INCEPTION

Summertime is a great time to dust off those old DVDs that you bought years ago because they were great movies. A lot of times you watch the movie again and think why did I bother spending 20 bucks to buy a copy of this movie – it wasn't that great in the first place! However, some movies on your shelf are truly GREAT! Inception is one of them. I recommend that you watch this one again! I was thoroughly pleased with the plot, story, acting, and action. This is really an exceptional movie. Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job, and the other actors are all credible and believable characters. The movie had me engaged from the very beginning and held my attention until the very last scene. Highly recommended!

The Set-up

This movie was absolutely terrible! It seems to me that some friends of the hip-hop artist "50 cent" got together to make a movie for him. Unfortunately, he cannot act and they apparently cannot direct, produce, or write a decent movie. Bruce Willis was even very disappointing in this film – I can't imagine that they paid him enough money to do this. DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!

In Time

A decent futuristic sci-fi thriller if you can get past all of the "time" clichés: "time is money", "just in time", "running out of time", "time well spent", "it's about time"... The writers use them all in this film. Justin Timberlake does a decent job acting. His female counterpart however is rather cartoonish, but pretty. The action is decent. Some parts of the story are a little bit lame however, for example, the so-called "timekeeper" dies in the movie because he runs out of time – sorry, spoiler alert. Anyway this movie is NOT a complete "waste of time." Keep your expectations low and you will probably enjoy it like I did.

Running the Sahara

A documentary about three men who participate in extreme sports, extreme cross-country running. A man from Canada, a man from North Carolina, and a man from Taiwan. They make great team and had participated in many races together. They got the idea to run across the Sahara. After two years of preparation and sponsorship seeking, they began their journey on the West Coast of Africa. They ran every day for 110 days, over 4500 miles until they reached the Red Sea. An amazing documentary and an even more amazing feat of endurance, courage and spirit. Very well filmed to show the actual logistics and difficulty of their journey. No political agenda. No product endorsements. Just three men challenging themselves to do something amazing. I enjoyed this movie even though I've never been a runner.

Puss-n-boots: a waste of time

I often watch animated movies, and I'm usually amazed at the quality of the films from DreamWorks and Pixar. There have been some really great ones in the past. Unfortunately, this one was a total disappointment. The animation itself was pretty good, but the pace of the story and the action sequences were just too fast for anyone to appreciate the artwork. Everything flew by in nanoseconds – making the animators work a total blur. Perhaps a six-year-old's eyes work faster than mine, and they could appreciate the visual aspects of the film. I doubt it. The story was totally unoriginal, when from the trailer last year in looked like it would be a humorous and original film. It was basically a ripoff from "Zorro" "Mother Goose" "Jack and the Beanstalk" "Humpty Dumpty" – you get the picture. In some previous movies like "Shrek" this tactic worked for gags and jokes – but they did not get in the way of the story line. In Puss-N-boots the writers got lazy and the ripped off children's tales became the basis for the entire movie. When I watch an animated movie I don't want to see the retelling and destruction of old children stories that I grew up with – I want to see originality! There was little to be found in this film. Don't bother, watch another movie instead.

Immortals

If you're looking for a Greek mythology action flick and you're not concerned about a credible story or superb acting – then this might be the movie for you. The action is pretty good and the special effects and visual complexity of the film is quite nice. If you saw "300" and you liked it, you will probably enjoy this one too. It's not as good as "300" but it attempts to rise to the occasion at some point. I enjoyed it with my son (age 22) – he thought it was okay. A mindless romp for couple of hours – no redeeming value other than good old-fashioned Greek mythology action!

Iron Lady

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie – the acting was superb, Meryl Streep is amazing. The cinematography and writing were also excellent. However, if you're looking for a documentary about Margaret Thatcher this is not the movie for you. And, if you have no idea who Margaret Thatcher is you will probably find the movie quite boring. The movie basically is about Prime Minister Thatcher in the last years of her life struggling with dementia – the memories of her life and career come back to her in bits and pieces – flashbacks and reminiscing. I do believe the movie could have focused a little bit more on her career and events during her reign as Prime Minister, but then again it would not have been the same emotional and heart tugging movie that it is. I definitely recommend it if you know who Margaret Thatcher is.. Or you are a Meryl Streep fan.

