The Kids are Alright

Overview:  Yay, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are a couple!!  Now I’ve seen it all!  They are a happy Lesbian couple who gave birth to two kids, the older sister Joni and the younger brother Lazor.  Knowing they must have come from some guy other then their moms, they seek out the sperm donor and befriend him.  Eventually he integrates himself into the family, and that’s where all the wild adventures start.

The Good:  The plot is where this movie really shines, which is surprising to me, because when viewing the trailer I thought “You’ve got to be pulling my crohns! This looks like a HORRIBLE idea for a movie!”  as it turns out it is quite the captivating flick, and I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat the entire time hoping they remain a happy family.  I know Mark Ruffalo has been gaining a lot of praise for his performance, and he was really good, but the true gods of acting are the kids played by “Alice in Wonderland’s” Mia Wasikowska, and “Bridge to Terabithia’s” Josh Hutcherson.  Yes, the previous films these two young actors have been in were good, but I was especially happy to see them in something like this, because it proves that they’re perfect at playing mature roles.  Can’t say anything wrong about Julianne Moore and Annette Being, they were the comic relief all throughout. 

The Bad:  I know Mark Ruffalo is good, and I know he was awesome in this movie, but he sure can pull off some of the most akward movie moments of all time.  This is part of why he was so good in this movie, but there were times he was so unbearably awkard that I felt like my eyes were starting to bleed, and this time I SWEAR I wasn’t looking at the sun for an hour! In the trailers this movie was being sold as a Wes Anderson comedy, but it ended up being an intense family drama, so points off for messing with my mind!!

The Ugly:  This is a very good film to watch, probably not for kids, but it is a good reminder to families to stay strong through crappy times; it's a great message about personal growth in the family.  It was right to have this movie nominated for Best Picture, and although I felt betrayed that it wasn't funnier it was still a good drama that kept me interested.

4 out of 5

Monster

Overview:  Basiclly being abused her entire life, Aileen Wuornos runs from her family and lives the life of a hooker.  When the abuse became too much she became a "Monster", and ended up killing almost everyone who picked her up.  amidst all this she falls in love with a young girl named Selby, but even that couldn't save her from flushing her life down the toilet.

The Good:  Well slice off some broccoli and serve it to a crohns diseased kid, was some of the finest acting I’ve ever seen on film!  Let’s add Charlize  Theron to the make-yourself-uglier-for-a-movie-role-and-you’ll-win-an-Oscar category, because she is now one of them lemmings.  She was such a great actress in this movie that I didn’t even know it was Charlize Theron 90% of the time, and the only way you can tell it was her is if you’re utterly obsessed, and in that case you need to stop while you’re ahead because being married to a celebrity never works.  Charlize wasn’t the only brilliant performance on screen, Christina Ricci played Aileen’s companion with the relish!  Christina has always pursued the comically creepy roles, and this time she’s creepy but not comical at all.  It’s true she is not the head actress in this movie, but it’s with her that you feel a majority of the emotion with.  One last congrats to Charlize Theron for not making Aileen look like a hero at the end of the movie, I’m sick of movies that praise the villains and damn the heroes.

The Bad:  Man do I feel like I need a sponge bath! Any takers, no?  this film may have been superb, but it is about as white trash as a movie can possibly get…  except the movie “you’ve got served”, no film can touch that trash.  I seriously felt dirty after seeing this, hence the sponge bath request.  You see how gritty and disgusting the life of a prostitute can be, and it may be a problem for certain people.  It isn’t a film I’d be likely to watch again because of how depressing it can be, instead I’ll watch Charlize in “the Italian Job” where it’s fun and chipper, and Christina in “The Adam’s Family” where she’s….. Still creepy.

The Ugly:  The ugly truth for this movie actually is ugly, and disgusting.  It is a wonderful movie that paints (to my knowledge) a fairly accurate portrait of how abuse at a young age, if not treated, can really harm a person’s perception of reality later on in life.  This is an excellent film that needs to be experienced at least once, then after that you should probably shower and then put on a Disney film or something.

3 out of 5

Sucker Punch

Overview: following a family disaster, Babyspice... I mean Babydoll, is admitted into an insane asylum by her abusive stepfather.  Once in the asylum, which is more like a "Burlesque" gathering, Babydoll gathers with four other hotties and make an effort to escape.  Somewhere along the ride they all fight dragons, robots, and unnaturally large samurai.

The Good:  Well first of all this movie has some kick butt action all throughout.  Even though about 80% of the time it's silly, Zack Snyder does know how to make an impressive action/adventure movie.  The Symbolism was really impressive whenever the girls transport themselves into their fantasy worlds, because it's more than a goal to escape the asylum, it's a way for them to make the best of a bad situation.  I know darn well that many people (dudes) went to see this for the chance to view some scantly-clad women, but the thing is the acting wasn't half bad.  It wasn't the greatest acting ever, but I went into this flick expecting it to be a lot worse, like it was made by Bob Saget.

