Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

This is a summer action movie that is a Christmas gift to everyone that is looking to escape the shopping crowds and packed parking lots.
M.I. 4 is the first movie being released to IMAX theaters on it's debut date and the skyscraper scene in IMAX is worth the price of admission. The story goes that the IMF is shut down when it's implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Tom Cruise and his rogue new team must go undercover to clear their organization's name.
Most of the movie is ridiculous but it's a joyride and at 133 minutes you will not be bored. I found myself at times rocking in my seat.
Director Brad Bird knows how to film an action movie.
Palua Patton is the new Hallie Barry and Léa Seydoux as an assasian is a great addition. Fans of the Television show Lost will be happy to see Josh Holloway in a role as an agent.

Verdict:
Tom Cruise's best movie in years. It does not look like he is turning over the franchise to Jeremy Renner just yet. Just as good as M.I. 3 maybe even better. I will decide when I go to see this again on the big screen.

The Dark Knight Returns

Top Ten Movies of 2011

This was a tough year for great movies but I was able to say I enjoyed the following:

1) The Descendants
What can I say other than this is Clooney's time capsule performance. An Instant Classic. My vote for Best Movie of 2011. Clooney should win Best Actor.

2) Midnight In Paris
Close runner up to Best Movie of the year and Owen Wilson's Best Performance to date.

3) Drive
The return of film noir. An art house classic.

4) Bridesmaids
Some people hated this movie but the majority of us were laughing out loud in the theater. I can't wait for the sequel.

5) The Help
Viola Davis! What more can you say. Oh, Octavia Spencer,& Bryce Dallas Howard the girls nailed it.

6) Moneyball
This is Brad Pitt's Oscar winning role. He was that good but he's going up against his friend Clooney.

7) Crazy, Stupid Love
Excellent movie about relationships. There is no other movie to compare in recent memory. Throwback to the 80's when films like these were commonplace.

8) Lincoln Lawyer
Predictable but after watching it 3 times I realized how good this movie is. Hopefully you will realize after one viewing.

9) Warrior
Not many people saw this movie but Tom Hardy, from The Dark Knight, and Nick Nolte from everything else. They both let you know that it's not just about the fight scenes. Nolte will win Best Supporting Actor.

10) Jumping the Broom
Best Rom-Com of the year. The Soundtrack of old school deep tracks from Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, & Aretha Franklin fit the movie like a glove.

PS: I left out 2011 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo because the 2009 version was brilliant. So it had sub titles, deal with it.
The Artist didn’t make my list because it felt contrived. Bérénice Bejo stole the film from the main character and should win Best Actress.

The 10 Worst movies of 2011

1) The Dilemma
How could a movie with Vince Vaughn and Kevin Smith fail. Well throw in Queen Latifah, who has not been funny since 2003s Bringing Down the House, and a poor script and you have a clunker.

2) Priest
Star Paul Bettany was looking for a franchise and got a Direct to $1.99 DVD bin movie.

3) The Conspirator
How could you screw up a movie about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln? Have excellent actors in supporting roles and then have Sean Penn's ex overrated actress wife, Robin Wright, star.

4) Abduction
Taylor Lautner can not act nor could his love interest. But guess what? Everyone else in the movie were veterans?!?

5) In Time
Timberlake is not an action star. He and Taylor Lautner need to learn how to cry on cue. Similar to when Auston Kutsner "Punk'd" Timberlake a few years back on the MTV series. Timberlake was crying and ready to call his momma. Maybe he can reflect back on that when he needs to cry in movies.

6) Limitless
Remember Bradley Cooper in Wedding Crashers? Yeah he was in that movie and similar to that you won't remember much about his performance in this flick.

7) Battle LA
How could a movie about Aliens taking over LA be boring? You also have Michele Rodriquez? She was good but she couldn't save this dud.

8) Friends with Benefits
Here is Timberlake again and the movie starts out great but you will not make it to the end.

9) Conan
This new Conan has the muscle but zero charisma. Similar to the last actor they casted in the Superman role.

10) J Edgar
A HOT MESS! Clint what happened? This is the worst editing job I have seen in years. I didn't learn a damn thing about what drove the man and why he hated certain iconic figures.

The Descendants

This movie is an Instant Classic.
It’s my pick for Best Movie of the year and the year is not even over yet. I can’t imagine any movie coming out in the next 2 weeks that is more entertaining then The Descendants. The movie is about a land baron trying to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident. The land Baron is played flawlessly by George Clooney and Shailene Woodley plays one of his daughters. Woodley is excellent and should be nominated for an Oscar as well as Clooney.
Think of this movie as this generations “Terms of Endearment” and if you have traveled to Hawaii or not you will want to go after viewing this film.
If you have never “Talked to the Screen” while watching a movie you will find yourself trying not to. You will also laugh because Director Alexander Payne ensures that the audience is satisfied with their trip to Hawaii to meet this family. Bring Kleenex because at my screening many tears were shed by various viewers other than myself.

Verdict:
Clooney’s career performance. You will want to see it again.

The Artist

Let me give you the straight scoop about this movie. It's a black and white silent movie, and it is not as good as the critics say it is. Don't believe the hype. 2011 was a very disappointing year for films in general. Can you name 10 movies that deserve best picture? I know I can't but I can give 50 movies that were bad.
I desperately wanted this movie to be good. I am a fan of black and white movies and I have enjoyed watching many stars of the silent era. For those of you who think this is about The Artist, played by Jean Dujardin, will find it's all about the girl. Bérénice Bejo has that "It Girl" quality that launched the career of silent film star Clara Bow. She is amazing and will be a breakout star. She has the it quality and I feel that she is the only reason the Weinstienn brothers made this movie. It's her showcase. She is the only thing that kept me awake. Her presence on the screen is brilliant and she nails playing Clara Bow.
Other than that the movie is slow and you can't wait till she is back on the screen. Once again, don't believe the hype. This is a gimmick flick and the Weinstein brothers are crafty and smart when Oscar season comes around.

