Past Reviews - Archive L-Z Page Updated 9/28/2008
Ladron que Roba Ladron (PG-13, Action, Comedy) B+
In this Mexican movie a group of thieves decide to rob another thief who has made his money by selling people products that do not work, such as the cure to cancer. Even though this story has been done before it was well written and there was an unexpected surprise as well. Official Site
Lady in the Water (PG-13 - Drama / Sci-Fi / Mystery) B
This is another film by the director/writer of The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan. In this movie a woman from another world is living in the pool of an apartment building were some other creatures have also come with her. At first the movie seems a little bit slow and after a while it seems to move too quickly. I thought it was a good story and it had a good theme in it.
Lars and the Real Girl (PG-13, Drama, Comedy) B
A man who has a problem relating to people decides to order a doll and pretend it’s his girlfriend which really comes as a surprise to his family. In order to help him out the people in the town play along with him. The movie wasn’t very funny but the story about all the town trying to help Lars out was a good and thoughtful one. Official Site
The Last King of Scotland (R - Drama í) A-
This is a fictional story that revolves around the real life Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. In it a naive doctor becomes friends with the dictator. Forest Witaker plays the dictator and does an excellent job in an excellent film. Official Site
The Last Kiss (R - Comedy, Drama, Romance) A-
In this movie we get a glimpse into different relationships with the principal focus on Michael (Zach Braff) who is not too happy about becoming a father. This movie takes a realistic look at relationships and how hard it is to find and maintain a good one.
The Last Legion (PG-13, Drama, Action) B
Based on the true story of the last Roman legion a small group of soldiers have to rescue the last Caesar and get him to a safe location. Ben Kingsley plays the role of an advisor and mentor to the young Caesar but I got the impression he could have done a much better job with this role if the script were better, I also had the same impression with Colin Firth’s character. Official Site
The Last Mimzy (PG, Sci-Fi, Children) D
In this movie a “mimzy” gets sent to two children who ust uncover its secrets. The problem is that it takes them half the movie to figure out what the mimzy is. I had trouble staying awake while watching this movie. Official Site
The Lake House (PG - Drama, Romance) C
The premise for this movie is that a man puts an envelope in his mailbox where a woman gets it at the same instant but two years in the future, they start writing each other and a romance develops. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any passion in this movie and at times it felt sort of slow.
Lakeview Terrace (PG-13, Thriller) C-
A couple moves into a house were it turns out their neighbor (Samuel L. Jackson) is a police officer that has decided to pick on them by doing all sorts of stuff to them. They soon start getting back at each other which at first is interesting but it gets tiring after a while, this movie could have been much better in many ways. Official Site
Leatherheads (PG-13, Comedy) C
Set in the 1920’s Dodge Connelly (George Clooney) finds that his football team and others in the country have gone broke due to a lack of interest by the public. He then decided to enlist a War hero and college football star into his team to help jump start professional football, except Lexxie Littleton (Renee Zellwegger) doesn’t believe he is a real war hero so she set out to expose him which might result in the end of Connelly’s professional football team. The actors in this film were all good but the film tries unsuccessfully to be too charming which is a shame because the story was good. Official Site
Let's Go to Prison (R, Comedy) ?
A judge's wrongly convicted son is sent to prison where he gets subjected to the convicts’ attention. Official Site
Letters from Iwo Jima (R, Drama, War) A-
This film looks at the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese point of view. Most of the movie is about the soldier’s lives and the strategy implemented by their commanders. Official Site
License to Wed (PG-13, Comedy) C+
Robin William plays a priest who administers a marriage course to a recently engaged couple. The bride (Many Moore) is all for taking the course but her fiance is not as enthusiastic especially after the priest’s unorthodox methods. After a half hour this movie that isn’t too funny looses most of its momentum. Official Site
Little Miss Sunshine (R - Comedy, Drama) A-
A girl and her family go on a road trip to enter her in a beauty pageant. All the main characters in the movie have their own issues to deal with as well. This movie had an excellent combination of comedy and drama.
Live Free or Die Hard (PG-13, Action) A-
Once more John McClane gets tangled up with some terrorists that are attacking the country’s computer systems. With the help of a computer expert he tries to stop the terrorists one more time. The action scenes were excellent and non-stop. The first one is still my favorite though. Official Site
The Lives of Others (R, Drama ƒ) A
Set in East Germany during the Cold War a playwright falls under the secret surveillance of the government’s security office which is trying to find out if he is really loyal to the country. The security officer that is in charge of the surveillance also proved to be a very interesting character and there is also a great love story. Official Site
The Longshots (PG, Drama) C
Based on the life of Jasmine Plummer the movie shows how she became a quarterback in a boy’s football team. The story was an interesting one but every other aspect of the film was poor, it had a feel of a cheap cable movie and bits of comedy inserted that aren’t really funny and only serve to take away from the overall drama. Official Site
The Lookout (R, Drama) B
A former high school skating star that works as a janitor at a bank gets talked into being the lookout for a bank robbery. He has a mental disability that the bank robbers exploit or try to exploit. The story in this movie was good even though some parts felt too formulaic. Official Site
The Love Guru (PG-13, Comedy) B
Mike Myers plays a spiritual leader who helps people fix their relationships. When a hockey player can’t play well after breaking up with his girlfriend the team owner (Jessica Alba) hires the Guru to help her star player. There’s a little more to the story which made the movie more entertaining than all the clever jokes. Official Site
Love and Suicide (NR - Drama ƒ) B+
A man and woman from the United States meet each other while vacationing in Cuba where they are driven around by a taxi driver. The man has some personal issues he needs to take care of. Even though this is a low budget movie I thought the story was very original and I liked the message it tries to convey about people’s heritage. The acting in some of the scenes by the American characters weren’t very good; it may be because they were shooting the film without permission and may not have had time to do more than a few takes. It was interesting to see actual sites of Cuba.
Love in the Time of Cholera (R, Drama) B-
A man falls for a woman who is out of his reach so he tries all types of things to win her over and to pass the time while he accomplishes this. This was a good movie but it would have been much better if it was a half hour shorter. The movie’s tagline is “How Long Would You Wait for Love”; it made me feel like I was waiting a very long time. Official Site
Lions for Lambs (R, Drama) C+
This movie has two or three sets of people presenting their case against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was entertaining but it would have been better if it was as objective as it presents itself to be. Official Site
Little Man (PG-13 - Comedy) B
I wasn’t going to see this movie because I had a problem with the premise that a toddler sized man can pretend to be a baby in order to sneak into a house. The story wasn’t too original but there are enough good jokes in there that make the movie worthwhile.
The Lost City (R - Drama) B-
This movie is about the effects of the Castro revolution in Cuba. It centers around a family that owns a nightclub so there is plenty of old Cuban music in this movie. I felt that the music overtook every other aspect of the film which is a shame because there were many dramatic moments that could have been at the forefront.
Lower City / Cidade Baixa (R - Drama ƒ ) D+
Two young men start having a relationship with the same young woman. Most of the movie is about one guy being with the girl and the other one being jealous until she decides to switch guys. This movie lacked a substantive plot.
