J. Edgar (2011):

Starring:

Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar Hoover

Naomi Watts - Helen Gandy

Armie Hammer - Clyde Tolson

Josh Lucas - Charles Lindbergh

Josh Hamilton - Robert Irwin

Geoff Pierson - Mitchell Palmer

Ed Westwick - Agent Smith

Dame Judi Dench - Annie Hoover

Stephen Root - Arthur Koehler

Jeffrey Donovan - Robert Kennedy

Director:

Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby; Gran Torino)

Rotten Tomatoes: 44%

Flixster: 48%

Synopsis:

As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. Under the direction of Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the title role of "J. Edgar," a drama that explores the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century.

Review:

I was really hoping for "Trans America" meets "The Majestic". Instead I got an incredibly boring, action less talk fest that barely qualifies as a film & more of an A&E poorly dramatized TV show. Even the great Leo DiCaprio couldn't save this snooze fest. It was almost another  INCOMPLETE except I fast forwarded through some of it to avoid that. Here's ole Naomi Watts again, totally unattractive in this one.

24%

Lead Acting: 8/15
Supporting Cast: 3/15
Plot: 2/10
Compared To The Genre: 1/10
Cinematography: 7/20
Intrigue: 2/20
Extra: 1/10

The Double (2011):

Starring:

Richard Gere - Paul Shepherdson

Topher Grace - Ben Geary

Martin Sheen - Tom Highland

Tamer Hassan - Bozlovski

Stephen Moyer - Brutus

Chris Marquette - Oliver

Odette Yustman - Natalie Geary

Stana Katic - Amber

Director:

Michael Brandt (3:10 To Yuma; Wanted)

Rotten Tomatoes: 20%

Flixster: 36%

Synopsis:

When a United States Senator is brutally murdered, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin code-named Cassius, who was long-thought to be dead. Two men who know Cassius best are thrown together to catch him. Paul Shepherdson is a retired CIA operative who spent his career tracking Cassius around the globe. Ben Geary is a hotshot young FBI Agent and family man who has studied the killer's every move. Ben thinks he knows Cassius, but Paul knows he is dead wrong. Now, time is running out to stop this merciless killing machine before he finds his next target.

Review:

They gave away the biggest part of the film 20 minutes in. So wait, this isn't a sequel to The Jackal? or it is? I'm so confused. First Richard Gere plays an Irish terrorist turned CIA associate now he's playing a former Russian super spy living in America? We'll whom ever taught him Russian did a horrific job. I've seen some holey plotted films before, but this one is pretty bad. A story within a story but that connects to this story but has nothing to do with this story. WOW. unorganized much. The poorly placed humour & the acting of Topher "Don't call me Chris" Grace doesn't help at all. His comedic roots now turned into an "action" actor has not benefited him well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised for a direct to DVD release.

36%

Lead Acting: 6/15
Supporting Cast: 6/15
Plot: 5/10
Compared To The Genre: 3/10
Cinematography: 4/20
Intrigue: 9/20
Extra: 3/10

Grimm Love (Rohtenburg) (2006):

Starring:

Keri Russell - Katie Armstrong

Thomas Kretschmann - Oliver Hartwin

Thomas Huber - Simon Grombeck

Marcus Lucas - Felix

Angelika Bartsch - Viktoria

Alexander Marschewski - Rudy

Nils Dommning - Karl

Director:

Martin Weisz (The Hills Have Eyes II)

Rotten Tomatoes: Unreviewed

Flixster: 37%

Synopsis:

In Germany, as graduate student Katie Armstrong (Russell) researches cannibal killer Oliver Hagen (Kretschmann) for her thesis, she becomes obsessed with her subject and ultimately plunges into a lifestyle similar to Hagen's and the thousands of people like him.

Review:

Based On True Events. How awesome is that? So after seeing Rammstein last night, I thought no better film to review than this one. Their song "Mein Tiel" is based off of this true story about a man desperately searching to full fill his deepest darkest desires of eating a whiling, live person. Based on a man who in Germany in 2001 used a Craigslist esq. website searching for that "special someone" to help him finally achieve his dream. Then upon meeting him & having a lovely dinner party was found guilty of manslaughter & later murder & sentenced to life in prison. I honestly don't recommend this film to anyone who has no stomach for torture, blood, cannibalism or bad acting. Because you are going to get all of this. Keri Russell is pretty horrible. Thomas Kretschmann is pretty good, has quite a deep grasp on the man's true desires for this. Overall super creepy, possibly hilarity? depending on how your looking at it.

