Transporter 2

This movie IS better than Transporter 1 but suffers from the Keanu Reeves effect (especially in the Matrix) where even though the lead character kicks a lot of bum, you just don't care about his character at all. If he died, would I have cared? I really don't think so. The action is decent (what else am I watching this for?) and the story is acceptable. Most of it felt like i had seen before (think James Bond) but it does it's job decently. I want to see Transporter 3 now. 6/10
PS>Do you know what would make this movie interesting? If they had Frank (Jason Statham) smile, or show any emotion at all.

Land of the Lost

This is a confused movie. At a glance, it looks like it wants to be a family movie (which it should have been) but it was not. Many jokes were sexual including an ongoing joke where a monkey boy touches the humans private parts. So it wasn't a family movie. It also wants to be a college guy movie (i.e. Will Ferrel movie, Danny McBride movie) but the story is about childish stuff and is not rated R, so it doesn't quite fall under that category. Maybe it was just for the fans of the TV show or old Saturday morning family show fans. Nope. I believe they needed to make the movie for someone because it's not good for anyone. It's Journey to the Center of the Earth meets Step Brothers. I would have liked it as a family movie because there are a lot of funny parts in it, but the sexual comedy just was not funny and gave me a bad taste in my mouth. Thinking that Will Ferrel and Danny McBride being in it made it a bad movie isn't necessarily true. This was a dirty movie before they were even there. In addition, if you want to watch the special features, they have worse language than the movie. All in all, if you are a Will Ferrel fan and HAVE to see it, do it without your kids. If you aren't, avoid it. 4/10.
PS>Couple quotes:
Kid asking question, "If you shot a ton of pot at the sun, would it burn up and get everybody high?"
"If you don't make it, it's your own (dang) vault" (with a picture of a pole vaulter)
Rick says, "I love show tunes. They really tell the story of the human condition." she says, "It's a bit gay." He says, "It IS great."
PSS>Kids In Mind Meter:
Sex/Nudity: 6/10
Violence: 5/10
Profanity: 5/10

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Wes Anderson is fun to me because he is unique and unique and sometimes a little bit unique. Not in an everyday way (if all movies were like this it would get old) but he captures movies in a way that have to be understood to be good. But I get them. Bill Murray is a funny jerk, Owen Wilson is funny without trying (it's nice to have him NOT try), and the story is right up my alley. It's about a sailing film crew that makes documentaries about their adventures in the sea. After years of doing this, Steve Zissou is getting old and his movies have not been very good in the last year. While shooting a documentary, his partner is eaten by a "jaguar shark". Steve vows to seek revenge on this endangered shark but doesn't have the funding to continue the movie. Like I said, right up my alley as weird as it may seem. All in all, I liked this movie a lot (although I don't know if everyone will). There was no reason for it to be rated R, so negative points for that, but I definitely want to watch it again. My favorite Wes Anderson so far. 7/10.
PS>My favorite quote:
Steve Zissou: "We were both bad husbands."
Alistair Hennessey: "I have an excuse, I'm part gay."
Steve Zissou: "Supposedly we all are."
PSS>Kids in Mind Meter:
Sex/Profanity: 6/10
Violence: 5/10
Profanity: 7/10

Pineapple Express

I don't know how it happened. It doesn't add up in all accounts, but Pineapple Express, a weed smoking buddy action/comedy from the raunchy comedy producers was one of the funniest movies I have seen all year!!! Yes, it fetishises pot smoking but the movie isn't about pot. It carries on as a process server witnesses a murder and has to run with his friend. The pot just makes them make bad decisions which, in turn, makes the story pretty funny. The best part of the humor in the movie is it is SO natural and everything seems to fit into place with the story. Nothing is forced as a "gag". James Franco isn't James Franco, he's Saul the drug dealer. It really says something about a movie when I finish it and I want to watch it again right there. I really wish I watched it with someone though. Thinking about it, this is the funniest movie I have seen since Semi-Pro (I found it a bit funnier than The Hangover). 8/10.
PS>Couple quotes from the movie.
"How do you think he could track us?" "Heat seeking missiles. Bloodhounds. Foxes. Barracudas."
Running from the house, "We need to grab supplies. Snacks. Fruit Roll-Ups."
PSS>Kids in Mind Meter:
Sex/Nudity: 5/10
Violence: 7/10
Profanity: 10/10
Be warned.

The Proposal

There isn't much to say about The Proposal that you won't already know. It's cute, fun, predictable, and the best parts are completely ruined by the trailer. So, it's a normal chick flick. In the department of "getting together for the wrong reasons but have experiences that lead to more" movies, I prefer How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days but this is pretty fun also. As for Ryan Reynolds, I also prefer Definitely, Maybe but still, The Proposal was cute. It was pretty comparable to Two Weeks Notice now that I think about it. But, yeah, I liked it. 6/10.
PS> would have been 7/10 if I hadn't seen the trailer
PSS>Honestly I expected more because it made so much in the box office and got good reviews. But that's stupid because Mamma Mia did good in the box office, too...

