The Family Stone

Viewed: 12.26.05
Anyone in it:

Comment: Enjoyable, but the ending is predictable and leaves you with a big so what. I cannot stand Sarah Jessica Parker, so her performance meant nothing to me and fortunately other cast members had better roles. The ending also makes one wonder why the movie began with the focus on the new couple the way it had, because the movie changed shape so much by the end. Which makes one feel like scenes were cut for theatrical release, and would therefore hopefully make a better DVD rental.

Rating: B

The Longest Yard

Viewed: 12.10.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock...

Comment: This was actually not all that bad. Funny in an unexpected way, and was actually ok.

Rating: C+

11:14

Viewed: 11.29.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: If you liked Pulp Fiction...or even the wannabe films Go, and Snatch...then you should see this mashing of five stories...it is really good. Aside from a few possibly sick/gross scenes, this is relatively easier to watch than those previously mentioned.

Rating: B

AntiTrust

Viewed: 11.27.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: Weak. Very very unbelievable and predictable.

Rating: D

Lemony Snickets a Series of Unfortunate Events

Viewed: 11.27.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: It's a dark childrens story, with amusing moments and interesting imagry. However, it is not exactly all that special at the same time. I enjoyed aspects of it, but it was a film one could get away with maybe seeing once if ever.

Rating: C-

Pirates of Sillicon Valley

Viewed: 11.20.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: This is a good film to see about Microsoft/Apple clash. However, there does seem to be a tone of exaggeration...on whom and at what part is uncertain, but take caution in believing everything that you see with reactions. The actual actions (taking software, etc) are true.

Rating: B

Bewitched

Viewed: 11.6.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: Well, its, um...alright. It had a sprinkle of funny moments, but nothing so grand that everyone should see it.

Rating: C-

House of D

Viewed: 10.29.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it: David Ducovny

Comment: this is a coming of age film, and comes off as ok. The ending was over-the-top, but it was a pretty good story.

Rating: B-

Sin City

Viewed: 10.2.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: To start off, the black and white imagry is phenomenal. The style is pulled exactly from the original artwork it was based from. Think of the scene with the dark figure in the doorway, and only his glasses were white, etc. The movie is pretty raunchy, its all about ripping out the genetals. I'd rather see another Pulp Fiction or 11:14 sequel instead.

Rating: C-

Kicking & Screaming

Viewed: 10.21.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: This was a whole lot more enjoyable than the flop I thought it would be. This may be because I think Will Farrell is funny...the coffee segments are pretty good too. Overall, it really is a kids movie with jokes mostly parents would pick up on.

Rating: C+

Just Like Heaven

Viewed: 10.2.05 in Theater
Anyone in it:

Comment: not too shabby for a chick flick, adds enough of an element to be amusing.

Rating: B

Mr & Mrs Smith

Viewed: 8.27.05
Anyone in it:

Comment: entertaining and funny, my only beef is that they really beat certain points into your head, and some scenes are just too long or unnecessary.

Rating: B

40 Year Old Virgin

Viewed: 8.23.05 in Theater
Anyone in it:

Comment: Funny, crude but with heart. However, not funny enough to make the US TV show "The Office" funny.

Rating: B-

Fantastic Four

Release: July 8th

Who's in it: Chris Evans, Jessica Alba and The Commish.

Plot: People get powers by a cosmic ray out in space. Each power consist to, a who they are inside, or what was possibly going on while they were working on the space station. Then, there is a battle against good and evil.

Comment: People said this movie stunk, I would have to disagree. It's not movies such as Spider-Man, Batman Begins or X-Men, but it's a more calm down movie, family movie of superheroes to watch.

Grade: B+

Rent or Buy: You can do either.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Viewed: Mid-July
Anyone in it:

Comment: Loved it a lot, (I like the original a lot too, but this one is pricelessly funny). The only thing I don't particularly like is the Oompa Loompa songs. They were pretty bad...that guy looked weird too.

Rating: B+

Batman Begins

Viewed: June 15th

Who's in it: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, it's a tight cast.

Plot: The beginning of the Dark Knight.

Comments: It's out. Batman Begins is out in theatres. Let me tell you something. This movie is great. It really dives into the Dark Knight character. Christian Bale is Batman. Christopher Nolan and David Goyer's story for Batman, incredible. It is a two hour and twenty minute show that keeps you interested. If you enjoy the fast pace movie, it isn't for you. It tells a story about Bruce Wayne and then you get to see the change from Bruce Wayne to the Dark Knight. This will be moved also to the pumped and dumped web site. Absolutely brilliant.