39%

Lead Acting: 6/15
Supporting Cast: 3/15
Plot: 4/10
Compared To The Genre: 5/10
Cinematography: 7/20
Intrigue: 8/20
Extra: 6/10

Immortals (2011):

Starring:

Henry Cavill - Theseus

Mickey Rourke - King Hyperion

Stephen Dorff - Stavros

Freida Pinto - Phaedra

Luke Evans - Zeus

Joseph Morgan - Lysander

Anne Day-Jones - Aethra

Alan Van Sprang - Dareios

Peter Stebbings - Helios

Daniel Sharman - Apollo

Isabel Lucas - Athena

Kellan Lutz - Poseidon

Steve Byers - Heracles

John Hurt - Old Man / Narrator

Director:

Tarsem Singh (The Cell; Mirror Mirror)

Rotten Tomatoes: 36%

Flixster: 51%

Synopsis:

The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion and his murderous Heraklion army rampage across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake. As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus vows to avenge his mother, who was killed in one of Hyperion's brutal raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra, her disturbing visions of the young man's future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final, desperate battle for the future of humanity.

Review:

Ripped hard bodies. No body hair. Sometimes no shoes. When the trailer for this first came out & it said "From the creators of 300" I immediately thought that I didn't want to see this because there will be no difference between it & 300. But it was inevitable that I would end up seeing it. Now that I have, I don't really have anything good enough or bad enough to sway my vote to either side. The acting wasn't as over the top as 300. The action sequences weren't as good as 300. The storyline was similar enough that it was incredibly predictable. Mickey Rourke's role just seemed so out of place & weird. Can someone tell me how at one point in his career he was considered an attractive, sexy, romantic lead? I know it was the 80's but still. He looks like an old Iranian woman. His acting isn't bad, it's just out of place for the fake & sometimes real British accents, then you have the main bad guy who is suppose to be unstoppable & over powering with his subtle New Yorker accent. The fight scene between himself & Henry Cavill was really poorly worked. Reminded me of a Bob Sapp MMA fight. I can't believe that he will be 60 this year. There are some good slow motion fight scenes that use a great  level of fast & slow back & forth shots that do make for a quite epic ending. Super hot babes Isabel Lucas (of replacing Meghan Fox in the Transformers trilogy fame) & Friedo Pinto (who oddly enough was much hotter in Slumdog Millionaire than an American high budget film). Overall it is watchable but don't keep your expectations too high & it's OK if you have it on in the background, you might not miss a lot.

60%

Lead Acting: 8/15
Supporting Cast: 9/15
Plot: 6/10
Compared To The Genre: 2/10
Cinematography: 16/20
Intrigue: 13/20
Extra: 6/10

Shark Night 3D (2011):

Starring:

Sara Paxton - Sara Palski

Dustin Milligan - Nick

Chris Carmack - Dennis Crim

Katharine McPhee - Beth

Joel David Moore - Gordon

Donal Logue - Sheriff Greg Sabin

Joshua Leonard - Red

Sinqua Walls - Malik

Alyssa Diaz - Maya

Chris Zylka - Blake

Director:

David R. Ellis (The Final Destination; Snakes Of A Plane)

Rotten Tomatoes: 14%

Flixster: 21%

Synopsis:

Arriving by boat at her family's Louisiana lake island cabin, Sara and her friends quickly strip down to their swimsuits for a weekend of fun in the sun. But when star football player Malik stumbles from the salt-water lake with his arm torn off, the group realizes they have to get Malik to a hospital on the other side of the lake. As they set out in a tiny speedboat, the college friends discover the lake has been stocked with hundreds of massive, flesh-eating sharks! As they face one grisly death after another, Sara and the others struggle desperately to fend off the sharks, get help and stay alive long enough to reach the safety of dry land.