Hoop Reality

Playing at a Redbox near you is the sequel to Hoop Dreams, Hoop Reality. Yes, Hoop Dreams, my favorite documentary ever and #5 on my list of favorite movies. I had to watch this.
The good:
It's a documentary and I love documentaries. It's a low budget documentary. Even better. It's only an hour and a half. It makes me want to play basketball.
The bad:
Simply put, this is a documentary I could have made. Even the DVD seemed like one I could make. At times the story feels forced and the drama/suspense is very absent in the basketball games. They are highlight videos. I didn't FEEL for any of these characters (even Arthur, which was WAY different in Hoop Dreams). I watched the whole movie and I don't feel like I knew Patrick Beverly at all. Also, the coach seemed UN-inspirational with the way he talks to his players, and the whole movie seems like a ploy for Arthur to get his clothing line seen. Where Hoop Dreams is so good because of the time and effort they put in to capture and tell the story, Hoop Reality fails to capture, but tries to create. With Hoop Dreams, The Heart of the Game, and even Through the Fire (on ESPN), Hoop Reality falls way short. 4/10.

Drillbit Taylor

I saw this movie for the third time today and realized I didn't write a review about it. Anyway, in a world that doesn't have many good comedies lately (except Hot Rod, Semi-Pro, and Anchorman), I rented this movie because it wasn't about Owen Wilson, it was about 3 kids who get bullied. I know Owen is a main character, but the kids make the film. The story is actually pretty fun and there are a lot of laughs in this movie. There really isn't much that would make it an Apatow movie other than the language, but I liked this movie so much that I had to rent it again. 8/10.

PS>I miss comedies
PSS>Couple quotes to remember:
"This fight is over. Abierto. Done."
"So why are these bullies beating you up?" "Well, because he's fat, he's a dork, and I'm awesome."

Imagine That

Imagine That is exactly what you think it is...cute, family-oriented, and sweet. Some fun things about it is it's set in Denver so it hits a little closer to home, it has a nice rendition of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun", and it's predictable so if you have to go to the bathroom, you don't have to pause it because you already knew what was going to happen. It could have been a lot funnier, but it seems like Eddie Murphy is growing up and becoming a better father as a character is important to him. I like Daddy Day Care more, but this movie is worth a rental with the family. In fact, it actually made me feel bad I was sitting down watching a movie instead of playing with my kids. And now I feel bad that I am writing this review instead of playing with them. 6/10.
PS>Couple good quotes:
"If I have 8 hours to chop down a tree, I spend the first 6 hours sharpening my axe."
"You have two jobs and one of those is being a father."

Year One

Sodom and Gomorrah. This is really what this movie is about. With as much story as a SNL skit, it depends itself on Jack Black and Michael Cera being funny. Really, it felt like a parody movie about the Bible. A few funny moments (including Cain calling Abel a "suck") but most of the movie tries to make fun of the Bible as much as possible (for example: Abraham's ongoing joke is how he is excited to circumcise everyone). THIS IS BY THE SAME DIRECTOR AS GROUNDHOG DAY?!?! I do not know how these movies get made but I think this movie would only be good if you were 1. drunk 2. high 3. in it 4. Watching it in a small picture in picture window while playing Rockband: Beatles on the big screen. Avoid this movie otherwise. 4/10
PS>A couple quotes from the movie:
"I'm peeing on my face right now, you know, inside."
"You know what you are? A suck!"

Dhoom 2

Bollywood movies have it all. Exotic places, action, romance, great music, dancing, partial English phrases, and pretty people. Dhoom 2 is no exception. I have never seen Dhoom 1 (I probably should) but it didn't matter. Sure, it is cheesy. Sure it is long. But I love these films. I don't think I could watch one every week but once in a while is great. Hrithik Roshan is by far my favorite Indian actor and I first saw him in my favorite Bollywood flick "Krrish" (highly recommend it). Dhoom 2 is the Indian equivalent of Mission Impossible 2 where the two main characters fight on motorcycles and everything seems to be slow motion, but it just works better in this movie. Plus, the absence of CGI as such a refreshing thing now-a-days. When he is being pulled by a train and snwoboarding/wakeboarding on the sand behind, I have to give them credit for doing it for real (even though it still looks kind of goofy). Check this one out if you want to laugh, and laugh, and laugh and watch some snowboarding on sand! 7/10

PS>Indian hunks should not play basketball on film.

I Heart Huckabees

Wow! What? This movie was everything and nothing. Meaning and nonmeaning. Interconnections and randomness. Going into this movie, I had no idea what it was about (I am generally thinking it is about philosophy, but it's more than that) so that helped when it impressed me that it was funny, deep, thought provoking, funny, spiritual, philosophical, and funny. This movie used so many big words that I shouldn't have been able to understand it, but I DID! Movies like this don't come around very often. Even the theories in the storytelling made sense and was told in a way that it was entertaining. For a unique, quirky movie about existentialism, I highly recommend it. It's as much fun as a ball to the face! 8/10

PS>This is easily my favorite performance of Mark Wahlberg