Movie Review Report

OK, so I am a HUGE fan of cop dramas for some reason. I don’t really know what the attraction is but if there are cops, I’m there. So as soon as I saw the badge in the previews for this movie I knew I had to see it. I ended up just renting it because I didn’t hear anything about it after I saw that one preview… now I know why.

Plot summary from Netflix:

A corruption scandal fractures a family of New York City cops in this generational drama about homicide detective Ray Tierney (Edward Norton), who’s tasked with investigating a precinct run by his brother (Noah Emmerich). As if that weren’t enough, Ray’s fellow officer and best friend (Colin Farrell) may turn out to be dirty.

The movie was just OK, but it should have been great. The storyline had great potential but for some reason it was just not properly executed.

First of all, I did not connect with any of the characters and that is a biggie for me. I love when movies have great character development so you really feel for them and this movie had absolutely none. I didn’t even know who some of the main characters were and how they were all related until half way through the movie which is ridiculous.

I thought it had some pretty good acting but I did not like Edward Norton for the character he played… that was a strange casting choice. He doesn’t scream “rough street cop” to me, he seems too small and scrawny. I don’t know.

In the end I’m glad I watched it but it reminded me a lot of We Own the Night. They had a lot of similarities and they both should have been a great cop movies and they both fell short. I can’t exactly pinpoint what was wrong with this movie but the biggest thing that sticks out is the lack of character development which led to me not really caring about what was going on as much as I could have.

My Rating:

Just So-So

Review: We Own the Night

Pride and Glory, movie review, Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, cop drama

Honestly, I went into this movie thinking I wasn’t going to like it but I HAD to see it because two of my favorite actors are in it: Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Plot summary from Netflix:

Newly stationed in Jordan, idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) teams up with veteran operative Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (Mark Strong) to infiltrate an underground network of terrorists and locate a criminal mastermind. Based on the best-selling novel by David Ignatius and directed by Ridley Scott, this suspenseful spy thriller features top-rate performances and explosive action sequences.

I usually don’t like movies that take place in the Middle East and have to do with terrorism because that’s what you hear about so much in the news the last thing you wanna do it go to the movies when you want to relax and hear about it again. Plus, usually I find them to be boring, confusing, too political and just… blah. But I ended up liking this movie and I felt it had a strong plot to keep my interest throughout the whole movie and entertain me even though it was such an involved and sometimes confusing storyline. (At least to me, I try not to think too much during movies if I don’t have to, but this time I didn’t mind thinking so much because it was interesting and suspenseful.)

Needless to say, the acting was great. With Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio you are rarely disappointed in their performances. Although since I have seen every single movie both of them have ever been in I can tell you there have been a few duds between them. Wow, that sounds very pathetic that I’ve stalked them like that but… that’s what obsession will do to you and they have both been victims of my obsessions at some point.

My Rating:

I Liked it

Body of Lies, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, movie review

Clearly, I had to go see this movie because my man, Mark Wahlberg is in it (Can’t I still call him Marky Mark?). I was so glad to see he was in an action movie after seeing the disappointment of the year: The Happening.

Plot summary from Netflix:

Mark Wahlberg stars as the title character of this gritty crime thriller, centered on an undercover New York City DEA agent who teams up with a female assassin (Mila Kunis) to avenge the murder of his family. With supporting performances by Beau Bridges, Ludacris, Chris O’Donnell and Donal Logue.

I guess I should start off by saying I do not play video games. I’ve heard this movie is based on a video game but I’ve never heard of the game or seen the game so I’m sure hardcore gamers will have a very different and more passionate review for this movie. But, I’m just gonna pretend it’s not based on a video game because… I can.

I have to say, this was one of the weirdest movies I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t know why, I just walked out of the theater thinking ‘Holy crap that was weird’. It had a very unique, strange feel to the whole movie.

Saying all that though, I did like the movie. There were some really awesome slow motion action scenes that were so cool to see. I thought it had a very original (albeit strange) plot line and the special effects were pretty cool.

