I knew little about this movie going into it so I didn't expect much, but when I finished it, I really felt happy, like I really liked this movie! With a "I know people like that" feel and something funny pretty often, it pokes enough fun at tourists and relationships to make it an enjoyable rom com. I definitely want to watch it again! 7/10
This movie boldly breaks the 4th wall in a way I have never seen before, or could even imagine. It's been a week since I saw it and I still am freaking out about how it was done. It's twists are deeper than a Sixth Sense movie but it's story is more engaging. Adaptation, a filet minion, makes movies like Sixth Sense or Fight Club feel like a hamburger. It is just a smart, deep, BOLD movie that still has me rambling on. I don't think there will ever be another movie like this. 9/10
Everytime I heard about this movie, all I heard was "it's not a funny movie". And it isn't. It's got serious themes like divorce, depression, loneliness, and death throughout but the part that I didn't get is it TRIES to be a funny movie. Amid all of these serious themes there is a sad attempt at humor that revolves around jokes about male genitalia. I wouldn't expect much more from Judd Apatow, but this dirty humor engulfs the movie and becomes the only thing you remember afterward. I was amused by 40-year-old virgin, I liked Knocked Up, but Funny People is Apatow's worst movie to date. Failing to be funny, romantic, dramatic, or bromantic, Funny People ends up just being confused. We get no where. 4/10
First off, I love Hot Rod so the voice of Bill Hader as Flint Lockwood was awesome to me. Second of all, this is a freaking fun and funny movie (FFFM). Watch it once and you probably won't catch everything the first time. Watch it again with subtitles and you should catch a lot more. It's funny from beginning to end and even captures a special moment for a son on his birthday. A perfect family movie, this one caught me by surprise just like Horton Hears a Who or Happy Feet. I want to watch it again! 8/10
I noticed this movie on a lot of "best movie of 2009" lists so I thought I would give it a try. I reminded me a lot of "Black Hawk Down" where it is constantly intense, but where Black Hawk Down is about one particular incident, The Hurt Locker successfully shows it during the whole course of the last two months of a OED's rotation. This is where the movie really touched me was where day in and day out, these men had do deal with a fear of dying that I personally could not deal with. It is touching, it is interesting, and it is real. It is done in the same shaky camera way as Fame, but where Fame (which I saw the night before) is Friday Night Lights, The Hurt Locker is more like United 93 (which I liked). There is a reason for it so be so real, because you are the fourth person on the team. The Best of 2009 lists were right to have these on their list. This was a powerful film. 7/10
I have never seen the original Fame and I only watched this movie because some friends brought it over. I always like a good dance movie but this movie was about one thing. DRAMA. Young, growing, DRAMA. It actually reminded me a lot of "Friday Night Lights" where the whole point is to make a documnetary-like movie about growing up that just misses with its characters and interestingness. In Fame, the camera is shaky the whole time (for no reason), kids sing like a musical but it's still shaky camera style, and halfway through the movie I only knew one character's name. Very unengageing story about a few kids growing up at performing arts high school and defying their parents wishes for them to be a classical _______ (insert artistic career here). Waste of 2 hours. 4/10
In the same "open your eyes" type documentary style as "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices", "The Corporation", and "An Inconvenient Truth", Food, Inc hits a little closer to home. It seems as revealing as if you were adopted because food is such a personal part of everyday life. This movie scared me, but I still ate during it. The only problem I had with the movie is it paints a dark picture of the food industry but does not really offer ways to avoid it, other than read labels and buy organic. Other than that, Food, Inc works on many levels. Better treatment for the animals. Better treatment for the farmers. Less subsidies to build big business, and the one that was biggest to me, healthier food for our kids. Food, Inc is a movie everyone should see although it doesn't "entertain" in the traditional sense. 7/10
Ever since I saw this trailer, I have wanted to watch this film. Done by first time director Neill Blomkamp, it is an alien movie set in South Africa and unlike anything I have ever seen. After Avatar, movies have tasted a little bland, but District 9 revived my belief in movies, and it was only made with $30 million! Now compare this movie with $27 million to make Twilight and you'll realize that Twilight was just wasting its money.
Beautiful. Absolutely stunning. There are so many things I could say about Avatar that I want to keep it short and hopefully by the end of this review, if you haven't seen the movie, you will run out and see it in 3D.
It is a 5 hour documentary about Monty Python. I repeat, it's a 5 hour documentary about Monty Python! It's a long special feature about Flying Circus, Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and Meaning of Life. I am a HUGE Monty Python fan (even though Tiffany hates me for it) and this was right up my alley. It's fun to hear the stories of the members of how they made it. It's fun to relive the movies and shows again (even though they make it a point to show all of the offensive stuff). Monty Python are the Beatles of comedy and this is the equivalent of Beatles Rock Band. Okay, Spamalot would be like Beatles Rock Band, this would be more like the special features to Beatles cds. Holy cow, I HAVE GOT TO SEE SPAMALOT! 7/10
Going into this movie, I loved the book but had been told this movie is slow. I had a lower expectation for this Harry Potter so I didn't see it in theaters but decided to buy it the first day it came out on blu ray. This was my second blind buy, and my first blind mistake.