Grade: A-, I do that because when listening to Batman, the voice changes ever so slightly, if that is what Bale is supposed to do, then I give it an A.

Rent/Theatre: THEATRE

Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith

Who's in it: Just look back at Star Wars: Episode II

Plot: Anakin Skywalker turns into (SPOILER WARNING) Darth Vader. Mama Skywalker dies, and twins are made for the 4-6 installments of Star Wars.

Comments: James Earl Jones is back in the HOUSE. Honestly, that was the bright spot, besides Yoda taking names again. I'm not a Star Wars fan, but I did enjoy four through six of the Star Wars' movies. I will give the movie this, based on the first two movies, meaning episodes one and two, this was by far the better movie. Hey and if you crank it up to seven decibals it's pretty sweet. In a small theatre however, eh, keep it low.

Grade: C+/B-

Rental or buy: It's worth watching in a theatre because it's Star Wars, but don't see it five or six times. Unless you seriously have money to waste. Go once

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Viewed: April 29th, 2005

Anyone in it: Not that I know of

Plot: Earth will be destroyed by aliens, who want to turn the area where Earth is into a highway.

Comments: Truth be told, it was a very poor movie. Watching past the first 15 minutes, it made me realize how much I want them to hurry up and get RED DWARF: THE MOVIE out to theatres. It felt as if it were a very poor fan film for Red Dwarf. It was terrible. It had high potential and then just let me down.

Grade: D-

Theatre or rental: Not even a rental, but I'll leave that up to you.

The Interpreter

Viewed: April 22, 2005

Anyone in it: Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman

Plot: An assassination attempt on an African big shot. Who foils the plans? Duh Duh Duh: The interpreter oh and a secret service agent, duh duh duh.

Comment: Besides the fact that by the end it was becoming a love interest, it was very good. For the first hour and a half, it kept a good level of viewing. I mean it stayed one way. I don't like sitting much, so I was moving around in my chair. It kept me in it, I'll give it that. This is one of those movies, where they show you who the person that is going to do the job is, but, they harness it and make you go other directions and make you not think about certain stuff until later when it is crucial. It was written very well. Now the last 45 minutes, was all set up. You knew, you knew, can't say it enough, you knew what was going to happen how it was going to end, but then it twists you into another story plot, well done, I would like to say, but then it goes back to Scott's plan, "I know what's going to happen, and it sucks, because if I say anything, people would hurt me." DUH! Don't say anything, sheesh. Kidding Scott. You did state that, not a direct quote, but a quote none the less.

Rating: 90 percent = B+, high B+ hooray for the extra plot.

Theatre or rent: This is a movie to view at the theatre. It's a question of how much money you have and are willing to spend. If not much, well, then I have to say, wait for it to come out at a rental store and pay however much it is to rent. I actually may buy it, but I have other movies I would want to own.

SAHARA

Who's in it: Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, and other guy.

Plot: Find a very old battle ship. That's it. Treasure hunt.

Comments: The timing on this movie was not good. It came out just months after National Treasure was out. This movie didn't have too many flaws for what it was seeking. It was just not timed correctly. If waited one more year, it may have done very well. It was first in box office, but it could have done much better.

Rating: B

Theatre or rent: Tough one to choose, people who liked National Treasure should or shouldn't see it. If you like adventure, it's not bad. If not, then wait six months to rent it.

Ladder 49

Viewed: 4.11.05 (Rental)
Anyone in it:

Comment: I was so disappointed with this flick. It was not all that good as everyone made it out to be. It could have been done a lot better than it had been.

Rating: C

Dodgeball

Viewed: 4.10.05 (Rental)
Abyone in it:

Comment: Awful. There were two spots that made me laugh. Two. The rest of the film was just torture.

Rating: D-

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous

Viewed: I think in April '05
Anyone in it: Yes, what's her name is

Comment: The whole movie I felt like she was going to be making amends with her ex, or at least meet somebody. So, the attempt made to make this a buddy buddy film just didn't work with me. If they toned down the ex moments, the film would have been much better. This one seemed more appealing to watch than the first, but according to my chick flick fan girlfriend, it was ok but the first one was better. In comparison, this one has less comedy to it. I also didn't find the humor of her snorting as amusing as the audience took it. However, as far as chick flicks go, this one is pretty easy, due in part to the fact that there isn't any romantic elements and the goosh factor is minimal. It's not overly exciting, but it's tough to truly have any beef with it. I'm guessing one more may come and that will be all. One that will have a happy charming ending too I'll bet. It's ok, but your not missing much if you didn't see it.

