Taken is a film I was very much looking forward to, mainly because of the ultra cool looking trailer, Liam Neeson looking like a bad ass, and an intriguing looking story revolving around a kidnapping, revenge and justice. I’m glad to report that Taken is a lot of fun, with a few things sticking out the most as reasons for the film succeeding overall, one being Mr. Liam Neeson. Neeson, to me, is one of those guys who doesn’t look all the scary on the surface, but impresses me when he is given a role like this because I just don’t see him as the action hero type. Same thing occurred to me in Batman Begins. Neeson is ultra cool here, with enough slick moves and plenty of acting chops to pull this off without a hitch. Another high point in the film is the action, which for an hour or so is pretty darn fast paced and non-stop. Neeson’s character is essentially a one-man army who doesn’t stop to rest, and is motivated by his daughter’s safety and quick return, and because of this, and the fairly quick 90 minute runtime, we get Neeson going non-stop and balls to the walls. The story is also one that I found to very flawed, but ultimately a very cool idea. A Dad with tons of experience killing dudes for a living who is forced to find his daughter in an incredibly impossible scenario! Count me...[more]...

Pride & Glory has good actors at the helm, plenty of violence to chew on, and a gloomy, corruption plagued city as the setting to help set the mood early and often, however, what ultimately brings this movie down a few notches from being something you can truly enjoy through and through is the feeling of “been there, done that.” Unfortunately, everything that happens in Pride & Glory is anything but new or original, in fact this has a feel of a “We Own the Night” mixed in with various other cop/corruption dramas, like “Dark Blue”. Family members, all tied to the law, helping each other bury away the others’ sins. Revelations are made far too early to make for a surprising twist. There are also too many characters and not enough time, as we only get to skim the surface on who these people are and why we should care about them. Many issues are brought up, mostly between family (like a sick wife, a divorce that is closing in, and a corrupt brother who needs a way out), but they only get enough screen time to wet your whistle, and not enough is done to truly bring these ideas and issues to a close. And, when we do get an attempt at closure, we are greeted with a fist fight between brothers in a bar, and dialogue so embarrassing it is hard to keep watching...[more]...

Milk is a film that is part history lesson, and part drama about the human condition, and I found it refreshing to learn something while becoming involved with such an onslaught of characters, emotions and events. Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk, an openly gay man who is sick of the discrimination he faces living day to day in San Francisco, and decides to do something about it. He plunges into a political career, eventually being elected to District supervisor, and proposes many ideas to help fight for human and gay rights. He does all this while juggling friends, lovers and naysayers. For me, what worked first and foremost in this film is Sean Penn as Harvey Milk. His energy is what makes the film, fully embodying Harvey Milk and portraying him as a caring, opinionated, witty and active politician and lover. This is a different role we are seeing from Penn, and he nails it. Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco & Diego Luna also come through in their smaller roles, making for a great ensemble piece overall. Brolin especially is great as Penn’s opposite in the film, the conservative family man with different ideas and opinions than that of Milk. He is impressive...[more]...

A tender, sad and brutally honest movie about a sports star during his later years, making ends meat, tying up loose ends and trying to find meaning in his washed up life! Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an 80’s wrestler who is past his prime, but continues to stick around in the wrestling world because he knows nothing else! After some health problems are brought to his attention, Randy tries to get to know his daughter, start a relationship with an aging stripper and work menial jobs to stay afloat while staying away from the ring. The Wrestler is a movie that is absolutely breathtaking to watch, especially if you are as big a movie fan as I am, or just enjoy a well made character driven film. Aronofsky takes a story about a washed up wrestler and turns it into a remarkably tender, sad and genuine film about a part of life many go through, but few get to see get played out with such care and attention to detail. The wrestling scenes, for how silly the sport seems now, are odd but interesting, and never ridiculed. The characters all have their flaws and issues, but feel real and authentic. The setting, a cloudy, dark New Jersey, seems fairly gloomy and incredibly plain, but fits the washed up wrestler’s life perfectly. All the elements come together and work, and even though the story is nothing special (essentially following everything this guy does, through ups and downs),...[more]...

