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Deadman Mike

Michael Beardsley


Last Updated: 11/25/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 101
Sign: Pisces

City: Hollywood
State: California
Country: US
Signup Date: 12/24/2005

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Sunday, November 01, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I've seen nine movies so far in November.

2012 – 2012 is a disaster movie, and a disaster of a movie. It’s not one of the few exceptions to the rule that disaster movies always suck. 2012 is way too far-fetched and unrealistic. I am not speaking of the science of the end of the world, I am speaking of the numerous time that Jackson Curtis (played by John Cusack) and his family escape certain death by mere inches time after time. The effects look good, but are way overdone. None of the characters are interesting, and I would have had no sadness if they all died. As for the scientist Adrian Helmsley (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), I wanted him to die; he was annoying! This movie takes place in a fantasy world, Helmsley wants to save everyone, never thinking that in the long run he could have caused the deaths of everyone. Carl Anheuser (played by Oliver Platt) is supposed to be the bad guy, but he’s quite correct… but of course this movie has a social agenda so they have to make him very unlikable and in the end his caution proved to be inexplicably unfounded. The sentimental moments are boring and contrived. The movie should have been forty-five minutes shorter. Woody Harrelson is funny as Charlie Frost. C-

The Twilight Saga: New Moon – I’ll start this review of New Moon by saying that I did read the book… and the movie was a very good adaptation… which is to say the problems with the book were also the problems with the movie. The most annoying thing in the film is Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) and in incessant gushing/whining. He acts like a moony–eyed teenager despite the fast that the character is over one hundred years old. The best part of the movie is when he’s not in it. Jacob Black (played by Taylor Lautner) is a much more interesting character… but I don’t think the movie/book series will end well for him (this is a guess, I could be totally wrong). New Moon is a slightly better then the first film, which I liked, but had more cheesy moments. B

The Box – The Box was a terrible movie. I am familiar with the original story, “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson… in fact I quite like it… but this movie veers way off course. The button is pushed about twenty minutes into the film… it should have ending shortly after that. I don’t know what Frank Langella and Cameron Diaz are doing in this piece of total crap. The movie is trying to be totally cool and metaphysical, but it turned out just plain stupid. I don’t know how to describe the mix of boring and lameness that this plot contains. I though Frank Langella as Arlington Steward looked cool… that’s my compulsory nice comment for this cinematic abortion. The story of “Button, Button” was much better when it was a Twilight Zone episode in 1986. Interesting fact: Basil Hoffman, the actor who plays Steward in the 1986 Twilight Zone episode appears in the film. D

The Boondock Saints 2: All Saint’s Day - The Boondock Saints 2 is an excellent sequel to an excellent film. All the characters are back, and the film is true to its first installment. This one picks up where the last one left off, and does answer a question I had about the fist film: how could they continue their work after the very public spectacle at the conclusion of that film? Just like the first one, sensational action scenes punctuate a great story that’s told in a quirky way. There’s also quite a bit of humor. Clifton Collins Jr. joins the cast Romeo, the slightly comical third man, and he’s a great addition. The only thing I missed from the first film was having Willem DeFoe as Paul Smecker investigate the crime scenes… he’s replaced by Special Agent Eunice Bloom (played by), and she’s good too, but not the same. If you haven’t seen the original movie, you should see it. A-

The Men Who Stare at Goats - The Men Who Stare at Goats is a weird movie. It wasn’t bad… it just wasn’t very good. The parts I like most were the flashbacks to the time when Jeff Bridges as Bill Django was creating the group of psi-soldiers. George Clooney plays Lyn Cassady… and he’s the same George Clooney he always is. I did find it was quite amusing that reporter Bob Wilton, played by Ewen McGreggor, is constantly talking to Lyn about Jedi warriors… in case you don’t get why I think this is funny, McGreggor plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the most well known Jedi Knights in the Star Wars movies. C-

Astroboy – Astroboy is a lackluster animated film that is strictly for children. Very forgettable… not much more to say then that. Even the voice acting of a stellar cast that includes Nicolas Cage Donald Sutherland Samuel L. Jackson can not save the film. I did actuality fall asleep for a short time in the middle of the film, but it had already lost me by then. I am not familiar with the original cartoon on which this movie is based. C-

Couple’s Retreat – I was pleasantly surprised by Couple’s Retreat, not because I thought it was so good, but because it’s a Vince Vaughn relationship movie that doesn’t consist of ninety minutes of him bickering with his leading lady. There one part in the middle that this occurs, but it’s short… I don’t find his bickering funny at all. There’s a very good cast of characters, including the four couples and the staff, and they all have their moments; I think it’s the other characters that make the movie work.  Couple’s Retreat is not a masterpiece by any means, it’s a predictable film… but it did make me laugh a fair amount, so I have to recommend it. Often with this type of film, all the funny stuff is in the previews, but that was not the case this time. B-

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - I’ll start this review by saying that I’d never heard of the Cirque du Freak book series before this film. That being said, The Vampire's Assistant This movie has a strange vibe to it. There is a certain campy quality at times, but not overtly so. It’s not a movie that asks to be taken seriously, but at the same time, there are moments that are quite serious. There are lots of wacky and interesting characters, many of which are early featured in the film, but I liked them. The movie most definitely sets up a sequel, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing one considering it didn’t do too well at the box office. B-

Amelia - Amelia is one of those biography movies that wasn’t bad, it was just wasn’t necessary. Like many biography films, I went into this one knowing how it was going to end… which can be unfortunate. Sometimes the journey is so interesting that it’s all right that you know the destination… but this journey wasn’t really all that exciting. But I think the biggest problem with the film is with the chemistry between Amelia Earhart (played by Hilary Swank) and her husband (played by Richard Gere), and then later her lover (played by Ewan McGregor). Perhaps it was an attempt to show that she was a somewhat cold in her relationships, but I just didn’t think it played well. I found Amelia Earhart to be quite annoying at times. There were a few historical facts that I learned from the film, and I was entertained… but it’s far from the best film out there. C+
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Friday, October 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I saw seven movies in October... my review of
Capitalism: A Love Story is very long, so I put it last.

