Cat at the Movies

Returning to Normal

2011-07-14T21:14:00.000-04:00

Things should return to a normal schedule Monday. As my 56 hour work weeks will settle back to 40 for a while. So far behind, I need to catch up!

Work.

2011-07-08T16:36:00.000-04:00

I have a few articles that I'm working on, however I've been working midnight shift 6/7 days of the week and i've just fallen behind on getting things finished. I'm sorry. Between now and Monday I'll have Friday Five, Bad Teacher, and Horrible Bosses posted.

Thanks for the patience, but I have to pay the bills first!

Friday Five (a bit late) 5 worst sequels!

2011-07-02T16:44:00.003-04:00

We'll kick off the Friday Five with a look at some sequels, and in my opinion the five worst. I'm sorry for being a day late, but my work schedule just didn't allow for an update yesterday. There are so many to choose from, it was sort of hard to narrow the list to five, but here's my best go at it. Curious as to what made the cut? Hit the read more jump and find out!

#5) Speed 2: Cruise Control.

I wasn't a huge fan of Speed, but in 1994 it earned over 350 million dollars, so even though nearly everyone involved with the project saw it as a one shot story, Fox announced a sequel was in the works just a week after Speed opened, and they expected Bullock and Reeves to just jump right back in with no question. Several ideas were tossed around for the script, but what was finally settled on was a script based on a recurring nightmare that the direct had about a cruise ship crashing onto an island. Reeves refused to come back based on the script being absolutely terrible, and Jason Patrick was put in his place. Saddled with a terrible story, no sense or feel of danger, no chemistry between the leads, and the worst prologue (with Tim Conway) that was tossed in so that Bullock's character could explain away Keanu's absence, this film captured none of the magic of the original. One interesting thing I've heard over the years is that the central story for Speed 2 was originally intended to be part of a Die Hard sequel, but that is just rumor.

#4) Weekend at Bernie's II.

Really? Talk about beating a dead horse. In Weeked at Bernie's II we have the major cast intact at least, but what we get in return is a horrible story, not so great performances, voodoo, and blood of a virgin. The only thing to really come from this film was the Bernie Dance (5 million views?!) Warning, there is adult language in the following video.

#3)The Sting II.

The Sting II makes the at number 2, mostly because of how I feel about it in relation to The Sting, which is one of my all time favorite films. No amount of money was bringing back Redford or Newman, although they broke the bank to bring back David S. Ward. as the writer. I love Jackie Gleason, but he is just simply bored in this film. The characters are intended to be the same from the first, but somehow Hooker has a boxing background never mentioned in the first film. I've heard this described away as "not a direct sequel, so there was retroactive continuity changes." I'm not sure why this film was even made if nobody wanted to return in the first place. If you could get the original cast coming back, that's one thing. But to recast, change continuity, and try to present a film is a recipe for disaster

#2) Batman & Robin.

Ugh is about all I have to say. This is still the last film that I have walked out on (and yes, I have since watched the entire move, more than once trying to find a way to make it better), and I love all things Batman. From nipples on the batsuit, to the hundreds of Mr. Freeze puns. This film killed a franchise, and really killed comic book movies for a long time. It's almost as if it were intentionally bad, as if it were meant to be totally camp, and sometimes I wonder if that is the actual case. That Shumacher purposefully made the film as bad as he could, for people to laugh. Or maybe he wanted to just kill off the franchise. Or maybe a young Christopher Nolan and sent him a letter offing him riches in the furture, if he made the film as horrible as possible so that it could be fully rebooted in the future. I've read articles where Marvel execs say that Batman and Robin was the most IMPORTANT comic movie ever made, because it demanded a new way of doing things. Wonder how DC felt about that. It allowed Marvel to start creating adaptions of X-Men and Spiderman, that connected and respected the source material. Here is a quote from the writer of Batman and Robin, Avika Goldsman. "What got lost in Batman & Robin is the emotions aren't real. The worst thing to do with a serious comic book is to make it a cartoon. I'm still answering for that movie with some people."