Verdict:
Will not win Best Picture but Bérénice Bejo is a breakout star of 2011.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

First let me tell you whats good about this movie. It is the most beautiful vampire movie I have ever seen in my life. The costumes, the cinematography, the locations, and of course the actors.
That's it for me. Everything else is downhill after that. No I have not read the books and I shouldn't have to. Yes I have seen every movie of this slumping saga and I still feel that the first movie was the best.
In this 4th version The Quileute's close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses a threat to the Wolf Pack and the towns people of Forks. Here is the real story: I love you, you love me but your a vampire. Lets get married oh but wait, if we have a child will it be a vampire? Snore, Snore, Snore.
This version has already made half a billion dollars globally so don't hold your breath thinking the next version will be the last.
I agree with Howard Stern that this is not an enjoyable movie. I shouldn't have to wait 4 movies in to finally get an engaging story. Remember the first Star Wars? The first movie did it all for me even though Lucas decided to create a franchise.

Verdict:
Great date movie (women love this stuff) but gentlemen you should stop at Starbucks prior to entering and get a Venti drip so that you are not drooling in your sleep in the middle of the movie.

The Immortals

This movie is one of the most underrated action flicks of the year.
First you have Mickey Rourke playing King Hyperion and he is the most Baddass evil dude on the screen this year. Then you have the beautiful Freida Pinto, as the love interest, who has not been seen much since Slumdog Millionaire. Finally you have Henry Cavill! Who's he? He's the guy that is going to be the next Superman and he can ACT. Thanks God. The last reboot of Superman put everyone to sleep.
The Immortals is about Theseus played by Cavill, who is chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.
Constant action but beware there is lots of blood and gore. The 3D version is worth the cost.
Stephen Dorff also stars and he adds the comedy when needed. Dorff, from the movie City of Industry, pretty much plays himself but for once I liked him where in the past I got sick of his angry young man shtick.

Verdict:
This is a MUST see movie for the big screen.
A movie that pretty much has everything: good acting, a love interest, plenty of action, and a story that will keep you from coughing, going to the bathroom, or looking at your watch.

J Edgar

Think of the movie masterpiece Capote where Phillip Seymour Hoffman captured the essence and depth of the character he was playing and won a well deserved Academy Award. Well now that’s not what you get from Clint Eastwoods’s J Edgar.
The culprit of this movie is poor editing and for those of you who had a hard time following this movie doesn’t feel bad because we were all were frustrated.
The story is about a man who led the CIA for 50 years. J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his career.
The secrets were what I was looking forward to (cross dressing, elicit affairs, his hate of Martin Luther King) but Eastwood only gives a high level overview and you are left with an empty suit of a man.
Back to the editing, the movie is very slow and there are too many flashbacks to the past. When you start to get captivated by a scene it flashes forward to the present then back to the past. The Lindbergh kidnapping, which was a key event during J. Edgar's tenure, is focused on too much in the movie.
This is far from Clint Eastwood's directing best. If DiCaprio wins an Oscar for this movie it will be like Al Pacino winning an Oscar for Scent of a Woman when he should have won if for The Godfather.

Verdict:
Think Jack Nicholson in Hoffa. if you didn’t see Hoffa then you don’t need to see this and if you did then you know what to expect if you see it.

This Means War trailer HD

Tower Heights

Everyone always ask why are Black comedians no longer funny after they become famous?
Let’s look at Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, & Eddie Murphy. They all are very similar yet when they went Hollywood they lost their funny. The reason for this is because they have lost their connection with the Street, the Hood, the Ghetto, whatever you want to call it. All of their comedic sketches and characters came from the street and when these comedians became rich they became detached from what made them funny in the first place.
With Tower Heist Eddie Murphy tries to recreate the magic that he had 20 years ago and it seems forced. It’s like a fighter trying to make a comeback and his timing is off.
It was a huge mistake for Murphy to play the criminal in this movie. The hit making idea would have been to have Ben Stiller play the criminal and for Eddie to try and stretch himself and be funny as the building manager. Director Brett Ratner has done this type of casting before with Money Talks and the Rush Hour franchise with Chris Tucker playing the criminal. I mean Chris Tucker playing Eddie Murphy, so now that Ratner had Eddie Murphy I guess he didn’t want to take any chances.
Don’t get me wrong, Tower Heist is an ok movie but it would have been a monster hit if the roles were reversed.

Verdict:
Go see Tower Heights if you must, then watch Eddie Murphy in the first Beverly Hills Cop movie (which HBO has been playing endlessly due to his upcoming Oscar hosting gig) and you will see one of the greatest comic actors ever. The move is not dated and it’s amazing to watch his performance because it’s natural not forced, and he is the coolest person in the movie. Reason why: He was still connected to The Streets.

In Time

The best thing about this movie is that it's not a reboot. It's an original idea.
The story takes place in the future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth.
The worst thing about the movie is Justin Timberlake who plays Will Salis. Timberlake is multi talented but he still needs to work on his acting. This movie could have been a hit with Christian Bale, Leonardo DeCaprio, or Tom Hardy. Their grittiness and believability is needed to carry this film. Vincent Kartheiser from the AMC series Mad Men is perfectly cast as a baby faced Wall Street type bad guy. Amanda Seyfried also does a solid job but these 2 actors are not enough to carry the film. There are many questions that are not answered so you would assume that the Director was hoping for a sequel.
You can't make a sequel if the first movie flopped.