Lucky You (PG-13, Drama, Romance) D+
Drew Barrymore arrives in Las Vegas where she meets a man (Eric Bana) who is a professional poker player. Drew Barrymore’s character only appears intermittently in the movie to provide some insightful observations or to show the main character’s weakness. Most of the movie consists of him sitting down at a table playing poker and squabbling with his dad who is also a poker player. Official Site
Mad Money (PG-13, Comedy) C-
Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes play a group of women who work at a Federal Reserve bank where they are responsible for shredding old money. Instead of throwing it out they come up with a convenient scheme to just take the money home, most of the characters are joking around so much that it made it difficult to fall for the premise. I didn’t think there was one good joke in this film which can’t decide if it wants to be serious or funny or even achieve a good combination of the two. Official Site
Made of Honor (PG-13, Romantic Comedy) B+
A bachelor (Patrick Dempsey) realizes he is in love with his best friend (Michelle Monaghan) when she goes to Scotland for a month; the trouble is that she returns engaged and asks him to be her maid of honor. Even though the movie is very predictable the story was still good. Official Site
Maldeamores (R, Comedy) B-
Set in Puerto Rico, the movie follows three sets of dysfunctional relationships; an old woman living with two men who love her, a man that hijacks a bus to force the driver into marriage and one more couple I'll let you find out about. The introduction of the characters and their circumstances were good but only one of the three relationships gets a substantial story.
Mama Mia – The Movie (PG-13, Drama, Musical) B+
A hotel owner (Meryl Streep) gets ready to host her daughter’s wedding. It turns out her daughter has secretly invited three men, hoping to identify who her father might be. The music and story were very good; the only drawback was that the men didn’t sing as well as the women. Official Site
Marie Antoinette (PG-13, Drama) B-
Kristen Dunst plays the young princess from Austria that is sent off to marry the prince in France. At first the movie seemed interesting but during 40 minutes the movie is just stuck on the same issue and then it suddenly goes through the end of the story at a much quicker pace. Official Site
The Marine (PG-13 - Action) D+
In this film a marine’s wife gets kidnapped by some bad guys so he has to chase them down and rescue her. This movie had really bad background music, poor acting and lines. The action scenes were okay though. Official Site
Martian Child (PG, Drama) B
John Cusack plays a well established science fiction author who decides to adopt a boy that insists he is from Mars. It's not clear to John Cusack's character if the boy really believes that. Some of the background music was poor but the story was good. Official Site
Material Girls (PG - Comedy) B-
A couple of rich girls loose all their money and must find a way to get it back. Even though the movie was very formulaic it was still entertaining enough. It could have been funnier and the two girls don’t do a good job of appearing to be too materialistic.
Meet Bill (R, Drama, Comedy) B
Bill realizes he doesn't like his life and career where he has a titular position at his father in law's bank. As he is trying to break free from that life he still has to carry through with his family obligations. The story and circumstances in the movie were good. It would have been better if Bill had been presented as a more rational person, thereby making the movie more realistic. Official Site
Meet Dave (PG, Comedy) C
A spaceship that is modeled to look like an average man and is a replica of its captain (Eddie Murphy) lands in New York City with a mission to save its home planet. All the comedy is based on the captain’s attempt to fit into the culture. There were too many times when the spaceships level of technology kept shifting conveniently to move the story along. Official Site
Meet the Robinsons (G, Animated) C-
A boy genius get transported to the future so that he will fix a special machine he had built. The movie had a nice message but I didn’t really care for most of the characters. It could have been a lot better. Official Site
Meet the Spartans (PG-13, Comedy) C
This movie is a spoof of the movie 300. It had some funny moments in it but some parts were needlessly gross and there is a dance off at some point that was quite bad. If you haven’t seen 300 don’t bother seeing this movie. Official Site
Miami Vice (R - Action/Drama) D+
A couple of detectives in Miami take on a major drug dealer. There are times when the movie is hard to follow; it also felt like they were trying to be too cool which led to many scenes with dead air. I also didn’t like the way the movie was directed.
Michael Clayton (R, Drama) B+
George Clooney plays a lawyer (Michael Clayton) at a major law firm whose chief litigator has lost his mind while dealing with a major case. While trying to set everything back in order his own life becomes endangered. At first this movie is a bit slow but once we know what is actually happening it becomes a lot more interesting. Official Site
A Mighty Heart (R, Drama) A-
In this true story Angelina Jolie plays the wife of Daniel Pearl. The movie follows her efforts for the safe return of her husband. This film provides an excellent behind the scenes look of this unfair tragic event. Official Site
Mirrors (R, Horror) B+
A security guard (Kiefer Sutherland) at an abandoned burned down department store soon discovers that all the mirrors are haunted. The film wasn’t too scary but Kiefer Sutherland does a great job relating the anxiety that the character is feeling. Official Site
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG, Comedy, Drama) B+
Frances McDormand plays the part of Miss Pettigrew, a woman who has been fired from her job and is also homeless. With a little deception she manages to secure a job with an aspiring actress (Amy Adams) even though it’s not the job she was expecting. It was fun to see Miss Pettigrew dive into a world she’s never been exposed to; she brings a voice of reason to their world. The film does an excellent job of portraying London in the year 1939. Official Site
Miss Potter (PG, Drama) A-
This is the true story of Beatrix Potter, a popular children’s author from the 1900’s. The movie shows how she got her books published and her personal life in order. Official Site
The Mist (R, Horror) B
A mist that brings death takes over a small town. The story revolves around a group of people that take refuge in a supermarket were all types of human dynamics begin to develop which is what actually makes this an interesting and entertaining movie. The ending was a bit predictable for the usual horror movie genre. Official Site
Moliere (PG-13, Drama) B+
This movie presents a fictitious account for an unaccounted time period in the life of the French actor and writer Jean-Baptiste Poquelin also known as Moliere. A rich man hires him to becomes his theater instructor so that he may impress a duchess he wants to fall in love with even though he has a great wife. There are more interesting plot developments I don want to give away. The only thing I didn’t like about the movie were the theatre scenes that Moliere set up. Official Site
Mongol (R, foreign Drama, Action) B-
This movie follows the early childhood of Genghis Khan and his rise to power as an adult. The story was a very interesting one and the movie does a good job relating it. Unfortunately the soundtrack and cinematography were poor making it difficult to get fully immersed into the movie. Official Site
Monster House (PG - Comedy) A-
In this animated movie three kids battle a house that is alive and eating children. I thought this movie was excellent, the animation was great and the story seemed quite original to me.
Mr. Brooks (R, Suspense, Thriller) B+
Kevin Costner plays a respectful well know businessman that has a double personality that makes him a serial killer as well. He then gets blackmailed by a man that saw him commit one of the murders. There’s a lot more going on in this movie which I don’t want to spoil for you. Official Site
Mr. Magorium’s Magic Emporium (G, Sci-Fi) D-
Dustin Hoffman plays the part of Mr. Magorium, the owner of a magical toy store that sells magical toys. He needs to retire away from the store so he tries to pass it on to his apprentice played by Natalie Portman. Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of the character is so bad that it makes him 10 times more obnoxious than Jar Jar from the Star Wars movies. I couldn’t wait for him to leave the store but he stays around for most of the movie. This is one of those movies that try so hard to be sentimental that it just fails completely. Official Site
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PG-13, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure) C-
A family of archaeologist runs into another mummy that has been brought back to life which they must stop before it revives its entire army and takes over the world. This third version of the series only offers more of the same but without Rachel Weisz reprising her role as Evelyn O’Connell; instead Maria Bello is cast for the role which just makes it feel like it’s a whole new character instead of the same one. Official Site
Music and Lyrics (PG-13, Comedy, Romance)
Hugh Grant plays a former member of an 80’s rock band that was very popular but is now forgotten. He gets an opportunity to write a new song but can’t do it until he meets the right girl played by Drew Barrymore. Official Site
Music Within (R, Drama) B+
This film set mostly in the 1970's is based on the life of a disabled Veteran and his unexpected role as a leading advocate for disabled persons. It shows how his personal life set him up for an important role and how that role affected his life as well. The movie also shows the setbacks and prejudices disabled persons had to overcome. Official Site
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (PG-13 - Comedy) B-
A man decides to break up with his girlfriend who doesn’t take it well; the problem is she has special Superman type powers. I really disliked one of the supporting characters in this movie; I thought he was just obnoxious. If you watch the trailer you’ll get to see the funniest parts of the movie.