#1) Caddyshack II.

in my Hangover 2 Review, I pretty much stated that they had tried to make the same move again. At least in that film they had the same cast, and that was a large help to that film being a success. Not so much the case in Caddyshack II. Caddyshack was one of my favorite films as a child. I grew up with 3 TV stations plus PBS. When Caddyshack was on, it was an event. Mom would make pizza, and it was one of the few times that we did anything as a family, and laughed and had a good time. It holds a special place for me. I was So exited when I saw a TV ad for Caddyshack II. Then I saw Caddyshack II, talk about a total non event.

We get Jackie Mason (in Rodney Dangerfield's role) trying to get into a country club. The snooty club leader Robert Stack (in the GREAT Ted Knight's role) blocks the attempt, and well, then you have Dan Akroyd (in Bill Murray's role) chasing around a gopher, while Chevy Chase (in Chevy Chase's role) splashed all over the place with jokes that just do not work.

Nearly making the list. The Whole Ten Yards, Matrix films 2 and 3, Odd numbered Star Trek Films, Teen Wolf Too, and The Next Karate Kid. Also, Yes I know Highlander 2 is missing from the list, but that is a film that deserves an entire post to itself. Also missing is Blues Brothers 2000, why is that? Because it seems to be on EVERY list, and I happen to LOVE The Blues Brothers, it was another "event' movie at my home, I can remember watching it with dad over and over again, it turned me onto a style of music I may have otherwise not found such respect for, because I found it at such a young age. Though the original film, I also turned other friends onto the Blues, and the Blues Brothers. As for the sequel, no it's not the best movie ever, but it is this, its about the music. And that's what a Blues Brothers movie should be about. Maybe I'm too easy on it, but I find it to be a love letter from Dan Akroyd, to the music, and to his long lost friend John Belushi. And hey, at least we got John Goodman, and NOT Jim Belushi.

And there you have my first Friday Five. Day late and a dollar short, sort of like the films mentioned here.

The Braden

2011-06-30T19:44:00.002-04:00

One of the hardest things for me about living in this part of Maine is not having a lot of conveniences around that I am used to. I've always lived in an area with multiple multiplex cinemas within an hour of where I lived, making it easy to see any film no mater how small or limited the release. When I originally moved to Fort Kent, Maine I had only one multiplex, and that was in Presque Isle, a little more than an hour away. It didn't have the features of any cinema that I was used to having around, but I learned to adjust.

After leaving the state for a few years, I returned to find that the cinema had closed, but the original downtown cinema had been renovated, and was operating 3 screens. I was crushed. Nearly all of the towns that have cinemas here are just dreadful places to see a movie. Caribou has a theater, and I hate to be mean because I do see a movie there from time to time, but I dread it. The picture quality, and sound just do not meet the standards that I am used to, and that films require in today's world. And I had assumed that The Braden would be no different. I understand that the population is limited here, so it isn't viable for a theater to invest in top of the line equipment, but in Caribou, some of the screens have such limited sound that its actually hard to hear the film sometimes.

I love everything about going to a movie, the popcorn, the drinks, seeing a film with a large group of people, it's the entire experience that I enjoy, not just the film. So I decided to give The Braden a chance, and see what it's like, and man, I am SO glad that I did.

From the outside, it looks like a classic old style downtown cinema, and I love that they have kept that look. The theaters on the inside are the classic style seating, the screens are beautiful and the sound and projection equipment are so much better than I could have hoped for. It's obvious form the moment you walk in the door, that the people that operate The Braden, operate it with class.

The concessions are well priced, all shows are $5.00, what more could a person ask for. Admission, large popcorn, Large coke, 12 bucks. I was used to typically paying 10 bucks just to get in the door, with a large Coke costing $4.50, and another $6.00 or so for a large popcorn. They had won me over before I even stepped foot into the screening area.

The staff at The Braden has to be one of the nicest, friendliest, fun bunch of people I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Even during the maximum stress times, everyone is polite, and focused on your needs, totally unlike any chain that I've ever been to. They are a major reason that I've fallen in love with this theater. Anytime I have ever had a concern, they are easily approachable at the theater, or reachable on Facebook, and always take the time to reply, and help you to see things from their prospective as well.

