The Taking of Pelham 123

The Taking of Pelham 123: The movie overcomes the handicap of having John Travolta in one of the lead roles. He plays the criminal mastermind who takes a subway car hostage in the New York City subway. There he contacts a subway controller (Denzel Washington) and lets him know his "price" to let the hostages go. The film does a good job of getting right to the point and keeping the suspense going till the end. The movie does not pull that many punches, in someways I was actually hoping for a twist or two more. Entertaining....yes, Great? No.

"Pick it Up"

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Funny People DVD Review

Funny People: A not-so-funny Adam Sandler flick that fails to entertain. Sandler plays a famous comedian who learns he has a rare illness that may lead to his death. He befriends an unknown comedian/writer (Seth Rogen) who helps him write jokes for his stand-up act. The story rambles on from there, "ramble" being the key word. The story has no arc and goes on for way too long (2.5 hours). Sandler once again strikes out trying to play a serious role. I did not laugh, I did not chuckle.....I did not care.

"Kick it to the Floor"

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UP DVD Review

UP: It seems every time I see a new trailer from Pixar I have the same thought - This looks like it will be their first dud. Yet time after time their movies are a success with audiences and critics alike. Pixar has become known as the studio that can do no wrong. Flashback to when I saw the trailer for UP: an old man ties a bunch of balloons to the roof of his house and floats away......no doubt a dud! I was wrong again. The story is much more touching than I thought it would be. Yes, an old man does float away in his house with a neighborhood kid on his porch, but not seen in the trailer is the emotional journey the main character makes. The film is filled with funny sidekick characters (Pixar's golden ticket). The best being Doug, a dog who wears a collar that allows him to speaks his thoughts. Although I would not put this feature near the top of Pixar's catalog, it was still a very enjoyable watch.

"Pick It Up"

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The Proposal on DVD

The Proposal: The not-so-likable Sandra Bullock bores in another dull romantic comedy. Let me start with the oh-so-clever setup: Bullock is an editor in New York who is about to get deported back to Canada unless she can find a legal way to stay in the country. Her Idea: get married to her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) who actually loathes her. Because he sees this as an opportunity for advancement he goes along with the idea. First order of business is to visit his family with his new fiancee. It just so happens that he is from Alaska. A snotty editor from NYC has to go to the Alaskan countryside and fit in with his family....oh my side hurts from laughter (not). Now imagine if only they could actually fall in love for real.....well you can see the writing on the wall.....and it is bad penmanship! Awful acting coupled with a couple embarrassing scenes equals a movie that disappoints.....I propose staying away!

"Kick it to the Floor"

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Away We Go on DVD

Away We Go: A young unmarried couple who are about to have their first child together travel to multiple cities to try and find the best place to start a family. The couple is played perfectly by John Krasinski (The Office) and Maya Rudolph (SNL). At each city they stop at they meet up with either relatives or friends. Each group seems to be funnier than the last. Among the hilarious supporting cast are Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, and Catherine O'Hara. I can see some people thinking the characters are over played, but with the small amount of screen time each have it worked fine for me. Besides be very funny, the film has some heart as well. This is a very enjoyable rental that had me saying "Way to go -- Away We Go!!

"Pick It Up"

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The Girlfriend Experience on DVD

The Girlfriend Experience: Director Steven Soderbergh has been known to try risky projects in the past (see Bubble) - this latest offering is no exception. Sasha Grey (a current adult film star) plays a high-end call girl in her mainstream film debut. The first word that comes to mind about her performance is "monotone". Some may argue that she is playing her character this way....I say, no - she just can't act. Also crippling the movie is the weak story which concentrates on her relationship with her boyfriend (yes she has a boyfriend.....and she is a call girl....and he knows). I found it hard to care for any of the characters on screen.....and as a result I did not care much for the movie!

