The Game Plan

In my previous afore mentioned like of The Rock....,

I thought it only fair to do a movie review on a movie of his that we saw recently. It was a month or more ago that we watched it, but I still remember my thoughts on it. First I want to mention that one of my favorite movies that The Rock is in was Walking Tall.

If you haven't seen it, see it. I may have liked this movie so much because it had nice trucks in it, but really, we thought it was a great movie (we already own it). The movie we saw recently was The Game Plan. We actually liked the movie. It was cute, and clean-cut and had a nice “packaged” ending. Happy ending with all the lose ends tied up. I had a friend tell me recently that she watched it and she said she imagined that The Rock's real life was something like that movie. Pictures of himself all over his apartment, watching video clips of himself, ya know, the stuff all the famous, pretty-people do. It made me laugh that she said that. Anyway, the movie is appropriate for kids, and fun for the whole family. We will probably end up owning it some day, when it's a little cheaper to buy!

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

If any of you know me well, you would know my sick obsession with Brenden Fraser.

I own just about every movie his in and enjoy every aspect of his cheesy-ness. My sister Jenny and I share the same obsession, she got me started liking him when I was about 12. She introduced me to the movie Encino Man, and it has remained on of my all time favorite; cave man Brenden Fraser is very nice to look at!

Since we own most of his movies, of course we own the Mummy movie collection, we even have The Scorpion King even though it doesn't have Brenden in it; it does however have The Rock in it, and he's another one of my must-see heart throbs.

Anyway, I was rather excited to see the newest Mummy movie come out, and couldn't wait to see it. So for a double date this last week we went and saw it in the theater with Jordan and her hubby. I think all in all I enjoyed the movie, but I do have to admit that I did have disappointments about it. First of all, I didn't like his “new” wife, they should've had the girl from the other movies, it would've made it better. Second, it was a bit cheesy; and I usually like cheesy. I expected a more intense story line, and at times it just fizzled. Unfortunately I have to be honest and tell you, it's not one of those movies that you need to see in the theater. You could wait until it comes out on video and be all the same for it. We will probably own it because I can't pass up the opportunity to own a Brenden Fraser movie, but it's only to the complete series... unless of course they make more movies, but I can't seem them doing that; any more, it would be over-kill.

Nim's Island

This is another movie that I thought I would really like by the way the preview looked. It seemed to have a cute story line and a cute guy in it. I was right on one account. The dad in the movie, Gerard Butler (P.S. I Love You, Phantom of the Opera), who is very nice to look at made the movie better... for me at least, but we were a little disappointed in the story line. For kids, it might be a cute movie to see, the story line is light enough to be able to follow for young minds. For adults, it just lacked. I have really been impressed with what a great actress Abigal Breslin is becoming, and she did well in this movie, it just wasn't a full enough story line. One comment Bo made was that he was continually waiting for the plot line to start. My qualm with it was that the ending was not good enough. It got to the end and just kind of ended, no real explanation of anything. I know that it's my personality to like a movie to wrap up in a nice little bow in the end, but when you lack even part of a resolution, it makes the movie just disappointing. They had some cute animals in the movie that had personality so that would be a fun aspect for kids. Boo watched part of the movie with us, and liked talking about all the different animals and what they were called. We definitely won't be owning this one, but if your kids like animals they might enjoy watching this.

21

When I saw the preview for 21, I was stoked to see it. I thought it was going to captivate me and keep me interested. Now seeing it, it's not that I didn't like the movie, but both Bo and I agree that we won't be owning this one... well maybe if it ends up in the $5 bin. Now let me tell you why we liked it: it was very fast paced, and was interesting, it had fresh faces in it, and who doesn't like Kevin Spacey? I have enjoyed some of the movies Kate Bosworth has been in, and enjoyed her character in this movie as well. The pauper to prince, or should I say nerd to high-roller motif, was a little over played but it worked for the general idea of the movie. The reason I didn't like it, or rather wouldn't own it is that it didn't captivate me as I thought it would've. I loved, I mean, loved the movie Catch Me If You Can.

Some people would argue that they didn't like it, but there isn't a movie out there that has taken in my job interest as well as Catch Me If You Can. After working in check fraud for a year and the bank for 5 years total, I came to appreciate the banking industry. I kind of expected 21 to real me in like Catch Me If You Can, and it was interesting but just not captivating. Now I'm not saying “don't watch this movie”, I did appreciate about the movie that it really didn't have much language. I say that because I don't remember if it even had any, sometimes we tune that out, but I'm pretty good at detecting at least the “F” word. So no really bad swearing that I remember... All in all, it's worth watching once, if you think you might like it, but we don't plan on buying it.

