Movie Review Report

I was looking to watch something light, and went with the CGI film, Barnyard. I hadn’t really heard a lot about it, so I wasn’t expecting much.The film is about a barnyard of animals that get wild n’ crazy when the farmer’s not around. The main character is a cow named Otis (voiced by Kevin James). He doesn’t like responsibility and just wants to have fun all day. His Dad, Ben, is the “leader” at the farm, and is the complete opposite of Otis. When coyotes threaten the farm, it’s up to Otis to either shape up, or let his friend’s be attacked.

The movie starts out pretty slow, but picks up about mid-way through. It’s definitely in the lower class of CGI films (although the animation is great), but it’s still worth the watch. It’s more geared towards kids, and not as much for adults, whereas films like Finding Nemo or The Incredibles were entertaining for both.

If you have kids, I’m sure they will love it, but unless you really like CGI films, or are in the mood for something light, don’t expect a whole lot from Barnyard.

My Rating: 6/10

School For Scoundrels is basically what you’d expect it to be. It’s Fight Club meets Bad Santa, but unfortunately nowhere near as good as either of those films.I like both Jon Heder and Billy Bob Thornton. They did admiral jobs in this film, and overall I’d say I enjoyed it. It was about what I expected it to be. There are some pretty funny spots and I had a few good laugh-out-loud moments.

The film centers on Roger (Jon Heder, aka Napoleon Dynamite) and he is a hapless loser. A nice guy, but well… he’s a meter maid and good things just don’t happen to him. So he joins a class taught by Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton), that’s intention is to make geeks into studs.

I’d recommend the film if you’re looking for something easy-going to watch. It’s a film you can sit back and enjoy some popcorn to. It’s not the best comedy out there, but it does what it intends to do.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Flushed Away is about a rich, spoiled rat named Roddy that gets himself flushed down the toilet and ending up in an underground town filled with other rats. Roddy is voiced by Hugh Jackman, while Ian McKellan and Kate Winslet voice other characters.

I was very impressed by this film. I didn’t have the highest expectations, as the movie was somewhat of a bomb at the box office, but I enjoyed it a lot. The animation was incredible, and it was such a good, witty film. There are so many little jokes throughout the movie that if you blink, you could miss them.

It’s the best animated film I’ve seen in quite a while. I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a movie that will not only entertain kids, but adults as well.

My Rating: 8/10

IMDb.com sums the movie’s plot up best, “American soldiers of the 2/3 Field Artillery, a group known as the “Gunners,” tell of their experiences in Baghdad during the Iraq War. Holed up in a bombed out pleasure palace built by Sadaam Hussein, the soldiers endured hostile situations some four months after President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in the country.“

It’s a very interesting film, as it gives you a completely different perspective on the war in Iraq. The soldier’s are all so young, and they appear more as kids wearing army gear than hardened men of war. To hear their opinions on what is going on is actually quite sad. They joined the army to feel pride in fighting for their country, but what they are doing is not for their country at all. They are fighting to help the people of Iraq, most of which throw rocks and spit on them.

It was an eye opening documentary. The film was very well done, and it seemed like you were the eye behind the camera, and that you were actually there during everything that was going on. It was a very “first person” experience.

Overall, it was an informative, interesting, and very well put together film.

My Rating: 7.5/10

I’d had this movie laying around for a couple years now, and Michaela just read the book and wanted to see the film adaptation, so it gave me the excuse to finally sit down and watch it. I was pretty impressed with the movie. It was very well made, and I liked how the film had two “hero” characters, and throughout the film you are trying to decide which to root for.

The film centers on Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a woman who is evicted from her house, who then starts a tragic conflict with the new owner (Ben Kingsley). The acting in the film is excellent, as you would expect with the caliber of talent involved.

It’s not a film to watch if you’re looking to sit back and eat some popcorn, nor is it a film to boost your mood. It’s a very depressing movie. From what Michaela told me, it was a very good book-to-film adaptation. It’s rare that this happens, and if you have read the book and usually stay away from the films, maybe you should give this one a shot.

If you like deep, serious dramas then I’d definitely recommend House of Sand and Fog.

My Rating: 7/10

Although you wouldn’t call this film a blockbuster by any means, I had still been greatly anticipating it for quite some time. To me, it seemed like Outsiders meets Kids. I knew if it was even half as good as either of those films, it would be a great movie.The movie wasn’t quite as fast-paced as I expected (well, it’s a drama… it isn’t fast paced at all), but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. For being a “coming-of-age drama”, it was surprisingly quite depressing.

Shia LaBeouf and Channing Tatum are two up-and-coming actors that have really been impressing me with their work as of late. They were great in their respective roles. Robert Downey Jr., although his role is small, did a good job as well. He’s an amazing actor, and now that it seems his personal life is finally coming together, hopefully he can continue to put forth great work.

Also making appearances are Chazz Palminteri, Rosario Dawson and Dianne Wiest.

