Space Chimps

Now, I'm not usually one for cartoons that aren't Disney. They are usually disappointing and not that funny and they usually lack anything resembling a plot. We have only watched just a small few that have ever been worth watching. But I was pleasantly surprised at Space Chimps, it was actually a funny, witty movie that actually had a plot. Bo even sat and watched it and commented that it was a funny movie. If you listen closely you can catch a bunch of funny things they say in copying other space movies. Very funny. Our 3 year old liked it as well, she has watched it about 6 times now. And who wouldn't like a movie where they have the Barenaked Ladies singing to the credits?! ...Another postcard, Chim-pan-zzeeees...

New in Town

It's been a while since I've written on here, and that's been for a couple of reasons. First, we really haven't been watching very many movies. And second, I've just not had enough time to sit and write them out. So for that reason, I want to continue to write, but I'm going to keep them short. I'll give our opinion, but not much more explanation on the story line. Hope you enjoy! We've had quite the movie weekend, so I've got a couple to review.

We watch New in Town. It was okay. I mean, we liked it, and we'd probably own the movie. For the most part they kept the language clean and there wasn't any explicit sex scene. It had some cheeky humor in it that kept it entertaining. I really enjoy Renee Zellweger, and Harry Connick Jr. as well. It's a cutsie chick flick that's clean enough for family, although the story line of the politics of small town factory workers might not interest the younger crowd.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Sydney White

Sydney White was a movie that we rented a couple months ago but I wanted to review it anyway. I didn't make the connection before we watched the movie that it was a rendition of Snow White; "duh!" you're probably saying, but I guess I missed that. Back to my previous confession of really liking Amanda Bynes, that was the reason I wanted to watch it. Bo hadn't even heard of it before we watched it. Our rating: We would own it. It was cutesie, and had quite a few funny parts in it. Even Bo really liked it, the seven nerds make the movie. I wasn't too excited to hear that it was about a sorority, call me crazy but, BORING! But the humor that the nerds bring make it funny. It was fun to watch and try to figure out which guy was which of the seven dwarfs. First we had to see if we could name them all. It's harder than you think... Anyway, if you are looking for a light, funny semi-chick flick, this is a good one.

Trailer

Dan In Real Life

I had heard really good things about Dan In Real Life and so I was excited to see it. Bo, on the other hand, was not interested in seeing it. But since I was the one to go to the movie store, he really didn't have a choice. The night we watched, Boo was on a rampage! She was everywhere, in your face, running around, screaming, and anything else that a wild 2-year old does. So, needless to say, it made the movie-viewing experience... a bit unpleasant. And I wouldn't mind too much, but we are always in a crunch to watch the movies so Bo can get to bed at a decent hour. Bo was a good sport and actually sat down and watched it with me, he did leave the room during the middle because he was about to throttle our daughter because she was so crazy. You'd have thought that she had drank a whole case of coke by the way she was acting. So, with a lot of stopping and starting, rewinding and subtitles we finally got through it. Our rating: I really liked it. I was a bit irritated at some of the part in the movie because the main character gets dumped on and it wasn't deserved. One of the teenage daughters drove me crazy, but it added to the movies plot well, so I dealt with it. Bo was in such a mood with the irritation of the wild 2-year old, that he had a heightened anxiety with the movie. He always gets nervous/anxious when the characters or the movie get "uncomfortable". By this I mean, like when nothing can go right for the person and you just feel so sorry for them. These type of movies always make Bo crazy, he usually wants to just stop the movie or do something else. But he usually grins and bares it because I want to watch the movie. By the end of Dan In Real Life he actually liked the movie because it did have a good ending. I do think we would own it because I really liked it. Bo commented that he like the music in, and that always makes him like a movie better.

Bee Movie

I was really excited to see that Bee Movie was coming out onto DVD! We didn't dare try the movie theater with Boo just to see it. She loses attention very quickly and I would've hated to buy a ticket just to miss it being out in the halls with her. As for our rating of the movie: It was okay, I mean, it was good. It wasn't at all what we expected... Both Bo and I were a little thrown off because we thought it was going to be super funny, and it wasn't really. We had the same thoughts about Shrek the Third; it was more of a serious movie than it was funny. This one had some funny parts in it, but it was just too serious. Bo even went as far to say that it's a little bit of an environmental movie. We do think that we would own, Boo really liked it, well at least as much as she sat and watched. It was good, just really not what we expected. We really want to watch it again, just to see if we like it better the second time around. This is really sounding like we didn't like it, but really we did, it just caught us off guard with our expectations. I think our expectations were high because of Jerry Seinfeld, he is so funny that we thought it would just ooze out in this movie, but he was rather mild. Again, we really need to watch it over.

Nancy Drew

We had been wanting to see Nancy Drew for a while and it finally came out on DVD this last Tuesday. So, I got there on Tuesday morning so that I could get the good new movies, picked up a few and headed to the "N" section to get this one and it wasn't there. So I went to the front and asked the cashier about it. Come to find out, they weren't going to get it in, I guess the company the puts the movie out raised their prices and so the movie place wasn't going to order it. I was so bummed, we had been waiting for it to come out for about a month! So I get home and tell Bo what happened, very disappointed like, and he said to me in that tone of voice that lets you know you are a complete idiot "So? We can't just get it on Pay-Per-View." Oh yeah... Right... The movies on Pay-Per-View are the same price, if not a couple cents cheaper than renting at the movie store. Long story short, we did get to "rent" it.

As for the review: We would totally own it. It was cute, it was clean and was moderately funny. Well, as for it being funny, it was; but most of the funny lines were in the previews. I hate it when a movie does that! I mean, sure put a couple of the catchy ones, but not ALL of them! It's got a cute little love story and Nancy Drew is so... cute, you just can't help but like her. All in all, even with the funny lines being exploited, we really liked it.