War, Inc.

War, Inc.

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 47 mins

Cast:

John Cusask
Hilary Duff
Marisa Tomei
Joan Cusask
Ben Kingsley

Critical Consensus:

** out of *****
(30% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

** out of *****

The Premise:

John Cusack heads the cast as professional ice man Brand Hauser, who's paid by a private corporation's brass to take out the competition -- a Middle East oil minister -- while masquerading as a trade-show director. But not all goes according to plan when fetching field reporter Natalie Hegalhuzen (Marisa Tomei) sidetracks the young assassin. Hilary Duff, Ben Kingsley and Joan Cusack also star in this outrageous satire.

MY REVIEW

I'm going to keep this one short. There really is nothing all that special about War, Inc. This movie is just full of forgettable moments. I honestly forgot the first half of the way while watching the second half. I don't even know if I can clearly tell you what I thought this movie was about. To me it just seemed like there was a LOT going on, and it was moving a little to fast for me to comprehend. I understand that it's a political satire, and honestly I didn't get half of the fun. I did laugh a few times, it had some humorous moments.

I was a bit disturbed by Hilary Duff's (TV's Lizzie McGuire, A Cinderella Story) performance and character. I mean she is a beloved Disney Channel star even to this day, and in this movie she portrays a vulgar russian slut. Sorry for the harsh words, but that's what she is here. And I think that really made me uncomfortable. I guess any performer can leave their comfort zone and go to the extremes huh? I just hope her young fans don't catch this movie, because it can severely tarnish her image. I liked John Cusask (Identity, High Fidelity) here but he did get a little carried away with the performance at times. I think the only performance I truly loved was that of Oscar nominee Joan Cusask (In & Out, Working Girl) who has now appeared in 10 movies with brother John. She was her usual self here, which is usually something crazy and different. She made me laugh almost every time she was on screen!

I don't know, I just can't say I "liked" this movie. I really didn't hate it by any means, theres just nothing about that stands out. Nothing that I can say "wow, that was brilliant!" too. War, Inc. is just another film cycling through the world that probably a lot of people won't see. It certainly isn't a movie I think many will remember if they do see it.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: War, Inc.

*This is the 141st new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Deception

Deception

Rated R

Running Time: 1 hr 47 mins

Cast:

Ewan McGregor

Hugh Jackman

Michelle Williams

Critical Consensus:

** out of *****
(12% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

* out of *****

The Premise:

An accountant is introduced to a mysterious sex club known as The List by his lawyer friend. But in this new world, he soon becomes the prime suspect in a woman's disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist.

MY REVIEW

Yikes, I didn't know I'd be watching some weird soft core porn when I rented this movie. I think half of this movie was just about Ewan McGregor's (Moulin Rouge, Trainspotting) shy, shut off character having sexual intercourse with numerous mysterious women in fancy hotels. Young AND old. Which is why I found most of this movie to just be dirty and gross.

The movie had a really stupid storyline outside of what I just mentioned. While McGregor falls in love with one of these mysterious ladies of the night played by Oscar nominee Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain), Hugh Jackman's (The Prestige, X-Men trilogy) character is busy plotting some sinister scheme to use McGregor to transfer millions of dollars from one bank to another. Oh, so diabolical! Please like we haven't seen that before. Now you know I don't mind when movies share similarities, I even think it's silly at this point to compare movies. But this idea has been done so much better is all I'm trying to say. This was just a really, REALLY weak version of the particular story. I mean even go as far to say that Deception is one of the very worst movies of 2008. It won't make my final cut I'm sure, but you get the point.

The film is just to concerened with looking to flashy and sleek and has no focus on it's story. Like I said, a good portion of this movie is a character meeting extravagent ladies for sex in hotels. In reality, this part of the movie has almost nothing to do with the movie's main story. So therefore it's tasteless and just plain old crude. The more that I think about it and write this review, the more I realize how much I genuinely hated this movie. It was bland, it was stupid, it was dirty, it spent way to much time on a storyline that wasn't needed. Blah!

Deception is just a terrible movie. The only reason I give it one measly star is because through all of it, it had some pretty decent performances and it did look cool for a while before the director spent way to much time on that aspect. Don't see it, that's just my advice.

**Voice your opinion at my new message board by clicking this link: Review Talk **

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Deception

*This is the 140th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Rated PG
Running time: 1 hr 30 mins

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

***** out of *****

Subject Matter:

Hosted by Ben Stein, this controversial documentary examines how pro-intelligent design scholars and scientists are often chastised, fired or denied tenured positions by those who believe in Darwin's theory of evolution. Nathan Frankowski's film explores how scientists who believe in God are oppressed and how the acceptance of evolution may have played a role in the formation of organizations such as the Nazi regime and Planned Parenthood.

MY REVIEW

Expelled is personally one of my favorite documentary's that I have seen. It's almost harsh in it's storytelling. There were scientists featured in this film who called regligious people "idiots" and "ignorant" because religious people believe a higher power (God) created the Earth and all mankind in what is now known as creationism. These scientists write books about how "stupid" and "un-educated" it is to not believe in Darwinism or the Theory of Evolution. I love how it's called a "Theory" but according to these people it's the only thing we should accept.

