Mini-Reviews: Movies. Contribute!

[firstadopter]

Pumping Iron - 4 out of 10
It just wasn't that interesting to see Arnold mouth off and try to manipulate the minds of other body builders. The DVD video quality was clear and detailed, which I found pretty amazing for a documentary in 1970s.

Winged Migration - 7 out 10
There really isn't a plot here, but beautiful shots of birds flying around the world. Very relaxing and awe-inspiring how they got the shots. Once you see the "making of.." special feature, it pops the balloon of belief. However this DVD still is worth watching for its memorable shots.

The Hulk - 6 out of 10
This movie simply wasn't that good. It gets off to a slow start and then becomes a cartoon later on. I am so glad I didn't see this one in the theaters.

[firstadopter]

Just Married - 5 out 10
This wasn't as bad as I thought it would. Mildly entertaining physical humor and predictable storyline in this forumalic romantic comedy.

[firstadopter]

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - 6 out 10
The action was decent, but the plot was a bit brain-dead. It's amazing how they can spend hundreds of millions on action flicks with no brain. And what was with "gay" acting of the Captain?

[firstadopter]

Tears of the Sun - 6 out 10
Great action scenes, punkish plot. Bruce Willish trying to show emotion was kind of funny to see. Gratuitous cleavage in middle of sweaty jungle running to helicopter was kind of out of place.

[AndyRogers]

Bruce "Willish" isn't that great. Lol.

[firstadopter]

Spellbound - 8 out 10
-great spellbinding documentary about the National spelling. The stress, the tension, when these adorable kids are up there spelling, you can cut with a knife.

[firstadopter]

Head of State - 7 out of 10
The first half was pretty funny, but it ran out of gas later in the movie. Not as good as the Eddie Murphy classic, Distinguished Gentlemen.

[firstadopter]

Lost in Translation - 8 out of 10
Finally got to see this DVD. Great quirky romantic comedy, Bill Murray is fantastic as a over the hill actor doing commercials in Tokyo hanging out with a young bored lonely newleywed. Some classic scenes in this movie. I won't spoil it for you, just see it. Highly recommended.

[TheAngryIntern]

wow, i haven't seen any of those movies....i guess i'm just not the movie goer i used to be.

[firstadopter]

90%+ of those movies above are from netflix. :)

[firstadopter]

Last Samurai - 8 out 10

I liked this movie, awesome battle scenes, great cinematography, and decent acting. The guy that made Glory (one of my favorite movies of all time) also made this one. The ending was kind of cheesy and tacky. Hollywood needs to stop making Hollywood endings.

Mona Lisa Smile - 3 out 10
This movie made no sense. I was expecting a Dead Poets Society remake with women, but got NOTHING. Julia Roberts had no impact on these kids, at least the movie didn't show it. And at the end we're supposed to believe all these kids loved her and were so touched on how they changed their lives. Uh.. no.

[firstadopter]

The Cooler - 8 out of 10
This is a good Vegas gambling movie about an unlucky guy who is used to kill other customer's luck. The drama and plot never slow down and the acting is top-notch across the board. Recommended. I don't know why Alec Baldwin got all the acclaim, the two main characters are even more riveting.

[TheAngryIntern]

rgr, i think william h. macy is an awesome actor. I've really liked him ever since i saw Fargo, which is a fantastic movie. But then again, I'm a HUGE Coen brothers fan. I've seen all their movies so far (except for the new one, Ladykillers), and I've loved every single one of them. The Big Lebowski is one of my fav movies of all time. I haven't seen The Cooler yet, but I had heard it was good. I guess I'll have to netflix it now!!!

[firstadopter]

I, Robot - 8 out of 10
Great July Will Smith movie. I wish there was more massive robot action, old and new, but it was still a great sci-fi film.

The only thing holding this movie back was the dialogue. It was at times very very weak. Who writes this stuff?

The action CGI scenes were amazing. The one in the house is just plain awesome.

[firstadopter]

I saw Sky Captain World of Tomorrow last night. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be, probably a 6 out 10. The imagery was awesome, but the story simply didn't make any sense.

I also saw Wimbeldon with Kirsten Dunst. It was a good romantic comedy in the line of Notting Hill and Love Actually. I'll give it a 8 out 10.

[sHAZBOT!]

Not usually my fav genre, but Mean Girls was pretty funny....I guess 'cause Tina Fey from SNL wrote it. 8/10

Hell Boy wasn't too bad. I usually find these movies to be stupid, but some of the dry humor made it watchable 6.5/10

Spring Forward was really good, bit slow at times tho. 8.5/10

BTW, my favs include:
Guy Ritchie: Snatch, Lock Stock...
Coen Bros: Fargo, Barton Fink, Millers Crossing...
Tarantino: All of 'em
Drug Related: Blow, Salton Sea,
War Related: SPR, BoB, BlackHawk Down, Full Metal Jacket, etc.
Others: Blazing Saddles, Adaptation,

[CAG]

Has anybody seen this?

[sHAZBOT!]

yeah...mildly entertaining with decent effects and scientific references, but kinda weak overall. Could have been better with a more dramatic edge, but it was smoothed over for the PG-13 rating I guess. Massive leaps of faith, combined with lame pubescent love story and dramatic moments squelched before they can make an impact leave plenty to be desired. worth a netflix rental, but FFS dont buy this piece.
Nowhere near the quality of others in that same genre like Independence Day and Armageddon. Even The Core was much better than this, and that was much more unrealistic.

[firstadopter]

i agree with Shazbot. Special effects make it worth a rental, but story and lame drama are puke-worthy.

Weather effects are pretty cool though.

[CAG]

Thanks, sHAZBOT!...it looked so good in the TV promo's...but I guess its worth a rental (I'm a sucker for lame pubescent love stories ;) )

[sHAZBOT!]

np...enjoy

[TheAngryIntern]

Just got back from seeing this movie. I have to say I think it is my new favorite Pixar movie. It's a tough call between Monster's Inc and this one, but The Incredibles is an amazing movie. Pixar definitely raised the bar in terms of the level of animation. Specifically, the water effects are simply stunning. Great story line, great animation, plenty of comedic moments, and still has a message for the kids. I'd have to give this movie a 10 out of 10 for sure. A definite must see, especially if you are a huge Pixar fan like me!!!!

edit: Oh YEAH!!!! i almost forgot.....the trailer for Episode III is showing with the incredibles. After a quick look at the new film, it looks like it will be another masterpiece from lucas. I know people dogged on Ep 1 and 2, but it looks as though lucas may have listened to the critiques he got, cuz it looks simply amazing. I don't want to wait 6 more months to see it!!! arrrgghhh!!!!!!

[CAG]

Originally posted by sHAZBOT!
yeah...mildly entertaining with decent effects and scientific references, but kinda weak overall. Could have been better with a more dramatic edge, but it was smoothed over for the PG-13 rating I guess. Massive leaps of faith, combined with lame pubescent love story and dramatic moments squelched before they can make an impact leave plenty to be desired. worth a netflix rental, but FFS dont buy this piece.
Nowhere near the quality of others in that same genre like Independence Day and Armageddon. Even The Core was much better than this, and that was much more unrealistic. You were right on about this movie, sHAZBOT!. I think what upset me the most about it was that for about the first 1/3 of the movie, the special effects were very good and then for the remainder of the movie, everyone just wandered around in the snow...very dull.

