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Last night I went to see Fast & Furious.  After enjoying the first 3 movies, I knew I had to see this one.  I can’t say too much about the plot because a lot of it develops during the movie, but I will say that it’s good to know that it takes place in between 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift.  Without knowing that, I can see how someone can get confused.  This newest installment also brings back the characters from the first movie and has some new villains.

Fast & Furious is a very good movie, and has a good plot.  It will leave you surprised and after the ending, wanting more.  There are good car scenes, including an exploding oil tanker, a race across the desert, and a race through live traffic.  The acting is good, and the movie stays true to its roots.  If you watched the first 2 before you go see it, you’ll get a lot more of the smaller references and jokes that goes back to the first 2 films.

As far as negatives, Fast & Furious seems to focus a bit too much on the plot.  This is good in some regards but it can be a little boring in the middle section and also keeps from adding an extra car scene or two, which anyone will enjoy.  I hated the ending, not that it was bad, but that I wanted to see more of what happened!  Other than that, there’s really nothing negative about this film.

Overall, Fast & Furious is a great movie, and anyone who liked the first 3 will like this one.  It is a little too plot focused for me, but the car scenes are great, as they should be, and the movie keeps you and afterwards you will want to see more.  Ratings wise, Fast & Furious gets 8/10.

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On Wednesday I went and saw 12 Rounds.  Being a big WWE fan, and with the movie starring John Cena, plus a decent trailer with good action, I decided to go see it.  The plot is simple:  Danny Fisher (Cena), a New Orleans police detective, is on duty one night while a search is going on for a wanted criminal.  He finds the criminal, Miles Jackson, and in the process Miles’ girlfriend is killed.  One year after the incident, Fisher gets a phone call from Jackson, who has kidnapped Danny’s girlfriend.  Miles then puts Danny through 12 rounds, which he has to win in order to get his girlfriend back.

12 Rounds is a decent action movie, and there’s definitely some basic action stuff.  This includes explosions, car chases, and a decent finale.  The plot is good, and has a lot of potential.  Some of the rounds are interesting and will make you want to see what happens next (ie driving a fire truck through the city in a given period of time in order to defuse a bomb which is held in 1 of 2 metal boxes).

Onto the bad parts about 12 rounds.  Some of the rounds don’t involve Cena’s character actually doing anything, and they’re more of just things that happen (ie his girlfriend getting kidnapped counts as 1 round).  The acting is ok, but the villain doesn’t seem that great.  With there being 12 rounds, and the movie running just under 2 hours, as well as the buildup in the beginning, there doesn’t leave much room for emphasis on any of the rounds.

Overall, 12 Rounds is an ok movie, and if you’re looking just to get out and see a movie, you can see it.   I’m sure if there’s anyone who’s a WWE fan or a John Cena fan that they will like it and think it’s good, but nothing to rave about.  The lack of emphasis on some of the rounds as well as just decent acting keeps 12 Rounds from being great, but still allows it to be good.  Overall, I give it 6/10.

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Last week I went to see I Love You, Man.  It looked funny, and with a cast including Jason Segel and Paul Rudd, I decided to go see it.  There’s also a few other actors in the movie, including Jason Bateman and Andy Samberg.  The plot is simple: Peter, a real estate agent, meets Zoey and after dating for a few months, asks her to marry him.  She accepts and then it becomes apparent that Peter has more girlfriends then guy friends, and he begins a search to find his best man.  That is where the comedy begins.

I Love You, Man was a great movie, and a comedy in every sense of the word.  Most of the content in the movie is funny, and is not limited to letting people step in your dog’s crap on the boardwalk, meeting unusual guys at the gym, going to Rush concerts, and talking about guy stuff with your friends.  The movie definitely hits on the fact that girls tell each other everything and guys talk to their friends about stuff they can only discuss with other guys.