Nacho Libre (PG - Comedy) B+
Jack Black plays a monk in Mexico who always wanted to join the “lucha libre”
(wrestling) and finally gets a reason or an excuse to do so. This is one of those movies that is so silly that it is funny and it has a good plot to carry it along.
Nancy Drew (PG, Mystery, Comedy) B+
A young girl who is addicted to “sleuthing” stumbles into a case involving an actress that died mysteriously many years before. It seems to be the same case from the movie “The Black Dahlia”. This movie was much better. Official Site
The Namesake (PG-13, Drama) A-
A young man and his wife come to the United States from India to start a new life and family. The movie follows their lives and their children’s as well. This movie gives a great insight into a different culture and the importance of family among other things. Official Site
The Nanny Diaries (PG-13, Comedy) B+
A recent college graduate (Scarlett Johansson) gets a job as a nanny while she decides what career path to take. While working as a nanny she has to deal with the kid’s dysfunctional family and make sense of her own life as well. I didn’t like the Nanny’s narration too much but the movie was still very good. Official Site
National Lampoon's Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj (R, Comedy) D
Taj heads over to a University in England where he leads a group of students against a rival fraternity. This is the worst college themed movie I’ve ever seen. They just copied scenes from other movies and then did a bad job at it. Even the main character (Taj) who was funny in the original Van Wilder movie was incredibly dull. Official Site
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG, Action) B
Ben gates (Nicolas Cage) sets out to find another hidden U.S. treasure that will prove that his ancestor did not help murder President Lincoln. The jokes and action were good but this sequel is too similar to the first movie, it felt like it had the same sequence of events except for the fact that they’re searching for a new treasure. Official Site
The Nativity Story (PG, Drama) A-
This is movie is a retelling of the birth of Jesus. The movie starts just before an angel comes to Mary and ends with the birth of the baby. It also shows how the three kings came to realize that the baby would be born. This movie was very well done and even though the story is known it was still good to watch. Official Site
Never Back Down (PG-13, Action) C-
Jake Tyler and his family move down to Orlando where he starts out at a new school. He soon gets invited to a party where he is coaxed into a fight and severely beaten, causing him to enroll in a mixed martial arts school. The camera work made it hard to follow parts of the fight scenes and the story was too predictable. Official Site
Next (PG-13, Action, Sci-Fi) B
An FBI agent (Julianne Moore) chases a magician (Nicolas Cage) that can see into the future so that he can help her track down a stolen nuclear bomb. The problem is that he doesn’t want to help her. The special effects were excellent and it was cool to see how he can avoid bad situations, there was a great scene were he… oh, no spoilers right! Official Site
The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D (PG, Animated) C+
Jack-O-Lantern decides to celebrate Christmas which leads to a bunch of trouble for everybody. I didn’t like the music and singing too much and there were barely any 3-D effects. Official Site
The Night Listener (R - Drama/Mystery) F+
Robin Williams is a radio personality that decides to tell the story of a boy who has been sexually abused and is dying of Aids. I wasn’t really sure what was happening in this movie at first so it might be useful to get one of those movie reviews where they give the whole movie away! I slept through most of this movie but I woke up in time to see the climax and resolution and therefore tell you not to bother seeing this film.
Night at the Museum (PG, Comedy/Fantasy) B-
After having a few failed business ventures Ben Stiller becomes the new security guard at a museum where the exhibits come to life at night. He has to learn how to mange them all and still keep his job. All the effort seems to have been directed towards the special effects which were excellent. It was neat to see Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney in a new film, I think this was the first time I saw them on the big screen. Official Site
Nim’s Island (PG, Family, Adventure) B+
A little girl named Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her Dad (Gerard Butler) live all alone in an island in the Pacific Ocean. When her Dad does not return from a trip she contacts her favorite action hero to come help her out, failing to realize he doesn’t exist and that she has instead contacted the book’s author, Alex Rover (Jodie Foster). While the movie is predictable the screenplay and Nim’s narration do a great job of letting us see things through Nim’s point of view and there’s a good subplot in the film too. Official Site
No Country for Old Men (R, Drama, Crime) B
A retired man comes across a drug deal gone badly and a case full of money which he picks up. He takes the case home which sets a horrible killer (Javier Bardem) and more bad guys on his trail. Tommy Lee Jones also appears in the movie as a Sheriff casually investigating the case. While I was watching the movie I thought the suspense was so good that this would be an A- graded movie but towards the end it looses steam and it turns out to be one of those movies that just end abruptly which I really dislike. Official Site
Noelle (?, Drama) C
A catholic priest goes to Cape Cod to close down a church, while he’s there he learns some things about the town’s people and about himself. The movie had a good premise but the supporting actors were really bad and since it is a low budget movie it has what seems like generic background music. Official Site
Norbit (PG-13, Comedy) C-
Eddie Murphy plays three roles in this film. In his main role he is Norbit a man married to a woman who doesn’t treat him very well. Eddie Murphy wasn’t very funny in any of the three characters he played in this film. The few laughs I got were from a supporting character played by Eddie Griffin. Official Site
Notes on a Scandal (R, Drama) A-
Cate Blanchett plays a new art teacher who comes to teach at a high school where Judi Dench’s character helps her settle into a new teaching job. Their friendship takes a twisted turn when Dench’s character realizes that the new teacher is having a relationship with a student. Official Site
No Reservations (PG, Drama, Comedy) B+
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the role of a Chef at a fancy restaurant, where she is suddenly faced with a new competing Chef and new family responsibilities that change her life. Unlike most romantic comedies this one was different since the main characters aren’t really looking for love. Official Site
The Number 23 (R, Mystery) D+
Jim Carrey plays the part of a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23. Most of the movie is about all the different ways he can come up with the number 23 which gets tiring after a half hour. It’s not until the end that the movie gets interesting but by then I just wanted it to be over. Official Site
Ocean’s Thirteen (PG-13, Drama, Comedy, Action) B+
A man (Elliot Gould) gets cheated in a business deal by a hotel owner (Al Pacino) so his friend (George Clooney) and 11 others set out to teach the hotel owner a lesson. This movie was well paced and funny at times too. Official Site
One Missed Call (PG-13, Suspense) C
After getting a voice mail message, people only have a certain amount of days to live. A police detective (Ed Burns) tries to solve the mystery with a woman whose friends have also received the deadly phone calls. This movie had some scary moments but the story wasn’t too good, it felt like a bad copy of some other scary movies. Official Site
Open Season (PG - Animated, Comedy) C+
A bear that has been living as a pet in a house suddenly has to learn how to survive in the forest. Except for the bear and his human care taker I didn’t find any of the characters in this movie to be very likable. Official Site
El Orfanato -The Orphanage (R, Drama, Horror) C+
A couple and their adopted child move into an old house that used to be an orphanage. Their son starts talking to some imaginary friends that turn out to be ghosts. Except for maybe one or two instances this movie never delivers any worthwhile scares, it was suspenseful but not scary. Official Site
The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, Drama) B
Two sisters (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson) are made available to the King so that their family can enjoy the financial rewards that being related to him would bring. The story was a very gripping one despite its historical inaccuracies. The movie would have been much better if they had cast different actors for certain roles; a couple of them kept reminding me I was watching a movie which didn’t let me get too emotionally involved with their characters. Official Site
Over Her Dead Body (PG-13, Comedy) C-
A woman passes away on her wedding day and comes back to haunt the woman her fiancé is dating. When she goes up to heaven she doesn’t seem to be too surprised or concerned about having passed away, I know this was only a comedy but they could have used such a situation to add a bit of drama. All the comedy in this movie is centered on the original bride nagging the new lady which just gets tiresome after a few minutes. Official Site
Over the Hedge (PG - Comedy) B+
This is an animated movie about a few animals that end up being surrounded by the suburbs; it also has a central story I don’t want to spoil for you. The only problem I had with it was that they kept recycling the same joke over and over again.
