Movie Review Report

OK, for some reason I have wanted to see this movie since I first saw the previews and I just never got around to it. Then I started hearing some horrible reviews for it and I was a little surprised. Well, I finally got around to watching it but I went into it not expecting much because of the bad reviews. It wasn’t as bad as people said it was but it also wasn’t great.

Plot Summary from Netflix:

Jack Gramm (Al Pacino), college professor and occasional forensic shrink for the FBI, in a race against time. When Gramm receives a mysterious phone call telling him he has exactly 88 minutes left to live, can he track down his would-be killer before the clock runs out?

I have mixed thoughts about this movie. In some ways it was an enjoyable thriller (although nothing special). But other things really bothered me about it. I’ll start with the good. First of all, I was pleasantly surprised to see Neal McDonough in it (who plays David McNorris in my favorite TV show ever: Boomtown) and I thought he did a great job. He’s good at being creepy.
But, the other actors in it were strangely cast, in my opinion. Al Pacino did a good job I guess but there was nothing special about it at all. And Leelee Sobieski was just bad. I always had mixed thoughts about whether I liked her or not, well, now I realized I don’t like her; especially in this movie. She was just really irritating to me.

The movie also seemed really choatic to me… and not in a good way. I can’t really explain it but the movie just did not flow properly to me. I’m glad that I finally watched it, but now I see why people gave it a bad review. Although it wasn’t as bad as they said, when you see Al Pacino, you expect more than they gave you.

My Review:

Just So-So

88 Minutes, Al Pacino, Neal McDonough, Leelee Sobieski, movie review, Boomtown

I had mixed feeling about seeing this movie. On one hand I really wanted to see it because I read the book and I like to see how the movies compare to the book. But, on the other hand, I was afraid it was gonna be lame… well it was.

Plot Summary from Netflix:

With chaos tearing her marriage and family apart, Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) takes a weekend caretaker job at her friend’s coastal North Carolina inn. When a storm hits, stranding the inn’s only guest, Dr. Paul Flanner (Richard Gere), Adrienne’s life changes forever. As the storm rages outside, Adrienne connects with Flanner, who came to the Rodanthe retreat to escape his own personal crisis. James Franco co-stars in this romantic drama.

Like, I said, I read the book a couple years ago and it was one of my least favorite Nicholas Sparks books. And yes, I have read all of his books… they’re addicting. So right off the bat I was VERY surprised when I heard they were making Nights in Rodanthe into a movie. Why not The Guardian? Why not The Rescue? Why not A Bend in the Road at least!?
Anyways, nobody called me and asked me my opinion on the matter so Nights in Rodanthe it was.

I thought the movie was a little more lame and boring than the book. Overall, I guess they did a good adaptation of the book but it just isn’t that interesting of a story (at least in my mind).

I will say one good thing about the movie: they did a good job casting the main roles. I thought Diane Lane and Richard Gere were a pretty accurate depiction for how I pictured the characters in the book. Also the scenery was really gorgeous, that inn was unbelievable.

So my overall opinion, it was kinda slow and boring, VERY sappy and dramatic, and even a bit corny and contrived. But if you read the book I suppose it’s worth a watch… but wait until it comes out on DVD. Let’s get one thing perfectly clear here: Don’t expect it to be as good as The Notebook!

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Review: Made of Honor
Review: 27 Dresses

Nights in Rodanthe, movie review, Diane Lane, Richard Gere, James Franco, Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook, The Rescue, The Guardian, A Bend in the Road

I will admit, I used to be a big Keven Costner fan (aka he was one of my infamous obsessions for a while). So, when I saw he was going to be in a new movie, I couldn’t help myself. Plus, Stanley Tucci was in it too and I love him!

Plot summary from Netflix:

It’s Election Day, and the eyes of the nation have fallen on one beer-swigging couch potato named Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), who, through no fault of his own, finds himself in the position of being able to single-handedly choose the next American president. Kelsey Grammer, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez and Dennis Hopper also star in this political satire.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad movie… but it wasn’t great. I will say Kevin Costner used to be quite the hottie in his day. Now, eventhough age is catching up with him, he still has some good lookin left in him. There’s just something about him that is so likeable. So for me, he really made me like his character. Stanley Tucci was awesome, as usual. I’ve never seen him in a role where I didn’t love him. And the girl who played Kevin Costner’s daughter, I thought, did a good job.