"Kick it to the Floor"

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Duplicity on DVD

Duplicity: Billed as a "Cool, sexy caper" I figured the new Julia Roberts, Clive Owen film would miss its mark. I thought the story would be heavy on "spy gear" and ridiculous plot twists. I was wrong....I ended up really liking Duplicity. There is virtually no "fancy spy gear" shown, plus the movie does not take its self too seriously. Instead we have a well told story that bounces back to the past numerous times to uncover the relationship between the two leads. They both play corporate spies trying to get insider information for the company's competitor. The story unfolds slowly to give the impression that the subject matter is more important than it really is. However once things become more clear the funnier the film becomes - all the while staying suspenseful. Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti round out the cast of this .......well.......Cool, sexy caper!

Pick it Up!

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Sunshine Cleaning DVD Review

Sunshine Cleaning: Emily Blunt and Amy Adams star in a film that turns out to be much more of a drama than a light comedy. The two leads play sisters who start up their own crime scene clean-up business. They are inexperienced and not ready for some of the grotesque aspects of the job. This produces some funny moments in the film, but all the laughs are captured in a few early scenes. I was under the impression that the movie would exploit this funny plot point to death (...pun). Instead, the story takes on a serious tone as we explore the troubled life of the two sisters. Emily Blunt in particular does an excellent job playing a character that clearly is hiding some pain. Slowly we find out more about their childhood and events that have scarred them for life. I was impressed with the story and the complex characters, but felt they could have dug a little deeper. This is a case where an extra 15 minutes of celluloid could have brought much more emotion to the story.
"Pick it Up"

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Tyson DVD Review

Tyson: 007 373 5963...This string of ten numbers has a special significance to anyone who grew up in the mid-80's. The number was memorized by kids across America, talked about at inner circles around the lunch tables, and it was all true. This was the code that got little Mac to fight Mike Tyson in one of the greatest video games of all time - Nintendo's: Mike Tyson's Punch Out! I mention this because it gives frame of mind as to just what an icon Mike Tyson was during that era. This documentary directed by James Toback gives you Tyson's complete story. From his rough childhood, to him becoming the youngest heavyweight champion of the world, to his "ear fetish", and finally to his tragic demise. It unfolds in a very unique kind of way- the entire documentary is told in Mike Tyson's own words. It can be best described as a self portrait on film. Cut in between Tyson talking about his life we have footage of his old fights and his old interviews. Some of this footage is very familiar and some of it is very rare, but all of it is very compelling. Tyson's career and even his life for that matter is a Greek tragedy. This is one of the better documentaries I have seen in a long time. Interesting, powerful, and sad, all told in a very distinctive way.....a must rent!

"Pick it Up"

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Defiance DVD Review

Defiance: Daniel Craig stars in the true story of the Bielski resistance. The three Bielski brothers were responsible for protecting over a thousand Jewish people who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe. They fled into the Belorussian forests where they made a small village and survived for three plus years. The Bielskis also joined Russian resistance fighters and actually fought back against the Nazis. I was hoping the movie was going to be a little more like Red Dawn with some surprise attacks, RPGs, and someone yelling "Bielskis" instead of wolverines. However the story focuses more on the "survival in the woods aspect"- which after awhile got a bit redundant. It was nice to see a film about Jewish people fighting back during WWII, but overall the movie was paced too slow and dragged on a little to long. Ahh Bielski!

"Kick it to the Floor"

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The Soloist DVD Review

The Soloist: Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx star in one of years best dramas! This film performed poorly at the box office and after viewing it on DVD I am not sure why. Foxx plays Nathaniel Ayres a homeless man who once trained at Julliard. Downey plays Steven Lopez, a L.A. Times journalist who discovered Nathaniel's story and shared it with the world. Both lead actors did a tremendous job, making the story very easy to believe. The film not only focuses on the friendship that is hatched between the two men, but it also examines homelessness on a larger scale. The movie is based on a true story and I found it to be captivating and effective. Great movies not only entertain, but also inform and educate. The Soloist does all three - it is a an easy film to recommend.

