Kick-Ass My rating: B+. Kick-Ass was so, well, kick-ass. I was skeptical going into this, but I’m glad I watched it. I’m usually not one for action and what not, but Kick-Ass was tasteful enough to enjoy. All the characters were cast great, and it doesn’t hurt that Aaron Johnson is adorable. I laughed numerous time during the movie, and I thought there was a perfect mix of seriousness, humor, and action. If you haven’t seen this yet, watch it. If you have watched it, let me know your opinion on it!
The Jerk My rating: C+.
It was funny, but I wasn’t dying the entire time. There were definitely hilarious scenes, and I think Steve Martin was perfectly cast, but I’ve seen funnier. Maybe I need to pay more attention if I watch it again, but I think I am fairly hard to please when it comes to comedies.
No Impact Man My rating: B-.
This was a pretty solid documentary. The whole idea was a pretty big undertaking, and I thought they stuck to it pretty darn well. A lot of people say they’re doing things to lessen their impact, but it was nice to see a whole family actually go a year without making an impact on the environment. For anyone wanting to catch a glimpse into what life could be like if we weren’t so dependent on plastic, electricity, and automobiles, I’d recommend watching this.
Easy A My rating: B.
I actually really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was pretty darn funny, as well as clever enough to not be another run-of-the-mill teenage comedy. Olive’s parents are downright hilarious, and overall it was an entertaining movie. It doesn’t hurt that Penn Badgley and Cam Gigandet were in it either…
Enchanted My rating: C+. I really can’t remember why I watched this movie, and I honestly don’t remember a whole lot about it, but I remember it being somewhat funny and cute. I love James Marsden and Patrick Dempsey, so that helped. I also absoutely adore Idina Menzel. I might have to watch this again, because I really don’t even remember enough to fairly critique this movie.
Shutter Island My rating: A. I absolutely loved this movie. Huge mind-trick/twist, and it worked really well. I have part of the ending figured out about halfway through, but it definitely didn’t ruin it for me one bit. I was enthralled from start to finish and I will definitely be purchasing this once I have enough money for the Blu-Ray version [$$$]. I am still majorly debating with myself about the ending [I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet]. If you haven’t seen this yet, please do yourself a favor and watch it.
Date Night My rating: C-. I was pretty disappointed in this movie. I think Steve Carell and Fey are hilarious, so I though I would really enough it–wrong. I chuckled a few times, but it definitely wasn’t as funny as I thought it was going to be, at all. The film had its funny moments, but overall it wouldn’t be my “go-to” movie to laugh. Maybe if I watch it again when I am in a “comedy” mood I will react to it differently, who knows.
The Bounty Hunter My rating: D. Again, super disappointed. I love Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, but I actually fell asleep on numerous occasions during the course of the movie. It had its “funny moments”, “cute moments” and “serious moments”, but overall I wasn’t impressed and I probably won’t give it a second shot. I think I am slowly easing out of the “lame rom-com” phase of my life.
Inception My rating: A/A+. I swear to James Franco, this movie is simply fantastic. I finally saw it on June 25th for $1 due to a great Fandango deal, but I would have happily paid full price to see it. I don’t think I can fully explain what I like about the movie without giving too much away, but my gosh, if you haven’t seen it, go see it now! Don’t watch it illegally online, it’s too good for that. Pay the $8-$12 and go see it, now. The effects were amazing, the acting was exquisite, and the casting was superb. I definitely laughed a few times, I was confused, I was upset, I was on the edge of my seat, and I was in love. I will definitely be purchasing this the day it hits shelves. I’ve been reading around online and it seems there are quite a few people who didn’t like the movie at all, which makes no sense. I think when people rant about how terrible movies like Inception or Shutter Island are, they’re solidifying that the film went over their heads.
Wall-E My rating: A-. Absolutely loved this film as well. Pixar has never failed to amaze me. I laughed, I gasped, I shed tears, and I felt like I was connected to the movie in numerous ways. I thought it was a definite “realization” as far as the future state of Earth is concerned. Hopefully people took mental notes and changed their lifestyles to save our beautiful planet. I thought Wall-E was the most adorable robot ever, and I loved how all the characters interacted with each other, and I loved how real it felt. It was definitely an adorable, funny, serious, and endearing film.
Whip it My rating: B+. I totally dug this movie. It was bad-ass without being over-the-top. Landon Pigg is absolutely adorable, and I will marry him eventually. I thought was movie was fun, serious, relatable on some levels, and entertaining overall. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a movie to watch. I think it was cast pretty darn well, and all the actors did wonderful in their roles. Granted, I haven’t read the book so I cannot vouch for how well it depicted the novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Youth In Revolt My rating: C. I was rather disappointed after watching this. I am secretly over Michael Cera playing roles where his characters whole goal of the film is to get laid, it’s getting old. There were some funny parts, and overall it was cast very well. I enjoyed all the characters, and it was definitely entertaining for the most part, but I thought I was going to like it a lot more than I did. As with lame rom-coms, I think I am leaving my “trying to be a funny/dark indie film” phase.
Say Anything… My rating: A-. I am a sucker for 80′s “teen” movies like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty In Pink, and this was definitely no exception. Anymore, I’m a little tired of the same old “happy ending” with movies, but this was a bit different. The film depicted a rather normal relationship, with it’s good times, bad times, and everything in between. I really liked the chemistry between Lloyd and Diane, it was realistic without losing the appeal. I don’t know why I waited so long to watch this movie, but it was definitely worth it.