Truth is, Ben Stein is right. This country claims to be about freedom, which means we have the right to free speech and especially free thinking. Just because the "theory" of evolution isn't something I completely, whole heartedly believe in, why do I have to force my opinions and beliefs on others? People should have freedom of religion, they should have the freedom to accept or believe in anything they want. On a grand scale, there is no wrong belief or theory. Since we all individually accept our beliefs as being right, how can their be a wrong one? I'm speaking on religious terms of course. If you believe that murder is right, then you may be crazy.

There is a few parts of the movie, where real life scientists actually state what they think pro intelligent design MAY be. There is a floating theory amongsts respected men and women of science that this race of man and all living organisms may have been created by an alien life. They think it's possibble alien life evolutionized first over thousands of years and then planted "seeds" on our planet they may have created the first living organism. These same people think having a faith in God and beliving He created us, are nut jobs. Well then I guess all of us are nut cases then huh?

Ben Stein does a brilliant job at capturing both sides to this story. It is incredibly powerful and gives us a wonderful and shocking insight into the minds of some really selfish thinking people. That's just my opinion of course. Stein was perfect in his grilling of some of the more stubborn scientists. Especially in the final scene between Stein and the most severe Darwinist ever. Stein does not hold back and was not afraid to subtly poke fun at a man who really was just making fun of himself. The movie really just makes you look at the world and see how far we have come from that tiny alien seed we started off as way back in the day....

If you see this movie on a shelf somewhere at a rental store or on Netflix, please rent it. This, I believe, is a must see documentary. Really well made movie!

** Voice your opinion at my new message board by clicking this link: Review Talk **

To view this film's extended trailer, click this link: Expelled

*This is the 139th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Passengers

Passengers

Rated PG-13

Running time: 1 hr 34 mins

Cast:

Anne Hathaway

Patrick Wilson

Andre Braugher

David Morse

Critical Consensus:

N/A

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

0 out of *****

The Premise:

A grief counselor working with a group of plane-crash survivors finds herself at the root of a mystery when her clients begin to disappear.

MY REVIEW

I'll give it this much, Passangers does not fall into the dissapointing catergory. Probably because I didn't see the preview or know much about the movie before I walked into the theater to see it. However, Passangers does in fact fall into the catergory of "some of the worst garbage or the year". Now that I've seen the trailer for the film (which you can watch below) I am slightly angry at the movie. The preview totally makes this movie out to be some intense thriller of some other wordly proportion. Really it isn't that.

The first fifteen minutes of the movie or so paints the picture for the story we think we are going to see. It starts off with the plane crashing, a few people survive and now they are being treated by a therapist played by Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Get Smart). All of them have different stories about what happened on the plane, and they all seem to be a bit mysterious themselves. Especially the one who doesn't want to be a part of the group sessions, a man played by Patrick Wilson (Hard Candy, The Alamo). He is the most mysterious of them all, he seems to know what Hathaways character is physically thinking. He knows things about her he should not know. So now we are led to believe he has gained some psychic powers. Mind you, this all happens in the first 15-20 minutes.

The next 45 mintues to an hour the film completely takes a different course. It turns into a sappy love story between the two main characters. The therapist struggles with falling for a patient, but she does so anyway. They have some lovely times together such as swimming in a freezing cold body of water, or having an intimate conversation on a rooftop. All of this is accompanied by a welcoming and charming musical score that just makes us all warm and happy inside. Occasionally the movie throws in some of the airplane mystery. A character from the airline company played by David Morse (Disturbia, 16 Blocks) pops up every once in a while in a sinister way telling Hathaway to back off. Then some thrilling music pops in to make us "tense" and then immediately back to the lovey dovey stuff.

This goes on for a while then the last 10 or 15 minutes the big twise comes into play. Honestly, you can see most of the twist coming from the first few minutes of the movie and just by looking at the freaking poster for the movie. The other part of the twist, the really big part I honestly did not see coming but at the same time I was not suprised. I was angry. There was no reason for us to ever even think this part of the twist would happen. I guess you can say, "Well Mike doesn't that make it a good, successful twist then?" The answer is no. In movies with twists, they drop subtle hints, and have backup for us to go "Ooooh Ok!" but this movie didn't. Here's my theory:

The filmakers forgot what the movie was about. They got so wrapped up in the silly love story they forgot they were making a mystery thriller about plane crash survivors. Once they realized how far off course they were, they had to film some fill in scenes to keep their original story in tact. Then they filmed this ending as a way of just lazily wrapping everything up. That's what the ending was: lazy. When in doubt...just end your movie this way.

Passangers is by far one of the worst film's of 2008 and should not be seen by anyone with a brain. This movie uses audiences. Uses them and abuses them. You probably haven't even heard of this movie. Critics sure haven't. Rotten Tomatoes has only 4 reviews posted as of today (10/27). When the critics haven't even seen it, and only 1 of the 4 liked it, you know you have a really bad movie. And that is what Passengers is: A really disgustingly awful motion picture.