Review:

If you thought that Jaws & Jaws II were amazing revolutionary, genre defining shark attack movies, then you were correct. This one however could not be any more of the opposite. How this one got a theatrical release & a full fledged promotion by the studio is a mystery of the world. The CGI sharks have the budget of cable access & the acting is as well played out as gay porn. The bickering & arguing between the cast members has the resemblance of two 4 year old girls fighting over a doll. If you had only seen a poster for this before it came out, and then never saw a trailer or the actual film. And you were asked to describe everything you would see in this movie. You could 100% guess every single thing that would happen. It has every single horror cliche in it. I'm not exaggerating, it literally has every single one. Kids on summer break, meet creepy locals at a gas station, nerdy guy, slutty chick, innocent boy & girl and yes even token black guy (they even give him a spear to chuck at one point). The kill scenes are incredibly non-dramatic & have absolutely no build up. Most of them are far fetched & uncreative. To be honest, the only reason I saw it, as I generally do most horror films was to see boobies. You don't get to see either main female leads but Katharine McPhee is such a hottie & you do get to see some fantastic side boob. Sara Paxton is bland & unattractive. Donal Logue although in such a minor role is actually pretty bad ass. I think the stupidest part is that they play it out that the redneck hicks who put all of the sharks in the lake are trying to play out of the stereotypes of being redneck idiots by learning all they can about sharks.

22%

Lead Acting: 4/15
Supporting Cast: 3/15
Plot: 4/10
Compared To The Genre: 1/10
Cinematography: 5/20
Intrigue: 5/20
Extra: 0/10

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011):

Starring:

Daniel Craig - Mikael Blomkvist

Rooney Mara - Lisbeth Salander

Christopher Plummer - Henrik Vanger

Stellan Skarsgard - Marin Vanger

Steven Berkoff - Dirch Frode

Robin Wright - Erika Berger

Yorick van Wageningen - Nils Bjurman

Joely Richardson - Anita Vanger

Geraldine James - Cecilia Vanger

Goran Visnjic - Dragan Armansky
Donald Sumpter - Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
Alan Dale - Detective Isaksson

Director:

David Fincher (Se7en; Fight Club; Social Network)

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Flixster: 88%

Synopsis:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film in Columbia Pictures' three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson's literary blockbuster The Millennium Trilogy. Directed by David Fincher and starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, the film is based on the first novel in the trilogy, which altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon.

Review:

The synopsis says its all. Based on the first novel in the trilogy. A trilogy that was originally made in Sweden, & became a world wide phenomenon. But then of course American cinema had to get their dirty money grubbing paws all over it & remake it like they do everything foreign that does well. This one, unlike the original is done in English with some characters having Swedish accents, some with British, some with weird random other ones that make no sense. And yet somehow, watching this one not in Swedish with English subtitles like I did the original, made it even more boring. Maybe it was because I had seen the original which was much better so I didn't have to be as involved in the story because I already knew what was going to happen, or maybe it was just it's nomination for Academy Awards hyped it up so much but then to me didn't deliver. The only thing better about this version obviously was that it had a much larger budget so it could afford higher paid actors, better sets & location. The back drop is absolutely amazing, some of the wide shots of the Swedish countryside are incredible. Robin Wright (No longer Penn) has really not aged well now that she's divorced & on the wrong side of 40. Christopher Plummer is as always stellar. Rooney Mara does a fairly good job, not quite as good as Noomi Rapace does in the original. They do however have a lot of the same shots including the scene that "you can't unsee" as I have heard some people refer to it. Everything else in the film does not quite accomplish quite as much as the original. In my opinion unless you absolutely cannot watch a movie & read subtitles, or hate dubbing (although on the DVD for the original, it is almost seamless) then you should see this one, otherwise do yourself a favour & watch the original. Or hey even watch both & then compare them for yourself. Cameo appearances from Lost cast member Alan Dale (Charles Widmore) & Game Of Thrones cast member Donald Sumpter (Maester Luwin).

65%

Lead Acting: 9/15
Supporting Cast: 8/15
Plot: 8/10
Compared To The Genre: 4/10
Cinematography: 16/20
Intrigue: 12/20
Extra: 8/10

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011):

Starring:

Christopher Smith - Dennis

Lauren Bittner - Julie

Chloe Csengery - Young Katie

Jessica Tyler Brown - Young Kristi

Dustin Ingram - Randy Rosen

Johanna Braddy - Lisa

Directors:

Henry Joost (Catfish) & Ariel Schulman (Catfish)

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%

Flixster: 54%

Synopsis:

In 1988, young sisters Katie and Kristi befriend an invisible entity who resides in their home.

