review: Now You See Me (movie)

Now You See Me was such ride. It's about four magic performers, two stage magicians (Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher) one street con-artist/illusionist (Dave Franco), and a mentalist (Woody Harrelson), who are chosen by a mysterious benefactor to perform together as "The Four Horsemen" in Vegas. We know they have an ulterior motive for performing together as the four really don't get along and two of them have.... history. 

Flash forward to their first show in Vegas where they decide to... rob a bank, much to the audience's delight. However when the money actually goes missing from the bank, in France no less, the FBI and Interpol (due to the international location of the poor poor victimized back) get involved (Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent). 

Off the agents go, chasing the magicians before they can complete their plans and steal more money. We also run into Micheal Cane as the public backer of the magicians and Morgan Freeman, as a greedy former magician out to expose the tricks of others. 

There's magic, humor, car chase, and revenge. Seriously, what's not to like? I give Now You See Me 5 out of 5 stars for convoluted plot, magic, and surprise. You can watch the trailer here!

Now You See Me was confirmed for a sequel in February and I'm super excited to see what they have in store both for these characters and the world that they live in!

review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (movie)

Again, I know this review is really late and that The Hobbit has been out for a long time. You'll just have to stick with me until I get these older reviews out of my system and off my to-do list so I can focus on important things. Like the new Veronica Mars movie trailer from Sand Diego Comic Con... or, you know, grad school. Whichever ones grabs my attention.

So, like all LOTR fans (lord of the rings for those of you who don't speak geek), I was of course super excited to hear the Peter Jackson had signed on to make a "Hobbit" movie. What I was not excited about was that they (the producers and other money grubbing folks) had decided to split it into three movies... why you ask? For no logical reason. One of my, and many other people's main complaint, is that The Hobbit is a smaller story than The Lord of the Rings trilogy: it's Tolkien's first story, the world is much smaller, and the book much much slimmer... and only one book. From a narrative stand point, it seems like the only reason that it would be split into three parts is to gain more money.

Despite my personal reservations about how it would be split up, I was still enormously excited to see this movie. I knew that with all the returnees, be it actors, writers, directors, or composers, this movie was going to be a treat for the eyes.

Now, I'm going to try not to give away any plot, but c'mon on!!!! The Hobbit has been around for freaking decades, people! Bah! Go read you illiterate peons! But, quick lesson for all of you who haven't read it - this is J.R.R. Tolkien's first book and the prequel to Lord of the Rings. It tells the story of how Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's... uncle (?), left the Shire to have an adventure and finds the One Ring and meets Gollum. There's dwarves, elves, wizards (and not just Gandalf), and even a dragon (if we ever get to see it). 

So Gandalf, being the crazy wizard that he is, is going on a journey to help some dwarves reclaim their long lost kingdom under the Lonely Mountain where a dragon, Smaug, has taken up residence and expelled the former occupants, the dwarves. They need one more member to round out their group and for some reason Gandalf decides to recruit Bilbo, citing his non-existent skills as a "sneak". The dwarves are of course skeptical and so is Bilbo, but everyone gets over it and off they go on an adventure!

Now there are many obstacles that get thrown in their way from weather, trolls, lightning elemental, and even a peak at *gasp* Sauron! The filming is spectacular with breathtaking vistas and seamless CGI paired with sweeping, grad music. All good. The acting is well done and the characters are real... for dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. I give The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can check out the preview here!

review: Wreck It Ralph (movie)

I loved this movie. And yes, I know it's a kids movie, but for some reason I almost find kids movies to be more pure in their motives... minus the product placement. This is the second of Disney's new CGI animated films, Tangled being the first and thank god it's not a musical. I kinda am enjoying the new, more positive, liberal, direction Disney seems to be going in. It's fun to see how far we've come since Snow White and the majority of the other Disney princesses who typically wait for their prince to come and save them and then marry and live happily ever after.

Wreak it Ralph stars John C. Riley as Ralph and Sarah Silverman as Vanelope von Schweetz. Ralph is a bad guy with a heart of gold who doesn't want to be a bad guy anymore. In fact, he attends the bad guy equivalent of AA (kids won't get it but you will - that makes it even better). Vanelope is a racer in the candy equivalent of Mario Kart who gets kicked out because she's a glitch. Their worlds collide when Ralph leaves his game in search of a medal to prove he's really not a bad guy. Cue adorableness, humor and a heart-warming moral lesson. Too cute. And yes, a little cheesy.

This movie reminds me a lot of Shrek - it has a heart-warming plot, big named actors, and all the humor that children won't understand (which for some reason makes it more funny). And of course, the all important lesson, that it doesn't matter how you look, but it's what's inside that matters. *tear* Isn't it just lovely?

Anyways, I know this review is really late but, grad school. Whatcha gonna do? I give Wreck-It Ralph 5 out of 5 stars. If you haven't seen it already in theaters, I know it's out on DVD. Don't feel awkward if you're over 12.

You can check out the trailer here!

review: Pitch Perfect (movie)

Alright, so I know that this movie really isn't going to win any awards, but is it bad if I say this was one of my favorite movies of last year? Now most people know that comedy really isn't my thing, especially the awkward comedy that seem to dominate every TV line-up... at least stateside. And yes, I will admit that this is riding on the coattails of the musical TV hits Glee and SMASH but still, I can love the whole song and dance combo... when it's done well and not ridiculously like both Glee and SMASH have become with their odd moments belting their hearts out on a stage with no one around just so you can truly understand the pain that is in their hearts. *single emo-tear*

This... this isn't that. There's no emotional solo singing in the rain and in fact the only time they sing are times when they are supposed to be singing like: rehearsals, competitions, performances, and the only stretch - the sing-off but even then it's like an in-house competition so it works. There is only one moment that doesn't fit in which is the girls singing on the bus on the way to a competition, but even that's understandable if you've ever been in a car with friends and an awesome song comes on the radio.

So, on to plot, yes? Beca, played by Anna Kendrick (you might recognize her as Jessica from the Twilight series), is an "alt. girl" with awesome piercings and plugs who can't seem to shake her scowl and headphones. And truth be told, she'd rather not be at college but she's there because she get a free ride since her father is a professor at Barden University. Beca would rather be in LA paying her dues and on her way to producing music. So her father makes a deal with her - spend one year really trying college (make some friends, join a club, do well in her classes, etc.) and if she hates it she can move to LA next year and he'll even help.

