Big Country Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 The Social Network I remember hearing they were making a movie about the creation of Facebook, and I thought, that is going to be boring as hell. Then, I saw that Aaron Sorkin was directing it, so, I thought, it must not be too bad of a script. Then came the media and awards show hype. Well, this is another one that lived up to the hype for me. I love action movies as much as the next guy, but, I will still take a witty, clever movie like this one, with no action but great, entertaining dialogue over a good action movie anyday. I really liked this movie. It was entertaining throughout, and they did a great job of keeping the story moving along. I liked the way the interwined the testimonies with the scenes. Zuckenberg was portrayed very well as a witty, brilliant, somewhat of an a-hole by Jesse Eisenberg. I got a lot more laughs out of this than I expected. I really enjoyed it. 9.5 Agree with your review of Social Network. Finally got to it this past weekend. Next on the list is "Fighter", currently waiting for my Brother in law to finish it so we get ahold of it. I do wish netflix would start streaming movies earlier on, but oh well. Also hoping to escape for a couple hours this weekend at some point to catch a non-kid movie in the theater. Not sure what yet, just feel like doing it if i can either find someone to watch the kids and go with my wife or convince her to stay with the kids and I can go out with some friends to catch a guy movie. Not even sure what is out offhand though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Water for Elephants - Went with the wife and two other moms that were in our birthing class to "Baby Day" at the theater that serves booze and food. Really just went to eat and spend time with the wife, as she's heading back to work on Thursday. Yup, I'll be Mr. Mom. Anyways, I didn't think that I'd have much to say about this flick. I'm really into comedies and movies where crap blows up. Not boring-azz dramas. But I must say, for a period piece, it was well-done. Didn't think I'd like the sparkly vampire from Twilight one bit, but he was pretty darn fantastic. Reese Witherspoon was good, and the actor who played "August" was terrific. As far as movies set in the 1930s about circuses go, it was top-notch. Good thing the wife read the book, good thing the local theater has Baby Day, otherwise I would have missed a diamond in the rough. I give it a solid 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 It is well known around these parts that I am a sci-fi fiend. In fact I'm watching an episode of stargate atlantis at 1 am on netflix. Let me say that Inception sucked. I found it to be awesome cgi with a weak plot. It was a good mate for Avatar. As a fellow sci fi nerd, I found the movie to be decidedly "Meh". I'm so over CGI. Give me a story dammit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Caught Sunshine on Netflix the other day. Talk about a movie with a split personality. I thought the first half was really terrific, and the second half really craptacular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I just saw Salt on demand.... not bad for a typical spy thriller with a few twists here and there (I figured a few out ahead of time, a couple caught me off guard). If you like chase scenes, fight scenes and a couple decent twists, not bad. Also watched "The Other Guys" again. We did catch this one in the theaters and I felt it was worth another watch. Good for some laughs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 The Town Man, I've really been seeing some good movies lately. This was a film with a similar plot to other movies, but, it is done so well that it still plays off very well. First, I always like movies where there main characters are actually the bad guys. You get into that conflict as a viewer, where you are rooting for the bad guys, because they are the characters you are getting to know, but, you are also realizing how evil they actually are. First, Ben Affleck is a terrific director. I absolutely loved "Gone Baby Gone", and he followed it up with another great one. He is also improving as an actor, as I thought he was solid in this one. I thought the stand-out performance came from Jeremy Renner, who is emerging as a phenomenal young actor after adding this role to his oscar-worthy performance in "The Hurt Locker". Blake Lively was also fantastic in a smaller role. It was an impressive performance. Jon Hamm and the others chip in with good performances as well. It was definitely a gritty and entertaining movie, with lots of great action, terrific performances and a solid plot. Well done. 9.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopazz Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 The Fighter This is my 3rd movie that I've seen of those that were up for all of the Best Picture awards. I loved "Inception" and "The Social Network", but, this one was my favorite. You've got a great story with a sports-theme, and one of the best performances by a group of actors that I've seen in a long time. Christian Bale & Melissa Leo won awards for their roles, and they were definitely deserving. I also thought Amy Adams & Mark Wahlberg were great. I thought the actors in the smaller roles, especially their sisters were fantastic. With acting performances that strong, some of the credit has to go to the Director, David O. Russell. Everything about this movie was great, from the acting to the plot to the music. I loved it. A definite must see, and I will be buying this one on Blu-Ray and watching multiple times. 