Where the Wild Things Are – Where the Wild Things Are looks great… but is so incredibly slow and boring that I found it extremely painful to watch. I was looking at my watch, hoping it would end long before it did. I remember the book from my youth, but as is usually the case, translating a twenty-page children’s book to a ninety-minute movies is usually disastrous. It’s actually quite amazing how much personality the "wild things" are infused with, and how different they are from each other. But perhaps even more amazing is how little all this character development does to make the film any better. As for the kid (played by Max Records), from the opening off the film it’s clear that he has serious mental problems… and I don’t think helps the film. He wasn’t just a kid who didn’t fit in; he was defiantly a special needs case. D+

Law Abiding Citizen – I didn’t know what to expect from Law Abiding Citizen, I was hoping for a smart film with an ending I wouldn’t see coming from the start…. And that’s actually exactly what I got. Gerald Butler plays Clyde Shelton, a man who takes the law into his own hands after his family is murdered, and he plays it well. In the past year, he’s played a couple very different roles and really proven that he has range. Jaime Foxx plays the district attorney who has to deal with him, and he does an adequate job. I was pleased to see Colm Meaney in a supporting role, as the lead detective on the investigation; I like Colm Meaney. As for the ending, I did not see it coming…. Though I think it was a little much. I don’t want to go into any detail as I don’t want to spoil it, but I think you will understand my reservations about the plausibility when you see it. B
 
Whip It – There were parts of Whip It that I quite liked, and parts I didn’t like so much. I liked all the parts with the girls and the roller skating, but I though the material with the boyfriend, Oliver (played by Landon Pigg), were weak. I didn’t see the chemistry between them, even if it was just a crush, there should have been some chemistry. Ellen Page stars as Bliss Cavendar, and she’s good, but this wasn’t even close to her best performance. The parents, played Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern, were quite funny; I haven’t seen Daniel Stern in awhile… he’s getting old! I thoroughly enjoyed all the wacky named the skaters used. It's a good little story about empowerment and not living your life in a certain way just because you are expected to, but I can’t quite recommend it. C

Surrogates– Surrogates was a very interesting film; it has an interesting premise, and a surprisingly complex plot. It’s one of those movies that defiantly has a social commentary in on based on what it’s about, but doesn’t try to send any sort of message to the audience. Bruce Willis stars as Tom Greer, the detective that finds himself in the middle of a complicated murder investigation that could lead to the decimation of life on earth. Willis gets to play both Greer, and Greer’s surrogate, which was a really nice touch. I think the preview gives away a little too much about the plot, but I still really liked this film. There have been many movies made about the future of society, Surrogates had a new and unique take on it. I should also mention that it’s quite short, only ninety minutes. B+

Zombieland - Zombieland is a fun zombie movie that’s often played for laughs. Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg star as "Tallahassee" and "Columbus" two of the last people on earth who are not zombies, they form a very odd partnership and, along with fellow survivors Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, go on a cross-country zombie killing odyssey ending in an amusement park. There are virtually no other speaking characters in the film. It’s a fun quirky movie that is not a masterpiece by any means, but it is entertaining. I liked how Columbus’ zombie killing rules keep turning up again and again throughout the film. There are some very far-fetched moments, like the fact that the entire amusement park comes on with the flip of a switch. There is also a very funny cameo by a well-known actor; it was unexpected at the time I saw it, but I think most people have heard about it now. B-

 9 - Because I fell asleep during my first viewing of 9 back in September, I saw it again. I essentially stand by everything I said before, but I liked is a little better. I was not particularly impressed. The story is defiantly original, but it seemed to be more about the visuals then anything else. There were lengthy sequences with the little characters fighting abstract machines, and these became a bit tedious. Several of the characters die, but I didn't really feel anything for them... perhaps because they were so weird, or maybe because they just weren't that developed. C

Capitalism: A Love Story - I think Capitalism: A Love Story is probably Michael’s Moore’s weakest effort to date. Michael Moore essentially tries to argue that capitalism is the cause of all the greed in the United States, but he fails to realize/address that greed is not restricted to capitalism, and that it would exist in any form of government or economic system (as histyory has shown). The big problems start when the government (and those in the government) becomes greedy… I would call this corruption more then capitalism because governments all over the world act this way all the time! People with very little money con, cheat and steel everyday. The only difference between the rich and the poor is that the rich have the means to fool more people into handing over their money. Moore does make a good case for government regulations to essentially stop people from taking advantage of those who are not smart enough to see when they are being taken advantage of, and to stop businesses from monopolizing a market and fleecing the public. Early ion the movie, a family is shown being evicted from their house that they have lived in for many years. The specifics are not given, but we are told that they refinanced their home, and then couldn’t pay the fees. While the bank might well have been deceptions in their business practices, I think the family needs to take some responsibility for their problem. So many people take no responsibility for themselves in today’s society (perhaps I am wrong about this, but sense Moore does not give all the details, I am forced to comment on this). Then there is a lengthy segment about "peasant" insurance policies, which are insurance policies companies take out on their workers so they essentially make money on their deaths. Creepy, yes, but I was not as appealed as Moore wanted me to be. It’s like all insurance policies, you are paying a small amount of money now to possibly get more later… essentially it’s a gamble. A morbid one. I want to know who is issuing these policies as, according to Moore, all companies that have them are making lots of money off them. An insurance company that pays more then it take in will go out of business, so there has to be more to this story. Then there is a part in which Moore shows the audience a co-op business in which all the employees have a say in how things are done. He asks the audience something like, "Wouldn’t it be great if you and your co-workers had some say in how your workplace is run." HELL NO! Many of the people I work with are not only stupid, but are out to get every penny they can. I think it’s good for a company management to get input from all the workers, but not everyone should have a say. The co-op example they show seems to be operating well, but that doesn’t mean their business model will work everywhere. These are probably people that got together and created the business, not just a bunch or random unskilled employees. In another segment, Moore seems to advocate taxing the rich ninety percent... having the rich pay more is fine, but ninety percent on anyone is simply unfair and quite ridiculace. Overall, I liked parts of the film, but it really didn’t make its point. The best line in the film is said by actor/playwright Wallace Shawn, he says something like, "The people making all the money aren’t even the ones making products that everyone likes." C-

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Wednesday, September 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I only saw five movies in September.