So Beca strikes out to prove to her father that school is not the place for her. She obviously wants to do something with music so she joins the the campus radio and then gets strong armed into auditioning for the "Barden Bella's" - the all female acapella group. Joining the cast at this point is Rebel Wilson, a tremendously talented comedian known for her roles in Bridesmaids in the US and a bunch of TV shows in her native Australia. In this movie Wilson plays "Fat Amy" a very eccentric, confident, vocal powerhouse that kept me laughing through out the entire movie. I love her for her quick, biting one liners and her sassy confidence (as a big girl - I can appreciate that since the majority of big women just seem to lack confidence or are portrayed as un-sexy by the majority of media sources). Now the Bellas got pwned in the nationals last year by their rivals the Barden Treble-Makers and this year's captain, Aubury (Anna Camp who has appeared in GLEE, Mad Men, and True Blood) is determined to get back to the nationals and beat the Treble-Makers. She also is a control freak, zealously "protecting" the Bella's image. Needless to say, things don't go according to Aubrey's design and she clashes with Beca throughout the entire flick. Beca also has a love interest named Jesse (Skylar Astin who has been in some big name broadway hit hits: Spring Awakening and Rent). And since he becomes a Treblem-Maker, Aubrey gives Beca no small amount of grief for their implied relationship.

Pitch Perfect was a fantastic movie - ridiculous in the face of the more serious releases. Rotten Tomatoes gave it "81% Fresh" and I must agree - despite the musical trend Pitch Perfect sticks out for it's fantastic comedy, singing routines and Rebel Wilson, I give Pitch Perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

You can check out the trailer here!

review: Magic Mike (movie)

I didn't see this movie in theaters namely because 1- I couldn't convince anyone to go with me and 2- I couldn't talk myself into going to go see it alone. And I’m kind of glad it turned out this way. Instead of attempting to listen to Channing Tatum, apparently the world’s sexiest man (obviously they didn't seek my opinion), talk to people over really bad and loud remixes (almost like you’re in a real strip club!) which would cause my ears to bleed in the theaters, I got to watch it at home pausing to rewind the awkward and hard to hear dialogue.

I have to say after having seen this movie I have no idea why it was so phenomenally popular. When the plot finally appears it’s not original: a slightly messed up stripper boy with an unrealistic dream meets (apparently) hot sister of stripper friend and needs her disapproval of his stripping ways to save him from his messy life. Another thing: it takes the plot forever to emerge. I ended up stopping the movie about 15 minutes in so a friend could answer the phone and that’s when I noticed – there had been no plot yet. We had no idea what was going on in the movie. And while it was funny at the time, 45 minutes into the movie it really wasn't anymore. I guess they were trying to make it so subtle it was almost invisible. They try to portray the plot as his midlife crisis but it doesn't occur until about 30 minutes from the end. Instead most of the movie is about the fun a young stripper boy can have: girls, drinks, drugs, in general - a good time.

Now don’t get me wrong, there were some good points within the movie. What straight female/gay male doesn't like to ogle some pretty pretty men. And there were pretty men. Matt Bomer... yummy (and so gay). But that was probably the best part of the movie. That and the stripping routines were funny and interesting (see aforementioned pretty men). And is it just me or is the salvaged furniture that he makes really unattractive? And he dream of turning it into a business an unrealistic expectation, especially in Tampa, FL? *sigh*

So, basically the only redeemable thing about this movie is the pretty men and the main one isn't all that pretty. So, in short, don't go see Magic Mike. I give it 1.5 starts out of 5. 

You can watch the trailer here if you really want to subject yourself to it. It's at least shorter than the movie.

review: The Dark Knight Rises (movies)

First off I must speak my peace pertaining to the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado. I don't want to talk about the shooter whose name I will not speak, for it is always the serial killers who get famous when it's the victims who deserve our focus, but I think George Takei said it best:

"Many victims of today's tragedy were fans of science fiction/fantasy. 

They stood in line to be the first to see, to be inspired and to escape. 

As a community of dreamers, we mourn this terrible tragedy 

and this senseless taking of innocent life."

As a fan of fantasy/science fiction, there is nothing that hurts me more than to see someone take something as innovative and far reaching as "Batman" and pervert the feeling that this character and this movie give us. At least the shooter didn't claim to be Batman, who everyone knows disparages the use of guns - as the movie and comic both show. Alright - enough of that. On to the review:

*** I'll try not to have tons of spoilers for this or the previous two movies 

(Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) but seriously - if you haven't seen these movies - GET WITH THE TIMES!***

Like everyone else who has seen the previous two installments of Nolan's Batman saga (I refuse to call it a trilogy in hope he'll make more), I was so excited to see The Dark Knight Rises. I had some concerns - namely if it would live up to the hype of being the supposed final installment, who the new love interest would be (yes, I knew it was Catwoman but that didn't mean that Bruce would like her) and if Anne Hathaway would actually make a good Catwoman because, let's face it, Michelle Phifer and Halle Berry most definitely did not.

The movie opens eight years in the future where Harvey Dent has been made into the white knight that Batman and Commissioner Gordon ensured that he would be at the end of The Dark Knight (so much for limited spoilers... oh well) by Batman by taking the blame for Dent's attacks and also for killing Dent. Wayne, although absent, is holding a party on the eighth anniversary of "Harvey Dent Day" where the city remembers its fallen white knight and how the city turned around and threw most of the organized crime members in jail without the possibility of parole. Wayne hasn't left his mansion since the Joker's defeat and Rachel's death. Alfred accuses him of running away from life. And he's right but Wayne won't admit it. Instead it take another woman to snap him out of his mundane existence. Could it be 1) Miranda Tate - sexy, smart business woman who wants to save the world via clean energy or 2) Selina Kyle - sexy, flexible, thief who breaks into Wayne Manor to steal Bruce Wayne's fingerprints.... and his mother's pearl necklace?

It's Selina Kyle - aka Catwoman - and boy, does she just sizzle. This was one of my biggest concerns going into the movie. Anne Hathaway was the lucky lady who received the role and I don't know if you've been following her career but she really hasn't had a lot of experience playing the vixen/bombshell or even the "bad guy". In fact every major movie she's been in she's been the victim or hapless princess or prissy receptionist (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted - see my worry?). Not that I don't love her work - I do, but I had doubt she would be able to pull of Catwoman who is the very antithesis of her previous works. Catwoman is suave, sexy without being objectified because God help you if you do, incredibly limber and seriously jaded (at least in Nolan interpretation). Gone is cartoon and comic Selina Kyle, wealthy philanthropist heiress with serious cat-lady issues. Hello pissed, rough and tough, Catwoman who will eat you alive.

