THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Brad Pitt)Grade: D
I am very disappointed with this movie. Yes, the effects and acting are superb (without question). The story is very disappointing. It starts out with great promise, but as the story progresses you realize there is not going to be growth in the characters (if anything they go backwards). There are very few good, redemptive qualities about this film. The worldview is highly suspect ("live for yourself above all costs"?) and by the time it ends you are sucked into the character's despair (a praise, I guess, of Director Fincher - he sells you on the story and characters so well that you feel rotten by the end).
BEDTIME STORIES (Adam Sandler)Grade: C+
I so desperately wanted to give this a B (or higher), but Sandler and company have a lot of trouble keeping in mind that this is a kids' movie. There are far too many adult jokes and themes (Paris Hilton-esque party girl and the "loose" living jokes, her in a very tiny bikini, Sandler fantasizing about him and her - include him jumping in a hot tub with her, etc.). Even worse, many times he is discussing this with (or involving) the children in the fantasies since it is their stories (though they obviously aren't completely in on everything he is hoping for/saying). Outside of that, it is a cute story with a lot of slapstick and silly comedy. My kids loved it, but honestly (thankfully) did not get most of the jokes (since so many were geared toward adults). The Guinea pig was awesome (Bugsy)! Those eyes were CLASSIC!!! Next time Sandler goes into the children's movie genre, I pray he remembers who his audience really is (hint: not the parents! We take our kids to kid's movies to see kid's movies).
YES MAN (Jim Carrey)Grade: D
It's Liar, Liar except instead of not being able to lie he can't say "no." Honestly this movie is not terrible, but it's hard to like (or enjoy fully) as you feel like you've already seen it. It's a tired comedy. Most jokes are the same. The conflict seems familiar. You aren't overly concerned that there won't be a resolution. It's just a time killer. When it's done you wonder why you kept watching despite that fact that you were never really in to it to begin with and really didn't connect with the characters since you feel like you already did that the last time you watched another Jim Carrey movie.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Dave Patel)Grade: A
A movie that lives up to the hype! This is a great story that deals well with its subject matter. The two main characters are captivating (you almost wish the movie were longer so you could see more of them together). Danny Boyle did a marvelous job of weaving together this great story. Being a sucker for good underdog stories, this movie truly catered to my fancies. Plus, any time integrity is held in high esteem in a film (like it is in this one) it makes even more enjoyable. Another movie we will be adding to our library!
MARLEY AND ME (Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston)Grade A+
Fantastic movie. I like dogs, but am not a "dog person" (pamper the pet, take them to dog parks, stick 'em in your pocket or purse, etc.) so I wasn't sure this movie was gonna be my cup of tea. My favorite part about it was the marriage relationship between the Grogans (Jen Aniston and Owen Wilson)... probably one of the better marriage movies out there! This is not exactly a kids movie, though. Being that you see much of the marriage relationship, the subject matter may be too mature for children. Teens, however, might respond well to seeing a solid marriage (one that has its highs and lows). Jen and Owen are fantastic. Marley is hysterical! The general message about the movie (which turns out to be more about family/marriage than dogs) is solid (to include the consequences of when we have no restraints - the leash)!! We will be buying this one.
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (Anne Hathaway)Grade: F
Sitting through wedding festivities can be a long day (at times)... it's even longer when you know nothing about and care nothing for ANYONE there. THAT IS THIS MOVIE! Yes, Rachel does get married... through the entire movie! You watch ALL of the rehearsal, ALL of the speeches, ALL of the dancing and other festivities. Somewhere in the background is the struggling story of pain, addiction, regret and supposed redemption. Unfortunately, that story is swallowed whole by the agonizingly LONG wedding! The only redemptive part of this film is Anne Hathaway, but not that good that you should sit through this movie. Save your time... go to someone's wedding you care about... at least then you have some fun!
FIREPROOF (Kirk Cameron)Grade: A+
FANTASTIC movie. Yes, the writing/acting have their moments of cheese... however, as the movie gets going that dissipates (or you at least get used to it). This movie is one of the first true movies about marriage I've ever seen. Usually movies about marriage (not "weddings," as those stop as soon as the couple makes it to the alter and don't actually deal with real romance, issues or marital drama) spend their time bashing it... this movie shows a real couple falling apart at the seams. In a world that takes the easy road, is selfish and only looks out for #1, this movie is a gut-wrenching, powerful example of what it truly means to honor, protect, cherish and desire your spouse! I will be purchasing this one.
