At the Movies - Going the Distance

Can long distance relationships really work?

In Going the Distance, Erin (Drew Barrymore) meets Garrett (Justin Long) over a beer and they hit it off.  But Erin is moving away in couple of months, so they agree to keep it casual.  A totally uncomplicated fun summer fling.  Too bad they end up falling in love, which of course complicates things.  So when Erin moves, they decide to stay together and do the long distance thing.  But is that really possible?  Or are they totally fooling themselves?

You know how sometimes you see the preview for a movie, and the funny parts are hilarious, so you go see the movie only to find out that the only funny parts were in the preview?  Well, Going is not like that at all.  This was one of the funniest chick flicks I've seen in a long time.  Barrymore and Long have great chemistry (probably because they used to date), and their quirky slightly awkward personalities really shine in the dialogue and humor of this romantic comedy.   So, ladies, if you're fans of the chick flick genre, then leave the boys at home this weekend, and check out Going. I will definitely be buying this one when it comes out on DVD.

At The Movies - The American

 

Don't see this movie.  It sucked...SLOWLY! 

I mean it.

It was a complete waste.  I want my $10 and 2 hours back.  

George Clooney plays a spy/assassin who is on his last mission while someone is trying to kill him.  His mission is to make a custom weapon for someone.  He befriends a priest, and a hooker.  Neither friendship is exciting.

First of all, this was the slowest movie I have ever seen.  Nothing happens.  Clooney spends half the movie driving up and down the hill to the village where he is staying, and the other half building a gun.  There is little dialogue.  It was BORING!  Sure, he built a nice weapon, but he's a terrible spy.  Terrible.  Someone is after him and he seems oblivious as to who is calling the shots and giving info about his whereabouts to the bad guys. 

Slowest movie ever.  Really.  

So save your money and pass on this one.  Don't even bother renting it.  Get the Ocean's Eleven movies instead if you need a Clooney fix.

At the Movies - Charlie St Cloud

Charlie is an accomplished young man and a skilled sailor, who graduates from high school with a full scholarship to an ivy league college.  His life is on the fast track to success.  Then the unthinkable happens, and Charlie loses his younger brother Sam, and the light dims on his bright future.  Having faced death himself, Charlie comes out of the accident with a unique perspective on the world, and an ability to see and talk to Sam.  Charlie spends the next few years in limbo, clinging to Sam and the past.  That is, until Tess, a former classmate comes into town for an unexpected visit.  Soon Charlie finds himself at a crossroad, and must make a choice between the past and the future.  A choice that will change his life.

Charlie St Cloud was one of those movies I could have watched for days.  I did not want it to end.  Charlie was a great bird's eye view into how life in a sleepy Northwestern town can be both ordinary and extraordinary.  The acting was believable, and the characters were endearing.  So it was easy to transport myself to that sleepy small town.  And I really enjoyed the story.  It was definitely a love story.  Actually two love stories, one romantic and one fraternal.  Charlie explored our beliefs of what happens when we lose loved ones, and how we cope with that loss.  As expected, there is a bit of cheese interspersed throughout, but it was pretty good cheese that fit in with the story. 

Check out Charlie if you're a fan of the chick flick, and like Nicolas Sparks.  It was one of those kind of stories.  So if you want a sweet tear-jerker to cut through all the summer blockbusters, bring the girls to see Charlie.  But leave the significant other at home, because it is pretty much guaranteed to bore him. 

At the Movies - SALT

SALT is one of those I'm-a-spy, I've-been-wronged, I-use-all-my-awesome-spy-skills-to-save-myself-and-the-world, kind of movies.  Angelina Jolie plays CIA agent Evelyn Salt.  One tough broad.  One day, a former Soviet government bad guy walks into the Agency in an attempt to defect.  In exchange for help, he offers the agency information about a double agent.  He names Salt as the double agent, while she is the one interrogating him.  He tells her that she will be the one to assassinate the Russian president at an upcoming event.  All of a sudden Salt finds herself being ushered to a secure room, while the agency contemplates her fate.  She manages to get away, so she can prove her innocence and find the people behind the assassination conspiracy.  But her actions cast doubt about her motives, and we are left wondering: Who is Salt?

I wanted to like this movie.  Really, I did.  I like spy movies.  I like action movies.  And I don't even mind Angelina Jolie.  I can forgive her for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, because I liked the Tomb Raider movies.  But SALT was not that great.  I didn't hate it.  But I didn't like it either.  It was a little more predictable than I like in a spy movie, and the story was actually not that interesting.  And the worst part about this movie was the ending, which obviously left the door open for a SALT2.  Wide open.  So open that I felt like the story didn't really end.  All in all, another fail for Angelina.

