Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam(DC Showcase: Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam) ((2010))

This collection of DC Showcase animated shorts boasts the teaming-up of two of DC's most powerful heroes -- Superman (voiced by George Newbern) and Captain Marvel (Jerry O'Connell) -- as they battle villain Black Adam (Arnold Vosloo) and cope with the ethics of utilizing superpowers. Billy Batson, who assumes the mantle of Captain Marvel, turns to Superman for guidance on the moral implications of seeking justice ... or is it revenge?

Loved the whole showcase. The Spectre was probably my favorite overall. Love the dark, gritty way it was shot. I would love to see a full length feature on him. Definitely worth a viewing.

This dvd is a collection of 4 short movies involving Superman and Captain Marvel, the Specter, Green Arrow, and Jonah Hex. I gave this dvd a 4 because of the Specter and Jonah Hex shorts. I though those were great and very well done. Superman/Captain Marvel and Green Arrow were both good too, but the two I mentioned really stood out for me.

****/*****

4/5 Stars

Get Him to the Greek ((2010))

Ambitious young record company intern Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) will let nothing get in the way of his planned rise to the top in the music business -- not even the unruly rock star (Russell Brand) he must escort to Los Angeles for the start of his anniversary concert. Doing whatever it takes to get the rocker from Point A to Point B, Aaron encounters all manners of mishaps in this comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow.

Following up on his 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, writer/director Nicholas Stoller creates here more of a spin-off for the character of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) than a direct sequel. Also returning are Sarah Marshall herself (Kristen Bell in a quick cameo) and Jonah Hill (but playing a COMPLETELY different character than he did in the first). The thing that surprised me the most about this movie was its heart. I had expected it to be funny, but I didn't expect that there would be a legitimate emotional core at the center of this film. The other big surprise, to me at least, was how incredibly funny Sean "P. Diddy" Combs was. He's been halfway decent in some smaller movies (see Made right now), but I had no idea that he'd hold his own so well alongside some of the best names in the comedy business right now. There's one scene in particular where it shouldn't have worked at all, but just because it's him, it does. Brilliantly. If you liked Sarah Marshall you should definitely see this, as it more than lives up to its predecessor. If you didn't like it, or didn't see it, just know that this is a stand-alone film and the other isn't prerequisite viewing for you to enjoy yourself. I honestly didn't expect a story centered around Brand's character to work on its own, but I have been pleasantly surprised. This movie is VERY funny and highly recommended.

Way WAY too funny! Russel Brand, I think, has always been funny but you do not expect how funny Diddy would be in this movie. I think it was fantastic movie. Definitely a great movie to watch with friends or when you need a pick me up. *Clap*lol

*****/*****

5/5 Stars

Babysitter Wanted ((2008))

When she takes a job babysitting a young boy (Kai Caster) for a night at his family's remote farmhouse, sweet college co-ed Angie Albright (Sarah Thompson) becomes the target of a scar-covered creep making mysterious phone calls and prowling outside the windows. Angie gets the drop on the would-be killer, but quickly discovers that her nightmare has just begun. Jonas Barnes and Michael Manasseri direct this darkly humorous horror flick.

This is one of the worst horror films I have ever seen, and the synopsis is slightly misleading. Yes, a scar-covered creep does stalk the main character, but that's only the first half of the film. Unfortunately, the second half of the film is a complete mess. This film is not original at all. The first half is a copy of When a Stranger Calls (or even Halloween?), while the second half mimics The Omen. There might even be traces of The Exorcist in here somewhere, if you think about it long enough. The ending is also completely ridiculous as it leaves you assuming a sequel is on the way. No thanks.

If youre looking for a cheap horror/slasher movie with over-the-top sound effects, really bad acting, and no plot until the end, then this is the movie to watch. I hate myself for watching it. I really do.

*/*****

1/5 Stars

The Last Airbender ((2010))

In a world ravaged by the Fire nation's aggression toward the peaceful Air, Water and Earth nations, reluctant youth Aang (Noah Ringer) learns that he's an Avatar -- a rare being who can manipulate all four elements and restore peace to the planet. Now Aang must join with his pal Katara (Nicola Peltz) and other allies to fulfill his destiny. M. Night Shyamalan directs this live-action adaptation of the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

I watched the animated version before I watched this version and this version just doesn't do justice to the animated version at all. The story line was just too choppy and there was no character buildup so it was hard to empathize or follow the characters at all. The action was simply there because of the story. The special effects was something else though and it was spectacular. But save yourself and watch the animated series instead. The movie could have been better if was longer or split into two movies instead. Compare this to Lord of the Rings and this movie comes up really short. It could have been another Lord of the Rings epic trilogy had there been better dialog and action.