I thought the movie was enjoyable, but nothing spectacular. The thing I really liked about the movie is that is was not slanted right wing or left wing; it was very fair (in my opinion). It would have made for a really awkward and uncomfortable movie if they had chosen sides because we all know that politics is a touchy subject. So, I thought they did a really good job of staying neutral.

Overall, it was a cute movie to see, especially now during all the hoopla going on around election time. It was funny in parts, emotional and sad in parts, and a non-offensive, light-hearted look at the political process in America.

My Rating:

It was OK

Swing Vote, movie review, Kevin Costner, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nathan Lane, George Lopez, Dennis Hopper

I’m not gonna lie to you. Lately I’ve been in the midst of a pretty big obsession with the Wahlbergs. It started out with just Mark but has since grown to include Donnie (thanks to the New Kids on the Block reunion!). So, when I looked Donnie up on IMDB I came across this show, Boomtown. When I clicked on it I thought it sounded really interesting and like something I would enjoy so I rented a couple discs from Netflix. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with this show…and Donnie. (Hey, don’t judge me, I have already watched every single movie Mark has been in and I needed a new obsession)

Here’s a short synopsis from Netflix:

This acclaimed series, starring Donnie Wahlberg, Neal McDonough and Mykelti Williamson, puts a unique spin on the typical police drama. Each crime story is told from several points of view — the detectives’, the cops’, victim’s, the perpetrator’s, the rescue team’s, the district attorney’s and the media’s — all presented out of sequence, leaving viewers guessing about the facts of the crime until the very end.

I absolutely LOVE this show. It’s the best show I’ve seen in a very long time. Each episode starts out with a new crime and usually showcases one character, but they show the story from every one’s point of view (like it says in the description). It kinda reminds me a little bit of Law and Order or something like that but very unique. I love every single character on this show, which is a really hard thing to accomplish because I have a real issue with making sure I like the characters. Because they show the story from each person’s point of view, it allows us to see different sides of each character and really understand how they feel about what’s going on and also get a look at what’s going on in their lives at the same time. The acting is amazing too. The cast is perfect and everyone does such a great job with their characters. My personal favorites are Detective Joel Stevens (Donnie Wahlberg), Officer Tom Turcotte (Jason Gedrick), and Teresa Ortiz (Lana Parilla).

The fact that they tell the story from different points of view may scare some people off, but they do it in a way that really accentuates the story instead of hurting it by being repetitive. You will definitely never get bored during an episode of Boomtown. You have to check these DVDs out. You will not be disappointed.

I cannot believe that it was cancelled during it’s second season! With all the garbage that is on TV today, they couldn’t keep a really entertaining, unique, well-made show on the air? It absolutely disgusts me. Luckily I got my hands on the lost 6 episodes of the second season so I got to see the entire series. I adored it from start to finish and I would highly recommend it to anyone. In fact, I already made a bunch of people watch it and they all loved it too.

My Rating:

Absolutely Loved it

Boomtown, Boomtown review, Donnie Wahlberg, Jason Gedrick, Lana Parilla, Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, Mark Wahlberg

I am continuing in my quest to watch all of the movies that were nominated for Best Picture this year to see if any of them deserved it… so far, in my opinion, none of them did. Next on the list: Juno.

Plot summary from Netflix:

Facing an unplanned pregnancy, teenage Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial perfect parents to adopt her baby. But the seemingly ideal couple Juno chooses still has some growing up to do. Now, everyone in Juno’s world must do a little soul-searching. Michael Cera co-stars while Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the pair of affluent yuppies anxious for a child in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy.