The Bad:  The unrealistic feeling you get in this movie is delicious.  I love how the entire story is based in an asylum, and yet all the attendants are super-hot supermodels!  If that was the case in real life, then you would see a lot more pervy men diagnose themselves as crazy just so they can be admitted.  The transitioning between the dances and the dream sequences was a little rough.  Now I know Zack Snyder is great with visuals and making things flow nicely, but once the girls started dreaming amidst their dances I was like "Girl say what?!"  Although this movie was sold as an action packed chick-fest, all those fantasy/action scenes could have been left out and the movie would have made a bit more sense.

The Ugly:  Doesn't matter if it was silly, I still enjoyed watching this.  It may be a combination of "The Watchmen" and "Victoria's Secret", but the action was very impressive all throughout.  The best way to enjoy this movie (if you haven't seen it in the theater) is to grab the biggest big screen TV you can find, then let this movie shatter your mind and transport you to what looks like a not-so-bad insane asylum.

2 1/2 out of 5

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

Overview: The no-emotion fella from "Dear John" gets recruited with his Wayne Brother by an eliet team of super soldiers, and together they conquer the bad super soldiers.

The Good: like the rest of Stephen Sommer's movies, this one has some excellent action, so you have to give it some credit.  There are some roses within this garden of weeds when it comes to the acting.  Sienna Miller and Channing Tatum help save some of the movie moments, and for that I am eternally grateful.

The Bad: Oh boy, how do I explain this?  Experiencing this movie is equivalent to the amount of pain a person with Crohn's disease would go through after eating an entire tub of cauliflower, and many of you know the outcome of that experience stinks!.. and how? haha!  The problem with this movie is how ridiculous it is!!!  I couldn't even watch this movie in one sitting, I instead had to come back to it, and finish the last 30 minutes a month later.  All of the characters are silly, and even though Channing Tatum and Seinna Miller tried to save the scenes, it was futile against the crappy "Power Ranger-quality" cast.  I do have to point out that the stupidest part of this movie is how the enemy's base (the size of New York) was underwater, especially since it looked 100% exactly like Jar Jar Bink's home from "The Phantom Menace";  I actually half expected Jar Jar Binks to be involved with the bad guys, since they're guests in his pad.

The Ugly: Other than some of the action, there is nothing redeemable about this movie.  I don't want to mention any names, so I'll just call him Brad Pitt, but had that person not been a really close friend of mine, then I would of had to hunt him down and feed him to a herd of Wombats, all because he wanted me to finish this movie!  It is not worth it to see this movie, although I thoroughly enjoyed making fun of it for an hour.  If anyone is curious about this film, then that person can go on youtube and look up the action scenes.  This will prevent the person from becoming depressed, which is what happens when you watch the whole thing.

 0 out of 5

The Social Network

Overview:  Remember Columbus from "Zombieland"?  Well somewhere along the way of avoiding zombies, he developed this ultra nerdy Napoleonic Syndrome and became the creator of Facebook (that site that everyone wastes their lives on).  So there really isn't any connection between "Zombieland" and "Social Network", but it is the story of Mark Zuckerberg and how through betraying people and outsmarting his peers, he became the creator of Facebook and is now the youngest billionaire in the world.

The Good:  well first off this movie is fast paced! there is always some lawsuit going on, and then some flashbacks to Mark's time in college.  Jesse Eisenberg was nominated for a reason, he even made me want to be a pompous computer nerd... minus getting wedgies and swirlies by jocks.  The character development was extraordinary, and all throughout the characters were very believable, so there wasn't a scene where they looked fake.  What I enjoyed the most was Mark Zuckerberg's jerky attitude.  Every time there would be a lawsuit, Mark was so smart and fast at talking, that he always took his opponents down with a massive punch line and sent them home with their tails between their legs (they weren't really dogs, that was an expression).  Aside from Jesse Eisenberg's amazing acting, it was Andrew Garfield as Mark's best friend, and Justin Timberlake as the infamous Sean Parker who also pulled off some amazing acting jobs.

The  Bad: C wanted to punch Mark Zuckerberg in the face by the end, saying "HOW CAN HE DO THAT TO HIS FRIENDS?!!"  I, on the other hand, thought Mark was a jerk, but one of those jerks i'd get pizza with or something.  Will Ferrell said it best "I'm not even mad, that's amazing!"  Even though this movie was not as confusing as "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps", it was still pretty confusing at times.  I can see a lot of people having a hard time when flashbacks between different lawsuits, college life, and post-college life start seemlessley transitioning between each other.  There were times during the movie I thought I was watching one of Mark's college flashbacks, only to realize he already created the darn thing.

The Ugly:  Awesome and very informative movie to watch!  The acting was perfect in this movie, but we didn't feel that it should have been nominated for best picture, because it didn't feel like it was on the same level as the other nominees.  We remember when first hearing about this movie at the theater and everybody leg out a slight groan, because how can you make a movie about Facebook?  Well as it turns out there is a great story behind it.

4 out of 5

Battle: Los Angeles

Overview: After being fed up with all the stupid reality TV shows Hollywood puts out, Aliens finally decided to end this by destroying the source... LA!!!!!  Actually that's a lie about the reality TV shows, I'm just trying to think of what I would do if I were in their shoes.