Has M. Night Shyamalan done it again? No, no he hasn't. Or actually if I look at it from a different point of view, maybe I can say that he has done it again. Based off of his last few movies, which were huge disappointments, The Last Airbender certainly followed suit. With a spectacular trailer and a well-written cartoon series to back it up, it was sad to see that the great storyteller, Shyamalan, did a horrible job at telling the story of The Last Airbender.


**/*****

2/5 Stars

Pervert! ((2005))

While visiting his Bible-thumping yet lecherous father in the desert, randy college student James (Sean Andrews) tries everything he can to hook up with the local curvaceous cuties, but his sex quest stalls when a bloodthirsty killer targets every buxom beauty in sight. Porn star and onetime California gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey stars in this lusty nod to 1960s exploitation films.

This movie would have to get significantly better before it would even be bad. A waste of time and brain cells on so many levels. I will go now and bleach my eyeballs. I mean, I love tits as much as the next guy... but this movie was horrible.... it has a rubber dick and balls with eyes and a mouth as the "bad guy". Yep, I just ruined this movie for you. This movie is brutal. Save yourself from it. The only reason I gave it 1 star was because I like boobs. :)

*/*****

1/5 Stars

Bigger, Stronger, Faster ((2008))

Filmmaker Chris Bell points the camera at his brothers and himself -- all of them users of steroids -- for this thought-provoking examination of sports, competition and the unyielding pressure to succeed. By exploring the reasons behind steroid use and its effects within his own family, Bell asks whether the winning-is-everything attitude that's so prevalent in American society has truly built a better athlete.

This is a very good documentary because it easily passes the two requirements to make a documentary, which are: it must teach you something, and it must be entertaining. In this film, a young man turns the camera on himself and his two brothers to explain how and why young men might be seduced into the lure of steroid use, how our culture played a role into their decisions, and the facts behind these performance enhancing drugs, which we are all aware of, but know so little about. Of course, all of this would be terribly academic if not for the subtle humor and witty diatribes about how conflicted we are when we worship our big, strong celebrities and athletes, then turn on them when we discover they are not actually supermen. This film really worked. It was informative without being preachy, and personal without being weepy. I highly recommend this.

A rather frank view of the hypocrisy toward anabolic steroid use. On one hand we want to say it should be illegal and on the other we give a nod of approval toward other types of performance enhancers. There is a part which was quite sad dealing with the filmmakers brothers and parents who all appear to be swallowed up in the problem that is any type of drug use when it goes from the realm of casual and/or necessary use into addiction. Presents multiple viewpoints in both positive and negative lights which should be the goal of any film calling itself a documentary.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

Stoic ((2008))

Edward Furlong, Shaun Sipos, Sam Levinson and Steffen Mennekes co-star in this sobering psychological drama about three prisoners who torture their cellmate over the course of many long hours, ending in the man's death. But the events leading up to the inmate's crude hanging remain shrouded in shame and mystery. Uwe Boll directs, with a plot based on actual events that occurred in a German prison in 2006.

If you can get past that the prison cell they were in had a door knob, plastic toilet brush, mob and bucket, and all kinds of things just laying around; you might believe they were in an actual jail and not a basic cinder block dorm room on some campus. The characters were confusing and not well defined. I felt no real tie to the victim because he was given no depth other than the other three were picking on him. There were a few reviews that complained about there not being an ending but they missed that you already saw the ending at the beginning! And since you already see how it ends, the director just chose to cut to black and end the movie suddenly. It was ment to be dramatic and cut the viewer off, but instead it just left a majority of peope confused and dissapointed. All in all I gave it 3 stars because it really could of been better, and it could of been worse.

This movie is very different; very intense at times. Three cellmate reaccount the events leading up to a fourth cellmates hanging. This is the kind of movie you want to watch when youre not in a real good mood to start with.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Tenure ((2009))

Despite his outstanding intellect, associate professor Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) is a chronic underachiever and has never received university tenure. Aided by his nutty best friend, Charlie launches a final effort to make the grade at Gray College. But a beautiful new teacher (Gretchen Mol) whose ascending star threatens to eclipse him shakes up Charlie's plans in this charming indie comedy from writer-director Mike Million.