Once inside, I noticed that the screens were in great shape, and large enough to properly present a film. They use a platter system, and I know that the new fad is digital, but that's just not for me, so looking up and seeing a platter style projector really made me happy. All of my fears had been erased within 20 minutes of arriving, and while I had grown used to stadium seating, and feared that I would not be able see with classic seating, I was proven wrong again. I actually prefer the way The Braden is configured, the feeling of watching the movie with a large group comes though so much better with the classic arrangement, you can see and hear and feel the reactions, which to me adds so much to the presentation. The chairs are comfy, the sound is so much better than any other place around.

It's obvious to me that the owners of the place truly care about their business. And while the goal of every business is to make money, this theater isn't just a cash grab to take advantage of a lack of entertainment in the town. While the major mainstream movies find there way to The Braden most of the time, they do also offer films that are more limited in release, and not just "blockbusters" I get the feeling that not only do the owners want to bring film and entertainment to the area, they also want to bring a bit of culture and show some different aspects and styles of film making.

The Braden has reignited my love and passion for film, and my enjoyment of it. There is still a place in my heart for the multiplex, and IMAX screens, and there are movies that I will want to experience that way and will travel as far as I have to (6 hours or so to find IMAX in the state of Maine form here, but Transformers IMAX is totally worth the drive) but I wouldn't trade The Braden for a multiplex in town. I'm there so often that it just feels like family now and that's something any multiplex has never been able to provide.

Thank you VERY much Dow family, and Dow Theater Company, you are very much appreciated around here!

Inception Revisited.

2011-06-30T17:40:00.004-04:00

Before I get started, if you have not seen Inception, there WILL be spoilers after the jump, so don't click "Read More" if you don't want to be spoiled!

Today (though not part of the normal schedule, the Wednesday release of Transformers threw things off) we will go with a film that has had its theatrical run, and has been released on DVD. Inception seemed to be last summers most awaited movie, possibly last years most awaited movie. I remember being excited, and honestly losing sleep the nights before the release. Not that I was building expectations in my head that it couldn't live up to, I just had no idea what to expect from this film. Inception opened to fantastic reviews, and after over 8k reviews on rotten tomatoes, still has an 86% and a 93% audience rating, which makes this review really tough for me, because I really didn't enjoy this movie, and I know I'm in the minority here.

There is nothing terribly wrong with Inception. The performances are fantastic from everyone involved, there are emotional reasons to care about Leonardo DiCaprio's character Dom Cobb, not being able to see his children, and why he can't return. The story is well thought out, and I like the fact that something so complex and demanding is wrapped up in a heist style action story to help keep you focused. But the movie is so cold, so dry, and to me it has the emotional stimulation equal reading a phone book, or listening to Ben Stein give a 150 minute lecture on the economy. I wanted to like this movie, I've watched it multiple times thinking maybe I just wasn't getting it. As it turns out, that was not the case, I "get it" it just doesn't get me.

Our story is about Dom Cobb, who extracts information about various corporations through his targets dreams, with the help of his researcher and point man Arthur, (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) Cobb's work has become quite perilous with the appearances of his dead wife Mal coming from deep within his subconscious memories.

Japanese businessman named Saito, wants to hire Cobb for one last job, and promises upon completion, he will help him to be able to be reunited with his children and able to return to the United States. What follows is vast amounts of exposition, detailing the differences in time in the dream world, and the reality world. Five minutes of 'real' time equals an hour in dream time, and for each level (dream in a dream) deep you travel, the dream time is exponentially increased.

As we travel though the various dream levels, director Christopher Nolan creates able to create 'mini' adventure movies, inside of his heist film, one of which is an alpine adventure straight out Her Majesty's Secret Service. Mal starts to turn up in the different episodes of the dream, and threatens the entire operation. One of my favorite parts of the film, upon reaching the conclusion, all of the dream levels begin crashing down on top of each other resembling the toppling of a house of cards. That was just amazing to watch, and just altogether brilliant.

The ending though is what everyone seemed to talk about in the weeks after the release of Inception. Now I've tried to not spoil the details of the various parts of the movie, and present just an overview of the actual goings on in case someone clicked the jump to read more. My reason for picking inception for this article, was to discuss the ending, so one last warning, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Saito is portrayed in the film as a VERY powerful and connected man, and he's promised Cobb that with one phone call, he can clear up all of his problems, and he can return to the States and be with his children. After Cobb and Saito awake, that appears to be the case, and we see Cobb with is children, who look like they are dressed in the same outfits as in his memories. Through the film Cobb is obsessed with his totem, which was originally Mal's totem, and is always spinning to see if it topples over (if it says spinning, then he is in the dream world.