So Catwoman escapes Wayne Manor with a pearl necklace and Bruce's fingerprint which she attempts to sell to his competitor Daggett, who is funding a take down of Wayne Enterprises - well, he really just wants to control it. Now, Wayne Enterprises is almost broke due to funding a very ambitious joint project between Wayne Enterprises and Miranda Tate for self-sustained renewable energy. This renewable energy source is a fusion reactor which could actually be used as a nuclear weapon. Thus Wayne locks it away until mankind can be trusted with this amount of power.

While this is happening Bane, a hugely powerful mercenary with a fanatical following, is building an army in the sewers.To what goals, we have no idea - but let's be honest - I doubt he's goiong to hand out hot chocolate and kittens to everyone. The only reason Batman even knows about Bane is due to Commissioner Gordon who ran into Bane in the sewers during a kidnapping/shootout with Catwoman. And Bane is the real danger here - his plan is to destroy Gotham - finishing Ra's Al Ghul's work that he and the League of Shadows started in Batman Begins.

The remainder of the movie finds Batman figuring out all the plot twists and tying up loose ends. Nolan does an amazing job keeping his audience entertain and invested in both the plot and the characters, both old and new, good and bad. I really can't go into more detail without giving away major plot lines, revelations and end game spoilers - I will say that this is a stunning conclusion to the story of Bruce Wayne and Batman. I give The Dark Knight Rises 5 out of 5 stars. It's a movie that makes you think about your own world and how you want it to go. It makes you feel for the characters, whether you liked them or not. And like all good legends - it inspires us. May your heroes never die.

You can check out the trailer here!

review: The Amazing Spider-man

Although I have seen all the old Spider-man movies starring Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, I was (somehow) not jaded enough to avoid seeing the new The Amazing Spider-man starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and (re-starring, as he also appeared in the previous franchise) Dennis Leary. And I must say, I enjoyed this re-boot.

It was billed as "the untold story" of Spider-man but how many untold stories are there? The origin story for Spider-man always center on Peter Parker's absent parent (dead? undercover? who knows!) so he has lived with his aunt (Mae) and uncle (Ben) since he was young. Now, according to the comic, teen Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider (thank you 1960's nuclear war paranoia) however in the movies it's a genetically engineered spider -- poTAYto, poTAto to me. In the 2002 Spider-man, the spider comes from Oscorp (same as the 2012 one) where Parker works in college but tours as a highschooler. In the new one, Parker sneaks into Oscorp (as a highschooler) to see what his father, an Oscorp employee who disappeared over 10 years ago, was working on. Now, although the base plots are very similar, the implications are worlds apart. In the 2012 movie - things are personal. Either way, Parker get bitten by spider which imparts him with awesome powers and super reflexes and stuff.

While Parker is running around enjoying his newly attained powers,  he still retains his  shy/geeky persona when he's not wearing his Spider-man mask and hormones, girls and responsibility are the bane of his existence. And it's the last item which leads to the death of Uncle Ben. Parker is shaken by his death and vows to use his powers to make things better - vigilante style. In this movie, quite a bit of the classic origin story is left out - namely Parker's stint as a professional wrestler... but that's kinda it. They both start in high school and are true to the comics in different ways. In this new one, that means Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). I had no idea who she was until I did a little research. Gwen is Parker's first college girlfriend. She was also a science major and more serious than Mary-Jane (the girls were good friends). Now, I don't want to give anything away, especially since there are going to be more movies - but something happens and Parker ends up with Mary-Jane.

I felt like this movie was much more lighthearted than the 2002 movie which took itself way to seriously. I also like how Spider-man was more glib and witty than Parker - being his alter-ego, it's important that Spider-man offers Parker the chance to do and say things that he can't as Peter Parker. I also thought the villain, The Lizard, was much more interesting than the Hob Goblin, despite being a much more minor character in the comic series. I have a feeling that The Lizard will be much more integral to this series seeming as he is Parker's link to his parents' disappearance and his father's work.

I give The Amazing Spider-man 4 out of 5 stars for an excellent cast, wit and excellent effects.

You can check out the trailer here!

review: Brave (movie)

According to many people, this movie was only okay. Most claimed the source of the meh-ness was that the movie was too Disney for a Pixar (which is owned by Disney...) movie. And I can kinda see where they're coming from looking at Pixar's previous films (here are some of the best): Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E, Up, and Monsters Inc. All of these movies are so innovative in comparison to Brave which is kinda the new classic princess plot - i.e. a headstrong princess who wants to escape her fate so she takes it upon herself to find a way.... with the help of a witch and some magic (not the whole waiting on Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet). Nothing entirely original about that plot, but then again, what's original anymore? The thing that makes this movie seem to be a standout is the Celtic angle which is different from other classic Disney movies -- although Disney loves to come in and put their own spin on certain cultures as seen in Aladin (Middle Eastern culture but was originally Chinese) or Beauty & the Beast (which is supposed to be in France hence the opening song: "Bonjour").

Our story focuses on Merida, a spunky, headstrong, arrow-shooting princess of Scotland. As a child she was encouraged to be herself by her father, King Fergus, who gifted her with a bow. After misfiring an arrow the wee bonnie princess skips into the dark forest to collect the lost arrow. Some will-o'-the-wisp (same as a hinkypunk for all you Harry Potter fans!) lead her to her arrow but alas, as she leaves a giant bear attacks her and her father looses his leg in the process of saving her and Queen Elinor. Now, if this were a classic Disney movie Queen Elinor would hate the young princess and do everything to thwart her likelihood to make it to adulthood. Instead her mother does indeed love her and wants what she thinks is best for her daughter. Unfortunately, it's not in line with what Merida wants, namely her freedom. But Queen Elinor goes ahead and sets up a competition for Merida's hand in marriage inviting the three subordinate clans: Dingwall,  MacGuffin, and Macintosh. The eldest sons of each clan are presented to Merida and Queen Elinor proclaims: "In the traditions of our clans, the eldest child of the clans are invited to compete for the Princess' hand." When Merida hears this she knows what to make her suitors compete in: archery. After watching all the suitors go - and behold a forth suitor appears! And it's Merida. Using the loop hole that her mother exposed earlier Merida claims as the eldest child she should also get the right to compete for her own hand and with three shots she quickly defeats her suitors.

