The Hangover

Tigers love pepper... they hate cinnamon.

3/5 Stars

Bradley Cooper - Stud

Ed Helms - Great comedic subtleties

Zach Galifianakis - My new favorite comedic actor

Justin Bartha - Decent

Wow... extremely funny, yet extremely vulgar. I cannot recommend this one. Has some great one liners, but way too much language and nudity. I gave it three stars because it was a well developed film. I thought it was going to be stupid humor thrown on tape. It was, but it also had more of a story than I would have guessed. It didn't just throw a stand up routine on the screen, it was actually a moving, engaging film.

Yes, its extremely unrealistic. Yes, its stupid. Yet, somehow it keeps you engaged as to what all unfolded during that one night in Vegas. I am so thankful my nights in vegas for my friend, Tim Kortman's, bachelor party wen nothing like that. Actually, some of those parts would have been kind of fun, such as watching Brant White get knocked out by Mike Tyson or Tim marrying a stripper. Anyway, I've said too much.

Acting - Where do they find these people

Writing - Better than expected, yet probably improv

Cinematography - Subtle

Story Line - Intriguing

Don't See it. Skip it.

Dan in Real Life

Put it on my tab.

5/5 Stars

Steve Carell - Genuine. I like this guy.

I simply will never get tired of this film. It's funny, heart warming, real, and has a great soundtrack! This is a feel good flick. It makes you wish you had a family like this, yet thankful you don't necessarily. The part that reminded me most of our family was the talent show routine. We do a talent show every year at Christmas where the unique and peculiar talents of our family are revealed each year. Its enjoyable.

This film has a well developed story, slightly unrealistic at parts. I love the witty banter and comedic timing. Some scenes are so tense, you are forced to just burst out laughing. Its the perfect rainy day movie. (Voice Over) Clean, fun, and enjoyable for the whole family!

Acting - Spot on

Writing - Well thought out and witty

Cinematography - Not brilliant, not necessary

Story Line - Well developed

See it. Really.

Date Night

Unexpectedly Funny

4/5 Stars

Steve Carell - Same witty banter

Tina Fey - Mastered comedy

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. There were some scenes that I could have done without, but over all it was very enjoyable. It actually kept my attention though the second half was unrealistic. I figured that all of the funny scenes would be thrown into the previews, but was proven wrong. I actually laughed out loud a number of times. Then just as your enjoying this comedy, it reals you into a partially dramatic scene. I loved that fact that it was not all fun and games.

The series of events that this couple suffers through during the film are extremely unrealistic, but oddly understandable. You are rooting for them the entire time. I love the chemistry between Carell and Fey.

The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because it barely made 4 stars. It just simply did not have enough gusto and was too unrealistic for my taste.

See it.

Away We Go

Away I went

2/5 Stars

John Krasinski - Both funny names

Maya Rudolph - I like them together

Please fast forward through the first scene... This film just simply did not have enough going on for me. It was very relaxed and slow paced. the plot did not develop much. For some reason, I was wondering the entire time where they went away from and never found out.

I do like the reality of the story. It is a beautiful representation of many US families that feel as though they missed the mark somewhere along the way. It goes to show that not everything is and needs to be cookie cutter.

Honestly, I don't have a whole lot more to say about the film, considering I fell asleep. You might just want to skip this review and see it for your self... then again maybe not.

Acting: Good enough

Writing: Semi-cliche

Cinematography: Dull

Story Line: Not captivating

Skip it.

The Boys Are Back

I have plenty of people to do something with, I just have no one to do nothing with.

4/5 Stars

This is not the most uplifting film in the world, but it portrays the realities of many people walking in it. This man comes to grips with hardship in full swing while struggling to maintain life as he now knows it. Not everything goes the way he plans. Trial and error seems to be his method. The overall theme is simply to say "yes" more. Too often we say "no" without any reason at all. Saying "yes" is "actually quite difficult, really".

The beauty and audacity of this film caught my attention. It is set in Australia, a place I am now in love with. The characters and plot seem realistic and down to earth. They try to go outside the normal as much as possible. They try to love in other forms. They try to simply life, but also have the face the reality of the harshness of our society and need for making a living.

I left off one star because I thought it should have taken us up more than it did. Don't get me wrong, the weight of the situations made this film set apart and real, but it almost seemed to try too hard sometimes. At times, I felt as though they were playing the sappy music too much in order to get more tears out of you. But all and all I loved it.

Acting: Great across the board

Writing: Great one liners

Cinematography: Captivating

Story line: Real and deep

See it, but know that its not a comedy by any means.

Hurt Locker

Tagline Tells All

3/5 Stars

The film definitely was as real as could be. I felt as though we were watching actual footage sometimes. The acting was phenomenal and the dialogue was believable. The situations were tense and the visual effects were addicting. I kept being drawn into each scenario. The only thing that kept taking me out (only to be drawn in again) was the lack of story line. I was waiting for the moment they started giving some character development or plot. I kept wanting to know more about who the characters were and what story was trying to be told. That only came in small doses.