Cobb gives the top a spin, and walks away, and the camera shows the top spinning, it appears as if its about to possibly fall, and we cut to the credits. People are left to theorize what happened.

To me there is only one thing important about the ending of Inception.   Cobb spins the totem, and walks away to his children. To me, he has accepted reality as whatever makes him happy, and being with his children is what he wants as his reality.   I also believe that is what we are to take from the film. Was the last scene a dream about being reunited with his children? If that's the ending that makes you happy, then yes, accept that as the 'reality' of the ending. Do you prefer that Saito was able to reunite Cobb with his children, and his problems are solved? That's fine too! The reality of the ending that makes you happy, is all that matters.

I think that puts a nice little bow on an otherwise cold film. The visuals are outstanding, the dream episodes are fleshed out well, and work as 'movies within a movie' each effecting the success of the next. But I just could not drudge up the emotional connection to Cobb, Mal, and his children. Most reviews refer to this as intellectually stimulating, but I really do not get that from this movie. Everything you need to know, is explained in the continuous exposition, that seems to never stop. It's almost as if they are deathly afraid of losing you, and don't trust you to follow along. Being told step by step by characters in the movie what is going on is not stimulating at all, and doesn't force you to really follow as closely as you would, if it were up to you to discover certain aspects of the film as it goes along. The film is complex in its conception, but pretty basic in its execution. It's basically the gun for hire, coming back for one last job with the promise of his previous actions being forgiven upon completion. The only part where you are left to ponder and that stimulates intellectual conversation is the ending, but I think I've found a pretty good way to look at it.

   Again, I am in the vast minority of people who didn't really enjoy this film, and I don't want to turn you away from it, I know several people who have it as one of their absolute favorites.I just think this would have been a much better book.

No star ratings for DVD's   I'll give them letter grades. For this one i'm going to give more than one.

Conception of an idea, and bringing a new idea to the stage for once? A+ I love the idea of hte movie, and the fact that the studio let it happen (of course, Dark Knight had a bit to do with this)

   Execution C The firs act is so slow for me, that it turns me off to the rest of the film.

Upcoming Features.

2011-06-29T09:14:00.000-04:00

I've been mulling over some plans for the blog, as I want to do more than just new release reviews, I'm sure that would get boring for the readers after a while. I think I'm going to throw in a mix of things I've ran across from visiting some of the LAMB blogs.

New release reviews will be posted as I see them. I do have some catching up to do with the summer since I started blogging a few weeks late. Monday's will start to feature a Film Favorite from my past, Wednesday will hopefully be DVD day, since most DVDs hit the market in Tuesdays. Friday may (most likely will) contain new release reviews, (although maybe not this week since I've already seen Transformers: Dark of the Moon. But Friday will also feature something I saw on some other sites. Five Friday Favorites, and I'll try to come up with a new theme every Friday and do a top five list. This sounds like a great idea now, but I'm not sure limited it may become in the future idea wise, but it is something I want to try. Tuesday will have SOME TV Tuesday posts. I don't watch a lot of television but, it would give me a chance to talk about Doctor Who! But don't look for that to be a regular piece.

If the site continues to grow, I would like to maybe add a guest author for a different opinion, but we shall see where things go.

Thanks again for the support of the launch!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011-06-27T21:46:00.003-04:00

★★★★★★★☆☆☆
One thing that is supposed to set me apart from other sites that review movies, is that I don't have an agenda. I don't have the connections that a lot of other sites have, I don't get to interview the directors, or cast. I'm just a guy given a voice by the internet that maybe ten people read.    That being said, I can say that I liked Transformers, and I also liked the Transformers 2 IMAX version. No, these are not movies that I watch over and over again. There were multiple eye rolling moments in the second film, especially some of the horrific attempts at comedy, but they were fun, summer popcorn action movies. We are now at Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which should be the last Michael Bay Transformers film, and I am here to tell you, it is BY FAR the best of the series.
The tone of this film is a lot different than the previous two. For the first time in the series it feels as if it's a no win situation. Things are bad, very bad. There is a lot of deception in this film, a lot of "backstabbing" but once all of the pieces fall into place, the last hour of this film is packed with some of the most incredible visuals that you have ever seen.