I know a lot of people hated this one.  I didn't hate it.  I was still entertained.  But I would only recommend this one to those of you who have seen everything else and are still in the mood to catch a flick at the theater.  Otherwise, if you're mildly curious about it, then wait to rent it. 

At the Movies - The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Balthazar's love, Veronica, is trapped in a magical urn for all eternity.  To rescue her, Balthazar must first free and defeat several evil powerful sorcerers trapped in layers around her.  To defeat these sorcerers, Balthazar must first find the prime merlinian - a descendant of Merlin who is born with potential to be a great and powerful sorcerer.

After searching for centuries, Balthazar finally identifies Dave as the prime merlinian.  Unfortunately, Dave is an awkward dorky boy who lacks the self-confidence to even accept the possibility that he may be a powerful sorcerer.  But Balthazar won't leave Dave alone, as he has been searching for so long, and is desperate to finally free Veronica.  With reluctance, Dave agrees to let Balthazar teach him magic, though it is questionable whether he will even survive the training. 

The Sorcerer's Apprentice was very much a Disney movie.  Wholesome.  Good versus evil.  Brimming with life lessons.  If you are not a fan of Disney movies, then skip this one.  However, if you are like me, and find Disney movies entertaining then you will like The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  It was a good story and it was well done.  The Sorcerer's Apprentice will transport you to a world where giant steel eagles fly, carpets can turn into quicksand, and  rings give the wearer special powers.  A world where anything is possible.  A world of magic.  And in the end, in true Disney fashion, you can rest assured that good will triumph over evil, and the ending will be predictably happy.  The very formula that hooks me in every time.  So if you're in need of a little magic and some good entertainment, then The Sorcerer's Apprentice is for you.  This would be a good one for a family movie outing.

At The Movies - Eclipse

Eclipse is the third installment in the Twilight series.  I did not read the books, but I absolutely love the movies.  Yes, even the first two.  I know Twilight and New Moon did not live up to the expectations of the books, but they were still well done.  But then, I can easily forgive a cheesy line or two I like the story.  And I like the Twilight story.

In Eclipse Bella Swan is once again in danger from an old foe.  In addition, Seattle is ravaged by a series of unexplained acts of violence.  The Cullen family must once again rally together against insurmountable odds as they plan to fight against an army of newborn vampires - a time when vampires are at their most vicious.  In the midst of the dangers, Bella once again finds herself choosing between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob.  She struggles with the severe consequences attached to a life with Edward.  Is eternal love really worth giving up life and becoming a vampire?  What about Jacob?  Are Bella's feelings for Jacob deeper than friendship?

I really enjoyed Eclipse.  It moved the Twilight saga along - including the relationship between the Cullens and the Volturi, and Victoria's quest for revenge.  It does a good job of resolving the triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob.  We also find out the details of how Rosalie and Jasper became vampires, and what their lives were like before they joined the Cullen clan.  And best of all, Eclipse  was much lighter on the cheesy lines than the previous two Twilight movies.  I can't wait to see the last installment of this series, Breaking Dawn, which I believe has been split into two movies - not cool.  So if you liked Twilight and New Moon, but have not yet seen Eclipse, then go see it.  You will enjoy it.  Guaranteed.

 I can not do a review of Eclipse without telling you that I am emphatically Team Jacob!  

If you put aside the the whole werewolf and vampire thing, Bella's choice between Jacob and Edward is the age old struggle between the good sweet boy next door and the dangerous mysterious guy on the motorcycle.  Sadly, more often than not, women of all ages are drawn to the dangerous type, only to then ask the question - why do I always fall for the wrong guy?  In this case, choosing the wrong guy also means choosing to die and alienate yourself from your whole family.  Talk about wrong.  On the other hand, there is sweet, good, dependable Jacob.  In his own words "...being with [him] will be as easy as breathing."  Isn't that hotter than danger and mystery?  So why do we continue to celebrate the dangerous Edward?  Why is there a Team Edward?  Would said Team be as enthusiastic if their sister and/or best friend gave up everything for some guy?

Plus, at the risk of sounding like a dirty old lady, Jacob is way hotter.  And since a picture is worth a thousand words...

'Nuff said.

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At the Movies: Grown Ups

 We were in the mood for something funny when we chose to see Grown Ups.  It stars Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, after all.