Rush Hour 3 My rating: D. I started watching the movie because my brother was watching it and I had nothing to do. It was entertaining, at least. Chris Tucker is pretty funny, but overall the movie didn’t impress me, but I wasn’t expecting much. I haven’t seen #1 or #2, so I cannot vouch for how this compared, but I probably won’t be watching it again. It had it’s funny moments, but that’s about it.
In Her Shoes My rating: B+. I really enjoyed this film. It was another one of those “I’m bored, let’s watch this” movies, but I’m glad I did. I think the whole story-line could be very relatable for many viewers, or at least many people can see a bit of themselves in the film. I love the chemistry between Toni and Cameron, they played great sisters [again, who were relatable, real, and fantastic]. I laughed during the movie, and probably came close to tears. Nothing was too over-the-top in terms of believability, which I think is so key in movies other than, say, Avatar and Inception. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would definitely watch it again!
The Crazies My rating: C.
I didn’t hate this movie, but I also didn’t love it. It didn’t really do much of anything for me. I was expecting to be really scared, but I ended up dozing off a couple times instead. I may have to watch it again, but I probably won’t. Honestly, I don’t remember much of anything about the movie aside from there is a mysterious gas that is taking over the town and turning everyone crazy? I think.
She’s Out Of My League My rating: C.
Again, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It definitely had its funny moments, mostly due to T.J. Miller who played the ever-so-funny Marmaduke on the short-lived comedy “Carpoolers”. It was surprisingly believable most of the time, and I laughed quite often. But, it was just another romantic-comedy that lacked a whole lot of originality.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year My rating: B-.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the High School Musical movies, and I wasn’t disappointed with this one. I think this was a great way to end the saga, and my eyes may have even became a bit teary at the end. I think the transition to small screen to big screen was done flawlessly, and I really enjoyed the “theatricality” of it all. Of course, it had all the cheese of the first two, but I still really enjoyed it.
Stranger Than Fiction My rating: B+/A-. I really liked this film. I love the whole cast, and I think they worked great together. The film was a wonderful story about the writing process and human nature, and the two meshed flawlessly together. I don’t think there is a whole lot I can say about this film expect that you should watch it. Now.
Richard Branson has his hands in everything–he now has his own film and TV production company, Virgin Produced. The first film slated to be released is currently untitled, but boasts some pretty big names:
Richard Gere Anton Yelchin
Gerard Butler
Naomi Watts
Hugh Jackman
Kate Winslet
Anna Faris
Johnny Knoxville
Julianne Moore
Liev Schreiber
Elizabeth Banks
Kristen Bell
Kate Bosworth
Josh Duhamel
Justin Long
Seann William Scott
Emma Stone
Jack McBrayer
Chloe Moretz
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Uma Thurman
According to sources, the film will consist of 19 segments [a la Valentine's Day, Love Actually, New York, I Love You and He's Just Not That Into You], with each segment directed by different directors:
Steve Brill
Steve Carr
James Gunn
Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Brett Ratner
Banks and Griffin Dunne
Supposedly this film is called “Movie 43″ currently, but I sense a title-change coming soon enough, since it is set to hit theaters later this year/early next year.
Rumors have been swirling about who will star in the next installment in the Batman series [slated to open in 2012]. I did some research, and it seems that these actors are up for [or have expressed interested in] the role of The Riddler:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hardy
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Johnny Depp
Robin Williams
Opinions? Can anyone confirm or deny any of these?
Personally, I’d love to see Joseph Gordo-Levitt or Johnny Depp play The Riddler.
The Blindside My rating: B+ I really, really, really liked this movie. I am a sucker for anything with Sandra Bullock in it, but even if she wasn’t in this movie it’d still be fabulous. Yes, she played the role very well, but the story is what carried this film. It tears me apart that this is a true story and, yes, I did cry a few times. I also laughed, thought a lot about my own life, and just thoroughly enjoyed the film.
Avatar My rating: B. Solid movie. The visuals were beyond what I expected, even better since I was watching it on Blu-Ray, but I feel like I’ve seen the story line over and over again [i.e. Pocahontas, FernGully, Dances With Wolves]. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but I was expecting a lot more depth within the story line, not just the typical “outsiders coming to a new world and killing/destroying the natives and their environment”. I have to give credit where credit is due though: for the first time in a while I was rooting against my own species.
Love Actually My rating: A. Loved this movie. Loved. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I am a sucker for romantic comedies. I am also a sucker for British accents. I absolutely adore the kid [Sam--Thomas Sangster] and I have a soft spot for Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, of course. I thought all the story lines were substantial enough to be interesting, and I liked how not one story line was focused on more than the others [at least to me].
Valentine’s Day My rating: B. This movie follows the same story line as He’s Just Not That Into You and Love Actually, but I think it lacks somewhere. I’m not sure where it lacks, but I enjoyed the previously mentioned films a whole lot more. All-star cast, great stories, but I think there were too many characters to focus on. I think Taylor Swift/Taylor Lautner were unnecessary to the story, and I wish Bradley Cooper’s, as well as Julia Robert’s, characters story lines would’ve been elaborated more. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 My rating: N/A.
This gets an “N/A” because of how truly bad it was, and I only watched 10 minutes. I wasn’t expecting it to be a legitimate movie [as in, not a documentary], so that threw me off, and it was just overall really odd and not interesting. The first movie, in my opinion, legitimately scared me until I figured out it was a fictional story, and I was expecting a decent “sequel”, but it fell short. Two questions: 1) Why would you create a sequel to a movie that is supposedly “real”? and 2) Why make a sequel the year after the original movie came out? Terrible.