Review:

A Prequel to the Prequel that was Paranormal Activity 2. I will save you a whole lot of time for this one. Watch Paranormal Activity 1 & 2, then fast forward an hour into 3 & you won't have missed anything. The first one you had a different paranormal thing occur every night, whether it be demonic foot prints, finding pictures in the attic or biting. In the 2nd one you get scary noises, doors slamming & dogs getting attacked. This one you get night after night of the younger girl (Kristi) talking to the demon or whatever it is & just playing. If you've seen the first 2, (which I don't understand why you'd start at #3) then you kind of know what to expect from this. Not even near as scary as the other ones, mostly because you expect things to happen so if & when they finally do your already ready for them so they are less effective. I will say that Jessica Tyler Brown is super adorable & it must be incredibly hard for child actors/actresses to act in movies like this where they have to be told we'll whats happening might not seem scary but you have to act scared. Both kids did a really good job. Dustin Ingram who was the star of "Meet Monica Velour" adds just the right amount of comedic relief to make it not terribly boring.

30%

Lead Acting: 6/15
Supporting Cast: 7/15
Plot: 2/10
Compared To The Genre: 0/10
Cinematography: 7/20
Intrigue: 3/20
Extra: 5/10

The Avengers (2012):

Starring:

Robert Downey Jr. - Tony Stark / Iron Man

Chris Evans - Steve Rogers / Captain America

Mark Ruffalo - Bruce Banner / The Hulk

Chris Hemsworth - Thor

Scarlett Johansson - Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Jeremy Renner - Clint Barton / Hawkeye

Tom Hiddleston - Loki

Clark Gregg - Agent Phil Coulson

Cobie Smulders - Agent Maria Hill

Stellan Skarsgard - Professor Erik Selvig

Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury

Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts

Paul Bettany - Voice Of J.A.R.V.I.S.

Director:

Joss Weadon (Firefly, Buffy The Vampire Slayer; Cabin In The Woods)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Flixster: 96%

Synopsis:

"Marvel's The Avengers"-the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Review:

Before I went & saw this one. My early thoughts on it was that "It's going to be Iron Man 1 & 2 Gang banging Transformers while Michael Bay masturbates in the corner". We'll I was only partially right. The movie does kind of feel like your watching Iron Man 3 because Stark is a main focus on the whole. Obviously all of Avengers play a major part in the film, but a lot of the major scenes involve something Iron Man is doing. This movie features the 3rd person to portray "The Incredible" Hulk in the last 10 years. First Eric Bana who may have been horrible, but it also may have been Director Ang Lee's fault. Then you have Edward Norton up second, who I actually thought did a good job of saving the franchise from the shitter. However apparently he's the world's most interactive diva actor & needed to be involved in every single tiny little detail that went on in the making of The Incredible Hulk. Thus why Weadon & others involved wanted to find someone else who wasn't going to be a major pain in the ass for this one. I think they made a really solid choice choosing someone without a major action role under his belt & someone with a good range of emotions (from all his chick flick movies) to play The Hulk in Mark Ruffalo. For the most part Hulk does steal the show. If you are at all familiar with the "Weadon-verse" then you know what to expect from this in the form of the mixing in of comedy & perfect comedic timing. I thought that it was pretty cool that they only needed one super villain to taken on all of the Avengers. Loki has a really incredible character back story & even if you never saw Thor you could still understand him from the amount of story being told. It has the same elements however of every action or super hero film that has come out since the early 2000's. Lots of all of the place camera angles, constantly having just random punches & attacks thrown all over the place at random attacking bad guys. A lot of cutting back & forth between the Avengers as they fight off cronies or attempts to stops something or do something. Does getting a little bit tiresome in general, not just in this one. Not AS Transformer'sey as I thought it would be, but at points towards the end of the film I defiantly felt like I had seen parts of it already because of the setting of the final battle & some of the events that happen during it. You also get an unrecognizable & uncredited Buffy & Angel cast member cameo in this one. Alexis Denisof (Wesley Windham-Price) playing The Other. I enjoyed the film all the way through, there wasn't any boring unimportant dialogue or slow moving scenes. It's a constant fast paced movie. As usual Robert Downey Jr. is incredible as Iron Man & his performance alone is worth seeing it.