Verdict:
A waste of time.

The Thing (2011)

This movie is a prequel to the 1982 Kurt Russell classic. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. does an outstanding job of filming this movie so that if someone were to watch both of these films for the first time they would not realize that the Kurt Russell movie was made almost 30 years ago. The cinematograpy and the music is similar and the director does not overwhelm viewers with updated special effects.
The story takes place at an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd, played by newcomer Mary Elizabeth Winstead and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson played by Ulrich Thomsen.
This flick has a few suprises and flows into the 1982 version seemlessly.
I recommend that you watch this movie then go home and watch the Kurt Russell version on Netflicks if you still subscribe to them after the price increase.

Verdict:
Well done, you will not be disappointed.

The Ides of March

The timing of this movie is on point with the 2012 Presidential election on the horizon. The film stars Ryan Gosling who plays an idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate, played by George Clooney. Gosling gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. With everything that has gone on with John Edwards and other politicians this movie comes off a little stale. It is true that truth is stranger than fiction and this fiction is really not as interesting as today's television political coverage.
The interesting aspect of the script is what opportunities that are available to people who attach themselves to candidates who end up losing. Gosling's chracter is cocky and sure of himself but his naivity does not ring true.
If you do decied to see this movie see it for the star power. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei do an excellent job in supporting cast roles. They continue to display their Oscar winning talents.

Verdict:
Stay home and watch Fox Political News coverage, it's more entertaining.

Real Steel

The time has come where we can now take old movies and have robots replay roles originally played by real people.
Real Steel is pretty much the Rocky movie (and a bunch of other parts from movies we have seen various times) with a robot playing Sylvester Stallone.
A robot boxing promoter, Hugh Jackman, feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot. He also discovers he has an 11-year-old son, played by Dakota Goyo, who wants to know his father.
Evangeline Lilly, who we have not seen since the TV Show "Lost" stars as Jackman's love interest however this is primarily a father and son story. In other words don't go to see this if you have the hot's for Ms. Lilly.
The director tries to get us to cry once the father and son bond but we have all seen this before. Dakota Goyo however is a young actor to watch.


Verdict:
As we all boxing movie's the best scenes are the ones where fighting is taking place howvever this movie is not worth going to a theater to see.

Abduction

How do you pitch an action movie? You take a teen idol with great abs, Taylor Lautner, and surround him with "A" List supporting actors. How does it turn out bad? The teen idol, can't act, his love interest, played by Lily Taylor, is not interesting, and the story is weak.
The movie is a thriller centered on a young man, Lautner, who sets out to uncover the truth about his life after finding his baby photo on a missing persons website.
Director John Singleton, from Boys in the Hood fame, could have at least given Lautner eye drops between takes so that it would not appear that he can't cry in the scenes he is suppose to.
ALfred Molina, Sigourney Weaver, & Maria Bello do the best they can with the story but the film still does not take off.

Verdict:
One of the worst action films of 2011.

Moneyball

In my opinion this is one of Brad Pitt’s best performances. This is a true story about Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
Pitt has taken everything he has learned through the years and brings a solid performance that portrays his mannerisms and essence. When you watch him in this movie you can tell that he not only wants to embody the character but he also wants to entertain the audience. It’s like he is talking to the camera without talking to it. Pitt is no longer the young pretty boy but he is the ultimate charmer and everyone he comes into contact with wants to be in his space.
For those of you who are not baseball fans, don’t worry because this is a not only a true underdog story but also about the relationship Pitt has with his daughter.

Verdict:
Must see movie. Brad will be nominated but it’s Leo’s year for the movie J. Edgar.

Killer Elite

The question that came to mind when I was watching this movie is who is the best? The Navy Seals, The SAS (Special Air Service), or this elite team of ex mercenaries that includes Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro.
The movie starts when Statham’s mentor (De Niro) is taken captive, His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader.
The flick is based on a true story and there is a lot of dialogue. The story has a couple of twist in it so you will have to pay attention to keep up with what is going on. As with all Stratham movies there is plenty of action and Clive Owen is a great adversary. For once we see De Niro in a strong role vs. the weak Wall St. sap that he played in Limitless.
The best action scene in the movie is Statham in kicking ass tied to a chair.

Verdict:
If you like Statham you will get your money’s worth however with Clive Owen and De Niro I expected more.

Drive

The movie is about a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman and discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist has gone wrong. The director, Nicolas Winding Refnstarts, begins the story with film noir dark lighting and a retro techno sound similar to a scene in an 80's Richard Gere movie ala Breathless or American Gigolo.
Refnstarts know how to build tension in a movie and there were times I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. Ryan Gosling, who plays the Driver, does a masterful job of playing the myseterious hero. Carey Mulligan, who I hated in Wall Street 2 shows that she can do more acting by keeping her mouth shut. There were times where I even thought she was cute. Where in wall Street 2 I wanted to push her off a cliff. Speaking of cliffs there are some great driving scenes and
Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks should be nominated for their roles in this film. The beautiful and volumtous Christina Hendricks from Mad Men is only in the film for a short time but is effective.

Verdict:
Instant classic. I smell a franchise.