The Good:  Ya know how in several disaster movies it takes about an hour before all the destruction starts happening?  Well you don't have to worry about that with this one, because about five minutes (i'm serious) into the movie, the aliens are already starting to rip the city a new one.  There is action all throughout, and it's actually very impressive, it reminded me of "District 9" but with more awesome violence between man and alien.  Aaron Eckhart did good as the lead of the movie, and can you really say anything bad about Michelle Rodriguez?  It's like an action movie isn't a legit one, unless it has her shooting off her sassy "tomboyish" mouth.

The Bad:  HAHA! now I get to talk about my favorite part of this movie... How much it sucked!  Although I loved how the action started so fast, there was honestly NO PLOT.  My brother and I kept on waiting for the  part of the movie where some scientist in a white robe comes out and explains why the aliens are there in the first place... but the white robed man with the glasses never came.  Scout's Honor this movie had absolutly no storyline, which to my suprise, CAN end up being a bad thing sometimes; it's like the movie was written by monkeys.  Even though there was 2+ hours of straight action, it was just constant and never ending.  P.S. C only paid attention like 2% of the time and said "I'm not missing any of the plot points, because there are none."

The Ugly:  It may sound like I utterly despised this movie, and that's not completely true.  Although it did suck pretty bad, it did it effectively.  You need to go into this movie with no expectations with regards to the story, explanations, or a solid ending; By getting rid of those expectations you will enjoy it like I did... after I gave up 40 minutes into it.  Go find some friends who like to talk during movies, then grab this flick at the nearest red box.

1 out of 5

The Town

Overview:  A longtime thief plans on leaving his profession and Boston for good, but before he does that he decides to go out with a bang by pulling off the biggest heist ever.  Sucks for him that the FBI has had it up to here (I'm pointing at my throat) with this gang, and they're not going to let this one succeed.  It doesn't help that the head of the FBI is Jon Hamm, who is pretty much the manliest of men out there.

The Good:  I still don't understand how Ben Affleck became a HUGE action director all the sudden.  I still remember him being a part of such great classics as the fun but crappy "Pearl Harbor", and the forever craptacular "Gigli"; I did think "Paycheck" was good though.  As it turns out he is very good at making realistic and gritty action movies, and it seems he's going to be the next Martin Scorsese at the rate he's at.  It was suprising that Jeremy Renner didn't win an Academy Award for his role as Ben Affleck's best friend/gang member, because he was absolutly captivating, especially during the big heist in the end.  Jon Hamm, even though he was ironically viewed as the bad guy, stole every scene, and not because he looks freakishly manly........ wait, who am I kidding, that man could send Superman crying all the way home to his mommy.

The Bad:  I always find it awkward when you watch a movie like "The Town" or "Catch me if you Can" and the people who are supposed to be bad in the movie are actually hailed as heros.  There are times even I believe that the bad guys were heros, like whenever Jon Hamm would arive at the scene of the crime I would yell "RUN BEN AFFLECK!!! RUN!!! SAVE THE GIRL!", and then after a few seconds I'd be like "oh... he's actually trying to steal other people's money and make their lives a living dump".  I know a part of that can't be helped because the movie's told in Affleck's point of view, but ya know. 

The Ugly:  Just know this movie is very Gritty, and as long as you can stomache the violence, this is a very exciting and sometimes emotional movie to watch.  Even though it is a heist movie, don't accidently get it mixed with the quirky and lighthearted "Italian Job" movies, because there is no humor. 

3 out of 5 Stars

Buried

Overview:  Ryan Reynolds, or Paul, is buried alive in a coffin with only a phone and a lighter, and like any self-respecting person he wants out… before the time runs out! Man I’m good at rhymes.

The Good:  This was a well crafted movie!  Even though the entire film is based in a coffin with Ryan Reynolds, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time.  What I was mainly afraid of was the possibility of the movie becoming boring because I thought “How can they make an hour and a half movie within a coffin and make it not suck?”  Well I don’t know how they did it, but they did; Ryan Reynolds’ coffin instead was like the Pandora’s Box of exciting storyline!  Ryan Reynolds was awesome in this movie, which isn’t a surprise since he’s great in everything, but he really made the “serious role” thing work this time (and no, “the Amityville Horror” doesn’t count).

The Bad:  basically all the “bad” that comes from this movie depends solely if you’re claustrophobic or not.  If you ARE claustrophobic, then this movie will probably give you nightmares for the rest of your life, then because of not having sleep you’ll turn into a zombie, and now that you’re a zombie your family won’t want to talk to you because your boring… long story short, don’t watch this movie if you’re afraid of small spaces; I’m not claustrophobic at all, and even this movie gave me the creeps.  Not that it can be helped, but the other bad part of this movie is that it’s all based in the coffin and you only ever see Ryan Reynolds… but if you have a problem with that then you’re probably claustrophobic, and you should refer to my previous statement.

The Ugly:  Despite the fact that you’re buried with Ryan Reynolds in a coffin for an hour and a half, this was quite the exciting movie that keeps you entertained the entire time, I was actually a little sad when it ended.  The one thing that you need to remember before watching this, if you decide to do so, is to buy all your claustrophobic friends a cab-ride home… they can thank you later.

3 out of 5

Bad Teacher

Overview:  Cameron Diaz is a bad teacher... Honestly that's basically it.