Do NOT see Passengers. It wreaks of terribleness. If that's even a word.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Passengers

*This is the 138th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

Body of Lies

Body of Lies

Rated R

Running time: 2 hrs 8 mins

Cast:

Leonardo DiCaprio

Russell Crowe

Critical Consensus:

*** out of *****
(50% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

** out of *****

The Premise:

Based on Washington Post columnist David Ignatius's 2007 novel about a CIA operative, Roger Ferris, who uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan.

MY REVIEW

I'm going to be completely honest here, I didn't really like this movie. Political thrillers aren't typically my thing, and that's essentially what this movie was. I'm sure I've said time and time again on this blog that I am so out of the loop when it comes to anything about politics, or wars, or who's fighting who, or who's the bad guy, or who is the even more bad guy...I just don't know. And that's pretty much how I felt about this movie.

This movie throws around a lot of jargon that just simply flied right over my head. I really don't think you could even explain it to me if you sat down and rattled off information for hours. Yes, I am admitting right now that I am fairly stupid when it comes to this particular subject. To me there was no part about the film I was firmly able to grasp onto and run with and say "I know what's going on now!" I don't know what character in the film was bad and what character was REALLY bad, I don't know if there was more than one terrorist cell involved in the story. I cannot explain this movie to anyone, is basically what I'm saying. I cannot honestly review this film on it's story. Well...I can by using the fact it wasn't dumbed down enough for me but that's greedy because not everyone is as dumb as me in terms of this subject.

I know it has really good performances though. Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator, Blood Diamond) and Oscar winner Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator) had some truly stand out performances here. But that's to be expected, they have established themselves as brilliant performers.

Look, I can't say a ton about this movie and I apologize for that. So no, I didn't like the movie. I was not entertained. I was more confused than anything. But please don't take my word for it if you like these types of movies. I'm sure in that case you may like it. But if you are like me, if you know where I'm coming from, I wouldn't waste your money on the movie.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Body of Lies

*This is the 137th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

Pride & Glory

Pride & Glory

Rated R

Running time: 2 hrs 5 mins

Cast:

Edward Norton

Colin Farrell

Jon Voight

Critical Consensus:

**1/2 out of *****
(35% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

***1/2 out of *****

The Premise:

A saga centered on a multi-generational family of New York City Police officers. The family's moral codes are tested when Ray Tierney, investigates a case that reveals an incendiary police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law. For Ray, the truth is revelatory, a Pandora's Box that threatens to upend not only the Tierney legacy but the entire NYPD.

MY REVIEW

I'm going to start with this: "Pride & Glory" is NOT "We Own the Night 2". I'm sure I said it when I saw the preview as a joke last year when it premiered. But I know a lot of smart alecks out there (people on message boards and even reviewers) who have seen We Own the Night like to consider this film a ripoff of it based soley off the preview. Here's what I have to say: shut up you condesending fools and get that self righteous movie critic stick out of your butts. This movie has virtually no similarites to We Own the Night. Both movies feature families of cops and that's about it...yeah, I see what you all mean now. You know I guess you could compare this movie to Kindergarten Cop! There are kids featured in this movie, who sit next to cops...so yeah...man can't believe I didn't get that comparison from the preview. Here's some startling news for you: Most movies out there are just like every other movie. People use the sarcastic excuse, "well I've already seen that movie before" to sound like some almighty film know it all or just as an excuse to not see the movie. Tons of movie share common bonds, you can't expect all of them to be 100% original. My goodness people!

With that rant out of the way, Pride & Glory was a pretty good movie in my mind. But nothing spectacular or re-defining in the genre. However, definitely a better cop drama than We Own the Night (hehe). Essentially the movie is about corrupt cops who use and abuse drug dealers and scum of the earth for their personal gain. But when four cops are killed, an investigation brews that may out these corrupt men in blue. OK yeah, we've seen this type of flick before, but not all have engaging characters like this one. The characters, namely the performances were really the best aspect of the film. However from the previews and even half way into the movie I just assumed Colin Farell character (Phone Booth, In Bruges) was an actual brother of Oscar nominee Edward Norton (American History X, The Incredible Hulk) character. But no...they were not blood related.

That was my main issue with the movie, that it was a bit confusing and slightly misleading in some regard. There was apparently a lot of story to tell, and I think it was told a tad to fast (even for the over 2 hour running time) and I personally couldn't grasp a lot of the story. There were times I didn't know who was bad, who was good, who was corrupt, who was undercover, blah blah. To many characters with to much story made for a slightly muddled ball of confusion. But I got the gist of the story, I understood the movie on it's surface. And with that in mind, it was a pretty good movie. You know I was entertained. Not in an action packed kind of way, just in the core story. There wasn't a lot of action featured in the film, which may be a turn off for fans of intense cop dramas. I didn't mind, because like I said the story as confusing as it tends get, was engaging enough for me.