Gown Ups is about five childhood friends who reunite after the passing of their basketball coach passes away.  With their quirky families in tow, the boys get together in the coach's lake house for a Fourth of July weekend of reliving their childhoods.  Chaos ensues as the parents realize that growing older doesn't mean that you have to grow up.  You're never too old to let loose, be goofy, and have fun with your friends and your kids, sometimes even at the same time.

You know how certain comedies look funny in the previews, but the preview includes most of the really funny bits?  And then there are others that are so funny all the way through that you spend 2 hours hoping you don't pee your pants?  Well Grown Ups is somewhere in between.  Although it was funny, and I enjoyed myself, I went in expecting a funnier movie than I got.  The redeeming quality of Grown Ups is that it took me back to the summer camp days.  And now I want to go to the lake, and I want to go camping.  What is it about spending time camping lakeside that transforms us back to those carefree childhood summers?

Grown Ups is definitely a family movie.  And it is a movie that the family will enjoy.  It's well paced, so it doesn't drag.  It will entertain you, no matter how old you are.  And you will laugh, but maybe not as much as you expected.

At The Movies - Prince of Persia

 I have been meaning to see Prince of Persia for a while now.  But for some reason, I always ended up seeing something else.  Well, I finally saw it, and I'm glad I did.

This one is from the producer who brought us Pirates of the Caribbean.  It stars a very hot and buff Jake Gyllenhaal, as a free spirited Persian prince who finds himself battling an evil conspiracy to unleash the sands of time.  The prince must join forces with a mysterious princess from a mystical empire to protect an ancient dagger - the key to releasing the magical sands.  If the dagger gets into the wrong hands, it can be used to turn back time and rule the world.

Prince of Persia is one of those fairy tale type adventure movies that takes us to different times and distant lands.  When this type of movie is done well, we can immerse ourselves in the magical story and enjoy the ride, without trying to tease apart the possible from the impossible.  And Prince was done well.  The special effects are excellent, the many action scenes are well choreographed and smooth, and the actors have good chemistry.  Sure there are some cheesy lines, and some corny scenes, and a certain degree of predictability.  But isn't that why we love fairy tales in the first place?  Because while times may be tough, and there are certain lessons we must learn the hard way, good always triumphs over evil, and there is a happily ever after. 

This would be a good one for the whole family.  Even though there are a good number of fight scenes, there is very little gore.  Great for a matinee on a day that is just too darn hot and humid and sticky to be outside without dehydrating and burning to a crisp.

At the Movies: Killers

I have to interrupt TV week to tell you about this movie I just saw.

Tonight was one of those spontaneous movie nights.  Because sometimes it's fun to see a really late movie.  Too bad we had already seen all the popular picks- Sex and the City 2, Robin Hood, Letters to Juliet, The A-Team.  So we were debating between Prince of Persia and Karate Kid (hey, don't judge!), when I came upon Killers.  This sounded like an action/lots of guns kind of movie to me, so I never paid any attention.  But tonight, for whatever reason, I clicked on the title, and read the synopsis, and decided to go see it. 

Jen (Katherine Heigl) is on vacation with her parents after a break up.  When she gets there, she meets Spencer (Ashton Kutcher), who is everything she (and every girl on the planet) ever dreamed of - handsome, confident, and incredibly sweet.  They fall in love, get married, and live a quiet suburban life.  The only problem is that three years into their marriage Spencer finds himself in trouble.  People start trying to kill him.  Assasin people.  It turns out that Spencer used to be a spy and a professional hit man, and he never bothered to tell his wife. And when the truth comes out, Jen has to decide if Spencer's love and their marriage were ever real.  That is, if the assassins don't get him first.

I don't know how I hadn't heard of Killers before.  I somehow missed the previews, or there weren't any.  But I'm glad that I went to see this movie.   It was really funny.  Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl had great chemistry and are both masters of the quirky humor.  There were so many awkward moments between Jen and Spencer - funny because they were such dorks, and because the dork in all of us can relate.

Killers is not an Oscar contender.  It is not deep.  It will not blow your mind and make you think about life's deeper purpose.  But it was a lot of fun. It's the kind of movie where you just sit back and enjoy being entertained.  And I also have to tell you that even though I'm not normally an Ashton fan in the looks department, he was really hot in this movie!   I guarantee Killers will make you laugh.  Maybe even a lot.

  The comedy and the guns in Killers is enough to keep your other half entertained, while the romance is so sweet and real (read: quirky and dorky) it will melt your heart.  So it's a great date pick.   

Anyone else heard of Killers?  See it?  What did you think? 