Now this tosses the entire kingdom into chaos. Traditions have been broken, relationships strained, and the clans are on the edge of war. Merida and her mother's relationship is now nearly broken what with Merida embarrassing  her in front of what seemed like the entire kingdom and Queen Elinor throwing Merida's bow (the symbol of her freedom and independence) onto the fire. Merida flees to the surrounding woods where will-o'-the-wisp lead her to a crazy old woodcarver... or at least a witch who also loves carving bears.... Merida convinces the witch to give her a potion that will change her fate by making her mother change (change what? ah, yes, absent specificity - the downfall of all magical spells). So Merida takes the spell, in the shape of a tart/pastry, and feeds it to her mother hoping to make her mother changer her opinion of her engagement. Instead she changes into a bear!

What follows is a journey of reconnecting and self-discovery. Merida is among the new Disney princesses (most recently Rapunzel and Tiana) who are more independent. There was a push in the late 90's for more modern women: Mulan and Pocahontas, both of whom were much stronger women. Pocahontas followed her own path which led to her saving her people and brokering peace with the white man. Mulan impersonated a man to join the army and spare her wounded father from being drafted - she ended up saving her people as well. Merida is the second (Pixar) princess to wield a weapon (Rapunzel being the first with her frying pan). She's also the first to NOT end up with a prince. The trend of more independence and not waiting to be rescued by one's prince charming - is a positive one that ought to be encouraged. I like the new Disney role model. Bravo Disney! I give Brave 4 out of 5 stars for positive role modeling, not making the princess sing or interact with adorable fuzzy creatures (minus the horse... and bears), having awesome accents, and convincing Billy Connolly to be King Fergus.

Check out the trailer here!

Review: The Avengers (movie)

Once again I have been super busy so my reviews have slipped (in quantity but never quality). I will try to be better folks but working 60+ hours a week makes even things like typing and seeing movies difficult.

I have already written one review about a Joss Whedon film once this year which got high marks (Cabin in the Woods) and I seem to be on a Whedon kick (I'm watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) That said I was a bit ambivalent about seeing The Avengers. Not that it looked bad or that the reviews were bad (quite to the contrary actually), but more because I'm not a huge fan of Marvel's Avengers.... although I do love me some Tony Stark/Iron Man *drool*. But the Hulk, Captain America and Thor or the other two (Black Widow and Hawkeye) were never heroes that I grew up with or truly cared for (neither was Iron Man until Robert Downy Jr.). I was a Batman, Wolverine, and Spider-man fan. So when my mom came to visit me in late June and offered to take me to a movie I figured The Avengers would be an excellent choice - mainly to see the big blockbuster on the big screen for free (thanks mom). And I was thrilled with it. The Avengers ended up being incredibly witty, well written, and surprisingly true to the characters' history and personalities. I'll break this down by character and then plot:

Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk: I was really worried about this actor/character pairing. The Hulk has gone through numerous interpretations starting with Eric Bana then progressing to Edward Norton but neither of whom got it quite right. Bana being way too bland and Norton being well, just an odd choice. Mark Ruffalo combines the perfect amount of brainy, compassionate doctor with the knee-jerk reaction to go from calm, civil, and withdrawn to angry and green and busting out of pants, jacket and shirt. Dr. Bruce Banner, a super smart scientist (physicist to be specific) who had an "accident" resulting in him being... well, hulking, green, and very angry. Ruffalo present his version of the Hulk as more Jeckyll and Hyde like in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen where they can hear each other in the other's dominant state, although it's not seen much in the movie. Ruffalo also plays an excellent reserved, but suffering man with anger-management issues. He is often paired up with Tony Stark/Iron Man due to their common backgrounds in science and genius statuses. The Hulk's opposites are Captain America and Black Widow who are driven by loyalty and duty which is what he runs from. 

Robert Downy Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man: Ah the perfect pairing. Sarcastic, aloof, arrogant but somehow charming. Unlike the Hulk, Stark retains his whole personality in or out of his Iron Man suit. Stark has already been redeemed in his own movies Iron Man & Iron Man 2 so this movie isn't really about him. He is however one of the brains that drives this movie. He helps Dr. Banner accept the Hulk but doesn't get along well with Thor and most notably Captain America although he will (obviously) have to depend on them sometime in the movie. 

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Capt. America: Steve Rogers was an unlikely hero being too small to actually enlist in the military - which was his desire. Instead he was allowed to enlist and participate in an experiment which would turn him into a super solider. It buffs him up and gives him better endurance and better healing.... I don't know. I really could care less about Captain (sorry Cap't.). Anyways, he got trapped in a nuclear submarine in one of the World Wars and was recovered only recently. His stint in the Avengers Initiative is his first real foray back into the real world. His gets along with Black Widow due to their mutual commitment but due to his dedication he is estranged from the Hulk/Banner and Iron Man/Stark.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor: Chris Hemsworth is a very pretty man. Well, alien.. from a planet where the Norse gods live.... kinda. Don't ask me I'm not a Thor expert. He was expelled from his home planet and crash-landed on earth and fell for Natalie Portman while saving the Earth from his evil brother Loki (who - coincidentally is the bad guy again this time around). He, like Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye are all motivated by duty - yes, to different things but it gives them the same goals. Thor feels guilty that again it is his brother (well, adoptive brother) who has put in the world in jeopardy and he has to balance the inner turmoil of the pity and pain he feels for his little brother and having to save the world again - whereas it's just professional for everyone else.

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow & Jermey Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye: Scarlett Johansson is carrying over her role as Black Widow from Iron Man 2 and although I think she and her alter-ego are well paired... I guess I'm just not sure she was entirely necessary for the movie (although they did try and her essential). I get the same feeling about Hawkeye... maybe it's because they seem like such second class heroes without real powers (don't shot me if I get this wrong - as I said, I don't really know much about these two). Regardless, I think that although they could have been written out easily, I like their plot lines and chemistry. 

Alright, on to plot! Loki, Thor's evil "brother", has new allies in this movie and decides that he's going to throw a major tantrum on Earth to piss off Thor. So Loki steals some alien technology which is supposed to be able to make a bridge across universes and be able to transfer matter - in this case an alien invasion. Next comes the gathering of the heroes - some of which is easy, most of which is not. From the difficulties in recruiting to the conflicting personalities and ideologies - the team fails in their original objective and must somehow pull together to actually kick some alien ass. After about 10 minutes in, I could not stop laughing. Seriously, I was the only one in the theater who would chuckle, bark out laughter, and just chortle with mirth and glee. And some of my favorite moments were with the Hulk. They took the traditional catch phrase of the Hulk: "Hulk smash!" and gave it to Captain America - making it an order. I know it sounds stupid but was hilarious. I give 5 out of 5 stars to The Avengers. 

