Red tails

This film tells the story of the Tuskegee airmen – the all-black air Corps, that served and fought during World War II. Definitely a story worth telling! I was looking forward to seeing how George Lucas would handle this part of history. Unfortunately, the writers and director failed miserably. Halfway through the movie I was happy that the disc was damaged and I didn't have to watch until the end... From the outset, the action scenes had poor quality CGI and the dialogue was extremely corny and ridiculous – the poor actors were given lines that made them sound like schoolboys on a basketball court. The story was shallow, and the pace of the movie jumped along like a teenager's pulp fiction novel. I really felt sorry for the actors in this movie, some of them are great actors and I have made good movies in the past: Terrence Williams, Cuba Gooding Junior, and others. I felt more sad for the families of the courageous airmen – they deserved a much better telling of the story. Don't bother with this movie. If you want to watch a film about the Tuskegee airmen, check out one of the documentaries made by HBO or the history Channel.

Prometheus

I had to look this up, Prometheus was a Titan from Greek mythology who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to the humans. Not not sure how that fits in with this prequel to the Alien movies. The trailer for "Prometheus" says that questions will be answered, but after watching it. I believe there are more questions then answers – perhaps they planned it that way. Now I'll have to watch the next movie when it comes out. First, let me confess that I always enjoy science fiction movies. This one did not disappoint me. It was suspenseful and exciting, plenty of cool space travel and futuristic stuff – though I still can't understand how 100 years into the future, the high-tech weapons are still hand guns and flamethrowers. Can't they borrow a "Star Trek" phaser from someone? The aliens are gruesome and nasty as ever. I don't want to spoil the movie but, but I guarantee there is one scene where you will totally cringe. Maybe two... The script and acting is pretty good, the guy who plays the robot does an excellent job. A little creepy though. If you like science fiction, and if you enjoyed the original Alien movies, I definitely recommend that you don't miss this one. Worth a rental.

The Core

This movie came out several years ago, 2003. It's basically a knockoff of the Bruce Willis movie "Armageddon", but instead of an asteroid coming to destroy the earth, we are faced with a problem with the inner core of the earth – it stops rotating which causes all kinds of magnetic field and other major problems. It's good fun! Hilary Swank plays a astronaut, and does a good job. I've always liked her. The other actors are all familiar faces, but not famous enough for me to know their names. They all do a decent job. The disaster scenes are silly and disastrous – especially the destruction of Rome Colosseum was absolutely unnecessary and compared to today's special effects, looked rather ridiculous. Other than that, the movie moves along quite nicely, and is enjoyable. If you're looking for something unique or spectacular, this is not it. But if you're looking just for some mindless entertainment, this movie foots the bill. If you haven't seen "Armageddon" that might be a better choice.

Snow White and the Huntsman

This is not your mother's Snow White! If you are too young to have not seen the original "Snow White And the Seven Dwarves" – I recommend you watch that Disney movie first. It's really a much better movie and story... I worry about the generation of young people who will grow up thinking that Kristen Stewart is Snow White, and that the story portrayed in this movie, somehow reflects the wonderful fairytale that Disney created long ago. I'm not a big fan of remakes – producers, writers, directors and actors rarely rise to the level needed to remake a already good movie/story. Now, having said that, it was actually a fairly entertaining movie. Charlize Theron was beautiful as usual, even as the evil Queen. Though I did feel sorry for her at times reciting dialogue that was made for a 1960s animated movie character. The twilight girl, Kristen Stewart, was flat and one-dimensional. Sorry, "Twilight" fans, I've never liked her very much. There were some scenes inspired by AVATAR and "The Lord of the Rings" – but instead of enjoying those parts, I just kept thinking that I was wasting my time and perhaps should watch those other movies. Another thing that bothered me is that there were eight dwarves, not seven. And even though the writers tried to make us care about the dwarves, we never got to see any of the wonderful humor and chaos the dwarves created in the original movie – I so wanted to see Sleepy, Grumpy and the gang marching off to work singing "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go!" Let me see, how can I end this review – just let me say that "mirror, mirror on the wall, this is NOT the fairest movie of them all."