One Night with the King (PG - Drama í) C+
This movie is based on the “Book of Esther” from the Old Testament were a woman is drafted into becoming the King’s wife and gets involved in an elaborate plot. I thought it took too long for Esther to become the King’s wife and that the plot was not very clearly laid out, it seemed too convoluted at times. The sets and costumes were excellent; it’s too bad they didn’t put the same amount of money and effort into the script. Official Site
The Omen (R - Horror) B+
Remake of the 1976 version were an unlucky family has a son which is actually the son of the devil. I didn’t think there were any moments that were that scary but the movie moves along very nicely and it was very suspenseful. There is also a minimal amount of gore which is good.
The Painted Veil (PG-13, Drama/Romance) A-
Ed Norton and Naomi Watts play an English couple having marital problems while stationed in China around the year 1925. Both actors do an excellent job in a well made movie. Official Site
Pan’s Labyrinth ƒ (R, Drama/Fantasy) A
At the end of the Spanish civil war in 1844 a young girl (Ofelia) travels with her mom to the country side where she will meet her new stepfather who is an army captain. The captain and his troops are on the country side trying to capture some rebels. While she is there Ofelia becomes involved with a faun who tells her she was a princess and must complete three tasks before she can return to her kingdom. Official Site
Perfect Strangers (R, Svspense) B-
Halle Berry finds out that a major executive (Bruce Willis) murdered her friend so she sets out to lay a trap for him. This movie had some good twists but it relied too much on technical computer stuff (such as hacking into computers) to carry it along. Official Site
Penelope (PG, Drama, Comedy) A-
Penelope (Christina Ricci) has spent her life hiding in her room since she was born with a pig’s snout instead of a nose. Her Mom (Catherine O’Hara) is desperately trying to find a man that will love her daughter despite her pig snout and therefore break the curse. The story, and acting were all excellent in this movie. Official Site
Persepolis (?, Drama, Animated) F+
This movie follows Marjane’s life from her childhood when the Islamic revolution took place in Iran. We see how her family and her life were affected by it. While the subject is a very interesting one the screenplay was not good enough for me to get past the animation style which I didn’t like at all. The movie felt too mechanical and like it tried to squeeze too much information and characters all at once. There is a part where Marjane leaves in exile to go live in Europe which I would have eliminated entirely. Official Site
Pineapple Express (R, Comedy) B
A pot smoker (Seth Rogen) and his dealer (James Franco) get involved with a major crime lord that wants them killed. The whole movie is practically about them running away from the bad guys. There wasn’t much to the plot but it was good enough to provide some good funny moments. Official Site
Pride (PG, Drama, True-Story) B-
Terrence Howard plays Jim Ellis who started a swimming team despite many racial prejudices in 1973. The movie falls short of delivering the emotional punch it should have had and that was provided by the circumstances at the time. Official Site
Prom Night (PG-13, Horror) B
At a high school prom in a fancy hotel a stalker starts killing a girl’s classmates in order to catch her. While the plot is very simple the movie did a good job of maintaining the suspense. The police were portrayed a bit more efficient than they usually are in these type of movies but still not as efficient as they would be in real life. Official Site
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (PG-13 - Action / Adventure) C
In this sequel there are various stories going on so I am not sure which one to tell you about without spoiling it so I’ll just say that Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and a couple each get in trouble with certain beings. This movie was full of bad jokes, useless characters, needless scenes and poor dialog that didn’t really contribute anything to the entire film. They should have cut at least 40 minutes off this film.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PG-13, Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi) B-
Jack Sparrow’s and his associates are forced to make a last stand against the English who want to end all pirate activity at Sea. There was too much going on in this movie which made it seems disorganized and too long. The action scenes were good though. Official Site
A Prairie Home Companion (PG-13 - Comedy) B
A vast cast of movie stars appear in this movie about the last broadcast of an old style radio show that actually existed; I believe it is on tour around the country. The first 40 minutes of the movie are really slow; there is no clear plot development. I also felt like I was missing something because a lot of people in the theater were laughing at the jokes. I never heard the radio show so it might explain why I was a bit lost while watching it. I saw a few people walk out of the theater after an hour. I would grade this movie a ”B” because the music was pretty good.
The Prestige (PG-13, Drama, Suspense) B+
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are two magicians competing against each other to have the better magic act in London. Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie (who I didn’t recognize) are also in this film. At times the movie seemed a little confusing but it was still good. Official Site
The Promotion (R, Drama, Comedy) A-
In this independent film Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly are Assistant Managers at the same supermarket were they are discretely competing against each other for the position of General Manager. Sean William Scott does a great job in his first dramatic role in this well written film. The level of competition between the two of them is perfect, still entertaining but never foolish or unrealistic. Official Site
The Protector (R - Action, Martial Arts ƒ) C
In this foreign movie a man goes on a search for his elephants that have been stolen. The martial arts sequences and camera work were good, everything else could have been a lot better.
P.S. I Love You (PG-13, Comedy, Drama) B-
Hillary Swank plays a widow who starts getting a series of letters, that her husband arranged to be sent after his passing. In the letters he gets her to do all sorts of things to help her move on with her life. This movie would have been better if it was a little more serious and dramatic, there are so many people smiling all the time that it’s hard to feel the widow’s grief. Official Site
Pulse (PG-13 - Horror, Thriller) C+
Ghosts start coming into our world through people’s computers. This movie was actually better than I expected since there were some scary parts. Unfortunately after a certain amount of these ghosts there are no other plot developments.
The Pursuit of Happyness (PG-13, Drama) A-
Will Smith struggles to get his family out of a desperately bad financial state by trying to find a better job in a tough job market. Will Smith shows he can do more than comedic/action roles in this movie. Official Site
The Queen (PG-13, Drama) A
This movie takes a look at the behind the scenes preparations and politics after Princess Diana’s death. The movie seems to be fair to all the parties; it led me to come out of it with a new perspective on this tragedy. Official Site
The Quiet (NR - Drama, Thriller i) B-
A hearing impaired girl gets adopted into a family where the father is having sexual relations with his daughter. The film starts out very interestingly but as it progresses it just turns into another typical movie.
Quinceañera (R - Comedy, Drama i) C-
This movie is about a girl who becomes pregnant before her quinceañera and about her brother’s relationship with a man. When I went to see this movie I thought it would be something along the lines of My Big Fat Greek Wedding but it was not. The quinceañera aspect played a small role in this film but there was enough to get a good idea of how important these parties are.