Extract - I didn’t know what to expect from Extract, but it turned out to be my favorite movie of the month. This movie contains countless interesting and, in some cases, very strange characters. Jason Bateman stars as Joel, and he’s the only regular guy in the movie! But even with all these characters, it does not sacrifice its plot; the story is very good. My only specific complaint about Extract is that Cindy (Mila Kunis) didn’t really get her comeuppance at the end; I would like to have seen that. B

The Informant! - The Informant! is a weird movie, but I liked it. Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre really caries the film; it’s amazing that the audience can get behind a character that is so stupid, and simultaneously totally out for himself. I think it’s because he comes off as totally sincere, even when he’s lying (which is most of the time). Whenever there is a potentially dull moment, Mark Whitacre’s voice-over imparts some bizarre fact or antidote to the audience, and this really is quite funny at times. I actually saw most of this movie twice because I briefly dozed off the first time… thought it was only for a few minutes, I wanted to be certain I didn’t miss anything. B

Gamer - The idea behind Gamer has been done in many movies before it going all the way back to the 1987 film The Running Man, and more recently, and less effectively, with The Condemned. But this one is a more technical and updated version for the Internet age, and they did it pretty well. The film also comment on on-line role playing games with it’s "Society" game, which I liked because that is an area that hasn’t really been explored in movies. It’s not a very thought-provoking movie as most of what it has to say has been said so many times before, but it was entertaining. Gerard Butler as Kable fills the role of action star well. B-

Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs - Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs is definitely a movie for kids, but I still liked it to some degree. Despite the antiseptic nature necessary to make it a kid’s film, there were still several parts that I found amusing. I saw it in 3-D… but as I’ve stated on numerous occasions before, I am not impressed by 3-D… at least it didn’t give me a headache this time. I really feel like I’m missing something with the 3-D craze. Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs has some pretty well developed characters, which really is the key to making a good animated feature. B-

9 - I have to start my review of 9 by saying that I fell asleep due to it. This was not necessarily because of content, but I might have missed some key plot points that could influence my review, and I will hopefully see it again, when I’m not so tired. That being said, I was not impressed. The story is defiantly original, but it seemed to be more about the visuals then anything else. I’m not going to go into much detail as I expect I’ll be doing that in next months reviews. C-


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Sunday, August 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I've seen six movies so far in August... including the TERRIBLE G.I. Joe.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - There was nothing great about G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, but there was a lot that was terrible… this is going to be a long review. I’ll start by saying that I grew up with the classic G.I. Joe cartoon… this movie bears almost no similarity to it. I’ll start with the casting; Channing Tatum as Duke was the worst… the guy is a terrible actor and he bears no resemblance to the classic Duke Character. You might remember Tatum from those terrible Step Up movies. Sienna Miller looks great as the Baroness, but her acting is terrible… she couldn’t even do an accent. I actually liked Christopher Eccleston as James McCullen, the man who will become Destro. Marlon Wayans plays a character named Ripcord; he bears no resemblance in appearance or personality to the Ripcord character from the cartoon/comics… and he’s kinda annoying. He’s constantly hitting on Scarlett (played by Rachel Nichols), and of course his efforts annoyingly pay off in the end. Dennis Quaid is fine as Hawk. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was an all right character up until the point that I found out he was supposed to be Cobra Commander and not some random evil doctor… he bears no resemblance the classic masked '80s icon. As for the plot, the storyline about the history between Duke and the Baroness is terrible and extremely annoying not only because there is no chemistry between them, but it’s just predictably bad writing. As for the special effects, most of them look incredibly fake… like they are computer graphics, which, of course, they are. When in motion, all the futuristic vehicles, as well as the accelerator suits (which are a stupid idea), look super fake. All the action sequences are poorly shot and, as such, are very empty and forgettable. Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes (played by Byung-hun Lee and Ray Park) are actually decent characters, but their fight scenes are so poorly shot that I can’t say much about them. There are a handful of references to the original cartoon that I enjoyed… sadly, these small references are among the few things that make this recognizable as G.I. Joe and not just some poorly produced special forces movie. There is also a thing about Cobra Commander using mind control on all is underlings which was super lame. Oh, Zartan also makes an appearance in the film… he’s not terrible, but he could have been much better. I could go on, but I’m sure those of you that do not know the cartoon have already stopped reading. The movie was terrible. D

Inglorious Bastards – Inglorious Bastards was an enjoyable movie, but it didn’t blow me away. As always, writer/director Quentin Tarentino’s dialogue is great, but this time I thought there were time it seemed a bit overindulgent, and I wanted it to get back to the story. The movie follows two plots to sabotage a Nazi event, and of course the plots come together (in a way) by the end. Though it’s a movie set in historical times, it’s undoubtedly a work of pure fiction. In typical Tarentino fashion, it is a brutal movie, but not gratuitously so. Also in typical Tarentino fashion, the characters who make it to the end might not be the ones you expect. Inglorious Bastards is far superior to Munich, the other high-profile movie about Jewish revenge. A couple final notes: the music was too loud, and for some reason, some of the subtitles were not in English. B

District 9 – I was quite disappointed in District 9… not to say it was bad, but it could have been so much more. The effects very good, especially considering there were so many computer-generated alien effects. I think my biggest problem was with the lead character, Wikus Van De Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley), was not likable. By the end, he started to become a hero, but for most of the movie I thought he was an annoying, sniveling wimp. I also thought the cinematography was terrible. The movie started out being shot in a rough documentary style, but they left this idea behind when it was necessary to show what the aliens were doing in private, and yet the crappy camera work continued. It’s an interesting move, and there are defiantly some hidden messages in there (which it does not ram down the viewer’s throat), but it just wasn’t nearly all I’d hoped from the previews and subject matter. C+

Halloween 2 – There was absolutely nothing outstanding about Halloween 2. If you liked the second half of the last Rob Zombie directed Halloween film, then you will like this one because that’s pretty much all it is, slash and kill with very little story. The first movie did some pretty good character development with Michael Myers, but in this one he’s just a killing machine with no deeper characteristics. He does have visions of his dead mother and his younger self, but this only serves to be annoying and does nothing to develop him as a three-dimensional character. As for the people he kills, though they are more developed then Michael Myers, most of them are very annoying and I didn’t care if they all died. Just like in the first film, Rob Zombie is inept when it comes to writing hip dialogue, like the totally contrived conversation about “Starvin’ Marvin.” Malcolm McDowell returns as Dr. Samuel Loomis… even though I thought he died in the first film… and it seems his near death experience turned him into a jerk. One last note, the hospital segment at the beginning of the film is very lame and predictable. C-