Edward Norton, Colin Farell, Noah Emmerich, and Oscar winner Jon Voight (Coming Home, Ali) all deliever really good performances I thought. Edward Norton is really a brilliant actor, and while sometimes he may stray off course by choosing weak films, he usually doesn't fail. Colin Farell deserves more credit than he gets. Earlier this year he delivered just a fantastic performance in In Bruges, and he may not be at that level in this film, but he was still good.

Pride & Glory is it's own film, not We Own the Night 2. If you are capable of looking past that, I'd suggest seeing it to those who find entertainment in cop dramas. Because even though it is a bit cliched and not all that unique, this is still a pretty decent film.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Pride & Glory

*This is the 136th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Rated G

Running time: 1 hr 52 mins

Cast:

Zac Effron

Venessa Anne Hudgens

Ashley Tisdale

Lucas Grabeel

Corbin Bleu

Critical Consensus:

*** out of *****
(64% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

***1/2 out of *****

The Premise:

As seniors in high school ,Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.

MY REVIEW

I won't linger on to long for this review, because there isn't a whole lot I can say. I liked it. It was actually very entertaining and charming. It was cute to say the least. I really cannot critisize the movie. How can I? This movie is meant for young kids and for teenagers. Is it good for them? Absolutely! Kids and teens will love it! I personally thought it was good improvement over the first two movies which were made straight for the Disney channel. This was bigger. Better productions, catchier tunes, more fast paced. It was good! Take the kids!

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: HSM3

*This is the 135th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

Pathology

Pathology

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 33 mins

Cast:

Milo Ventimiglia

Alyssa Milano

Michael Weston

Critical Consensus:

**1/2 out ****
(50% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

** out of *****

The Premise:

A group of medical students devise a deadly game: to see which one of them can commit the perfect murder.

MY REVIEW

I don't really know what to say. Pathology is one of those movies that is geared towards a very select group of people. Who those people are, I can't honestly tell you. What I can tell you is that I'm not really one of them. This movie focuses on a group of young pathologists who literally kill the "scum of the earth" to test the other ones to see if they know how they killed them. It's a "game" as the call it. Now the premise isn't all that awful, it does teeter on being somewhat interesting.

The reason I don't really like it, is because we aren't given an insight into WHY these certain kids don't mind killing all for the thrill of some sick game. And we don't know why Milo Ventimiglia's (TV's Heroes) character, who is supposed to be the hero of the story, just suddenly joins in on the fun. Then he switches back to being the good guy. The characters just don't fit well into this story mainly because they are young and we know virtually nothing about them. Sometimes explanations are needed in movies, but in the case of Pathology, one was needed and we didn't get one.

The movie was overly gory for a movie you have to expect some carnage from. But I think it was a tad to gross for my personal liking. This movie could have also worked better as more of a psychological thriller, and maybe shyed away from so much blood and guts (literally). But that's not really a major issue, you can't really complain about the gore factor so much in a movie where it was intended. You can't nitpick details like that to much. Because then as a reviewer you just come off as being full of yourself and picking apart a movie for dumb reasons just to make yourself look like some overly intelligent movie goer. Blah!

Pathology is just simply an OK movie in my opinion, but totally forgettable in the long run.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Pathology

*This is the 134th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

Rated PG-13
Running time: 1 hr 33 mins

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

**** out of *****

Subject Matter:

Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people and help America find Osama Bin Laden once and for all.

MY REVIEW

Most of my readers will probably know I'm not exactly politically savvy. A lot of this movie focused on the politics and religious aspects of the war on terror. Politics is something I'm pretty dumb with, I won't lie. But you know I got the gist of the movie. I found this documentary to be quite engaging and a little sad too. It's just depressing to see all facets of the world and how much we don't really get a long. It's sad to know our government is hated with a passion. It's sad so many innocent people are being slaughtered for political and religious sake. Yet Morgan Spurlock managed to take all this sadness and make an entertaining and almost comical documentary out of the subject. There isn't a whole lot more I can say about the movie, other than: I liked it, it was fun, sad and informative.

To view this film's trailer, click this link: Where is Osama?

*This is the 133rd new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Quarantine

Quarantine

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 29 mins

Cast:

Jennifer Carpenter

Jay Hernandez

Steve Harris

Critical Consensus:

*** out of *****
(60% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

*** out of *****

The Premise:

A television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside a building quarantined by the CDC after the outbreak of a mysterious virus which turns humans into bloodthirsty killers.

MY REVIEW

You know I can't honestly call "Quarantine" a bad movie. I was actually a bit suprised by the movie. Was it good? Not all that much. But was it entertaining? Very much so! It's the same kind of storyline we have seen over and over again: a bizzare virus finds it's way to human kind and turns them into freakish zombie like things. The only thing that really seperates this movie from the rest is the hand held camera effect. The effect was actually the best part of the movie, even though we've seen this done with a few movies already. The movie, because of this, seemed very "real". Not realistic, but the performances never seemed forced, never seemed like they were acting. I was happily suprised by the fact that there were no awful performances.