There are not many bad things to say about this movie.  There’s not really too much emphasis on the plot, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it makes for a dull moment or two towards the end of the movie.  The ending is kind of abrupt, and there can be more comedy added if it would have went on for a little longer.  Other than that, I can’t really think of anything negative to say.

Overall, I Love You, Man is a great comedy that people can enjoy.  There is a good cast and plenty of memorable moments that will have you laughing and talking about it for quite some time.  This is the first great comedy of 2009, and I definitely recommend seeing it.  You won’t be wasting your money.  Overall, I give it 8/10.

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It’s been a while since I posted a movie review.  A few weeks ago I went to see Last House on the Left.  The plot is simple – A girl goes with her parents to their vacation home near a lake.  She goes into town to meet her friend and they end up getting kidnapped by a group of cons, who take them into the woods and then leave them for dead.  The cons end up staying at the parents’ house who exact their revenge.  There are some recognizable actors/actresses in this movie; you’ll recognize their face but won’t be able to put a name with it.

Last House on the Left was done very well.  Although the first half was somewhat disturbing (look at the rating reason on the poster for more details), the second was good, and meets the standards for modern day horror films.  The parents exact their revenge on the cons in different ways, most of which have never been seen before.  These methods include a garbage disposal, a curtain rod, and a microwave.  I don’t want to spoil too much of it for you.  The second half makes this a great horror film.

As far as bad things go, the only negative thing I found was the first half of the movie, and just because of the content it contained.  It is definitely hard to watch because of the fact that nothing is held back.  Besides some blood and guts in the second half, the first half of the movie basically gives the R rating.

Overall, Last House on the Left is well done, with recognizable actors helping things.  The first half is very disturbing but the second half makes up for it, and if you love horror movies, definitely check it out.  Ratings wise, I give Last House on the Left  8/10.

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Last Friday I went to see The International.  It looked pretty interesting, and I though that with Clive Owen included, it would be a really good movie, one of those surprise hits that’s really good but nobody sees it.  Unfortunately, I was dead wrong.  On to that a little later though.  For the plot, the International is basically about a DA’s office in Manhattan who is working to figure out more about an international bank, who is suspected of funding terrorism/weapons, etc.  They try to gather evidence and put together a case to bring down the bank.  Sounds pretty good, right?  Wrong.

There are really only two good points about The International:
-Clive Owen; who now that I think about it has a tendency to pick both good and bad movies (good: Derailed, Shoot Em Up, Inside Man, Sin City; bad: Children of Men, The International)
-A really good shootout scene in the middle of the movie in a round hotel/museum place with people coming out of nowhere.  It gives a little bit of excitement before you go back to boredom and confusion

There are a lot of negative things I could say about The International, but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum.  First, the plot seemed good but turned out to be horrible.  There were too many characters involved and the movie got confusing, and there was no attempt to fix it.  Leading from this, without knowing what’s going on, and with the movie dragging on a bit, you tend to get bored, and care even less about what’s going on.  There are no action scenes at all (except for the shootout, which in retrospect is basically the entire trailer) and the movie is way more political than it should be.  Adding Naomi Watts to the mix doesn’t do nearly enough to fix one huge accident of a movie.  That’s right, an accident; meaning no one meant to do it, and nobody wants it to happen, but it does and someone has to take the blame.  I place on it anyone involved in the making of the movie that did nothing to stop it or fix it so it didn’t turn into the disaster that it is.

Overall, I hated this movie.  The International is too political, very confusing, boring, and has nothing that will interest you except for a shootout scene, which makes up the whole trailer.  You may even want to search for it on YouTube; if you can find it there, then you’ve seen the movie.  This, so far, is the worst movie of 2009.  Don’t waste your time or money in the theatres or on DVD.  Rating wise, I would say 3/10 (but only for the shootout and Clive Owen).

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Last night I went to see the midnight showing of Friday the 13th.  The plot, for those of you who don’t know, is very straight forward.  Jason goes to Camp Crystal Lake one summer and accidentally drowns.  His mom is upset and goes around killing the camp counselors, until they find that Jason isn’t really dead; he comes back and goes on a killing spree.  His birthday, per the title of the movie, is Friday the 13th.