Skyfall

This is the first review that I've done on this blog where I've actually been able to go to the movie theater! It's been over five years – we went to the IMAX at Dole Cannery. It was an amazing outing for me – and a pretty good movie too!                       

The formula for 007 has been the same since the movies first came out 50 years ago! It's a good formula! Start off with action, get right into the James Bond secret agent mood – then, start the opening credits with beautifully silhouetted women and dazzling special effects, add a superstar theme song, and you've got first 20 min.. After that the real movie starts... With M and Q, Money-Penny, the PM and the rest of the gang! The bad guy is always super bad, but super dumb-genius-lunatic. Why does he always have to explain everything to Bond before it kills him – hasn't he seen these movies before! Give 007 a chance and he'll always get away, and lived to die another day. This newest addition lived up to the hype – I especially like the idea that the creators of these movies always tried to keep up with modern times. Instead of the Soviet menace or drug dealers, now you've got a cyberspace terrorist! And Q is now a youthful super genius, but the gadgets are old-school. Great twist and plot. Of course, James wears a tuxedo and goes to a swanky casino to find the bad guys. We even learned a little bit about James' childhood. These movies are predictable – but fun! If you haven't seen it yet, and you like James Bond, don't miss it.

Moonrise Kingdom

Charming and quirky, unique and entertaining. This was a delightful film about young love. When you watch this movie, I'm sure it will bring back memories of your first love – how strong and innocent first love can be. Well, at least mine was. The actors, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, and Edward Norton were superb. The young girl and young boy were just excellent as misfits and troubled adolescents who find each other and fall deeply and joyously in love. The setting, a 1960s New England coastal community is just something out of a dream. The cinematography is very detailed and the story unfolds as if you're reading a fairytale. Wonderfully done. Slightly awkward for a couple of moments, once or twice during the movie – but I believe the writer, producer, director wanted it to be so... The feelings were real and the emotions were felt with conviction. I really enjoyed the Boy Scout sequences, brought back memories, when I was a member of the scouts in the 1960s. Campouts, merit badges and of course the annual regional jamboree. A movie that I would probably watch twice – which is really unusual for me to say. If you like the out of the ordinary film, then definitely take time to rent this one.

Extremely loud And Incredibly Close

Extremely well acted, and incredibly poignant. I was at first reluctant to watch this movie, because I didn't want to relive the events of 9/11 or didn't feel that any writers, producers, actors could actually do this tragic event justice. But this film turned out to be pleasantly entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. The story of 9/11 is told through the eyes and experiences of a young boy with Asperger's syndrome – similar to autism. He is bright, precocious, but has difficulty with social interaction, loud noises, crowded places, and other such situations. The young boy who plays this part does an excellent job! Tom Hanks, the father, of course, is always fantastic. Sandra Bullock plays the mother – also an excellent performance. The premise of the story is that the young boy has to find out the purpose of a "key" that his father left for him – exploring was always a favorite pastime for the two of them together. But, then the film is much more than just trying to solve a riddle left by the boy's father. It's a story of a family, a horrific tragedy, the importance of people in our lives. I highly recommend this film. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a rental.

Contraband

Typical Mark Wahlberg Philadelphia gangster movie. Nothing special, nothing new. We've seen all of this before – I think even some of the dialogue was repeated from previous Wahlberg, movies. The expert smuggler/gangster gives up the bad life and tries to go straight, but the younger brother of his wife gets involved with the mob, so he has to get back in to the game to save his family. Boring. Even the action scenes seem to be repeats. Lucky for me my blue Ray player was acting glitchy, so I didn't even bother to watch the end. Not worth renting. Unless you're a really big Mark Wahlberg fan.