[CAG]

Originally posted by TheAngryIntern
Oh YEAH!!!! i almost forgot.....the trailer for Episode III is showing with the incredibles. After a quick look at the new film, it looks like it will be another masterpiece from lucas. I know people dogged on Ep 1 and 2, but it looks as though lucas may have listened to the critiques he got, cuz it looks simply amazing. I don't want to wait 6 more months to see it!!! arrrgghhh!!!!!! I liked the effects in the last one but the characters (aside from Natalie Portman who imo can do no wrong :) ) left me very cold...nothing like the Trilogy...But I'm a diehard Star Wars fan and, like you, I'll be there in May.

CAG

[firstadopter]

Just came back from watching the Incredibles. Mucho recommendo. It takes a while to get going, but the last 30 minutes is pure exileration, the kids that were in the theater absolutely loved it.

[firstadopter]

Caught this on DVD. DO NOT GO SEE this movie. It was painful to watch, horrible dialogue, bad acting, and one of the worst screenplays ever.

I can't believe Nicole Kidman agreed to do this movie.

[firstadopter]

I'm looking forward to Firefly Serenity. With the baby I haven't had much chance to go out to see movies.

I saw Sky Captain and World of Tommorow, it was "eh" ok. Good CG effects and special effects, the story kind of didn't make any sense at all. I give it 6 out of 10.

[TheAngryIntern]

i just saw Corpse Bride and Lord of War this weekend. I really enjoyed both movies.

[firstadopter]

The special effects were top notch, however the original story isn't very good. It just kind of abruptly just ends. And the ending was pretty cheesy.

I give it a 7 out of 10.

[TheAngryIntern]

Waiting...

Just saw this one tonight. All I will say is you should go see it, cuz it's pretty damn funny. It is definitely one of those movies where if it gets too hyped up be people who've seen it, you'll be disappointed when you see it. So I will just say, I thoroughly enjoyed and and it made me laugh quite a bit. Definitely recommend it!!

[firstadopter]

I'm a big Firefly fan. It was almost like a long TV episode with better special effects. Definitely worth watching if you like story-driven SciFi. 8/10

[firstadopter]

The movie was very funny at times, but seems to lose its way later on meandering around a neverending plot. 7/10

[Gamergal]

i saw Kingkong and i thought it was good.Jackson made the iconic monster a lot terrifying but he showed that the beast has emotions and he showed it very well.

[firstadopter]

King Kong is on my list of must rentals when it comes out, along with Wallace and Gromit.

Is it me or has there not been a lot of great movies in the past year?

I mean if Broke Back Mountain is regarded as the best? Eeesh.

[firstadopter]

7 out of 10

It's a fun tougue in cheek romp about 2 super spys. The action is pretty good and the story is alright. Not the deepest movie out there.

[firstadopter]

The special effects are amazing. The problem is the story "drags" as in you get the "I wish this movie would end" feeling a number of times. Acting is pretty bad too. I give it 5 out 10.

[firstadopter]

One of the few chick flicks that's worth seeing. Anne Hathaway has a bright future. 8/10

[firstadopter]

Blah. They basically take the same plotlines and scenes from previous Superman movies and mix them together with worse acting. The new Lois Lane is BAD. She's not a good actress and not that pretty either. LOL. 4/10. My local Blockbuster has TONS of Superman Returns every time I go there, no one wants to watch this movie. LOL.

[arogan]

Devil Wears prada: one of the better chick flicks but still a chick flick: 6/10

The Descent: hot chicks and fast gollum bat people. Watched the unrated real ending version. 6/10

A Scanner Darkly: Kind of artsy and out there. Cool animation/presentation. 5/10

Poseidon: Better than I expected. Not a bad disaster movie. I loved the original 1972 one. It has Emmy Rossum in it. 7/10

The Holiday: another chick flick. Diaz is starting to show her age a bit in spite of her bubbly personality. 6/10

American Dreamz: Not what you would expect. It's more of a political satire than a straight parody of American Idol. Hey it has Mandy Moore in it. 6/10


Superman Returns:
We got to watch this in the edwards 3D IMAX.
Potential spoiler warning.

- Overall I thought the casting was excellent. All the principals did a great job and had some really great on screen chemistry going on.
- The two big things that annoyed me was the completely flawed Lex Luthar plan for world domination and Lois having a kid. I think it's a bit too big of a progressive jump for me. Superman having a child out of wedlock just doesn't seem to fit his squeaky clean image he's suppose to have.
- Yeah, Superman as a stalker also doesn't quite fit that image.
- The kid got a bit annoying for me. Get that boy some advair! Anybody using the albuterol inhaler that often needs to be on a maintenance drug.
- The effects and action overall were great. Pacing was very good too.
- I'm glad they worked back in the original John Williams themes.
- I liked the IMAX 3d experience. We sat near dead center and there were only 3 scenes that were in 3D. They would flash green or red glasses at the bottom of the screen to tell you when to put on or take off the glasses. I'm glad the full 2.5hrs wasn't in 3D. That would probably have given me a headache. I just really enjoyed the BIG screen.
- Overall I can look past the flaws and just had a great time.

9/10

[firstadopter]

One of the better light hearted comedies I've seen in a while. Good acting, great esemble cast. One of the funniest laugh out loud comedy scenes too. Good stuff. 8/10

[stupot42]

Just saw Night at the Museum. Wasn't expecting much, but Dick Van Dyke is a legend, and I thought it might be funny. I laughed myself stupid at some bits, and some of it's just plain old really entertaining. A family movie like they used to be. I loved it. Couldn't decide on an 8 or 9, so 8.5/10.

[firstadopter]

Typical Disney sports fare. The football action scenes are pretty fun, but the story does drag on at times. It's pretty neat its based on a true story though.

[firstadopter]

Good acting. It's not as good as Garden State and I'm not really a fan of the ending.

[firstadopter]

The movies drags and drags. There really isn't much of a plot. The only redeeming things are the nice picturesque landscapes and good costumes.

[firstadopter]

Ok cheesy romantic movie. Worth a rental though.

[arogan]

- Make sure you are alert and ready to think when watching this flick. Man there are a lot of characters and events to keep track of.
- Ending was ok but could have been a bit more satisfying. A couple of annoying loose ends.

6/10 - worth a rental.

[firstadopter]

I was ashamed at laughing out loud on a number very obnoxious scenes. Some scenes will sear into your memory forever, not in a good way. I have to say I laughed a lot, but I dunno if that speaks well of me. But I was entertained.

[firstadopter]

Good documentary, although it would of been cool if they added the Grammy 2007 footage at the end for final vindication.

[arogan]

For a movie based on a frank miller graphic novel which was inspired by the original 1962 The 300 Spartans (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/) (which I've started to watch but man now I remember why I don't watch old movies) it met all my expectations.

- It's a historically accurate depiction of The Battle of Thermopylae (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae) if it occurred in middle earth.
- In a rare treat I got to see this in the theater. This was a sat afternoon and it still was almost sold out.
- Visually it's stunning. Think sin city but toned down a bit as far as the graphic novel look goes. The stylized violence is really well done.
- I love all the really dynamic camera work. The effects are top notch. Some of the fighting choreography is really great. I really liked one scene where it focuses on how two Spartans fighting together really complement each others moves. Not sure how realistic any of this is but hey it looked really cool.
- Pacing is great
- There are some great one liners.
- No big names but the cast did a fine job.
- I liked the soundtrack. Nothing goes better with lots of impaling and decapitations than heavy guitar.

