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: Shooter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fact that this movie was nominated for an Oscar for best picture and American Gangster wasn’t, really disgusts me.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Michael Clayton is an in-house fixer at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach, & Ledeen’s dirtiest work at the behest of the firm’s co-founder, Marty Bach. Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture, and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class-action suit that Clayton’s firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach’s brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

OK, this movie was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, so clearly there’s something I just don’t see. This was one of the most boring movies I’ve seen in a long time. I understand what they were trying to achieve, but for me it just didn’t work. I didn’t care about any of the characters and I was completely uninterested in the story from the beginning. I wanted it to get better, I really did, but that just never happened. The last half hour or so was tolerable because it was the climax, but other than that I was bored to tears. There were so many things going on that had nothing to do with the story and a bunch of pointless characters. I don’t know, maybe I’m not enough of a movie snob to enjoy this movie but I like movies because they’re entertaining; and this one just wasn’t.
I went to see it with a friend and she actually liked it, which I was confused about, so I know other people have different opinions about this movie. But since this is my review I suppose I’m allowed to be honest; and honestly, I would say… don’t waste your time.

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Michael Clayton, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, American Gangster, Academy Awards, Oscars, movie review

Plot taken from imdb.com:

The passage from this world to the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold is through a breech in a wall by an English village. In the 1800s, a boy becomes a man when he ventures through the breech to prove his love for the village beauty by finding a fallen star. The star is no lump of rock, but a maiden, Yvaine (Claire Danes), and Tristan (Charlie Cox), the youth, is not the only one searching for her: three witches, led by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), want her heart to make them young. The sons of the dead king of Stormhold want her because she possesses a ruby that will give one of them title to the throne. Assisting Tristan are his mother, the victim of a spell, and a pirate of the skies (Robert DeNiro).

That’s actually kind of a lame plot description but there’s so much going on in the movie that it’s hard to explain in one tiny blurb. I have to say though, I think this movie is a must see. Which really surprised me because it was so poorly publicized and marketed that I had no idea what it was about and hadn’t heard of anyone even seeing it at the theater let alone liking it.

Whoever was in charge of that should be ashamed because this was actually an awesome movie! It reminded me a lot of kind of a Princess Bride kind of movie. Very fantastical and intriguing; it was a fairy tale for adults. Kids would actually really like it too but unfortunately there are some very scary scenes and a lot of other things that definitely make it inappropriate for young kids.

It had such an interesting plot, great characters, great actors, fun to watch, I really can’t say anything more than you should definitely check this movie out. I’ve always been a fan of Claire Danes so I loved her in the movie. And the main guy, Charlie Cox was just adorable. Robert DeNiro also has a small part in it and he is absolutely hilarious!
If you liked The Princess Bride, Willow, or even Enchanted, I would bet you’ll probably love this one.
I would give it a higher rating but I think this is one of those movies that you have to watch over and over again so considering I only saw it once; it’s not bad.

My Rating:

Really Liked it

Review: Enchanted

Stardust, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, movie review, The Princess Bride, Willow, Enchanted