Straw Dogs

Is a remake of a Dustin Hoffman classic. The movie is about a Hollywood screenwriter, played by James Marsden, who relocates with his wife, Kate Bosworth, to her hometown in the deep South. While there, the couple get involved in conflict with the locals.
I started writing this review using the Pros and Cons method and I found that I had more Cons than Pros.
Cons:
If you saw the original movie then there is not much difference in the story other than the addition of Friday Night Lights football. In other words you will not be entertained.
Pros:
The lead actors do a decent job, espically Kate Bosworth, who I feel gives her best performance in the movie.
Cons:
The original movie was made in 1971 so the story is not as shocking today. You can see worse on Law and Order SVU.
Pros: I don’t think I have anymore.
Cons: The bad guy, Alexander Skarsgård who I have heard is on HBO’s True Blood, is not threatening. He is just pretty. I have seen more scarier dudes in my gym.
Cons:
Director Rod Lurie is not as good as filming tension which leads to violence as Sam Peckinpah who directed the original classic.

Verdict:
Cons win! Don’t go see this movie.

Warrior

Warrior has been classified as The Rocky of this generation but it’s more of a mash up of tired plot lines we have seen before. The movie stars Tom Hardy, from Inception, as the son of an alcoholic former boxer Nick Nolte. Tom returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament, a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with Joel Edgerton his older brother.
Nick Nolte pretty much plays himself but does more acting with his facial expressions than he does with his mouth. His acting is the glue in this movie and pretty much keeps it together. He deserves an Oscar for this film after coming up short 2 times.
Tom Hardy also does an excellent job but his character is pieced together and not fully fleshed out. The movie takes a while to get started and at 140 minutes fight fans will be disappointed because the best fight scenes are at the end.
Verdict:
Not a Rocky but this fight movie is better than most. Frank Grillo has a breakout role as Edgerton’s coach. He delivers and will be one to watch.

Contagion

This movie tries to be an action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak. Ho Hum!
The flick does not deliver. There are many “A ’” list actors however they are only in the movie for a short duration. The main problem with this movie is that it’s shot as a docudrama and not as a standard Hollywood thriller. The other problem is that the villain in this docudrama is the virus however you don’t see the virus so it’s hard to root against something you can’t see. This may be a guy thing since we are all visual but other than seeing the virus under a microscope I really was just waiting for the next “A” list actor to die.
I recently went out and had a seafood dinner and I immediately got nauseous. A month later I tried to eat seafood again and I got nauseous again. Jude Law’s character focuses on government cover-ups and conspiracy theories and he does mention seafood in one scene. It made me wonder what happened to all the seafood that was contaminated by the BP spill? The story is thought provoking and you can see how things can easily get started. After seeing this movie you can look back and see that Michael Jackson was not that crazy for wearing masks when he traveled the world.
All of the actors give a good performance but Sanaa Lathan is miscast as Fishburne’s wife. He looks more like her dad.

Verdict: I expected Outbreak and got a History Channel documentary. I also won’t be eating seafood again for awhile.

Colomiana

I am a fan of movies by Luc Besson, who wrote this movie and has had great success with the Transporter franchise & Taken. Zoe Saldana from Avatar, who plays Colombiana, comes across like a female Jason Bourne. The story however is different. As a young girl Colombia witnesses her parents' murder in Bogota. She then grows up to be a stone-cold assassin. It is very much a guy’s movie with great action scenes and a story where you will have to suspend your belief. Amandla Stenberg, who plays Colomiana as a young girl is impressive and Lennie James, who plays the cop trying to capture Colomiana is just as intense as he was in Russell Crowe’s The Next Three Days.
In the beginning of the movie Zoe comes off like Catwoman. She’ dressed in a skintight suit and crawls across buildings to her target. It made me wonder how she would be vs. Anne Hathaway who is already cast in the next Dark Knight.
Look for a great toothbrush fight scene in the tail end of the movie.

Verdict:
I got my money’s worth.

Conan the Barbarian

If you rent the Arnold Schwarzenegger versions of Conan they are very hard to watch. The movies are dated and watching Arnold with all of his recent, sleazy baggage is hard to do. With the onslaught of Gladiator shows with CGI effects it is time for a fresh reboot of the franchise.
Newcomer Jason Momoa, who starred in HBO’s excellent Game of Thrones series, takes on the title role. His acting is not captivating but women will be mesmerized by his looks. Stephen Lang plays the bad guy to lesser effect than he did in Avatar. For one he has too much makeup on and looks too old to be a worthy advisory. The one bright spot is Rose McGowan as Marique who is able to make sand come to life. No need for me to tell you the plot, just know that it’s a revenge flick. The movie should have premiered on Starz or HBO as a series. There is nothing here that is not already shown to greater effect on these cable channels. Anyone who paid to see this in 3 D, such as myself, was truly ripped off.

Verdict:
This is the time of year when the studios release movies that were not going to do well during the peak of summer. This is one of them.

Final Destination 5

The first question for this latest version is:
1) Is this going to be more of the same?
2) Are the critics right that Final Destination 5 is the best?
Well I thought the last version was going to be the final one and it should have.
In FD5 survivors of a suspension-bridge collapse learn there's no way you can cheat Death. Duh! The franchise once again brings in young, good looking, unknown actors who will be disfigured and killed in creative ways. Tony Todd, who was Candyman and also in the first Final Destination, is brought back to give this latest version some kind of finality, I hope.
Courtney B. Vance, from Law & Order, also stars as a cop who has his head up his ass and can’t figure out why these people are dying. There is a montage of all the deaths from the prior four movies during the end credits, so if you get off on that then stick around.

Verdict:
Best thing about this movie is the end.