OK, out of all of the Best Picture nominees I’ve seen this one is the best so far but if you’ve read my other reviews you’ll know that’s not saying much. I thought this movie was OK. It had an endearing storyline, I suppose, but the way it was done made it more irritating than endearing. I thought Juno was EXTREMELY annoying and 90% of her dialouge was so forced and pretentious that I found myself rolling my eyes many times. All the stupid ‘I know music better than you’ conversations between her and Jason Bateman’s character were what really put me over the edge. Give me a break. I can’t really even put into words how irritating I found her dialouge, especially with her friends. It was like an immature angst-ridden teen trying to act cool by making people think she’s smart and witty. Painful.

The only reason I’m giving this movie any credit is because I thought they created some interesting characters and I really liked a lot of the actors in the film, especially Jason Bateman (love him!). And it was funny to see Michael and George Michael from Arrested Development in the same movie!

Overall, again, it didn’t live up to the hype, it didn’t deserve a Best Picture nomination, but it was mildly entertaining and it was kind of a cute story.

God, No Country For Old Men better be good because in my estimation, the Academy was sorely mistaken with the rest of these movies. Get it together!

My Rating:

It was OK

Review: There Will Be Blood
Review: Atonement
Review: Michael Clayton

Juno, movie review, Academy Awards, Jason Bateman, Ellen Page, Michael Cera

Well, I finally went to go see Iron Man and I am so glad I got a chance to see it in the theater before it went to DVD because it was awesome!

Ploy summary from moviefone.com:

Wealthy philanthropist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) develops an invulnerable robotic suit to fight the throes of evil. In addition to being filthy rich, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is also a genius inventor. When Stark is kidnapped and forced to build a diabolical weapon, he instead uses his intelligence and ingenuity to construct an indestructible suit of armor and escape his captors. Once free, Stark discovers a deadly conspiracy that could destabilize the entire globe, and dons his powerful new suit on a mission to stop the villains and save the world.

I really wasn’t expecting much from the movie because I didn’t know anything about it or really Iron Man in general, so I had no preconceived ideas about what to expect. Well, I ended up loving it! I personally think it was the best movie I’ve seen this summer. I really couldn’t find one thing not to like about it (and believed me I tried). It’s very fast paced so it wasn’t boring as all, it had a great storyline, great characters, funny dialouge, and on top of all that it was just a highly entertaining movie. I thought Robert Downey Jr. was perfect for the role of Iron Man which I found pleasantly surprising. In fact, all the actors were great in their roles. And all the gadgets and special effects were so cool to see. It was just a very exciting movie and I was surprised by how funny it was too.

I hate to say this since I’m sure it’s going to be the biggest movie of all time or close to it, but I liked it a little better than The Dark Knight. Which is saying a lot because that movie was awesome too. Bottom line: I’d say it’s definitely a must see movie. It’s a great comic book adaptation and just a great movie in general.
I really hate giving really high ratings unless they really deserve it but, like I said, I really don’t see anything wrong with this movie so I’m forced to give it 5 stars.

My Rating:

Absolutely Loved it

Review: The Dark Knight

Iron Man, Iron Man movie review, movie review, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrance Howard, The Dark Knight

Along with the rest of the world I have been waiting for this movie to come out since I saw Batman Begins. I am a huge fan of Christian Bale (and have been since I saw Newsies in 1992, love that movie!). And then all the anticipation with Heath Ledger’s death and his portrayal of the Joker… there was no way I was missing out on opening weekend. The first theater we went to was completely sold out for the weekend (!!) but we lucked out and found a theater that had openings for the last show on Sunday night at 10:20. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this record breaking opening. It’s all very exciting. So much so that I thought there was a small chance the movie wouldn’t live up to the hype; I came to the conclusion that it did… for the most part.

Short plot summary from imdb.com:

Batman and James Gordon join forces with Gotham’s new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, to take on a psychotic bank robber known as The Joker, whilst other forces plot against them, and Joker’s crimes grow more and more deadly.

