After.Life (2009)

After a horrific car accident, Anna (Ricci) wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Neeson) preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death. But Anna's grief-stricken boyfriend Paul (Long) still can't shake the nagging suspicion that Eliot isn't what he appears to be. As the funeral nears, Paul gets closer to unlocking the disturbing truth, but it could be too late; Anna may have already begun to cross over the other side.

I liked this one. Very suspensful all the way to the end, cuz it just keeps you guessing. A few subtle clues are stuck in there to kinda gives things away, but you gotta pay attention and watch out for them. Good performances by Neeson, Ricci and Long. Male fans of Miss Ricci (and maybe some women), will be pleasantly surprised to see that little Wednesday Addams is nekkid through a very large majority of this film. That must have been a challenge for her as an actress. I think she pulled her role off very well. I especially like the creepy scene of the bobblehead turning it's head on it's own!

This was a very good movie. It is extremely confusing if you do not pay close attention to the movie. And sometimes even those clues can contradict themselves but you still have to put A and B together. Definitely worth owning and definitely worth watching as long as you take it for what it is and actually enjoy these kinds of movies.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

The Book of Eli (2010)

Determined to salvage a sacred text in order to protect humanity, Eli (Denzel Washington) goes on a quest across the country in this action-packed sci-fi adventure. Meanwhile, a blind woman named Claudia (Jennifer Beals) tries to protect her daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis). It seems that tyrannical town bully Carnegie (Gary Oldman) has taken a shine to the girl. Directed by the Hughes brothers, the film co-stars Ray Stevenson.

The ending I feel will leave the audience satisfied. The story has a deeper meaning than most people are willing to see. The action is just right, Denzel is at the top of his game. All in all, its a film you may have to watch for the second time to get the jest of the story. Nice job from the Hughes Brothers

I liked the dramatic imagery and music that set the mood for most of the film. Also, the first fight scene particularly, which shows dueling shadows was an original way of portraying an action sequence (I haven't seen many shot like that and I give the makers kudos). Gary Oldman is great in playing his rough, dirty and crazy self. Meg is hot when she's trashed out. Regarding religion, it's paralleled with how Legion is the evangelical's wet dream. The Book of Eli is kind of like that for Southern Baptists. I thought it was a cool movie, especially if you like end of the world stories, but you know it's a bad mofo against the world. He's probably an old testament fan from how he simultaneously hugs and shanks the first guy.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

The Expendables (2010)

Barney (Sylvester Stallone) leads a ragtag band of hired guns charged with overthrowing a South American despot, a job no official military unit is willing to touch. But once on the ground, the team learns there's more to the mission than they were told. Their next move determines whether they survive -- or are, indeed, expendable. Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren and Jet Li round out a stellar cast.

"The Expendables" is a modern-day throwback to the action movies of the 80's and 90's. Action star Sylvester Stallone pulls triple duty as writer, director, and lead star, and does it well. Stallone plays Barney Ross, a hardened war veteran and leader of a group of mercenaries known as The Expendables, consisting of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), the second in command and knives expert; Yin Yang (Jet Li), a martial arts expert; Toll Road (Randy Couture), the team's hand to hand combatant; Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), the team's weapons and demolitions expert; and Dolph Lundgren, a sniper that often gets in fights with Yin Yang. When a rouge CIA agent (Eric Roberts) and his bodyguard, Paine (Steve Austin), team up with South American dictator Garza (David Zayas), The Expendables go out on a mission to kill them-- in the most brutal and entertaining way possible. All the actors are good here, with Statham being the scene stealer. The script is decent, and while it isn't strong, the jokes are good and the film rarely runs dry. However, it should be noted that Jet Li, while marketed as a main star, takes more of a back seat to Stallone, Statham, and Roberts, and isn't in the movie as much as you think. Steve Austin doesn't really do anything but stand around until the end of the movie, and Gisele Itie's character is so bland that she could have been cut from the entire script without much change. Mickey Rourke pops up in a few scenes as a retired Expendable, and Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger make small cameos in a slightly forced but cool scene, which ends with a great joke at Arnold's expense. In the end, it's a fun flick that is worth the money.