At the Movies: Letters to Juliet

I FINALLY saw Letters to Juliet.  Woo Hoo!  And I liked it.  Bonus!

Sophie is a young aspiring writer who works as a fact checker at the New Yorker.  She travels to Italy with her fiance, a budding restauranteur. While her fiance is tasting cheeses, buying wines, and learning Italian cooking techniques, Sophie tours Rome.  One of her first stops is Juliet's house, where hundreds of women of all ages gather every day and write letters to Juliet about their love life problems.  She finds a letter from Claire, who 50 years ago did not go to meet the love of her life so that they could elope.  Claire aswers the letter.  This brings Claire to Italy, to find her long lost love.  Sophie comes along, offering her fact checking skills for a chance to write Claire's story.

Girls, Letters is every bit the sweet romantic story that the ads promise.  The Italian countryside backdrop is stunning, the story is endearing, and the acting is believable - except for a somewhat forced ice cream scene, but I am willing to overlook that.  Your significant other probably will not appreciate this movie.  It is 100% a chick flick.  So don't bother with this one on your next date night.  But if you and one or more of your girls are looking for something to do after gabbing away at dinner, check out Letters.  This is one of those rosy sweet romantic movies that makes you feel good about life.  I think you'll like it as much as I did.

At the Movies - Sex and the City 2

I finally saw Sex and the City II (to be known as SATCII for the rest of this review) this weeknd.  I think I was probably the last person on the planet to see this one, but I'm going to review it anyway.  Why?  Because I was not impressed.

I loved the TV show.  Loved.  I mean, LOVED.  And I loved the first movie.  I thought they did such a wonderful job of picking up where the TV show left off. 

But SATCII left me underwhelmed.  In this one, Carrie is worried that her relationship with Big has become much too ordinary.  Charlotte is stressed out about her daughter's terrible two's.  And Miranda struggles with a pig headed new boss who can't handle women in the workplace.  Samantha has a PR trip to the UAE, and manages to fenangle all four girls on an all expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi to 'get away'. 

But why are we once again dealing with an Aiden, Big, Carrie triangle?  I was always on Team Aiden, but come on!  Both Carrie and Aiden married different people, so enough already!  And why was Miranda's solution to a pig to quit her job?  Do strong powerful women walk away from law firm partnerships becuase some pig doesn't like them?  And what happened to Charlotte and Harry?  Why wasn't their relationship explored more?  And why did she have such a hard time with two kids when she had a full time nanny?  My mom had three kids, no nanny and went to school full time, and managed to do it all without a daily breakdown.  And why is Samantha so one dimensional all of a sudden?  She is now just a slut - no character development, no relationships, nothing about her career - just her being slutty all the time.  And she used to be classy.  That was a large part of what defined Samantha.  Even though she was 'free', she was also classy, smart, career driven, and confident.  In SATCII she is reduced to a menaupausally challenged, whiny slut with the fashion sense of Miley Sirus - which works for Miley, but not a 52 year old PR executive!

It's ironic that the whole Abu Dhabi trip was an homage to women's rights, when the main characters were immature, weak and whiny in their own lives.  What happened to those successful, strong, confident and fun Sex and the City girls we all knew and loved?

I wish the 'THEY' who have control over such things, left the Sex and the City franchise on a high note, and never made SATCII.  Didn't their mothers ever tell them that if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well?

If you haven't seen this one, don't bother.  Wait to rent it.

If you've already seen it, what say ye?

At the Movies - The A-Team

In the TV show, the A-Team is a group ex-military types who help out desperate men out of desperate, and often dangerous situations.  A-Team is about how this group of misfits got together.  These former special forces soldiers are framed for a crime they did not commit.  They team up to find the real criminal and clear their names.

This was a good action flick.  If you were a fan of the A-Team TV show, then you will enjoy this movie.  If you like action flicks, then definitely check out the A-Team.  It rates an eight out of ten on my action flick scale.

At the Movies - Robin Hood

We went to see Letters to Juliet, but we missed it, so we saw Robin Hood instead.  I had no idea what to exect.  Apparently, I have been living under a cinematic rock, because I didn't even know this movie existed.  And if I had heard of it, I would not have been very enthusiastic to see it.

But how can you not like Robin Hood?  He steals from the ritch and gives to the poor.  And there are all those merry men.  I still remember the Robin Hood cartoon I used to watch every Saturday morning while my parents were still in bed.

This movie is the beginning of the story.  Who is Robin Hood?  What's his beef with the rich?  And where did all those merry men come from?