   Dark of the Moon was filmed fully in 3d, using technology, and cameras (and crew) used in Avatar, and even some advice thrown in from James Cameron on using it. While the action is fast and furious, it seems to be a beat slower, allowing the scenes to flow a lot better, and while I did not see the 3d version, I'm sure that extra beat allows the 3d to look crisp instead of just a blur.

We start off, with the typical Transformers prologue recounting the war for Cybertron, letting us in on the real reason for the "space race" with the USSR, and boom we are in the present time and off and running. Sam Witwicky is out of college and struggling to find a job. Optimus Prime and the autobots are still working with the US Military (NEST) and looking and waiting for Decepticons. There is a LOT more going on here but, I don't want to ruin it.

I am trying to remain spoiler free for this review, because there is actually a plot to this Transformers film, wth some twists and turns and I don't want to ruin these important moments of the film before its released.

What I will say is this, the sense of danger is real in this film. The stakes are raised, and the Decepticons are for once, Decepticons. What i mean by that is they are actually scary for once. You feel that there is actually some consequence in this film. Something missing from the first 2. The invasion of Chicago (seen in the trailers) is truly something to see, and that alone is worth seeing this movie.

Some of the unwanted comedy breaks are still there. And I understand they are there for you to catch your breath before the next major set piece, but some of it is just SO bad, that it pulls you right out of the world of the film, which to me is the biggest mistake you can make in a movie. Ken Jeong, and John Malkovich's scenes are more awkward than funny, the autobot comic relief, while not NEARLY as bad as the twins from Revenge of the Fallen is still pretty bad (but not as bad as you would think from the tv ads.   Kevin Dunn, and Julie White are both back as Sam's parents, but their screen time is much less than before, thank goodness. Frances McDormand is good in her role as National Intelligence Director. The Humans again in this film just fail to be interesting to me. I said in my Super 8 review, when you want to create the feeling of danger, and doom, it really only works if you truely care about the characters, and still in this film, other than Sam, I don't really have any connection to the human characters. Sam's scenes with Bumblebee are more moving than any scene he has with Carly. John Turturro returns as Agent Simmons (this is the second film in a row he's been in for me) Again his screen time is cut, but I still find his character here unfunny and a total waste of his talent. Patrick Dempsey though is pretty good in his role as Carly's boss, Dylan. He really ramps up the sleaze here. Shia Labeouf is better in this film than the previous two, and takes a step toward heroic versus just being the human connection to the Autobots, still though, the only human character worth caring about. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is just terrible in this film. I never thought I'd find myself missing Megan Fox (although Bay does take a shot at her, that's not so subtle). I could go on for paragraphs about how terrible she is, but I think you get the picture. She's just bad.

On the Robot front, Leonard Nimoy is fantastic as Sentinel Prime. There are even some Star Trek references that will get a grin out of some of us geeks. And of course Peter Cullen is amazing as Optimus Prime, as he has been for most of my life. Starscream is still mired in the background, but Shockwave makes his way to the front in spectacular fashion in this film. Megatron is back, somewhat disfigured from the end of the previous movie, while exiled at first, he decides to get involved later in the film. As I said before, there are twists and turns in this movie, and the ones involving the bots are by far the best, and a couple moments got a nice emotional response from me. I have to be vague because I don't want to spoil these moments I'd like you to be able to experience them as I did.

The battle scenes are amazing, and much better than the previous 2 films. Vibrant and full of life, and as i said a beat slower than the action sequences of the previous films, which allows you to follow the action better than before. The Decepticons have some truly awesome/scary moments and Optimus Prime FINALLY is the Optimus we remember when the battle scenes take place. These are by far the best scenes this character has had in the entire series.

The film does have its issues, the stupid humor nearly throws the entire movie off track in Act Two, but thing's regroup, and the last hour is just flat out incredible jaw dropping all out human/robot war that would make a Terminator movie jealous. I can't go on enough about the last hour of the film. The visuals are some of the most incredible I've ever seen, the battles are amazing, Optimus Prime is finally the warrior that he's supposed to be.