Rambo (R, Action) D+
Rambo is now living a quiet solitary life but goes back into action when he helps a group of people deliver medical supplies into Burma. This movie was really predictable; it had bad acting, and a bad screenplay. This may be the most violent Rambo movie yet, but unlike the first movie it does not have a substantial story. Official Site
Ratatouille (G, Comedy, Animated) B+
A rat that loves to cook gets separated from his family and ends up as a secret assistant to a young chef that want to prove himself in the kitchen. The story was very good but the movie didn’t seem too funny it was more of a light hearted drama. Official Site
Reign Over Me (PG, Drama) A-
Don Cheadle reestablishes a friendship with his old college roommate who has become a social recluse after loosing his family on the 9/11 attacks. Official Site
Rendition (R, Drama) B
A man traveling back to the United States gets detained by the government since a known terrorist has made calls to his cell phone. He is then taken to a third country to be further interviewed by their security chief and a CIA agent played by Jake Gyllenhall. Back in the U.S. his wife (Reese Witherspoon) is trying to find out where her husband is and how to get him back. The movie had an interesting story but without giving anything away it turns out to be two stories in one which I didn’t like too much. Official Site
Reno 911: Miami (R, Comedy) C-
Based on the TV show the cops from Reno come to Miami for a convention but soon find that all of the police officers in the city are in quarantine so it is up to the Reno cops to try to maintain order. Most of the movie is about their escapades in the city, there wasn’t much of a plot or story. Official Site
Rescue Dawn (PG-13, Drama) B
This movie is based on the true story of Dieter Dengler who escaped from his captors during the Vietnam War. While the story was very good the movie felt a bit drawn out at 2 hours long. Official Site
Reservation Road (R, Drama) B
Mark Ruffalo plays a man who on his drive back from a baseball game accidentally hits and kills a boy with his car, instead of staying at the scene he drives off. Joaquin Phoenix plays the boy’s dad who starts an intensive search for the hit and run driver. The movie and actors do a good job in portraying the loss that a family would feel after such an event, unfortunately the movie’s ending is a bit over dramatized which makes it loose it’s sense of reality. Official Site
Resident Evil 3 (R, Action, Horror) B
Based on the popular video game, Mila Jovovich rerises her role to fight more zombies. Eve n though there is more of the same type of zombie fighting action the story was a good one and it seems to evolve well from the previous two films. Official Site
Resurrecting the Champ (PG-13, Drama) B
Samuel L. Jackson plays a forgotten boxing champ that is now homeless, by chance a reporter (Josh Hartnett) discovers who he is and writes about him. The reporter has problems at work and at home that get affected by his interaction with the former champ. Samuel L. Jackson’s acting was as great as usual but I didn’t care as much as I should have for Josh Hartnett’s character. Official Site
The Return (PG-13, Suspense, Horror) B-
Sarah Michelle Gellar goes back to her home state where she has to relive a memory that haunts her and seems very real at times. This turned out to be more of a detective story than a horror one. Official Site
Revolver (R, Drama, Crime) C
After being in jail for 7 years Jake Green (Jason Statham) is released from jail. He then sets out to take his revenge on Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta) who sent him there but it turns out that a couple of loan sharks force him to work for them instead. The movie’s plot also revolves around a powerful gangster named Mr. Gold that no one has met. The actors do a great job of keeping this movie interesting but too much time is spent on the character Mr. Gold and gets a bit confusing at times. There was also an animated sequence in the middle of a heist that I didn’t like very much. Official Site
Righteous Kill (R, Drama, Crime) D+
Two of my favorite actors star in this film, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. They play a couple of police trying to find a vigilante. The problem is that as soon as the movie starts we are told who the vigilante is, the movie is also very slow. It sort of redeems itself at the end but by then I had dozed off a couple of times so it was too little too late. Official Site
Rocky Balboa (PG, Drama/Action) B+
Rocky goes back into the boxing ring after being retired many years. The last part of the movie is like all Rocky movie where he trains to some great soundtrack and then goes into the ring. This movie had a good story about Rocky delaing with the death of his wife and his relationship with his son. Once again he plays the underdog as well as he did in the first two movies. Official Site
Roman de Gare (R, Thriller) A-
In this French film a famous writer is accused of a murdering a person(s) that closely resemble characters in her book. The film also provides a glimpse into the lives of the alleged victim(s). The movie unfolds very carefully but it’s always very interesting making the ending well worth the wait. Official Site
Run Fat Boy Run (PG-13, Comedy) B+
Simon Pegg plays a man that realizes he loves his former fiancée (Thandie Newton) when she starts dating a successful executive from the financial area. He gets talked into running a marathon even though he is not in shape or very athletic. I thought this would be a raunchy comedy but it turned out to have a lot of substance and heart. Official Site
Running with Scissors (R, Drama, Comedy) C+
This is a movie about a teenager who has a mentally ill mom (Annette Bening) that as a result has caused problems with her husband which is played by Alec Baldwin. Her psychologist (Brian Cox) and his own family have their own problems as well. Even though this movie had a great cast it just seemed too exaggerated to me and it was kind of depressing. Official Site
Rush Hour 3 (PG-13, Comedy, Action) B
Once more Chinese Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) need to protect the Chinese amabassador by stopping a criminal organization that has existed for hundreds of years. Chris Tucker was really funny in this movie, Jackie Chan didn’t do any of the great stunts he is well known for, instead there are just a lot of choreographed fights. Official Site
The Santa Clause 3 (G, Comedy) C
Santa Clause has to prevent Jack Frost's attempt to take over Christmas. I thought the main plot took too long to develop in this film and it wasn’t that funny. I liked the first two movies much more. Official Site
The Savages (R, Drama) A-
In this somber movie Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney play siblings who are faced with the difficult decision of putting their father in a nursing home while making sense of their own personal lives. This movie had an excellent screenplay that takes a realistic approach to a real life situation for many people. Official Site
A Scanner Darkly (R - Action, Drama, Sci-Fi í) D-
This movie takes place in the near future where the use of an illegal drug is very prevalent and where the government can listen to every conversation. The movie has an unusual animation style which is entertaining for a while. I found myself falling asleep a few times since it is not until the end that something really happens.
School for Scoundrels (PG-13 - Comedy) B+
Jon Heder (from Napoleon Dynamite) plays a guy that never learned to stand up for himself so he enrolls in a class taught by Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton) to teach him how to be a man. Things get complicated when they both try to date the same girl. This movie had plenty of funny moments and an original story.Official Site
The Science of Sleep (R, Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi) B
In this movie a man (Gael Garcia Bernal) comes back to France to be with his mom and meets a woman that he would like to date. The thing is he only seems to be doing well in the alternate reality of his dreams during which there are a lot of strange scenes. Usually I don’t like dream sequences but this movie carries itself very nicely. Official Site
Scoop (PG-13 - Comedy) A-
In this movie by Woody Allen a journalism student gets a scoop from the spirit of a reporter who recently died. With the help of a local magician she then tries to determine if the scoop is valid. I liked the premise; there were good jokes, great acting and direction.