The Help

This movie slowly was rolled out during the final blitz of summer movie. It was not on my radar of movies to watch because I was not in the mood for another Driving Ms. Daisy. I assumed wrong and after watching The Help I feel that everyone should see this movie.
Let’s start with the (2) women who should receive Oscar nominations. Octavia Spencer who has been in many movies in supporting roles but she gives a superstar performance as Minnie Jackson, one of the maids in the movie. Emma Stone who plays Skeeter, is the best young actresses in Hollywood today.
The movie is from a bestselling book about a look at what happens when a southern town's unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.
The movie takes place during the Civil Rights Era and covers the death of Medgar Evers and President Kennedy.
Another breakthrough performance comes from Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard’s daughter. This is her best performance to date and I hope she is not typecast for playing someone you love to hate (as she does so well in The Help) in future movies. The great Cicely Tyson, who has been forgotten by Hollywood, has a key role as Skeeter’s maid. Tyson should receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for having to play Ms. Jane Pittman over and over again.
This movie should have Oscar nominations for screenplay and direction as well but it may have come out too early and could be overshadowed by movies that come out in September through November. I hope not.
Regardless of that this is a must see and at over 2 hours long you will be thoroughly entertained.

Verdict:
Perfect casting and breakthrough performances.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The trailer for this movie looked intriguing; CGI and motion special effects would probably give this franchise a fresh reboot. I was wrong. This is an origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
James Franco walks through his role scientist Will Rodman (I still don’t know why he was nominated for 127 Minutes). All of the other performances are mailed in except for the lead ape Caeser (whose emotions were brought to life brilliantly by Andy Serkis). The chemistry between Freda Pinto and Franco is forced and her character is not fully developed so you really don’t care if she ends up with Franco.
The original Planet of the Apes series had humans wearing ape suits yet it had many surprises and it freaked me out. For a summer movie I expected more. There is no adrenaline rush and the apes are not scary, in fact I laughed at scenes where I should have been frightened. There are no surprises due to zero depth in storytelling.
Of all the movies that can possibly be re-booted......why reboot another movie that's already been re-booted? Especially after the horrible reboot with Marky Mark Wahlberg, why did they decide to revisit the Apes again??

Verdict:
I am one of the few critics that didn’t care much for this movie. The first Planet of The Apes movie is still the best. Even the 2nd one was better than this. For those of you who have seen it and contributed to the big box office debut, would you pay to see it again?

Cowboys & Aliens

There was great anticipation for this movie yet not much was known about how the whole premise was going to be pulled off with great results. It was not.
The story is about a spaceship that arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys and natives are all that stand in their way.

Daniel Craig, the lead cowboy, reminds you of Steve McQueen and he does a solid job. In fact I think he should give up the James Bond franchise and stick to revitalizing the Western. He makes a great Cowboy.
Olivia Wilde is perfectly cast for this movie however she is getting overexposed; every other movie has Oliva Wilde starring in it.
This is a movie that takes a while to get started and maybe it’s because of the various writers that are involved with this project. The one cool thing about C vs. A is that it is not a prequel, sequel, or reunion. It’s an original movie which is rare these days.

Verdict:
Just ok.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Steve Carell is one of those actors who as soon as you see him on screen you start smiling. Add Ryan Gosling as a lounge lizard, and Emma Stone as a love interest and you have a very good summer movie.
The story is about how a father's life (Carell) unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.
Emma Stone once again shines and makes you realize that there is no need for Lindsey Lohan to sober up. Long live Emma Stone.
Writer Dan Fogelman has developed the best romantic comedy in the last decade. The story is smart, one you can relate to, and makes for a great Friday night date movie.
Finally Ryan Gosling finally is able to display his incredible skills in a role worthy of his talents.

Verdict:
This film delivers.
Sleeper hit of the late summer.

Captain America

The issue that some people have with the current crop of new superhero movies is that you have to learn about their origins before the action starts. Comic book fans are the ones who truly care about this so they can ensure that their heroes are not misrepresented on screen.
Captain America is not as cool as Spiderman. He is sort of corny but the stories of how he helped win the war were interesting because he really didn’t have any extraordinary powers like the rest of the Marvel Superheroes.
The movie takes place back during the war and begins with how Steve Rodgers (Captain America) played by Chris Evans from The Fantastic Four movies, is being deemed unfit for military service, he volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America.
I was worried that Chris Evans was not going to be able to pull it off based on his past performances in Cellular and The Losers, but he does a solid job.
Overall the movie does not changes what was represented in the original comic books. Comic book purist will notice that Cap’s sidekick Bucky is a grown man in the movie vs. a teenager in the comic book.
It was good to see Hugo Weaving, the bad guy from the Matrix, again however he reminds you of Jim Carey in the 2nd half of the movie.
The love interest, newcomer Hayley Atwell, shows that she can hold her own in an almost all male cast.

Verdict: Slow start but good finish. Also stay until the credits end (there are a lot of credits) for extra footage.

Horrible Bosses

This movie is very timely due to the state of our economy. The story will hit home to many who are blessed to have a job but now have to work for Horrible Bosses. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day play three friends who conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness. Horrible Bosses starts out great in the first half where the jokes are flowing and the timing of the 3 leads reminds you of The Three Stooges. The story then putters out and the movie begins to slow down to the point where you are just waiting to hear the next crazy thing that Jennifer Anitston’s character is going to say. Academy Award Winner Jamie Foxx shows up in a cameo role with a name that can’t be printed here. Why this role Jamie? Has the economy hit the number of A-List scripts you can get your hands on? The television show Modern Family’s mom Julie Bowen also shows up in a wasted role as Kevin Spacey’s (one of the Horrible Bosses) wife.
We have already seen Kevin Spacey as a psycho boss in Swimming With The Sharks, it would have been funnier if Kevin Spacey was the maneater and Jennifer Aniston was the boss from hell.

Verdict:
It’s not a horrible movie but it should not be on your list of movies to see this summer.