Check out the trailer here!

review: Snow White & the Huntsman (movie)

I was on the fence about this movie. I mean sure - it looks with amazing, gorgeous, expensive special effects. Hell, even the actors are pretty (minus Kristen Stewart - ironic since she's supposed to be the fairest of them all). But, I'm not a huge fan of the Snow White story either - it was always my second least favorite of  the Disney movies (with Alice in Wonderland being my least favorite). I guess I was hopping that the awesomeness of the special effects would balance out my dislike for Kristen Stewart and my preconceived notions of the Snow White story.

So the hotness quotient is there: Chris Hemsworth plays the Huntman - a total hunk; he played Thor in both the self-titled movie Thor and The Avengers. And then there's Charlize Theron, GORGEOUS, who plays the queen, Ravenna and she's been in so many movies I'm not going to bother listing more than her two of her recent ones: Prometheus and Hancock. You already know my opinion on Kristen Stewart and, needless to say although I'll say it anyways, Kristen Stewart makes me want to hurl, particularly for her involvement in The Twilight Saga, although her performance wasn't all that inspired in Snow White and the Huntsman. She's no the fairest of them all in any stretch of the imagination. Actually this comic describes my feeling perfectly. Kristen Stewart is perfect playing a frozen, sickly, depressed, prisoner princess but hopeful or inspiring or even happy isn't exactly her cup-o-tea. 

And while Chris Hemsworth is a very pretty man, his dialogue with Stewart is less than stellar. In fact it's so jilted and awkward, it makes me wish for the silent parts where there's just pretty special effects. Stewart's mouth hangs open almost the entire movie (no covering her buck teeth for that would ruin the "fairest" bit) and there are so many shots of face and over-acting eyebrows it's a little disturbing. There's also no depth to either of them. Theron's Ravenna has a lot of depth but then she just kinda goes off the deep end which means that there are no relateable main characters - the closest of which is William, Snow White's childhood friend and other love interest.

There were things I liked in this movie: the effects, the costumes, the music, the explanation for the step-mom evilness and the Disney nods that were included. The music was great and fit well with the film's composition. James Newton Howard was the composer and he's done some great soundtrack (Treasure Planet, I Am Legend, both of Nolan's Batman movies [with Hans Zimmer], and The Hunger Games). The Disney nods within the movie included Snow White's puffy sleeves with red inserts and then the run through the dark forest with the trees with creepy faces  - although in this version it's the fault of some "magic" mushrooms. The biggest draw for this flick were the special effects. No matter how stupid the rest of the movie is, the effects were amazing. It's like Avatar, plot wasn't great but you saw it for the amazing effects or the first movie with a wide-spread 3D release. Ravenna was one of the saving graces of this film. She had Charlize Theron playing her, kick-ass costumes, and an interesting twist from the classic "evil step-mother" Disney vibe.

The thing that really bothered me was the Christian prayer that Snow White says in the tower. It sets the theme for the entire movie. Any good magic is then considered righteous and probably one of God's miracles while Ravenna is seen as evil (well, to be fair she is) but her magic is a perversion. The only exception is the weird, Mononoke-esque deer in the forest which is obviously a good portent. That and the weird fairies... So, basically only Christian miracles are good magic. Ug, pissed me off so much.

Anyways, I give Snow White & the Huntsman 2 out of 5 stars for beautiful special effects but crappy plot, bad acting, and stupid, unnecessary Christian overtones.

Check out the trailer here!

review: Cabin in the Woods (movie)

Cabin in the Woods is the newest creation from the team of Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon. Whedon is hugely popular in the nerd circles as he is responsible for a lot of TV cult classics including: Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dollhouse. And such movies as: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Toy Story and one of my personal favorites: Titan A.E. Needless to say, Whedon's got movie/TV cred.

First scene is not exactly terrifying. Two technicians (Richard Jenkins and Steve Hadley - both acting veterans and so great for their sarcastic humor) are walking down in all white corridor in some office/factory building prepping for the night's special operation. Suddenly - flash! - evil music and dark red words: THE CABIN IN THE WOODS appears on screen. Bum bum ba!!!!! If the quick switch doesn't make you laugh, this is not the movie for you.

We switch focus now to out young heroes. They are walking cliches, well - modern versions of them. "The athlete" has become a jock; "the fool", a stoner; "the scholar", a nerd; and "the virgin".... whatever passes for virginity in this day and age. "The whore" doesn't really change - after all, it is the world's oldest profession. These five head into the woods - a cabin in the woods - for a long weekend away from school. Along the way they are warned about the woods by a creepy gas station attendant. If this sound cliche - it is. But don't worry, the clicheness it awesome. And the cliche continues: once they get to the house they notice some creepy things - a 2-way mirror in the bedroom, disturbing paintings, weird feelings but they commence with the drinking and of course: the get-to-know-you game, truth or dare. However, midway through the game a cellar door opens abruptly and in true horror movie form, they file on down. Each person is drawn to a different object: a diary, a locket, a picture, a toy, or a globe. Each object triggers a different monster.

Now this is really where the two technicians shine. They are watching everything - even triggering the cellar door to open. And when the virgin, Dana, reads some Latin our of an old diary, the technicians release "[their] zombified, pain worshiping, backwards, idiot, rednecks". Needless to say, there's lots of pain and death with lots of surprises thrown in. The twists and turns between the college kids trying to escape and the technicians trying to have the zombies kill them are hilarious and cliche. But worry not! Almost everything gets explained as the story ends but it doesn't get wrapped in a neat little bow. Which is perfect!

To make this really short - I loved everything about this movie. I don't think I've laughed this hard and so much in a movie in.... well, ever. 5 out of 5 stars. Easily. Go see it.

Check out the trailer here!

review: The Sound of Noise (movie)

Like music? Odd music? Were you a fan of the tv show Doug and their "Banging on a Streetlight" music video? Did that reference go over your head? Good.

The Sound of Noise is the glorification of the sound and noise that makes music. Odd music, that is. These musicians hate what they deem to be bad music so much that they decide to hold a concert for the whole city to show them what "real" music is. So they stage an epic concert using non-traditional instruments - like back hoes, telephone wires, operation equipment and even the patient himself.

Some background info for you: This film is a Swedish-French crime-comedy... odd genre but that's what wikipedia tells me. It is in Swedish with English subtitles (yay!) and is currently showing in offbeat theaters stateside despite the fact that it was released in 2010 in Europe. It has received only positive reviews form the New York Times, Variety, Hollywood Reporter and even RottenTomatoes.com gave it "88% fresh".