This movie really was awesome. All the special effects, gadgets, cars, motorcycle, explosions, make-up; it was all just unbelievable. Christian Bale was amazing as usual, he is such an awesome Batman (although I am also a big fan of Val Kilmer but that has nothing to with this). The most amazing part of the whole movie is that Heath Ledger’s Joker really did live up to all the hype, which I find amazing. He stole the show without a doubt. If he does end up getting an Oscar for it, it would be well deserved. Another thing I thought was awesome was what they did with Two-Face. When they finally show his face it’s so creepy you can’t keep your eyes off of him.

I did however have a few small problems with the movie. First of all, I was mad that Katie Holmes was replaced with Maggie Gyllenhaal. I hate when they replace characters; it distracts me. And as much as I hated Katie Holmes in the first one, I hated Maggie MUCH more. She is so funny looking and not believable at all in the role she’s playing. Besides the fact that for some reason she was extremely annoying the entire movie. The other reason I was ever so slightly disappointed was because (and this is my own fault) I was expecting to see more of a back story on the Joker and find out more about why he was the way that he was and they were very vague about the whole thing. I understand that that’s the way they chose to depict the character but I just wanted to know more, like what they did with Two-Face.
Overall, this movie is not only a must see, but you must see it in the theater. It will be much more enjoyable on the big screen because it’s such a huge production.

I know this may seem like a low rating but I just can’t say that I loved it yet. Maybe after a watch it a couple more times…

My Rating:

Really Liked it

The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight review, movie review, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes, Batman Begins

I went to go see this movie at the cheap theater to make up for the fact that I paid so much money to see such a horrible movie (Please refer to my review of The Happening) and for once I was very pleasantly surprised. It definitely made up for The Happening.

Plot summary from All Movie Guide:

Forest Whitaker, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, and Matthew Fox star in director Pete Travis’ Rashomon-style thriller in which an assassination attempt on the president of the United States is detailed from five unique perspectives. As the president arrives in Salamanca, gunshots ring out. An American tourist (Whitaker) has captured footage of the would-be assassin on videotape, and now, as the stories of the other four witnesses unfold, each essential piece of the puzzle quickly falls into place. Only when all of the stories are told will the chilling truth to this shocking crime finally emerge.

This is definitely my kind of movie. It had a great story line, interesting characters, it was highly entertaining; everything I’m looking for in a movie. And it had something to do with a conspiracy to kill the president? I love that kind of stuff! I really have no complaints. Well, except for the fact that I hate Forest Whitaker. He was really good in The Last King of Scotland and now I just can’t stand him in any other movie. His character was really weird in this movie too; he was acting really strange. Maybe he was supposed to be in The Happening…

Anyways, the whole idea of showing the turn of events from multiple points of view was so cool and made the story so much more interesting and intriguing. It made it much more suspenseful too. I just recently watched the first (and sadly, only) season of an awesome TV show called Boomtown which also shows the story from different points of view and I think that is such a cool concept. I’ll have to do a review of that show later on.

I’ve seen this movie getting some pretty negative reviews and I don’t get it. They must be from movie snobs. And I also heard a lot of people praising Forest Whitaker’s performance, which I found annoying and strange. Further reason for me never to listen to other people’s point of view because I never agree with them.
I would say you should definitely check this movie out once it comes out on DVD; I doubt you’ll regret it. And if nothing else there are some really awesome car chases which are completely unbelievable but very entertaining.

My Rating:

Really Liked it

Review: Boomtown: Season One
Review: Shooter

Vantage Point, movie review, Forest Whitaker, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Vantage Point movie review, The Happening

I had to go see this movie as soon as it came out because I love Mark Wahlberg and I was really excited to see him in something new. I rarely go out and spend the $10 to see a movie when it first comes out… and now I know why.

Plot summary from mymovies.net

Humanity is under threat in this chilling story which focuses on a middle school science teacher (Mark Wahlberg), his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel), best friend (John Leguizamo) and his daughter as they fight to stay alive while a powerful neurotoxin creates global chaos.
What exactly is going on here? People all along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States are just dropping down dead. Is this some kind of new terrorist attack perhaps? Or is it something else? Something insidious and embedded in nature itself? Something has taken control of the world‘s animals and plants and that something also has plans for humanity. Cut off from the rest of humanity, the small band of survivors must rally together and determine the source of this strange pandemic.