The film is slower than I would have hoped for, but the acting is great, and it’s a very well put together film. It came pretty close to matching my high expectations. If you’re in the mood for a dark, intense drama, I’d recommend ‘A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints’.

My Rating: 7.5/10

I really enjoy when comedic actors take on more serious roles. I’m always interested to see how they do, and like Jim Carey in “Eternal Sunshine” and Adam Sandler in “Punch Drunk Love”, Will Ferrell really impressed me. This is nothing like some of his past work, and I really enjoyed him in this film (not that I wasn’t a fan before).Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, an IRS adjuster who lives a very boring, mundane life. Suddenly one day he stars hearing a woman narrating his life. Kay Eiffel is an author in the midst of writer’s block, who’s latest novel centers on the life of one Harold Crick. The same Harold Crick. Eiffel is a novelist who’s characters always die at the end, and her newest book is slated to have that same ending. This is obviously not good new for Harold.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah also make appearances, and do a great job in their own right. I really enjoyed Gyllenhaal’s role and Dustin Hoffman’s wacky humor is wonderful as always.

I had been looking forward to seeing this film for a while now, and although I wasn’t too sure what to expect, I came out enjoying it much more than I thought I would. It’s an excellent movie that has the perfect mix of both comedy and drama.

As long as you go into this film not expecting anything similar to what you’d normally see from Will Ferrell, I can’t see how you wouldn’t enjoy this movie. Great from start to finish.

My Rating: 8/10

The first thing you notice about ‘Bobby’ is the incredible cast listing. Rarely do you see a film (that’s not named Ocean’s 11) with a cast as good as this one. Here are just some of the stars who have roles in the film…Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Fishburne, Ashton Kutcher, Wlliam H. Macy, Lindsey Lohan, Helen Hunt, Shia LaBeouf, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Freddy Rodriguez, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone, Elijah Wood, Nick Cannon, Heather Graham, Joshua Jackson, David Krumholtz (from TV’s Numb3rs), Harry Belafonte and Joy Bryant.

Impressive doesn’t even begin to describe that listing.

‘Bobby’ is an ensemble cast film that follows the lives of several people on June 6th, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel; the day Robert F. Kennedy was shot. The film didn’t just rely on it’s incredible cast to carry the film. The script was excellent, and I am beyond impressed with Emilio Estevez, who wrote and directed the film. Pretty incredible job for the former ‘Gordon Bombay’ of Might Duck fame.

It reminded me somewhat of “United 93″. The story is obviously not as intense, but the film had the same feel and atmosphere to it. This is a very good thing.

I had heard both good and bad about the movie going in, and I came out extremely impressed with what I had just watched. It passed my expectations by a long shot.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone, whether you’re familiar with the Kennedy assassination or not. It’s one of the best dramas of 2006.

My Rating: 9/10

I got exactly what I expected out of ‘Night at the Museum’. It’s a family friendly film and is good for some action, cool special effects and some laughs as well. It’s a nice light movie and it was actually a little better than I expected. It looked pretty cheesy, and although it is more for kids, I still had fun watching it.Ben Stiller is the star and gives, like usual, an enjoyable performance. The film also stars, in lesser-roles, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Ricky Gervais.

The special effects are quite good, and the story is good on the fantasy side of things. It’s a film about a middle-aged man (Stiller) who can’t quite hold down a good job. He finally gets a job working at the Museum of Natural History. He then soon finds out this Museum is like no other, as the exhibits come to life at night.

The movie accomplished what it set out to do by providing a couple hours of light-hearted entertainment.

My Rating: 7/10

I am a huge Will Smith fan, and I’m really surprised it took me this long to see this film. I had heard pretty good things, and was expecting a lot from this movie. But wow, was I ever amazed. I’m close to thinking that Will Smith should have won Best Actor for his role in this film (although I love Forest Whitaker, and haven’t yet seen The Last King of Scotland, so I’ll reserve my final judgment until then).The film is based on a true story, and follows struggling salesman Chris Gardner (Will Smith) who faces near poverty trying to get by alone with his son, while trying to make it as a stock broker.

Smith’s real-life son Jaden plays his son in this film, and he is a spitting image of his father. This kid is going to be a star. You can see Will in him. He has this cute type of cockiness that you can just tell comes from his Dad.

This film is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. I had heard that guys were crying in the theater and I can see why. It’s definitely a “guy cry” movie. I know I had watery eyes at some points.

It was an excellent film and one I would 100% recommend to anyone. Will Smith is quickly becoming one of the best actors in every area of film, and while continually coming out with hit action movies, comedies and now dramas, I’m hard pressed to find a better all-around actor.

My Rating: 9.5/10

I have never been a very big ‘James Bond’ fan. I’ll be honest and say that I have only seen the Pierce Brosnan versions. They were pretty much as “popcorn film” as you can get. They were alright, but nothing special to me.I have no interest in seeing the older James Bond films either. For being such a movie buff, this probably pretty surprising, but they just don’t interest me.

