Starring: Gerard Butler and Michael C. Hall.

Lame.  Lame, lame, lame, and more lame.  I had high hopes for this one.  I liked the idea and was really excited to see what sort of action and morality tale would result.  Instead, I was treated to a rather bland film with some crappy action sequences (that had the potential to be awesome) and only a notion of moral outrage.

All told, I got the sense that only 15 minutes into the movie, the actors that signed on to do this were sold using a different script.  They all signed a contract and had to oblige, but initially, I'm sure they were expecting something else.  Certainly it could not have been this thing that is only short of being called a travesty.  In case you don't remember (or just don't know) the premise of the movie is this:  In the future, you have soldiers that are controlled by other human beings as if they are playing a video game.  People pay to control their counterpart in battles, which are real and have no "extra life" or "continue" options.

The story focuses on one particular gamer, and his counterpart.  We follow them through a typical mission, and as the film progresses we see deeper into their own lives.  Well, not really.  First, it should be noted that the "icons" that they people are controlling are all death row inmates.  They are offered the chance to play in this game and allow themselves to be controlled for the chance of being free.  If they survive 30 battles, their sentence is ended, and they are free to go.  The thing is, no one has ever survived that long in the game, until now.

I really felt like there was an initial idea of where they wanted this film to go.  Then, as time went on, they came up with other ideas and splintered it off.  Suddenly, they realized they didn't have anything to tie it all together, so they just made stuff up to insert as needed.  It's all really crappy.  The first scene you encounter is an action sequence.  It had the potential of being good, but the camera work was so shoddy and the edits too poorly done, that you felt like you were one of those roller coaster cars that jerk you back and forth and bruise you up real good.  The kind that make you regret waiting in line all that time just to sit there and get the crap knocked out of you.  Just like that.

Overall, I'll just say that there was potential and it was not achieved.  Not even close.  I would suggest avoiding this film no matter what.  So long for now.

Starring the voices of: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, and James Caan.

For an animated film, I have to admit that I really liked it.  They assembled a good cast, with a good script.  It was light, and funny, and plays to both adults and children with the story and the antics.

The quality of the animation was also great, which was a surprise for me.  I have not seen their other works (Open Season 2, Surf's Up) so I didn't know what to expect.  I can't say for sure whether or not that was a good thing or not, it turned out well, that's all I know.

The story is pretty simple, and somewhat predictable.  Flint Lockwood invents a device that turns water into food, and it ends up in the atmosphere.  Soon, his small town of Swallow Falls is a tourist attraction because it rains food.  Any kind of food you can think of.  Soon, people are making requests like crazy and things go awry.  It then comes down to Flint, his new friends and his father, to help save the town from their own gluttony.  By the end of the film you are certainly invested in your main characters.  Along the way you encounter the comic relief, and enjoy what they have to offer, but overall, you are intrigued by the story and wait to see how it pans out.  Naturally, you know from the beginning that things will go bad, but it is the journey that is so entertaining and refreshing.

I can't go into further detail for fear of perhaps ruining your own experience for the first time, but I truly recommend this film for all ages.  It's a good, lighthearted movie that everyone can enjoy.   Yes, that just happened.  I just busted out the cliche line - and for good reason!  It's true!  So long for now.

Starring: Patton Oswalt and Kevin Corrigan.

Not what I expected.  That was the thought that went through my head during the movie, and the first words out of my mouth when it was over.

The description said it was a comedy, well, a dark comedy, and I can see where they got that from.  Still, I find it difficult to categorize this as a comedy at all.  Are there some funny moments? Sure.  Is Patton Oswalt a funny guy?  Sure.  Just not like you expect, or actually, like you have ever seen him before.

Oswalt plays Paul, and he is a die-hard, no doubt about it, NY Giants fan.  He eats, breathes, lives for the Giants.  He and his friend Sal (played by Corrigan) both do.  They have an unspoken rivalry with a Philadelphia Eagles fan over a local sports radio show that provides some light entertainment during the flick.  

The key element to the plot though, comes from a chance encounter with an actual member of the Giants team.  Just imagine that you are obsessed (and I mean OBSESSED) with a certain celebrity type person.  Then, on some random night out getting pizza, you see the object of your obsession before your eyes.  What would you do?  Probably not what happens here - but then again, it is not out of the realm of possibility.