Also because of this hand held camera aspect, there is no background musical score. All we here is the people talking and the ambient sounds. Also, this makes the movie extremely quiet at times, especially when the characters are walking down hallways trying to avoid zombie people. That made the movie very creepy for me personally. I actually had to look away at some parts, which is not something I do very often. This movie genuinely freaked me out. It also grossed me out. This at times was a very disturbing film. You have guys stepping on rats and squishing them; zombies eating the flesh off people; peoples bones protruding out of their legs...the works. It's kind of nasty in parts and I gagged a few times.

Like I said, the storyline is unoriginal, but you have to expect that going into the movie. You can't see the preview and honestly say, "Hey, now there's a movie I've never seen before!" unless you never watch movies. So with that, Quarantine brings some fun entertainment and some legit scares to a genre of film that is dying quickly.

If you like a good zombie gore/scare fest...Quarantine is for you. I kinda liked it.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Quarantine

*This is the 132nd new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

STRAIGHT-TO-DVD SPOTLIGHT: Rest Stop: Don't Look Back

Rest Stop 2: Don't Look Back

Rated R
Running time: 1 hr 25 mins
DVD Release Date: September 30th

Cast:

Jessie Ward

Richard Tillman

Joey Mendicino

MY REVIEW

What can I really say in this review that you weren't expecting me to say? Rest Stop 2 is gross, vulgar and utterly horrendous. I mean this was one stupid, stupid movie. Disgusting scenes of blood and guts, and nasty moments with feces in a port-a-potty, just a tasteless gruesome flick. Sometimes that can work, if you have a decent story and decent acting (aka Saw) but usually, as is the case here, it doesn't work. In fact usually, it fails miserably. Rest Stop 2 is a complete waste of time, and I don't ever recommend it to anyone. It's not even a funny kind of bad. It's just that classic kind of bad...the kind of bad that makes you want to vomit afterwards because you just sat through it. Blah!!!

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating: 0 out of *****

To view this film's trailer, click this link: Rest Stop 2

*This is the 131st new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 24 mins

Cast:

Jared Leto

Judah Friedlander

Lindsay Lohan

Critical Consensus:

** out of *****
(20% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

*** out of *****

The Premise:

A true story about Mark David Chapman in the days leading up to his infamous murder of Beatle John Lennon.

MY REVIEW

Chapter 27 is an independent film that I'm pretty sure no one actually knows exists. It's the true story about Mark David Chapman and the weekend that led up to his execution of John Lennon in front of the Beatle's apartment building. The movie focuses soley on the Chapman character played by Jared Leto (Lord of War, Panic Room) and we get a vague insight into his mind. He befriends a few Lennon fans in his days leading up to the killing played by Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls, I Know Who Killed Me) and Judah Friedlander (TV's 30 Rock).

Personally I thought the movie was pretty good, and I think mainly that's due in part to Leto's solid performance. The guy gained 67 pounds to play this role, and he truly immerses himself in it. Not only was he much larger than we are used to, he dawns a raspy, quiet southern accent. He really commited himself to this role, and shows us that he really can act. He displays Chapmans odd side very well. We really get a feel for what this guy really was like. Lohan was suprisingly good, but her performance was very limited and really had no grave significance to the film.

My ultimate problem with the movie is we didn't get enough insight into the brain of Chapman. I feel we only got a snipet. The main issue at hand that I had was that we aren't really told as to why he initially decided he was going to kill John Lennon. He annouces it quietly to himself in the movie, but there's never an actual explanation. Was it really that random? Or do we just not truly know? Or was it something more hidden that we were supposed to see in the film itself? I don't know, and that's what bothered me the most.

Yes a little later we have a scene explaining that Lennon's song Helter Skelter "led" to the Manson murders and that Lennon's apartment is where scenes from Rosemary's Baby was filmed (which at the time people thought was a building for satan worshipers). Chapman used that info in his crazy mind to fuel his already set intentions to kill Lennon. But why the initial thought to do it? Maybe I didn't read between the lines well enough, or maybe the movie was just a bit weak in that aspect.

Regardless, the rest of the movie went pretty well. Nothing spectacular, but it was good. The filmaking was a tad on the sloppy side, but nothing that noticeable that would make a film buff cringe. It is an independent film afterall, so give it SOME slack. It had a nice musical score, but a little overpowering at times. But thats OK for me, but others may be turned away from it.

I would recommend it for sure, especially to followers of the infamous tragedy. It has a solid lead performance, a somewhat creepy story to tell and only a few weak spots (although kind of major weak spots). But when it comes down to it, Chapter 27 for me by the end of the year won't be remembered for it's story, only for Jared Leto's stand out performance.

To view this film's trailer, click this link: Chapter 27

*This is the 130th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

The Visitor

The Visitor

Rated PG-13

Running Time: 1 hr 44 mins

Cast:

Richard Jenkins

Haaz Sleiman

Danai Jekesai Guira

Critical Consensus:

**** out of *****
(93% Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

***** out of *****

The Premise:

A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.