10/10

I'll be buying this on hd-dvd/blu-ray as soon as it gets released.

[firstadopter]

It made by the guy who made Office Space. Some hilarious funny visuals, but the plot is pretty thing. 6/10

Still worth a rental for some hilarious scenes and the social satire.

[firstadopter]

6/10

Chick flick. It was ok, worth watching. Conversation was good and you see threads of everyday life in there.

There wasn't much point to the movie however.

[firstadopter]

Decent romantic comedy. Let's see rich beautiful girl falling for her pudgy accountant? I don't think so.

[firstadopter]

Punchy, gripping depressing future sci-fi. Worth seeing.

[arogan]

Children of men - 7/10 sounds about right to me too.

Spiderman 3 - 8/10 yeah I actually enjoyed it despite the few cheesy sappy moments. Sfx were incredible

Ghost Rider - 5/10 Campy, weak bad guys, weak fights, good sfx, Eva Mendes is holding up well. Makes fantastic four seem like a really good super hero movie.

Idiocracy - 8/10 If you love office space then you will really like this movie. Pretty low budget but there are just so many lol moments it's worth it. There's quite a bit of low brow humor.

Saw - 7/10 shocking, disturbing, good twist

Saw 2 - 6/10 a few really disturbing scenes but not as good as the original, Twist not so good. I'm still watching saw 3.

.45 - 5/10 gritty, raw, brutal, a bit hard to watch sometimes.

Flags of our Fathers - 6/10 need more war footage, jumps around too much, post war part was too long, dragged. I'll try and watch Letters from Iwo Jima next.

[firstadopter]

Julianne Moore looked really good in Children of Men. I was shocked to read she is now in her late 40s. Wow!

[firstadopter]

The Holiday - 7/10 - decent romantic comedy with a lot of cornball scenes.

Happy Feet - 5/10 - weird CG animated film with a very political plot

[arogan]

Letters from Iwo Jima - 6/10 yeah better continuity, see more of the fight, kind of cool to see the same fights from flags but from a different perspective, still slow paced and kind of boring, not a big fan of the washed out color effect.

Fearless - 6/10 Typical Chinese sappy storyline with some good fights.

Pan's Labyrinth - 7/10 Brutal and violent Spanish civil war story that parallels a young girl's fantasy world used to escape her harsh existence. I found it imaginative yet depressing.

[arogan]

Saw 3 - 7/10 wraps up the trilogy nicely. Better than the second one.

Bridge to Terabithia - 7/10 Not quite what I expected but touching and enjoyable none the less. Great performances by the two leads.

Shooter - 7/10 Probably one of the best sniper movies out there (and I like sniper movies!). Smart and well paced.

[firstadopter]

Rocky Balboa - 6/10 - same old story, but still a decent boxing match.

[arogan]

Music and Lyrics - 6/10 Wife wanted something light after all the depressing films I've been picking. This film is surprisingly entertaining, charming, and is sure to put a smile on your face especially if you grew up listening to 80's pop and watched the videos. The opening video is a hilarious spot on parody of 80's pop videos. The two leads have good on screen chemistry. There's some pretty funny writing. Throw in a few catchy tunes and you've got an above average chick flick.

[firstadopter]

Best movie I've seen in years. Classic Pixar. Great chase scenes, great story.

[arogan]

- ILM does the sfx and boy does it show. They really are at the top of their game. The sfx are probably some of the best I have ever seen. The interaction between CG and live action is just amazing. Every shot is chock full on transformers combined with live actors and it is very well done, very seamless. There are some seriously complex scenes (especially toward the end) that must have been very difficult to pull off. Transformations look amazing especially while they are in motion.
- The story is fine.
- You get your typical way over the top, dramatic slow mow, patriotic music. If you've seen a Michael Bay movie then you know what I'm talking about. I expected it and enjoyed it. His directing style fits well with an animation to live action adaption.
- Megan Fox
- For a budget of $147 million dollars this movie looks as good if not better than the $258 million spent on spider-man 3.
- Hackers are pretty much a joke. What was the purpose of Maggie Madsen (the blond hacker) again?
- They really try a bit too hard establishing the human - autobot relationship. It's a bit forced. Some of it is just a bit silly (the whole yard and parents scene). I felt it needed more development with the relationships between the autobots.
- Quite a few funny lines and a few moaners.
- It's PG13 but pretty mild IMO. It's not quite a kids movie but there is no blood, no graphic violence when the few humans die, and no cursing.

Overall I was very impressed with this great action popcorn movie despite having a couple of flaws.

9/10

[firstadopter]

Out of the 3 movies, this one got the worst reviews. However I thought it was fine, funny, and serviceable. The dialogue had my kind of humor and the plot twist was alright.

[stupot42]

I saw Oceans Thirteen a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it a lot. Far better than Oceans Twelve.

Harry Potter was ok. Nothing special. If you're really interested then read the books, they're much better. It kept a decent pace and there were some nice effects and decent fight scenes for a kids film. Overall worth a watch if you're a fan, but they miss out so much of the story from the book.

[arogan]

Ocean's 12 - 5/10 ehhh didn't do much for me. Actually found it a bit boring and quite forgettable overall.

Hot Fuzz - 7/10
I've seen Shaun of the Dead so I wanted to check this out.
Funny stuff even if you aren't too much into British humor (which there is a bit). I really enjoyed the last act with all the action movie parodies.

The Bourne Ultimatum - 8/10
fantastic wrap up of the Bourne trilogy: Smart, full of action, not too crazy over the top. Good ending, good closure, answers your questions. Too much close "in the action" documentary style shaky cam with quick cuts. Yeah I guess they are trying to put you in the action and show how brutal it all is but I just found it kind of annoying after a while. But still it had some amazing intense chase scenes.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 7/10
I guess it was a competent conversion but just too much has been cut. As the books get longer I fear they are going to have a more difficulty time editing the material down for a film. It seemed like every scene had Harry Potter in so much that even Ron and Hermione's parts seemed trivialized. The final scene in the Ministry of Magic felt really rushed though it did have some nice action and sfx. They should just move to a 3hr standard like LOTR and be done with it. Overall I still enjoyed it though.

I'm currently reading (err listening to actually) book 7 and I'm about 40% through it. Great book so far. I've you don't normally listen to audio books you should give the HP series a try. He's the best darn audio book reader out there (and I listen to a lot of audio books).

[TheAngryIntern]

i can understand the concept of audio books and why some people like them, but I think my attention span for something like that is way too short. For a Book I need to be able to read it myself. Maybe I just didn't get read enough stories when I was a kid or something.

I want to see the Bourne movie...i remember reading something that Matt Damon said that they had gone so far away from the books that the 3rd movie is completely new and really doesn't use the book at all except for the title. He even said that he was considering (as was the rest of the regular cast) not doing the movie unless they got a really good script that would finish up the story. From what I'm hearing, they've done a good job of that.

[arogan]

Well when your work commute is about 2 hrs a day you find yourself in the car lot. That's the only time I listen to audio books. I've taken a break for several months listening to mostly podcasts but now I'm back to the books.

[stupot42]

I've tried Audio books on the train, but they send me to sleep, and I've also tried them at work but they don't get my full attention and I miss great sections of what was said. I can see the appeal tho. Ideal for a long commute in the car.