GHOST TOWN (Tea Leoni, Ricky Gervais)Grade: B-
When this movie finished my wife said "that was really cute... I liked that one." Minus the "cute" part, I agree. This movie is fun to watch. It's not knockdown, drag-out hysterical, but you do laugh. Ricky Gervais and Tea Leoni are fantastic and the story is intriguing. Save the silly sneezing (you'll understand when you see it), this movie does a decent job of showing real, selfless love.
EAGLE EYE (Shia LaBeouf)Grade: C-
Average movie. It should have been called "War Games: Urban Warfare" or something cheesy like that b/c that's all this is... an updated War Games (and a cheesy one at that). The big brother factor is captivating, but no where near as creepy as they could have made it. Shia is the same as he is in transformers, but this time with facial hair. The mystery phone voice (if you've seen War Games, you know who it is, but I'll keep it quiet for those that haven't) is intriguing until you realize who it really is. Billy Bob Thornton and Rosario Dawson seem way out of place (he's above such an average film and she's just miscast). I've seen better and I've seen worse. I give it a C- out of respect to Mr. Spielberg and the original War Games.
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS (Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz)Grade: B
An unexpectedly enjoyable film to watch. While it's format is that of the typical Rom-Com formula, its worldview and casting set it apart from many other cliche movies. I loved that the entire premise of the film revolved around them not trying to get out of their mistakes and "win" (keep the money), but actually try and make it work. It encourages the harder road (with more rewarding outome) versus the easy way out (Dennis Miller's judge character makes a very true judgment on the sanctity of marriage in today's culture). Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz both play their typical rom-com characters, but their parts fit them well and their chemistry is very believable! The only major mark against it is the constant sexual dialogue and partying scenes (which were relatively tasteful compared to what it could have been). Fun film and well worth the watch.
EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED (Ben Stein)Grade: B
Does "science" truly discriminate against those who support Intelligent Design ("ID" - explaining that all of life is the result of a designer of some sort, not random chance that begins with a lifeless molecule)? This is the question Ben Stein seeks to answer in this engaging documentary. Yes, there are a few parts where he jumps the shark; however, he does a fairly good job of asking important questions worthy of an answer. My only major complaint is with the short clips used throughout. This film could have been of a higher standard without the silly clips that are added for effect (to either demonstrate the ridiculousness of the other side or attempt to solidify the "right" point). A few things I really liked about it: (1) it's not overly preachy, (2) it calls the initial premise of all science (whether it be Creationism, ID, or evolution) what it is - a worldview, (3) it sheds light on an issue largely unknown to the world outside of science (that the true science as an inquiry for truth is stifled by narrow-minded worldviews that attempt to dictate science versus letting the evidence speak for itself). All-in-all a movie worthy watching and questions very worthy of addressing!
TROPIC THUNDER (Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller)Grade: F-
Terrible in every way. No wit. Terrible jokes. Language that probably makes Andrew Dice Clay uncomfortable. An absolute waste of time. Even the highly touted Tom Cruise cameo/role is filthy beyond words. That's all the time I'll spend talking about such an absolute joke of a movie.
TRAITOR (Don Cheadle)Grade: C
Interesting movie idea that just falls short. First, I very much enjoyed the contrast of faiths and ideologies. Second, the acting was pretty solid, especially Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce and Saïd Taghmaoui (for what material they had available to them). Unfortunately the movie fails to live up to its potential. My biggest complaints are two-fold: (1) the writer/director paint the contrasting ideologies and, in particular, the faiths with too broad a stroke. Christians and Muslims do not fit into such neat, cliche categories, but unfortunately that's how this film portrays them. (2) The movie never "sells" Cheadle's character and the drama present within the film (a writing/directing flaw, not acting); can't say much more than that without giving too much away. This movie could really pull some heart strings and illicit some pretty emotional responses (in a non-sensationalized way), but stays pretty shallow and ultimately misses the mark. Three stars for acting and idea.
WANTED (Angelina Jolie)Grade: D
I was really looking forward to this movie and its unbelievable action sequences. Unfortunately, the entire film is bathed in blood and language I haven't seen since Tarentino. It's a movie that uses curse/cuss words for one of two reasons (I still haven't figured out which, so maybe it was both): (1) The writer has no idea how to communicate so he attempts to make it cool by just throwing in 5 curse words minimum per sentence. (2) The writer wasn't sure how to make the movie longer than a straight-to-DVD Disney movie (typically 60 minutes in length) so "why not add a bunch of uneccessary and largely out of place swear words." I know the R-rating should have been a clue (or maybe the fact that the MPAA said it was for the bloody violence and language), but I had no idea it was going to be to such an extent that it ruin an otherwise amazing movie. The action, story and effects were insanely awesome, but not enough to sit uncomfortably through the gratuitous whims of the writer and director.
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