MY REVIEW

The Visitor is one of the finest dramatic films of the year, in fact it's one of the best films of 2008. It's really a story of finding friends in places we never thought we would. It's about falling in love with people we never imagined we would fall for. It's about finding a passion within us we never knew existed. The Visitor takes all these things and weaves them together to craft a near perfect character drama that I just absolutely loved.

What a wonderfully written screenplay. The story was just so incredibly moving. It demonstrates to a degree the old saying, "Never judge a book by it's cover". We have Richard Jenkins, an older actor, who here plays a quiet college professor that kind of comes off a bit scary and uninviting. But we come to find out he's far from them. He befriends illegal immigrants and lets them stay in his New York apartment. One of them begins to teach him how to play the drums until he is arrested and sent to a detention center for being an immigrant.

What follows is Jenkins giving us a brilliant and stunning performance as his character tries his best to get this young man out of the detention center. He visits him everyday and he tries to take care of the mans wife. When the man's mother comes to town (who is also an illegal), Jenkins takes her into his home, feeds her and lets her stay there. A mini bond grows between the two during this time. You know it's a very simplistic storyline, but like I said it's so beautifully told and ends up being so very heartwarming.

I highly recommend this film, it really does have a sweet story to tell and anyone can fall in love with it. I also like to point out that Richard Jenkins delivers what I think is a incredible Oscar worthy performance. The supporting cast is quite good as well. Just everything about this movie was perfect in my eyes. Wonderful direction, a great score, the works. Just proves that believe it or not, there are such things as great movies that don't have big booms and people running screaming for their lives. Drama works too, my friends!

The Visitor is a great film, please see it!


To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: The Visitor

*This is the 129th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Noise

Noise

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 28 mins

Cast:

Tim Robbins

Bridget Moynahan

William Hurt

Critical Consensus:

**1/2 out of *****
(50 % Fresh Rating!)

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

* out of *****

The Premise:

A man who is being driven crazy by the noise in New York City decides to take vigilante action against it.

MY REVIEW

Simply put, Noise is just an overly silly movie. The idea of the film is pretty cheesy now that I think of it. A crazy man who hates the noise of car alarms, cell phone rings, fire alarms, sirens goes nuts and starts destroying the things that produce the noise. Look, we all hate excessive noise to a degree. We sometimes even get angry over it. But it's a bit ridiculous to dawn ourselves in black clothes and walk around in the night smashing in car windows.

Honestly, this movies story never really had much of a chance. It's as if the filmaker and cast and crew simply weren't taking it seriously. It really shows in the outcome. The movie is almost laughable. It tries to be a drama of sorts but comes off as kinda funny (in the bad way) and almost uncomfortable to watch. I felt bad for everyone involved.

Even more silly was Oscar winner Tim Robbins (Mystic River) performance. I don't know if he is nuts in real life, or just plays one to well. His performance was absurd. A major distraction. I know he's supposed to be playing a pschyo vigilante, but he too comes off very laughable. Sad, because he is in fact a great actor usually.

I just can't recommend the movie, it's way to silly and over the top to be any kind of fun. It's not even that entertaining. Blah to Noise!

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Noise

*This is the 128th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Blindness

Blindness

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 58 mins

Cast:

Julianne Moore

Mark Ruffalo

Alice Braga

Danny Glover

Critical Consensus:

**1/2 out of *****
(37% Fresh Rating!)

Matt's Take:

B

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

****1/2 out of *****

The Premise:

A city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant "white blindness". Those first afflicted are quarantined and must fight to survive and are led by a woman who is able to see.

MY REVIEW

Blindess is NOT a film for everyone. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it to a lot of people I know. It's a very "harsh" film and crosses some filmaking lines. But the truth of the matter is, Blindess is an incredibly fresh and original film in the lines of Children of Men. A sudden plague of white blindness takes over the entire population of an unknown city. In a way, the movie feels like some apocolyptic, end of the world kind of flick. But done a lot more bravely and with more sophistication then most of us are use to.

The movie's story is very dark. It has moments that a lot of movie goers probably could not stomach. But it does touch on the subject: what would we do if something like this suddenly struck the world? Now I'm sure instant blindness would probably never happen, but that's not the point. Have we grown more civilized over the years? This movie likes to suggest that we have actually downgraded. But I don't think it's that far of a stretch. I mean none of us really know how we would all react to a "plague" or "illness" in this present day world. Who knows, we may turn barbaric. We may do anything we can to survive, even at the expense of other human beings. Blindless touches the "what if?", yet in a more extreme sense.

Blindess looks incredible. It's all very grainy, but oddly has a lot of contrast. Ironic because the movie is in fact about blindness. It's dark but at the same time very vibrant with brightness. It also amplifies sound effects and musical scoring more than a conventional film would. Some movie goers and critics may be turned off by that, but personally I loved it. I loved the score. I thought it was absolutely perfect. I loved the breathtaking cinematography. Everything about the feel of the movie was near perfection in my eyes.