Juno

I was asked to review the movie Juno and and started a while back but just have never gotten around to finishing it, so here it is. Juno was an... interesting movie. It had some very funny lines in it; a very quotable movie, but it wasn't the best I've ever seen. I think Bo wants to own it, but I'd have to see it again before deciding if I liked it that much. I like the point of the movie that the girl takes responsibility for her actions by giving the baby up to a good family, but her journey is... interesting. I know that teenage pregnancy is a real problem now days, and it's something we have to really teach our children about, but this movie almost glorifies it. I appreciate that it shows the struggles of it, but it almost made her the hero instead of trying to teach our children to not get pregnant. As for it being a good quotable movie, I think I liked it okay, but the jury is still out. I want to watch it again before making my final judgment on it. Bo on the other hand really liked the movie. So, split decision on this one.

Jumper

I was undecided about seeing the movie Jumper. It looked good, but it could've been... I don't, not good. For a friends birthday, they had rented it so I watched it with them (Bo was out on a call so he missed it, but I took it home for him to watch later). I thought the movie was alright. It had an intriguing story line that keeps you interested, and enough funny parts to keep the movie not too serious. My issues with the movie are one, the lead guy, you know, young Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) was in the movie. Literally, some of the faces he made were like “I didn't know this movie had Darth Vader in it.” My other issue was that they left the ending wide open in a lot of ways, when the movie wasn't really that good to make a sequel for. I mean it was good, but not that good. It even had a cute kind of love story in it, so that made it good, but still not good enough to make more than one movie. Worth seeing once, but we probably won't own it.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

We've actually already bought this movie, so this is just to give my opinion on it. You're thinking “If they bought it, then why is she reviewing it, doesn't that mean they already like it?” Sorta. On a visit to my sister's house on route to the doctors office, the little one saw part of Alvin and the Chipmunks and fell in love with it. So while at the doctors office, she was having a hard time so I promised a prize at the store if she was just brave. So after shots, and tears we went to the store. Can you guess what she wanted? And normally I wouldn't agree to such and expensive prize, but it was on sale and we did want to see it, so voilá, we bought it. Now, I'm not saying this to say that we didn't like it, but it was just okay. The chipmunks are cute, and sing some really catchy songs, but the rest of the acting was just okay. I like Jason Lee in his part in My Name is Earl, but he wasn't a very good Dave, just not convincing. I actually like the beginning of the movie the best, when they sing Bad Day, it's the best part of the movie, I don't usually watch after that. But on the other hand, the little one loves it. Right after we bought it she went around saying “Chicka wow wow, Chicka wow wow”, and it was so cute. That's actually what she calls the movie. So for kids, it's a pretty good movie, but adults might find it slightly mundane.

Casanova

We usually rent movies, but when I see one we've never seen, I try to save any money we can and record the movies on our DVR. I saw that the movie Casanova was on TV one day, so I recorded it. I watched in on another day I was folding laundry, and I really enjoyed it. I do have to comment on it that I think the actual movie is rated R, but since this one was on TV is was censored. I'm sure they cut out some bad parts of his promiscuity, but it was a rather charming movie. I like Heath Ledger a lot and liked him in this movie, and to add to the cute guys in the movie, Charlie Cox (Star Dust) was also in the movie. I tried to get Bo to watch it, but he didn't think he would really like it, I'm still trying to convince him. So, since I can't really vouch for the movie in it's entirety I can't say that you should go out and see it. But maybe if you see that's it's on TV, be sure to catch it.

Super Size Me

I know that Super Size Me came out a long time about, but I never felt inspired to see it. But then we saw the FX show 30 Days, and liked it so much that we decided to rent Super Size Me because it has the same guy in it. As is 30 Days, Super Size Me was fascinating! People were telling me that once I watched it, that I would never want to eat McDonald's again, and that wasn't what I walked away from the movie with. They had some amazing statics, that really make you think. Really the movie wasn't just about McDonald's, it was about our nations eating habits in general. One thing they talked about was our school systems and what they feed our children. It's amazing what they could be feeding them for the same cost or even less cost. It just goes to show us where our nation is heading, we all over-eat and opt for the fast yet fattening meals instead of home cooked meals. Even with our home cooked meals, we are skimping on healthy foods. It truly is an eye opener for me as a mom, I have the choice to make my family fat, and I can change that. So for just being an eye opener in itself, I would say for you to see it. Bo commented that he wants to own it just to show our children, to help them understand about making good food choices. I think it is a good movie to at least see once, just informational value.