This movie was not good. I was actually shocked by just how “not good” is was. As I’ve said before, I’m a huge Mark Wahlberg fan but this was by far the worst movie I’ve ever seen him in and also by far his worst performance. The acting was laughable (no really, I was in the theater laughing). Most of the characters were pointless and there was absolutely no character development. The plot was extremely weak. I just can’t believe that they thought this was going to pass off as a scary movie. It was not scary at all. There were definitely a few disturbing images but they were few and far between and also not really scary at all. I will say there was one part that was pretty creepy but I was already laughing at the movie by that point so I didn’t care.

I feel like this must have been M. Night Shyamalan’s fault because the whole movie had this really ridiculous vibe. Why does he get so much recognition when The Sixth Sense was his only good movie? And I’ve already completely forgiven Mark Wahlberg, because since all the acting was horrible I blame that on the director as well. I know Marky Mark is at his best when he’s being a bad-ass, but I’ve seen him do very well in other types of roles so I really have to blame this on poor direction or something. I don’t know, they were all acting really weird. You really have to see this movie to really understand what I’m talking about. The dialogue is HORRENDOUS. Nobody would ever say any of those lines in real life.

I’m sad, because I thought this movie had such potential and it was just not executed properly.

There’s nothing more I can really say. All the hype you’re hearing is completely unfounded. They made it look so good in the previews and they get me every time! Curse you enticing movie trailers!

I would say, you have to see this movie to believe it… but wait until it comes out on DVD.

By the way, these are the exact faces that both of these characters are making throughout 90% of the movie. I kid you not.

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Review: Shooter
Review: We Own the Night
Review: The Departed

The Happening, Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening review, movie review

Mini plot summary from imdb.com:

Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

Well, unlike everyone else who saw this movie I wasn’t really able to compare it to the originals because haven’t seen an Indiana Jones movies in almost 10 years and I honestly just do not remember them well enough to even try.
I’m usually a freak about watching everything in order. If a sequel of some sort comes out I always insist on watching the previous movies before I see the new one (hence the reason why I still have not seen the third Star Wars..). But in this case, I had the oppurtunity to go and I knew it would be out of the theaters before I ever got around to watching the first three, so this review is based pretty much just on this movie alone.

I thought the movie was a lot of fun. It was very entertaining and it had a lot of funny one-liner type jokes. I’m a huge fan of Shia LaBeouf and I thought he did a great job in this movie; I really liked his character. It’s no secret that Harrison Ford is getting old, but I thought he pulled it off very well. I don’t know how much longer he could pull it off though if they’re planning to continue the series.
My only complaint about the movie is that I wasn’t crazy about the plot. Without giving too much away, I thought the sci-fi angle they took was a little too far fetched (even for an Indiana Jones movie). One of the scenes at the end especially almost made me roll my eyes because it was so ridiculous. But, overall I think they did a good job of bringing back the excitement and fun of Indiana Jones.

My Rating:

Liked it

Review: National Treasure: Book of Secrets

OK, so I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time. I think that was my first mistake; I was getting my hopes up too high. Needless to say I’m a big fan of Patrick Dempsey (or should I say, McDreamy) but besides that, I honestly thought this looked like a really good chick flick… it wasn’t.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Made of Honor revolves around Tom and Hannah, who have been platonic friends for 10 years. He’s a serial dater, while she wants marriage but hasn’t found Mr. Right. Just as Tom is starting to think that he is relationship material after all, Hannah gets engaged. When she asks Tom to be her “maid” of honor, he reluctantly agrees just so he can attempt to stop the wedding and woo her.

It started out pretty good. I liked the “best friend” relationship between Tom (Patrick Dempsey) and Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), but then when they threw in the whole ‘I fell in love with some guy from Scotland’ plot line, it completely fell apart for me. I hated everything about the Scotland themed parts and it just took a movie that had great potential and dragged it down. It was very unbelievable and I felt like it didn’t go with the original theme of the movie. It’s like they were trying so hard not to be My Best Friend’s Wedding that they ruined what could have been a great chick flick.