Rating: C

FEVER PITCH

Viewed: April 8th.

Anyone in it: Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon

Plot: Girl meets guy, and what happens when you find out how much he loves the game of baseball and specifically, the RED SOX.

Comments: Surprisingly, this turned out to be a good movie. Jimmy Fallon really went indepth on what is to be a Red Sox fan in Boston. I thought this movie was about him, turned out to be about Drew Barrymore and her character looking for true love. Later on it finally mixed together to be about each other; which is better than being one sided, like the standees show at the cinemas. Come on, it's both of them and they have Drew Barrymore in the middle and Jimmy Fallon is not in the picture as much.

Grade: C+, unless a baseball fan, then B+

Theatre or rent: Baseball lovers see it at the theatre, not a sports person, rent it.

Robots

Viewed: March, Theatre

Anyone in it: Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Greg Kinnear, Halle Berry

Plot: Robot wants to better himself, yes they have him/her robots in this movie, and goes to the biggest city to show off his inventions, but evil stands in his way of glory.

Comment: CGI movies along the way have been either really good, or really crummy, the choice is yours. This one to me works. Good story, good plot, lots of comedy (thank you Robin Williams) and as always, it ends well, with a twist.

I enjoyed it, it's a movie to watch at a theatre.

Some areas are hit or miss, but the over all look, works.

Score: A

Guess Who?

Viewed: March, Theatre

Anyone in it: Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac.

Plot: Comedy, meet the parents, get ready for the ride.

Comment: This is a must see movie. I mean it has it's pumped and dumped parts. The more I try to explain, the longer this will get, and you'll be left with saying, "WHAT THE?"

It has it's good moments, which there are a lot of and it's bad moments, that make you want to walk out of the theatre, but it setup for you to know when it comes. Weird, huh?

Score: B

Ice Princess

Viewed: March, Theatre

Anyone in it: Michelle Trachtenburg (Buffy), Joan Cusack

Plot: Smart student learns to ice skate by using mathematical equation.

Comments: This movie is keeps to every Disney theme: Starts off the way it's supposed, slow evolves, you find the rivalry, then they become the good friends. Of course there is a relationship in the movie. Always.

This is a serious chick flick, if I have seen one. It's also, dare to dream and do it. Such as wanting to be an ice skater, you have to train hard and do what needs to be done, to be the best you can be (can you hear the "in the army, reserve" theme?).

All in all, it wasn't a bad movie, it could have been shorter or more could have been done to be longer.

Guys, this is a movie to take your girl too. Unless she doesn't like them, then nevermind.

Score: B-/C+

Hostage

Viewed: 3-19-2005

Anyone in it: Bruce Willis

Plot: Title says it all. Three 18-24 year old guys take a family hostage in a house that was built to keep people out if something went wrong.

Comments: Why is it, when they make a house to do all that stuff in the plot, the country folk are the ones that can get into the place? They really need to change story lines on that.

The movie starts off slow, an origin story if you will, and we meet the negotiator (Willis) who tries to help out a victim. Okay, nuff said on that. We move on. Later on in the movie, the rich family tick off the hicks and then they follow, way behind, the rich folks back to there place. What happens? Country folk get in and take hostage the rich people who actually work for some type of mafia-esk people. Joy joy. They bring in the chief of police, OH look out, it's Willis, by the way, this is in the future after Willis was the negotiator. Then what happens, besides that hostage situation? Willis's family gets taken hostage, and only Willis can save them/. All in all it turned out to be a good movie.

Score: A-

Brak Show Volume 1

Viewed: DVD’s

Plot: Cartoon Network remake show…there is never a plot. Seinfeld has more of a plot.

Comment: Loved this show late at night back in college. It was just funny…for no reason whatsoever. Although, if a second volume is made, I will probably overlook it, being that all my favorites are in this volume…the rest kind of bored me. What favorites you ask…”Time Machine” and “Hippo” are definite classics to behold. In Time Machine-“Brak and Zorak didn't finish their homework on time, so they borrow Thundercleese's time machine to go back in time to set things right.” When Brak tells Zorak to say, “I Love You,” is a magical tearful moment. In Hippo-“Brak is upset because Zorak made him get rid of his lobster doll, Hippo.” There is also of course my favorite clip involving a movie they see in the end credits…
This does not take into account the exclusive elaborate extras which include the following...