Also brilliant was the lead performance by Oscar nominee Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Magnolia). She really did carry the story of the film on her shoulders. I've always been a huge fan, and I believe she is still incredibly underrated. I hope one day her time comes to get some real attention, because she has proven again in Blindness that she is an amazing, brilliant actress. She was superb here. Mark Ruffalo delivers a solid performance as the doctor husband of Moore. The rest of the supporting cast was good for the most part. I wasn't a big fan of Alex Braga, but at least it was an improvement over her performance in Redbelt.

Blindness is a very intense film with a very harsh story to tell. Again, I do not suggest this film to everyone. It has some very graphic moments. But if you are OK with that, I definitely would say see this film!

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Blindness

*This is the 127th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Rated PG-13
Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating: ***1/2 out of *****

Subject Material:

An insight into the world of steroids and it's physical and emotional effects on the people and athletes who use and abuse them.

MY REVIEW

All I can really say is, this movie was very informative. Will it change the face of the steroid dilema? No way. I have a feeling this issue is a little higher up the food chain that an ameteur film maker. And you see glimpses of that in this film. Do I "approve" of the drug? Eh, honestly I could care a less. I don't like the fact that baseball players use them, I do think that is a form of cheating. That subject is touched on in this movie. But other than that, steroids is just another drug with crazy side effects that may or may not be deadly to some. Truth of the matter is steroids kills an average of 3 people a year in America. Alcohol kills over 100,000. We have more pressing matters.

The movie did a good job at showing both sides of the steroid problems that have plagued America for a very long time. We see the pro's and con's of the actual drug. We see the group of people who are for them and hear their sides, as well as the people who are against them. We get a look into the personal lives of families who have been affected by their children using steroids. We see how it hurts them. The film studies the subject in a very informative and very respectful way. It never crosses any lines, at least no in my opinion.

Not a whole lot else I can say really. A good documentary.

To view this films trailer, click this link: Bigger, Stronger, Faster

*This is the 126th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Young @ Heart

Young @ Heart

Rated PG
Running time: 1 hr 49 mins

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating: Coming Soon....

Subject Matter:

A story of the Young at Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs.

MY REVIEW

Well I won't ramble on to much in this review. Young @ Heart is just as fun and charming as the preview lets on. A group of elderly people sing in a chorus, performing current and classing rock songs. The chorus instructor does a very good job handling these older misfits, because it appeared to be a very stressful and frustrating job. But that's where a lot of the comedy comes from. It was just a very entertaining look and a very interesting concept. I don't know if I'd ever pay to see them in concert, but this movie was good enough for me!

It wasn't all happiness though. This documentary tends to get a bit sad and depressing. You have a few people passing away from the group, and you feel so hurt by it. But such is life right? I do recommend this cute little documentary to anyone though. I think anyone can find some kind of fun and entertainment from it, I know I sure did!

To view this film's trailer, click this link: Young at Heart

*This is the 125th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

Nights in Rodanthe

Nights in Rodanthe

Rated PG-13

Running time: 1 hr 37 mins

Cast:

Richard Gere
Diane Lane

Critical Consensus:

**1/2 out of *****
(27% Fresh Rating!)

Matt's Take:

Has Not Viewed

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

**1/2 out of *****

The Premise:

A doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn.

MY REVIEW

I made a promise to one of my very good female friends, Crystal, that I would see this with her. I owe her somewheres around three chick flicks, so now I'm paying my debt. I didn't want to see this chick flick of all chick flick movies, I was expecting it to be a total predictable snooze fest. In all honesty, Nights in Rodanthe isn't all that bad of a movie.

The film is actually beautifully shot, has a wonderful and relaxing feel to it. The musical scoring is superb. The direction of the film was all quite stunning. Listen, don't take my opinion of the movie to heart. But if I'm being honest, the main reason I didn't love this movie is because it's just another sappy romance movie. I appreciate the fact that it wasn't a silly romantic comedy, but instead a romantic drama. The characters were very real. The story was pretty down to Earth. I just don't get much from a movie like this. I've seen enough of them to know what movie love is all about: a man and a woman can fall DEEPLY in love in three days. That's great for the movies, and all the girls who love them, just for me they leave no impact.

Richard Gere (Chicago, Pretty Woman) and Oscar nominee Diane Lane (Unfaithful) re-team from the film Unfaithful. Actually they do make quite a stunning film couple, even with Gere's 70 year old looks. When they are on screen together, you truly believe them as troubled middle aged people who just want to discover true love. These movies don't always have to be about teenagers or college students, you know older people know how to love too. Moreso than the younger stupid characters in most romantic films. And both deliver very good performances.