Dragon

A traditional style Chinese kung fu movie with subtitles. I watched this movie using iTunes with my 22-year-old son – he loves kung fu movies. The movie is not currently in theaters or available on DVD, just on iTunes at the moment. It was well worth it! One of the better Chinese kung fu movies that I've seen in a while. What made this movie interesting for me was that it had a very well written and developed story and characters. The main character is a former notorious gang leader – the leader of the "72 Demons" – I love the names they give their gangs in these movies. After a particularly brutal murder that he committed, ordered by his father, the ex-gang leader has a major change in heart. He moves far away and starts a new life with a wife and family. One day some gangsters come to his town, and everything changes – he has to defend himself and kills them. A Chinese detective comes to town to investigate the crime. The story revolves around their relationship – this is what makes the story unique and interesting. The action sequences are excellent. But they are particularly enhanced when we see the replay of the action/fight scenes from the perspective of the detective – in slow motion with narrative. It's really cool to see the action first in real-time, and then later on in slow motion from the detective's point of view. A movie well worth seeing, especially if you are a kung fu fan!

The Adventures of Tintin

Animated movie written, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. I like watching animated movies, even though the target audience is usually much younger than I am now... This film totally engaged me for the first 45 min. – the animation and special effects were just amazing. The detail was fantastic, within just a few minutes, I totally forgot that this was actually a cartoon. The development of the character Tintin and his sidekick – dog Snowy, was thoughtful and well rounded. I understood, and empathized with the character almost immediately. Snowy was adorable and clever. It was a nice to see an animated movie with a male hero, lots of animated movies these days have female heroines. Unfortunately, the second half of the movie is when all of the action – nonstop action began. It was all very much like Indiana Jones! Very Spielberg-like. I think for a teenager or youngster, the nonstop action would be enjoyable and fun. However, for me it was just overkill. I prefer a little bit more story development and slower pace. It was a decent ride however, and I do recommend it for families, fans of Steven Spielberg and animated films.

The Hunger Games

I was a little bit apprehensive about watching this movie because I don't have anywhere near the mentality or tastes of a teenage girl – but a friend of mine said he read the books and watched the movie, and thought it was pretty decent. I have to agree with him. The movie was interesting and well made. I like the fact that the movie was based on a book and therefore, I believe the development of the characters was very well done. By the time we actually got to the action-packed "hunger games" part of the movie, I believed in the characters and was rooting for the young girl to survive. Some parts were a bit hokey and sophomorish, but all-in-all a good story, decent acting, and some exciting action. I also found it interesting that the story revolved around a futuristic reality show – nice touch! Especially since these days we are inundated with reality shows of all types and flavors. Worth the effort to rent.

Shaolin

Some decent kung fu action, but the story is totally depressing! This 2011, Chinese kung fu film has English subtitles and all the usual exceptional Chinese martial arts action. It is available on Netflix. Unfortunately, the story is so full of evil, greed, blind ambition, betrayal, revenge, and sadness that it is hard to watch. "Spoiler alert" – everyone dies at the end! Jackie Chan has a small part in the movie as the Shaolin monastery's cook. He has one good fight scene where he tells the bad guys, "I don't know kung fu" but then proceeds to whip some ass with his cooking skills and strength. If you are a Jackie fan, then it's probably worth it just to fast forward to this fight scene and watch it a couple of times – skip the rest of the movie. I like a good kung fu movie made in China, but I prefer the more mystical or romantic storyline. Only recommended for hard-core kung fu fans.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Delightful! I usually don't watch romantic movies, unless I'm forced to by my lovely wife. But, this movie intrigued me because of its unique story. A billionaire Sheik from Yemen enlists the help of an ambitious young British woman financial consultant and an introverted British bureaucrat-scientist working for the fisheries department, to make his dream of being able to fish for salmon in the mountains of Yemen a reality. The writing is superb. The dialogue is engaging. The character development is what makes this movie worth watching – of course we know that the two very different British characters will eventually fall in love. But, that doesn't matter. There is some silliness with British politics and terrorism, but that can be overlooked and easily dismissed as I was drawn into the lives of the three main characters and their earnest attempt to make the project a reality. I recommend this movie for a quiet night alone with your "special someone." It's nice to have a light and uncomplicated movie to watch for a change.