The Good:  This is for all of you people who think teachers are a pocket full of sunshine, because apparently some of them can be a pocket full of evil.  There is always that fear a person gets that all the funny parts in the movie trailer are the only funny parts in the movie, luckily it wasn't the case with this one; happily enough all the funny moments in the trailer weren't even in the same context we all thought they would be.  Who'da thunk that Cameron Diaz could bring such raunchy smiles to our faces, as it turns out she is hilarious, and I was wrong about thinking she was the worst actress of all time. The rest of the cast was amazing as well, including ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who goes from being his normal suave self to being one of the most awkward characters out there!  Can't say anything wrong about Jason Segel, that man IS a pocket full of sunshine.  For those of you who, like C, had to hold your tongues when talking to students or fellow teachers, this movie is a very cathartic experience.

The Bad:  For those people out there who are idealistic about the public education system, you will take strong offense to this film, because Cameron Diaz pretty much smacks you in the face... but like those "sour patch kids" candies, after the sour play she is sweet (ish) and lovely in the end.  This movie is also very abundant in awkward moments, so fairly be thee warned says I.

The Ugly:  Must see this movie... except if you are a child, because not only will you never want to go to school again, but your views of your teacher will also drop to an all time low.  This film is definitely for the teachers out there, who enjoy a good chuckle about their jobs, and who have always wanted to tell off a student or a faculty member.

4 out of 5

Winter's Bone

Overview:  Life is no good in the Podunk parts of the world.  It’s especially bad for the Dolly family, where the mom’s gone crazy, the dad has disappeared, and it’s up to the oldest sister Ree to take care of her family.  As if things didn’t get worse, the house will be taken away unless the father is located; and that’s how the movie begins… and that’s exactly what’s shown in the trailer; I shall say no more

The Good:  The two of us didn’t even know this movie existed until we heard it was nominated for best picture, and then it was being made fun of by Wayne and Garth on “Wayne’s World”.  No doubt a few people went to see this because it was easy to laugh at, but after watching it there is nothing funny;  it’s a movie where happiness is rarely found.  Ree's Journey to find her father is a depressing one, and at times it’s so realistically scary that it rivals some of the most frightening of Horror movies; Now I’ll tell you why this is good.  This movie was very good at being realistic in showing how crappy the living conditions are for some of these people who live out in the country, and there are some pretty horrible ones.  Jennifer Lawrence came out of no where, and pulled off one of the finest acting jobs of the year as Ree.  If it wasn’t for her, the movie could have been a failure, but she carried the story perfectly and kept us interested; she was so good that C and I, in a small way, felt the pain she did.  Another good actor was John Hawkes who played uncle Teardrop; he should have at least been nominated for best supporting actor, because C and I agree he was excellent.

The Bad:  Now unless you’ve been living under a rock (and if you have then that’d be freakishly funny), then you will have already realized that this is a depressing movie, and probably not for everyone to watch.  One of my biggest pet-peves in life is people who do wrong and stupid things, and aren’t even aware that what they’re doing is stupid; this movie is full of those people.  Of Course C and I loved the movie regardless; it’s just upsetting sometimes when you see a bunch of wrong-doers get the best of others. 

The Ugly:  This is a very NON-funny movie that does a good job at showing the viewer the harsh living conditions some people deal with out in the country, and it especially does a good job in showing what the consequences are for people who enjoy doing drugs; the mother was crazy for a reason.  Anyone who even thinks about picking up on illegal drugs should definitely see this movie, before that person decides to flush their life down the toilet.  

4 out of 5

Hanna

The Good: When first seeing the trailer I noticed the "Lovely Bones" girl being trained to fight by her "Eric Bana" of a father in the woods, while at the same time being hunted by Lady Galadriel.  This is as much i'll able to tell you about the story line without completely ruining it.  I went to see this with my brother and dad, and I think I enjoyed it better then they did.  This movie looks like it may be complex, but it's actually very simple... almost too simple.  It's not that movies with complex story lines are bad, it's just sometimes having a simple movie like "Hanna" is a breath of fresh air, because then you don't have to focus too much on the story and instead focus on how AWESOME all the fight scenes are.  Being an art lover, I loved how artistic this movie was, it seemed that every shot taken when making this film could end up on a calender, and i'm not talking about one of those crappy ones that they hand out at banks!  The acting was great! And although Saoirse Ronan and Cate Blanchett did an excellent job, it was Eric Bana (The Hulk, Munich) who put them to shame when he was on camera.

The Bad:  Like I said this movie is extremely simple, which serves a good purpose and a bad purpose.  I liked it because it helped me to just have fun and focus on the incredible action, but I didn't like it because there was practically NO PLOT!!!  This is why I wasn't able to write too much of an overview, because then you would have known the entire movie.  There seems to be a whole lot of fighting and not a whole lot of explaining.  Although the movie doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, it does end very quickly, so you end up having an awkward moment with the people sitting next to you.

The Ugly:  The ugly truth is this was a fun movie to see, because the action and acting is amazing.  One thing you have to make sure of before you see this movie is to have NO expectations; this way you won't be as disappointed due to the lack of plot.  All in all, this is a violent coming of age ( for a 13 year old) movie that is worth seeing at least once.