A movie I didn’t know too much about going in but that I’m glad I took a chance on, as it proved to be a tense, atmospheric and all around interesting journey. Roy and Jessie are the couple this film is set around, played by Harrelson and Mortimer, who take a train from Beijing to Moscow, meeting up with another couple along the way. Danger starts to set in as emotions run high between the couples, and certain bonds are formed, and betrayed along the way. Part of this movie is a character study of a married couple on the brink of either the next step in their lives together or a complete breakdown, as well as an odd bond them and another new couple that enter their life. Once the other steps into play, a certain guessing game is brought into the film, as you must try to decide who, what and why this other couple are taking such an interest in Roy and Jessie. The second half of this movie is more of a mysterious sort of crime drama, that comes through in terms of keeping the tension high and leaving the audience guessing. Both halves I found equally as fascinating, with one letting us enter and discover who these couples are, while the second half keeps the adrenaline and guessing games pumping. I loved Mortimer here, as the movie really starts to revolve around her once things get rolling, and she displayed the right amount of...[more]...

What I figured would be mediocre and sort of funny turns out to be just that, mediocre and sort of funny, and well...I guess this could work if you’re 20 years old and like raunchy comedies! Dane Cook plays Tank, a man who earns extra money helping out guys all around town who have just broken up with their girl and want to get back together, fast! Tank arranges an accidental meeting with the ex, charms her and then takes her through the worst date of her life. Of course, she realizes how bad dating is and runs back to the safety of her original man! For as bad as you assume this film will be, and as bad you don’t want to like Cook, his little gig here is actually pretty funny, as he is so over the top, quick on his toes and perfect as the asshole here. He brought a few laughs, and seems like a good fit in films like these (now he just needs a better role, maybe something more original). There are a few moments where you laugh, even though you know you are not suppose to, like the first time Cook takes a girl out on a bad date, or when he goes out with his Dad (Baldwin) who tells him (in detail) about his love like with the ladies (man…Baldwin’s dirty in this movie). I also actually dug the “countdown” thing, which occurs twice, which takes the ten “strikes”,...[more]...

Appaloosa has a great cast, a talented Director at the helm and is a frickin’ Western for crying out loud, but unfortunately disappoints almost every step of the way! Appaloosa is about two gunfighters, Virgil and Everett, in the 1800’s who are asked to help the small town of Appaloosa in the late 1800s. Their quest is to bring down Randall Bragg and his gang, who continually bring trouble to the quiet town. Allison French, a widower and everyman’s dream woman, comes into town as well to shake things up and try to win the heart of Virgil. This film started off interestingly enough, with a murder, a few confrontations and an example of what Virgil and Everett, best buds and lawmen, are capable of. From there, essentially 20 minutes into the film, everything goes downhill. The filmmakers decided to go from a tension-packed, confrontational revenge movie about misfits firing back on a small town with two kick ass lawmen, into well….a lot of different things, but none of which were emotionally engaging or entertaining. There is a courtroom drama in here, a love story (actually more than one), a drawn out (and boring) chase through the desert, a pack of wild Indians causing havoc (?) and even a governmental change in power that supposedly shakes things up. Essentially, there were a lot of different ideas and places to take this movie, but not enough time to develop all of them, with plenty of gaps to show...[more]...

A film that proves to be effective because of its two main terrific performances and an honest and cripplingly look at marriage and middle class America. The movies revolves around Frank & April, a married couple who obviously have problems within their marriage, but also a hope that a new start in a different city may fix their problems. Frank is played by DiCaprio, a husband who commutes to NYC everyday to work at a job he hates. April is played by Winslet, a stay-at-home who thinks up ways to start new with her life and family. DiCaprio and Winslet are of course terrific here, with an obvious chemistry that takes the movie to a higher level. The way they can seem so in love one minute, whispering sweet nothings to each other and finding sexual urges at the drop of a dime, to absolutely hating each other the next, with obvious detestable eyes, glares and fighting words, is a compliment to their talents and of course the well written dialogue. The way their characters are written, with obvious flaws in both (for Frank, an understanding side, but with an obvious lack of devotion, and with April a short tempered spontaneous streak), gradually becomes more apparent throughout the movie, to the point that you can understand why they just don’t work together! A great job by both actors, who even though will not get recognized at the Oscars, make the movie what it is, an effective character study about...[more]...

