Love and Other Drugs Trailer 2010 HD

Easy A

Easy A is the first movie this year that I have seen that lives up to it's trailer.
The story is about clean-cut high school student, Emma Stone, who relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social standing. This is Emma's breakthrough movie and she nails the role. Emma has previously been seen in Zombieland, but it's amazing that someone who has hardly stared in any major roles succeeds in this movie. There are other actors in the movie such as Amanda Bynes (didn't she say she was going to retire?), Penn Badgley from Gossip Girls, Lisa Kudrow from Friends, & Stanley Tucci from Devil Wears Prada. Bear in mind that these stars are hardly in the movie and that Emma owns the show. This movie comes across as an updated John Hughes. In fact the director pays homage to the deceased director in the movie.

Verdict:
This will make my Top 10 of 2010. Look out Lindsey Lohan there is a new redhead in town!

For Colored Girls - Official Trailer (2010)

The Town

Ben Affleck has come a long way since Gigli (a movie I couldn't watch until the end). He does a good job as a director on The Town. The story is about a longtime thief who tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down. As you watch the movie the story has many holes in it to the point where you ask yourself how stupid can the cops and FBI be? Why didn't the police (headed up by Mad Men's Jon Hamm) do this and why did Ben's crew do that? (no spoilers in my reviews).
You are asking these questions to yourself throughout the movie to the point where you know how it's going to end and you really don't care. Jeremy Renner, from The Hurt Locker, comes off like a young James Cagney and pretty much steals the movie. Blake Lively is also stars as a down and out local girl. She is not believable and she gave a better performance as Tiger Woods wife on Saturday Night Live vs. her performance of her character in this movie.

Verdict:
This movie has been done before and with a better story (see Heat with Robert DiNiro). Affleck's Gone Baby Gone is way better. Hope to see Jon Hamm's skills as an actor in a movie with a better story.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

This is the 4th version of the movie and the best sequel of them all.
In fact I would claim this as the best action movie of the year. The story goes that in a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. It would help if you saw the original movie prior to seeing this but not necessary. The idea of walking dead people eating the living started in the 60's with Dawn of The Dead. So not alot to figure out here after many of you have seen the countless walking dead movie.
The highlight here is Jovovich who owns the role as Alice and gets better with each movie. She is by far the best action female star in movies today. Wentworth Miller, from the television show, Prison Break plays a key role in the movie.
The 3d and IMAX is a must to see this movie and it's special effects.

Verdict:
Great action movie with gore.

The American

George Clooney is the Cary Grant of our time. He is great as the charmer and in The American he tries to show that he has range. The range he is trying to show is that he can be Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, or go back 100 years to Charles Bronson. He tries to be these guys by not saying much and hoping the audience will be captivated by his actions. It does not work. Clooney's persona is already set for all Americans (no pun intended) and he is not good enough an actor to show that he can act like Clint Eastwood. At one point in the movies an old Sergio Leone western is playing in the background as if to pay homage to that style of acting and directing. Clooney even uses Clint's slow piano soundtrack (that Clint uses in the majority of his movies) to try and create suspense.
In the movie the audience spends about 20 minutes watching Clooney make a gun?!?!
The director tires to create suspense by showing alot of back of the head shots of Clooney and the audience wonders if someone is ready to shoot him from behind. I am not good at figuring out endings but I was able to figure this one out from the start of the movie.

Verdict:
SKIP IT!

Machete

For a minute I thought this movie would be similar to previous tongue in cheek Robert Rodriquez movies I have seen in the past.
It was not, it was way better. I loved this movie. The story is about an ex-Federale being betrayed by the organization that hired him and launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss. Rodriquez’s genius is taking veteran stars such as Steven Segal, Don Johnson, and Robert DiNiro and cast them in roles as the bad guys. He also takes a 66 year old veteran supporting actor, Danny Trejo, and makes him a star. In the credits Rodriquez introduces Don Johnson, who is a little heavier since his Miami Vice days, and creates a new image of him for this generation. Don Johnson nails the role by making you forget he was Sonny Crockett. Cheech Marin, Don Johnson’s TV sidekick from Nash Bridges, also stars in the movie as a gun slinging priest. Jeff Fahey plays a character he used to play in numerous 80’s movies rather than the Wus pilot he played in the television show Lost. There is plenty of blood and gore from start to finish. One great scene involves an intestine?! Jessica Alba is in the movie and stars as, believe it or not, a Mexican!?! I guess Perez Hilton finally got to her. Finally Steven Seagal makes a funny comeback (with a jet black rug on his head) as the main villain.

Verdict:
Must see. Rodriquez’s best effort to date.

Takers

This movie was supposed to be the black Oceans 11, or 12, or 13.
It does not come close to any of them. The movie steals from various other heist movies you have already seen. The story is about a group of bank robbers who find their $20 million planned heist interrupted by a hard-boiled detective (Matt Damon).
“A List” actress Zoe Salandana is also cast in the movie but is totally wasted. She is barely in the movie. Matt Damon looks as if he recently had cheek implants and for the first half of the movie I was trying to figure out if he did or he didn’t? His performance however was the best in the movie.
Some of the scenes were totally unrealistic such as the hotel shootout and blowing up a street to rob an armored truck?? Strong acting could have made some of these absurd scenes somewhat believable but most of this cast couldn’t open a movie much less be in a strong supporting role. Chris Brown (the rapper who had the altercation with Rhianna) cannot act and is annoying as youngest Taker. There is a chase scene that works but is predictable.

Verdict:
Not as bad as Zoe's movie The Losers but you can still wait for this flick to air on cable.

Piranha 3D

This is the type of movie that Roger Corman made back in the day.
Have gratuitous T & A; include lots of blood, and don’t spend a lot of money. In addition have stars that have already seen their best days (Richard Dreyfuss from Jaws, Elizabeth Shue from Adventures In Babysitting, & Christopher Lloyd who starred in from Back to the Future). The movie begins with underwater tremors that set free prehistoric man-eating fish. Then the "B" cast bands together to try and stop the attack.
Ving Rhames utilizes a boat motor, (while he standing in the water??) to try and stop the Piranhas. Ving looked as if he was drunk throughout the entire movie yet his character is supposed to be sober. Offset he probably drank so that he can get thru the flick and collect a check.
All males will love the slow motion underwater boob ballet set to classical music.

Verdict:
I paid extra for 3D and I wish I didn’t.