Mission Impossible - 4

Midnight In Paris

Thank God Owen Wilson was not successful in ending his life a few years ago. I am not trying to be funny because Wilson is quickly becoming an American treasure. I am serious! Wilson is perfectly cast as Gil, who comes across as a young Woody Allen character. The movie is a romantic comedy about a couple traveling to the French capital for business. Gil, a screenwriter about to be married, is forced to confront the illusion that a life in Paris is better than his current life in Hollywood.
Woody Allen's love for Paris is showcased throughout the movie with great location shots. Oscar winners Adrian Brody and Kathy Bates have cameo roles which pleasantly adds to the already star studded cast.Rachel McAdams stars as Owen Wilson's fiance and Michael Sheen, who has been on fire since playing David Frost in Frost/Nixon does a great job as playing a former love interest of McAdams.
Back to Owen Wilson, the man has perfected a laid back style that is all his own. All he has to do is show up and play himself and in this movie that is exactly what he does and it works beautifully.
Regardless of what you think of Woody Allen the man still can make a good movie.

Verdict:
If you hate Woody Allen and you hate Paris than this movie is not for you.
If the above does not apply to you then this is a must see.

X-Men: First Class

I was never a huge X-Men fan but I was curious to see how they were going to do a prequel.
The story takes place in 1962, Charles Xavier, played by James McAvoy from Wanted, starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities.
Here is a tip prior to seeing this movie, if you have not seen the previous versions then start with this movie and rent the older ones afterwards to catch –up. If you have already seen the older versions yet have not watched them in a while than rewatch them because you will be a little confused if you are not an avid fan.
The reason why I am elaborating on this is because there is too much dialogue and not enough action. While watching the movie most of the time you are trying to figure out what is going on and praying for a mindless action scene to start.
It is amazing that Stan Lee created all of these comic book heroes back in the 60’s and they are have been making Gazillions of dollars in the theaters for the last ten years.

Okay so let’s talk about the actors, I’ll start with the bad.

Academy Award Nominee Jennifer Lawrence plays Raven and shows why she lost The Oscar. She doesn’t bring anything extra. She comes off as if this is her first acting role. My nomination for worst actress ever is not to Jennifer Lawrence but to January Jones, from Mad Men, who stars as Emma Frost. She looks great but she is in desperate need of acting lessons.
Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy lead the cast and give great performances but not enough for me to recommend this movie.

Verdict:
For X-Men fans only.

Super 8

There is no doubt that Steven Spielberg is one of the great directors of our time. In addition the Director of Super 8, JJ Abrams, has shown signs of brilliance with his work in the reboot of Star Trek, Mission Impossible 3, and the television series Lost.
When I first heard about this movie I thought it was The Goonies meet Cloverfield since both Spielberg and Abrams were involved. I was dead wrong. Super 8 takes place in 1979 and a mysterious train crash takes place in front of a group of young friends. They begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon.
When you go to an IMAX summer movie you expect to be dazzled by things on the screen you have never seen before. Almost everything in this movie you have seen in Steven Spielberg movies. Flashing lights, close ups of characters with wind blowing in their hair, they even have the E.T. bike in the movie. In E.T. The Government is the enemy as well as in Super 8. The ending tries to tug at your heart strings similar to E.T. but it's a poor attempt. The only thing that I felt Abrams brought to the movie was his signature soundtrack by the great Michael Giacchino.
I felt like I was watching Abrams love letter screenplay to Spielberg even though Spielberg produced the movie. If this movie came out in 1979 then I would feel like I got my money's worth. By the way if you hated The Goonies like I did then you will not like these group of kids either. Super 8 is entirely a tribute to Spielberg and for the audience it's a waste of time.

Verdict:
Ordinary 8.

Hangover 2

How do you top a hit movie or at least make it comparable to the first one?
Well you take the same actors, use the same premise, throw in a few surprises and you have Hangover 2.
I went to this movie wanting to get the same adventure I experienced the first time with The Wolfpack and I got it in spades.
The movie starts right after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.
There are some very funny moments and some scenes will make you want to throw-up. Mr. Chow, Ken Jeong, is back and funnier than ever. Paul Giamatti plays in the role I assume was meant for Mel Gibson. There is also a very funny monkey.
There have been mixed reviews on this movie but if it ain't broken don't try and fix it, stick to the formula that made it a hit.

Verdict:
Not as great as the first but a solid follow-up. My prediction for H3 is Zach G. will be the next one to have to get married.

Bridesmaids

This movie is one of the few non-squeal movies that have premiered this summer and it's a bawdy, rollercoaster, laugh until you cry comedy hit movie. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is the female Hangover movie.
The movie's main character, SNL star Kristen Wiig, is picked as her best friend's maid of honor. However her life has hit bottom so she looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids.
I have always been a HUGE fan of Kristen Wiig due to her amazing ability to emerse herself into various charaters on SNL. After watching Bridesmaids you can say that she is the Lucy Ball of our day. There are scenes where she uses her facial expressions and does not say a word and she makes the entire audience laugh.
Rose Byrne and Mya Rudolph do a good job rounding out the cast but it's newcomer Melissa McCarthy who steals scenes throughout the movie.
This is a breakthrough movie for Kristen Wiig and Bridesmaids 2 is already in the works.

Verdict:
I laughed until I cried, twice. This is a movie you don't want to miss, you also want to experience it with others.

Priest

Did you ever go into a movie and expect it to be good based on the trailer and the premise? Then 10 minutes into the film you are still hoping that it will end up being a great movie but you know that it will not be? Well that movie is Priest.
The movie is about a priest who disobeys the church law to track down the vampires who kidnapped his niece. The desert landscape CGI effects are beautiful to watch but that's it. Paul Bettany is a good character actor (see The Tourist) but he fails in making you care about his delimma. Then Cam Gadget shows up and tries to show his acting talents which is as thin a a string of floss. He dreams that he is Steve McQueen in this movie (not literally but he must have seen The Magnificent Seven 100 times based on his performance) but his acting talents make watching him a nightmare. Finally the sexy Maggie Q from the television show Nikkita shows up and she is boring and makes watching paint dry a pleasurable experience.