We also watch 30 Days with Morgan Spurlock(the same guy from Super Size Me), because it has some interesting things on it. The concept is “Can 30 day change your opinion?” We have watched some of the shows that have been very controversial; gun control, immigration, animal cruelty, homosexuality. All very interesting. If you get a chance, check it out. It's on FX, and I think it shows on Saturday nights, but don't quote me.

The Bucket List

One reason we get interested in movies is because of who is in them. I really like Morgan Freedman so I usually see most things he's in. That's what lead me to want to see The Bucket List. It's a rather depressing movie, but I enjoyed it. Jack Nicholson can be crude at times, but he played the part in this movie quite well. Of course Morgan Freedman did a great job. The basis of the movie is about two men and their journey through battles with cancer. It has some intulectual parts in it that make you think about your own life, and the things you want to do before you die and I enjoyed that. It also had some funny humor in it that makes you laugh even through the sadness of the movie. The ending caught me a little off guard and I always like a movie that does that. I think we would own this and watch it again. It's at least watching once, but bare in mind, it's a little depressing.

Big - Business

If you can believe it, I've never, until recently, seen the movie Big. You know, that 80's movie staring Tom Hanks. I don't know why, but I just never saw it. Lately it has been showing on TV and I seem to catch the same scene each time. Ya know, the scene where they play the big piano? Yeah, it's awesome, I plan to have one in my dream house. So I made it my mission to record it on our DVR and watch it. It recorded while I was gone so I had it waiting for me when I got back and I finally got around to watching it today while I sat and folded laundry. I rather enjoyed it, of course it was a cheesy 80's movie, but hey we don't hold their style of clothes against them. I think it adds charm to the movie. Tom Hanks is another one of my favorite actors, he has played some really great parts. Anyway, if you are a loser like me and have never seen this movie, it's one everyone should see.

Speaking of 80's movies, I also ran across one of my all time favorite movies on TV the other day. Big Business, you remember it? Bette Midler? It's awesome. I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid, so I decided to record it. When I went to watch it, I was disgusted to find that they had cut out all the funny parts of the movie. Rude! So I went online to Amazon and found it on DVD for only $8! I had to get it. Now as I watch it as an adult, I find that there was a lot of... not crude, but risk-que humor in. Mom, how could you let me watch that! :) If you've never seen it, you have to see it. It's really funny, and so very 80's. I still need to get Bo to watch it to get a real opinion on it, but I think he'll like it... or he'll hate it. Be sure to see it.

It's weird, "a crazy random happenstance"(Dr. Horrible) that I paired these movies together. I went to post them, but before I did I wanted to make sure I spelled names correctly, and came upon the dates of their release and the were released a week apart in 1988. Crazy!

Sweeney Todd

One movie we've watched recently was Sweeney Todd. I had to see it because it has Johnny Depp in it, he's nice to look at! :) I was a little hesitant because it is rated R, but it's only rated R for bloodiness. So we took a chance and watched it. We weren't really impressed, at least with the movie. The music was FANTASTIC! Who knew Johnny Depp could sing? I have since bought the soundtrack and have listened to it many times. There are some great actors in it, and I have to admit that the more I think about the movie the more it grows on me especially because of how much we like the music. Bo says he jokes when people ask him about how a movie was, he usually tells them that everyone dies in the movie. He said after this one that he could honestly say that's really what happens. The bloodiness of the movie is rather fake-ish, but it is a pretty dark, serious movie. I watched it in concert on YouTube, and it was much more funny, or at least it had some humorous parts in it. I did feel a bit like I was watching Harry Potter though; Snape, Wormtail, and Bellatrix LaStrange co-star with Johnny Depp. They all sing their own parts, and really they do a wonderful job. Bo says he wants to own the movie because we like the music so much, but really it was just an okay movie. It might be worth seeing once if you can stomach the blood, but I would definitely listen to the Soundtrack if you are into Broadway style music.

Wall-E

I guess a good one to write about would be our latest trip to the movies. Bo's niece came and stayed with us for a week and one of the nights she was here we went to the movies and saw Wall-E. I was really looking forward to seeing this movie, and so was our little one as well. I've decided from the whole experience that she doesn't really like going to the theater, so I don't think we'll be taking her until she gets a little older. But back to the movie, I really enjoyed it. My only qualm would be that the robots didn't talk as much as I thought they would. I guess I just supposed that they would have more quirky lines. I also was surprised a little by the story line, it just didn't go in the direction I thought it would. I'm not saying that in a bad way, usually that's a good thing, but I guess now that I think about it, I didn't really have any thoughts on where the movie should've gone. Anyway, I did enjoy it. Being that the robots didn't talk much, they did a lot with their body language; which made it funny. So for kids, it was charming and even for adults it is cute. With how much our little one talked about it and liked it (well at least as much as she sat still to watch) we will own it.

