This movie was pretty funny…for a movie about mid-life crises. I mean seriously, I hope my life never gets as depressing as Miles’ or Jack’s. Of course Jack’s occupation is a big key to why he’s having the crisis…being an actor isn’t easy unless you make it big. Although I do appreciate the irony (at least I think it’s ironic) that Jack’s biggest role was as a Doctor on a soap opera, when in real life, Thomas Hayden Church’s biggest (or at least the thing everyone remembers him for) is the janitor on “Wings” (TV Series …. Lowell Mather …. 1990-1995). Actually both of their occupations can wind up being really depressing around the age of 40. If an actor doesn’t have regular acting jobs or an aspiring writer can’t get his work published, they really begin to question why they’re here. Of course that’s just the plot of the … Continue reading →

WARNING: If you want a sweet and charmingly happy movie review about a happy elf, this will not be it. Hehe! Fun movie. Walking out at the end, my thoughts resided the most on the fact that the movie mostly for Jim Carrey fans, especially since I heard that the movie heavily rewrites the overarching plot behind the first three books (from which the film was adapted). If that’s so (I’ll find out as soon as I read the books), then fans of the book won’t like it (obviously). And since it is equally impossible that I will finish the books before the movie disappears from theatres as mysteriously as Count Olaf’s leg, I’ll just tell you what I liked. This is an odd first thing to mention, but I loved the end title sequence. I don’t know if it was really stop-motion work, but it looked incredible either way. … Continue reading →

This movie was incredible. From the original music and the passionate, love story to the incredible effects and the mind-blowing singing, this movie takes the skeleton of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original, long-running, award-winning musical and brings it to life! Emmy Rosum, Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson are incredible as the leads (Christine, The Phantom, and Raoul respectively), and their singing is unparalleled for a movie musical. The entire scope of this movie musical really shows the rising trend that began with Chicago (or at least the mainstream recognition began with Chicago, I’m sure I’m forgetting some movie musical that really opened the door) and just continues to rise. Masquerade was incredible. I loved Gerard Butler’s mask (even though I really wanted the giant skeleton head from the stage) because it was so similar to what I expected as well as being just an incredible mask. Of course the simple mask … Continue reading →

Faithfully adapted from John Grisham’s novel “Skipping Christmas,” this movie deals up a healthy helping of Christopher Columbus Christmas Magic (as I like to call a lot of his movies). Actually just Home Alone. But you get the idea.

My parents couldn’t understand this movie…they wanted something funnier. I kind of liked it and I understood that it would be a Wes Anderson comedy, so the humor would be more implied or indirect, as in Meet the Tannenbaums and Rushmore (actually I haven’t seen Rushmore, so I’m guessing). Yeah for Henry Selick claymation! I knew it the instant I saw it on the big screen! Ok for the uninitiated, he directed Nightmare Before Christmas (one of the greatest Disney-but-not-Disney movies of all time) and was almost directly responsibly for it’s claymation style (aside from Tim Burton’s hearty participation). Does a very nice job for a sequel. Very enjoyable. What I really enjoyed is the fact that it deals with Jack Brynes’ (Robert DeNiro) inability to “trust” anyone due to his years spent with the CIA.

A remake? Didn’t even know it. Fun to watch. Giovanni Ribisi’s character was really good. I don’t know how I feel about Dennis Quaid anymore. I don’t know if he’s any good or just bad. Oh yeah! Awesome cameo from that Brother of the Cruciform Sword from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Actually it’s not really a cameo since he got the monologue about wandering the desert. I never knew that if your right hand is dominant that you take longer steps with your right foot. That was a fun and interesting fact to learn.

I can sum up the movie in one sentence: It fails in terms of a movie because there are too many plot threads to keep track of. It doesn’t have any of the careless spirit the first one had. In the first one, it’s all about making this one heist. Here, it’s about making reparations (which is hardly as interesting). I did enjoy Mr. Monica Belluci’s performance, especially the break-dancing stuff…that was pretty cool. Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon are hilarious during the Lost in Translation bit. And kind of during the whole movie.

  Good movie. I liked Nicholas Cage’s quirky character…played well off of his partner Riley (or was it Whiley…Cage’s pronunciation could have been better). This truly was an enjoyable adventure film. It had a fresh plot and was like a modern Indiana Jones. Good focus on American History which made it even more enjoyable for me (I love American History!). Want to relive the treasure hunt? Highlight inside the box for your map.   The following are the clues that lead Benjamin Gates (Nicholas Cage) to the greatest treasure in the world. The secret lies with Charlotte is the first clue, entrusted to the Gates family in 1812. Based on historical evidence and Riley’s geographical mapping algorithm, the Charlotte is somewhere in the frozen Arctic Tundra. Aboard the Charlotte is an ivory carved pipe. Using blood and a scrap of parchment, the pipe stem contains a riddle indicating that the … Continue reading →

This movie was really fun. Packed full of comedic bits and a pretty well-paced story, this movie is NOT just a vehicle for the sexiness that is Salma Hayek (although her being sexy in a movie is always a plus (it’s one of the main reasons I saw Once Upon A Time in Mexico…that and Johnny Depp)). Having not seen The Thomas Crown Affair, I can’t compare Pierce Brosnan’s performance or rebuff complaints of his lack of character research (they say his character’s are virtually indistinguishable). The premise: Brosnan and Hayek are a loving team of expert jewel thieves who have retired after one last hit, when suddenly they find themselves under investigation by the same agent they got their last big score from (Woody Harrelson). Comedy ensues as Brosnan tries to butter Harrelson up into thinking they didn’t do it (upgrade to the Bridge Suite, front and back massages, … Continue reading →