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (PG, Fantasy) D+
A 14 year old finds out that he is the chosen one to find 7 special stones or charms to be able to combat the master of darkness. He is assisted by a group of people which keep telling him that he is “The Seeker” over and over which really bugged me after a few times. The screenplay wasn’t very good and the story was really predictable. The whole movie was too campy for me. Official Site
Semi-Pro (R, Comedy) F+
Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) owns his an owner and player of a basketball team that has to finish in at least fourth place in his division to be merged into the NBA. This movie has the usual sports theme of a team trying to get together to overcome a challenge. Unfortunately the movie doesn’t take the opportunity to make fun of this theme and is instead full of bad jokes and parts meshed together. I usually like Will Ferrell’s movies so this was a disappointment. Official Site
September Dawn (R, Drama) A-
This is the true story of an 1857 massacre by fanatical Mormon’s on a group of settlers. Even though we know how the movie ends it still keeps you interested the whole time. Official Site
Sex and the City (R, Drama, Comedy) B-
Four women from New York City support each other when their relationships with men aren’t going as well as they would like. It takes almost a third of the movie for the main plot to develop which made the film too drawn out. At times it felt more like a fashion show than a regular movie. Once the plot develops it gets more interesting and it had a few funny moments. Official Site
Shooter (R, Action) B
Mark Wahlberg is a sniper that gets framed for shooting at the President. This was a good action movie that follows the usual formula for such films. Official Site
Shoot ‘Em Up (R, Action) B-
A man (Clive Owen) sitting at a bus stop decides to help a pregnant woman running away from a group of men that want to kill her. What ensues is a constant chase with far fetched action scenes that are fun to watch even thought they are very unlikely to occur in real life. Paul Giamatti was great as the main hit man; Monica Bellucci wasn’t as good and I wish she hadn’t been in this movie which didn’t really suit her. This is the type of movie were a baby’s umbilical cord gets cut by being shot off but if you can get past that and the lack of a substantive plot the action scenes are good and fun to watch Official Site
Shrek 3 (PG, Comedy) B
Shrek decides he doesn’t want to become King so he rushes out of the kingdom to find the other heir, while he’s out Prince Charming comes back to take over the kingdom. This movie wasn’t as good or funny as the first two but it wasn’t bad either. Official Site
Shutter (PG-13, Horror) C
Shortly after getting married a couple slowly discovers that ghosts are showing up in their pictures. It takes the husband a little longer than his wife to accept what is happening which serves as good filler to draw the movie out. They soon have to find out what is happening and discover what has become the standard reason for ghosts to return and haunt the living. The scenes were the ghost interacts with people weren’t very scary either, I felt like it was just a real person attacking them. Official Site
Smother (PG-13, Drama) C-
Just after Noah (Dax Shepard) looses his job his Mom (Diane Keaton) decides to move into his house at a time he is having problems with his wife (Liv Tyler), and already has an unwelcome house guest. For most of the movie all the characters only seem to interact with Noah or through him and not with each other which makes the movie feel drawn out, Diane Keaton’s character was supposed to play the part of “smothering” Noah too much but most of the time she seems more concerned with her own personal problems. The additional house guest didn’t contribute too much to the film either instead he detracted from the overall story. Official Site
The Simpsons Movie (PG-13, Comedy) C+
In this big screen movie not much is different from the TV show except that the town is threatened. I seem to recall the town being threatened on a previous episode. The first half hour was really funny but once the town and Homer get into trouble the movie takes itself too seriously. Official Site
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 (PG-13, Drama) B
Once more four friends decide to keep in contact with each other by mailing each other the pants that signify their friendship. Each of the girls has her own situation to deal with; they were interesting but they didn’t seem as dramatic or important as those portrayed in the first movie. Official Site
Sketches of Frank Gehry (Documentary) B+
Besides seeing some unusual buildings by the famous architect you will also get a general idea about the field of architecture and about people finding themselves; sort of soul searching.
Slow Burn (R, Drama) C
An assistant DA gets in legal trovble when she kills a man who she says tried to rape her; tbe DA (Ray Liotta) then rushes to clear her name in order to save his political career. Official Site
Smart People (R, Drama, Comedy) C+
A widowed college professor (Dennis Quaid) that is embittered with his life and career meets a Doctor (Sarah Jessica Parker) that is interested in him despite his bad attitude. At the same time his brother (Thomas Haden Church) moves into the house where he helps his niece (Ellen Page) deal with her own issues. The acting in this movie was great but the pacing was too slow. So much time is spent showing us how smart these people are that it just brings down the entire movie. It also reminded me too much of the movie As Good as It Gets which was far better than this one. Official Site
Smokin Aces (R, Action) B
In this film two FBI agents have to get to a witness before various bounty hunters do. The movie does a good job interweaving all the different characters’ roles but some circumstances could have been more realistic. Official Site
Snakes on a Plane (R - Action, Thriller) B
An FBI agent is transporting a witness on a plane that gets overwhelmed by poisonous snakes. I wasn’t going to see this movie since the premise seemed too far fetched. The movie does not take itself seriously and as a result it was actually very entertaining. I’m glad I did go see it.
Son of Rambow (PG-13, Comedy, Drama) C
After seeing the movie Rambo two boys decide to film their own version. What starts out as a small project turns into a big one when the whole school gets involved. Each of the two boys have their own issues at home. There seemed to be too much going on for the main story line to have a major contribution to the film, there were also some dream sequences and animated scenes that didn’t help. Official Site
Speed Racer (PG, Family, Action) A-
A young race car driver who is actually named Speed Racer gets pulled into the corrupt world of automobile racing when he wins his first big race. There’s a lot more to the story which will be better for you to enjoy later, it was unusually complex for a kid’s movie but still very good. There were some scenes focused on Speed’s younger brother that I thought were too animated and could have been cut from the movie but the racing scenes were excellent. Official Site
The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, Fantasy, Action) B+
After moving to a new house the children discover that the house is surrounded by all types of invisible creatures. When one of them open a special book it alerts one of the creatures who wants the book to rule their world so it’s up to the children to save both their worlds. Official Site
Stardust (PG-13, Action, Fantasy) B+
Claire Danes plays the role of a Star that falls on Earth and takes a human form. Once on Earth a with (Michelle Pfeiffer) and others try to caputre her in order to have eternal life. As a fanatasy based movie this isn’t among the best ones but the story moved along verny nicely. I didn’t like that Robert Deniro’s character (a pirate) was supposed to be funny. Official Site
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (PG, Animated, Action) C
Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi are sent to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s son from kidnappers. The story seemed a bit drawn out at times and while most of the animation was good at times some of the characters didn’t look very realistic. Most of the background music used for the movie was also very generic and the new characters that are introduced in this film aren’t very engaging. Official Site
Step Brothers (R, Comedy) C+
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play two men still living at home that become step brothers when their single parents decide to marry each other. Instead of moving out they stay home and act like little children causing all types of problem. At first the movie is very funny but as the story unfolds it gets a bit tiring and not nearly as funny. Official Site
Step Up (PG-13 - Drama / Romance / Musical) C
A troubled high school student becomes the dance partner of a girl in a fancy arts school. The story in this film wasn’t bad but the acting, music and dances could have been much better.
Step Up 2: The Streets (PG-13, Drama, Dance) C+
A street dancer is forced to attend a ballet school where she has a bit of trouble fitting in until her new friends decide to enter a street dancing competition against the school’s wishes. I didn’t like any of the dancing in this movie which is probably a big appeal for its target audience. The story was good enough to make it entertaining. Official Site
Stop-Loss (R, Drama) C-
A group of soldiers return to Texas where they have to deal with the emotional and personal repercussions from serving abroad. When one of them realized he has been “stop lossed” and has to go back to another tour in Iraq so he decides to fight the order which just causes more trouble with his friends. I though this movie did a good job of showing the sacrifices the soldiers have made but it pushes it’s own political ideology too much instead of letting us come to our own conclusion. I didn’t like the portrayal of the soldiers as wild beer drinkers. The one that was portrayed as the most composed and responsible happened to be the one that decided to fight the “stop-loss” order. Official Site
The Strangers (R, Horror) C+
Based on a true story a couple at an isolated summer home is terrorized by a group of people that keep breaking in and out of their home. The only really scary part was the one shown in the preview; it was more of a thriller with some action than a suspenseful scary movie. Official Site
Strange Wilderness (R,Comedy) F-
A man (Steve Zahn) with a TV nature show goes out to search for Bigfoot with the hope to improve his show’s ratings. The acting, screenplay and general story in this movie were horrible, some characters had such bad lines that they should have just been written out of the movie. Official Site
Stranger than Fiction (PG-13, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy) A-
In this movie Will Ferrell plays a man that hears a voice narrating his life. The voice belongs to an author who seems to control his life with every sentence she types. The plot and theme in this movie have been done before in some form but not nearly as well as in this movie. I thought this would be another comedy full of bad jokes but instead it was full of great moments. Official Site
Street Kings (R, Drama) B+
A police detective (Keanu Reeves) that doubles as a vigilante for his unit gets involved in a case that threatens to expose him. Despite the detective's lack of emotion the story is good enough to keep you interested all the time and there’s a lot of action, perhaps too much in some instances. Official Site
Sunshine (R, Sci-FI, Drama) B+
A crew needs to take a special bomb into the sun to re-ignite it but they run into all types of trouble on the way there. The story moved along very well and the circumstances and decisions they made seemed very realistic. Official Site
Superbad (R, Comedy) B+
Three high school kids need to figure out how to buy alcohol for a big party so that they can be more popular. During the night they run into some unusual situations such as meeting a couple of cops that like to party. This movie works out very well because the high school kids seem like real life characters that encounter crazy situations that would only happen in a movie. Official Site
Superman Returns (PG-13 - Action/Adventure, Drama Sci-Fi) B+
After being away for a few years Superman returns to Earth. At times the movie seems a bit drawn out and there are too many similarities to the first Superman movie. This movie is supposed to take place after Superman 2 where the three criminals from Krypton had come to Earth. I’m still glad this movie was made since everything else about it was good and there were some great moments in it.