2 out of 5

The Mechanic

The Good:  Jason Statham seems to have a lot of good things going for him right now, and that does not include the coolness he receives from his manly voice.  If I (A) only knew how to give an overview of this movie, because like "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" the story goes all over the place, and about an hour into the movie you end up picking your nose from confusion...  But of course I don't do that.  This is an entertaining and suave spy flick from beginning to end, and that is all thanks to Statham and his co-star Ben Foster.  unlike Statham's other movies such as, "The Expendables", the crappy/amazing "In the Name of the King", and the "Transporter" series, "The Mechanic" is far more realistic with the violence, which is a breathe of fresh air from his other movies (even though they are mostly good).  Ben Foster, whom you might know as the bad cowboy with the platinum hair from "3:10 to Yuma", actually provided a majority of the emotion and a great deal of action, and this surprised me because I thought Statham might steal every scene.  One last awesome part of this movie was the ending; definitely one of the greatest endings to a spy movie ever!

The Bad:  As previously mentioned, at times this movie can become so confusing that it might drive you (not me) to pick your nose.  Personally it didn't bother me much, because the awesome action made up for it, but I know several people who get a little anal when they can't follow the story 100%.  It's not that I think Statham's career is in trouble, because it's not, I'm just starting to wonder if there are any other types of movies that he could star in?  Even though Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson were huge action stars, they still starred in movies like "Jingle all the way" and "Gameplan"... maybe the world just needs to wait a little longer for Jason Statham to star in a sissy movie.
P.S. It wasn't as good as Taken, but still great!

The Ugly:  This movie was a lot of fun to watch, and the action was so good that the viewer quickly looks past its flaws and has a fun experience.  this film is definitely worth viewing, because it gives the viewer exactly what it's selling and so there's hardly any disappointment 

3 out of 5

Taken

The Good: Oh My GOODNESS!!! We love a good action movie just as much as the next married couple (without being violent to one another), and this has to be one of the best action movies we've ever seen.  Just when you think there couldn't be anymore awesomeness, more awesomeness arrives!!  Liam Neeson is outstanding as the retired CIA agent who seeks to reclaim his daughter from traffickers in Europe, and he reclaims her with a vengeance.  The movie (for those who haven't seen it) sounds more like another James Bond movie, except for this one does a good job at being realistic, especially with the character's emotions.  A was particularly happy to see Liam Neeson in a action flick, as opposed to the "Schindler's List" and "Kinsey" type movies. In "TAKEN" Oscar Schindler acquires a short-temper and tears Paris apart.

The Bad:  Maybe it's just us, but we are the kind of people who love justice at the ending of movies, and this movie was great at that... except for one thing.  A was upset everytime the girl's mother was in a scene, because first of all it was her fault the girl went to Europe and got kidnapped in the first place, and second of all she hardly ever seems to be aware of the wrong she's doing.  So it was obviously great to see Liam Neeson get his daughter back, but A wanted to see the mother learn her lesson!!  Aside from that C didn't really have any beef with the movie, other than the possibility of there being too much violence

The Ugly: The Ugly truth is to go see it!  This movie is like the first "Rocky", because the success of other sports films (especially the boxing ones), are measured to it.  After watching "Taken", A will usually say "it wasn't as good as 'Taken'", or "This reminds me of 'Taken'".  Although the violence in this movie might be over the top, it is a wonderful action film, and it gives the viewer a chance to see Oscar Schindler go psycho!

5 out of 5

Jeeper's Creepers & Jeepers Creepers II

I (A) was thinking about writing two separate reviews for these movies until I realized something... They are practically the same movie!  It's the same story about a monster who comes alive for a month every 23 years to eat teenagers, So I figured just reviewing them together.

The Good:  There is nothing more hilarious than watching a bunch of dumb teenagers continually make dumb decisions in a Horror movie, HAVE THEY LEARNED NOTHING??!!  I guess one of the reasons I like it is because I get to look at myself in a mirror afterwards and say to myself "I am not as stupid as that one guy. right?!".  I personally enjoyed how campy these movies are, that no matter what mood i'm in, there is no mood-lifter than a bunch of kids running from an oversized bat.....but he's also a man.....hey! BATMAN!

The Bad:  Well these movies are pretty stupid, and I can't pull any significant redeeming values from them, other than the fact that they are so dumb/fun to watch.  Other than Justin Long in the first Jeeper's Creepers movie, every other cast member is so laughably horrible that you pity their futures.  Sure there may be some good character development going on in each film, but when all is said and done... it's a Horror film, who cares?

The Ugly:  If you have a bunch of bro's getting together for a (totally straight) sleep over, then this movie will unite them in a (totally straight) awesome way.  The Ugly truth for these movies is that although they may be dumb to watch, you end up not caring about how dumb they are and start enjoying them.

3 out of 5

Just Go With It

The Good: This movie was a bit of a surprise at it was not as raunchy as many Adam Sandler films. We appreciated the fact that Jennifer Aniston strayed from her "casually hot" stereotype to take a role as the anti-hot and she played it beautifully. While this movie was fairly predictable (it was a rom-com after all) there were some quite hilarious moments that were unique to the Adam Sandler sense of humor. The kids in this movie did a GREAT job and had plenty of personality.

