Movie Reviews

Things are going down the drain, can't really write about it, I'll do a video blog when I can. Meanwhile I will do a few movie reviews of stuff I've watched to keep my mind occupied.

Rush Hour 3, the 2007 second sequel to the original is one to avoid. Yes, you see Jackie doing his great stunts, but Tucker couldn't be less entertaining and the plot is weak. I will admit the views of Paris are beautiful, but it doesn't make up for the lack of good characters. Hey, even in action movies you need to have a decent story to go along with the flying kicks and bullets.

Bee Movie is a 2007 animated film that has a decent story for kids, but it will probably bore teens. Seinfeld is actually good in the role of Barry the bee and Renee Zellweger as his human "friend" Vanessa. The animation is very good and allows you to immerse into the story quite easily. It does come with an educational message for kids, the importance of animals in the world and the effect of what they do. A great movie to rent for kids, and even for adults, not if you got teens, pick something else to take home for them.

Cloverfield was this year's extremely hyped movie, with reason. It is hard to explain this film to be honest. A monster movie, a love/drama movie? a horror flick? I don't know, there are so many aspects of the movie that are not only well performed by the actors but the great special effects that come at you slowly through the storyline that is hard to explain it. An unnamed monster hits Manhattan which leads a group of friends to face terrifying things, including the death of people close to them. I don't want to give you anything else because it may spoil it, but this is a must see movie in my opinion. A good rent, and certainly a good one to own on DVD.

27 Dresses; ok there is something personal for me in this film. I've loved seeing Katherine Heigl act since her days in the sci-fi tv series "Rosswell" which unfortunately only lasted 3 seasons. Ok, back to the movie. Romance, a bit of comedy and drama, the usual ingredients to a nice chick flick. I will admit the story is not very strong and has a number of weak parts which could have been either improved or completely re-written, but hey, it is what it is. A good rent, maybe a good DVD purchase if you're a romantic sucker like me. The classic perpetual bride's maid who dreams of her own wedding, with a twist, I will say no more.

Superhero Movie, a 2008... oh why bother. If you see this DVD in your house... step on it, burn it and wrap it in a black plastic bag and deny ever hearing or even knowing the movie exists, trust me, I'm doing you a favor.

Wargames: The Dead Code is the 2008 sequel to 1983's "Wargames" in which Mattew Broderick starred as a young hacker that mistakenly access the department of defense network which leads to a dangerous game between him an the computer. The original was and still is a great film to watch. The sequel cannot compare. Characters who are less than believable (I'm being kind here), a weak plot with more holes than swiss cheese, becomes a cheap B-movie at best, and a complete waste of time overall. Don't rent it, don't watch it, unless you really want to waste 2 hours of your time looking at garbage.

Stargate Continuum is the second 2008 direct-to-DVD release of the beloved Stargate SG-1 franchise. This time around, there will be time traveling (yes that was a pun, forgive me). I believe this was the last performance of Don S. Davis as Lieutenant General George Hammond before he passed away, and he will be sorely missed. The following is from the wikipedia entry for the film. "While SG-1 attends a Tok'ra extraction ceremony for Ba'al, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened, hundreds of Goa'uld motherships arrive in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen Qetesh (Vala), and his first prime, Teal'c. The remaining SG-1 members must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld." I saw a screener of it, and it was superb, good special effects, a solid story and of course great acting, what else is expected? a must buy for any science fiction or SG-1 fan, and even if you're not, a great rent.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a charming 2008 fantasy film for all ages. Based on a bestselling series of books, this movie delivers a good story, solid characters and soft toned special effects in which you will see fantastic creatures who are like chameleons hiding in nature. Well, it all starts with a family that has inherited an old house from a distance relative. Mother, daugher and twin sons (which are spectacularly played by the same young actor). One of the twin is resentful at the fact his parents seem to be separated and heading for a divorce. He dislikes the house (to put it midly) and accidentally finds a magical book with secrets written by his ancestor who opens a world of fantasy and danger. A battle for the book ensues between the family and an evil ogre and his minions, where the kids have to learn how to create and use magic to defend themselves and their mother. Certainly a good rental, and I suggest you add it to your DVD buying list if you like fantasy.

Zombie Strippers is a 2008 fun to watch comedy/horror movie. Ok, the title gives away the plot but with Jenna Jameson as a stripper and Robert Englund (famous for his Freddy Krueger character) as the owner of the joint you won't get too bored. This is definitely a b-movie, with somewhat decent special effects (even though some are obviously low budget) and plenty of nudity. It's without a doubt targeted at men who like cheap horror flicks and female nudity, in other words at a large percentage of us out there. A fun rental if you're with a bunch of your male friends bored one friday or saturday night. Don't buy it, unless it's meant to be a gag gift for a friend. Fun to watch, bad to own.

Tomorrow I may do a video blog.