Toy Story 3 (2010)

In this installment of the hit Pixar animated adventure, toy cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), his astronaut pal, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and their friends cope with their owner's departure for college -- and their new home in a daycare center. Lee Unkrich directs this family film that features the voices of Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Ned Beatty, Jodi Benson and Estelle Harris.

I was a bit skeptical at first, as Disney sequels tend to get worse as they go. However, Disney and Pixar did not disappoint in this 3rd and final chapter. They ended the series remarkably well. You'll laugh, you'll cry, just an all-around good movie. While it does not top the first movie, it's better than the second. As for those warning of scary scenes, I found it no worse than the scenes in Sid's room in the first movie. I'm anxiously awaiting for all three movies to be released in a boxed set!

Another Great Pixar film with the now expected amazing animation. With the original Toy Story, Pixar pushed the boundaries of computer generated animation, and Toy Story 3 keeps to that high standard. Great story, with humor, suspense and heart.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

Leaves of Grass (2009)

Edward Norton stars in this quirky tale centered on a respected Ivy League professor who's lured back to Oklahoma to help his equally brilliant twin brother -- who grows the world's finest hydroponic marijuana -- best a big-time pot pusher (Richard Dreyfuss). Writer-director Tim Blake Nelson co-stars in this oddball crime comedy alongside Keri Russell, Lucy DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Steve Earle and Ty Burrell.

Erudite dramedy written and directed by Nelson, with Norton handling two leading roles as identical twin brothers, starts out strong, stays interesting, but fails to pack an emotional punch even when devolving into inexplicably violent chaos. Bill is the "good" twin who left his drug-damaged family behind in Oklahoma to become a rising-star East Coast academic specializing in classical philosophy. He makes sense of the world by adhering to intellectual principles and an austere moral code. That falls apart when he gets a phone call that his equally intelligent but irresponsible drug dealing "bad" twin brother Barry has been murdered and Bill goes home to face his demons. Sarandon, as the twins' mother, Lynskey, as Barry's pregnant girlfriend, and Russell, as Bill's love interest, are charming in their small roles. Dreyfuss chews the scenery as a crime boss posing as a respectable businessman. Norton and Nelson, as Barry's buddy/partner in crime, carry the movie pretty well despite a painfully contrived plot. Too clever for its own good, the ending does close the circle but would have benefitted from editing or additional dialogue to reinforce its reflection of concepts discussed in the film's beginning. Recommended for fans of the Coen Brothers and modern film noire as an interesting diversion and hopefully a preview of more to come from Nelson.

The point of this movie must be an inside joke of Oklahoma born, Jewish actor/director Tim Blake Nelson, who also stars in this movie. Although, I enjoyed the movie, I don't think it was impactful or entertaining enough to be worth almost 2 hours of my time.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Frozen (2010)

Three friends hit the slopes for a weekend of skiing and snowboarding. But when they convince the chairlift operator to let them take one last run before closing, Parker (Emma Bell), Joe (Shawn Ashmore) and Dan (Kevin Zegers) find themselves stranded in midair, alone and freezing. It'll be days before anyone returns to the slopes, and their chances of survival are looking slimmer by the minute. Adam Green directs this taut thriller.

I thought I already reviewed this movie... but I can't find it anywhere. Here's another if I didn't do it the first time! Totally absorbed into the mountainous ski resort. The score was set beautifully along with the intense realism of a nightmare the characters must endure. Made me think twice about going on a ski lift after dark again.

A surprisingly decent suspense film. The basic premise: three friends take the last lift chair up the mountain for one last ski run before the lifts close for the week. The lift stops halfway up the hill stranding them. Considering the narrow parameters of the plot it was surprisingly entertaining and I didn't feel the need to fast forward through anything.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

After their car breaks down while in Germany, Americans Lindsay (Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) wind up at a remote villa -- and soon find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Dr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser) kidnaps them for his demented experiment to create a human "centipede." The plan includes removing their kneecaps so they must walk on all fours, then surgically connecting them to a Japanese man to create a bizarre human chain.

So you're sitting around with your friends, and come up with a crazy idea, and say "wouldn't it be a completely disturbing movie if..." Well, rather than just forgetting about it the next day, Tom Six actually made that movie. It takes a single gruesome premise, and builds an entire film on that concept. It does have its flaws, such as a basic story line, and its low budget shows through in spots. But, if you like disgusting horror, it's worth seeing.

Words can't describe this movie. Some things you can't un-see. Don't read the description or let anyone tell you anything about this movie. Just go into it knowing it will be disturbing. This is one of those movies that uses shock instead of story.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Old Dogs (2009)

On the verge of a game-changing business deal, a divorced dad (Robin Williams) and his womanizing best friend and partner (John Travolta) are thrown for a loop when they're tasked with caring for a rambunctious pair of 6-year-old twins. Helmed by Walt Becker, this family comedy also stars Seth Green, Kelly Preston, Matt Dillon, Rita Wilson and Bernie Mac, in his final big-screen appearance.

Fun friendship movie. Dont expect too much, it is just simple comedy! Great for John Travolta and Robin Williams fans, especially! Enjoy

The movie wasn't as great as I thought it would be. I like John Travolta and Robin Williams, but felt the movie could have been better. Enjoyed the park scenes best of all.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

Bullet Points: Call Of Duty Black Ops

Five things you should know about the season’s most anticipated video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops hits shelves today—which is good because you’ve been itching to (virtually) shoot stuff lately. Black Ops is arguably the most-anticipated game of the holiday season, but if you’re hesitant to pull the trigger, here are five things you should know:

1.) It Stars the Terminator - To voice the main character, Mason, the game's producers went with Terminator: Salvation star Sam Worthington. That means your avatar sounds like the guy from Avatar!

2.) JFK Battles Zombies - The multiplayer zombie fight mode, seen in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War, finally returns! But this time they've upped the awesome by setting the undead attack at the Pentagon, where Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro and John F Kennedy are having a secret meeting—until they're besieged by the walking dead. This fact-based incident has for some reason never shown up in history books.

3.) Off'em in 3D - Black Ops is one of the first titles to include out-of-the-box 3D, and its effects are impressive. Great news for all 10 of you who own 3D-capable TVs, eh?

4.) Like the game? You can buy the RC car - The $150 Black Ops: Prestige Edition comes with an actual remote-controlled spy car modeled after one seen in the game’s multiplayer mode. The tiny vehicle transmits video and audio back to its wireless controller. This makes it perfect for the new real-life game you’ve just created, Call of Duty: Slumber Party Surveillance.

5.) Like the game? You can buy the REAL car - In a cross-promotion, Jeep is selling a 2011 Black Ops Edition Wrangler, which looks like the black Jeep seen in the game and has Black Ops graphics on the sides and roof. This is perfect for the gamer who a) loves Black Ops and b) has absolutely no idea what it is about cars that impresses women. HOO-rah!