To get the Christmas mood, Jamie brought over this blu ray and I was pleasantly surprised. It makes itself out to be Meet the Parents times 4 but with funny and quotable lines, it surprised me how much I enjoyed it...even though it is not a very good movie. First of all, the families aren't even that weird (okay, well, I guess maybe it's because I'm a Newton). Second of all, the arc of the characters is predictable from the beginning. Third of all, even though family is the main point of the movie, marriage isn't and that erked me. Even though it is a very shallow film, it still had things to think about afterward (how scared people don't want to have kids. How love is know vulnerabilities, etc). Like I said, not the best movie of the year but served as an enjoyable night. Thanks Jamie! 6/10
I took Tiego to see this movie with DJ Grubb, Alex, and Colvin. I didn't think much about it other than it is a kids movie, but it turned out NOT surprising me, because that's what it was...a kids movie. Astroboy has a lot going for it, but the story is cliche and the action is mediocre. Tiego loved it though and asked me many times after if he could be Astroboy. Worth a rent for the kids but not if you are watching it alone. 5/10
Lens flares and camera shakes. Is that all we needed to reboot this franchise? Shaking the camera is a good trick with reboots (see Batman Begins and Casino Royale) but this movie has a few other tricks under its sleeve. Those tricks are FUN and STORY. I am not a Star Trek fan but I LOVE sci-fi adventure films and although this movie wasn't as good as 2005's Serenity, it brought me to the same place. The journey of space, unknown territories, and friendships made along the way make this movie fun for everyone, not just Trekkies. And although it is a prequel, it has a certain twist that gives the franchise and I hope that there will be more movies like this. I would love to see a sequel, if done right again. Love it. Bought it first day out on blu ray and the special features are a lot of fun, too! Lots of movie tricks put into this movie to make budget. 9/10
I LOVE old man humor. There's something about The Bucket List and Grumpy Old Men that is just different than other movies I usually see. It's a grandpa's humor. It's an innocent humor. It brings back memories of my Dad laughing at movies. Waking Ned Devine is an old man comedy, set in a small village in Ireland (I think). The premise carries the movie forward from the beginning and it is a fun movie that gets you out of America for a bit. I raise my glass and toast Ned Devine! 7/10 
Here are a few old reviews that I wanted to share:
Simply brilliant and brilliantly simple. This is a documentary style musical that speaks to the music in all of us. On the surface it seems like the creation of a friendship between a guy and a girl while creating a Coldplay album, but it really evolves to be more than that. This is a modern-day musical that touched me...and that is what the movie is all about. It's about how you can affect and touch unlikely people. It hits home with spousal relationships, friendships, service relationships all to a wonderful soundtrack that will make you wanting to go back for more. I have yet to see a movie like this one and it really got me excited. All I have to say is SEE IT and let it touch you. You'll be out buying the soundtrack soon after. 9/10
Can you get a funnier, more spiritual, more family oriented film than this? The great part is it's not for kids at all, but it's clever and interesting and funny and clean. I compared this movie to Groundhog Day in that it has a great plot and story that it capitalizes on in a lot of ways. Everyone should see this movie, and I doubt that anyone would regret it. I loved it, loved it, loved it. I just bought it, too. 9/10
Up is a very special movie. Along with Finding Nemo and Incredibles, Up is one of my favorite Pixar movies yet. It is a movie that has everything. It is a movie about love, friendship, loneliness, life, death, compassion, closure, marriage, comedy, memories, and above all, ADVENTURE. Like the balloons that hold up the house that Carl cherishes so much, our emotions become attached to Carl, Ellie, Russel, Dug, and Kevin from the beginning. And as it progresses, the real magic of the movie comes when those strings of emotion are cut. I watched this movie with Bryan and Brennen in 3D and had to try and hide my tears many times (which isn't easy with the glasses on). I haven't cried this much during a movie since...The Land Before Time, I think. And it wasn't a mood thing, it was just INEVITABLE. I am passionate about love and marriage. I am passionate about friendship and loneliness. I am extremely passionate about adventure and Up was just a perfect storm for me.
I first heard about this documentary on a movie news site and thought I would give it a try. I LOVE documentaries and this one falls under the discovery of a world that I didn't know kind of documentary. King of Kong is sort of like this, in that it captures the world when something interesting actually happens and not just explains the world within. The difference though is the connection to the characters (Where King of Kong's characters are very loveable and hateable) and I actually GET the Donkey Kong world. I had a hard time really relating to the Air Guitar world because of the lack of official rules/judging and the way it seems you have to be drunk to do it. On the other aspect, there seemed to be an art to it. Whether it is an art of comedy or an art of "feeling the music", I thought the artistic side of air guitar was well represented (if there is such a thing). All in all, I still love documentaries and Air Guitar Nation seemed very info-tainment-ful. As a documentary that is funny because a very silly thing is important to people, it works well but before this movie, go see "Confessions of a Superhero" on hulu.com. 7/10.