This is one flick that has one target audience and if you are in that audience then you should really enjoy. If you are into non-stop action that never gives you a chance to come up for air then this is the movie for you. This is not a date night movie. This is a flick to watch with your friends, the more people you watch it with, the more fun you will have. Terry Crews' shotgun and Dolph Lundgren's dry sarcastic method acting steal the show. Sly proves he is still Sly at 63 years young. Statham is Statham and if you are a fan of his you will enjoy. Can't say too much about the plot because all I remember is the action that includes some pretty decent fights and some really nice gun play. Recommended for fans of action, and for those who want to have fun while watching a film without having to think too much.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

Seventh Moon (2008)

Blair Witch co-creator Eduardo Sanchez continues to strip away his characters' sense of ease and confidence in his third film, which captures the horrors that befall a pair of newlyweds honeymooning in China. Melissa (Amy Smart) and Yul (Tim Chiou) are enjoying the Hungry Ghost Festival immensely, but their hosts think they're enjoying it too much. Soon, the couple is abandoned in the middle of nowhere -- but they're far from being alone.

The story is interesting enough that this film could have been much better. Instead the lead characters lacked common sense and the villagers weren’t believable. The shaky camera ruined the creepy, isolated atmosphere and the ending is underwhelming. In the end, this film is more annoying than entertaining. I was looking for a zombie-type of film... and was very mislead. I should've known since it starred Amy Smart... some Asian people... and the "Puddies" from Power Rangers!

I wanted to give this three stars for the story itself, but so many other things ruined this film for me. First off...TOO DARK!! What is the matter with these filmmakers? I don't think it's fair that I have to either turn up the brightness on my t.v. set, or invest in a pair of night vision goggles every time I wanna watch a film that has potential, but not enough freakin' light! I like Amy Smart in her other films, but I had to skip over alot of this movie, cuz the other annoying thing was the shaky camera. I felt like I was watching 'The Blair Witch Project' all over again, only DARKER!! Geez, what a disappointment next to the other 'Ghost House Underground' films that were waaaay better. Skip this one, and check out 'The Thaw', 'Offspring', and especially 'The Children' instead!


**/*****

2/5 Stars

The Road (2009)

In a post-apocalyptic world in a near future, a man and his young son wander heading to South seeking good people through destroyed roads. Along their journey, they hide themselves from cannibal survivors and seek supplies in the debris of houses and stores. They have one revolver with two shells for self-protection or for an ultimate decision of committing suicide. The man recalls the good moments of his life with his wife and begins to lose his humanity while his son pushes him to help and old man and a thief. When they reach the beach, the boy has to decide his fate.

THE ROAD is a mostly quiet, ever somber and extremely bleak journey of 2 people struggling to survive in a world gone awry. (Much of this looks like it was shot in PA. In fact, one of the end sequences was shot in my neck of the woods at Conneaut Lake Park. You'll see a large, broken sign.) There's no sun, no vegetation, and essentially no food. One thing there's plenty of is cannibalism but that's mostly hinted at rather than shown. There are several "GOTCHA" moments that will make your heart race, but THE ROAD is more about the will to survive and what being human means rather than trying to gross you out or to scare you. I think many people looking for a horror film or thriller will stagger out of the theater like those scavenging for food in the movie but for the rest of us there is plenty to gnaw on. BOTTOM LINE: Stays on the path leading to good entertainment. Everyone that knows me knows that post-apocalyptic is my favorite category for a movie!

Get ready for a gruesome, dreary, dark, depressing, sad, horrific, gut wrenching glimpse of post apocalyptic life in the not too distant future. I haven't read the book so I have no baseline other than what the film offered. Acting is excellent. Cinematography is excellent. It is basically a journey from point A to point B keeping an eye open for cannibals passing along the roads. I had a hard time believing all life on Earth had been wiped out except for rag-tag bands of humans with nothing at all left to eat. The film delivers a message and will briefly open your eyes to how good our lives are and what we all take for granted.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

The Runaways (2010)

Dakota Fanning stars in this musical biopic as Cherie Currie, lead singer of the 1970s all-girl rock group the Runaways, whose meteoric rise up the charts was saturated with drugs and other excesses of the era. Though the Runaways start out as a novelty act, the rock 'n' roll chops of Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) and the other girls lift the group to international stardom. Floria Sigismondi directs.