Taking Woodstock – The first half of Taking Woodstock was all right, but then second half, when the concert was actually occurring, dragged on and on. Perhaps someone who lived through that time in history, or who was in the hippie culture would appreciate Elliot Tiber (played by Demetri Martin) having all those new and exciting experiences, but I did not. I liked the parts about the townspeople have issues with Elliot for what he’s brought there, and seeing all the problems that lead up to the concert. Elliot’s mother (played by Imelda Staunton) seemed over the top. It’s possible that the character she was based on really was that weird, but it seemed like a little too much comic relief in a movie that is quite serious most of the time. The actors that lived in the barn were just weird... but once again, it’s possible they were based on real people. C-

The Time Travel’s Wife – The Time Travel’s Wife was the surprise of the month; I was expecting very little, but what I got was so much more the a love story. This movie really had its temporal mechanics figured out. Movies that deal with time travel usually make mistakes, they contradict themselves, or create paradoxes, or they just break their own rules; this movie did not. Eric Bana does well as Henry, the time traveler. My biggest complaint was that the wife character, Clare (played by Rachel McAdams) was such a selfish character. At one point she wants a child, and no matter what the cost to their potential offspring, she just doesn’t care, it’s all about her. She thinks she’s the biggest victim of her husband’s time traveling. McAdams plays the character well… it’s just she’s a selfish character. I didn’t know exactly how it was going to end, though there are some plot points that the preview gives away. This is definitely not a conventional love story, but it works quite well.  B

Funny People – Ironically, Funny People is not a comedy, it’s a drama. My big issue with this film is that it’s being marketed as a comedy, and it isn’t! After director Judd Apatow’s last two hilarious films (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up), I went in expecting a comedy of that caliber… and thus I was disappointed to get a drama. There are a lot of laughs in it, but the underlined tone is most certainly that of a drama. Apatow’s films usually have point in the third act when they get more heavy and serious (because his movies are always about real characters with depth), but in Funny People, most of the film has this vibe. It defiantly has something to say about the world of comedy, and more specifically, the nature of fame. Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, and the rest of the cast are good, and there are some laughs throughout, but it’s not a comedy. That being said, there are some pretty funny cameos. C

Orphan - I’m not really into to horror movies, but Orphan looked interesting, so I checked it out. It was decent, but there was too much stupidity in it for me to recommend it. As is often the case in this type of movie, the bad character, in this case Esther (played by Isabelle Fuhrman), somehow manages to easily execute her plans, and they always go exactly they way she wants (until the end) despite the implausibility of everything working out perfectly. Both parents have sporadic bouts of stupidity throughout the film. I did not like the rather graphic opening scene… unnecessary. However, I did like the plot twist at the end, even though I saw it coming quite early on in the film, it was a good plot twist and most people I’ve spoken to about it did not see it coming. What I didn’t like about the ending was that they had the cliché bad character that keeps coming back ending. It wasn’t a bad movie, I just can’t quite recommend Orphan. C-

Julie & Julia – The performances in Julie & Julia are very good, but the movie itself I just all right. I wonder if someone who likes food would appreciate this movie more… I have an aversion to food, but there were audible responses from the audience when the food was shown (I did not understand this). It’s a nice little film, with nice little stories. Meryl Streep was very good as Julia Child; I found her voice annoying at times, but I have to think that I would have found the real Julia Child just as annoying. It was good that the story jumped between Julia Child and Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) cooking all Julia’s recipes, so the audience didn’t get too much of either story. I would have liked to have seen Julia Child give her opinion on Julie… yes, there was some indication of it, but I would like to have seen her give a reaction, even if it was just to the reporter that later spoke to Julie. Perhaps they didn’t really know the context of what she said, or they didn’t show it because she actually did hate Julie and that would have ended her story on a sour note. C

(500) Days of Summer - I was pleasantly surprised by (500) Days of Summer; I went into it knowing almost nothing about it. I knew Zooey Deschanel was in it, and that it was getting good reviews. I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that the star was Joseph Gordon-Levitt as I’ve never cared for him, I don’t find him likable, but Zooey is always incredible charming and she made up for him. Zooey plays Summer, and the movie tells the non-liner story of the five-hundred days sense Tom (played by Gordon-Levitt) met her. The writing is excellent. The structure of the film, the way it jumps around, works really well; movies that do this can often be really choppy, but that was not the case here. I loved then ending; this movie really has a message to say about live and love, and that I think a lot of people can relate to it. (500) Days of Summer is a movie that stays with you after you see it. B+

The Ugly Truth – The Ugly Truth is one of those movies that are predictable from start to finish… but it does what it does well, and I enjoyed it. There was good chemistry between Gerard Butler as the cynical and chauvinistic Mike Chadway and Katherine Heigl as the all business producer Abby Richter, which is the most important thing in this type of film. And there were laughs throughout the film. There was a moment in the middle of the movie when I though the movie might take an unconventional path, but in the end, there are no surprises. As I said, it was very predictable… yet I still recommend it. B-

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Wednesday, July 01, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I saw only four movies in July.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – It’s been a few years since I heard The book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, so I don’t necessarily remember all the things that were left out or changed, but judging the movie own its own merit, it was quite good. I do know that the plot about the mystery of The Half-Blood Prince was totally insignificant and somewhat trivial in the movie to the point that some might have wondered why the movie was called the Half-Blood Prince. Also, I would like to have seen a funeral scene at the end, which was in the book… but that is a pretty small critique in this movie that is very good for the most part. Even though I knew what was going to happen in the film, I still enjoyed it from start to finish. A-

Brüno - Brüno is the gayest movie I’ve ever seen (a honor I previously bestowed upon Milk). I didn’t want to see some of the stuff in this movie, and it wasn’t funny as much as it was shocking. That being said, there were some pretty funny moments in it. Just as with Sacha Baron Cohen’s last film, Borat, the funniest parts were those in which he interacted with people who were not in on the joke, and the dumbest parts were those in which he interacts with actors. In the end (no pun intended), Brüno is an amusing character, but there just were not enough laughs here for me to recommend. I’ll finish this review with a warning: there are some very graphic gay scenes in this film, and lots of nudity... many people walked out in the middle of the film. C-

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – I was not a big fan of either of the previous Ice Age films, there weren’t bad, but they didn’t impress me either… and this, the third installment, is about of the same quality. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the first Ice Age to be shown in 3-D; and as I’ve said before, I’ve never been overly impressed with this new technology… in fact, I usually leave with a headache. All the characters from the other films are back, though I’ve never found any of them to be especially enduring. The story is pretty well done, and has a lot of action, but it just lacks that certain something that allows it to achieve a higher level. But even though I did not love the film by any means, it was good enough for me to mildly recommend. I actually saw his movie twice as I slept though about half of the film the first time; the second time I saw it in 3-D. C+

