A very funny comedy, British-style. Take an assassin and a thief throw-in some crazy action, some upper-class vs. street-class and you have a fun movie. Specially enjoyd Emily Blunt's character. Easy on the brain and fun to watch. Recommended. Oh, the Blu-Ray is thin on extra features (one 3 minute short); save money and watch it on a movie channel.
A great subtle comedy movie with many name-brand people appearing in a variety of roles. Easy on the brain, odd situations, a couple of twists. A good movie to relax and enjoy.
Want a great action adventure movie for a Saturday afternoon with a big bag of popcorn? I recommend Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Richly photographed with subtle special effects the whole movie seems realistic. A story that seems a cross between Indiana Jones and Jason (of Argonauts fame). Some magic, good guys, bad guys, some monsters, and a quest; what else do you need?
4 of 5 stars for the very odd political drama satire movie Land of the Blind. Frankly, I don't know how to review this movie; it is really odd and strange. thought I was not going to like it when it started but I got drawn-in and really liked it. OK, I'll try... They have created a little country with a dictator. What is cool is that the graphical look of the movie is a strange combination of the world during the 1930's and yet also the 2000's. Imagine a color TV using a horn from a Vicktrola as a speaker. They have combined fashions of old and new. There are reference to very modern real-world people places and events yet it is a technology throw-back to the 30's and 40's. In a way, I think they were going for a Cuba-like look. If I tell you any of the primary storyline it would spoil the movie. I will say that Donald Sutherland delivers a great performance! Ralph Fiennes plays the lead role and is amazing! Those two guys stole the movie! A shout-out to Lara Flynn Boyle who plays the strange wife of the dictator. Who is really running the country her or him? How odd ball is this movie? There is a scene where him and her are having bedroom costume play while projecting an adult movie onto a screen which is really two people standing there; wow-odd.
Yes, I do recommend this movie. The DVD lacked alot of behind-the-scenes stuff. For this movie, I'd really have enjoyed hearing the thinking behind the visual design, costume design and the crazy plot.
2 of 5 stars for the psychological suspense movie The Killing Room. In an odd way, this movie reminded me of the movie The Cube; though this is not a sci-fi movie. Four people sign-up for a one day "research project". The researchers put them into an observation chamber and start the experiment. I am not going to spoil the movie by describing the experiment or the lame reason for the experiment. The bulk of the movie was watching the subjects go thru the experiment and the last few minutes explained the "government plot" behind the experiment. Not a very good suspense movie. Sorry, but, I can't recommend this movie.
3 of 5 stars for the movie thriller A Perfect Getaway. We meet three couples who are on vacations in Hawaii. We soon learn that a tourist couple was murdered elsewhere in Hawaii and the suspects are a young man and woman. Hummm .... Sounds like a good setup for a thriller. Several plot twists and tangents to keep you guessing. Of course we end up alone in the middle of nowhere on an island. Enough said. The plot is actually very simple and predictable. The value in the movie is in the acting and character development which casts doubt on each of the three couples. The scenery is amazing. Well photographed, good pace and some real surprises. Milla Jovovich (a favorite of mine) had a relatively minor role and didn't stand-out.
This movie will keep you guessing and keep you at the edge of your seat. Why only 3 stars? Well, it is a thriller, but, I have seen many movies with similar plots and this one never really got you truly scared or fully engaged. So, its good not great.
4 of 5 stars for the sci-fi movie Paycheck. Ben Affleck plays a computer engineer who is hired to perform long-term top secret projects for an employer and then to have his memory wiped-clean after the project/contract completes. Talk about an NDA! After he exits from hs current project, the world is upside down and he has a pocket full of odds and ends. With no memory of the last several years, he tries to understand the items in his pocket (who, what and why???). Uma Thurman has a secondary role as his girlfriend. You travel along with our lead in his quest to figure out the items and what they mean. I give this a 4 as the plot is not very guessable and it keeps you glued to the action. I highly recommend this movie; you'll be surprised to learn what his project was all about.
4 of 5 stars for the psycho thriller movie Awake. This movie starts by giving stats on how many patients per year enter a strange awake-state called "anesthetic awareness" during surgery. OK, we can guess that this is the subject of this movie. The lead character, played by young Darth Vader Hayden Christensen is in need of a heart transplant. He marries his sweetheart (the sexy Jessica Alba) the night before the operation. As the surgery begins, lets just say it gets twisted with loads of surprises. A well created movie with a great plot and some real surprises. You should be warned that there are some graphic scenes during the surgery not for the weak stomach; I'd argue, they weren't really needed to advance the story. I do recommend this movie, however, not after a full meal.