The movie tends to get a tad predictable and tad bit depressing. You could hear tears flowing from all the girls in the audiences. I mean, yes it was sad, but I just don't cry THAT much in movies. But never be afraid to shed tears in movies (Guys!), don't be ashamed of it...it just makes you that much more human (and I'm sure the girls would love it!). But yeah, Rodanthe is a well made film, with an almost typical love story screenplay. Now I think people who loves these movies will just LOVE this one. These films just aren't for me, and that honestly was the only major downfall in my reviewing of the movie.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Nights in Rodanthe

*This is the 124th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

STRAIGHT-TO-DVD SPOTLIGHT: Tortured

Tortured

Rated R
Running time: 1 hr 47 mins
DVD Release Date: September 16th

Cast:

Cole Hauser
Laurence Fishburn
James Cromwell

MY REVIEW

The movie Tortured is almost like pure torture to watch. So I guess the title's suggestion worked. This movie is a straight-to-dvd version of all those great little crime family infiltrated by an under cover agent, types of movies we've seen on the big screen before. Difference being, I don't really know what this movie was about. I understood they were trying to weed out the big boss who we never see (named Ziggy), but I didn't get why. OK yes, I know from what the film told, Ziggy is some big scary criminal. But I don't think the movie ever really told us any true backstory to this crime syndicate. Never said what exact crimes they commit to make them so evil. Yes, there was drug trafficking I suppose...but is that really why Ziggy is so monsterous? Maybe I just zoned out one to many times.

This movie was pretty much a snoozefest for me personally. There was virtually no real excitement or tension. This won't apply to every person who watches the movie, but I saw the ending coming from a mile away. Now I hate it when people say that in big movies, because anyone can claim they saw a big twist coming, but have no proof to back it up. But when you watch this movie, and you watch the characters interact, you just HAVE to know how it ends, and who Ziggy really is. The story just didn't play out as well as it could have. It could have been told a lot better with a bigger budget, bigger actors, and a bigger screen.

I'm not saying Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburn (What's Love Got to Do With it, The Matrix series) isn't a big name, but does everyone really know who he is? Crowds of people don't flock to see Fishburn movies, I'm sorry. Don't get me wrong, he was definitely the best performer in this movie, he just doesn't have the big, BIG name. He's no Johnny Depp. Oscar nominee James Cromwell (Babe: Pig in the City, LA Confidential)is another recognizable face, but again no one really knows his that well. He's typically a good actor and he does well here, but a big laughable at times.

Basically a few good performances is really all that truly made this anywhere near an appealing movie for me. Doesn't mean everyone would hate it, it just wasn't for me.

MIKEY @ THE MOVIES OFFICIAL RATING: *1/2 out of *****

To view this films trailer, click this link: Tortured

*This is the 123rd new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.

*Straight to DVD movies do not qualify for my awards.

Finding Amanda

Finding Amanda

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 30mins

Cast:

Matthew Broderick
Brittany Snow
Maura Tierney

Critical Consensus:

**1/2 out of *****
(38% Fresh Rating!)

Matt's Take:

Has Not Viewed

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

***1/2 out of *****

The premise:

A television producer with a penchant for drinking and gambling is sent to Las Vegas to convince his troubled niece to enter rehab.

MY REVIEW

Finding Amanda is a suprising little dark comedy. When you initially see the preview for this movie, you think you are getting yourself into some creepy story about an older man having the hots for his younger niece. Throughout the film I was getting nervous that was the direction the movie was going to take, but thank the heavens it didn't go there. Essentially this movie is about a man, who through the help of his Vegas prostitue niece, learns it isn't all just about him in the long run.

The movie has quite a charming little tale to tell, one that I found incredibly entertaining. I didn't realize how much I'd be laughing when I started the movie. This had a hillarious screenplay. The subject material could have been taken more seriously, but I'm glad they didn't go that route. Sometimes when you have a story like this, it's good to throw some humor into it, just to know people still are human through all their hardships. And the comedy was smart, it wasn't dumbed down raunch humor we see so often now in movies. Heck all you have to do in movies these days is say the word "boobs" and all the young guys in the audience laugh hysterically. There may have been a little filth throughout this one, but it was the good kind. If that makes any sense at all.

The performances were very suprising too. I honestly have never taken Matthew Broderick (The Cable Guy, The Producers) all that seriously as an actor but he really proved me wrong here. I thought he was very charming, very funny, and you really felt for this character. Just a great job! Also totally shocked by young actress Brittany Snow (Hairspray, Prom Night). You think when she chooses movies like Prom Night so early in her career, you just don't think she is takingt his acting thing seriously. But again, I'm completely proven wrong. She was fantastic I thought. Not anything Oscar worthy, but really a suprisingly stellar turn on her behalf. I also like to mention Maura Tierney (TV's ER, Liar Liar). I have always been a big fan of hers, and I'm afraid not a lot of people know who she is. That really has to change. She doesn't have a huge role in this movie, but at least her character is finally important to a films story that she is in. And really whenever she was on screen, she was just brilliant. Really, really good job!

Finding Amanda has something for almost everyone. I don't recommend it to everyone because it does have sort of a touchy subject material and some filthy dialog that doesn't always appeal to all movie goers. But really, this movie is a fun, cute little flick that I personally found very entertaining.

To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Finding Amanda

*This is the 122nd new film I've seen and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.