Penelope

Because I have so many blogs to write about movies, I'm going to start with ones we have watched recently and then move to the rest. I hope to not bore you with our mundane opinions...

Since I saw the preview, I have really been wanting to see the movie Penelope. Our movie store is kind of lame, it's hard to get new releases unless you get there on the day it comes out at opening time. Unlucky for us, we didn't get there even on that day so the couple of times we went in last week they never had it. So I threw up my arms and said “to heck with it” and went with Pay-Per-View instead. We really liked it. It was very cute, very clean and I'm always one for a good love story. Bo even liked the movie, he remarked after it was over that we really needed to own this movie. Although Christina Ricci hasn't been in much lately, she did a good job. I am a fan of James McAvoy, he's nice to look at! :) The story maybe conceived as cheesy, but I enjoyed it's light-heartedness and am always a fan of a movie that's PG. Resse Whiterspoon is also in the movie and has a charming part, she has some witty humor that perks the movie up. I really enjoyed the ending, although some would see it as cheesy and sappy, but I guess that just how I like it. Anyway, we liked it a lot and plan on owning it.

P.S. I Love You

When I approached the idea of watching this movie I was a little hesitant. Losing a spouse is a sore subject with me because it's one of my greatest fears. Who really wants to lose their spouse? But this movie looked really good so I chanced it. My first impressions were that I don't think I like Hillary Swank very much, especially in a chick flick. But as the movie progressed I was more impressed with her character and her as an actress. Next, it took me a while to realize, but the guy who is her husband, Gerard Butler, is the same guy who plays in The Phantom of the Opera as the Phantom. Although I thought he could've sang better in The Phantom of the Opera, his raspy voice suited his character in this movie. General synopsis of the movie: Holly (Swank) is married and loses her husband. The movie is her journey to move on with her life with a little help from her husband. His death wasn't a sudden one so he plans out a series of letters for her. Her mother, who is played by Kathy Bates (who I just love) doesn't agree with this, she thinks it makes her not move on with her life. Holly also has a series of friends that help her in different ways, also played by great actors/actresses. That's about it in a nutshell without telling you the whole story and divulging the end. Watch the trailer.

Our review: The first time I watched it, I watched it alone. Bo had gone to bed, so I stayed up to watch the sappy chick flick by myself. I teared up a lot at different moments, but that's not saying much - I cry at commercials; but the end did make me actually cry. When it ended and I went to bed, Bo asked "So, did you like it?" and I really didn't know how I felt. I didn't know if I hated it because as I have previously mentioned, I hate when one of the main characters dies especially when it's someone who is supposed to be completely in love. But I also didn't know if I loved it because it was an exceptional movie. I re watched it the next day with Bo and didn't cry and decided that I did really like it, and we do plan on owning it. Bo really liked it as well, but his only comment was that everyone handles death in different ways, especially comparing men and women. He said he could see himself going through some of the things she did and feeling some of the things she did, but other emotions and actions he thought were just her over playing her mourning. It didn't have that typical ending where she find true love again, and Bo appreciated that. He felt that if she would've had that happen it would've made the movie too cliché.

Catch Up

Okay, it's been a while since I last posted here, I'm a little behind. I have tons of movies to post about, we have been watching them, but I haven't been reviewing them. I'm not sure whether or not I really want to review them. I'm not getting much feed back from this site so I'm going to post the list of which ones we've watched and you can tell me which ones you want reviewed. Or even if you just want our opinion of a movie that you have already seen. Sound good?

Okay here is our whopper of a list:

P.S. I Love You

27 Dresses

Game Plan

Gray Matters

Licence to Wed

The last Mimzy

In the Land of Women

Enchanted

The Seeker

Happily Never After

Doogal

Horton Hears a Who

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Driving Lessons (We watched this one because it had Ron from Harry Potter in it)

Juno

Lars and the Real Girl

Blind Dating

I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry

I'm Reed Fish

Legend of the Water Horse

Sweet Nothing in my Ear (Hallmark movie, but it was really good)

Casanova (R rated, but I saw the USA version that was edited)

Bo has a few to review - These are the ones either I didn't watch or don't really want to review because they are "guy" movies... Not that I have anything against guy movies, but he's better at getting the point across because he's a guy... Nevermind...

Sweeny Todd

3:10 to Yuma

I am Legend

The Pianist

The Bourne Ultimatum

So let me know what you think. No worries if none of them interest you.