Swing Vote (PG-13, Drama, Comedy) C
Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) gets to decide who will be the President of the United States when he gets to cast the tie breaking vote. Most of the movie is about both candidates trying to win Bud’s vote. The other part of the movie is about criticizing the average person who doesn’t vote or become familiar with the issues. It concentrates to much on giving the viewer a lesson instead of being more entertaining. Official Site
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (R, Musical, Suspense) B+
Johnny Depp plays a barber who has come back to London seeking revenge even though he despises the city. The story and acting were excellent but I didn’t like some the singing too much, the music was excellent though. I had some trouble understanding one of the characters’s singing. There is a part where Sweeney is killing people and we aren’t told why, it may be since he blames the city for his troubles but I wish it had been explained anyway. Official Site
Sydney White (PG-13, Comedy) B-
A college freshman (Amanda Bynes) tries to fit in the same sorority her mom assisted even though she isn’t too interested in the sorority life. If it weren't for Amana Bynes this movie would not have been nearly as good. Official Site
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (PG-13 Comedy) B
In this movie a NASCAR driver looses his place at the top. I am not sure non-race fans will appreciate this movie entirely but it was still funny.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (PG, Animated/Action) C+
In this movie a team of ninja turtles have to solve their own personal issues and battle a new criminal that could destroy the city. The family drama in this movie was too drawn out for me. Official Site
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny (R, Comedy) ?
Two guys set out to start their own band. The preview for this movie looked really bad so I won’t be seeing it. Official Site
There Will Be Blood (R, Drama) A-
Set in the beginning of the 20th century Daniel Day Lewis plays an Oil Man that is only concerned with drilling for oil and making a profit. The movie shows how he first started drilling for oil which was very interesting and then follows his rise to success as an oil tycoon. Daniel Day Lewis gave an excellent portrayal, the screenplay and musical score were also excellent. It didn’t feel like it was a 2 hour and 40 minute long film. Official Site
Things We Lost in the Fire (R, Drama) C-
Halle Berry plays a woman whose husband (David Duchovny) passes away so she turns to his closest friend (Benicio del Toro) to comfort her but it turns out he is a drug addict and at the same time they’re sort of falling for each other. The movie keeps having flashbacks that were too numerous and long. The overall movie was also very slow and it didn’t deliver on the drama that it tries to create despite having two great actors. Official Site
This Christmas (PG-13, Drama) B-
Brothers and sisters come home for Christmas, were it turns out they have some issues to resolve with each other and in their own lives. These characters are undergoing some dramatic moments but act as if it were a light hearted situation. There was a lack of strong emotion by all of them. Official Site
Trade (R, Drama) B+
A teenager in Mexico discovers that his sister has been kidnapped by an international sex ring that sells children and young women. He then follows them into the United States were he meets a man (Kevin Kline) who helps him track down the kidnappers. Except for Kevin Kline the acting wasn’t too good but the story was excellent and it bring attention to an important issue. Official Site
Traitor (PG-13, Action) B
Two FBI Agents track an American (Don Cheadle) who is working with terrorists to attack the United States. The story and the acting were good, but the acting was so good that it made the movie a bit predicable. Official Site
Transformers (PG-13, Action, Sci-FI) A-
After a special object lands on Earth giant robots from outer space come to Earth to fight each other over it. In order to find the object they must first get to a boy who unknowingly has a clue to the object’s location. This movie had non stop action, excellent special effects and really cool cars. Official Site
Transsiberian (R, Drama, Crime) C+
Two Americans travelling by train from China to Russia meet another couple that is a little odd. At the same time a Russian police detective (Ben Kingsley) is investigating a murder that brings him onboard the train. This a movie were you might want a spoiler to keep you interested because during the first 30 or 40 minutes I was a bit bored wondering what the plot was. Once Ben Kingsley comes into the scene the movie gets much better but still not too good. Official Site
Tropic Thunder (R, Comedy) B+
Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black play three actors making a Vietnam War movie, the problem is that they are in a real life situation and don’t realize it. There were some funny moments especially when they are acting all tough for what they think is a film. Official Site
Trust the Man (R - Drama/Comedy) B
David Duchovny and Julianne Moore are a married couple stuck in a bad marriage, the second couple is unmarried and in a static relationship. This movie takes a serious looks at relationships and throws in a light dose of humor.
Turistas (R, Horror) ?
A group of tourists are lured into what looks like an abandoned house where they are then tortured. Official Site
Tyler Perry’s: Daddy’s Little Girls (PG-13, Drama, Romance) B
Julia, an attorney decides to help a single father (that is barely making a living) get legal custody of his children. At the same time they start to develop a relationship but encounter problems because of their different financial status. Official Site
Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13, Comedy) B-
Set in Chicago a single mom is struggling financially to support her home and kids when she gets a letter indicating her father in Georgia has passed away. She travels down there where she meets someone that helps change their lives for the better. After returning from Georgia the movie seems to forget that she had financial troubles since it just seems to concentrate more on the second story line. If the Director had done a better job of combining both story lines and eliminated some characters that were too animated it would have been a much better movie. Official Site
Tyler Perry’s The Family that Preys (PG-13, Drama) B+
A very rich woman (Kathy Bates) who owns a construction company has an estranged relationship with her son who is a high ranking officer in the company, at the same time a man who works at the company and is a friend of the family is trying to open up his own construction company even though his wife works for the current construction company. The movie is really about the relationship between different people, some are good some aren’t so good. There is a lot going on in this film but it all fits together very well. Official Site
Tyler Perry’s: Why Did I get Married (PG-13, Comedy, Drama) B+
This film is about 4 couples that decide to spend a weekend together on vacation even though they are all having problems in their marriage. Even thought this type of story has been done before this one was original in its own way and had a few interesting characters. Official Site
Unaccompanied Minors (PG, Comedy/Kids) ?