Turtle: The Incredible Journey

If you love the ocean and its creatures as much as I do, you'll really enjoy this movie. It tells the story of loggerhead turtles living in the Atlantic ocean. Incredibly they are born on the beaches of Florida and travel 10,000s of miles to their lifetime across the Atlantic ocean and back again. The story follows one turtle in particular and shows the beauty and danger she faces to complete her purpose in life – return to the beach where she was born and lay her own batch of eggs. The photography is amazing! The narration is excellent. The film only becomes a little bit "preachy" towards the end – but I applaud the producers for their efforts to educate us. It is a 2011 film and available now on DVD, Blu-ray and even Netflix. I highly recommend it! Well worth 80 min. of your time.

War Horse

Once again Steven Spielberg has disappointed me. I keep hoping he'll make another great movie like "Saving Private Ryan" "ET" "Indiana Jones" or "Schindler's list"... But so far the last several movies he's made have been flops in my opinion. Maybe I expect too much. I don't really see how this movie "War Horse" was ever nominated as one of the best pictures in 2011 – it seems like Spielberg was confused. On the one hand he tried to make a "storybook" movie about a horse and the people that come in contact with the horse and eventually are drawn to love him. Very stylized and Disney like. Then, in the middle of the movie we are suddenly thrust into a realistic and gritty World War I movie – something that Spielberg is very good at filming. Then, at the end we are back in storybook land. I think he would've done better staying in one genre or the other. Flopping back and forth was just irritating. Not to mention that the acting was stilted and the accents ridiculous. I don't recommend this movie. Adults will find it below their expectations and children should probably not be exposed to the drama and horror of trench warfare. Don't waste your time.

The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo

For mature audiences only – not a movie to watch with family and friends. I had read the book and also had seen the trilogy of movies made in Sweden, so I knew what do expect and understood the story quite well. I was afraid this American version would be watered down and less engaging – fortunately my fears were far from the truth. This version of the movie was excellent. The acting and characters were great! I did feel the American version spent more time on the "girl" character – developing her a little bit further and giving her more on-screen time. This was good though. She is a fascinating part of the story. But what's really great is that the entire story itself is worthwhile. Makes a very full and enjoyable movie. It has everything, suspense, mystery, political intrigue, sex, violence and action. I do recommend this!

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

I'm still confused... A complex 1960s timeframe spy yarn about the British intelligence during the height of the Cold War. This was originally a quiet famous book, and I think this movie from last year was a remake. It's a great movie for spy buffs – but if you're looking for action and special effects this is not your cup of tea. The acting, cinematography and plot are all old school – unfolding with the slow pace and wonderful attention to detail. The problem is a lot of the characters looked and sounded very similar – "British white men" – so sometimes it was hard to remember who was who. Also, the movie flashed back and forward seamlessly – leaving me lost and confused at times. If you like spy movies you probably want to watch this more than once. If you prefer not to be challenged by a movie, in other words you like simple entertainment with a simple plot, this one is definitely not for you.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

If you enjoyed the first two Mission impossible movies, you will definitely like this one. It is nonstop action from the beginning to the very end – over two hours of fantastic special effects, stunts and intrigue. The same basic story is all the Mission impossible movies – the MIF led by Ethan Hunt are once again disavowed by the secretary, but still have it in their hearts to try and save the world from total destruction. Spoiler alert! They do save the world once again! Action movies are fun for me, mindless and entertaining – this one fit the bill perfectly. There were a few light moments as well that came off pretty well, the last couple of minutes were pretty corny though...

Ides of March

If you like political thrillers, you should really enjoy this movie. I thought it was excellent. The cast was great – George Clooney, Ryan Goslin, Paul Giamatti and others – all played perfect roles. The movie shows the very competitive and complicated world of political campaigns. Most interesting was the idea that even the smallest mistake could grow and morph into a huge problem, but driven politicians will do almost anything to cover up the issues and to succeed. Unfortunately, the movie seems almost too realistic – it leaves you with the feeling that our political system is really broken and corrupt.  Most of us probably agree that it is! So, if you don't mind being reminded about the corrupt political process in our country – and you enjoy a good thriller. This movie is for you!