A definite “Oscar” movie that won’t make everyone a believer, but offered up enough interesting dilemmas and effective messages to catch and hold my attention! The movie revolves around Father Flynn (Hoffman), who is trying to make his Church and the school’s customs a bit more lenient and inviting. This doesn’t go over well with the fiercely guarded Sister Aloysius (Streep), who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The two collide as doubt and is formed in the mind of the Sister, when an incident involving Father Flynn is witnessed. There isn’t a lot of things that happen in Doubt besides some sermons, some classroom scenes and a few verbal altercations, but man….just a few of those scenes spit up enough tension and drama to make it all worth it. In the hands of less talented actors, I can see this film being a straight up yawn! But the acting is of course terrific, with all the key players coming through (was there any doubt Hoffman and Streep wouldn’t!) with effective performances by Amy Adams as the young Nun in the Church, and a small role by Viola Davis as a confused Mother being confronted with tough news! Streep is a fairly mean old lady, who only has her own intentions on her mind, and she is tough to watch, but that of course speaks of her acting chops. Hoffman is just immersed in the Preacher character, making us question his possible choices and...[more]...

Clint Eastwood comes through once again with an amazing character driven film, Gran Torino, which is about as good, and as meaningful, a movie you will see all year. Eastwood plays Walt, a bitter and haunted man, whose wife has just died and who clings desperately to a neighborhood and mindset that no longer exists in the 21st century. When his neighbor Thao tries to steal his prized muscle car as part of a gang initiation, Walt is forced to grapple with the world around him, taking Thao under his wing and protecting his neighbors from the gangs that corrupt the city. Eastwood is brilliant in this film, both in front and behind the camera. In front, he plays his character patiently, leaving a sense of fear in our hearts at first, then progresses into a man looking for redemption. His personality starts to thaw as he finds his neighbors to be more than what meets his eye, and the Clint behind the camera makes the journey interesting, funny and never rushes the conclusion, but instead lets us into Walt’s heart, slowly, and it creates a believable, greater understanding of his transformation. Bee Vang (Thao) and Vhney Her (Thao’s sister) come through as the neighbors who eventually win over Walt’s heart, and Christopher Carley as the baby faced Priest who looks after Walt gives a memorable performance as well. Besides the outstanding performances, what stood out the most for me was the storytelling, which I’ve hinted at a...[more]...

Yes Man is as predictable and formulaic as romantic comedies come, but for some reason Yes Man still got the best of me. Jim Carrey plays Carl, a man who has become sort of a recluse since his wife left him, and who needs a change in life. That change comes in the form of a self-help seminar that gets Carl saying “Yes” to everything and which gets Carl to start enjoying the little things in life that he never had a chance to before. Jim Carrey has sort veered down the mainstream path again as of late, with comedies like Bruce Almighty, Fun with Dick & Jane, and now Yes Man, and even though I would rather see him in more challenging, yet still funny roles, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & The Truman Show, I just love the energy and effort he puts into any roles he takes on, and the same goes for Yes Man. Here is he is an everyday Joe who lives a normal, non-eventful life who gets transformed into the perfect Carrey character, a guy who starts to act a little zany, hams it up a little bit, takes some chances and just starts enjoying life. I am ok with that, and I found his act this time around to be funny and heartwarming. The movie itself is just a vehicle for his zaniness, but it does let him get back on track with his friends, as well as a girl, the...[more]...

Valkyrie is a film that has enough suspense and enough cool actors at the helm to make for an interesting 2 hours at the theater, but it wasn’t a film that blew me away by any means. The film is based on a true story of Nazi officers who grew tired of Hitler and his murderous ways, and who make an effort to kill him in the late stages of WWII. The story revolves around Cruise’s character, a German Colonel, who leads this valiant effort to take Hitler out of power. Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson and the rest of the cast are all good here, as expected, and David Bamber in his smaller role as Hitler also is effective, but then again maybe just the site of Hitler, no mater who the actor is, demands your attention. The film is a mix between a history lesson and a suspense, with bits of action thrown in every so often. Director Bryan Singer keeps things moving along at a good pace, with mostly all relevant scenes and interesting dialogue. I didn’t find myself bored at all through the runtime. The movie works more as a suspense thriller, however, so don’t go in expecting an action film. There are plenty of moments of tension, especially when the plan gets kicked into gear, all of which create a false hope that maybe, just maybe, Hitler could just die this time around...[more]...