The Bad: Well, it is a rom-com after all, (C's favorite kind of movie) so the plot isn't the most intense. It sticks to a pretty standard format. It would have been nice for there to be a little more variation on the plot, as it was fairly predictable. Brooklyn Decker is a lovely person, I am sure. However, in the movie her character doesn't really develop. We are not sure if that is because as a real-life swimsuit model Decker knew her role was simply a side character to be ogled, or if it was a side-effect of her lack of acting experience.

The Ugly: The ugly truth is that we liked this movie a lot more than we had anticipated. Before watching it,C felt that it would be similar to Sandler's other work (i.e. Waterboy, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison). Yet, she was surprised that it was even less raunchy than "Grown-Ups". Sandler and Aniston had great on-screen chemistry and made the movie fun to watch. While Sandler is humorous--as always, we particularly enjoyed the kids' humor as well as Sandler's side-kick.

3 out of 5

The Work and the Glory III

Since we're jumping ahead and reviewing only the third installment in this LDS-movie series, it might be best to explain the gist of what it's about, especially to those of you who are thinking "what in the name of?"  Based on a best selling book series (in the LDS community) it's a historical fiction about the Steed family who becomes affiliated with LDS founder Joseph Smith when they move to Vermont.  while a majority of the Steed family converts to the church, there is the son Joshua who (because he didn't get a girl) rebels by fighting the Mormons every chance he gets.  He does this by starting mobs, sucking back on some good old fashioned booze, and whining like a drama queen.  This third installment, focuses on Joshua's reunion with his family, where he kisses and makes up with each of them.... except kissing because that's gross!

The Good:  Let it be known that C is a book nerd, especially with romance books, and that doesn't include the freaky-deaky ones with Fabio illustrated on the cover, but instead ones like the "Work and the Glory" books.  That is something we both liked about this movie, that beneath all the mob attacks and domestic disturbances there is a roller coaster of romance heading your way like a freight...... roller coaster?  There is terrific character development in this movie as opposed to the previous two, so you practically feel like a part of the Steed family.  A is really grateful that the movie isn't preachy, even though the story surrounds the LDS church.

The Bad:  Like we said, there was wonderful character development, but you definitely need to watch the two movies to get an understanding of when the third movie begins, Obviously.  Also this movie sort of assumes the viewer knows all of LDS church history, and so it might not be a bad idea to brush up on a little book reading.  you'll come to agree that anti-LDS people in the movie are a bunch of meany crohns-heads!!!

The Ugly:  The pleasant truth is that the two of us loved this movie, but a large part of that is due to our membership in the church.  there may be some slight scary moments in this series, but overall it is a movie that the entire family can enjoy.  This movie is definitely worth the view.

2 out of 5

Black Death

The Good:  During this film one cannot help but think about "The Lord of the Rings", due to Sean Bean being decked out in his Boromir attire, which actually helped A to like the movie since their taking forever to make "The Hobbit".  This is a gritty movie that showed how the bubonic plague corrupted certain people and turned them into monsters, so it definitely wasn't a happy one to watch.  We must say that although it was dark and occasionally disturbing, it was sometimes very artistic and beautiful (especially if you're a sadistic nutjob).  Like always Sean Bean was awesome, he was after all A's favorite character in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, only this time he's like Boromir with a hernia!  Huge shout out to Eddie Redmayne, who plays the curious monk that follows Sean Bean.  He seemed very familiar, like i'd seen him in other movies, but he really shined in this movie, and stole every scene that he was in.

The Bad:  Seeing Sean Bean dressed up like a crusader gives people the impression that there will be many battle scenes, and that's also what the trailer tries to make you think.  Yet after watching it, A was puzzled that there weren't as many, but then again it's a movie about the plague and not the crusades.  Some of the violence was a little bit over the top, and could make even the strongest of people cringe... unless you're Hannibal Lector, and if that's the case you better see a shrink before you go AWOL!

The Ugly: The Truth about this film is pretty ugly.  It was a good film to watch, as long as you have something else to accomplish at the same time, or else you'll either be bored to death or scared to death.... by the Black Death! Boom Shaka Laka!!! That was a great punchline!

2 out of 5

Alexander Revisited

The Good:  Along with "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" this is the second Oliver Stone film to be reviewed on this blog, and not to mention the most epic, and that is something I can bet my crohns on.  This movie was made on a grand scale, and everything from the costumes to the sets was touched with the finest detail.  Now I haven't seen the previous two versions of this film, which were apparently horrible, but I know that the preferred "revisited" edition proves to be a great portrait of the warrior.  Colin Farrell, whom I've always associated with playing the pretty-boy roles, was actually quite good along with the rest of the cast.  Director Oliver Stone isn't one who sticks to only one side of the story, which in this case is quite good, because although there were many good qualities about Alexander, there were also many flaws as well; Oliver Stone did the right thing in making sure Alexander was depicted as the heroic/tragic man he really was.  I was not disappointed with the big and fierce battle scenes either, because not only were they long, but they were occasionally awe-inspiring.

The Bad:  Even though I praised Oliver Stone for showing both the good and the bad of Alexander's life, there were some things I honestly didn't want to see, and those scenes were often drawn out SO long.  Which brings me to the next flaw I noticed with this movie, it was 3+ hours!! usually I don't have a problem with that, but when watching a movie that long, one would want more battle sequences than just the 2 this movie presents.  Last but not least, the real reason I wanted to see this movie in the first place is it had Anthony Hopkins (my favorite actor) in it, and so I was sad to see that he was only in the movie for a short while, but happy that he was the narrator... man he has a great voice! I wish he would tell me bedside stories sometime. 