You see, this isn't your typical film. It simply shows you many sides of war without giving you a story about particular people. It takes your through scene after scene to explain different sides of how war can be addicting yet traumatizing. Putting it all on the line for the sake of what is good. So, if you go into this movie with that understanding, you will do just fine. I simply wanted more of a story and less random tense war episodes. I wanted it to take me places that a movie of this caliber has not yet taken people. It did not.

Acting: Phenomenal

Writing: Brilliant

Cinematography: Captivating at times

Story Line: Missing

If you are into war movies and just car to watch some tense war moments, see it.

An Education

Knowing a famous author is better than becoming one.

4/5 Stars

Carey Mulligan - I'm falling in love

Peter Sarsgaard - Real

I actually enjoyed this film. I was hesitant at first. Yes, it was rather slow in areas, but made for a great pace given the subject matter. It does start to make you think what the point of an education is? Should it be top? Why are you getting one? What will it amount to in the end? Then sums up the answer to all of these questions quite nicely. I loved the accents, period, and scenery. It was all very captivating. This girl learns many lessons very early on in life. You feel as though you are walking through it all for the first time with her. You begin to question things you were once sure of. You begin to look through a different lens.

I believe the writer made an excellent choice in the setting and time for this piece. London in the 60's was quite enjoyable to watch. The writing was real and well delivered. It was almost too smart for the common girl, but was not distracting. The attire and vibe set this film apart. I was always looking for and at something. That helped keep my attention during the slower parts. I also like the fact that it was unpredictable. No, it didn't totally sweep me off my feet, but rather didn't hand everything to me as I expected.

Acting: Most of them were excellent

Writing: Smart and provoking

Cinematography: Beautiful

Story Line: Applicable and entertaining

See it.

Sorority Row

This is why I don't try to publicize my blog...

2/5 Stars

I am not a huge horror at all, but I actually thought this was a seemingly decent film at first. The story was somewhat believable, not SO predictable, and had you on your toes. Then, like most horror films, something went terribly wrong. It got way too out of hand and unrealistic. The overall story is not captivating enough and the murders are way to graphic and hokey. I actually fell in and out of sleep from the second half on. Therefore, I do not have a very good movie critic. My apologies.

I would say that those of you that like to laugh at stupid horror films (as I do occasionally) might actually enjoy this one. I simple cannot recommend it. It falls into the typical hole of every other film you take two looks at the cover of and know there is nothing good behind.

Acting: Decent at times

Writing: Did they really say that?

Cinematography: Dull

Story Line: It didn't matter

Don't see it.

August

"I'm not a business man, I'm a business man"

3/5 Stars

Josh Hartnett - Perfect fit, excellent job

I actually liked this film. It was well written and passionate. The acting was exceptional. The dialogue was real and not overdone. And even though it was flooded with a lot of business jargon, I was able to fight through it.

Au contrar, the film was a little slow and pretty predictable. The F bomb was dropped wayyy more that I would have liked it to be, although seemingly fitting for this obnoxious character Hartnett undertook. This film reveals how miserable and over-demanding the lifestyle of an extreme business man, who is only money hungry, can be. Though in the case with this film, the entrepreneur came to his senses about what really matters in life and redeemed himself.

Acting: Real

Writing: Well meditated

Cinematography: Fitting and moving

Story Line: Typical

Maybe just watch it on TV to obliterate the cursing and nudity.

2012

Well, I wish Danny Glover was the Pres.

1 Stars

John Cusack - I like him

Amanda Peet - Not believable, but hot

Woody Harrelson - The man

So this is not my type of movie at all... I am trying here. All of the actions sequences were just sooooo unrealistic. Yes, I know that this is what this movie was riding on, but you could have done a better job of making the grand escapes truer to life. Probably the most unrealistic sequences I have ever seen in a film. People finding others amongst a billion, escaping the sinking of the earth in a stretch, flying a few massive planes in high intensity situations with a basic knowledge of flight, dodging lava balls in a van, jumping obstacles equivalent to Evil Knievel, and so on. On top of that, the story line and basic and predictable. We all knew what was going to happen... and it did. We were not even given time to be drawn into the characters. So, in the midst of this chaos, you can tell we are supposed to be captivated by loss and salvation, but I simply was not at all. Terrible acting as well.

I will give it credit for it's amazing special effects. The visual appeal was more interesting to watch than Avatar, for a dude. It was just cool to see how they were going to take everything down. That is the main reason I watched. All in all, if the world is coming to an end, we are all going down, but God promised a second coming. So, if we're all going to die, I think He'd take a trip down before that instead of looking down and being like, "Man, I missed my chance". He doesn't miss things. But, either way, we would see Him here or there, so no worries.