81%

Lead Acting: 12/15

Supporting Cast: 13/15

Plot: 8/10

Compared To The Genre: 7/10

Cinematography: 17/20

Intrigue: 15/20

Extra: 9/10

Killer Elite (2011):

Starring:

Jason Statham - Danny

Clive Owen - Spike

Robert De Niro - Hunter

Dominic Purcell - Davies

Aden Young - Meier

Yvonne Strahovski - Anne

Ben Mendelsohn - Martin

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - The Agent

Lachy Hulme - Harris

Director:

Gary McKendry (First Major Feature)

Rotten Tomatoes: 25%

Flixster: 43%

Synopsis:

Based on a true story, Killer Elite races across the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East in the action-packed account of an ex-special ops agent who is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor. To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails assassins with a cunning leader.

Review:

Well first of all, to say that Robert De Niro was anything more than an extended cameo who was only there for the paycheck would be a lie. It pretty much seemed like he was simply reading his lines as they were written just so he could go home early. And as a director your not going to tell Bobby De Niro to do anything he doesn't want to do nor is doing wrong. So you pretty much have to suck it up & go with it. This film was 100% Transporter Vs Shoot Em Up. It may seem that I hate Jason Statham films because every time I review one I give the "stereotypical Jason Statham film. Punching, Gun Fights, Driving Cars really fast & backwards". Well I do in fact like his films, but that is exactly what this film is. He drives a car really fast through the streets of London, then backwards a little bit. Has a lot of gun fights & then also has fist fights with random, apparently terribly trained cronies that he just simply snaps some arms, breaks some noses & shots them. I will say that the two fight sequences between Statham & Owen are actually really creative & quite bad ass. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko of Lost fame) is a more important player in this film than De Niro & even thought he has limited screen time or lines does a really good job of setting up the plot for the final few acts. Dominic Purcell (of Prison Break "fame"? Did anyone watch that show? Because I don't know anyone who did) has just the WORST facial hair. It legitimately looks like someone shaved their balls & pasted it on his face. And his Welsh accent was horrible, which is even sadder because he's from England. Overall it's a below average action film.

51%

Lead Acting: 8/15
Supporting Cast: 6/15
Plot: 5/10
Compared To The Genre: 3/10
Cinematography: 10/20
Intrigue: 11/20
Extra: 8/10

The Muppets (2011):

The Muppets

Jason Segel - Gary

Amy Adams - Mary

Chris Cooper - Tex Richman

Rashida Jones - CDE Executive

Peter Linz - Voice Of Walter

Director:

 James Bobin (Da Ali G Show; Flight Of The Concordes)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Flixster: 84%

Synopsis:

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary and Mary from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.

Review:

It's not that I hated this film, I just felt like I had seen it before. Maybe if I had never seen any of the other Muppet movies growing up, it would have been much better for me. But it just seems like most of the Muppet movies involve them having a falling out, not talking to each other, human's convincing them they need to get the show back together & some bad guy trying to stop them. I also thought that since they movie was set in the moderns age that the comedy might not be so stale & old school, but it's got the same jokes as you would have seen in the 80's. With Jason Segel a major part of this production I was also disappointed at the mediocre songs performed in the film. I didn't think that any of them were very good or extremely catchy. Even thought "Man or Muppet" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, It's kind of because they changed the category so the song nominated had to be written specifically for the film & since I'm fairly certain NO ONE saw Rio it was kind of a one horse race. Some of the characters weren't used very much & had minimal story, lines or appearances. Why the hell wasn't Rizzo a main player in this!?!? When I heard about the Chris Cooper rap, I was intrigued but then once I saw it, I thought it sounded flat, forced & poorly written. I will say that however you could tell that Segel & Stoller were clearly old school Muppet fans because of all the subtle references made, the recreation of the originals Muppet Show opening & the fact that they brought back all of the Muppets from all the smaller skits from the show which was very cool. The cameo's were also really good. Was not mad about the Jack Black performance, which is something new for me. Overall it was good, but not great.