Also, I didn’t really like the characters that much. I think I liked Patrick Dempsey’s character but I’m not sure if I actually liked the character or I just liked the fact that it was Patrick Dempsey…
I will say that there were some cute parts so it wasn’t a complete waste of time. Plus, a lot of the music in the movie was really good. I guess overall I would say It was alright, but I probably wouldn’t watch it again.

My Rating:

Just So-So

Review: Enchanted
Review: Grey’s Anatomy: Season One
Review: Grey’s Anatomy: Season Two

Made of Honor, Made of Honor movie review, movie review, Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, My Best Friend’s Wedding

OK, so I am on a quest to see if any of the movies that were nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture actually deserved it. Next up: There Will Be Blood.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Set in the early 20th century, the film follows the rise to power of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis)– a charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and psychological need to see any and all competitors fail. When he learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son H.W. to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview’s gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life.

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Daniel Day-Lewis is just amazing in this movie and in general. He absolutely deserved to win his Oscar for Best Actor and I give him my sincere congratulations.
The bad news is, this movie was yet again, not worthy for a Best Picture nomination in my opinion. It was way, way, way too long which took away from it because a lot of parts really dragged and I found myself being bored and waiting for it to end multiple times. Also, I didn’t really care about any of the characters, which if you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll know that’s a biggie for me.
Daniel Day-Lewis’ character was very intriguing and interesting because of the amazing acting not because of any character development or anything like that.
I think it’s obvious that this is a very well made movie and I think movie snobs will have a lot to praise. But for me, a lowly audience member waiting to be entertained, I was sadly let down. It is very weird and twisted and confusing. I definitely did not get it.
I suppose I would recommend it based purely on the Oscar winning performance, but only if you have 2 hours and 38 minutes to waste.
(I must add that I am not against long movies, as long as they don’t drag on and feel like they are too long)

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Other movies that didn’t deserve to be nominated for Best Picture:
Atonement
Michael Clayton

There Will Be Blood, There Will Be Blood movie review, Daniel Day-Lewis

I wanted to see this movie as soon as it came out, mostly because I loved James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland and wanted to see him in another movie. But also, because the previews looked really good. I ended up not going to see it in the theaters but rented it when it came out on DVD… I am so glad I did not waste $10 as originally planned.

Plot synopsis from All Movie Guide:

The year is 1935, and as the summer heat takes hold, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis watches her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), get undressed and go frolicking in the garden fountain on her family’s country estate. The housekeeper’s son, Robbie (James McAvoy), a childhood friend and recent Cambridge graduate, also witnesses the innocent act. When Robbie and Cecilia subsequently cross a particularly sensitive boundary and the scheming Briony accuses Robbie of an unspeakable transgression for which the boy is wholly innocent, the repercussions of her unfounded claim threaten to affect all three for decades to come.

My first mistake with this movie was not reading the plot outline and just going by what the previews led me to believe. From the preview I figured it would be kind of an epic war time romance type movie… I was very wrong (in my defense that’s what they were marketing it as, I was just stupid enough to believe it).
The movie was not a love story. Yes, there was a subplot of romance I suppose, but overall it was not the main plot of the movie. It was more about what the 13-year-old girl did and the consequences of her actions. Which would have been OK I guess, but the movie was just so twisted, it kept jumping all around with no notice and the style just didn’t fit the story. I don’t really know how to explain it but it didn’t work.
On top of all this, the movie was really really boring. It was only 2 hours long and it easily felt like it was at least 45 minutes longer than it was.
I did not care about any of the characters, I didn’t care what was happening or what was going to happen. It just wasn’t entertaining. The movie was well made and all, but I’m looking for entertainment in a movie; I don’t care about all the technical crap.

This is the second movie I’ve seen that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture that did not deserve it at all. (The first one being Michael Clayton which was also not entertaining)
And yet again I am disgusted that American Gangster was completely over looked.