Who will like this? Pretty much anyone that has any connection to the cartoon while growing up, fans of action movies/explosions/visual candy

Who will not like it? Transformer purists. There is plenty of transformer lore in this film, however its very heavily edited and jumbled, and a lot of liberty has been taken with some events/characters.

I'm going to give this a 7/10. It could have been a lot better, but Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is just terrible, and the comedy spots just pulled me right out of the story. Overall though it's a lot of fun, and visually amazing. A running time of just over 2.5 hours makes you feel a little exhausted by the end, especially the pacing of that last hour.

Enjoy!

CARS 2

2011-06-25T19:21:00.004-04:00

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ For Adults
★★★★★★★★☆☆ For Kids
This isn't the easiest review to write, because I've always felt that the first Cars movie was the bottom of the barrel for Pixar.   I just couldn't get into the world, or even really the characters.   In a way, the world creeps me out. So when watching Cars 2, I had to check my brain at the door, and just watch the show, and not try to figure out if the machines killed all of the people, or why the cars need gas, but eat and drink, then I started to remember a phrase from the intro of my favorite TV show. "Just repeat to yourself its just a show, I should really just relax."

After settling in, (at a drive-in no less! that was exciting) things start to kick into gear with McQueen getting involved in a 3 city "World Grand Prix" set in Japan, Italy, and London. The foil for McQueen is Francesco Bernoulli, (voiced by JohTurtturro ) the Italian racing champion, an open wheel "Indy" style car that thinks there is no way that McQueen can beat him, and the banter between the 2 is fantastic. Mater is reluctantly taken to Japan since he doesn't get to go to any races back home.

Mater(Larry the Cable Guy) is really the star of this film, with McQueen (Owen Wilson) really taking a back seat. Mater is mistaken for an American Superspy by Finn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell, voiced by Michael Caine, and Emily Mortimer.   From this point on the film gives nods to every spy franchise you can think of, from Bond to Bourne. Holly Shiftwell, your typical 'office' agent wanting to be a 'field' agent fills her role prefectly in getting Mater to work with them. Mater of course tags along thinking that she want's a date.

Mater begins to learn that the world sees him as a buffon, (with McMissile and Shiftwell thinking that it's part of his spy cover) and he has to come to terms with that. And to me the real theme of the movie was to be yourself, and if others can't accept you for what you are, then they have the problem, not you.

The cityscapes of London, Tokyo, and Coastal Italy are breathtaking, and the races are animated beautifully.

All of the kids at the drive in seemed to love this one, and I'll admit I liked it too. To me it's a giant step forward from CARS, but it doesn't have the emotion, and tugs of the heartstrings like UP!

Who will like this film? Kids and adults alike will enjoy this, although the kids will like it a lot more.   For adults it will drag a little at the start, because before you meet any of the character you know, it sets up the 'spy' part of the film with Michael Caine's character.

One thing I was asked about, is if this is kid friendly. While mater goes though a hard time, when he sees how the rest of the world sees him, its really taken care of with McQueen's words back to him, and how Mater is seen at the end of the movie. The kids in my showing loved it, and I think it is fine for children.

I will give this 2 ratings. Adults 6/10 Kids 8.0/10

This Week.

2011-06-23T20:38:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I'll be seeing Bad Teacher, and Cars 2. Then early next week Transformers 3, which actually appears to be pretty good. We shall see about that one.

Also tomorrow, I will be putting up a couple more reviews, X-Men: First Class, and Pirates 4, and maybe Green Lantern. Starting with Bad Teacher and Cars 2, things should be a little more in depth as I'll be writing right after seeing them, instead of days/weeks later.

Thank you for your support of the early stages here. I don't know if this will takeoff the way I hope, but I have some nice things planned anyway, all leading to breaking the world record for longest movie marathon, and I'd like all of you to be a part of it, stay tuned!

Hangover Part 2

2011-06-21T19:37:00.003-04:00

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
The Hangover was one of those comedies that catch you off guard. I went to the original just expecting a few laughs and it ended up being one of the best of the year. Now comes The Hangover Part 2.

I wasn't sure how they could make sequel, but you find out early on that they made the exact same movie.

That's not to say that this is bad. The jokes and gag's in this film push the envelope a lot farther in the first one. But its essentially the original on steroids.