3 of 5 stars for the Robin Williams comedy movie: RV. Williams plays a busy executive trying to close a big deal who's family is insisting on a vacation to Hawaii. So, he decides to rent an RV and take the family on a cross-country road-trip. On their journey, they meet a kinda crazy family (country hick) who keeps following them. This is a funny movie that nicely balances Williams insane comedy with a pretty well done script/story. Williams plays it pretty rationally but retains his outstanding comedy contents and timing. There are many great lines and scenes. My favorite set of scenes was at the RV waste pump-out station; another favorite was the RV atop the mountain suspended in mid-air by the mountain point. So why only 3 of 5? I have seen many movies that are much funnier than this with more insane situations. So, 3 of 5 for this well done good comedy movie. It was well created (script, photography, sets/locations) just nothing outstanding. Yes, I do recommend this movie.
4 of 5 stars for the comedy movie Good Luck Chuck. Let me first say that Jessica Alba is about the cutest thing I know of; the whole point of the movie is our lead guy eventually falls in love with her. There is one problem. Chuck, our lead guy, was spelled as a child by a witch such that every girl he has sex with will fall in love and marry the NEXT guy after Chuck. As this little problem becomes known to people, girls line-up to have sex with Chuck (no this isn't a porno movie, but, there are alot of adult situations and lots of boobs!) so they can ensure a quick successful marriage. A cute plot, well acted and lots of funny moments. Well worth watching, very funny and then there is Jessica Alba, sigh...
4 of 5 stars for the comic turned movie Josie and the Pussycats. Yes, I admit it, I like this movie. Yes, I should seek professional help. This is a cute, dumb and funny movie. Take three girls (all pretty, 2/3s dumb) who form a rock band. Add a manager and record company out to control the minds of everyone in the world. Lots of great visuals, glitsy, flashy and just plain fun things (inside their plane is covered with sponsor ads). It is just plain fun. Shout-out to Tara Reid who takes the role of "dumb blonde" to new levels. Rosario Dawson plays the one pussycat with a brain. While Parker Posey plays Josie. I do recommend this movie; it is OK for the whole family. Its just fun and entertaining. Please pass the popcorn.
4 of 5 stars for the sci-fi movie Invasion. This movie is a variation of the "bodysnatcher's" genre. As with other movies of this type, those who have been "snatched" move slowly, calmly and peacefully. In this movie, that is how "they" tell those who are infected and those who are not yet infected. OK, a strange new infection is brought to earth from space. Once a person is infected (passes from person to person) they turn into these peaceful slow moving zombies. The key to the infection is to not sleep! The lead character is played by Nicole Kidman who does a great job. Interesting to watch how she learns to move about in the community of the zombies without being discovered. Usually zombie movies are low budget "B" movies; this one has high production values, looks great, and is well crafted. Call it an "A" class zombie movie. Minimal violence. This is a good movie and well worth watching. The Blu-Ray has a good selection of additional contents. I do recommend this movie.
4 of 5 stars for the action movie Taken and shout-out for Liam Neeson in the lead role. Neeson plays a retired spy, Maggie Grace plays Neeson's daughter. The daughter and her girlfriend leave on a trip across Europe against the better judgement of her dad (Neeson). They barely land in Paris when they are kidnapped by slave traders. With few clues, Daddy goes to Paris to recover his daughter. Simple plot idea, extremely well executed (hence my shout-out to Neeson). This is a violent and tough movie; Neeson's body count is around 50 and most with graphic and quick kills. Don't shoot at him, you'll only make him mad! Impressive how he follows from clue to clue. If you don't mind the violence and the graphic underworld plot, it is a great movie. I do recommend it and will watch it again in the future.
4 of 5 stars for the Vietnam war movie Rescue Dawn. This is the story of an American pilot shot down over Laos early in the war before it was common knowledge that the USA was bombing in Laos. This is a tough, gritty, hard movie. Not alot of fun; but, a solid story (based on the life of German-born Dieter Dengler). The story is heavy but true, the action gut-wrenching. The strength and determination of Dengler was impressive. The movie was well created with realistic settings (mostly filmed in Thailand). Yes, I do recommend this movie, but, make sure you are ready for a 2+ hour heavy war movie. BTW, shout-out to actor Christian Bale who played Dengler; no matter what, that must have been a tough movie to make and the personal stuff he went thru to make it...well, wow!
4 of 5 stars for the suspense thriller I Know Who Killed Me. Lindsay Lohan stars in this movie about a crazed guy who like to kill people. Lohan is one of his victims, but, she has a story to be told--who killed her. She returns to her life as a different person. Yeah, a bit confusing, but, interesting. A well made movie with a good plot. It keeps you guess right til the end. A big surprise twists the last 20% of the movie into something very unexpected. This movie is loaded with adult content and images, some very graphic scenes that are not for the weak of stomach. A good movie, well worth the watching. The Blu-Ray was lacking in extra contents compared to other movies.