But Casino Royale has completely changed my opinion of James Bond. If every James Bond was like this, I would watch them again and again. This is how the series should have been done for a while.

Daniel Craig (who I already loved thanks to his work in Layer Cake), was excellent as Bond. He’s a great actor, and I was pretty impressed with his action work. I had only seen him in dramas prior to this film. That opening sequence is pretty incredible. It had SpiderMan-like action scenes and was a great way to start off the film.

The movie was longer than I expected, and it didn’t necessarily drag out, but I kept thinking it was about to end, then another sequence came along. I did like how you learn a lot about how Bond became Bond. You see how he becomes the womanizer and cold-hearted guy that he is in the later films.

For the first time, I’m looking forward to the next Bond film. If it is anything like this one, I will definitely try and check it out in the theater rather than wait for the DVD.

My Rating: 8/10

I finally got around to watching the critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated film, Blood Diamond. Wow, was I ever impressed. What an incredible film.The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio (nominated for Best Actor) and Djimon Hounsou (nominated for Best Supporting Actor). Neither won their respective awards, but both were equally as worthy as the eventual winners. DiCaprio continues to blow me away with his performances. He is in the upper echelon of actors right now. I have always been a fan of Hounsou, dating back to his performances in Amistad and Gladiator.

Blood Diamond is a very serious film and centers around a very disturbing topic, but the one word I would use to describe the film, is “beautiful”. The filming is breath-taking, and director Edward Zwick (Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Glory, The Siege) does an incredible job. The scenery in the film wonderfully contrasts the extreme situations the characters are involved in.

The film focuses on the African country Sierra Leonne in 1999, where the dangerous diamond export business is wreaking havoc the entire country. Solomon Vandy (Hounsou) is an enslaved diamond-miner that finds a rare “blood diamond”. Danny Archer (DiCaprio) is a diamond smuggler that hears of Vandy’s findings, and tries to partner with him to ensure he become rich off of the rare diamond. The country is in the middle of a Civil War, and the rebels are very interested in getting their hands on the diamond.

The film is a drama, but is quite fast paced and has a good amount of action to keep the casual movie watcher entertained. I would recommend this film to anyone, especially those who appreciate a wonderful piece of art that this film most surely is.

My Rating: 9.5/10

Stomp the Yard is one of the latest dance mixed with high school and/or college relationship drama. Ok, that was a mouthful. But yes, you’ve seen Step Up, Save the Last Dance, You’ve Been Served, etc etc, it’s all the basic same formula.

Stomp the Yard is about a young man named DJ, who’s brother is killed in a “gang” fight, caused by a team that loses a dance competition. DJ moves in with his aunt and uncle, and gets accepted into a high-class University. The school’s hot “sport” is “stepping”. Why the movie isn’t called “Step the Yard”, I don’t know? I guess because it sounds stupid, which well now that I think about it, would have been a fitting title considering the quality of this film.

DJ is still mourning his brother, and has no interest in participating in any school events. He does, however become interested in the gorgeous April (played by Meagan Good). April, of course, is dating the star “stepper” on one of the school’s dance fraternities.

DJ of course joins the rival dance team, and you can guess where the movie heads from there.

In most dance films, you expect to see some crazy moves, that regardless of the quality of the film, will still provide some entertainment. That doesn’t happen here. Stepping is about the least interesting kind of dancing you can watch. You just think, “wow, I could probably do that. Big deal”.

The film isn’t completely horrible, as it is at least average. The story is better than most other dance films, but that really isn’t saying much. Overall, the only real good thing about this film is getting to see the beautiful Meagan Good strut around on your screen.

So, should you rent it? I wouldn’t recommend it, but I won’t say completely pass on it either. If you like dance films with relationship love stories, then you might like it.

My Rating: 5.5/10

Norbit is the latest Eddie Murphy as several characters film to be released. I didn’t expect a whole lot anything… maybe something a little similar to the Nutty Professor. As low as my expectations were, the film still didn’t come close to meeting them.In this one, Murphy plays three characters. The title character, Norbit, a bumbling orphan boy that isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. He meets a beautiful young girl named Kate (Thandie Newton) while living in an orphanage as a young boy. He also plays the orphanage owner Mr. Wong, and his wife, Rasputia.

There are a lot of very immature jokes, and the film seems geared towards the young teen market, although I’m sure even they found it to be pretty horrible.

There are a few funny moments here and there, but overall I felt myself feeling dumber with each passing moment. It’s simply not funny, not entertaining, and I couldn’t help but wonder what type of person would ever agree to filming a movie with this script. I’m sure it was pitched as “a comedy with Eddie Murphy playing multiple roles”. Too bad they forgot to add the comedy part.

Cuba Gooding Jr., Eddie Griffin, Terry Crews and Marlon Wayans also make appearances, which I am sure they are regretting. Wayans’ role was one of the only funny parts of the film. And by funny, I mean “watchable”.

I highly recommend skipping this film, unless you have an urge to waste an hour and forty minutes of your life.

My Rating: 2/10