The opening scene is a woman driving a truck with a guy playing the drum in the back. She drives the truck to match how he plays the drums... or vice versa. Anyways - it's really cool and not a little amazing. Speeding along they draw the attention of a traffic cop and to get away the drummer in the back throws his drums at the cop. The musicians make a get away but the accident draws the attention of Amadeus Warnebring, a tone deaf detective who comes from an amazingly musical family. For those of you who don't know - being tone deaf sucks. It is the inability to distinguish between musical notes. For Warnebring, music is torture. This detective chases the musicians through the city following their trail of musical destruction and chaos (since he can't actually follow the music).

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The concept was novel; the cast, funny; and the music, epic. The only criticisms of it that I have were that the love interest/relationship plot seemed rather forced and that the comedy, while funny, was rather one note. I give Sound of Noise 4 out of 5 stars!

You can watch the trailer here!

review: The Hunger Games (movie)

The Hunger Game

I was so excited to see this movie. I was a moderate fan of the books by Suzanne Collins; I enjoyed the first the most out of the three so if I was going to like any of these potential movies then this would be the one. And although I thought there were a few rough spots where I thought things could have been done better/differently, overall I felt like they did the movie very well.

Things I Liked
- Casting: Using a lot of unknowns or at least lesser known actors was smart. Really popular movie series often define a lot of actor's careers but also give a distinct, cohesiveness to the movie series. Anyways, I thought Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class) looked so much better as a brunette and made Katniss into a scared, stubborn, girl but NOT petulant like I felt the book portrayed her as. Then again what one says in one's mind is different from what one does and it's hard to show what goes on in one's head on the silver screen. Peeta and Gael were exactly like I thought they'd be. Stanley Tucci (as Caesar) and Lenny Kravitz (as Cinna) were excellent additions to round out the cast.

- Plot: It's hard to include everything in a movie from a book with the scope of Hunger Games so I was impressed with how much they were actually able to fit in. I thought they did a really good job cherry-picking the important things and leaving out some of the unnecessary things. Although most of the problems I have are with the plot, I think it'd be hard to improve on what the movie offered without making the movie at least an hour longer.

- Costumes were a big part of the movie because they helped distinguish the Districts and the Capital. The best example is Effie Trinket played by Elizabeth Banks who goes to the Districts every year to choose the tributes to be forced into the annual Hunger Games. She is colorful, outspoken, and flamboyant - the exact opposite of the Districts. The style of the Capital is bizarre - too colorful with odd silhouettes and pattern mixtures.

Things I Didn't Like
- I felt like there wasn't enough time spent on developing Prim and Katniss' relationship. It's possibly the most pivotal relationship in the entire movie as it sets the stage for the entire series. I understand that it's a movie and that time has to be taken into account but this glosses over so much. All you can tell is that they're close and that Katniss mothers Prim.

- The mothering of Prim is due to the fact that their father died in the mine accident which isn't reveal until almost 3/4 of the way through the movie. This is important because the mother gets depressed and checks out for months after his death leading for the tension and estrangement between Katniss and her mother. This is important because it helps define Katniss' relationship with Prim.

Although these are minor issues the may be detrimental to later movies. Overall I thought The Hunger Games was an excellent movie. I worry a little about how the second and third movies will be shot but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I give The Hunger Games 5 our of 5 stars for excellent acting, fantastical costumes, good plot and heart-wrenching moments.

Check out the trailer here!

review: TRON: Legacy

Right off the bat - I've never seen the original TRON movie that debut in 1982. But the concept of going into the internet and living "on the grid" has always been really interesting to me. That and the awesome neon and techno which seem to symbolize the future real attract me (maybe that's just cuz I love me some techno).

The plot revolves around Sam Flynn, the son the inventor Kevin Flynn who created the virtual world "The Grid", the setting for both the first and second movies. It's been years since his father disappeared but when the power suddenly comes back on in his downtown business (an arcade), Sam goes to investigate.

Sam arrives at the arcade seeing nothing amiss decides to play a game. However, the coin doesn't start the game. Intrigued, Sam pushes the game to the side finding his father's secret lab. There he accidentally sends himself in "The Grid". Here he must find out what happened to his father while staying ahead of his father's clone named Clu who seems to want him dead.

Now, while the acting in this movie was not the greatest I actually really enjoyed it since I had such low expectations. The graphics and CG are amazing - especially the high-speed cycle chase/game. The music is phenomenal (thank you Daft Punk). And I actually think the casting was well done - even if their actual acting was lack luster. As for the plot, I liked the idea of it. It's a little cliche but what's original anymore. I give TRON: Legacy 3 out of 5 stars. Welcome to the future!

Check out the trailer here!

review: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [American Version] (movie)

I was really not excited for this movie. I was a big fan of the original Swiss movie which was released in 2009. Hollywood has been in the recent trend of acquiring phenomenally huge best sellers (Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, etc) and turning them into huge monetary successes - which is the movie industry's job and sparks the controversy of whether movies are art or commercial. Whichever side of the debate you come down on - most movies are a mix of the two and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no exception. My personal opinion is that this movie was made just so Americans don't have to read subtitles (Americans are notoriously lazy). Subtitles don't bother me, probably because I read over 100 WPM.

Things I liked about the remake:

- Awesome casting: Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara are an odd but excellent pairing for Mikael and Lisbeth. Mara makes a particularly excellent Lisbeth. She's more aggressive, reserved, and punk than Noomi Rapaace's goth interpretation. Craig is playing a role meant for him. Still cool but not so much Bond but not yet Robert Langdon.

- Pacing: This remake ran much faster than the original. Although this made it "faster", the movies where actually of comparable length. Although I think speed is overrated, I agreed that the original didn't need all those long pans or pauses.

- Great score composed by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and Atticus Ross. Their magnum opus can be seen through the amazing opening titles. Their remix of Led Zepplin's Immigrant Song is amazing and the visuals are spectacular. But the main reason I like the opening titles is because the set a completely different theme than the 2009 movie. It's a great way to differentiate itself from the original.

- The movie was set in Sweden which was a relief. I can't imagine this being set in the US. Along with the Swiss setting - it was decided that the characters should keep they're given names rather than Americanizing it.

- Scenes with Lisbeth's original legal guardian which weren't in the original. I hope they continue this plot line in the next two movies. The Swiss movies didn't include his story at all which was a shame because it showed a more emotionally involved Lisbeth.