Verdict:
Why was this not sent straight to the $4.99 DVD?

Thor

Back in the day the Marvel comic book character Thor was never considered as cool as Spiderman, Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. Thor talked funny, carried a Hammer, and was not from earth. Newcomer Chris Hemsworth as Thor does an excellent job of embracing the character and making the audience enjoy his adventure.
The movie begins when Thor is cast out of Asgard (his home) and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their defenders.
Natalie Portman plays the love interest but it's more of a lust interest because there is not enough time to develop their interest in each other.
Anthony Hopkins as Thor's father is excellent and gives a great performance.
I highly recommend the 3D version so that you can see the awesome special effects of Asgard which takes up the first 50 minutes of the movie.
Actor Kenneth Branagh directed this film with a good sense of what people want to see in Superhero movies: great special effects, a story you can follow, and as much action sprinkled in between but not to the point where the action is senseless ie: Transformers 2.

Verdict:
Worth seeing for the special effects and the performances.

Fast Five

I would like to say that this was the perfect movie at the right time. Hollywood has been selling America "B" movies and trying to tell us they are great.
Rarely does a franchise comes out that can continue to haul in millions after 3 movie versions much less 5(exclude James Bond). Fast 5 does not disappoint.
Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his crew find themselves on the wrong side of the law once again as they try to switch lanes between a drug lord and a The Rock, Duane Johnson, who plays a federal agent/hunter.
Do we really care what the story is about? Not really, fans just want to see all the elements from the original: have Vin Diesel kick someones ass and not say much; have at least one race; open the movie with a action scene that keeps you in your seat. Then sprinkle with beautiful women, muscle bound men, and you must have a righteous bad guy. This movie has all of the above. Vin Diesel should never again think of acting in anything else (remember when he left the franchise to be a serious actor), he is blessed to be in a franchise that will not die in the near future.

Verdict:
Perfect popcorn movie, cars, action, location, and the original cast (minus the great Michelle Rodriquez). Keep making these money machines until the wheels fall off.

The Conspirator

The Conspirator has everything going for it. It's timely, has great actors (Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson to name a couple), excellent costumes, and sets. The movie also has great buzz which is hard to get these days with the crop of poor films that have been coming out.
The story is about Mary Surratt, who is charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.
My problem with this movie is that I didn't care about Mary and I knew well in advance how it was going to end. In between the 2 hours there was nothing to engage me, I couldn't wait until the end of the movie.
Academy Award winning director Robert Redford gives Kevin Kline a chance to show talent that he has not displayed in years.
James McAvoy, from Wanted, gives it the college try but is not able to carry the film.

Verdict:
You will want to hang yourself after sitting thru this movie.

Source Code

When the director of this movie, Duncan Jones, was born his father David Bowie named him Zowie. Prior to seeing Source Code I had no idea that he was the great rocker's son.
Jones has a cult following due to his 2009 movie Moon. Source Code will remind you at times of The TV series Lost with it's parallel universes and it will also remind you of the Bill Murray hit comedy Groundhog Day.
The story is centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
This time bending premise has already been done in Denzel Washington's Deja Vu as well as Jean Claude Van Damme's Timecop.
Source Code has you thinking from the very start and that is one of the problems with the movie. There is not enough action to keep the audience from figuring out who the nemesis is.
In the third act the movie tries to save itself with a happy ending but audiences at my screening left the theater perplexed, confused, and not buying the ending.
The great Jeffrey Wright is a supporting character in the movie. Jeffrey should have won an Oscar for his leading role in the film Basquiat, also let's not mention his masterful performance of Peoples Hernandez in the remake of Shaft. In Source Code Jeffrey is not able to display his considerable talents and the movie never explains why his character is handicapped. Vera Farmiga, another solid talent, is also wasted in this movie.

Verdict:
Interesting but not entertaining.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never in 3D

I dreaded having to take my kid to this movie but she is in love with The Bieber.
After spending $27 for the 3D aspect I ended up being presently surprised. The movie was first rate in terms of editing, storytelling, and music.
Bieber's stage shows are first rate and you can tell that he has a top notch team that puts his shows together. Not only that but The Bieber is actually talented. He can sing without auto tunes!
In the movie you can also see how his life will end up because he has a strict team of people that are protecting the JB Brand. At one point in the movie Justin mentions that he would like to visit his friends and family back in Canada and one woman replies back that he gave all that up and this is your new life. She also mentions how many tour dates they have left.
Hate all you want but after watching this movie I realize now that this kid has game and he is not going to burn out anytime soon.

Verdict:
well crafted pop movie.

Limitless

Yes Bradley Cooper has charisma and he can lead a movie but you must have a limited bandwidth to enjoy this movie.
The movie is about a writer who discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.
The story works on some levels but there are too many gaps and the audience is suppose to close them. The star's narrative gets annoying halfway through the movie.
The great Robert DiNiro does not show up in this movie.
What shows up is the shell of a great actor who is just showing up for a paycheck to keep his TriBeCa movie festival afloat.
In one scene DiNiro is manhandled by Cooper and all I could do is cringe.

Verdict:
Wait for Hangover 2.