"Pick it Up"

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I Love You, Man Review

I Love You, Man: You may not know it, but we are currently knee deep in "The Paul Rudd Era". The actor literally went from being "Ohh, its the guy who plays the older brother in Clueless" to Paul Rudd - period. He has had a role in The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and starred in last year's Role Models. In I Love You, Man he stars as Peter Klaven, a man who after getting engaged realizes that he has no male friends. Not being very close to his brother, Peter finds himself without a best man for his wedding. This causes Peter to go on a string of "man dates" in order to find a new best friend - each of them uncomfortable and hilarious. Paul Rudd plays the character perfectly, he is much more of a metrosexual than a guy's guy. His awkward attempts at being "cool" are also spot on. Finally, Peter does find a best friend, Sydney (played by the very funny Jason Segal). While the two strike up a very strong bond, Peter's new relationship actually interferes with that of his fiancée's. Can they find common ground where all are happy? I loved - I Love You, Man and I am sure you will too!

"Pick It Up"

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The Great Buck Howard

The Great Buck Howard: John Malkovich is simply fantastic as Buck Howard, a "mentalist" who continues to perform his act long after his prime. As he would tell you, Buck Howard had been a guest on the tonight show with Johnny Carson 61 times...but that was over 25 years ago. These days we find Buck performing his show in small venues located in small cities all across America. However, his "big star" attitude has not gone away, in Buck's mind he is still at the top of his game. We join the ride when Buck hires a new road manager, Troy Gable (Colin Hanks). As quirky and fun as his act seems, Buck's backstage preparation is even more amusing. Right after a big public stunt flops, Buck has a strike of luck that casts him back into the public limelight. Will the Great Buck Howard relish his renewed found fame or long for the time when he headlined Wausau, WI? Buck Howard is a character that will make you laugh and that you will cheer for!

"Pick it Up"

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Two Lovers DVD

Two Lovers: Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow star in a film that is billed as (get this) - "Joaquin Phoenix's last movie ever". I hope you can finish reading this review before running out to snatch up the DVD in pure excitement. All kidding aside, Two Lovers is an interesting and sincere portrait of one man's struggle with life and love. Phoenix plays Leonard, a young man living with his parents after his last relationship left him confused and tormented. While his parents are trying to set him up with Sandra, the daughter of family friends, Leonard meets the more desirable and volatile Michelle (Paltrow). Leonard must ultimately decide between "tenderness" and "desire". It is the strong acting by the leads that allows you to believe in the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Give it a spin!

"Pick it up"

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He's Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You: I went into this movie with low expectations and to my surprise the movie was not all that bad, however, it was not a great romantic comedy either. It can best be summed up as “middle of the road fare”. The film is a collage of storylines dealing with different relationships between men and women. The movie has a rather large cast consisting of Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly, Justin Long, Drew Barrymore, and Scarlett Johansson. I know what you are thinking…where the hell is Hugh Grant, couldn’t they squeeze him in somewhere? I would sum up the laughter level for the film as “chuckle worthy”. It did not have any hard laughs, but at the same time it avoided stepping into any “roll your eye” moments. I guess it was the best I could ask for…

Slight "Pick It Up"

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Valkyrie DVD

Valkyrie: Jerry Maguire dons an eye patch and plots an assassination attempt on Adolph Hitler. Although we know how the assassination attempt turns out, the movie still does a fine job of stirring up some suspense. Cruise does a reasonable job of blending in, I mention this because he normally plays “Tom Cruise” and that can be distracting in a period piece. Here he plays Claus Von Stauffenberg, a colonel in the German army who was brave enough to plant a bomb inside Hitler’s headquarters. The film does supply one action scene on the battlefield, but make no mistake, this is more of a tense thriller than it is a war movie.

"Pick It Up"

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Taken DVD

Taken: Liam Neeson stars in what amounts to be a glorified “B-Movie”. Liam plays an ex-spy whose 17 year old daughter gets “taken” while on her European vacation (yes, it is as simple as the one word title). He sets out for Paris to find her and to get his revenge against the bad guys who took her. Hand-to-hand combat is the choice for most of the action with the main character mowing down people like he is in the Nintendo game Kung Fu. It all happens too easy and too fast, thus never letting the viewer care about the outcome. If it was a lesser known actor in the lead this would have been a direct to DVD release. That said, even with Liam in the movie I still thought the acting was dreadful, especially by the girl playing his daughter (I would have let her be taken).