I enjoyed this one.  I like period movies, and this one fit the bill.  Good costumes, good story.  My sister thought it dragged a bit at the beginning.  But that's kind of the pitfall of the period piece - the back story takes time to tell.  And since I thought it was a good story, I didn't find the beginning slow.  And I actually enjoyed Russell Crowe in the Robin Hood role.  He did a great job.  Good enough for me to leave the theater with a bit of a crush.

Some of the war scenes were a little 'I'll get you with my plastic sword', and the lines were laced with just a smidge of cheese.  But overall, I rate Robin Hood as a decent date movie - because just like my broter in law, I don't think your date is likely to agree to Sex in the City 2.

At the Movies - The Back-Up Plan

Of course I had to see The Back-Up Plan.  After all, it IS a chick flick - my kind of movie.

In The Back-Up Plan, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has her life together.  She is getting older and really wants kids, but there is no man in the picture.  So Zoe takes matters into her own hands, and goes to a sperm bank.  On the way home from her insemination appointment she meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin).  He turns out to be someone she wants to date.  Unfortunately, just after their first official date, Zoe finds out she is pregnant.  So as Sam and Zoe start their life together, they must deal with all the trials and tribulations of a first pregnancy.

I am not usually a Lopez fan.  Maid in Manhattan - blech!  But The Plan was a funny movie.  I was definitely entertained.  There are some corny parts that I could have done without, that make me not super enthused about this one, but overal it was a decent flick.  Having said that, I would recommend it to my girl friends who enjoy a decent chick flick.

In short, it was cheese - but good cheese.

How about you - see any good movies lately?

At the Movies - Clash of the Titans

Went to the movies last night.  We went to see Clash of the Titans partly because the movie we went to see was sold out, and partly because my brother in law gave it such a rave review.   And he was right, this was a great action adventure flick. 

In the movie, the gods on Olympus need the energy from worship by humans.  So a major conflict arises when people stop worshipping the gods and assert their independence.  Hades takes the opportunity to try to overthrow Zeus by declaring war on the people.  It is up to Perseus, a demi-god, to lead a quest into foreign worlds to stop Hades from taking over and destroying humanity.

This movie was packed with action scenes, and a story that kept me engaged throughtout.  Not to mention the delicious eye candy!  I definitely recommend seeing this one on the big screen.  Two thumbs up for Clash of the Titans - a good choice for a date. 

At the Movies: The Bounty Hunter

My little sis and I went to see The Bounty Hunter tonight.  Now, when reading this review, keep in mind that both my sister and I are big fans of chick flicks - though I fully admit that not all chick flicks were created equal.  This particular chick flick is about a bounty hunter, who is assigned to pick up his ex-wife.  Simple story, but with definite potential for a funny movie.  Kind of a rehash of Serving Sara, but that's ok, because I enjoyed that movie.

The Bounty Hunter did not thrill me to the point where I am ready to purchase a DVD, but I did enjoy it.  The major negative for me was the chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler - there was none.  Their love/hate relationship was not believable, which really took away from the story, and made that ever-so-sweet-kiss-we've-been-waiting-for-at-the-end-of-the-movie fall flat. Which is sad, considering it involved Gerard Butler. YUM.

Having said that, I still enjoyed the movie, primarily because of the writing.  It was HILARIOUS.  Both my sister and I had some good laughs throughout the show.  And although Aniston and Butler lacked chemistry, they made up for it with great comedic timing.  Furthermore, the supporting cast really carried the movie, as they were weaved through several funny subplots.

In short, this movie is not an Oscar contender.  But it's good for a laugh.  I had fun.

At the Movies - Alice in Wonderland

I FINALLY saw Alice in Wonderland tonight.  I felt like the last person on the planet who did not see it, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  I enjoyed myself - it was a fun movie.  However, I think I may have enjoyed it more if it wasn't so over-hyped.  Since I've been hearing about this movie for so long, my expectations were definitely not met.  The movie dragged at times, and Johnny Depp was much better in the Pirates of the Carribean movies, than he was in Alice.  Anne Hathaway was also not that great in this movie, though I suspect that her character died a boring death in writing, so Anne never had a chance. 

On the positive side, the set design made Wonderland come alive.  The makeup, costumes and special effects made for delicious eye candy.  Helena Bonham Carter made the role of the Red Queen her own, and did a fantastic job.  Mia Wasikowska did a great job as alice.

Go see this movie if:

 ~ You want to go to the movies with your kids.

 ~ You are looking for something 'light' and 'fun' and 'a bit quirky'.

 ~ You want to see what all the fuss was about.

 ~ You want to see the special effects on th big screen.