This film was a delight to watch, but did get slow at parts. At parts you did feel a little bored, but something would come up to get your attention back for a bit. It had light humor, but it was a nice chuckle and relaxing. The cast in the film was pretty good. Luke Wilson was decent, but not his best role. Now they needed an actor to play a off the wall weird teacher who is obsessed with bigfoot. So they picked David Koechner, who at first I thought wouldn't fit, but he proved me wrong. Gretchen Mol played the main female role and she did a good job. The film is all about a teacher trying to get tenure. That in itself sounds like a boring piece of work, but luckily they did put some humor in the film. That is basically what David Koechner was for. Some scenes were a bit out of the ordinary, but it really fit with the film. This independent film didn't rely on anything crazy like special effects. Just nice dialog and a decent cast. This would be one of those nice Sunday afternoon movies to watch.

Charming, cute, okay all around. Wouldn't watch it again but I don't regret watching it. A movie that explores the politics of academia, where being a good teacher doesn't necessarily you'll be recognized by your peers as one.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

The Bounty Hunter ((2010))

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is a bounty hunter whose latest gig is rather satisfying, as he finds out that the bail-skipper he must chase down is his own ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) -- but she has no intention of getting nabbed without a fight. Complicating matters, Nicole's wannabe-boyfriend, Stewart (Jason Sudeikis), joins the chase in this high-octane comedy from director Andy Tennant (Hitch).

With so many romantic comedies being released each year, it must be hard to come up with an original storyline. This one has an original storyline. An ex-cop has turned into a bounty hunter to make a living. He is hired to bring in his former wife (Jennifer Anniston) who has jumped bail. The story is about their evolving relationship as he tries to take her to the police station. And, being a romance movie, they end up in a motel (where they celebrated their honeymoon) along the way. It is not an academy award winner. But, to their credit, Gerard Butler and Jennifer Anniston do a decent job of playing their respective roles. And, to comment on another review, Jennifer Anniston does look good in a skirt and high heel shoes. But, it seems to me, a romantic comedy should feature pretty women dressed attractively. I was not offended!

This was a fair movie with a lot of laughs but a little corny, definitely a chick flick.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Feed ((2005))

After uncovering a sexually charged Web site that features morbidly obese women being held captive and taunted with fattening food, Australian cop Richard (Jack Thompson) travels to Ohio to investigate. Viewing the Aussie's appearance as an opportunity for a fun game rather than a reason for him to go offline, the site's sadistic webmaster (Alex O'Loughlin) lures Richard into a dangerous game that's unappetizing, to say the least.

Well, I have to say that this movie was different. To think that this is actually going on in the world makes me sick. And I'm sure that this movie will do the same for most of the viewers. Some parts were really hard to watch, but if you can get through the gross parts, the story is twisted and and you might enjoy.

Superficial plot, horrible writing, subpar acting. The first half of the movie was quite boring, littered with unnecessary sex scenes and dialogue/events that didn't even really make sense. It took 45 minutes for the movie to really pick up, and even after then, it was predictable and bland. This movie goes more for the gore factor than anything else, which I didn't find nearly as severe as other viewers did. This was just another cheesy attempt at a thriller that failed.

**/*****

2/5 Stars

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men ((2009))

Grad student Sara Quinn (Julianne Nicholson) is perplexed by her endless string of romantic failures. Combining work on an anthropological dissertation with her quest for personal answers, Sara interviews an array of men, whose confessions range from banal to bizarre. Actor John Krasinski makes his directorial debut with this quirky comedy based on a collection of short stories by David Foster Wallace.

Interesting point-of-view flick, though it is definitely mislabeled as a romantic comedy. The summary doesn't explain what it's like at all. I thought, by reading the summary, that this would be a light-hearted and possibly cynical commentary about the whole dating/relationship scene, when what you get in reality is a rather depressing slice of Sara's life. A more accurate summary is that Sara is jilted by one man, which makes her feel quite bitter towards males in general. I'm not sure the film stated her original dissertation topic, but I would assume the whole thing was less about her dissertation and more about her trying to find answers for why this guy did this to her. She's a desperate woman who starts out interviewing men who seem ridiculous, but as the film progresses, you start to hear more intriguing stories, and the men become more like characters than caricatures. A student of Sara's provides some critical insight into how even bad things that happen to people can bring light, if you let them. Ultimately, I think this is what lets Sara move on; the really critical monologue belongs to the student, not to John Krasinski at all. Anyway, mislabeled in category, because it was more sad than funny, but interesting. I can't say I highly recommend it, but it was thought-provoking, and the man who talks about his father being the bathroom attendant? That guy was awesome. Great speech, great delivery. He was the best part, and he was only in it for 5 minutes.