“Kick it to the Floor”

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Nothing But The Truth DVD

Nothing But the Truth: Kate Beckinsale anchors a rather large cast in this thought provoking film. Beckinsale plays Rachel Armstrong, a political reporter for a Washington D.C. newspaper. She writes a story that accuses the President of ignoring vital information reported to him by a covert CIA agent. In her story she names the CIA agent which causes the government to come after her for breaching national security and to give up her source. When Rachel will not name her source she is held in contempt of court. I really appreciated the way the subject matter was handled. The film leaves it up to the viewer to determine who is right or wrong as this issue is not at all black and white. For this reason, the film opens up a dialogue for conversation once the credits roll.

"Pick it Up"

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Marley & Me on DVD

Marley & Me: This is the perfect movie for Jennifer Aniston to star in. She really can’t act, so you put her in a film that is a layup in the tears department. I mean who is not going to be touched by the story of a family dog shown from when he is a pup all the way to the time when they have to put him to sleep? (not a spoiler, we all know the dog dies at the end) The movie as a whole is below average at best. The same gag of Marley either chewing something up or running wild is used repeatedly to the point that you start to get annoyed of the canine. Meanwhile Owen Wilson plays more of a straight character that supplies very few laughs. If he is not being funny on screen, I notice that I start concentrating on his nose….and wondering what all went wrong there. The film does do a fine job capturing the special love a family has for their dog and vice versa, but that is not enough to save it from a trip to the pound.

“Kick it to the Floor”

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Let The Right One In

Let the Right One In: Now this is one great vampire movie! It amazes me how a film of this caliber can be overlooked and overshadowed by the much inferior picture - Twilight. The Story centers on two 12 year olds - Oskar, a boy who is picked on and bullied at school and Eli, the new girl who just moved next store. The two become friends and even share innocent feelings of love for each other. However there is something different about Eli….she needs to drink blood to survive. Eli lives with a Hakan, an older man who helps fulfill her needs required to survive. The movie has some gruesome and frightening elements to it, has a plot that will make you think, and has complex characters that you will care about (All of which I thought was lacking in Twilight). The more I think about this movie the more I love it! So if it is a vampire movie you want….sink your teeth into this one.

“Pick it Up”

This is a Swedish film with English subtitles, but the DVD does give you the lame option of watching it with an English dubbing (for you non-subtitle readers)

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Twilight DVD Review

Twilight: Beverly Hills 90210 meets Dracula in this teen romance. Bella Swan becomes the new girl at school when she moves to Forks, WA to live with her dad. Instantly she is attracted to Edward Cullen, a pale skinned James Dean. Why is his skin pale? Why does he miss school on sunny days? You guessed it….he is a vampire. The two become more than lab partners and slowly Edward tells Bella his secret. She must have read a book or saw some vampire instructional video because her reaction to finding out was akin to a teenage boy discovering wrestling is fake (hmmm that makes sense). The story has some original ideas behind it, but poor execution and follow-through produces a rather flat movie. I would imagine the books have to be a lot better than the movie because all the hysteria they have caused – I sure hope so at least. If you are on the “Twilight” fence – don’t jump in…..it is not worth it.

“Kick it to the Floor”

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Blindness

Blindness: Simply put, this was the worst movie that I have seen in a good 10 years. I hated it! Was it trying to make some sort of social message….I am still not sure. Maybe it was an experiment, to see if a horrible movie like this could actually blind you. As for the plot – the entire human race is going blind. The disease is contagious so the government quarantines the blind by themselves in an old hospital. Without their sight they become savages – fighting amongst themselves for survival. To add insult to injury, Danny Glover has a small role that has him wearing an eye patch and mumbling some meaningless rhetoric. Stay far away from this rubbish - it will blind you!