56%

Lead Acting: 8/15
Supporting Cast: 6/15
Plot: 3/10
Compared To The Genre: 3/10
Cinematography: 16/20
Intrigue: 13/20
Extra: 7/10

Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest (2011):

Starring: 

Malik Izaak Taylor aka Phife Dawg

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Q-Tip

Jarobi White

Directed By:

Michael Rapaport (Boston Public; War At Home)

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Flixster: 91%

Synopsis:

A portrait of one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the Queens NY collective known as A Tribe Called Quest is chronicled on their 2008 reunion tour. All-access interviews and cinéma vérité-style filmmaking, foster a conversation to determine if there is a possibility to mend the wounds from over the years.

Review:

Nothing really needs to be said about this one. It's a great documentary about one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time. Has tons of cameos by other hip hop artists. Shows the strain that being a band or group can put on friendships no matter how long they've been. Really we'll directed, great soundtrack.

71%

Cinematography: 12/20
Intrigue: 14/20
Extra: 9/10
Non-Bias Story Telling: 8/10

Attack The Block (2011):

Starring:

Jodie Whittaker - Sam

John Boyega - Moses

Alex Esmail - Pest

Leeon Jones - Jerome

Franz Drameh - Dennis

Simon Howard - Biggz

Maggie McCarthy - Margaret

Danielle Vitalis - Tia

Paige Meade - Dimples

Luke Treadaway - Brewis

Nick Frost - Ron

Director:

Joe Cornish (First Major Picture)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Flixster: 74%

Synopsis:

A fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing estate into a sci-fi playground. A tower block into a fortress under siege. And teenage street kids into heroes. It's inner city versus outer space.

Review:

This is the film that District 9 should have been. Aliens land on earth, in a poor area & reek havoc. Revolutionary CGI on this one on the aliens themselves. Not your average humanoids. These are animalistic, hairy, toothy beast looking to chomp down on anything. Cast of new, untested teen aged & child stars that do a really good job for being new to the big screen. Nick Frost is a hilarious character in the film as he is in most things. I highly suggest you see this film!

89%

Lead Acting: 12/15
Supporting Cast: 12/15
Plot: 8/10
Compared To The Genre: 10/10
Cinematography: 20/20
Intrigue: 18/20
Extra: 9/10

Carriers (2009):

Starring:

Chris Pine - Brian Green

Lou Taylor Pucci - Danny Green

Piper Perabo - Bobby

Emily VanCamp - Kate

Christopher Meloni - Frank Holloway

Kiernan Shipka - Jodie Holloway

Directors:

David & Alex Pastor (Spanish Films)

Rotten Tomatoes: 61%

Flixster: 35%

Synopsis:

Four friends try to escape a viral pandemic in the American West. They ultimately discover that they are more dangerous to each other.

Review:

Post Apocalyptic air born virus film. A film Chris Pine made before he got big from Star Trek, was released on DVD after it came out to capitalize on his success.

48%

Lead Acting: 8/15

Supporting Cast: 4/15

Plot: 7/10

Compared To The Genre: 5/10

Cinematography: 9/20

Intrigue: 9/20

Extra: 6/10

Street Kings (2007):

Starring:

Keanu Reeves - Detective Tom Ludlow

Forest Whitaker - Captain Jack Wander

Hugh Laurie - Captain James Biggs

Chris Evans - Detective Paul Diskant

Cedric The Entertainer - Scribble

Jay Mohr - Sgt. Mike Clady

Terry Crews - Detective Terrence Washington

Naomie Harris - Linda Washington

Common - Coates

The Game - Grill

Martha Higareda - Grace Garcia

John Corbett - Detective Dante Demille

Amaury Nolasco - Detective Cosmo Santos

Director:

David Ayer (High Times)

Rotten Tomatoes: 37%

Flixster: 62%

Synopsis:

Tom Ludlow is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.

Review:

It's a pretty generic cop drama full of betrayal, backstabbing, game changing secrets & alcoholism. It's got all of the cop movie cliches from renegade cop with a boozing problem, to stereotype Hispanics, to former partners with a broken relationship. Good cast with several intense performances. Supporting cast very is extremely good including a short lived one by Terry Crews. Reeves is convincing but way to over the top. Whitaker is at times way to silly & sometimes ridiculously goofy. Hugh Laurie is the best part of this film & not just because he is Dr. House, but he's got the right amount of comedy & serious drama which is what he is known for. Some creative, bloody & intense deaths bring a good entertainment value. Overall a typical cop drama, not the worst, not the best just average.