There are lots of positives to the new version of Friday the 13th.  For one, it’s a horror movie, and it includes all the standard cliches for horror movies.  There are plenty of people that get killed and there’s even a little more in depth plot for this version (I won’t say what it is, it will spoil it!).  The killings almost always include a machete, which is Jason’s weapon of choice, and they happen in different places around Camp Crystal Lake.  The movie keeps you interested the whole time and there are very few parts where you’re bored; during those parts there’s some decent one liners for comic relief.

There are a few negatives to Friday the 13th.  There is a portion early in the movie that is a little slow, but that’s just to set up the plot and is overcome by the ending.  Also, I had high hopes that this movie would be done well enough to scare the crap out of you (not literally, of course), but it didn’t.  Insteady, there were plenty of things that will make you jump out of your seat (loud noises, flashes of light, etc.).  The lighting is mostly dark, to go with the fact that it’s a horror movie, but at times it can be too dark and the motions too quick for you to realize what’s going on.  This is very minor though.

Overall, Friday the 13th is the first great horror movie of 2009.  It’s a good remake and is done well, with all the standard cliches included.  It will scare you a little, but nothing to the point of making it unwatchable.  The ending also leaves you wanting more (which hopefully will be in the form of a sequel).  For a rating, I give Friday the 13th 8/10.

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Yesterday I decided to go see Push.  I was on the fence about it at first, but decided to go see it anyway.  The plot is interesting; it’s about a group of people with psychic powers, which include invading one’s thoughts, moving objects with one’s mind, and being able to see the future.  The cast is good too, including Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) as Nick, Dakota Fanning as Cassie, and Camille Belle (When A Stranger Calls) as Kira.  In more detail, Nick and Cassie are looking for a case that will help them bring down Division (think the FBI of people with psychic powers).  They also seek the help of Kira, who is the only person ever to escape from Division.

There are some positives to Push, but not many.  The plot itself is very original, and I liked the idea a lot.  It has the possibility of keeping you interested through the entire movie.  The cast is also great, and of the three main stars, Dakota Fanning does the best acting job.  Her lines include many snotty remarks, which helps portray the attitude of her 13 year old character.  There’s even a scene where she gets pissed off and downs a bottle of liquor; her portrayal of a drunk person is just as good as the rest.  There are very few scenes of action, but they are well done.

There are more negatives in this movie than positives.  With the exception of Dakota, the acting is only average, and most of the movie will have you bored.  The TV commercials show Push as the first great action movie of 2009, but that couldn’t be further than the truth.  The possibility of a great plot was executed poorly, making the movie dull and boring.  The action sequences could have been longer, and the setting of Hong Kong doesn’t exactly help.  I would have rather seen everything take place in California or a major US city (no offense meant by this).

Overall, Push is a great idea for a movie but is poorly executed.  The better than average but not great acting and short action sequences doesn’t cancel out the bad locale and boring sections of the movie that serve only to move the story along.  I would only see this in theatres if you’re extremely interested; otherwise it’s probably better to wait for this on DVD.  Rating wise, I give Push a 5/10.

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Last night I saw My Bloody Valentine 3D.  I heard some good things about it, although I also heard that it was another crappy horror movie.  I had a free ticket to use, so I decided to see it.  There are no big actors, but the plot is that a guy named Tom causes an accident in the mines, from which there is only 1 survivor, Harry Warden, who is left in a coma.  Some time later, Harry comes out of his coma and goes on a killing spree but then eventually gets buried in the mines.  10 years after that, Harry comes back for revenge to go on another killing spree.  It may seem a little complicated, but I’ll get to that later.

My Bloody Valentine had some positive points, but I can say that the 3D helped a lot.  There are a lot of points where things get thrown at the audience, implementing the 3D effects, which I enjoy quite a bit.  There are enough killing scenes to make this a pretty decent horror flick, and during these scenes, as usual, it keeps the audience interested.  The visuals of the movie are pretty good, and those who don’t like blood will probably have to look away a few times.

