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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