The Hurt Locker – I found that The Hurt Locker lacked a strong underlining plot; it seemed to be more a series of situations that the characters have to deal with. As soon as I started to become interesting in a situation, it moved onto another. I wanted to follow the story of Sergeant James (played by Jeremy Renner) trying to find out what happened to the boy. I wanted to know what was the deal with the guys watching while they disarmed the bomb… were they involved or not? I think perhaps this was the point of the movie, that there are not always answers, and things are rarely neat. This movie is trying very hard to be a poignant movie about war. I also hated the camera work… it was shaky hand-held. I understand that they want to make you feel like you're in the situation with them, but if I were there with them, I wouldn’t be shaking that much… it seemed like the cameraman was drunk. The characters had potential, but the story wasn’t there… I was more then ready for it to me finished when the time came. C

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Tuesday, June 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I saw six movies in June... sorry for being so slow with the reviews at times.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – I can not recommend Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but I did not hate it as much as I expected. It is much better then the first Transformers movie… but I hated the first movie with a passion like few others, so this isn’t saying a lot. The writing in this movie is much better; after the first hour, I actually thought there was a chance that it could get a mild recommendation from me… then the robots started fighting. And it went on and on and on and on. Most of the unnecessary human characters from the first film did not return in this installment, and those humans that do return are much less annoying (with the exception of John Turturro as Agent Simmons, who is still super annoying). The robots are as boring as ever; most of them have no personality; they are barley distinguishable from each other. And of course I can not get past the fact that they continue to change virtually everything from the 1980s cartoon. They take just a few small details, and then change everything else. Jetfire is in the film, and he does change him allegiances as he did in the cartoon, but that’s pretty much the only similarity. Devastator is also in the film, but aside from being composed of construction vehicles, there is no similarity… and in fact he looks like an amorphous blob of machinery. Even Optimus Prime, who’s voice is great, looks like crap… just as he did in the first film. The Matrix of Leadership was in the cartoon, but aside from its name, there is really no similarity. I expected to hate Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen… as it turned out, I just disliked it. C-
 
Angels & Demons – I enjoyed Angels & Demons more then The Da Vinci Code, to which it was a sequel. This might be because I hadn’t read that book before I saw the movie this time, so I didn’t anticipate the many plot twists. The Da Vinci Code was a book about ideas, and thus the movie didn’t work at all if I’d read the book… I’m not sure if that would be the case with Angeles & Demons or not. I found the beginning of the film to be very weird as it dealt with anti-matter and other things that I really didn’t expect to be a part of the story, but as it went along, and Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) was called in to help with the investigation, it got really good. It’s a very long movie, but I never found myself looking at my watch or hoping it was almost over. While the book is a prequel, the movie is a sequel. A-

Land of the Lost – I was hesitant to see Land of the Lost because Will Ferrell movies are usually not particularly enjoyable for me… in fact I have skipped his last three... but I decided to give him another chance. While this one wasn’t the worst I’ve seen from him, I can not recommend it. There are a few funny moments, but there are far more gags that just don’t work. Ferrell plays Dr. Rick Marshall, the leading man of the movie who gets the girl in the end… but he’s very unlikable most of the time and has no chemistry with his leading lady, Holly Cantrell (played by Anna Friel). One more thing, the character Cha-Ka (played by Jorma Taccone) is very annoying. I should mention that I’ve never seen the original series on which this movie was based. D+

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – While it wasn’t a particularly original film, I did enjoy The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. It was a cross between Swordfish and Inside Man right down to the characters John Trovolta and Denzel Washington played. Washington plays the imperfect good guy who has to go beyond the call of duty to save innocent lives while Trovolta plays the callout bad buy with creepy-looking facial hair. Of course there are some differences in the characters… but overall they are remarkable similar. As far as the story, it pretty much played out as I expected and there was no unexpected twist like there was in Inside Man, and I deduced Trovolta’s real motivation long before the characters in the movie did. B-

Year One – There was nothing extraordinary about Year One. The funniest thing about the movie is the basic premise, having Jack Black and Michael Cera perform their usual antics, but this time in ancient times as Zed and Oh. Both of their characters are very much ones they’ve played before. After the viewer gets over the premise, there are not that many laughs. It’s not terrible, but I did find myself looking at my watch often to see how much longer it would go on. The funniest parts are in the previews. C-

The Hangover – The Hangover was the surprise of the year for me. I thought the preview looked funny, and I decided to give it a chance, though I expected that the funniest stuff was in the preview… but there was a lot more to it then that. It is not a stupid comedy that’s all unrealistic and slapstick, and very rarely does it go for the cheep gross out gags… though there is a few shots of the fat guy’s ass that are pretty gross. The cameos by Mike Tyson and Carrot Top are also very funny. Overall, it’s a very well put together comedy. B

All my Movie Reviews are sent out as part of my Newsletter;
Go to www.MichaelBeardsley.com for details (The Fan Site)




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Friday, May 01, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I only saw five movies in May... and none of them received negative reviews!

Terminator: Salvation – I was entertained by Terminator: Salvation, and I did like it a lot better then Terminator 3, but it was no Terminator 2. The best story elements of the film were those involving Marcus Wright (played by Sam Worthington). As for Christian Bale as John Conner, he really didn’t stand out. There is definitely some good action in the film, but the story wasn’t anything special. It does fit in with the others in terms of Kyle Reese (played by Anton Yelchin), and the Terminator catch phrases are there, but I would have liked to see some more intricacies… like how dodoes Skynet know that Kyle Reese is important. I should mention that I have not watched the television series The Sara Conner Chronicles, so there might be tone of connections to it that I am unaware of. Toward the end, there is one very cool reference to the previous film… buy I won’t give away on the off chance that someone might not have heard about it. I would like to see more of. I think the final showdown would have been awesome if they’d been able to make that terminator Arnold Schwarzennegger for the entire final showdown with Marcus and John rather then just an exoskeleton. B