One of, if not the best, movies of 2009! And what is great about this movie, for me at least, is that it came out of nowhere and blindsided me with sincerity, inventiveness and suspense! Slumdog Millionaire is just a great movie from start to finish, with Director Danny Boyle making an original, underdog fairy tale, with a dash of romance and plenty of tension surfacing every so often to keep the audience on their toes. This is a story of an orphan, who overcomes horrid obstacles, such as poor living conditions and child exploitation, to come out on top with enough in his favor to start a real life! It’s is absolutely impossible not to root for Jamal, along with his brother and girlfriend, who go through the same situations and bad luck. But as joyous as the story turns out to be, the reason Slumdog Millionaire is so darn entertaining is because of the directing, with Boyle’s use of vivid colors, upbeat tunes, a fast pace and a consistently tense technique of telling the story. Boyle uses shots from Jamal playing “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”, Jamal being questioned by Police during the gameshow, and finally Jamal’s childhood, from child to present day. Each of these areas prove to be just as entertaining, with the game show providing much of the tension, and the questioning by the police helping transition to Jamal’s life story, which of course is shown truthfully as he stays alive, escapes...[more]...

A “cute” looking film, aimed of course at families and younger kids, but nothing too fun or exciting happens in The Tale of Despereaux to warrant spending big bucks at the theater...[more]...

Seven Pounds is a difficult movie for me to talk about in a short amount of space, mainly because I have a soft spot in my heart for movies that dare to be a little different, and also because I found the subject matter to be of interest, consistently intriguing and brimming with emotion. So, I feel I could write for days, but I will try to keep it short...[more]...

The perfect mix of style, storytelling, CGI and makeup. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button hit darn near all the right notes, and left me pleased as a clam when all was said and done...[more]...

Kung Fu Panda is just a joy to watch unfold, with perfect voice work, quality characters, plenty of butt-kicking and action, and animation that is fascinating to behold. The movie starts off on a high note and immediately starts introducing its underdog, Po the Panda, to us as a lovable klutz who lives and dreams kung fu. He is voiced perfectly by Jack Black, and is hard to dislike, as he is continually finds joy in kung fu, food and adoring his favorite kung fu masters. He is also a big teddy bear really, as he is one of the kinder, gentler characters in the movie. After being labeled “the chosen one”, his journey to work with the kung fu masters is more than fun, as the overweight panda must train and prove himself to his new friends and the city. It’s hard not to like a movie like this, that is constantly reiterating quality values that kids and parents can admire, and the film has just the right mix of different characters, action and emotional involvement, making for a consistently fun time with a little bit of food for thought afterwards too. Enough time is spent on training and teaching, without becoming too much or not enough, and the action is consistent, with an ending that is a blast to watch. And, maybe most important, the filmmakers rely heavily on CGI to bring the characters to life, set in beautiful old China, with detailed inner-city dwellings and...[more]...

Fred Claus is watchable only for a few reasons, one being Mr. Vince Vaughn and his usual smart ass, fast talking personality and fun energy that he gives off in every movie. His energy is what makes certain scenes, like the dance off in Santa’s toy factory, easy to watch, and teaching an elf to dance in a bar, awkward yet hard to look away from. If you typically like Vaughn, you should enjoy him here, of course, in a more toned down role. Other than Vaughn and his efforts, there are some impressive special effects going on here, and a North Pole town filled with lights, elves and high tech stuff every which way, so the setting and the grand nature of it all was definitely worth noting. In terms of compliments I have for the film, that is about the extent of it...[more]...

Not the kick ass movie I thought it would be, but still a very entertaining one that still delivered enough wonder and special effects to keep a movie nerd like me happy. First off, I’ll start with the bad….as this film does have its share of problems, including a set of government officials and scientists that come off as laughably stupid in the middle of an alien crisis. Kathy Bates, as the President’s right hand lady, was specifically awful in a role she should have never been given, as she continually barks orders and acts like she knows anything about this given situation. A good middle chunk of the movie has very little action or sci-fi moments to keep those action fans happy, as well as plenty of slower scenes that seem to delay the inevitable. The whole idea of convincing Reeve’s character, Klaatu, of letting the humans live, also isn’t done in a terribly convincing way (the world doesn’t just revolve around two or three people), so in the end, the whole conclusion, which includes the human race and our ability to change, seems to be glossed over and given a little too easy and upbeat ending...[more]...

A few enjoyable moments, but overall a huge disappointment. Get Smart was a film that I was never really excited about seeing, but had an interest in (at some point) because I am indeed a fan of Steve Carell, and I am all for a movie starring The Rock and Alan Arkin as well. So, for me…it was more about the actors attached than a real interest in the story. I have no knowledge about the original show, so that of course has nothing to do with my disappointment in the final result...[more]...