Hot Fuzz was brilliant. I've just bought the DVD. I love that kind of humour and it was filmed in the Village my missus comes from, which she really likes. Yarp, I really enjoyed it. ;)

[firstadopter]

Lucky You - 6/10 - it got pretty bad reviews, but I'm a poker nut and enjoyed it.

Knocked Up - 8/10 - funny. Lots of cursing though.

[arogan]

Last Mimzy - 4/10 wow everybody get on the children fantasy train. I liked escape from witch mountain better.

Premonition - 5/5 gets a tad confusing tracking all her days that are out of order. It had an ok ending.

Perfect Stranger - 4/10 Boring, predictable, lame twist.

Click - 5/10 pretty much what I expected. A few funny moments but could have been more funny. Hey it has Christopher Walken in it.

Vacancy - 6/10 not bad. Wasn't expecting much. Had some suspenseful parts and some rather stupid parts.

Disturbia - 7/10 pleasantly surprised. Quite an entertaining thriller.

Knocked Up - 6/10 Some funny parts and some difficult to watch parts. I thought 40 yr old virgin was better.

Into the Blue - 5/10 Watched it in blu-ray. The pq/sound was great; the movie itself was very average. It really starts to fall apart in the last quarter.

Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer - 6/10 Watched it in blu-ray. Amazing PQ/sound again. A slightly above average. Too much silly adolescent humor. SFX were nice.

[TheAngryIntern]

I finally watched Beerfest....it was freaking hilarious!!! I was a bit skeptical, mainly because Club Dread wasn't very good, but Beerfest was great. The actors they got to play the Germans were awesome!

[firstadopter]

Spiderman 3 Blu-ray - rented it. Plot was subpar, but special effects were fun. 7/10

[firstadopter]

Kingdom of Heaven - good war scenes. 7/10

[firstadopter]

The Island - Another Michael Bay film. I actually liked it even though it got bad reviews. 7/10 Great action scenes.

[firstadopter]

Shallow Hal - fun comedy with basically one joke over and over again. 7/10

[firstadopter]

Dodgeball - ok comedy 6/10

[arogan]

The Island - 8/10 A lot better than I expected. It reminded me a lot of Logan's run (which is one of my favorite classic sci-fi flicks): ankh symbol/branding, life crystals/bracelets, population, carousel/lottery, sanctuary/the island, naming convention, etc. Even the ending is very similar. Just don't expect any "Fish, and plankton. And sea greens, and protein from the sea." Anyways, the later half turns into an all out action flick which is what you would expect from Bay.

Kingdom of Heaven - 7/10 This is my second viewing of this film (this time in HD). I watched it again since I just finished Assassin's Creed (amazing how much the game looks like the movie). Nice big battle at the end there. They sure do distort some of the key historical figures though, and they made Saladin seem a lot "nicer" especially in the surrender terms.

Live Free or Die Hard (blu-ray) - 6/10 I liked it more than the 3rd one. Just way crazy over the top totally leaving the realm of believability. I guess what do you expect from the director of the the Underworld movies. Yeah John McClane still gets all beat up but he sure seems indestructible. It pretty much loses that every day guy stuck in a bad situation but make the best of it feel. Now it's just a high budget action film. There are a few good one liners, and the mac guy gets a bit less annoying as the movie goes on.

Pixar Short films Collection vol 1 - 6/10 Very entertaining. Pixar has come a long way. Interesting to see some of their early work. That baby sure is scary looking in tin toy. Commentary track is worth a listen too.

Ratatouille (blu-ray) - 8/10 Definitely another classic from Pixar. There are some truly hilarious parts. I've never seen water rendered so well.

Shrek the Third (hd-dvd) - 4/10 worst of the three. It just wasn't funny....at all and then there's Justin Timberlake.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - 5/10 slightly offensive, old, dated, and not funny enough.

Evan Almighty - 6/10. Not bad. About what I expected. Still a fan of Steve Carell.

Hostel - 6/10 I like the saw series better.

[arogan]

Stardust - 6/10 It tries so hard to be Princess bride but it isn't. The writing isn't as good, the humor misses a lot, just not as charming, tries too hard and it shows. Claire Danes does a pretty good job. Her lines are probably the best.

[firstadopter]

Waitress - 7/10 - funny dark comedy. Very quirky.

[firstadopter]

Oceans 13 - 5 out of 10 - after a few times it just gets old
Six Days, Six Nights - 7/10 - fun cast away movie, old. The female lead looked mighty fine back in the day.

[arogan]

Six Days, Six Nights - 7/10 - fun cast away movie, old. The female lead looked mighty fine back in the day.

heh I remember seeing that a LONG time ago.
Anne Heche in a wet top for 90% of the movie = nipplelodeon
and that's about all I remember from the movie.

[arogan]

Superbad - 3/10 it lives up to it's name. I guess I'm just too old for this kind of film. Painful to watch and just not very funny....at all.

I know who killed me - 2/10 I was curious about this train wreck and what a wreck it was. Oh how far Lindsay Lohan has fallen. Absolute rubbish.

I am Legend - 7/10 I really enjoyed the story, characters, effects, pacing, acting....It's just good story telling.

The Kingdom - 8/10 Great action, nice to see Jennifer Garner in a slightly different role, interesting Saudi politics, +1 just for the last scene alone.

[arogan]

Waitress - 6/10 solid chick flick with likable main characters and an entertaining supporting cast. Quirky and enjoyable.

[arogan]

Resident Evil Extinction - 6/10 Worst of the 3. Felt the least like Resident Evil and really has almost nothing to do with the game now. It felt more like Mad Max. Still it had a few entertaining moments and is setup for yet another sequel.

[firstadopter]

The Bourne Ultimatum - Good non-stop action movie with good writing. So rare these days. 9/10

[arogan]

National Treasure: Book of Secrets - 7/10 The original cast returns for this sequel. If you liked the first one you'll like this one as it doesn't deviate far from the original.

[firstadopter]

The Kingdom - 7/10 - Decent action thriller.

[arogan]

Shoot Em Up - 7/10. Pretty much exactly what I expected: Crazy over the top shooting action with some crazy stunts and impossible situations.

[firstadopter]

Juno - 8/10 - The actress lead is going to be a good actress for a long time.

[firstadopter]

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - 9/10 - Great documentary for us video gamers. :)

[arogan]

Renaissance - 7/10. Black and white (as in no shades of gray), CG animation, motion capture, Film Noir, Blade Runner. Yeah this is one pretty unique movie..

3:10 to Yuma - 7/10. I'm not a huge fan of westerns but this a good one. Interesting characters, good performances, and some nice intense moments and action.

[arogan]

Brave One(HD) - 5/10. Wow this would have been a perfect fit for WE network or lifetime. Jody Foster has NOT aged well.

American Gangster - 7/10. Good performances all around.

Enchanted(HD) - 7/10. Amy Adams does a great job. Light, funny, silly, a tad annoying at times, high production values, and surprisingly catchy.

Sunshine(HD) - 6/10. 80% of the movie was great: beautiful, suspenseful and well paced (probably an 8/10), the other 20% (say 4/10) well it felt almost like a different director and the move pretty much went to crap at that point.