Big Miracle

A decent family movie with a strong environmental theme – save the whales! However, due to the poor production quality, acting, and writing, this is probably only enjoyable for children under the age of 14 years. As an adult, I found it quite corny – the bad guys are overly bad, the environmentalists played by Drew Barrymore is poorly characterized, the Native Americans are stereotypical, and the silly/comedy relief is sophomoric. This movie tried to be Disney-like, but failed. This is quite unfortunate, because it is based on a true story. A family of grey whales get stuck in the Arctic ice, and a whole town rallies to save them. It's really a inspirational story, but unfortunately the writing was just too shallow to make it interesting for an adult viewer. I would watch this with my under 14-year-old children though, – by myself, I found it tiresome.

J Edgar

Boring, but well made and interesting from a historical and biographical perspective. Kudos to Clint Eastwood for taking on such a tough project. Good job by Leonardo DiCaprio, though he was not particularly convincing as an aging J Edgar Hoover. I didn't really know that much about Mister Hoover, so watching the movie gave me some historical perspective about his life and the early years of the FBI. I assume a lot of it was based on fact. I wonder if Clint Eastwood deliberately played down the homosexuality and cross-dressing part of Hoover's life. I guess I'd have to read the book, which I don't think I will. All in all Hoover didn't seem like that interesting of a person – hen pecked and overwhelmed by his mother, a perfectionist, analytical to a fault, power-hungry, ambitious, and paranoid. Well, maybe he was interesting? If he was, it didn't come across that much in the movie. I was disappointed.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Good entertainment! I didn't like the first Sherlock Holmes movie very much, it was too dark and didn't make the connection to the real Sherlock Holmes novels very effectively. This sequel, however, was much more believable and more attentive to detail and the character of Sherlock Holmes. The acting was good and the storyline enjoyable. What really impressed me was the action scenes were the director used extensive slow-motion and stop action photography – these scenes were spectacular! Visually they really capture the action and feel of the situation, but also they were used to show the intellectual and deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes. Very effective! Some scenes were a little bit over the top and "Indiana Jones" like, but mostly I felt the action and story was well done. I never liked Robert Downey Junior, he just seems like a smart ass to me. Always plays the same type of character. But, as Sherlock Holmes his acting actually matches what I will imagined Sherlock to be. The musical score was also used effectively and quite enjoyable in the film. If you haven't seen this movie, it's worth the rental.

Underworld: Awakening

Don't bother with this movie unless you have seen the other two or three previous movies in this series and enjoyed them. The story continues with vampires and werewolves... I wouldn't have watched it, except it was at the bottom of my queue and somehow blockbuster decided none of the other movies were available. I did see the first couple of movies in this series – they all seem the same! At least Kate B., forget her last name, is the best looking vampire ever. I wonder how they ever got her into that latex bodysuit. Some of the action is pretty good.

We Bought A Zoo

A good family feel to this film. I especially liked that it was based on a true story. Matt Damon did a decent job, and I always like Scarlett Johansson. The characters are well developed and the story is plausible and fun. Although the relationship between the teenage boy and the teenage girl was a little bit weird – perhaps teenagers are weird though – I don't remember. There were a few funny scenes and several tearjerking scenes as well. The writers and director milked the tearjerking parts is much as possible, and yes I cried a couple of times. I hate to admit that. Basically, a nice entertaining harmless film, a good one to watch with your family.

The Grey

I was hopeful that this movie might have some resemblance to the wonderful Jack London novel "White Fang" which I read several times during my youth and again just recently. Unfortunately, there was no resemblance at all – except perhaps a few scenes where the pack of wolves were tracking or attacking the hapless humans. The story is basically an airplane crash somewhere in the northern Alaska regions and a handful of oil pipeline workers survived the crash. They have to try and the hike out of the frozen tundra while a pack of wolves hunt them down one by one. Sounds like an exciting story if we cared at all about the survivors – which I didn't. Only the leader, Liam Nielsen, had any real substance. The rest were just stereotypical jerks or nerds. I think the producers couldn't figure out if they wanted to make a horror movie or a decent survival story. Anyway, they miss the sled on this one. Don't waste your time unless you're a big Nielsen fan.