49%

Lead Acting: 6/15
Supporting Cast: 10/15
Plot: 4/10
Compared To The Genre: 2/10
Cinematography: 12/20
Intrigue: 8/20
Extra: 7/10

The Adventures Of TinTin (2011):

Starring:

Jamie Bell - TinTin

Andy Serkis - Captain Haddock / Sir Francis Haddock

Daniel Craig - Sakharine / Red Rackham

Nick Frost - Thomson

Simon Pegg - Thompson

Daniel Mays - Allan

Toby Jones - Silk

Tony Curran - Lieutenant Delcourt

Mackenzie Crook - Tom

Director:

Steven Spielberg (I'm going to put this under the same category as Martin Scorsese. If you don't know his other films, you shouldn't be reading this blog)

Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Flixster: 76%

Synopsis:

TinTin is on the trail of a big story which leads him into a world of high adventure. When he and his friends find the directions to a sunken ship, they go off to find the treasure it contained and TinTin must face the notorious Red Rackham. 

Review:

It's a shame that the Academy of Films changed the qualifications of what can be considered for the Best Animated Feature category. Because even though I loved both Rango & Puss In Boots, there is a very good chance that this could have won. The animation style is very unique & really pays homage to the cartoon & books of the TinTin universe. The camera shots throughout the film are incredible, possibly the best in an animated feature. On the down side, the fight scenes become very repetitive & very predictable, but I'm not going to look to far into that because it is an animated feature. Maybe a little bit too epic for an animated children's film. Was very Pirates Of The Caribbean Esq. And seriously, can they not make a children's film that doesn't involve a ship & pirates? Let's try to be creative here movie makers. Love Nick Frost & Simon Pegg as Thomson & Thompson. Andy Serkis is very good playing a human character. In the world of TinTin I'm amazed at how easily grown men are willing to shoot at a teenager or whatever TinTin is. Maybe he ages like an Asian & is actually 45.

90%

Lead Acting: 12/15
Supporting Cast: 13/15
Plot: 8/10
Compared To The Genre: 9/10
Cinematography: 20/20
Intrigue: 18/20
Extra: 10/10

Texas Killing Fields (2011):

Starring:

Sam Worthington - Mike Souder

Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Brian Heigh

Jessica Chastain - Pam Stall

Chloë Grace Moretz - Ann Sliger

Corie Berkemeyer - Shauna Kittredge

Jason Clarke - Rule

Stephen Graham - Rhino

Sheryl Lee - Lucie Sliger

Director:

Ami Canaan Mann (First Major Production)

Rotten Tomatoes: 33%

Flixster: 26%

Synopsis:

Inspired by true events, this tense and haunting thriller follows Detective Souder, a homicide detective in a small Texan town, and his partner, transplanted New York City cop Detective Heigh as they track a sadistic serial killer dumping his victims' mutilated bodies in a nearby marsh locals call "The Killing Fields."

Review:

Acting is really hit or miss. I thought that Sam Worthington was trying too hard to force his emotions, where as Jeffrey Dean Morgan was really strong & confident in his role. Jessica Chastain has a smaller role but is convincing as Worthington's ex-wife seeking his help to solve the missing women case while Chloë Grace Moretz, who is usually very strong especially for her age is very bland & I didn't form any sort of emotional attachment to her character even after events towards the end of the film happened. Plot was decent, mostly because it is based on a true story. But I did find a lot of unnecessary dialogue non-detrimental to the story. Some of the supporting cast had just horrible fake Texan accents, which to me is a huge pet peeve in films. Nothing makes me lose interest in a film more than poorly acted accents. I am a big fan of Stephen Graham (of Pirates Of The Caribbean, Snatch & Gangs Of New York fame) but he is one of the main culprits of shitty accent syndrome. I don't hold him totally accountable because he is British pretending to be Texan.

