Wednesday, July 8

Movie Reviews (The Motherlode)


There's a lotta movies to review, so I'm gonna keep it short and sweet.

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The Disclaimer
Just because I've watched a movie or enjoyed it doesn't mean that it's for everyone. I don't like raunchy content in a movie and I use the websites, ScreenIt and Kids In Mind, frequently to find out what kind of content is in a movie before I watch it. BUT. Everyone's tolerance level of how much content you'll put up with if the movie's worth watching varies. With that in mind, when I say a movie is good, I'm saying that in an overall sense, and I'm saying that from my perspective. I'm not endorsing it, nor am I saying that the content that is in it is appropriate for all ages. I'd prefer the movie to be clean, but if it's overall worth watching and isn't overly raunchy, I'm able to look past a lot of it.

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Sunshine Cleaning
This was a well-done and enjoyable indie film.
4 of 5.

Henry Poole Was Here
Starring Luke Wilson, this was a great movie. I really liked it and thought he played the role great.
4 of 5.

Wolverine
It was a really good movie, but not quite as good as I was hoping. It started off killer and I was hoping the whole movie would be like that, but it just kinda petered out. There are some sick action scenes and it's more emotionally active than a lot of other action movies, but overall I could only give it...
3.5 of 5.

Bolt
I don't watch many animated movies besides what Pixar does, but this is the first I've seen, maybe ever, that left me feeling like how I do after I watch a Pixar! There are some hilarious part and lines and stinkin' Rhino was an awesome character.
5 of 5.

UP
Man, this is a tough review to write. I always am thrilled out of my mind for a new Pixar movie and this was no different. But it didn't quite do it for me like other ones have. Maybe I just need to see it again or maybe for once my expectations were too high. Generally they get blown out of the water, though. I saw it in 3D which was really cool. Overall it was a great movie, but just not quite Pixar quality in my mind. Pixar, I'm still madly in love with you, but this didn't make any favorites list of mine, but you still deserve...
4 of 5.

Yes Man
Now this was kind of a surprise. I mean, I was hoping it'd be good and the trailer looked funny and all, but you never know with some of these movies nowadays, ya know... I thoroughly got into this one from start to finish and was out and out laughing quite a bit. Jim Carrey's always good, Zooey's super ace, and the band manager from The Flight of the Conchords cracked my funny bone.
4 of 5.

Star Trek
FREAKING AMAZING. GO SEE IT! LONG LIVE J.J. ABRAMS! The end.
10 of 5.

Last Chance Harvey
Ehh. Not bad, but forgettable.
3.5 of 5.

The Son of Rambow
A fun little flick. "I'm alright, Lee Cart-tuh!"
4 of 5.

Love & Death
Woody Allen greatly satisfied me again with this film from 1975. It had some laugh out loud funny parts, especially in the first few minutes, and had very Monty Python-esque humor inspirations throughout.
4 of 5.

Sleeper
Thus ends Woody's streak for me so far. I know he's got tons of movies that I have yet to see, but this one just wasn't very good and it smacked of others I've seen of his.
2 of 5.

The Machinist
Stinkin' trippy. And if you have a weak stomach, don't gaze upon one of the gauntest bodies I've ever seen (Christian Bale). Especially considering Batman Begins was his next movie, his frailty is crazy and hard to watch!
4 of 5.

Revolutionary Road
One of the emotionally heavy movies I've seen in a while, and even more so than I thought it was going to be. BUT... Even if it was a downer and left you worn out after watching, I really did like it and can appreciate the quality filmmaking acting. DiCaprio + Winslet? That's an equation I can be a part of. Oh, and I totally dig Michael Shannon, the guy with the psychologic problems. He was in The Devil Knows You're Dead as well as Shotgun Stories, both of which I loved. He's got a great persona about him and played this quirky role very well.
4 of 5.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Really well done. But really long. REALLY long. And emotionally draining. This is one of those movies where the rating seems to say I really enjoyed it, but it's more so for props of acting and filmmaking, not the movie as a whole.
3.5 of 5.

The Lives of Others
Excellent movie! Watch it! Yeah!
5 of 5.

Valkyrie
RottenTomatoes says it best. To paraphrase, it had a lot of potential, especially historically. It didn't take advantage of that and turn this story into a masterpiece of a film.
3 of 5.

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