Hitman (HD) - 5/10. Either I was really tired or this movie just didn't hold my interest. I had to try and stay awake. The action is ok but wasn't all that gripping. The plot is overly complicated and not in a good deep way but in a poorly written,shot,executed way that just confuses the audience. Not the worst video game movie but definitely not the best.

No Country for Old Men (HD) - 3/10. boring, slow, boring, almost no music??? Most of the movie is silent except for the boring dialog, boring, pointless, boring, horrible non-ending, oh did I mention it was boring?

28 weeks later (HD) - 7/10. Some pacing issues at the start but when it gets going, it really gets going. Some nice action scenes full of tension. Still not a fan of close up, quick, cuts, shaky camera work. I wish directors would cut that crap out.

[TheAngryIntern]

I thought No Country For Old Men was fantastic. I picked it up on BluRay the day it came out, but finally got a chance to watch it last weekend. I probably should preface this with the fact that Joel and Ethan Coen are my favorite filmmakers (or at the very least in the top 2, along with Kubrick) I've seen every one of their films and have loved every one. NCFOM is very similar to Fargo, slow paced, but riveting, IMO. Perfectly demonstrates the genius of The Coens in being able to drive a story with just their imagery, and don't really need to have a ton of dialogue. I have also read the novel by Cormac McCarthy, and the movie translated very well to the big screen, mostly due to the amazing screen writing abilities of the Coens, but the novel was very cinematic to begin with and a very good book to boot. I really do think that for most Coen movies you either get it or you don't, there's really no middle ground. Javier Bardem was freaking fantastic as Chigurh, played the part perfectly, totally earned his Oscar. He was just so evil it was great. To each his own, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in about the movie.

[firstadopter]

I've been watching the John Adams HBO Mini-series, if you are a history buff and like Band of Brothers and Rome, you'll love it. Great stuff, great production values.

[arogan]

Atonement (HD) - 4/10 slow tragic romantic artsy piece. What's there to like?

Next (HD) - 6/10. I enjoyed the unique premise. It was great up until the cop out ending.

[firstadopter]

Arogan, who do you use for rentals or do you buy all these HD discs?

[arogan]

Netflix and blockbuster.

The Simpsons Movie (HD) - 6/10. I haven't watched the series in a long time. There were definitely some laugh out loud moments but not enough of them. Not a lot of benefit from HD :-)

[firstadopter]

Do you subscribe to both mail services? What have you seen, is Netflix selection and speed better than Blockbuster.

I have tried both and it seems Netflix has better selection, but the discs tend to be much more used and more bad ones (scratched, unplayable).

[arogan]

Actually I primarily use netflix. I have a co-worker who has both and sometimes we swap blu-ray movies since they do tend to take a bit longer. But I've heard him basically say the same thing when comparing the two services.

[arogan]

Juno (HD) - 7/10. Surprisingly well written. None of that moronic adolescent humor. Do kids really talk like this these days?

Mr. Brooks (HD) - 6/10. It was an ok thriller. It's a tad slow moving. Nothing really special but not bad either. Demi Moore hasn't changed a bit.

[stupot42]

Awake 7/10 - Interesting idea, well acted, Jessica Alba... need I say more. I did see all of the twists coming, but I still enjoyed it. Worth a watch.

[firstadopter]

I just saw Iron Man. It's a good movie. Great action sequences, music, and decent plot. It wasn't as good as I hoped, but it's definitely worth seeing. 8/10

[arogan]

I really want to see Ironman on the big screen...

Cloverfield - 7/10. I enjoyed the characters, story, and action. I hated the shaky cam (-1 for that alone). I really wish they shot this film in a more traditional manner. Not a bad film if you can make it through the 1hr 15min (minus credits) without hurling.

Rent (HD) - 3/10. Way too liberal for me. Some of the songs are just way out there. There are a few ok numbers though.

Catch and Release (HD) - 6/10. I still like Jennifer Garner enough. Kevin Smith can be pretty funny. The rest is pretty much the usual chick flick stuff.

The Golden Compass (HD) - 6/10. High budget, visually impressive, very nice sfx. Unoriginal, uninspired plot/characters. Never read the book. Seems to be pretty scrubbed clean of the anti-Christian and atheistic themes.

27 Dresses (HD) - 5/10. Standard formulaic chick flick. They even managed to work in the obligatory shopping scene without actually going shopping. Katherine Heigl is easy on the eyes.

[arogan]

Dan in Real Life (HD) - 6/10. Some corny and awkward bits which is expected with Steve Carell but overall not bad.

P.S. I love You (HD) - 4/10. Obvious tear jerker that didn't do much for me though it seemed to affect my wife quite a bit. This is a hard core chick flick with little for the guys. Hilary Swank has NOT aged well and Lisa kudrow is doing even worse.

Appleseed Ex Machina - 9/10. I really enjoyed it: John Woo directed it which really pays off in some of the amazing action scenes (there are even doves!), impressive computer graphics but forgoes the final fantasy realistic look and instead goes for a more anime hand drawn stylized look, Great character and mecha design, really good english translation/dub voice acting (for most anime I prefer the original Japanese soundtrack with english subititles but this one is an exception). -1 for a pretty average and predictable story. I'm seriously considering buying the blu-ray version now.

[arogan]

Iron Man (theater) - 8/10. Well casted, well told origin story but expect a bit slower pace with a lot of suit building, some very nice sfx action scenes. Stay until after the end credits for a bonus scene.

[TheAngryIntern]

8/10: If you go in expecting an Indiana Jones movie, you will be more than satisfied! It's a wonderful continuation of the series, has all of the sequences you'd expect from an Indy movie: good vehicle chases, lots of hand-to-hand combat. I remember reading that Spielberg and Lucas really wanted to make the movie have the same look and feel of the previous movies, and I think they pulled it off wonderfully. Other than Harrison and Karen Allen being obviously much older, it feels like it could have been made just a year or two after Last Crusade.

Speaking of Harrison Ford, while getting up there in age, he still plays Indy very well. Shia LaBouf was a likable enough character, a somewhat odd sidekick to Indy at first, but as the movie progresses, they work pretty well together. Cate Blanchett is awesome as the main Villain, you're stereotypical action movie Russian chick: heavy accent, incredibly sexy, always in control.

There's a really nice subtle tribute to Denholm Elliot, who played Marcus Brody in the previous films and whom died in 1992, and in the same scene they reference Sean Connery's character, indicating both characters had died recently.

There are a few scenes where you will definitely be saying to yourself "no way that could really happen" but that's normal for these types of movies. I do really like how in all the Indy movies they've had the fictional plot tie in with events that really were happening during the time the movie was set, this time being the beginnings of the Cold War and nuclear testing.

All in all, very enjoyable 2 hrs with everything you'd expect to see in an Indian Jones movie! highly recommended!

[arogan]

Rambo 2008 (HD) - 7/10. Surprisingly enjoyable. It's rambo movie so you should know what to expect. Stallone still plays the part well. Some good action scenes, high body count, and as gory as ever. You really get see up close what a 50 cal does to human flesh.

Nanny Diaries (HD) - 5/10. Pretty average, only some funny parts, Scarlett Johansson. I had no idea Alicia Keys acted.

Vexille (HD) - 7/10. Another visually impressive CG anime similar in style to Appleseed Ex Machina. Action scenes aren't done quite as well (and of course not...No John Woo!!!). Story is a tad more interesting, some pacing issues, characters are a bit bland.