Up – Up is a very good animated film, even if it is also very kid friendly… which is usually a bad thing in my book. I always have a hard time when I review this type of movie because I thought it was quite good, but it’s hard to compare to films like Wolverive and Star Trek, which are more my type of films. But the animation is great, the story is engaging, and the characters, though animated, have the emotional depth and effect of real people. Even though this movie is very kid-friendly, and really doesn’t have the edge that many superior animated films have, I really liked it. The premise is ridiculace, but animated films can get away with this and it never bothers me at all. There are a few things in this film that I was surprised about. By far the most surprising thing for me was that there is death the film. The film starts with a sequence of flashbacks (which I really liked), and lets just say that the wife of the old man isn’t in the rest of the film… I don’t think I’m giving anything away, the previews tell you this much. B+


Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian – I was quite disappointed in Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian. It was mildly entertaining, and on that basis I can give it a mild recommendation, but in a month with many strong films, it’s defiantly not a must see. In the first film, the concept was new and original… this film was just a rehash, Yes, there are some very entertaining moments, many of them with new exhibits that come to life, and there are some great new characters, but the underlying story is very lacking. All the characters are back from the first film, but most of them really don’t have much to do. The film makes the battle not just for the museum, but for the safety of the planet… this was just silly. In the first movie, it was just about Larry Daley (played by Ben Stiller) trying to keep his job, and that was a much more basic, and much more entertaining, plot. One final observation… why is Al Capone black & white? Was he from a photograph… or was he a wax figure like all the other characters? It bothered me that this was never explained. C+

X-Men Origins: Wolverine – I liked this film quite a bit. After a pitiful third installment of the X-Men franchise (X-Men: The Last Stand - 2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is a prequel, brings new life to the series. Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine; I’ve always thought he was well suited for the part. . I liked the way they really made this film fit in with were the first film started, and it answered all the questions the audience might have had about his past. It does take a little more time than I would have liked to really get going, but I still quite liked it. People who are very familiar the comic books on which this film is based will see some inconsistencies, in particular with Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds), and Logan’s familial relationship to Victor (played by Liev Schreiber). As I have only a passing knowledge of them, theses “mistakes” didn’t bother me. B

Star Trek – I have always been a fan of Star Trek, and I think most of the movies with the original cast are great. That being said, this new version of Star Trek has it’s work cut out for it. It is a prequel of sorts, but it actually tells the story of an alternate past... without going into detail, something happens in this movie that basically erases most of what we’ve seen of the Star Trek universe so anything can happen now. In reality, this is just an excuse to “reboot” the series so they can do whatever they want. I don’t necessarily like this, but they did it in a much less offensive way then the James Bond series did with Casino Royale in 2006 in which they simply erased twenty-one good movies. Though it should be mentioned that, in the case of Star Trek, they actually didn’t change much… but one of the things they did change is pretty major. As for the actors, they were well cast and stayed true to the characters they were portraying. I also liked that Leonard Nimoy made an appearance as an elderly Spock.  This movie clearly is meant to be the first of many. B+
 
All my Movie Reviews are sent out as part of my Newsletter;
Go to www.MichaelBeardsley.com for details (The Fan Site)
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Thursday, April 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

I saw nine movies in April. I've also added my review of Observe and Report from several months back as it is now in theaters (and I re-watched about thirty minutes of it).

State of Play – Despite its extremely forgettable title, State of Play was quite good. I did not anticipate all the plot twists, and there were many intricacies that I thought were very affective. Thinking back on the movie, there are some things that occurred early on that make much more sense after knowing how it ends, and I like when films do that. I still don’t think that was among Russell Crowe stars as reporter Cal McAffrey… it’s not his best work, but the film is much better then his last two films, Body of Lies and American Gangster. Ben Affleck is also good as Senator Stephen Collins; he’s developed into a much better actor then he was to begin with in that last several years. B 

Fast and Furious - I’ll start this review my stating that I have not seen any of the previous Fast and Furious films. That being said, it was very easy to figure out who all the characters were and what their relationship to each other was. This was an entertaining movie, and on the basis of that, I can recommend ft. It is far fetched at times, but I expected no less from a movie about car races and chases. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel do what is needed for the roles… which is saying a lot for Paul Walker as I have trashed his acting in more then one review. It’s not a movie about the acting anyway. B-

Monsters vs. Aliens – Monsters vs Aliens is good, but not great. It’s entertaining, but doesn’t rise the level of being a children’s film… it’s no Coroline. The 3-D aspects were cool at times, but I seem to be somewhat immune to the effects and am not overly impressed by the technology. Even so, 3-D or not, the animation looks great. As for the characters, they’re all amusing and well developed, especially for animated characters. I think, as I’ve said this before, the biggest problem with films like Monsters vs Aliens is that they’re too kid friendly… but for kids, it would probably be great. B-

12 Rounds – This is the most pathetic movie I’ve seen in a very long time, and one of the worst casting of a lead character I’ve ever seen. There is an unintentional comic element to it… but it’s just too bad at what it trying to be to give it much credit for this. The film stars John Cena as Detective Danny Fisher… and let me say that not only can this guy not act, but he has no screen presence… he boring to watch! The basic premise of the film is sound, and is actually more plausible then the 2007 film 88 Minutes, which has a similar premise. Unfortunately, on top of the bad acting, the action is laughable, and the plot is full of silliness. At one pint, Detective Fisher is in a hurry… rather then take an extra few seconds to run down the stairs, he decides to risk his life and jump off the building with a rope. And throughout of the film, whenever a fire truck or police car is driving with its lights and siren on, no one gets out of the way and instead people seen to intentionally try to hit them. The list goes on and on. I give the film a little credit for it’s attempt to explain many of the earlier actions of the film… but it’s too little, too late. And as for the end, it’s actually given away in the preview… but this doesn’t really matter… this film is all about the action, and the action is lame. D+

The Soloist – The basic story of The Soloist is a good one, and the acting is very good. Robert Downey Jr. is always great, and he is again here as reporter Steve Lopez. Jamie Foxx also turns in a great performance as Nathanial Ayers, Jr., thus proving the he is not a one trick pony, and that his Oscar winning performance in Ray was not a fluke. The style of the film is odd at times; the cinematography is a bit too artistic and somewhat distracting at times. As for the flashbacks, I get that they were trying to show how Nathanial got to where he was… he was always screwed up… and as soon as I realized this, I wanted it to get back to the present. I did not know how the movie was going to en; I could have seen it go ether way. I also think it’s interesting that the characters are based on real people who are still in Los Angeles. B