There are more negatives than positives with My Bloody Valentine, but the 3D changes that.  For starters, the acting, as with most horror movies these days, is not the greatest thing in the world.  There are also some things that the characters in the movie do that are downright stupid.  Another staple of current horror movies.  The movie tries too hard to make a plot, which can come off as confusing to some people, and with the progression of time in movie, it seems like the attacks by Harry are too spread out; this gives more time for the confusing plot and also wastes time where 3D effects could have been added in.

Overall, My Bloody Valentine is better in 3D than it would be as a regular movie.  It has the normal staples of current horror movies – bad acting, lots of killing and blood, and stupid character actions.  The 3D helped out a lot, and if you’ve never seen a 3D movie or just like horror movies, this is one you may want to check out.  Rating wise I’ll give it a 7/10 for the 3D version, but a 6/10 for the regular version.

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This past weekend I saw Taken.  It stars Liam Neeson, portraying Bryan Mills, and Maggie Grace (Shannon from Lost, for those of you that watch it), who plays Bryan’s daughter Kim.  The plot is that Kim goes on vacation to Europe with her friend Amanda, and while there she gets “taken” (or kidnapped, whichever you prefer), hence the name of the movie.  Being the protective father that he is, Bryan decides to go to Europe to get his daughter back.

Taken was very well done and there are lots of positive points.  The plot is good and keeps you interested; it has its differences from other similar movies that make it original.  Liam Neeson does a great acting job, and is very convincing in his role as an ex-secret agent.  Anyone who’s seen the trailer will agree with me on that.  There is a good amount of action in the movie that keeps you interested, including car chases, fights, and even an explosion.

On the negative side, there’s not much to say that’s bad about this movie.  There’s a little bit of buildup in the beginning of the movie, but doesn’t hurt the movie enough to make it bad.  It also, at times, seems like the breaks in between the action scenes may be a bit too long at times but once again, it doesn’t ruin the movie.

Overall, Taken is the first great movie of 2009.  It will keep you interested and has a great mix of action and suspense, with a decent plot.  The great acting job helps out too, and there are a few other familiar faces in the movie (Famke Janssen,  [Jean Grey from X-Men] who plays Kim’s mom Lenore; and Xander Berkeley, who was in the first season of 24).  Definitely check out this movie; you won’t be disappointed.  I give this an 8/10.

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The second movie I saw this year was Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.  It is a prequel to the first two Underworld movies and shows how the rivalry between the Lycans (werewolves) and Death Dealers (vampires) came about.  There are no big name actors in them, but most of the actors remain the same from the first two, with the absence of Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman (although it doesn’t take away from the movie).

There were quite a few things I liked about this movie.  It stays very on point and doesn’t confuse you at all.  In fact, it is somewhat predictable but I’ll explain that later on.  As with the first two movies, Rise of the Lycans does a nice job with CGI, showing as humans change into their lycan form.  Details are entered in accordingly that make them look realistic and similar to the lycans in the first two.  The acting is also fairly good, not horrible like most horror movies you see these days (Underworld can somewhat be characterized as horror but is more action than anything else).

There are not many bad things I can say about the Underworld prequel, besides the fact that it is predictable and because of that, can be boring at times.  There are no big surprises or anything, and if you’ve seen the first two, then you already know what happens.  If you don’t remember, then I would say to not watch the first two immediately before seeing the prequel, as I did.

Overall, Underworld:  Rise of the Lycans is well done with a good plot.  Those of you who are fans of the first two will like the prequel but will be disappointed in the fact that with showing nothing new, it is rather pointless.  For those of you who haven’t seen either of the first two, I would suggest watching the prequel and then 1 and 2, in that order.  Underworld is a great series that doesn’t disappoint.  Overall, I give Rise of the Lycans 7/10.

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