Willson Movie Review

Crazy Heart (2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:07:00 +0000

Crazy Heart is an intimate look at a Country singer on his last legs. In many respects this movie has a strong parallel to Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler". In both cases the hero of the movie is in the twilight of their career, both want to achieve more but don't take care of themselves, both find a love in their life. The details are different and the endings are not alike but the flavor of the movie is the same. There is wry humor that makes you laugh out loud in the theatre but basically it is an excellent story with great acting...especially by Jeff Bridges. He deserves his oscar shot with this performance.

Avatar (2009) - ONE OF THE BEST!

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:26:00 +0000

DESCRIPTION: AVATAR takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of "Titanic," first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

We enter the alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth's energy crisis. Because the atmosphere of Pandora is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human "drivers" have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora... the Na'vi.

Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na'vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake's relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na'vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

MOVIE REVIEW: With Avatar, James Cameron has created a cinematic journey that movie goers have never experienced! It is that good!

The visual effects are spectacular! The movie stills of the CGI characters do not do them justice. Simply put, you have to experience them in action, at the movie theater. You will never look at other CGI characters the same again. They will seem amateurish. Cameron breathes life into his generated actors. You will witness facial muscles twitching, skin around eyes stretching, and facial expressions that look 100% authentic.

The world we are taken to shines with life and realism. One side of the film puts us into the real world, where the 3D never seems forced. The other side of the film is done almost completely with special effects, CGI, real life actors, and green screen. The thing is, after viewing this world for a few seconds, you will completely forget that it is computer generated. Oh yeah, I'm serious.

All I can say is wow, wow, wow!!!

The story is good. It's not the greatest story ever to shine on the screen, but it's still good. Plain and simple. Some say it is a little preachy.... that it deals too much with hot button topics, like the environment. Well, while it may not be your cup of tea, remember that it's just a story. Dive into it! A film's story has to deal with some sort of topic, right? This movie's story did not seem forced at all to me. It fit very well and flowed seamlessly.

That's about all I have to say about the story. You can read all about it in other reviews.

Finally... and this is VERY IMPORTANT! 1) You have to experience this film in a theater. 2) And, in the theater, you must see this film in 3D. If you don't, you will be doing yourself a severe disservice. 3) And, on top of that, if you can see it in IMAX, DO IT! It's worth the extra distance driving and also worth spending a couple of extra bucks at the ticket stand. Believe it! Also, get there early and sit in the Middle-Middle of the theater. If you can't get that, sit further back. If you are forced to sit in the front, do yourself a favor.... walk out, go to the ticket booth, and exchange your ticket for the next showing. You do not want to waste your experience squished at the front. You will miss too much, and that's just a waste. Come on, you can do better then that! You know it!

Go see it. Now! Go ahead. I'm serious! Why not? You will be taken to a world that will knock your socks off! ....Wait..... What are you doing still reading this? For real! Get up... now! Find out where the closest IMAX 3D theater is and go. NOW! Bring your significant other, if you have one. If not, go by yourself. That way, you can put a jacket on either side of you and have extra leg and arm wiggle room! If you're reading this in the wee hours of the A.M., that's fine. Don't stress out, home-slice. Drive to the theater and wait out front for the doors to open. You'll be first in line. Get it? Ah-Hah! You'll get your choice of the very best seats!

Go! Now! Tell the ticket dude that I said hello. Snag your 3D glasses as a souvenir, even though they ask you to return them. That way, you can show them to your friends or family many years from now, and say, "Hey, these are the glasses that I wore when I saw that amazing movie Avatar! I saw it, because I read this stupid review on yahoo. It wasn't even that great of a review, but it made me go see it! And now, my friend... I give these 3D glasses... to you!"

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Warriors converge on the streets of Bangkok, preparing for the ultimate battle of terror versus beauty, light versus darkness and good versus evil.

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This historical telling of the awesome Chun-Li is a must see for any Street Fighter fan. The action is good and the film makers do a good job showing her signature moves without making it seem corny or unbelievable. I concur with other reviews in stating that Chris Klein's Europol character should have been left on the cutting room floor.