Acting: Pretty Terrible

Writing: Even worse and cliche

Cinematography: Captivating

Story Line: Predictable

If you are in to apocalyptic films with special effects, see it. Otherwise, skip it.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Uniquely Entertaining

4/5 Stars

Robert Downey Jr. - Phenomenal

I have to be careful with this one. As much as I liked, I probably equally as much should not have. It is not a very 'nice' film. I thoroughly enjoyed the original writing and acting this film birthed. It was so different, witty, and intentional. It broke the laws of most film institutes and pulled you into this unlikely story. This film also kept you in anticipation of how this whole mess was to be solved. Twists came from every direction that continued to point you to the end result. I loved its ability to humanize certain celebrities and professions.

I did not give it 5 stars because of some unnecessary crudeness and behavior. I also was taken out of the film during some of the ever so unrealistic action sequences. I wish they would have kept it more real and plausible than it turned out.

Acting: Superb

Writing: Most Excellent

Cinematography: Too entranced in the story to notice

Story Line: Unrealistic, yet wildly entertaining

Mature audience only... See it.

FInal Destination 4

The Finally Destination

1/5 Stars

I am just glad there are all finished now. I was getting pretty sick of pretty much watching the same film over and over, but I had to finish. This one was by far the worst of them all. Every aspect was terrible. You'd thought these actors have never recited a line before, the writer grabbed every cliche line known to man, and the direction was exasperated it began not be funny again. All of the deaths were far fetched as usual, but more the most extreme I have ever seen. In the filmmakers defense, we did get a lot of laughs out of it. Then again that might not be a compliment.

The reason it has 1 star... well just read the tag line and look at any pic from the movie you'd like, you'll see why.

Acting: Worst yet

Writing: Even worse

Cinematography: Creative

Story Line: Most typical

Dont. Ever. See. It.

Star Trek

You know how I feel about these...

3/5 Stars (no pun)

The only two reasons I saw this film were because of J.J. Abrams and Robby Stone. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have given it a second glance. I just do not like sci-fi, mystical, fantasy films. None of them. I can respect some (Lord of the Rings...), but don't usually enjoy them.

Let's bring things back down to Earth. The film as good as it could be, being set in space. The visual effects were amazing. It actually developed a plot, overcame evil, love, heroism, comedy, blah blah. I accredit it all to JJ. I am a fan of his work (if you couldn't tell). It hit you with the unexpected and kept you on your feet before slowly lowering you back down. I occasionally forgot that we were in space, traveling back and forth through time. Props to Robby for the recommendation.

The reason it only got three stars is because its sci-fi and I can take a star away based solely on that considering its my blog and because of the unrealistic fight/action sequences. They posed as a distraction. Basically its just hard for me to give the epitome of sci-fi films a 4 (but i secretly want to).

Acting: Mostly believable

Writing: Amazing

Cinematography: Enticing

Story Line: Its in space...

See it. I might do it again.

Final Destination 3

Gotta Love 'Em

2/5 Stars

I simply became a fan of the first two and had to finish off watching the rest. I don't even know why I am such a fan, they are not even that good. The same thing happens in each film...

Anyway, for this particular film, I liked it, but can't critique it very well at all. The acting is sub par, the writing is terrible, the effects are hokey, the scenarios are unrealistic (as they always are) and the language and nudity doesn't help. I do however, like how they sit and ponder for hours on end of how to simply kill off each person. Some of them, though unrealistic, are creative and funny to watch. My roommates and I simply think of these films as comedies. The only reason I gave it a 2 instead of 1 is because of that factor right there. It does make you tense up a few times, but more laughs follow.

I will think twice, however, the next time I get on a roller coaster... Just as I have every time I've boarded a plane, seen a logger truck on the wet interstate, been to the dentist, the doctor, the garbage disposal, the train tracks, a car on a bridge, the weight room, a fair, fireworks, knives, hardware store, movie theater... but hey, its just a movie.

Acting: Terrible

Writing: Even worse

Cinematography: Trying

Story Line: Same as the rest

Don't see it, I just have a knack.

The Box

Not by choice

1/5 Stars

Cameron Diaz - Used to like her

James Marsden - Awkward opposite

I had heard this was a terrible movie, so I intended on napping through it while my mom watched. I would have been successful too, had it not been for the random explosions of volume the film provided. It would have been a much better use of my time.

The acting was just terrible on all accounts. I would normally stick up for these leads, but they for some reason were not on their game. The dialogue was unconvincing and hokey. This film simply tried too hard to be uniquely creepy. The random characters and signs seemed all too misleading. I was confused and unconcerned. It takes you through a vicious loop of a meaningless plot. In the defense that you might assume I hated it cause I was in and out of sleep, my optimistic mother hated it as well. You live and learn.

Acting: Terrible

Writing: Unsuccessfully trying to be something it couldn't

Cinematography: Simple

Story Line: Are you kidding me

Skip it, really.