10.0 Saw this last night and loved it - must see list. Bale was fantastic in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Caught Sunshine on Netflix the other day. Talk about a movie with a split personality. I thought the first half was really terrific, and the second half really craptacular. I read somewhere that the scriptwriter and the director had a battle over the theme of the film - one essentially wanted to assert "there is a God" and one really wanted it to have an atheist/agnostic message. That had a lot to do with why the movie is such a mess in the 2nd half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Chasing 3000 I'll start out by admitting that this movie's plot and subject matter probably has me over-rating it, but, it really hit home for me. I'm guessing this was a straight to DVD movie, as I don't remember hearing a thing about it. I just happened upon it when searching Netflix and immediately watched it. It is about a boy and his disabled brother growing up in Pittsburgh and being big Clemente admirers. Clemente was most Pittsburgh kid's hero back in the day. The boys are reluctantly forced to move to Los Angeles so that the sick brother could get better treatment. They then decide to make a cross country trip from L.A. to Pittsburgh to see Clemente get his 3000th hit. Ray Liota plays the grown up version of the main character, and the movie flashes back from him as an adult taking his kids to 'Roberto Clemente' day, and his younger self making the trip with his brother to see the 3000th hit. The stories that come from those they meet along the way tell of Clemente being an inspiration to so many people. The character that Liotta was playing told stories that really reminded me of what I would have heard from my Dad. It definitely hit close to home for me, but, I do think it is a great little movie for any baseball fan, especially Pirate's fan, who will love it. 8.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) Caught Black Swan the other day with the mrs. She thought it was so-so and slow. I liked it a bit more perhaps because Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman have a nice little lesbo scene (even if they don't get naked). I understand how Portman got so much press from this character, but in the end, the movie could have been better. The ending was a bit of a let down for all the suspense they built up. I think they gave the ending away, so it was not a surprise for me. Still, it wasn't a waste of time and had some good creepy moments. Worth a rental. Edited June 16, 2011 by The Irish Doggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 The King's Speech If you had told me that I would enjoy a movie about a king with a speech impediment preparing for and delivering a speech, I would have laughed at you. It goes to show you what good writing, directing and acting performances can do. They can take a simple plot and make it interesting. Geoffrey Rush & Colin Firth are brilliant in this movie. Considering the simple plot, I was surprised that I didn't get bored with it. The movie seemed to flow smoothly and I never found myself looking forward to the end. It didn't hold up to some of the other best picture nominees from last year (The Social Network, The Fighter, Inception), in my opinion, but was still a very well done film. 9.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The King's Speech If you had told me that I would enjoy a movie about a king with a speech impediment preparing for and delivering a speech, I would have laughed at you. It goes to show you what good writing, directing and acting performances can do. They can take a simple plot and make it interesting. Geoffrey Rush & Colin Firth are brilliant in this movie. Considering the simple plot, I was surprised that I didn't get bored with it. The movie seemed to flow smoothly and I never found myself looking forward to the end. It didn't hold up to some of the other best picture nominees from last year (The Social Network, The Fighter, Inception), in my opinion, but was still a very well done film. 9.0 I fell asleep about 20 mins into this one (mainly from being tired v/s bored) and woke up for the last 10 mins. It didn't feel like I missed anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 (edited) 127 Hours This is a very tough movie to review. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that almost the entire movie takes place after a hiker/climber gets his armed trap under a boulder. I thought the movie was very well done, with a phenomenal performance by James Franco. They did a great job of exploring his thoughts and hallucinations while dealing with this ordeal. However, I found myself really feeling uncomfortable as I put myself in this guy's shoes. I read that the guy who this story is based on said that the movie was extremely accurate. It is a pretty amazing story. Of course, there were some slow moments, which reminded me of parts of "Castaway", where there isn't any dialogue at all. Also, the scene where he amputates his arm was pretty graphic, and tough to watch. Those that are sqeemish might want to fast forward that part. Overall, I think this movie was pretty well done, with a stand-out performance by Franco. 8.5 Edited September 29, 2011 by Menudo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 True Grit I'll start by saying that this was a great movie, with some fantastic performances. However, because I had such high expectations, I came away slightly underwhelmed. I'm a big fan of the western genre. In fact, "Tombstone" would be in my top 5 movies of all-time. I thought this was good movie, but, it doesn't compare to "Tombstone" in my mind. The plot was pretty straight forward, with very few surprises along the way. However, the characters and the actors portraying them still made this a fun movie to watch. Jeff Bridges was phenomenal, as expected, and I always feel like Matt Damon brings a solid performance. The stand-out, however, was the Hailee Steinfeld, as the young girl who is seeking to avenge her father's murder. She certainly deserved the award nominations that she received. My expectations weren't quite met, but, that was because they were set so high. This is still a very good movie, and I highly recommend it. 8.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 Black Swan Though boring for me at times, this movie still turns out to be pretty good in the end. What stands out most was the performance by Natalie Portman. This was definitely a challenging role to play, and she nailed it. I felt the movie really picked up steam in the 2nd half, when Portman's character starts to transition into the Black Swan. I found the first half of the movie to be pretty slow and sometimes boring. Obviously, looking at the beautiful Portman and sexy Mila Kunis, helped keep me interested. There are a few very nice scenes involving these two. Overall, I don't think this is up to the level of some of the other films up for awards last year ("Inception", "The Fighter), but, it was still a good movie, and Portman deserved the awards that she received. 8.