The Ugly:  I may love horror movies a lot, but nothing beats watching an amazing war epic on a Sunday afternoon.  This movie with its obvious flaws, is still a very good movie to watch.  Sure it's 3+ hours long with some boring sequences, but then again what epic movie doesn't have those?  Oliver Stone shows the world the real man Alexander was, and while doing that he holds nothing back.

3 out of 5

The House of the Devil

So, after I (A) watched "Rosemary's Baby" the other night, it reminded me of one of my Horror movie favorites, and so I thought I'd talk about it. This was the Movie that C and I watched for our "ode to Halloween" get together... I would say party but our place is pretty small, even Lindsay Lohan wouldn't come.

The Good:  Rosemary's Baby reminded me of this because it is an old-fashioned made horror film, despite the fact that it was made in 2009.  Do ya'll know that feeling you get in a scary movie when there is a whole lot of build up and it become almost unbearable? Well this movie is the perfect example of that, because the entire thing is one GIANT build up, until the crazy/intense/bloody mess of an ending!  The two of us had no idea who the actress in the movie was, but she did a great job at making us (the get together) fell as if we were at the edge of our seats the entire time.  The one thing that we liked the most about this movie is how "content wise" it really wasn't that bad.  Being a Horror movie lover, I get kind of tired of Horror films coming out that are focused on shock value, as opposed to old fashioned scares.  That is why the two of us liked this movie so much, because it keeps things simple and intense.

The Bad:  For a scary movie the two of us thought this movie was flawless, and it pretty much is.  the only people who shouldn't see this movie are the faint of heart and little children, because although there really anything too bad going on in the movie, it is very dark and intense; even C had to watch a comedy before going to bed so she wouldn't get nightmares.

The Ugly:  The disgustingly ugly truth about this film is INTENSE, INTENSE, INTENSE.  Even the Horror film fanatics got scared of this movie, so make sure that if you watch it you have a friend nearby that you can hug, and if not, grab your closest stuffed animal!!  This movie was really good, and is the best Horror film we've seen this Halloween season..... P.S. It is perfect for get togethers.

5 out of 5

Megamind

The Good:  Not bad, Not bad.  If we remember correctly, this movie came out at the same time "Despicable Me" and "Toy Story 3" did, and so the two of us didn't really pay enough attention to it because we were so focused on the other two.  Well we're here to tell you that this movie (although it aint no PIXAR film) is still pretty "mega" cool!  First of all Will Ferrell is hilarious in almost everything he's in, and the same goes for Tina Fey as Megamind's mega-hot (for an animation, but nothing compared to Jessica Rabbit) love interest.  The two of us were pleasently surprised that Brad Pitt was in this, because we never really figured him for comedy; we figured he would always stick to Dramas.  Last but not least, there is this 3-year old from church who would always clench his fists together and yell "MEGAMIND!!!!!" at the top of his lungs, and it always made us laugh until we fell into cardiac arrest!  This is a shout out to you little bud.

The Bad:  It's not that this movie was really bad at all, because it was actually really funny.  We feel that the downfall for the movie is it wasn't publicized enough, and that it got lost in the cracks.  It wasn't as interesting as well, especially since there have been so many animated superhero movies coming out lately.

The Ugly: The truth about this movie is not so ugly.  Not only is this movie a hit with the 3-year olds, but grown ups will love it as well.  Sure it may not be an academy award winning PIXAR movie, but then again it's not claiming to be.  This is a movie that is purely meant to be laughed at, and laughed we did... and the nurses were by, just in case we actually did fall into cardiac arrest.

3 out of 5

Macgruber

The Good:  We are the kind of people who hate silence, and so half the time we'll have a movie playing on the TV and we won't even be watching it.  This started out as one of those movies, but quickly grabbed our attention and made us laugh hysterically; It was so funny that A almost had an accident!  coming from an SNL segment that lasts only a couple minutes, the filmmakers did an excellent job in turning it into a movie with a semi-decent plot, and not making it seem like a drag full of empty laughs.  We are used to comedian Kristen Wiig stealing the scene in not only all of her movies, but also in every SNL skit, so something this movie did really good is how ALL the actors were equally hilarious!  Something awesome that we didn't see coming is how hilarious Ryan Phillippe is.  It was a definite surprise to see him acting so funny, especially since we're used to him trying to act like that Van Dam dude... On second thought, if you hate Ryan Phillippe, there is a scene in the movie where where he's used as a human shield (It's not a spoiler if it's in the trailer).

The Bad:  The one downside this movie has is how bizarre it is.  As funny as it was 3/4 of the time, there was some stuff that not only makes it a bad movie to watch with your family, but it makes it borderline disturbing.  So although this movie was hilarious, it probably isn't one you would want to watch with your church group or extremely conservative friends.

The Ugly:  The ugly truth for this movie is it's really funny, but sorta crazy, and we don't mean that in a good way.  It's like when you bite into a yummy/juicy grape, and then it ends up sour and your face ends up like Mickey Rourke's...but the grape was still yummy to the tummy.