Mila Kunis was kind of a weird casting choice but I didn’t hate her. Marky Mark did an awesome job as usual. And hopefully he is sticking to these types of characters once and for all. Please?

I would say it’s definitely worth the watch. I went with my Dad and he liked it too. It was kind of a man movie I guess.

My Rating:

Liked it

Review: Shooter
Review: We Own the Night

Max Payne, movie review, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Ludacris, Beau Bridges, Chris O’Donnell

I went to see this movie because there was literally nothing else to see at the $3 movie theater and I was bored. Thank God I wasn’t expecting much.

Plot summary from Netflix:

This dramatic thriller from director Neil LaBute follows Chris and Lisa Mattson (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) as they settle into their Los Angeles dream house — only to be harassed by their off-kilter cop neighbor, officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson). Turner disapproves of the couple’s interracial relationship and is determined to drive them away, but as the harassment turns violent, the newlyweds have no choice but to fight back.

OK, I did not like this movie. My friend that I went with really liked it so, who knows? I guess that’s why everyone’s entitled to their own opinion… whatever.

The plot of the movie was eh, OK. Samuel L. Jackson was mildly entertaining and the only actor in the movie that wasn’t completely worthless. He definitely played the role of the neighbor from hell!

My number one complaint about this movie… I don’t know who Kerry Washington is but she is THE WORST actress I have ever seen in my life. She was just terrible. It distracted me so much from the movie because I was just waiting for her next crappy line. Speaking of crappy lines, the dialogue was horrible too. It was so forced and unrealistic I wanted to slap people.

The main actors that played the interracial couple had absolutely no chemistry whatsoever. I want to think that the main guy, Patrick Wilson, could be a good actor but his “wife” was so bad it brought him down… I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.
And then there was all this weird racial tension… it was all too much for me.

But hey, what do I know because as I was walking out of the theater in disgust, my friend said (and I quote) “That was a really good movie”. So again, who am I to judge? Oh wait, this is my blog so my opinion is the only one that matters here.

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Review: Righteous Kill
Review: Boomtown: Season One

Lakeview Terrace, movie review, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Patrick Wilson

I’m sure everyone went to go see this movie to see Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro together which makes perfect sense. But of course, I had to see this movie because my man Donnie Wahlberg was in it… that’s what obsessions will do to you.

Plot summary from Netflix:

Academy Award winners Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star in this taut thriller as a pair of New York City detectives tasked with investigating a rash of vigilante killings linked to a case years ago, suggesting they may have put an innocent man behind bars. John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, Brian Dennehy, Donnie Wahlberg and rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent also star in this crime drama directed by Jon Avnet.

I was a little worried that De Niro and Pacino were too old and I was curious to see if they still had “it”. I realized that De Niro is pretty much the same as always he just looks older but Pacino, I’m afraid he’s done. He was actually one the things I did not like about this movie. After seeing 88 Minutes and then Righteous Kill, I’ve officially decided that Al Pacino should retire. It’s not that he was terrible, it’s just that he’s done. I can’t explain it, but I’m pretty sure his crazy hair is a part of the reason.

Of course, my man Donnie Wahlberg was great as always as well as his partner John Leguizamo. Donnie is always great as a detective, but I hope in the future we get to see him in a different role because he really is a great actor! As opposed to 50 Cent who is not a good actor… he was not very impressive.

I thought the story was good. I was definitely entertained but it wasn’t the greatest movie in the world. There was a big twist at the end but it was kinda predictable. I personally like to just watch the movie and not think about it so I can be surprised, but I can see how someone would have figured it out pretty easily.

But, saying all that, I think it’s definitely worth watching. I enjoyed it, I always love a good cop movie. If there’s a badge and a gun, I’m there! And of course, Donnie Wahlberg is amazing.

My Rating:

I Liked it

Review: Boomtown: Season One
Review: 88 Minutes

Righteous Kill, movie review, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Donnie Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, 50 Cent

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