five minutes.  The only thing that kept me watching until the middle were the beautiful women and the great production values.  That is also the only reason I gave it two stars. If you like musicals this might be your cup of tea.  I don't think it is the same caliber as the original "All That Jazz", an Italian version of self-indulgence.  Guido is the director and main character, it's all about Guido.  Guido, Guido, Guido and more Guido.  Not recommend.

August Rush

**** I'll start off my new attempt at blogging my DVD reviews with this great movie that everyone will enjoy.  If you'd like music, romance and a good family story, this is the movie for you.  The music was wonderful.  The acting and photography were splendid.  Mineko thinks I should give this movie five stars!  I give it four just because it is a little bit predictable and I think the scenes with Robin Williams could have been developed more. I did buy this movie (something I rarely do) for Mineko and we will probably watch it several times.  An excellent choice!  I recommend this one.