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Atonement, Atonement movie review, James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Michael Clayton, American Gangster, Academy Awards, movie review

Well, I’ve been in a little bit of a Mark Wahlberg phase so I’ve been watching a lot of his movies lately. I actually wanted to see Shooter when it came out in theaters but none of my friends wanted to see it with me. But that’s OK, I prefer watching movies alone anyways so I’m sure I enjoyed it more this way.

Plot summary from All Movie Guide:

A top Marine sniper who previously abandoned the military after a routine mission gave way to tragedy is double-crossed by the government after reluctantly being pressured back into service. There was a time when Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) was the best trigger-man in the military, but after growing disillusioned with the system, he disappeared without a trace. After being located at his remote mountain retreat by high-profile government officials following an extensive search, Swagger is coerced back into service in order to stop a determined assassin from taking out the President of the United States. In the process of carrying out his mission, however, Swagger suddenly realizes that he has been betrayed when he becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Now wounded and desperate to reveal the culprits behind the conspiracy before it’s too late, Swagger sets into motion a revenge plan that will send shockwaves rippling to some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world.

So, I know this movie got some pretty mixed reviews but I really liked it; it was right up my alley. I’m a bit of a conspiracy buff so I loved the thriller/ conspiracy angle of the movie. Plus, it’s Mark Wahlberg in a great role giving yet another great performance. It’s a little different than some of his usual roles, but it was still Marky Mark doing what he does best; kicking ass.
Danny Glover also starred in the movie but not as the lovable father figure you’re used to seeing. He was a bad guy! Danny Glover as a bad guy? I didn’t like it. I’m not saying he didn’t do a good job but I just don’t like seeing him as the bad guy; it doesn’t fit.

This screams ‘guy movie’ but I’ve been known to enjoy a good ‘guy movie’ with the rest of them. If you haven’t seen it, would definitely say, ignore any bad reviews and sit down and watch a very entertaining action/thriller movie. It’s definitely worth watching.
And ladies, if you don’t like explosions, violence and car chases, you can at least enjoy watching Mark Wahlberg for two hours… let’s be honest here.

My Rating:

Really Liked It

Review:The Departed
Review: We Own the Night

Shooter, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, conspiracy, movie review

I wanted to see this movie when it came out on DVD because I’m a big fan of Mark Wahlberg and it looked like the kind of movie I usually enjoy, but I ended up having mixed feeling about it.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Brooklyn, 1988. Crime is rife, especially drugs and drug violence. A Russian thug is building his heroin trade, while everyone laughs at the cops. Brothers have chosen different paths: Joe (Mark Wahlberg) has followed his father Bert (Robert Duvall) into New York’s Finest; he’s a rising star. Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix), who uses his mother’s maiden name, manages a club. Bobby too is on the rise: he has a new girlfriend (Eva Mendez) and a green-light to develop a Manhattan club. Joe and Bert ask him to help with intelligence gathering; he declines. Then, Joe raids Bobby’s club to arrest the Russian. From there, things spiral out of control: the Russian puts out a hit on Joe, personal losses mount, and Bobby’s loyalties face the test.

Can I just start out by saying that I’ve always hated Joaquin Phoenix for some reason; I’m not really sure what it is. But I hated him much less in this movie than I normally do (I’m not saying I liked him, I’m just saying I hated him less). Same with Eva Mendez actually, she wasn’t as annoying in this movie as she normally is. But on the opposite side, I have always loved Mark Wahlberg and in this movie it was no different. He did an awesome job and I just love him.

The movie wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be. I love this type of movie: crime, drug busts, cops, yadda, yadda, yadda, but for some reason when it was over I was just like, eh.
I thought the overall ideas of the movie were kind of a mix between The Departed and American Gangster but nowhere NEAR as good as those two movies which are two of my all-time favorites. That’s why I was a little surprised that I didn’t like it more… it had the potential to be a very good movie but for some reason it just missed the mark. It was actually kind of boring in parts which was surprising considering the subject material.
I would say that it’s worth checking out but don’t expect too much from it. Some of the performances, especially Mark Wahlberg’s, will make it worth the time.

My Rating:

It was OK

Review: American Gangster
Review: The Departed

We Own The Night, Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendez, The Departed, American Gangster, movie review