The two main villains in this movie are M. Bison, portrayed by Neal McDonough, and Balrog, portrayed by Michael Clark Duncan. Let's start off with M. Bison. Neal McDonough did an excellent job portraying the the movie's main villain, a sadistic and cruel businessman who runs a crime syndicate called Shadoloo. McDonough perfectly captured Bison's cruelty and evil in this movie, and it could be clearly seen throughout many parts of this movie, be it eating dinner calmly while his business partners are hacked to pieces by his henchman Vega, or when he snaps Chun Li's father's neck without so much as a moment's hesitation. Bison is the epitome of evil in this movie, and what is perhaps most creepy is how calm and polite he is when he commits such atrocities. Too bad in this movie that he DIES, which annoyed me, as it goes against the whole plot of the Street Fighter video game storyline. Also, don't expect Bison to do any Psycho Crusher moves or Knee presses, the only person in the movie who has special moves is Chun Li (too bad). Bison fights with his bare fists and fights with moves that resemble Karate with some good old street fighting. Too bad there is no mention of Bison's Psycho-Drive or psychic power.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:32:00 +0000

DESCRIPTION: America's favorite furry brothers Alvin, Simon and Theodore are back. Because of a freak accident involving Alvin and Dave Seville, they go to live with Dave's cool cousin, Toby and they have to enroll in school like every other kid. School presents new challenges to these rock stars like dealing with peer pressure, football and of course, girls. By "girls" we mean the Chipettes who are managed by Ian Hawke, the Chipmunks greedy former manager who wants to turn them into the next big thing. There is rivalry between the Chipettes and the Chipmunks at first, but in the end they realize that they make great friends and a great musical team.

MOVIE REVIEW: The first one was really good and when I saw the previews for this, it looked like it would blow the first one out of the water and it did. The film is awesome, very funny and very cute. It's better than the first by far and I am definitely going to buy it. There goes another awesome movie from 2009! God, 2009 is the best year for movies, in my oponion. Well, I love every minute of it and it's definitely worth seeing at the movies with your kids! Merry Christmas! :) Thanks for reading!

Quantum Of Solace - Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:11:00 +0000

The new James Bond movie was a very strong in the action scenes and visual effects, so it makes the audience very hyper during the movie. The storyline was really good and it is related to the Casino Royale. Being a Bond fanatic myself, it's also quite hard not to compare this and its predecessor, Casino Royale, to the Bond of old. But one must remember, this is a fast track to the younger days of Bond, However if you are a devote older bond movie lover, then this will disappoint. There are no romance, no new gadgets, the pretty girls with cute names are missing, and the trade-mark grin of Bond doing a dirty trick on someone is missing, No gleam in his eye and not once did he say the famous line "MY NAME IS BOND JAMES BOND". James Bond normally goes his thing with intelligence, competance, wit, charm, cool gadgets, and the occasion fist fight. In this movie "James Bond" wins mainly through straight violence. This James Bond is more like any old action hero, then the smooth and cool spy we used to know and love.

So I suggest you to watch Casino Royal before this movie because it's related to the Casino Royale. With no doubt, Daniel Craig is the toughest James Bond, and his fighting skills are unique and better than others. He is very serious and does his best to finish his works well.

Slumdog Millionaire - Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:21:00 +0000

"Slumdog Millionaire" is a totally welcome and very pleasant surprise. If there was any film I would without hesitation tell a friend to go see, that film would be “Slumdog Millionaire”. Not only is it truly an original film, it has one of the most memorable sequence of scenes involving a young boy that has ever been captured on film. The acting in the film is very good from the entire cast. Three separate actors have to play the main character, Jamal, as well as his brother Salim. All three actors who play both characters do a great job. Even the younger actors show a great range, while none of the 6 actors have one particularly weak link of any kind. Much of the supporting cast must have been famous in India because many of the older men in the film just did a magnificent job. The love interest in the film, Latika, was believably gorgeous when the final actress began to play the older version of the girl. There is no specific actor in the film that I can look at and say was miscast.

It was a thrill seeking romance that brought warm feelings and immense danger all rapped up in one. The movie out shined all the "egotistical" movies out of the water, this my friend is the movie that isn't given all the hype it is suppose to receive.

This film teaches us never to give up, follow your dreams to happiness, always love and never hate anybody, be honest, work hard, remember your past but don't hold onto it, and to just be yourself.

I recommend this film to many.

The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out.

Watchmen - Watch it free online!

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:26:00 +0000

When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorschach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.

12 Rounds

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:26:00 +0000

The movie itself was a good movie. If you are wanting to see a good old fashion action movie then this is the one for you. If you saw Die Hard and Speed put them together and you get this movie.

John Cena is a decent actor and this movie is a good one for him. He doesn't show off his physique and that helps give him some credibility other than just a wrestler. The biggest problem of the film is the camera work. I think the camera work is horrible. If you saw the Condemned with Steve Austin there were several parts in that movie that the camera work was horrible.

That is the only drawback to this movie. The camera work at times almost makes you sick because it is moving so fast and it is hard to make sense of what is going on.

But the acting I think is fine and the story plot is enjoyable. Just don't go into the movie expecting a movie with a deep plot. It is a good old fashioned action movie with an excellent actor as the villan who is always one step ahead.

Race to Witch Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:23:00 +0000

We went to the movies to be entertained and left the movie theatre feeling completely satisified. This is a family movie, with pleanty of action, a story line that was not complicated, and characters that were easy to cheer for.