Crank: High Voltage – As I recall, I liked the first Crank movie… that was not the case with Crank: High Voltage, the second installment. While the premise of the first movie was implausible, the premise of this one is downright ridiculace and impossible. Chev Chelios (played by Jason Statham) has to keep his artificial heart charged… unfortunately, many of the thing he does this would either kill the rest of his body, immobilize him completely (in the case of the tazer), or, in the case of static electricity, have no affect at all. Then there are the numerous attempts at comedy sprinkled throughout the movie… and then they are not funny, and some of them are quite annoying. As for the action, it’s not that great, and then they put a gratuitous sex scene in for no reason. There’s also a pretty gratuitous scene in which a thug is forced to cut off his own nipples. D

Earth – I can’t say a lot about Earth except that it is a pretty straight-forward nature documentary. It really does cover the globe, and features a wide variety of animals. What it lacks is a central theme. In March of the Penguins, perhaps the most famous nature documentary, it follows the stories of the penguins, pure and simple. Here, where there are few animals they come back to again and again, they really jump all over the place. James Earl Jones narrates, and has a few pretty funny lines in there. I should also mention that I actually dozed off for a time during the film, but due to the nature of the film, I don’t think it affect my opinion of it. C

Dragonball: Evolution - I should start by stating that before seeing Dragonball: Evolution, I knew almost nothing about the world of Dragonball on which the movie was based. I actually thought the lore of Dragonball was quite interesting, but it seemed at times that they simply had to condense too much material into a ninety-minute movie. I really wanted to know more about the world in which these events were happening… it was set in the near future I think… and then there were plot points I wanted clarified, like how was Lord Piccolo (played by James Marsters) finding the Dragonballs. There was also sporadic cheesy dialogue, and some of the performances, particularly Joon Park as Yamcha, were pretty bad (and annoying). I didn’t hate this film, but I also can’t recommend it. C-

Sunshine Cleaning – Sunshine Cleaning was a pleasant surprise. Amy Adams and Emily Blunt were very good as Rose and Norah, two sisters who set up the crime scene clean-up service. There’s a lot going on under the surface in this film, but above all it’s a story about characters, and all the characters are interesting. I would have liked to see a better conclusion with Mary Lynn Rajskub as Lynn… she kind of just fades away. Also, I would like to have seen more of a conclusion with Winston (played by Clifton Collins Jr.), who seems to have a budding relationship with Rose. The end is a bit abrupt. Then again, I though the scene toward the end of the film with Rose and the CB in the van was cheesy and a bit too much. B

Observe and Report – A Few months back, I was asked to see the upcoming Seth Rogan comedy Observe and Report… I reviewed it at the time, but sense the movie is not in theaters, I though I'd re-post it there. And I did see about thirty minutes of the film again to make sure they didn't make any major changes... they didn't

To me, it seemed like a movie that was written for Adam Sandler; the angry semi-retarded lead was what he played for his first several movies. Rogan is better then Sandler would have been in the role because he comes off as more sincere in the kind-hearted moments, and less retarded in the retard moments. The movie, like the character, comes off as bi-polor, and I didn't know weather to like it or not. A few scenes I really liked, and a few I didn't like, and I hope they cut out before the movie come out. I liked Ray Liotta as Detective Harrison, the cop who has to deal with Ronnie. I hated Michael Peña ... Dennis, Ronnie's second in command. Peña is usually good in dramas and would be well advised to avoid comedies in the future. I also thought Ronnie's mother was way over the top (in a bad way). And lastly, and this might not make sense to you now, but there was too much nudity; a little can be funny, too much is unpleasant. C

All my Movie Reviews are sent out as part of my Newsletter;
Go to www.MichaelBeardsley.com for details (The Fan Site)


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Monday, March 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I only saw six movies in March.
 
Coraline – Coraline really surprised me, in a good way. The previews didn’t grab me, and I didn’t get into the film for the first twenty minutes of so, not until Coroline finds "her other house," but at that point, I was really hooked. I really liked the story, which is rather dark at times for an animated film that is, in most ways, very kid friendly. And the end in great. I should also mention that I saw the film in 3-D, but the 3-D aspects didn’t really impress me as much as the film and its story. B+ 

Knowing – Knowing was interesting… but it really didn’t deliver in the end. It did deliver was an ending that I did not expect… I just didn’t care for it. Thoughout the film, I was wondering how there were going to tie up the story, and I thought of several possibilities… but the one that they used was not one of the one’s I’d though of. I like it when an ending takes me by surprise, but this one… I can’t say anymore without giving it away. I think a lot of people will hate it. Also, after the fate of the final group of people has been revealed to the audience, the film takes too long to wrap up. I always like Nicholas Cage, who stars as John Koestler, and I think he always gives an interesting performance, but like in some of his other films, the story just wasn’t what it should have been. The disaster affects in the movie are very good. It was a very hard decision, but I am not giving this film a recommendation, I could not do so because of the ending... it was just too out there. C
 
Duplicity – Duplicity did not grab me from the start, in fact I was very confused at one point with a flashback that seemed to contradict something I’d just seen… but then it got better. I actually quite liked the second half of the film, as soon as I figured out what Ray Koval and Claire Stenwick (played by Clive Owen and Julia Roberts) were up to… or at least I though I had it all figured out. There are various plot twists in the second half, some I saw coming, and some I did not. As for the end, I only saw that pretty satisfied despite the shaky start. This was a major improvement for director Tony Gilroy over his last cinematic disaster, Michael Clayton. B-
 
I Love You Man – I was a bit disappointed in I Love You Man. The previews were really funny, and there were funny parts in the film that were not shown in the previews… but it just didn’t have as many jokes as I’d hoped. The film stars Jason Segal and Paul Rudd… but it wasn’t even close to as funny as Seagel’s last film, Forgetting Sarah Marshal, or Rudd’s last film Role Models. Also, Rudd’s character, Peter Klaven, was sort of annoying. I liked Segal’s character, Sydney Fife. It was mildly funny when he would say stupid random stuff at first, but he just remained too awkward for too long. I did like the various random supporting guy characters that turned up from time to time… including Lou Ferrigno. There were enough laughs in this film for me to give it a mild recommendation. I should also give a shout out to Rashida Jones, who I met many years ago; she was very good as Peter’s wife. C+