Things I hated about the remake:

- Nils Bujrman. Yes, you're supposed to hate him. He's an authority figure who abuses his position and those under his care. What I didn't like was that they made him into a fat, unattractive man rather than the suave, savvy man that he is in the original. Although you might say his outside matches his inside in this interpretation, I just found this portrayal too cliche.

- The ending was by far the biggest let down for three reasons. Lisbeth seeking Mikael's approval, the motorcycle chase, and Harriet Vagner's explanation.

Right before the big chase scene Lisbeth asks "Can I kill him now?" which I found to be stupid. Lisbeth is a strong woman - she wouldn't seek approval, not even from Mikael. Also, Mikael would never condone the killing of anyone. Worst of all is that when she finals goes to kill him, the car blows up! In the original, Lisbeth allows her prey to die purposely deciding not to save him - a much more satisfactory revenge.

Next item, the chase scene is poorly executed and anti-climatic, also Lisbeth's diving is ridiculous if you know anything about motorcycles and she doesn't wear her helmet.

Finally, Harriet's location and explanation of how she got there is BULLSHIT!!!! so far from the book plot - way over-reaching. Ug, totally pissed me off.

Regardless of its remake status - the American "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" rate 4 out of 5 stars compared to the 2009 Swiss movie which rated 4.5 out of 5 stars (you can read that review here) . However both are good movies worth watching.

review: The Fantastic Mr. Fox (movie)

I had serious reservations about seeing this movie. Not that I have anything against stop-motion animation - I love "Wallace & Grommet" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas". But those were movies from the good old days of my youth and the 90's. Thus the appeal of watching a new stop-motion animation movie without being driven by one's youthful unconditional love was absolutely non-inspiring.

Not only was the stop-motion animation really well done - you could see the detail on the fur!!! - but the plot was well thought out with wonderful little bright moments liberally peppered in with lots of comedy. One of my favorite repeating moments are between Ash and Kristofferson. Ash is the Fantastic Mr. Fox's son and Kristofferson is a distant relation (I believe a son of a cousin... don't quote me on that). Anyways, Ash hates Kristofferson with a passion because Kristofferson comes so naturally to things that Ash struggles with. The best example is seen with this ridiculously complicated game that Mr. Fox has won medals in but Ash is a dismal player. Kristofferson also gets the girl that Ash likes. And has a great personality while Ash is.... difficult in the best of situations..

The story begins with Mr. Fox and a then Ms. Fox breaking into a secure facility to steal some chickens (i believe - again don't quote me) either - Boggis, Bunce, and Bean however after stealing the chickens (maybe?), Mr. Fox triggers a trap. He and Ms. Fox dig their way out after Ms. Fox revealing that she's pregnant.

Years pass and Mr. Fox has given up his nighttime break-ins as promised to the now Mrs. Fox. Instead he works as a columnist. His hum-drum life begins to wear on him so one night he decides to break into one of the three farmer's (Boggis, Bunce, and Bean) storage facilities. He goes on two more raids to the remaining farmer's storage facilities and raids them too. Boggis, Bunce, and Bean then get together and decide to go after Mr. Fox. The farmers surround the Fox home and wait until Mr. Fox leaves. When they try to kill him all they succeed in doing is shooting off his tail.

To find out the fate of the Fox family and see is Mr. Fox deserves that title of "fantastic", you'll just have to watch the rest of "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". I give this new stop-motion animation classic 4.5 out of 5 stars for great acting, stop-motion animation, and soundtrack.


Check out the trailer here!

review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (movie)

So. Here I am, returning after 6 months (give or take). and straight to the review!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2!!!! The final installment of the Harry Potter universe is complete! *dies slightly inside* Now what will I agonize over??? Just kidding folks. (kinda)

The following review is going to be very difficult for me to accurately describe this movie... Not only have I only seen it once, which was a week a ago, but also because this movie stirred the emotions in me so much so that my memory of the actual movie plot is blurred. Don't get me wrong - i remember the plot perfectly... i'm just not quite sure if I remember the music or lighting or acting because this movie was so anticipated and lived in. I bounced from the highest peaks of euphoria to deepest depths of despair in spans of seconds. Sometimes I couldn't tell if I was crying because I was happy or sad.

I also don't expect many to have had or have the same reaction as myself... I grew up with these books. They defined so much of what I believed in and how I look at the world. My childhood was magical because of these books and the movies have only served to heighten the joy and bring another way of experiencing the story to life. So read on if you dare, brave soul - just be warned.

***SPOILER ALERT!!! don't read on if you don't want to know.... although if you don't know what happens you seriously must have been living with your head under a rock for upwards of 10 years.... congrats?***

The movie opens with a small recap of pt. 1, namely Voldy-pants finding the Elder wand or "death stick" - the undefeated wand - that will give him an edge over Harry Potter. Harry and the gang are at a safe house with the newly weds Bill and Fleur after having buried Dobby and rescued Griphook the goblin, Mr. Ollivander, and Luna Lovegood. The trio learn that Voldemort has the Elder wand, formerly Dumbledore's wand, and they formulate a plan with Griphook to break into Gringotts, the wizard bank to steal the Horcrux that they believe Bellatrix has in her vault. Wth this one attained, the trio only has two horcruxes left to find and destroy. however they must break into gringotts - something believed to be impossible. Here we insert a chase scene with the trio escaping on dragon back.

The remainder of the movie is the trio at hogwarts. here the trio is running around, trying to find a ravenclaw horcrux because this is where harry's visions take him. and then the battle begins. this was emotional for me because what most people forget is that hogwarts is a school... this is a war in a school... full of children. this is tragic and horrible... it just made me sad despite the fact that i knew this had to happen. and the battle is horrifying, and real (as can be when dueling with magic), and terrifying. for you, for the characters...

needless to say there's a happy ending. but you'll need to watch it to see how it goes.

favorite parts:
- Mrs. Weasley's slaying of Bellatrix "not my daughter, you bitch!" -- i've been wondering how they were going to do this cuz Mrs. Weasley is such a character and they made it quite restrained... more refined. well done, WB.
- ressurection stone's resurrection of harry's parents, god father and remus. i love this scene because it's so symbolic... they are there to lead him to die. it's... i've got no words.
- neville on the bridge. this guy's got two! neville has this awesome moment where the voldy's death eaters are charging hogwarts and they run into the erected magical barrier which... dissolves them (i guess?). anyway after they stop at the barrier neville jeers at them... and then the barrier falls. run neville!!!! good laugh.
- neville's second spotlight is his speech near the end. he talks about the moral of harry potter. how you continue to stand for the right thing regardless of how difficult it is. it's very fitting.
- ron and hermione's kiss... FINALLY! like most, i was waiting for them to get together. it's a much better couple that harry and hermoine which is depicted in their awkward dance scene in a tent.