The Artist

Black and white, no widescreen view, no sound effects, no talking – and yet this movie won the Academy award for best picture last year. At first I was very skeptical, I thought that probably the movie one the Academy award because of its novelty factor. However, the movie immediately drew me in and within a few minutes I found myself not even noticing the lack of conversation and sound effects. The music in the background was not overpowering, just pleasant and flowed well with the story. I did find myself trying to guess what the actors were saying to each other for a few minutes – reading lips – but that grew tiresome so I just relaxed and enjoyed the ride. The actors dramatic expressions and the natural action of the story allowed the movie to move at an acceptable pace. Some parts were a bit corny and overacted, but overall a well-made and enjoyable film. I'm not sure it deserve the Academy award for best picture, but it was a good tribute to Hollywood Land and had some historical value – showing the transition from silent films to Talkies. A thumbs up from me!

The Secret Life of Plants

Now that the Olympics are over, I'm watching movies again. This movie "The Secret Life of Plants" was done in 1979 and is available on Netflix. Once you get past the poor quality of audio and visual – this was long before high-definition! – It is really a quite intriguing and fascinating movie/documentary. The premise is that plants can receive and preceive energy, emotions, thoughts and feelings. Plants are actually conscious and perhaps intelligent. Does this sound a little bit like the movie AVATAR? It's actually quite interesting and some of the scientific experiments that were performed back in the 70s were pretty cool, groovy, far out, and awesome. I promise you if you watch this movie you will never think of plants in the same way again. Added bonus the soundtrack is done by a young Stevie Wonder – and he appears at the end of the movie singing the title song.

A Man on a Ledge

This was literally a halfway decent movie – the first 40 min. were engaging, well-written, and actually produced quite nicely. The plot unfolded at a good pace and there was real potential for a top notch movie. But then something happened? The director, the writers, and actors must've had a breakdown of some sort. Suddenly the once cool thieves became "campy" and almost silly with their off-the-cuff remarks and jokes, the villains became obvious and cartoonish, the main actor who was supposed to have a Brooklyn New York background suddenly could not get rid of his Australian accent. The whole film just fell apart in clichés and been there done that screenwriting. What a disappointment! If you got nothing else to watch, going ahead and watch the first 45 min. Then turn it off and let your imagination finish the film.

Eat Drink Man Woman

I was looking for a lighthearted but interesting film to watch when I found this in my Netflix queue. This is an old Taiwanese movie made back in the late 80s I believe. It is subtitled. It's a story of an aging father who is widowed and has three grown-up daughters that have yet to be married. The father is a master chef – the cooking scenes are spectacular, if you like Chinese food. Who doesn't? The daughters are intriguing and interesting characters. The plot and situations are stereotypical Chinese – the emphasis on marriage, the patriarch father figure, the gossiping neighbors. The story runs along quite slowly, but it is interesting and engaging. It wasn't until the end that I was surprised and delighted. I believe that if you have some affinity for Chinese culture you will probably enjoy this movie.

Safe House

This is a super action film, CIA thriller. The plot is rather common – rogue agent out for revenge. But the cinematography, directing and acting are excellent. The action scenes are superb, very similar to "Bourne Identity" style, raw and compelling – no special effects needed. Just good fighting. It is somewhat more violent, thus the R rating. Denzil Washington plays a great role as the tough rogue agent that is out for revenge. A role he has played many times perfectly, and does so once again. This time he does have a heart, but you wouldn't know it from the body count. Some of the CIA stuff is still cliché and we have seen or heard it before. But basically this is a great action movie! Enjoy it.

Rum Diary

Johnny Depp once again reprises his role as the friendly and intelligent drunkard. He really does this role very well... This movie is the story of early 1960s Puerto Rico and the writer Jack Kemp. I was mostly interested in learning more about this writer. The movie showed his adventures in Puerto Rico before he became a well-known journalist. The movie is fun and has an interesting storyline in most places – in others it's over the top and a little bit unbelievable. There are some really interesting characters in the movie. All in all a fair and enjoyable attempt to tell a different kind of story. I'm not sure I would recommend this to everyone, it certainly is not a family movie or an action flick. It's a drama, documentary, a lighthearted look at Puerto Rico in the 1960s.

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.