In the beginning, this movie is sorta hard to follow, because it jumps from story to story so rapidly. But, that is done so that you get the idea and the background behind every interview and during this, you see the two main characters start to develop. I admit that I didn't follow the beginning very well, but pieces started to fall into place as the movie progressed.

***/*****

3/5 Stars

Noise ((2007))

Desperate for some peace and quiet, New York attorney David Owen (Tim Robbins) takes matters into his own hands. He starts by leaving notes on cars whose owners don't turn off their alarms, but when he's not getting the results he wants, he ups the ante. Soon, he becomes known as "the Rectifier," alternately winning the adulation of citizens and the ire of the mayor (William Hurt). Bridget Moynahan co-stars.

Tim Robbins plays an anti-car alarm extremist and attempts to silence the annoyance rather than accept it as everyday background sound. At first the irritable New York City lawyer vandalizes every offending vehicle he hears outside his apartment window. But after failing to obey the many stiff warnings delivered from an irate judge he's ordered to serve a thirty day sentence behiind bars. Upon release he's greeted by his packed bags and an infuriated wife who kicks him out for not getting a grip on his obsessive anger. Now single again with nothing to lose and fearless, his vigilante campaign escalates, acquires notoriety and becomes known as "The Rectifier". One day while dining out our hero is intruded upon by a sympathizing young Russian girl who encourages the radical to legitimize his fight and draw up a petition to submit in City Hall. She becomes his steady squeeze and together they push for a referendum to ban all car alarms within city limits. An anti-alarm movement begins only to be blockaded by a big-headed buffoonish Mayor played by William Hurt and his brown-nosing chief of staff, William Baldwin. The film has its absurdities and is slightly disjointed but altogether I liked it because I too am a seething hater of all car alarms. This quirky tale obviously makes a statement concerning noise pollution, a trivialized environmental issue but a daily displeasure we just all seem to accept nowadays. This was a funny story with an entertaining message that you just might find appealing.

Good movie, especially if you ran out of ideas on what to watch. The only people who would disagree, would be the people who believe, rediculously, that a car alarm protects their car. Only fault I see in this film is an obscure detour in the plot with only a thread of connectivity to the story line.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

The Brother From Another Planet ((1984))

A humanoid slave from another planet (Joe Morton) escapes to the mean streets of Harlem. The people of the neighborhood are slowly won over by the slave's technical wizardry, and they adopt him as a "brother." His new friends then protect him from the two alien bounty hunters on his tail. A heartfelt look at race and belonging from writer/director John Sayles.

Kinda depressing to learn that advanced life forms are still doing that slave thing. Equally disturbing was the lack of alien subtitles (ha,ha). On the flip side, Brother, although slow moving by today's standards, captivates its audience. We want to know what happens to these characters in the movie. This is a B-movie classic.

I did not hate this movie-- there were a lot of interesting metaphors and what not, and the acting was great-- but it was a bit tedious and depressing. I don't mind the depressing so much because it was a viable part of the message... but I could have done without the tediousness.

***/*****

3/5 Stars

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans ((2009))

Corrupt Det. Terence McDonaugh (Nicolas Cage) -- whose bad habits include pain drugs, reckless sports gambling and accepting sexual bribes -- investigates the murder of five Senegalese illegal immigrants in New Orleans. Co-starring Val Kilmer as McDonaugh's partner, Xzibit as drug supplier Big Fade and Eva Mendes as prostitute Frankie Donnenfield, director Werner Herzog's action drama is a loose update of Abel Ferrara's 1992 film, Bad Lieutenant.

Yes, this movie is independent, it is dark, it is not typical - and all of those things walk a fine line between good and horrible. I was curious, though there were some stretches in characters and story, to find the point of it all. Just when I thought there wasn't one, it reached a conclusion. I was happy with the film being imperfect in it's non-traditional format. Nicholas Cage is somewhat disconnected for me as a main character, but I used my imagination to find the character he was portraying. Lots of sadness in this film, lots of issues, and not a lot of sunshine. If that doesn't scare/bore you, watch away.