Score: C

Day After Tomorrow

Viewed: 3.19.05 Rental
Anyone in it:

Comment: The movie wouldn't have been so bad if there wasn't so many unbelievable character moments. Take for example the smart girl who helped the son keep warm (because she "paid attention in health class"), but didn't realize she was about to die from an infection. Or the father surviving while others were dying outside (that had to be some good gear, even the President couldn't make it). Why couldn't his dad see proof of their fire, and how hot would that fire have to be to have kept that cold freeze from entering the chimney? Or what about that boat...how did it get there, wouldn't it have had to weave through all the buildings like the previous scenes of the waves? Honestly, I also found it hard to believe an ambulance came to get the mother and patient. I would like to believe the Statue of Liberty survived all that, but it doesn't seem reasonable. The weather seemed to be the most believeable aspect. The situation of temperature changes does make you think, and historically looking at how animals froze almost in action, makes you ponder if an ice age would hit as shown by the three helicopters. But after the first half hour, maybe forty minutes, the film justs asks you to accept too much of its characters. The sly jab at Dick Cheney is brief, and not quite the hype everyone made it appear.

Rating: D

Twilight Zone Season One The Definitive Edition

Viewed: DVD’s

Comment: Scheduled to release all five seasons throughout 2005, this show is hands down awesome. Upon viewing the compilation one can feel the echo of an era where people felt the void of being alone. Twilight Zone exploits everything newsworthy in a manner to make people stop and think. Beautiful show, and there is no simple way to sum it up in a brief paragraph. I appreciate the way stories are told, and I love good black and white.

Score: A+

Hitch

Viewed: 2.27.05 Theater
Anyone in it: Will Smith, and Kevin James

Plot: While helping his latest client woo the fine lady of his dreams, a professional "date doctor" (Smith) finds game doesn't quite work on the gossip columnist (Mendes) with whom he's smitten.

Comment: It's good, funny and feels real, with the exception of the chick flick moments (the weak climactic pitch rubs weary by the time it is dramatically needed, and the happy fluffy ending scene which definitely makes it feel like a chick flick). The movie had a good balance for a dating type film. I also really enjoy Kevin James (from King of Queens), and he was just as good here. The director Andy Tennant has worked on Sweet Home Alabama, Anna and the King, Ever After, Fools Rush In, Sliders (TV), and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. to name a few. Which makes sense in the balance of comedy, and chick flickness.

Score: B

Cloak & Dagger

Viewed: February, Own
Anyone in it: Henry Thomas (ET, Suicide Kings), and Dabney Coleman

Plot: 11-year-old Davey, whose mother is dead and whose father is preoccupied with his own problems, has retreated into a world of video games and an imaginary hero-pal, the swashbuckling superspy Jack Flack. When an FBI agent about to be murdered slips him a video cartridge containing top-secret data, Davey is suddenly plunged into the intrigue and danger of real-life espionage.

Comment: As a christmas gift from my gf, this 1984 film is merely two months old on DVD. And as for a kid’s movie, it has a few corny moments, but I still like it as I enjoyed an aspect I had overlooked.

Score: C+

Radio

Viewed: 2.19.05 Rental
Anyone in it: Cuba Gooding Jr., and Ed Harris

Plot: The story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man whom he took under his wing.
Comment: Granted this movie has been out for a while…I had only heard of it the day we rented it. Gooding was pretty good in this, and the film is based on a true story to boot. The story takes place with football around, but is about the struggle between and with the two characters. Te ending even shows a clip of the actual real life guy, which was a cool treat.

Score: A

Daredevil-Directors Cut

Viewed: Own (a gift from a friend)
Anyone in it: Ben Affleck, Michael Clarke Duncan (who is an excellent choice, love this guy), Kevin Smith, Joe Pantoliano (like this guy since Bad Boys), Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell

Plot: differs vastly from original.

Comment: Daredevil was re-released as a Directors cut, and all I can say, is watch it. What was in theaters was bad. This one gives back the story that they cut out, and it is great. There is a whole trial gone, and the biggest part, which was taking down the Kingpin, shines through in a superb manner. The theatrical release seemed more like a love story, here the true darker version is out and perfect. As a sidenote, the director, Mark Steven Johnson, will be directing the Ghost Rider movie, which I am even more so inclined to go see after viewing the effort placed into this original version of DD.

Score: A

The Princess Diaries 2 Royal Engagement

Viewed: Own (gf owns it)
Anyone in it: Yes, but let’s not go there.