Watchmen – I did enjoy watching Watchmen quite a bit, but there were a few things I found somewhat unfulfilling. Not to give anything away, but I wanted more of a spectacular finally; I didn’t hate the ending at all, I just wanted something more. The movie is very long… over two and a half hours; while I didn’t think it dragged, I think it could have been trimmed up in a few places. I would say more, but I don’t want to give anything away. I liked all the characters, and I liked how this movie takes place in the recent pact, but a past that was changed by the existence of The Watchmen. The montage at the opening of the film was a bit confusing at first, and I was worried that some of the images that were shown would not be explained adequately… but by the end of the first hour, it was all cleared up. I actually liked how all the flashbacks fit together and explained things, and would like to see the opening montage again after have seen the entire movie. There are some instances of extreme violence in this film that I was not expecting… lets just say that not all The Watchmen are nice people. B

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li – The main storyline of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, the one about Chun-Li (played by Kristin Kreuk) trying to find her father and learning to fight, was a generic martial arts story, but it was decent. However there is a parallel plot about two cops going after the crime lord named Bison (played by Neal McDonough)… and this was terrible. Bison and his henchmen were fine; the problem was with the cops. The dialogue was lousy, and the acting of Chris Klein as the cop Charlie Nash was pretty bad…. though in his defense, some of the lines he was given were really bad. The other cop, Detective Maya Sunee (played by Moon Bloodgood), had her share of cheesy dialogue too. All the plots come together at the end, so structurally I get what they were going for, but most of the cop scenes really should have been left out of the film, along with all of their banter; that would have been a better movie C-




All my Movie Reviews are sent out as part of my Newsletter;
Go to www.MichaelBeardsley.com for details (The Fan Site) 

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Monday, February 02, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I've seen seven movies so far this month. More to come.
 
The International – The International just isn’t that good. I usually like Clive Owen; here he plays Interpol detective Louis Salinger… and he isn’t all that interesting. But the real problem with the film is that the story isn’t all that engaging… in fact it’s quite boring at times. The movie wants to be something more then it is, and there are lost of details given that aren’t that necessary or interesting. Are you really need to know is that the back is bad, and they kill people wh9o are suspicious about them. Then out of nowhere there is an extended action sequence that seems out of place, then it goes back to its slow pace. It’s not a terrible movie, it’s just very forgettable and really not worth seeing. C-
 
The Pink Panther 2 – Anyone who’s seen the original Steve Martin Pink Panther movie should know what to expect on The Pink Panther 2… it’s of similar quality. I thought the first one was pretty lame with fairly limited laughs, that’s what I thought of the second installment too. I’m not exactly sure why I saw it. This is one of the most unnecessary sequels in a very long time and Steve Martin can do much, much better. It was not terrible or offensively bad, like some comedies are these days, but it just doesn’t deliver enough laughs for me to recommend. C-

Underworld – Rise of the Lycans - While by no means a masterpiece, I did enjoy Underworld – Rise of the Lycans. I should mention that I very much disliked the second installment of the Underworld franchise (Underworld: Evolution), so this, the third installment, was a vast improvement. In my review of Underworld: Evolution, I mentioned that the brief flashback sequence was the best part, and would have made a better movie... someone must have read this as that’s exactly what this movie is, a prequal. The vampire Viktor (played by Bill Nighty) and the lycan Lucian (played by Michael Sheen) are both in this movie… and if I remembered anything about the previous Underworld films, I might have appreciated this more. There is also one other cameo that ties the films in with the others nicely. B-
 
Milk – Milk is the gayest movie I’ve ever seen… and I saw Brokeback Mountain. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I wasn’t expecting it… and almost went against what I think the film was trying to accomplish. It’s the story of Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn), and what her tried to, and did accomplish, for the gay community. But there is very overt gayness in this movie, which is what makes many people comfortable about gay people. As one straight character says in the movie, he doesn’t want to see gay or straight people making out in public, it’s not a question of gay, it’s a question of appropriateness. So while the movie argues for equality and fairness, it does not argue that gay people are just like everyone else, and in fact shows how different many of them are. But perhaps it’s not a movie with a message, and it’s just the story of a man and his movement. I thought the movie the quite slow moving. As far as the acting, Sean Penn is very good, even if the movie isn’t. The end was shocking even though it told you how it was going to end in the first couple minutes of the film… it was the how that shocked me. I also liked that they showed pictures of all the real life people on which the characters were based at the very end. For Sean Penn’s performance, I am giving this movie a very mild recommendation. C
 
He’s Just Not That Into You – I was pleasantly surprised by He’s Just Not That Into You; I quite liked this film! I would compare it to Love Actually in the way it’s structured with many characters in many intertwined plot lines. Even though it is an ensemble movie, I think the heart of the movie is Gigi (played by Ginnifer Goodwin), and her interaction with Alex (played by Justin Long). Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly and even Jennifer Aniston (who I’m not a big fan of usually) were all good! It touches on every type of potential relationship, one’s that work, and ones that don’t. In the end, I think the only lesson that can be taken from the film is that relationships are all different, and you just have to go with life and see where it takes you. But above all, it was just a very entertaining movie. I’d also like to mention that my good friend Chihiro Fujii is in this film! She’s the Japanese girl on the right in the first two minutes of the film. Congratulations to her. B+

Taken – While this movie isn’t a masterpiece by any means, it entertained me from start to finish. Liem Neeson brings an added dimension that regular action heroes wouldn’t. Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a father who has to find his daughter after she’s kidnapped by Albanians. Though he is basically a one-man army, his love for his daughter can clearly be seen, and his sometimes brutal actions are totally justified. At times, the audience even cheered for Bryan’s actions. It’s a feel good revenge movie. B

Fanboys – Anyone who is not a Star Wars fan would have no reason to see Fanboys. Those who are fans will get some entertainment from it, but I still can’t recommend it. My favorite part of the film are the numerous cameos in the film, some you might not even notice unless you’re looking. I won’t list them because some might call the spoilers, but there are three Star Wars cast members hidden in the film, and random other people too. There are some laughs, but there are also lots of jokes that don’t work. One of the most annoying things is the fictitious rivalry between Star Trek and Star Wars… yes there are probably some people that like one and hate the other, but most sci-fi super-fans like sci-fi across the board. And these jokes really don’t work because the makers of this film couldn’t actually use any uniforms of other copyrighted material from Star Trek… to say nothing of the fact the leader of the Star Trek group seems retarded. C-




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2:46 AM 
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