Untraceable (HD) - 6/10. Saw wannabe but falls short on many accounts. The whole internet untraceable aspect is pretty ridiculous, the protagonist (FBI agent) does some pretty dumb things. Diane Lane is looking mighty old there. Just go watch Streets of Fire instead....ok maybe not.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (theater) - 8/10. It's Indy all classic style with a healthy dose of fan service: cheesy, over the top, unbelievable, funny. It's great seeing some of the old cast get together. The action is great and I thought the CG wasn't over done for the most part (minus a couple of obvious scenes). In fact I thought they did a pretty good job making this look more like a movie that could have been made around the time of the original movie. It doesn't have that pure digital squeaky clean look like say Superman Returns. I didn't even have that much of a problem with the ending. It's about adventure, myths, and legends. They all don't have to be biblical or even historical based. Harrison Ford still plays a great Indy. Cate Blanchett does a nice job as the villain, and everyboy cheered when Karen Allen came on screen. Add Shia LaBeouf to make it more relevant to younger audiences..I guess. Sure you can nit pick like crazy and there are easily 3-4 scenes that can really bother you if you let it. If you haven't out grown this type of film and can just let some things go, then you can just sit back and have a really great time.

[firstadopter]

27 Dresses - 5/10 - average mediocre romantic formulaic comedy. Weak writing and poor acting.

[arogan]

Fool's Gold (HD) - 5/10. Throw in some pretty horribly written scenes, goofy bad guys, some poor national treasureish bits, and oddly a lack of chemistry between Hudson and McConaughey and you got a pretty bad movie. It least it looked good in HD.

10,000 BC (HD) - 7/10. I enjoyed it for the most part. Sure it had a lot of silly scenes (including the ending) and some of the effects looked a bit fake in HD (sort of like king kong on hd-dvd), but I still liked it. Good popcorn flick.

Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (HD) - 5/10. Was this thing really R rated? I couldn't really tell. I actually found it quite boring and the setting quite dull. I actually enjoyed the previous AvP more. They introduced too many characters, none that you really cared about, battles were ehhh and then throw in some teen angst for poor measure.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (HD) - 5/10. This is by far Uwe Boll best film but that is saying quite little. It's loads better than Blood Rayne (the only other film of his I've seen). First, I was quite impressed by the cast: Jason Statham which does quite a good job with the Hong Kong action choreographed like fights (yeah I know it is a LOTR rip off fantasy epic, figure that out, Uwe even throws in ninja's), Leelee Sobieski (wow, where has she been), John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman (I liked his character), Kristanna Loken (good thing her part was kept to a minimum), Ray Liotta (just goofy!), and Burt Reynolds(he actually did alright). You'll be surprised by just how many "stars" you'll recognize. Production values seemed to be mixed. Overall there are quite a lot of effects: the CG looks fine, lots of nice big sweeping vista shots like in LOTR which couldn't have been cheap, and lots of big battles. Jason Statham does a pretty good job with his fight scenes. But for some reason the Krugs just kind of gave the whole thing a Power Rangers feel. Music was forgettable. I would say this movie was actually watchable if you are in a sci-fi channel B movie mood with a higher budget (imdb reports $60 million). Oh and having actually finished Dungeon Siege the PC game this movie shares almost nothing in common with the game except for a name or two. I think it would have been improved if they included the chicken gun.

[firstadopter]

Becoming Jane (Bluray) - 7/10 - The first 40 minutes are VERY boring, but the plot and drama kicks in later. Anne Hathaway does a good job as Jane Austen and I was surprised by her dramatic range. Rural Ireland, the costumes, and landscapes look amazing in Bluray HD. Recommended.

[firstadopter]

Enchanted (Bluray) - 7/10 - Cute Disney flick, well acted for what it is. I think it's perfect for young girls. LOL.

[firstadopter]

Charlie Wilson's War - 8/10 - good screenplay writted by Aaron Sorkin, the same guy that wrote the initial seasons of West Wing. A good movie for history, politics, and foreign policy junkies. Lots of attractive women too, lol.

[firstadopter]

Wall the Line (DVD) - 7/10 - acting is good. The story for most of the film is downright depressing.

[firstadopter]

3:10 to Yuma (Blu-ray): I liked this Western too. Plot had some holes, but the acting was great and good action sequences. 8/10

[firstadopter]

The Prestige (Blu-ray) - I enjoyed this film. Good plot, good acting. I actually found this movie as Christian Bale was one of the leads because I enjoyed his performance in 3:10 to Yuma. Then today I found out he assaulted his sister and mother. Geez, are all actors messed up people? 8/10.

[firstadopter]

Robocop (Blu-ray) - I am ashamed to say this was the first time I saw this movie. I loved it. Bluray didn't seem to be that much more detailed than DVD however. 8/10

[arogan]

I'd buy that for a dollar! Man Rendition turn in your geek card right now! :-)
Another good early Verhoeven is Starship Troopers (Ignore the sequels though I know #3 is about to be released. 2 was horrible). It's not quite as good but I still enjoyed it (and that's being a Robert A. Heinlein fan).

Being sick for a week and not being able to play any shooters led to some very poor movie choices:

Never Back Down - 5/10. It's Karate Kid + Fight club - minus twist (or anything interesting, creative, or original). But I can watch Amber Heard all day which leads me to....

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane - 2/10 Horrible teenage slasher flick with a twist that made me laugh. Insipid and stupid. But You get to see more Amber Heard.

The Covenant (HD) - 3/10. Lost Boys this is NOT! Cheesy and pointless and not scary.

Onk-Bak - 5/10. Some nice martial arts (no CG or wires) wrapped around a horribly cheesy, horribly acted movie. I pretty much hated all the characters. If you can get past the cheese (and there is a LOT of cheese) it's got some pretty impressive fight scenes.

War (HD) - 6/10. Jet Li and Jason Statham (which is really growing on me). Some nice action scenes and a nice twist.

[firstadopter]

Haha... I kind of liked Starship Troopers too. I think the only other widely acclaimed geek films that I haven't seen are Aliens and Predator. Some day I will.

I'm not much of a horror sci-fi guy though.

I thought the writing and plot of Robocop was great. I especially like the ending. However reading the reviews of Robocop 2 and 3, I don't think I will watch those. I read a new Robocop in production now though.

[firstadopter]

Fantastic Four (HD on FX) - 7/10 - This movie was much better than the Silver Surfer sequel. Better plot and very good special effects.

[firstadopter]

Aeon Flux - 7/10 - Good story. Production values of a TV movie though and fight scenes are pretty weak. But Charlize Theron.. man she looks good. :)

[firstadopter]

Definitely, Maybe (8/10) - one of the better written romantic comedy plots, good movie.

[firstadopter]

Live Free or Die Hard (6/10) - good action sequences, horrendous plot, but I'm not watching for plot. lol

Rush Hour 3 (6/10) - good action sequences, blah plot, but the same silly humor is there.

[arogan]

Street Kings (HD) - 6/10 Better than I expected though a bit predictable, good pacing, I liked the characters, satisfying ending.

[firstadopter]

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - 8/10 - Good fun romantic comedy.

[firstadopter]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - are you kidding me??? I had to wait all these years for this stinking pile of crap. The plot makes absolutely no sense, the kid is horrible at acting, etc. 1/10

[firstadopter]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 6/10 - ok comedy. The naked guy parts were totally un-necessary.