The Lincoln Lawyer

All the critics love this movie and after trying to stay awake while viewing this I ask myself why?
America likes a comeback (regarding the star of the movie Matthew McConaughey) but we have seen this all before. Is it because there are nothing but a slew of poor movies that have come out in Q1 of 2011? I think so because I have yet to see anything worth writing about. Anyway back to the movie. Mathew McConaughey ruined his reputation in Hollywood by making very poor movie choices. Should we give him a second chance? He'll no! He blew it and now he is starting to look older and a new crop of pretty boys are on the scene.
From the very beginning of this dud you can figure out who the killer is. I felt like I was watching a bad episode of Law and Order. And wait a minute, how cool is it to have a Ja Rule lookalike black actor drive you around in this day and age??? Wow, Driving Ms. Daisy revisited! Mathew did you read that part of the script??.

Verdict:
Mathew, come back in another 10 years and maybe we will forgive.

Battle: Los Angeles

I had a battle with myself to try and make it to the end of this movie. It’s that boring.
Who would have thought that the story of a Marine platoon that faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles would be slow and tedious. The movie stars Aaron Eckhart who has done great work in other movies but the story regarding his character and others we have seen many times before. The aliens come directly from the movie District 9 which was outstanding compared to Battle: Los Angeles. I imagine that the pitch for this movie was: Take Black Hawk Down, add District 9 aliens. You now have a movie that was not scheduled to premiere during this summer because Sony Studios knew they had a dud.
Another case of a trailer being way better than the movie.

Verdict:
Independence Day 2 is in pre production for 2014 with Will Smith and I can’t wait.

Hall Pass

Any woman who has seen the trailer for this movie would think that this comedy was a guy flick. In a sense it is but it is truly a movie for people who are married. The story is about a married man who is granted the opportunity to have an affair by his wife. The movie is very predictable but the Farrelly Bros. nail the story because the story resonates with married couples.
Hall Pass tries to be like the movie The Hangover in some scenes that don't work, but when the story revolves around the issues that come up between a married couple the film works.
Owen Wilson does a fine job of under playing his usual self as the lead character and his wing man, Jason Sudeikis from Saturday Night Live, is hysterical. Christina Applegate, from the movie The Rocker and Stephen Merchant, from The Office, are also very good.

Verdict:
Don’t believe the poor reviews from the critics, I laughed until I cried. In fact the entire audience was laughing in the theater I viewed this in.

Just Go With It

I saw this movie weeks ago and after watching it I was not motivated to write a review.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of Adam Sandler but this latest effort is very weak.
Just go for it is about a plastic surgeon who convinces his assistant to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a lie he told to his younger girlfriend.
The Adam Sandler character is slimy! He uses a wedding ring to score with women. He’s not a character you really care about regardless of how he started down this road of shame.
Jenifer Aniston plays his assistant but watch any Jennifer Aniston movie and all she does is play herself. Proving once again that she does not have the depth to be a movie star.
Nicole Kidman shows up in a cameo role with Dave Mathews. They are good supporting cast members but the characters they play has been seen before.

Verdict: I wouldn’t even recommend this for Adam Sandler fans.

I am Number Four

With the success of the Twilight movie series you can expect that there will be plenty of movies that will try to emulate it. In fact young vampires are almost out of fashion. This movie the hero is not a vampire but an Alien. Director D.J. Caruso
tries very hard to make you care about the young leads and their love interest. The Producers set it up so that this movie does not have an ending so that a franchise can be built.
The story is about an alien teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed he is Number Four.
There is a lot of talk regarding his background but none of it matters or makes sense. The focus should have been on the action which does not take place until the end of the movie.
Alex Pettyfer is the flavor of the month and he acts as well as many of the other young actors today but it does not seem to have the staying power.

Verdict:
There will be a I am Number Four Part 2 but WHY????

Unknown

All I can say is that if you are expecting Taken Part 2 you can forget about it.
Liam Neesom plays a man who awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him.
Unknown comes off at first like a Hitchcock movie with the audience totally engaged. Halfway through the movie slowly looses steam and meanders until you find out that the whole story is about something that you really don't care about.
Diane Kruger does a good job a supporting Liam but January Jones, the bitchy wife from Mad Men, is totally wasted in this movie.
There is not much more to say about the movie but Liam is great playing a tough guy but he needs better material.

Verdict:
Taken 2 is a no brainer. Just have Liam go save some other kid in a foreign country.

The Dilemma

How could this movie end up being so bad? You have 2 of the best comedy actors, Vince Vaughn and Kevin Smith, coming off of a string of hit movies. You also have one of the best movie trailers of the year. However The Dilemma is a lemon, dud, and a comedy that is not funny. The story is about a man who discovers that his best friend's wife is having an affair. The pacing is slow, the jokes are weak, there are unnecessary flashbacks, and having Queen Latifah in a cameo role seems strained. Director Ron Howard should not have tried his hand at comedy again, The last hit comedy he had was Splash and Night Shift and that was in the early 80’s He has produced many hit movies that I have enjoyed however he has not had one lately and may be passed his prime.

Verdict: The premise was only good for a Saturday Night Live skit, not a 2 hr. movie.

The Mechanic

A 100 years ago there was a movie box office champion named Charles Bronson best known for Death Wish. One of the movies he made that became a cult favorite was The Mechanic where he starred as a killer for hire. The new movie has almost the same story but stars a different type of action star Jason Statham.
Bronson was older and didn’t say much in his movies. Statham is younger , and does most of his talking with his fists.
The movie follows an elite hit man as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims. Ben Foster from The Messenger stars as the apprentice.
I am a fan of Jason Statham and Charles Bronson and I found both movies very boring. The original and the remake try to be a psychological action flicks and to me they both fail. The original must have been a cult favorite of the director Simon West.

Verdict: With all the great movies that came be remade, this should have not been on the list.