parts that were just kinda weird:
- epilogue... oh, how we love awkwardness.
- hermione's impersonation of bellatrix lestrange in gringotts. this is odd just because it's not well explained in the movie as to why they don't just use Bellatrix's wand to verify her identity despite the fact that it's actually hermione. it's just awkward and pulls you ok of the movie.
- neville confesses at some point that he's got the hots for luna. this is not in the books at all, in fact j. k. rowling says she purposely didn't set them up this way so i was kinda disappointed

As promised for the folks still reading - a five out of five star review. How can I not give it a perfect rating? It gave me everything the previews and books promised and more... what the hell am i supposed to do now?

review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (movie)

w00t!!!!!! i was soooooooo excited for this movie! like 99.999999999% of the people who read this blog know, I am a huge Harry Potter fan (I win trivia contest with my nerdiness, folks) so you can only guess how excited i am when the new installment comes out.

This premiere found me in a not so different situation from all the other premieres - standing in line, in costume, playing "who is the nerdiest harry potter fan?". suffice it to say: i won.

so, after waiting for a few hours for them to part the velvet ropes, carrie and i were finally, along with hundreds of other hard core fans, found ourselves flowing toward center seats in the theater. there we were kept entertained by a group of fans who had prepared dance numbers to "Harry and the Potters" music. they had the whole theater up dancing, singing, and laughing. displays like this are the reason i go to midnight premiers - there's an atmosphere of excitement, usually good cheer (unless someone commits some taboo), and a sense of camaraderie.

back to the movie!!!
*beware: spoilers ahead! - i won't reveal major plot points but if you haven't read the book this is all new and it's not my fault!*
this is the second movie where if you haven't read the books you might be a bit lost. this film is much darker than the previous films, although the forth was the first movie of the 8 to be grim and dark. and by dark, i mean sinister, depressing or dealing with more adult themes - at least, compared to the fact that these movies are supposed to be books/movies for children.

the movie opens focusing on figures in the dark. Snape and another death eater walk toward a house in the fog. upon entering it, Voldermort is holding court with his followers, making plans for taking over the ministry of magic and dealing with the menace known as Harry Potter. in keeping with the depressing beginning, we then follow the golden trio as they prepare for their seventh year... or what would be their seventh year, however, the are instead going to look for the horcruxes, or pieces of Voldermort's soul, so they can be destroyed as this was Dumbledore's last mission for Harry before he was killed by Snape in the last book/movie. the most depressing part of this opening is Snape's betrayal of a fellow hogwarts' teacher and hermione wiping her parents' memories of her so that they won't be in danger or used against her as she fights in the war.

i can't describe the whole movie for you in this review but i will say that there are some amazing scenes in this movie:
- the initial flight from the dursley's is very well done - with comedy, great effects, suspense, and even despair.
- the ridiculous dancing scene in the tent between harry and hermoine which is too weird but very sweet and endearing.
- the weasley twins - enough said. but i'll elaborate - mainly george when his ear get blown off with his "holey" joke and when he walks in on harry and ginny making out in the kitchen.

there was one moment that truly bothered me. this was the death of hedwig. both the movie and the book kinda glossed it over, but especially the movie. the problem with doing this is that it is such a heart-rendering and important even because her death represents the death of harry's childhood. (i know that most people don't want to sit there and look below the surface of the book/movie but i look!) it's completely glossed over! seriously - they really don't mention it after she dies other than to say she died protecting harry.

all-in-all, this was an excellent movie, in fact the best out of the harry potter series so far. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars, not five because i have to save something for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.

review: Despicable Me (movie)

This was an okay movie. Quite funny for what it was but not the best movie ever.

Steve Carrell is the voice of Gru, the super villain with perhaps not the most diabolical of schemes. For example he steals the STATUE OF LIBERTY!!! the small one, from Las Vegas. But Gru's status of world's most evil villain is in jeopardy when a young up & comer steals an Egyptian pyramid. But Gru's next plan to steal the mooon is genius and will make the secret Bank of Evil very rich and he hopes it will set him back on top. The only snag in his plan is that he needs a shrink ray. Which is a slight problem since the only one that exists was just stolen from him.

Here's where things go from slightly ridiculous to completely unbelievable. To get back his shrink ray Gru decides to use the orphans who are selling cookies to infiltrate his nemesis' home. So, what does Gru decide to do? adopt the girls.

The rest of the movie becomes a giant cliche. not a bad cliche but still a cliche. after spending time with the girls he starts to change his evilish ways and begins to love the girls. the journey is funny and different and the ending heartwarming. I give Despicable Me 3 stars out of 5 for being funny and doing this cliche well but not being very original.

and here's the trailer for you: CLICK ME!

review: Inception (movie)

This movie was truly mind-blowing, but then most Christopher Nolan movies are. The previews billed it as the awesome action movie and it was, but at its core, it is a movie about redemption.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, a man who's life has fallen apart. His wife is dead and he has been forced apart from their children. However, he is looking for his way back to them. How does he hope to accomplish this? By performing corporate espionage and making his return to the USA his payment.

And how does he accomplish his corporate espionage? By stealing the person's ideas from their very dreams (and therefore subconscious). But so far things aren't going well for Cobb until meets Saito (Ken Watanabe), who makes a proposition to implant something in someone's mind. So instead of extracting - implanting, which is infinitely more difficult.

So Cobb sets out to make a new team to dive into their target's dream. The problem with implanting is that you have to delve very deep into the unconscious which is done by diving within dreams themselves. To do this each level of the dream must be created which is where Ariadne (Ellen Page) comes in. She designs and creates the dreams which is perfect because her name is Greek from the story of the women who is the best mortal weaver. coincidence, i think not?!

The whole mission is amazing. The tension keeps building subtly throughout till I noticed that i was consciously starting to worry about the fate of our heroes. Not only was this movie suspenseful but also carried a twist ending and had provoking themes such as the duality of reality and virtual reality, the mind and the body, what is reality vs. sanity. This movie deserves the 5 out of 5 stars. When this movie ended the only thing I could do was think about it and muddle it over and over in my head. That is the kind of movie I love because it makes you think. When you see this movie, and you really should, make sure that you have a person to talk to about the movie and some time set aside to really think about the implications that this movie is making. And also debate the ending.

here's the preview if you need the prodding to go and see it: CLICK ME!!!