[firstadopter]

Tropic Thunder - 3/10 - Had about 3 laughs in the whole movies. Hence the 3/10 score. Otherwise, horrendous.

Wall-E - 6/10 - the beginning was kind of boring. A bit of the let-down with all the amazing reviews.

[firstadopter]

Wanted 6/10 - ok action sequences, plot was kind of silly though.

[firstadopter]

Mamma Mia - 4/10 - couple a decent dancing sequences, but other than that, this is like Meryl Streep dream fun land.

[arogan]

Kung Fu Panda - 7/10. Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman play off of each other nicely, a lot more funny than I expected. Cute film.

Made of Honor (HD) - 5/10. Straight up uber hard core chick flick with a slight role reversal.

Wall-E (HD) - 7/10. I really enjoyed the cute story that was done quite well with little dialog for the first half of the film. The environmental message/politics is a bit much sometimes but overall very enjoyable. Make sure you watch the related short BURN-E.

Day of the Dead (2008) - 5/10. Fast zombies. I do prefer fast zombies. Not nearly as good as 28 weeks later but still enjoyable if you are in the mood for fast zombies.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan - 5/10. Some funny parts, too much way over the top raunchy humor that was more uncomfortable to watch than funny.

Get Smart (HD) - 7/10. Funny, nostalgic, some good action, Anne Hathaway, what's not to like

Started Mamma Mia because the wife was interested in it. After about 10 min I was ready to claw my eyes out. Horrible casting since you know maybe they should find people who could actually sing for a musical. Even my wife turned it off because it was way too campy.

[firstadopter]

"claw my eyes out" haha... I made it to the end, amazingly.

[firstadopter]

V for Vendetta - 7/10 - good writing. Weird. Oh Natalie.

Batman Begins - 7/10 - good action, strange plot.

Get Smart - 8/10 - Arogan and I have similar tastes.

[firstadopter]

Hellboy 2 - campy action 6/10

[firstadopter]

The Dark Knight - 8/10 - altho I find the low voice Batman uses kind of ridiculous

[firstadopter]

Priceless - 9/10 - great French romantic comedy. One of the very best.

[firstadopter]

300 - Yes I know it's a bit late. It was a fun action flick. I find it hilarious the traitor had the gold money on him. LOL 7/10

[firstadopter]

Bride Wars - 5/10 - Not one of Anne Hathaway's better movies.

[TheAngryIntern]

I took a long lunch today with a coworker and caught a Noon matinee. I thought it was amazing. It kept me completely entertained for the full 2 hours. Eric Bana was a freaking bad-ass, one of the better villains I've seen in a movie in a while. Leonard Nimoy was just plain awesome reprising his role as Spock. The new Spock really brought something new to the character while retaining everything we love about Spock. The casting was superb all around, all the actors they got did justice to their counterparts from the 60s, and I liked how they gave them all the catch-phrases from TOS, but the lines didn't feel forced, they were in context to what was going on at the time. I felt J.J. Abrams did a really good job of making enough references to the original series to keep the old school fans happy, but kept the story original enough that new fans wouldn't be lost.

[firstadopter]

I so want to see this. Hard to get away from the wife and the kid though, guess I have to wait for the DVD.

[arogan]

Dumped the kids with the grandparents on Mother's Day (I only feel slightly guilty). That guilt quickly went away after having watched this movie.

Nope can't find a reason to deduct a point.
I loved it though this is coming from a more casual Trek fan (only seen all of TNG and all the movies, and probably most of the STTOS but don't remember much).

Pretty much what TAI said.

Writing, acting, casting, the mannerisms, the facial expressions, the incredible pacing, and a lot more humor than I expected. Lots of action and big explosions and yet spends enough time to truly develop the main characters (and their relationships) but always in an interesting and involving way. This movie just nails it on so many levels.

[firstadopter]

Quantum of Solace - 6/10 - didn't have much plot. ok action scenes, but I want my movies a bit deeper

[firstadopter]

Puccini for Beginners (2006) - 7/10 - cute screwball romantic comedy

[arogan]

Terminator Salvation - 7/10
It was pretty good. Lots of nice sfx and action. Story was OK. I felt the story really was about Marcus Wright more than it was about John Connor. In fact I really didn't find John Connor all that likable (maybe it has a bit to do with all the Christian Bale antics). Moon Bloodgood was a plus. There is a little bit of whiny kids crap but it's thankfully kept to a minimum.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 7/10
First, it failed the wife test (Angela fell asleep). I thought it wasn't bad for an origin story. It's pretty ridiculous at some points. Some of the logic just doesn't hold together. It felt a bit like watching a long video game cutscene. Lynn Collins grows on you. I didn't find it quite as good as the other X-Men movies but still found it enjoyable.

[firstadopter]

Hancock - 5/10 - special effects were good, but the story wasn't. No arc. No real villain.

[TheAngryIntern]

Hancock - 5/10 - special effects were good, but the story wasn't. No arc. No real villain.

Will Smith was hilarious, too.

[firstadopter]

He's Just Not That Into You - 3/10 - dregs!

[arogan]

Taken (HD) - 8/10: Great performances, excellent writing, pacing was dead on, I really liked Liam's character, no holding back, no regrets, single minded driven purpose.

[firstadopter]

Ramen Girl - 6/10 - caught this on Netflix streaming. For most of the film I was like this is A HORRIBLE MOVIE, but I found myself entertained at ridiculous scenes, laughing at the absurdity. I finished the movie interested in the character, so I guess it's worth watching in a weird kind of way.

Acting is bad however, but some of the scenes are funny in "it's soooo bad" kind of way.

[arogan]

Transformers 2 - 6/10
It's a bit darker especially with one torture scene but other than that it's not that much worse kids wise. The racial stereotyping bots screen time are kept to a minimum. Lots of action. Plot didn't flow as well. Like the parents keep appearing at odd times that made no sense what so ever. Action is a bit hard to follow with it often difficult to tell which side which bots were on. The first was definitely better. Still lots of nice effects and big explosions.

Here is Henry Poole - 4/10. Slow, plodding, has about 5 music videos spliced in as filler which is 5 too many, tries to be artsy but really isn't, not really that thought provoking as the themes presented have been done many times before. I like Luke Wilson and Radha Mitchell but even they couldn't save this stinker.

The International - 5/10. Not a whole lot of action except for one pretty nice scene. The plot is ok but there weren't really any twists. Ending was blah. Clive Owen must have covered his eyes and ran his finger through is hear looking all tired and defeated like 100 times during the film. Naomi Watts is getting up there.

[arogan]

Up (in 3d) - 8/10. Good 3d but not over done. Touching, funny, great characters, great story telling. It's another classic Pixar film.

[arogan]

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - 8/10: This is one of the better Potter movies. I thought the cast played great off of each other, most of the major points from the book are here, but the ending is quite abridged and a bit disappointing. Other than that I really enjoyed it.

Fast & Furious (2009) - 6/10: Quite a bit of fan service here with the return of pretty much the entire original cast. This obviously occurs before Tokyo Drift. Eh too much blathering, not enough racing.

17 Again (HD) - 5/10: Not enough Allison Miller, story has been told many times over. No surprises here.

Land of the Lost - 6/10: Quite a bit of potty toilet humor, some pretty disgusting and difficult to watch scenes, quite a bit of corny cheesiness. I like Anna Friel form Pushing Daisies fame. I watched the original series but can't remember much from it. Still, there were some good laugh out loud moments.