I though this movie was very good, but the title of The Runaways is kind of misleading it focused mainly on Cherie and Joan. I was a little curious about "the rest of the story". A new respect for Dakota Fanning as an actress after seeing this film. she was awesome.

It's a little disturbing to see Dakota Fanning as a sex symbol since we have seen her as a little girl just a little while ago but once you get over that its not so bad. Excellent teen film, but not really telling the story of the Runaways the way it should. Dakota Fanning is really good in this film though and Kristen Stewart is not to shabby either. Michael Shannon is hilarious in this film. If you like Dakota and Kristen, this is a must see.


***/*****

3/5 Stars

She's Out of My League (2010)

Kirk is an average Joe who works as a TSA agent at the Pittsburgh airport with his friends. The status quo of his fairly monotonous life ends when he meets Molly, a smart, kind and gorgeous blonde. Because she's way out of his league (she's a hard 10 and he is but a 5), Kirk knows there's no way on earth she's ever going to fall for him. Or is there...?

I expected a raunchy, silly sex comedy, but "She's Out of My League" was a actually a funny and sweet romantic comedy that is a bit smarter than the ads let on. Jay Baruchel plays Kirk, a genuine nice guy thats a bit down on his luck in the love department. Alice Eve is Molly, a Hard 10 on the scale of hotness, looking for someone nice and a bit safe after her last breakup. A chance meeting at an airport sets up the two on a date. When the pair start dating, their friends start wondering if the two can last since there is such a space between the tow At best Kirk is a 6... What happens could have been a by the numbers comedy, but the smart scripts works, and the cast is excellent. The supporting players make this movie work really well and the two leads are perfect in their roles. Alice Eve is very pretty, but has the acting chops to make you really like her character. Jay Baruchel is becoming one of my favorite actors. Between his voice work on How to Train your Dragon, and his other movie appearances, Baruchel is becoming one of the better young actors out there. This is a great funny movie. Light enough for a fun afternoon viewing, but it has heart enough that you at least think a moment about relationships and how folks get along.

Giving four stars to a date film like this is not my pattern but I'm rating it for how much I liked it, and I truly did. Kirk is an airport security guard and a nerd. He's always wanted to be a pilot, but this is as far as he's likely to get. He has three friends who work with him, all nerds like him. His girlfriend Marnie, whom Kirk always considered at least an 8-1/2 but whom his friend "Stainer" thinks is skanky, has just broken up with him - yet Kirk's family inexplicably still treat her like a daughter/sister, and include her AND her new man in all their family doings, yet. (The family, incidentally, includes a boor of a father, a loutish brother, and the brother's common (and pregnant) fiance...Kirk may be a dork, but he and his mom - sometimes - are the only mannered people in the family.) Into the airport comes the perfect 10 woman, Molly, who has occasion to meet Kirk when he delivers to her something she left behind when his friends were falling all over themselves to give her a pat-down search. Molly is not only a 10 in looks, she's a 10 in heart too - a beautiful girl who has generosity of spirit to spare, without the ego and entitlement feelings of similar females. The story of how she and Kirk haltingly begin a relationship, with the oafs in his family, the snobs in hers, and Kirk's friends giving sideline grief makes for many laughs. The ex-girlfriend Marnie also plays a pivotal role, becoming jealous when she sees the interest such a girl as Molly has in the man she dumped. (And I loved the scene where Kirk's family, including Marnie and her new but now less desirable guy, file into the airport leaving for Branson wearing identical school bus-yellow sweatshirts proclaiming, "Branson Bound!") There are a couple of hilarious scenes involving shaving scrotal hair and being over-stimulated while still fully clothed that donate to the film's R rating. Jay Baruchel is perfect as the diffident but endearing Kirk and has a lot of talent backing him up.


4/5 Stars

****/*****