Some of the "so-called" professional critics should take a 10 year old with them the next time they review a PG rated film. If you have children, take them to see the movie. If you are an adult and are going to see the movie, keep an open mind - it's not a remake of the original films; Disney took a good idea and added a modern spin to it.

Monsters vs. Aliens

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:22:00 +0000

When a meteorite from outer space hits a young girl and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years.

Far Cry

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:25:00 +0000

In a mysterious nearby forest, a group of mercenaries are attacked. A scientist, Dr. Krieger, watches this from a secret research facility, obviously pleased with the results of his work, which is the cause of the death (which is unknown) of the mercenaries. In Seattle, a veteran newspaper editor makes arrangements to send his two archrival reporters, Tom Moore and Valerie Constantine, to check out the mysterious reports coming from an island in the Pacific Northwest. Once on the island, it doesn’t take long for the duo and their Captain, Jack Carver (Schweiger), to find trouble. The main mercenary commander Maria Sanchez immediately tries to capture them. Valerie and Jack manage to escape but Tom is killed. The mercenaries are hot on their heels and Valerie and Jack argue about their plan. Jack wants to get off the island as quickly as possible by reaching his friend Emilio. Valerie, a seasoned reporter, wants to gather more evidence for her story. After several dramatic chases and an encounter with the strange creatures, Valerie, Jack and Emilio are captured and brought to Kreiger. Krieger wants Valerie to join him in reporting his accomplishments to the world. Meanwhile, in the lab, the creature escapes and tries to kill Jack. Jack and Emilio manage to elude the creature but others in the compound are not as lucky. The creature corners Valerie and she narrowly escapes death as Emilio and Jack reach her just in time. The loss of control sends Sanchez into a fury. Jack and Valerie are pursued by Sanchez as they make a frantic attempt to get off the island and alert the world.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:47:00 +0000

One year later, the Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1,300 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct and Narnia has been conquered by the Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz, who rules the land without mercy. The four children will soon meet a curious new character: Narnia's rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding, as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place his own newborn son on the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, a badger named Trufflehunter and a Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians--led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian--embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz's tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

I went to the movie expecting it to be a entertaining film, but not as good as "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" because I find the book"Prince Caspian" less interesting than the previous. However, I was thoroughly impressed by the film, and can say that I enjoyed it more that "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", because I think that the movie "Prince Caspian" has an older audience in mind. There was a little more violence and the movie's pace was faster then the last installment of Narnia. Overall it was an excellent film.

Mutant Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Set in the distant future when the Earth is no longer inhabitable and the Megacorporations have banded together to control the remaining planets and their moons. When an alien force of undead Necromutants known as the Dark Legion prepares to attack the inhabited Mars.

The Megacorporations assemble a band of warriors to destroy the warlord Alakhai. Together they return to Earth, infiltrate Alakhai's gothic Citadel, and attempt to reduce it to rubble.

Hancock

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:10:00 +0000

Hancock was a very funny movie with lots of action. The visuals in this movie were very cool. The special effects were very good as expected. I think they were better then in some other superhero movies. It was a very different superhero movie.

Hancock was a very different, drunk, mean, smelly superhero. The twists in this movie were very good. They were kind of pretty obvious and others were unexpected. The direction of this movie was great. Will Smith was a good actor as he usually is. He had very good moments in this. He was definitely funnier than you would expect. The best thing about him was he didn't try to be funny he just was. This was probably the best action comedy movie made since Rush Hour. This movie has a very high budget for a very short movie. It was funny how all of the kids loved Hancock, but most parents all hated him.

Charlize Therron was very pretty and had some good scenes. Will Smith and her and many funny, action, and dramatic scenes together. I think the movie remained pretty consistent all the way through. If anything it got a little better toward the end of the movie. I also thought the story was really good and didn't give anything away until the end. Just know going into this movie you have to be aware it is very far-fetched and very fake. So don't read the other reviews that say how fake and dumb this movie was. It was very fun and entertaining to watch. I would even go see it again maybe to catch anything I missed. Overall go see this movie it was very fun and surprisingly had a ton of heart.

Walled In (2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:33:00 +0000

A young woman who recently graduated from engineering school travels to a remote location to supervise the demolition of a mysterious building. She soon discovers the horrifying secrets of the building and its past inhabitants, many of whom were victims of a vicious murderer who entombed his prey alive within its walls. Now she must turn the tables on the killer before she becomes his latest victim.

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Dolphin Bubbles

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:37:00 +0000

The dolphins blow air from their blowhole to make their bubble rings. Can you feel the harmony and love from these angels?

Do you love dolphins as much as we do?

If the answer is yes, then come visit Dolphin Bubbles new blog. This is where you can share stories and learn more about dolphins. Feel free to leave a comment or ask questions about the dolphins in SeaWorld's care or dolphins throughout the world.