The eventual meeting they have, the two parties, is awkward and somewhat comical.  But, frankly, is results in the beating that Paul somewhat deserves, given the circumstances.  Still, looking at the movie as a whole, I have to say that most of it is in fact awkward and uncomfortable, and that would be the appeal to most people.  That being said, it is possible that the uneasiness you get from watching these characters is what resulted in the description of 'dark comedy' coming about.  It evokes that sort of uneasy laugh or chuckle you get from seeing someone do some of these things and realizing just how bad it is.  I liken it to how I feel when I watch "The Office" most times.  Yeah, similar to that feeling when Michael Scott opens his mouth and you know what he is about to say will not be good.


It's a good little film with some heart, and touching moments.  You root for the little guy, and like I said, you feel uncomfortable and awkward at times, but you're supposed to, and it's a good thing.  There are definitely good moments, and of course, the slow, bad ones as well.  For me, it was worth watching the whole thing just to get to the ending, because I felt it was a good pay off.  If you're in the mood for some uncomfortableness, and awkwardness, then this is the right film for you.  Enjoy.  So long for now.

Starring: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

There is a reason why Jeff Bridges won the Golden Globe for this role.  I wouldn't be surprised if he wins more awards too.  Still, I can't help but think that most of that recognition will come from all of his roles over the years, and not just this one in particular.

That is not to say that I didn't enjoy his performance, or this movie as a whole.  Instead, I will be honest and say that it turned out just like I expected.  The most surprising part was how much I came to enjoy the music.  The story was simple and predictable, but it was the music and the performances that drove it home for me.

Bridges plays country singer Bad Blake.  From the start we know that he lives up to the name Bad, and that he is having a hard time of things.  Soon, we're introduced to Gyllenhaal's character, Jenny, who is a writer for a small paper doing an interview of Blake when he comes to town.  They develop a connection, and eventually a relationship, all of which seemed to happen way too fast and felt too insincere.  Still, you set that feeling aside and go along for the journey.  Blake is an alcoholic, and as the film progresses you encounter the cliche plot points and twists, and by the end, it all wraps up neatly with a pretty red bow.

If I may take a moment to gush about Bridges and his talent for a moment, he is the sole reason I wanted to see this film.  For years he has been delighting me, and audiences all over the world, in various films across numerous genres.  There are not many actors I feel this can be said, but this man truly can do anything.  I will count him among the greatest of our time, and am proud to count myself along his many other fans, cult and otherwise.  So long for now.

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.

An amazing, visually stunning film.  Hands down.  I understand why my roommate said that 3D is the only way to see this film, and I couldn't agree more.  That aspect really added to the experience, in a way that I feel is responsible for the success this film has enjoyed thus far.

The story is simple, the characters pretty straight forward, and the movie, too long.  Still, all those ingredients mixed together in the hands of James Cameron has resulted in a great movie going experience that is unlikely to be duplicated in the near future.

There will be an onslaught of 3D movies (in a year or so) now that he has lighten the fuse.  Sure, other 3D movies have trickled out over the years, but nothing has been so widely accepted and seen by the general public such as this.  I really think the success of this movie in 3D will be the catalyst for the 3D tv revolution that is coming over the next few years.  But, I don't want to go off on a tangent here.  That is a subject matter for another post.  Back to the film at hand, and the great cast and crew that brought it to life.  A job well done, to say the least.  The idea that it took 10 years to make this film, for the technology to catch up to his vision astounds me.  Now, however, after seeing the film first hand, I can only say that it was well worth the wait.

The idea, and statement that Cameron made himself, that this movie will change the way films are done and see forever is so true.  Robert Zemeckis himself is working on changing films forever as well, but Cameron has managed to do it on a grander scale with greater appeal.  Hopefully, the audience will now be more accepting of new technology and story telling, so forward thinkers like Zemeckis, and Cameron, and many more are given the opportunity to expand our minds and enrich our imaginations.

At this point you may be wondering why I'm spending so little time talking about the movie, and well, what haven't you already heard somewhere else?  You know how much I liked it from the beginning.  But, what I do want to get across is the impact that this film will have for the future of cinema.  When Cameron made Titanic, he ushered in the era of big budget films.  If you recall, two major studios needed to collaborate on the financing just to ensure it got made.  That started with him and that film.  Now, we have this epic journey that will once again usher in a new era of film-making.

Granted, no one else may come close to this scale of notoriety, but that isn't what it's about actually.  It is about the ability to try.  The chance you are given to get out there and give it a shot.  So many people have seen Avatar that it is now as common as asking, "How about this weather?"  The door is opened for a new world of directors, writers, actors, and studios.  The trick now will be wading through all the crap that will flood our theaters to find that diamond in the rough. So long for now.