“Kick it to the Floor”

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Body of Lies

Body of Lies: Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in a Ridley Scott movie....this has some promise. Promise yes, but in actuality they made a very mediocre film. DiCaprio plays Roger Ferris, a CIA agent searching for terrorists in Jordan. Crowe plays Ed Hoffman the man in charge of the operation back in the states. Their ways of getting things done are quite different and that almost leads to Ferris’ death more than a couple of times. Do they trust Jordan’s security agency or are they plotting against the Americans as well? It all comes across as something we have seen before and seen done better. The ending leaves you guessing and did build up some mild suspense. I faintly recommend…

"Pick it up"

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Flash of Genius

Flash of Genius: I always complain that Hollywood turns out too many remakes and sequels. I want more innovative ideas. Well, when they finally decide to go with an original story we get this: The true narrative on Bob Kearns, the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. Lookout! He did not invent the actual wiper mind you, just the way a wiper has a small pause, used when it is a light shower outside. At the time the big three automakers in Detroit were trying to come up with the same invention. Bob beat them to it and presented his idea to Ford. Instead of selling them his idea (easy way), he wanted to open his own manufacturing plant and sell the actual wipers to them (huh?) . The rest of the story goes traditional – evil corporation steals the man’s idea and gives him no credit or money for it - man sues big corporation in a case that took almost 10 years to get to court. There is really no reason to recommend this movie, not that it was terrible by any means. I am just not sure the story deserves its own movie.

Giving it a slight “kick to the floor”

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Changeling: Like many, I associate this film with those annoying ads where Angelina Jolie is heard yelling “This is not MY son” along with “I want MY son back”. Enough already! Besides being annoyed by the ads, I also thought I knew exactly what the film was going to be about. To my surprise, the movie is much deeper and much more complex than I expected. The aspect of the police returning the wrong missing boy to his mother is present, but there is also a suspenseful, hideous, criminal aspect as well. The two story lines are interwoven meticulously by director Clint Eastwood. I found myself more and more intrigued as the story played out, never really knowing how it was going to end. Although the movie does run a little long – this is a terrific rental!

“Pick it Up”

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Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: I was not sure what to think going into Kevin Smith’s newest comedy. Would Smith resort solely to shock humor? The answer is thankfully no. Smith blends his unique style of comedy with the odd world of porn to create a very funny picture! Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play Zack and Miri respectively. They are just platonic roommates (so they think) struggling to pay bills. Eventually they get into a circumstance where they are out of money and their utilities are being shut off. Desperate times mean desperate measures. Their dazzling idea to get out of their financial woes is to make a porno. They recruit 6 others to help make the sex film, a couple of them you will recognize from previous Kevin Smith adventures. The comedy is outrageous at times and I would definitely recommend NOT watching this with your parents or any relatives that may be in the clergy. However for the rest of us who have been accepting more and more provocative humor this is one Funny film to enjoy.

“Pick it Up”

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Appaloosa Review

Appaloosa: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and a hideous looking Renee Zellweger star in this western bore fest. I try to like westerns. I love a good shootout like the next guy and I can always go for a good chase on horse back. The problem with this movie is it had none of that. The shootouts it did have went for the “realistic” effect - were its one shot and you’re dead. I am all for realism, but not in this case. I want bullets flying around. I want men popping out of trunks with guns blazing. I want men shot in the leg so they have to limp to get behind a barrel. This movie offered nothing that I would label exciting or interesting, even the love story was a bore. I wish the title was actually Lollapalooza - featuring some rocking music from Chicago’s grant park and Zellweger’s sourpuss face was nowhere to be seen.

"Kick it to the Floor"

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Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye: Shia LaBeouf stars in one of the more unrealistic movies I have ever seen. The plot is shrouded in secrecy during the 1st hour of the film and that gave me some hope. In fact I would say the opening 45 minutes or so were actually decent. However once the plot starts to become clear the story turns into a real laugher. LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw whose twin brother was recently killed in military action. Soon after Jerry is setup to make it look as if he is a terrorist. That is when he gets a call from a mysterious voice that helps guide his escape. Where is this voice coming from, and how can it see his every action? I really wish the explanation was better….I ….I ….actually nothing more needs to be explained - just skip this one.

“Kick it to the Floor”

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