Plot: Now settled in Genovia, Princess Mia faces a new revelation: she's being primed for an arranged marriage to a English suitor.

Comment: Ok, I saw the last hour-ish of this movie…much more than I would ever have liked to have witnessed. Unfortunately for this movie, I still had the impacts of the last two films lingering in my head. And this movie was too…I want-to-be-a-princess story for me to take. In all fairness, good movie for kids and I’m sure many people may like it. But after what I had seen (and felt from what I saw, this movie had a lot going against it). I never saw the first one (whew) and it didn’t seem like you really needed to. Why did I find it so terrible? It was slow, and the whole point of the movie failed to keep me interested. The parts I watched spent relentless time over matters that didn’t really matter. They fretted over getting married the whole movie. In some cases I think this can work, but here it was just…hurry up I don’t care. I actually preferred other chick flicks to this. Maybe if I wanted to be a princess or feel like one I would enjoy this fairy-tale…which it does a good job at being…but could have done so in half an hour. Apologese to my gf whom likes the film more than I do. I thank her for keeping me grounded by viewing films as such (but odds of me seeing this one twice are nil).

Score: F

Garden State

Viewed: Rented
Anyone in it: Nobody that made me want to see it because they were in it. However I found out long after I had seen it that none other than Danny DeVito was involved in this film. He has jumped off the scale in my book especially when only a short time before I learned of his involvement in the TV show “Reno 911!”

Plot: A young man returns home for his mother's funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.

Comment: I won’t lie, this movie is not light, and wonderfully unfolds a dark story about a guy confronting reality (unmedicated) and falling in love. By the end a few comedic flecks pelt in perfectly. The soundtrack is awesome too. A friend of mine described it best, it’s a generational piece. The people who like it, it struck a chord. Those who didn’t feel it weren’t impressed…and that is just fine. There are so many little elements the movie reminded me of growing up…things that you see that you didn’t clearly see before and how they are dealt with. There is a lot to go from, and they aren’t spoken about, they don’t need to be when you know the feeling. I give it an A based on my reflection to it…but take this rating with caution, older viewers and younger viewers don’t seem to like this film.

Score: A

The Terminal

Viewed: 1.16.05 Rental
Anyone in it: Tom Hanks, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Plot: An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.

Comment: I cannot stand Tom Hanks. He is always the same in a movie, I hate the way he “acts,” drives me crazy. However, I wanted to see this movie because I read about the actual man this movie is based on from a “Bathroom Reader” book. The guy still lives in the terminal! Anyway, the movie is only based on his expereince living in the terminal, and that is about all the similarities the two stories have. The other thing it had going for it was that Steven Spielburg was behind it. The story is told pretty well, and is calmly enjoyable to view.

Score: B+

Meet the Fockers

Viewed: 1.15.05 Theater
Anyone in it: Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Ben Stiller, and Owen Wilson

Plot: All hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.

Comments: This stands very well as a sequel. Although parts go a little too too far on the overboard elements, but they are expected as such.

Score: B-

Without a Paddle

Viewed: Rental
Anyone in it: Matthew Lillard, Seth Green

Plot: Three city-dwelling friends go on a camping trip with disastrous results.

Comment: The disaster? The movie sucks.

Score: F

Anchorman The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Viewed: 1.14.05 Rented
Anyone in it: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, and Steve Carell.

Plot: Ron Burgundy is San Diego's top rated newsman in the male dominated broadcasting of the 1970's, but that's all about to change when a new female employee with ambition to burn arrives in his office.

Comment: A handful of moments made me laugh pretty well, and it has some quotable moments, but there wasn’t really any meat that kept me too committed (I think Elf was a better movie). Sadly, I have to say that I wouldn’t have missed much if I hadn't seen it. Steve Carell was hilarious. Heads up, the director, Adam McKay, is also directing Bewitched (which I want to see staring Will Farrell)…so that could mean that I am just about as thrilled as this film review.

Score: C

Hidalgo

Viewed: 1.2.05 Rented
Anyone in it: Nobody that made me want to see it because they were in it. Staring Frank Hopkins, Directed by Joe Johnston (Jumanji, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Rocketeer, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids)Plot: Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier (Mortensen) who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world.Comment: This was the first movie I saw in 2005, and it was good. Sometime the year before I tortured myself by watching the awful Tobey Maguire horse flick “Seabiscuit.” So, I dragged my feet before I watched this one. I wanted to, and I had been hearing good things about it…and I was not let down.
Score: A