Arthur

If you're old enough to remember the original "Arthur" like I am, then you will probably be disappointed with this movie. The English actor Russell Brand gives it a good try, but he does not come off as the lovable alcoholic billionaire that Dudley Moore captured in the original movies. Instead he comes across as a spoiled, obnoxious, millionaire drunk. I think this is one movie they definitely should not have tried to remake. Helen Mirren however, is the one saving grace in this movie and has some clever lines and good scenes.. If you like her it might be worth watching – but I doubt it! Don't bother unless you're really bored and you got nothing else to do.

Win-win

This was an excellent movie taken directly from current events and sensibilities. The main character, Paul Giamatti, is a wonderful actor. He's the main reason I decided to watch this DVD – and I wasn't disappointed. Once again he gives a superb performance. Giamatti is a struggling lawyer in small-town America, his business hit by the recession is on the verge of bankruptcy. To pay the bills he perjured himself and takes on the guardianship of an old man who is his client. At the same time a teenage boy shows up at his home – son of his drug addicted sister. Giamatti is a wrestling coach – the team hasn't won a match in years. Just so happens the teenage boy is a fabulous wrestler. The story goes from here to extreme highs and abysmal lows. A dramatic and entertaining ride. Not for children. Recommended if you like serious drama with the a good story.

Super 8

Remember the movies "The Goonies", "Alien" and "ET" – take these three movies and put them in a dryer on delicate cycle for an hour and you will end up with the wrinkle free movie "Super 8"... Now with that said, if you liked the three aforementioned movies you may like this one. It had some really good science fiction thrill-like moments, but I also had several "duh!" Scenes as well. Part of the movie was self-indulgent Steven Spielberg autobiography – the young boy who wants to make movies – which I found a little annoying, but I guess if you're Steven Spielberg you can do whatever you want. Other than that I enjoyed it, it was good old-fashioned family science fiction. Worth the rental if you like these type of movies.

The Help

This is an excellent movie, I highly recommend it. It shows a side of black and white race relations in southern United States that is rarely discussed and easily misunderstood. The characters, both good and bad, bring to life the complex emotions and stories of the time. It is extremely well acted and thoroughly entertaining. It made me laugh, and it made me think. It brought back memories of my eight years in South Carolina where I came face-to-face with prejudice and discrimination. Clearly, my situation was nothing like the one in this story, but the corollaries are there. I think we've come a long way as a nation, people and the culture – but intolerance still survives to this day. This movie will make you think about this issue and give you a view into the lives of these southern women that you will not soon forget. Rent it!

Money Ball

I enjoyed this DVD. I'm not an avid baseball fan, but I still enjoy the game and usually just watch in October. It is interesting to note that this movie was based on an actual story and gave some insight into the workings of modern baseball. Brad Pitt gives a decent performance – but certainly not worthy of the best actor nomination. Jonah Hill on the other hand was pretty good! If you are a baseball fan you definitely want to watch this movie. If not, it's probably worth skipping.

Hugo

Hugo was nominated as one of the best pictures of the year – the director Martin Scorsese was also nominated as best director. Didn't win – too bad because it really is an excellent movie. I think perhaps it didn't have broad appeal for the "Academy" members because it was made in the French style. Subtle but deep characters, an excellent well-written and thought out story, beautiful photography and a slow but thoughtful pace. Not your usual "in-your-face, action-packed" American-style movie. But then again "the Artist" the movie that did with all of the awards was completely French. I will review "The Artist" is out on DVD next month. Anyway, if you haven't seen "Hugo" rent it now!  It's a great movie that the entire family can enjoy together.

Back by popular demand!!!

Several of my friends – well, two or three anyway –have asked that I start my DVD reviews once again! I thought that was a good idea, fun for me as I still watch at least one DVD per week. I promise to make my reviews short, honest and opinionated. Let me know what you think, and please share with others if you think they might be interested.


The Hangover #2 – a total waste of two hours of my life, but there was nothing else on television to watch at 10:30 PM and I didn't have any other DVDs around. If you saw "Hangover" that takes place in Las Vegas, you will be disappointed in this one. If you haven't seen the first movie, I recommend it over this one. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas "doesn't translate very well to Bangkok, Thailand. I found the movie predictable and stupid – a lazy rewrite. The monkey was cute and the one car chase was pretty well done. Other than that, don't bother. Rent something else.