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 The Lincoln Lawyer I hadn't really heard to much hype on this movie, but, decided to put it in my Netflix queue when I saw that it got solid reviews on IMDB. I've always been a fan of crime dramas like this one, where the plot takes several twists and turns as the truth is unveiled. I thought this was a very entertaining film. McConaughey actually put out a solid performance as the sleazy, yet talented defense attorney. The movie did a good job of developing characters, and the fact that they were played by talented actors like William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillipe, Josh Lucas, Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo & Frances Fisher just added to the entertainment value. This one definitely kept me in suspense throughout. Definitely worth a rental. 9.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Blue Valentine It is odd that you can be both impressed and depressed by a movie, but, that was my feeling about "Blue Valentine". This movie is the complete opposite of a date movie. It doesn't simply focus on two people falling in love, instead, it bounces back and fourth between scenes of the beginning of their love affair, and when things start to unravel in their relationship. The movie does a very good job of bouncing back and fourth between the two times in the couples lives. The characters were very genuine in this film. I imagine that everyone can relate to the characters at some point in the movie, I know that I could. It shows the difference between the beginning of a relationship, when everything is new and exciting, and how a relationship can become difficult when real world issues and anxieties become part of their lives. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams did a great job portraying these two characters. It is definitely a character driven movie, as the only focus is on the couple themselves and their evolving relationship. I really enjoyed this movie, and recommend it, but, it isn't one that I would watch multiple times. 8.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I sent you something to your email yesterday Menudo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 I sent you something to your email yesterday Menudo Hmm.... I didn't get anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Win Win I've been looking forward to this movie coming out for a long time. It is one of few movies centered around "real" wrestling. The only significant wrestling movie to date was "Vision Quest", and even that movie had some obvious mistakes during the wrestling parts. I'm definitely biased to a wrestling movie, but, I thought this was a very good film. The wrestling scenes were the best ever done of screen. A lot of that is due to the fact that the kid playing the wrestler was a New Jersey state champion as a Sophomore, but, back injuries forced him out of the sport, and he turned to acting. His acting needs a bit of work, but, it wasn't too bad for a kid with no professional training in his first role. Paul Giamatti is solid as always, and the rest of the cast does a good job as well. Wrestling is only a backdrop, as the real story is about the real life issues that the characters are dealing with. I felt the ending could have been done a bit better, and let us know how the kid did in his Senior year, but, all in all, I enjoyed the film. 8.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Win Win I've been looking forward to this movie coming out for a long time. It is one of few movies centered around "real" wrestling. The only significant wrestling movie to date was "Vision Quest", and even that movie had some obvious mistakes during the wrestling parts. I'm definitely biased to a wrestling movie, but, I thought this was a very good film. The wrestling scenes were the best ever done of screen. A lot of that is due to the fact that the kid playing the wrestler was a New Jersey state champion as a Sophomore, but, back injuries forced him out of the sport, and he turned to acting. His acting needs a bit of work, but, it wasn't too bad for a kid with no professional training in his first role. Paul Giamatti is solid as always, and the rest of the cast does a good job as well. Wrestling is only a backdrop, as the real story is about the real life issues that the characters are dealing with. I felt the ending could have been done a bit better, and let us know how the kid did in his Senior year, but, all in all, I enjoyed the film. 8.0 my daughter went to school with and is friend with this cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 my daughter went to school with and is friend with this cat Very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Source Code This was definitely a clever movie. I really liked how it immediately jumped into the action and plot. It didn't waste any time at all. One thing to keep in mind is that you REALLY have to suspend disbelief in this one. If you concern yourself with things that don't make sense, you won't enjoy it. It is best to just sit back, suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. My one big problem with this movie is the ending. I felt they simply went too far to make it a happy one, and I would have rather had the one that makes more sense. After you watch this, you will probably understand what I meant by that. All in all, an enjoyable, action-packed film. 8.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) Little Fockers I caught this one on cable, and decided to watch it, despite the fact that it was rated so low. I loved "Meet The Parents" and thought "Meet the Ginsuers" was just o.k. This one continues the decline, as the jokes are forced, the plot is predictable, and it's all been done before. In fact, there were times when I was cringing watching DeNiro in this movie. This is the same role in which I thought he was brilliant in the first one. This movie was made for the money, and only for the money, as this movie just continued the decline that so often happens in sequels. 5.5 Edited September 28, 2011 by Menudo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Little Fockers I caught this one on cable, and decided to watch it, despite the fact that it was rated so low. I loved "Meet The Parents" and thought "Meet the Ginsuers" was just o.k. This one continues the decline, as the jokes are forced, the plot is predictable, and it's all been done before. In fact, there were times when I was cringing watching DeNiro in this movie. This is the same role in which I thought he was brilliant in the first one. This movie was made for the money, and only for the money, as this movie just continued the decline that so often happens in sequels. 5.5 The jessica Alba hot factor helped this movie immensely . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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