This time, Stu is getting married. The bride is from Thailand, so the wedding is there. Every element of this movie, beat for beat, is the same as the first.

2 nights before the wedding, Stu, Phil, Doug, and Alan and the bride's brother Teddie have "one drink" on the beach. After one drink, the original trio of Stu Phil and Alan wake up in a motel in Bangkok, Teddie is missing. Doug is back at the resort, because he 'went home early'

You get the same 'waking up' process, to "where's Teddie" to looking for clues, and trying to figure out exactly what happened the night before.

The movie brings the laughs, but the sense of discovery just isn't there this time. We all know how its going to unfold. And it goes according to formula, down to the phone call to admit they had screwed up.

The character of Alan isn't nearly as sharp as in the first movie, and the "Wolfpac" Just doesn't seem to mesh as well this time around.

Some big laughs, but inconsistent. I left the theater with the feeling of "Been there, done that."

Who will like this movie? People who LOVED the first Hangover, and people just out to see a raunchy laugh fest. I don't think that the casual movie goer will enjoy this one nearly as much as the first.

I'll give this a 5 out of 10. Fair, plenty of funny, but getting stale.

First up, Super 8

2011-06-21T15:55:00.010-04:00

★★★★★★★★☆☆
First, I will admit I am a junkie for J.J. Abrams, with the exception of Mission Impossible III. So I went into this expecting to love it, and I did. Every lens flare moment of it. This is the best movie of the summer so far, that I've seen.

One thing I noticed while in line, or sitting in the theater waiting for the movie to start, was that nobody really knew what to expect. Half of the people thought it was a monster movie, even possibly Cloverfield 2, although I can't imagine too many people are running around NYC with a super 8 camera these days. A few people were expecting horror, others expecting E.T.

What the film actually turns out to be, is a total throwback to Spielberg movies of old. A small town drama, with a pinch of adventure and alien thrown in.

If I had to pick one word to describe what this film is about, I would say relationships. Fathers and their children, the relationships between young teens. teenage love. There just happens to be an alien in the background causing havoc.

What J.J. does with this film is sort of a lost art. When you present a danger around a group of people in a movie, it only works if you care about the movie. With the danger and military being a backdrop for the actual characters, when things start to heat up, you care about the kids/parents. You want them to be 'ok'

Keeping the monster hidden until the final act of the film also builds a great deal of suspense, and keeps you interested and watching each scene. One thing I did notice, You get a very clear shot of the alien's face at the gas station in a puddle of gas behind the clerk as he walks outside. I didn't notice that the firs time, but its a very nice shot.

Elle Fanning is fantastic in this film, as are all of the kids, but she is a standout.

As usual there are a ton of "Easter Eggs" scattered through the film for J.J fans, but nothing that jumps out or takes away form the movie if this is your first Abrams film. (example James Locke Jewelers is a store seen in one of the final scenes)

My biggest problem with this film is the extreme overuse of lens flares. But its just something I've come to expect from J.J. He likes them, maybe a little too much. If you thought Star Trek had a few, I think Super 8 doubles that amount. In some spots they just seem forced, and unnatural, other spots they really add to the feel of the film.

Who will enjoy this? This is a film for the masses. J.J. supefans, casual movie goers, teens and adults alike.

It is the kids that really make this movie though, outstanding performances from all involved.

I haven't decided on a rating system yet. 4 "paws" just isn't enough wiggle room, and 5 "paws" just doesn't make sense. So for now we will stick with stars.

Super 8 gets 8 out of 10, a VERY good movie!

Movies.

2011-06-21T14:21:00.003-04:00

I love movies, I love reading about movie news. From time to time I may even link to a story at Ain't It Cool News or other similar sites.

What has me bothered though, is that sites like this that started out for the average movie goer, have turned into frame by frame analysis of the film. While there is nothing wrong with that, I find that most people just want to find out if they will enjoy the movie. I love to go to a movie, get lost in the story, spend a couple hours away from the trials of everyday life. I'm not there to nitpick every single aspect of the film.

My goal is to tell you simply what I thought of a movie, and why, and what group of movie goers I think will enjoy the film.

I will backtrack a little, and review some movies I have seen this summer. Super 8, Hangover 2, Green Lantern, Pirates 4, X-Men First Class.

I hope you enjoy the ride!