Safe

I’m a huge fan of Jason Statham from Crank and the Transporter.
This movie is not one of his best.
The story is about a young girl whose memory holds a priceless code, finds herself pursued by Triads, mobs, and corrupt cops. Jason Statham takes them all on to save the girl.

Nothing new here and the story is weak. What’s needed is less story and more action however the body count is high. There is also an attempt of a GQ showdown (Jason and a bad guy with similar skills dressed in suits ready to fight). This is a male bonding flick not a date movie. Hopefully Jason will start getting better scripts otherwise he will end up like Steven Segal and Van Damme making Direct to Video movies five years from now when he turns 50.

Verdict: You are better off watching his 2007 movie with Jet Li called War. It’s similar and is a well directed movie.

Think Like a Man, Act Like A Woman

This movie is based on comedian Steve Harvey's best selling book. I didn't read it but this movie that it's based on is very funny. The movie follows four friends who conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey's relationship advice against them. Kevin Hart also stars as a man going through a divorce and pretty much steals the movie. This is his breakthrough role.
The other actors also give solid performances and the casting was perfect. Thank God the director didn't cast the handful of tired black actors (Jamie, Halle, Vivica Fox or Eddie) to star in this movie. It's fresh faces and exciting new talent.
There are times when they show Steve Harvey talking to the camera a little too much but that tapers off in the second half of the movie.
The soundtrack is good and the film looks good. With only a budget of $12 million the actors were probably paid peanuts.
I expect Kevin Hart's paycheck to escalate and Chris Rock (who has not been funny in years) to hand over the crown as King of Comedy to Hart.

Verdict:
If you don't know who Kevin Hart is you will.

The Cabin In The Woods

This movie is a refreshing new take on the countless horror movies that has a killer or killers in the woods. You are either going to love this movie or hate it. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer wrote this ground breaking Instant Classic. The story is about five friends who go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
Chris Hemsworth from Thor plays one of the friends. Whedon does a great job of making you care about the characters because in most of these types of horror flicks you really don't care about them. The movie starts with the same pattern of young kids wanting to go into the woods to have sex, drugs, and rock and roll before they run into The Evil Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, a Wrong Turn, Jason, etc.
The Special Effects are great and there are many inside jokes so try to pay attention.

Verdict:
Don't let anyone tell you what happens, just go see it if you like horror movies.

The Hunger Games

Let me start by saying that this is one of the few movies that actually lives up to its hype.
The story is set in the future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.
The story is not new parts were lifted from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 movie The Running Man where in the future people compete in a live game show to the death. The host of the show was Richard Dawson similar to the host of The Hunger Games played by Stanley Tucci. Other parts of The Hunger Games are reminiscent of The Wizard of OZ (the costumes, when Katniss arrives into the Capitol, etc.) What those geezer movies don’t have is a young love story which is what The Hunger Games gives you. Given all that The Hunger Games is still a solid movie with a star making performance by Jennifer Lawrence who is the best female actress in her age group.
Like Twilight and Harry Potter these book to movie series are now the launching pad for this generations of young actors.

Verdict: Must see movie even if you didn’t read the book. If you read all 3 books and think that there will only be 3 movies than think again.
PS: Get ready for the remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall with Colin Farrell.

21 Jump Street

This is one of the many TV shows that Hollywood decides to develop into a movie. Most of them fail (Starsky and Hutch, SWAT, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc.) but this one is a winner. The story is about a pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. The casting of Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum was genius because they have solid chemistry between them.

The story is not the highlight of the movie but the many comedic scenes that take place between Tatum and Hill. I don't even remember who stared in the original TV show other than Johnny Depp and he makes a cameo appearance.

Writer Michael Bacall does an excellent job of showing how things have changed since Tatum and Hill have been in High School. He also makes fun, (before the audience has a chance to) of the fact that they are way too old to be in High School.

Verdict:

Better than I expected, and way better than the movie The Other Guys. I want to see Tatum and Hill again in another flick.

Seeking Justice

Seeking Justice is better than the last 10 Nicolas Cage movies. The story is about a teacher (Cage) whose wife is assaulted, Cage enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score. Then he discovers they want a favor from him in return. Parts of this story were lifted from the Michael Douglas 1983 movie Star Chamber. Director Roger Donaldson gives the movie a fresh approach and adds some plot twists. There is a reason Cage has an Oscar and that is because he is believable in the roles that he takes on. He can also out act 75% of the actors in Hollywood. The movie also star January Jones from AMC's Mad Men and she is showing improvement in her acting skills (she sucked in the last X-Men installment). Jennifer Carpenter from Showtimes Dexter also stars but she is totally wasted to the point where you wonder if her scenes ended up on the editing floor.

The 3rd act of the movie falters due to the many plot twist but overall I liked the movie.

Verdict:

Give Cage a chance, this is one of his better movies.

Act of Valor

Act of Valor decides to take an action film and fill it with non actors and a few familiar character
actors. Critics have stated that the acting was horrible but isn’t the acting poor in 90%
of the action movies out now? You can go see The Rock bouncing berries off his chest in Journey 2, and he currently stars is in half of the action movies out there now. When the action casting agents can’t find someone to bring people to the Box Office they dust off Bruce Willis, Arnold, and Rocky.
To bring active Navy Seals to screen was a great idea and kept me riveted to my seat.
Sure the acting sucked but the action was on point and there was no sappiness or snarkiness.
There were some scripted corny moments but you forgive them when you see the action scenes.
The timing of this movie could not be better with the killing of Saddam Hussein. Expect more
Navy Seal movies because I feel that this is the first of many. Disney also bought the name Team 6 to use in movies. Finally at times this movie feels like a recruitment film and if you feel that way then it’s the damn best recruitment film I have ever seen.

Verdict:

A fresh approach that worked for me.