44%

Lead Acting: 8/15
Supporting Cast: 9/15
Plot: 5/10
Compared To The Genre: 4/10
Cinematography: 8/20
Intrigue: 5/10
Extra: 5/10

Puss In Boots (2011):

Starring:

Antonio Banderas - Puss In Boots

Salma Hayek - Kitty Softpaws

Zach Galifianakis - Humpty Dumpty

Billy Bob Thornton - Jack

Amy Sedaris - Jill

Constance Marie - Imelda

Director:

Chris Miller (Shrek The Third)

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Flixster: 71%

Synopsis:

"Puss in Boots" -- based on one of the most beloved characters of the Shrek Universe -- tells the hilarious and courageous (daring, bold, brave) tale of Puss' early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Review:

This film has the most important thing you need in a film. Antonio Banderas. Even voicing a cat in an animated film, he is still the most handsome, romantic man on the face of the planet. Added bonus is Salma Hayek is the 2nd most attractive person in this film. Even with her gigantic boobies she is #2 to Banderas. Man crush much? This one came runner up (in my opinion) to Rango as the Best Animated Feature at this years Academy Awards. As a branch off of the Shrek movie franchise, it is by far funnier than all the Shrek films combined. Just every single moment in this film is hilarious. The subtle things that cats doing in real life that are brought to the Puss In Boots world, also the small egg related jokes that Humpty Dumpty has are hilarious. I remember saying to Scott on a car ride down to Seattle. "I Don't want you to think I'm gay but you know what is the best movie I've seen all year is? Puss In Boots". Even as an animated feature for kids, this movie is a hundred times better than most other films that aren't animated nor children's films. Storyline is incredible, the imagination to bring in characters that aren't featured in any of the Shrek films just shows the creativity of Dreamworks. The voices by the supporting cast are also incredibly well done. Zach Galifianakis does a great job as Humpty Dumpty bringing the perfect comedic timing. Probably his best film outside of "Out Cold" (yes better than The Hangover") Guest voice by Director Guillermo Del Toro SEE THIS FILM!

99%

Lead Acting: 15/15
Supporting Cast: 14/15
Plot: 10/10
Compared To The Genre: 10/10
Cinematography: 20/20
Intrigue: 20/20
Extra: 10/10

Dream House (2011):

Starring:

Daniel Craig - Will Atenton

Naomi Watts - Ann Patterson

Rachel Weisz - Libby

Elias Koteas - Boyce

Marton Csokas - Jack Patterson

Rachel Fox - Chloe Patterson

Director:

Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot; In The Name Of The Father)

Rotten Tomatoes: 6%

Flixster: 36%

Synopsis:

Dream House is a suspense thriller about a family that unknowingly moves into a home where grisly murders were committed only to find themselves the killer's next target. Successful publisher Will Atenton quit a high power job in Manhattan to relocate his wife, Libby, and two girls to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children. As Will and Ann piece together the haunting puzzle, they must find out who murdered the family in Will's dream house before he returns to kill again.

Review:

A mish-mash of other shitty genre films that no one has seen or liked. If you've seen Shutter Island, then you've seen a slightly better version of this film. Which does not speak well of this one because Shutter Island BLOWS! At least Shutter Island had Leo DiCaprio as it's main star, considered by many to be one of the best actors of the past 20 years. This one has Daniel Craig, who by the way looks HORRIBLE in this film, it's like he aged 20 years to play this role. Supporting roles are filled by two actresses that I have always been up in the air about whether or not I find them attractive. Some times I think they are really hot, then other times I think they are gross. They are Rachel Weisz & Naomi Watts. Weisz was super cute in the first Mummy film, but not so hot in Constantine & Watts, super hot in King Kong & I Heart Huckabees, but unbelievably unattractive in 21 Grams, The Ring & Eastern Promises. I'm so torn. The other factor that really makes the film not very good is again in comparison to Shutter Island (which is the same film) it is very predictable & unoriginal. Plot holes galore. Has he always been schizophrenic or did he develop it after he finds out about his past? Just so many holes. The film also has parts of The Sixth Sense, Amittyville Horror, The Shining & a few other films. Overall just uncreative, predictable & slightly boring. Marton Csokas is the lone bright spot with a pretty intense performance, but not enough to save it. The two girls playing the daughters are not the best choice for child actors. The youngest one has several off camera looks at either whoever is holding their leash or possibly a parent. It's weird to see that director Jim Sheridan who directed Daniel Day Lewis in two critically acclaimed Academy Award winning roles in the 1990's has fallen down to this level.

18%

Lead Acting: 3/15
Supporting Cast: 5/15
Plot: 1/10
Compared To The Genre: 0/10
Cinematography: 7/20
Intrigue: 2/20
Extra: 0/10