I didn't expect much from Bad Lieutenant: New Orleans because I didnt like Harvey Keitel's Bad Lieutenant. But BL:NO was a different kind of movie, and better. Where the first BL was a decent character study, it was of a dreadful, unsympathetic person, and offered no real story. BL:NO is more a fairy tale. Nic Cage is more in form with his younger self, back to the days of Vampires Kiss, and his bad lieutenant, unlike Keitel's, is shown with some decent character that gives us sympathy for him. The movie offers a story, though it strays, and in doing so requires imagination from the viewer. It could be argued that BL:NO is a stoner flick. Impressive improvement over Keitel's Bad Lieutenant.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Centurion ((2010))

In 2nd-century Britain, Roman fighter Quintas Dias (Michael Fassbender) is the lone survivor of a Pictish attack on a Roman frontier post. Eager for revenge, he joins the Ninth Legion -- under General Virilus (Dominic West) -- and journeys north on a mission to destroy the Picts. Writer-director Neil Marshall's rousing sword-and-sandals adventure also stars Olga Kurylenko as the beautiful Pict warrior Etain.

Neil Marshall delivers yet another blood soaked action adventure film. This time, a band of Romans are on the run from some kill crazy Picts. There's plenty of blood, sweat and tears. I can't sing the film's praises, as it's honestly not anything particularly amazing. But it was exactly what I wanted it to be, and for what it was, it was quite good. A great cast of grizzled Brits play the Romans, and both the lovely Olga Kurylenko and wind worn Ulrich Thomsen make for scary Picts. Worth a watch if you want a sword swinging, gut ripping action film.

Come on.... what do we all watch a movie of this type for anyway??? It appeared to me to be a very accurate depiction of life as I have read it to be in the late Roman occupation of the British Isles. It was certainly full of action, bloody battle scenes and other beautiful cinematography. I hope the last line of the story rings true and that it is turned into a serial along the lines of "Blood and Sand".


****/*****

4/5 Stars

Operation: Endgame(Rogue's Gallery) ((2010))

When a government assassin known as The Fool (Joe Anderson) arrives at a classified underground facility for his first day of work, he discovers the boss has been killed. Now, he must uncover the murderer before they all lose their jobs -- or their lives. Stars making appearances in this action-packed comedy include Ving Rhames, Ellen Barkin, Rob Corddry, Bob Odenkirk, Jeffrey Tambor and Maggie Q.

I thought this was a great high-intensity action comedy. The synopsis above is pretty accurate--a new secret agent starts his job and the same day his boss is killed. The two rival squads within the department are competing to figure out who did it and escape with their lives. Its not a serious action flick (like the Bourne Ultimatum, etc.), but its intense enough to keep you interested. It was very zombiemovie-esque. As far as the rating, the language is very heavy, an 8 on a scale of 1-10 (lots of F-bombs). There is also a lot of gruesome killing and blood. Good twist at the end. I like it and I would be interested in seeing it again sometime in the future, but not owning it.

Some viewerS seem to be under the impression that in order to enjoy a movie, you must also subscribe to any political viewpoints that said movie seems to espouse. Well I'm here to tell you not to believe the hype. There's a somewhat heavy-handed political statement that Operation: Endgame tries to make, but whether or not you agree with it, this movie is above all else a comedy, and in that respect it works. As an aside, I continue to be amazed at the common viewing audiences lack of ability to comprehend a plotline that isn't completely spelled out for them. The number of people who stated something to the effect of not understanding the film or not knowing what the film was about makes me weep for humanity.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Rampage (2009)

Dejected by the futility of his tedious life, bitter small-town resident Bill (Brendan Fletcher) takes matters into his own hands by constructing a bulletproof outfit, picking up his semi-automatic weapons and attempting the largest killing spree ever seen. Written and directed by controversial filmmaker Uwe Boll, this ultra-violent action movie features jarring handheld camerawork and original dialogue largely improvised by the cast.

I am not much of a Uwe Boll fan, but I have to admit, this movie was enjoyable to me. There are a few obvious holes in reality in this movie, but by no means enough to make me roll my eyes too much. He did a good job in the first 20 minutes of putting you kind of in the mind set of the character Bill. There is a kind of dark humor in a couple parts too that was enjoyable. For anyone who occasionally stopped playing through the story line in any Grand Theft Auto game, to go on a tirade of mayhem, this should be an enjoyable movie for you.

Pretty good acting. Had some political truth and involvement and it was pretty believable. It was pretty good. I don't condone violence towards innocent people in any way, but he has a point in that the world is scum and needs to be cleaned away of it's dirt. People don't appreciate their everyday lives. The realism is what scared me the most about this movie. Makes you see what rampage people think and go through before hand. Not for the faint of heart.

****/*****

4/5 Stars