3 out of 5

Rosemary's Baby

The Good:  I love the smell of a good Roman Polanski film I can watch in the middle of the night. It seems this movie is always somewhere on the "Top 10 Greatest Horror movies" charts, and so being a horror movie fan it only seemed right to go and see this.  There is a reason this is always on the "Best Horror Movie" charts, because it succeeds in being insanely creepy from beginning to end, even though there isn't any jumpy scenes being thrown at you.  This movie seemed more like a morbid version of "The Truman Show", where everyone is conspiring against the main character, and it doesn't matter how much progress the character makes in getting away, they always get dragged down in the end.  Aside from the amazingly creepy story line, the acting was spot on, especially with Mia Farrow playing as Rosemary.  Mia Farrow successfully made Rosemary continually look sicker and sicker throughout the film, and she really makes you feel her dread.

The Bad:  There is a trend that we notice happening with every Roman Polanski film, and that's the LLLLLOOOONNNNGGGGGGG drawn out scenes!  Don't get us wrong, they are actually one of the key factors in why these movies are so good, and they are one of the things that make Roman Polanski unique as a director, the thing is sometimes a scene with no major plot points at all can drag on for like 15 minutes....gag.

The Ugly:  This is one of those Classic Horror films that's ranked right up there with movies like "The Exorcist" and "Evil Dead", and it is arguably Roman Polanski's best film.  If you are in for a creepy horror/conspiracy movie, then "Rosemary's Baby" is the kind of baby you'll want to cradle.
P.S. Don't ever try to make pacts with the Devil, it never ends well for anyone!!

4 out of 5

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

The Good: HOLY CRAP there is a lot going on in this movie! We really liked the layered plot and every time we thought we knew what was going to happen it changed. Shia LaBeouf did a good job-- surprisingly believable, it's just insane to see him playing a serious character, and not having innocent adventures on the Disney Channel. Michael Douglas is an all-star. If you want a good plot and some emotional ups and downs then this is perfect for you.

The Bad: Maybe is it was just us, but some things were a little hard to understand because of our lack of wall street vocabulary. We aren't sure if we are the only ones who struggled with that a bit, but it took us a while to figure out what some of the phrases and things meant.  So there will be several parts of this movie where you won't know what's going on, but on the bright side the movie throws a lot of flashy lights your day, so you may be confused but you'll always be entertained.

The Ugly: The ugly truth is that this movie is a strong drama. It is complex and requires you to watch it without multi-tasking. However, it is pretty captivating, so it isn't a huge issue. The cast does a great job in this film and the intensity of wall street appears to be accurately portrayed.

3 out of 5

The Return to the House on Haunted Hill

Although C and A are making it our goal to see each Oscar Nominated Picture, we often see other movies in between while waiting for the "Oscar Flicks" to arrive on our Netflix.  C is very selective about the Horror movies she see's, and this was one that she left up to me.

The Good:  Since this was a direct-to-dvd sequel to the "House on Haunted Hill" remake, it isn't news to anyone that this movie is utterly stupid.  At the same time it's stupid enough that you enjoy laughing at it, forgetting that you're supposed to be frightened.  Despite all the sillieness, there is actually decent acting going on with not too many awkward moments that make you feel embarrassed while watching it.  When all is said and done, what I enjoyed most about this movie is how freaky and cool it looked.

The Bad:  Now this list could be very big since it was pretty much a straight to DVD movie, but i'll be nicer, or else C will deny me ice cream.  The one major beef I had with this movie is that it didn't have any "well known" actors, and so I went into this movie with absolutely no expectations because I figured the less experienced actors were going to ruin it for me, and some of the time they did.  Although the movie looked cool, there was a lacking plot that not only was predictable, but it also didn't connect with the first movie.


The Ugly: The ugly truth about this movie is that it's not worth it, especially if your looking for a film with an intriguing story, but if you're in a campy mood and just wanting to have some fun, then this movie is golden.  If I had a choice between watching "Glitter" and watching this film, I would make fun of Mariah Carry for an hour, and then chose this film.

2 out of 5

Inception

The Good:  Do ya'll know that feeling when you get a brain fart? Well the people who made this movie must have eaten a lot of "Taco Bell" because "Inception" is the biggest one there is, but one that you can enjoy.  The two of us were impressed with the amazing graphics, and the action sequences, especially the part when the two guys were battling it out in the hallway with zero gravity; not even the coolest of the "Matrix" scenes can top that. because the story line was deep and fast paced, it made it so when we saw it in the theater we were at the edge of our seats the entire time.  It is also official that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the greatest actors out there, and no longer will we be plagued by him screaming "I'm the king of the world" on the Titanic! Aside from DiCaprio, it was the guy from "3rd Rock from the Sun" who pretty much stole every scene.

The Bad:  Sometimes it just became too much.  C and A love confusing stories as much as the next person, as long as they have cool action scenes and pretty graphics, but there were parts of the movie where we just could not follow what was going on even though we were still at the edge of our seats.

The Ugly: the ugly truth is that if you are looking for a mind-bending film, then this is for you. This was the PERFECT movie theater experience, but we can't help but wonder if our experience would be different had we seen it on our 32" TV.  This is definitely a movie that everyone needs to see once!

4 out of 5