Valkyrie (HD) - 4/10: Slow, boring, poorly paced, Tom Cruise is as annoying and pretentious as ever.

He's just not that into you (HD) - 6/10: Solid chick flick with some good funny bits with pretty interesting characters.

Obsessed (HD) - 5/10: It's Fatal Attraction minus the sex and boiling bunnies though there is a bit more ass kicking.

I love You Man (HD) - 4/10: Difficult and uncomfortable to watch (much worse than the office). The main character is such an incredible dork. I can't stand him! The supporting characters were better but overall it just wasn't that funny.

Twilight (HD) - 5/10: Has a feel of a modern day Lost Boys minus the bits of humor and more teen angst and romance.

Loaded (HD) - 2/10: Boring, insipid, retarded characters, predictable cookie cutter plot, poorly paced, lame action scenes.

Knowing (HD) - 6/10: It was better than expected. Cage does a pretty good job. Overall a pretty depressing movie. The ending was only ok.

Slumdog Millionaire (HD) - 7/10: Is it possible that there is actually an Oscar winner that isn't artsy, is comprehensible, and actually enjoyable to watch? Apparently so. Great performances, good writing, and pacing was excellent.

Bridal Wars (HD) - 5/10. Pretty straight up chick flick. Nothing special here unless you dig kate hudson and anne Hathaway.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (HD) - 3/10. It really is pretty horrible. This movie has got to be targeted at a very young audience b/c you have to kind of throw out all logic when watching it. It wasn't that funny. It wasn't even a very good segway commercial. There is something freaky about Jayma Mays eyes.

Yes Man (HD) - 6/10. Jim Carrey is well the typical Carrey. Enjoyable for the most part.

12 Rounds (HD) - 5/10. There were some good ideas here but the film is definitely rough around the edges. I liked the twist. It just felt the director was a bit amateurish. He couldn't quite execute on all the ideas with the proper amount of polish. John Cena is such a meat head. I think I actually liked him in the Marine better.

District 9 - 8/10. I really liked this sci fi take on racism and oppression. Sharlto did a great job with Wikus where he starts of as a guy you really hate but in the end wins your sympathy. He's not your typical hero. It takes a bit to get going but then there is a ton of really well done action that moves the plot along. For a 30 million dollar budget I thought the effects were great. Neill Blomkamp would have made a fine Halo movie. Heck, I think he could make a great half life movie since District 9 had a bit of a city 17 vibe to it.

[firstadopter]

Thanks for the roundup of reviews. Lots of mediocre movies being made these days.

[firstadopter]

Sunshine Cleaning - 7/10 - quirky black comedy. I liked it. I like Amy Adams too. ;)
Star Trek - 7/10 - nice re-boot
X-men Wolverine - 6/10

[derektrainwreck]

jennifers body.

the movie itself was kind of dumb, but it was worth the 10$ to see megan fox on the big screen.

[firstadopter]

Adventureland - 8/10 - well written summer flick. Kirsten is hot

[firstadopter]

Hot Fuzz 7/10 - it was entertaining over the top action comedy?

[firstadopter]

Julie and Julia - 6/10 It would of been a much better movie if Norah cut it shorter. It drags on in the last hour.

[firstadopter]

Terminator Salvation - 6/10 - decent action sequences. Cheesy dialogue made me puke

[firstadopter]

Avatar IMAX 3D - 9/10 - the 3d effect and special effects are stunning. If the story wasn't so predictable and some of the dialogue so cheesy, I would of given it a 10/10. The most fun I've had at a movie theater in decades.

[firstadopter]

Up 9/10 - great story, great animation, great humor, classic Pixar stuff

[firstadopter]

Up in the Air - 9/10 - good acting and writing
Yes Man - 7/10 - one of the better Jim Carrey movies, reminded me of the hilarious Liar, Liar
Terminator - 7/10 - yes i never saw the original. It was good
2012 - 7/10 - it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Ridiculous over the top sequences, but fun action
The Proposal - 7/10 - funny romantic comedy
It's Complicated - 8/10 - a ton of laugh out loud moments
GI Joe - 6/10 - better than I thought. I had fun. MUCH BETTER than Transformers

[greenira]

Saw a great documentary at Telluride Film Festival called Inside Job. Here is the decription from the program.

In his Oscar-nominated NO END IN SIGHT, Charles Ferguson described how
the American government botched our military victory in Iraq by having
no plan for the peace. Now, he demonstrates with remarkable clarity how
American ineptitude and carelessness—this time in the unchecked deregu-
lation and speculation on Wall Street—has corrupted the entire world
economy. Matt Damon narrates this tour through a tangled forest of
derivatives, credit def ault swaps and subprime mor tgages, revealing
exactly why the meltdowns of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch were no
accident. A successful entrepreneur turned f ilmmaker, Ferguson proves
acutely perceptive about Wall Street’s delusion: that speculative profits
can accumulate forever. And his other background, as a social scientist,
allows him access to the academic world that helped justify the shoddiest
of financial strategies. Lucid, witty and terrifying, INSIDE JOB is a master-
work of investigative reportage.


The festival is all premieres, so I have no idea when it will be distributed, but I would say that it is a must see for all who participate in the markets.

[firstadopter]

Red Cliff 8/10 - saw this on Netflix streaming. Good epic war movie (Chinese ancient history)

[firstadopter]

Robin Hood (Russell Crowe) 5/10 - the action scenes just didn't seem "epic" enough and the plot was laugh out loud laughable, not in the good way. Marianne the knight on horse-back? Give me a break.

[firstadopter]

Knight and Day 4/10 - action scenes were ok, lots of obvious CG-ness. Some lines especially the ending MADE YOU CRINGE on how bad it was.

[firstadopter]

The Kids are all right 8/10 - enjoyable plot and several laugh out loud moments. Good flick!

[firstadopter]

Salt. Good action, ridiculous plot, but still a fun ride. Thumbs up.

[firstadopter]

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Horrid plot. Thumbs down.

Scott Pilgrim. Thumbs side-ways.

[firstadopter]

The Social Network - Thumbs up

Prince of Persia - Thumbs down

Easy A - Thumbs up

[firstadopter]

Kick-Ass 7/10 - fun superhero comedy

[firstadopter]

Country Strong - 4/10 She isn't a country singer or concert performer.

[stupot42]

Not sure this really belongs here, but I know Arogan is really into Game of Thrones and I thought this was amazing...

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xkptadiDABo?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[firstadopter]

I'm about 7 episodes in the 10 episode first season of Game of Thrones and I LOVE IT too. Great writing and story. I'm going to read the books too after I'm done.

[stupot42]

I love it too... Finished the first season, and now I'm waiting for the second. One of the best things on TV for ages. That YouTube clip blew me away tho.... some of the things they've done. Unbelievable. If it were made in the UK they wouldn't get the budget to do the FX so well.

I'm planning on reading the books too. I'm told they've stuck to the plot very well.

[firstadopter]

No Strings Attached - 5/10 - eh romance comedy

[firstadopter]

Love and Other Drugs - 5/10 - Plot and writing very weak. Hathaway does a decent acting job though.

[firstadopter]

Thor 6/10
Rise of Planet of the Apes 7/10

[firstadopter]

Cowboys and Aliens - 7/10

I'm surprised this movie didn't get better reviews. It was well acted and done well.