Balls Out: The Gary Houseman Story (2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:27:00 +0000

From the director of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and Dude Where’s My Car comes this raunchy comedy starring Seann William Scott and Randy Quaid. Gary Houseman (Scott) is an overenthusiastic high school janitor who steps-up to lead the school’s loser tennis team to the state finals when the acting coach drops dead. The brash and often insulting new coach is intent on inspiring these underdogs not only to win, but also to stand-up for themselves. Although his coaching tactics may be unorthodox, including motivating his star player with a pre-game stripper, his heart is in the right place. Besides, sometimes it takes big balls to play hard-ball.

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Train of the Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:16:00 +0000

Five teenagers : Joke (the gang-leader), transvestite Ake, Mued the junkie, Kai the big mouth and June, insolently rob a kindergarten. During the police chase, their get-away car swerves and crashes into a small shop. The gang crawls out of the car and the shop owner is taken as a hostage. They escape into an empty train carriage. They plan to wait there for the night after which they can divide the loot and go their separate ways. Unexpectedly, all of this new train’s passengers are extremely rich. Joke sees a chance to make more money by robbing the passengers. As he was about to start with the robbery, suddenly no one was there. Shockingly Joke realized that he and his friends are no longer alive and the passengers are all ghosts. It seems the ghost will be taking the passengers to their final judgment.

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In the Land of Women

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:29:00 +0000

His world in complete disorder after his break-up with a famous actress, Carter, a young soft-core porn writer, goes to suburban Detroit to care for his sickly Grandmother and heal his broken heart. Along the way he forms a special bond with the family that lives across from his Grandma, and changes the life of each woman. In the course of this, as is required in every film–and thus the world, he changes his own life as well.

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Notorious - Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:14:00 +0000

The life and death story of Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), who came straight out of Brooklyn to take the world of rap music by storm.

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This was a great film, it was much better than i expected it to be. The actor who played Biggie did a phenomenal job. All the actors did a solid job, my one wish is that they had someone who sounded like and looked more like Tupac Shakur. Anyone who likes Hip Hop should go see this movie. it will give you knowledge about past hip hop and what is was like to be a rapper in the Gangster-Rap era (the 90's). Even if you are not a fan of Biggie Smalls, you should defiantly see this movie.

Seven Pounds

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:08:00 +0000

An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

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Seven Pounds is just like what the trailer indicates, a movie with numerous suprises and also teary moments--and boy there are a lot of them in the film. Will Smith stars as Ben Thomas, who made a tragic mistake in his past and tries to make up for it by helping 7 different strangers, leading up to big time conclusion and secret. Smith, as promised, does not let down with his great performance. Oscar worthy as usual but not acknowledged by the Academy, so what else is new?, very touching as he really gets the audience to feel and sympathize (and maybe even empathize) with him. The movie rides you through a whirl wind of emotions as there are some humorous parts due to Smith's charm (which is why he is he biggest star in Hollywood right now), but the film mainly is a dramatic and will get you teary eyed. Even if you do not like the movie, you cannot ignore Smith's great performance---as his performance can carry a movie. Rosario Dawson, Woody harrelson, michael ealy and others also give solid performances. The movie also has a good musical score that compliments the tone that it is trying to install upon the audience. Great movie, loved it.

Hearts of War

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:48:00 +0000

Roy Scheider (Jaws, The French Connection), Daryl Hannah (A Walk to Remember, Kill Bill), and Jonathan Scarfe (Raising the Bar, ER) star in this award-winning drama set at the dawn of World War II. A Nazi soldier (Scarfe) is torn between duty and his passion for Rachel (Nina Dobrev, Away From Her, How She Move), the beautiful daughter of a rabbi. Forced apart by the violence surrounding them, the lovers embark on a perilous journey to find each other… no matter how terrible the price.

Full Movie

On the Other Hand, Death

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Donald Strachey is a gay private investigator who learns of a local school’s decision to chastise a lesbian teacher for speaking openly about her sexuality. Discovering that her home has been vandalized, Donald starts to look into things and discovers there is more going on than appears on the surface.

Full Movie

SIS

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:22:00 +0000

S.I.S. centers on a cop who has fallen on hard times and is recruited to work with the Special Investigative Section, an elite, covert branch of the L.A.P.D. that tracks the most dangerous, habitual offenders and attempts to catch them in the act of committing violent crimes.

Full Movie

New in Town

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Philips) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Finally a romantic comedy that is just that: romantic and comical. I saw it with a friend. We both left happy. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday night.

For those of us who want to escape to see a fun, entertaining movie. Renee Zellwiger gives a good performance and the match with Harry Connick Jr's character was good sport. It is a chick flick, but go alone or with your girlfriends and have an enjoyable night out.

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