On Christmas eve a group of children traveling alone are stranded at the airport when it is closed down due to a storm. While at the airport they get into all sorts of trouble with airport security. I’ll probably skip this movie since it sounds too much like Home Alone. Official Site
Under the Same Moon (PG, Drama) B+
After a boy’s grandmother passes away he leaves for the U.S. all alone to find his mom. On his way to the U.S. he comes across all types of people some good some not so good. This film had a great story and was well written. Unfortunately the movie gets too political at times when it didn’t need to do so. Official Site
Underdog (PG, Comedy) B+
A Beagle gets special powers that let him talk, fly and more. It was good to see James Belushi again in a new movie; his character adopts the dog to keep his son company. The plot moved along very nicely and there’s another great actor in this movie (Peter Dinklage) that we don’t see very often. Official Site
Untraceable (R, Drama, Thriller) C
Diane Lane (who I usually like a lot) plays an FBI agent trying to track down the owner of a web site that is broadcasting live murder/torture of his victims, the more hits his website gets the faster the person dies. The premise sounds like a good one but all the characters in the movie seem to be bored and lack any passion to get the killer. This is one of those films that try to come off as a realistic but it’s just full of stuff that would only happen in a movie. Official Site
Vacancy (R, Horror) B+
Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale play a couple whose car breaks down on a back road so they decide to stay at a hotel where the staff then tries to murder them. This movie was well written and unlike many horror movies the circumstances seemed like they could happen in real life. Official Site
Vantage Point (PG-13, Action, Thriller) B+
A Secret Service agent (Dennis Quaid) tries to track down an assassin who has shot the President of the United States. The movie rewinds a few times to see the shooting from the point of view of different people in the crowd. At first it was interesting to see each vantage point but after the last vantage point I was glad the movie progressed normally. Official Site
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show (R, Documentary, Comedy) C+
This documentary follows Vince Vaughn and a group of comedians on a 30 day comedy tour throughout the United States. I went into this movie with the mindset that I was going to get a lot of laughs. It’s hard to get caught up with a comedian’s act when all we see are small snippets. It was interesting though to have a behind the scenes look at their show and to get a glimpse of the comedians’ background. Official Site
The Visitor (PG-13, Drama) B-
A lonely man that loves music but has no talent for it visits his apartment in New York where to his surprise he finds that a young couple is living there. He eventually befriends them but their friendship is threatened when it turns out they may be deported since they stayed in the U.S. illegally. Official Site
Vitus (PG, Drama ƒ) C
A boy genius has trouble fitting into a world that he’s too smart for especially when his mom is always pushing him to do better. Except for the boy’s grandfather I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this film. Too much time was spent showing how smart the kid was instead of moving the plot along. Official Site
Volver (R - Comedy, Drama ƒ) A-
Penelope Cruz stars in this movie by the Spanish director Almodovar. In this movie she has to support her young daughter and deal with the return of her mother which she thought she would never see again. This was a movie that had a fresh plot and that was full of interesting characters and circumstances. Official Site
Waist Deep (R - Drama) D
This man’s son is kidnapped and for some really weak reasons he can’t call the police. There are also other aspects that would only happen in a movie which is usually okay with me but not when they try to make it seem like it is not a movie or that it is true to life. People in the theater were laughing at how foolish some of the circumstances were.
Waitress (PG-13, Comedy, Drama) A-
A waitress in a small town finds herself in a marriage and pregnancy that she doesn’t want. I thought this would be a movie about a waitress that just made pies for the particular mood that she was in but it tunred out to be surprisingly good and smart. Official Site
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (R, Comedy) C+
This movie is a spoof of various movies about musicians, principally the movie Ray. At first this movie is very entertaining and funny but after an hour it looses momentum and just gets repetitive with the same bits being done over and over again. Official Site
Wall – E (G, Animated, Drama) A-
An old robot named Wall-E gets a crush on another robot named Eve, so he follows her into space to try to win her over. Before winning her over he has to overcome a major problem that has developed. There’s barely any dialog in the movie but it still does an excellent job of relating its story and maintaining you interested. Official Site
Wanted (R, Action) B+
A man (James McAvoy) in a dead end job discovers that he has a special power and is part of a special fraternity of assassins. Angelina Jolie plays his mentor while Morgan Freeman plays the leader of the fraternity. There were some great action scenes and the story was good but it took almost half the movie to set up. Official Site
War (R, Action) D+
Jason Statham plays a cop chasing a criminal who killed his partner. Jason Statham is a good action actor that keeps getting cast in the worst action movies (except for The Transporter). The bad guys seemed more comical than anything else, most of the acting was bad and Jet Li barely had any substantive lines. Official Site
The Water Horse (PG, Fantasy, Family) A-
During World War II a boy in Scotland finds a strange egg that turns out to be a creature called a Water Horse. When I saw the trailer for this movie the Water Horse looked really phony but once I was watching the movie it seemed very realistic, I think the Director did a very good job of giving the creature a personality. The story and the acting were all excellent. Official Site
We are Marshall (PG, Drama/Sports) A
Based on a true story about a football team created to replace an entire team that was lost in a place accident. Matthew McConaughey plays the role of the football coach. This is the best sports movie I’ve ever seen. The director did a great job filming the football scenes; I could actually tell what was happening unlike another football movie I saw a few years ago. Official Link
We Own the Night (R, Drama, Action) B+
Robert Duvall plays the role of police chief of New York City in the late 80’s. He had two sons a cop (Mark Wahlberg) and a drug using nightclub manager (Joaquin Phoenix). Russian mobsters get involved with the nightclub which causes a series of problems to unfold. Even though the movie is set around 1987 it felt more like it was taking place in the 70’s for some reason. The story moves along very nicely and there is a lot of character development which is not usually seen in movies these days. There were some good action scenes as well. Official Site
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13, Comedy) C+
A successful TV talk show host (Martin Lawrence) comes home for his parents’ 50th anniversary despite the fact that he doesn’t like his family very much. As soon as he arrives with his new fiancée old rivalries and problems start to surface. The movie felt like it had too much of a mean streak and some scenes were too crude for younger children. Official Site
What Happens in Vegas (PG-13, Romantic Comedy) B+
After getting fired from his job Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) heads to Las Vegas were he inadvertently meets Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz) who has recently broken up with her boyfriend. After waking up married they decide to get quick annulment until one of them wins 3 million dollars. They each feel they’re entitled to the full prize so a judge orders them to live together for 6 months to give their marriage a chance to work. Living together cause a lot of problems for them which sets up most of the comedic situations. I thought this would just be another movie with a bunch of bad jokes and raunchy scenes but it was practically the complete opposite. The comedic situations were great and the story had a lot of substance to it. Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz had great chemistry and this is the first time I’ve thought he’s actually funny in a film. Official Site
Wild Hogs (PG-13, Comedy) B+
John Travolta, William H. Macy, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen play the role of 4 guys that decide to let their wild side out and go out on a motorcycle road trip. This movie was a lot funnier than I expected and it had a good plot. Official Site
Mr. Woodcock (PG-13, Comedy) B
Seann William Scott plays Farley, a successful book author that returns to his small town were he discovers that his mom (Susan Sarandon) is about to marry his elementary school P.E. teacher Mr. Woodcock. Even though Farley wrote a book about forgetting your past he can’t forgive the tough treatment that Mr. Woodcock subjected him to as a child and his continued rudeness. This movie had a good story and the circumstances aren’t exaggerated for the sake of making the movie funnier. Official Site
World Trade Center (PG-13 - Drama) A
This film views 9/11 from the point of view of the police who served that day. It concentrates on a group of officers that were buried under the collapse of the building. This movie did an excellent job of retelling the events of that day and showing the important job the police and other 911 responders do.
The Wicker Man (PG-13 - Mystery/Horror) B-
Nicolas Cage plays a policeman who investigates the disappearance of a small girl in a private island. This movie was very entertaining but after thinking about it I realized that there is one major element that would only happen in a movie.
The Ultimate Gift (PG, Drama) B
A young man will only get an inheritance from his grandfather if he does a series of tasks that are supposed to make him a better person. In the process he meets a single mom with a daughter and befriends them. The story was great but the movie had a made for TV feeling so it might be good to watch at home instead. Official Site
The X-Files: I want to Believe (PG-13, Mystery, Drama) C
Mulder and Scully work with a psychic that is the only lead to a missing FBI agent. There is also a related subplot about a boy that is Scully’s patient. After reintroducing our main characters and reminding us how great they are the story starts to move along but at a pace that is still very slow. The main characters didn’t seem as dynamic as they were in the series or the first movie. Official Site
X-Men: The Last Stand (PG-13 - Action) A-
An excellent adaptation of the comic book characters who all have different types of powers because they have a special X gene. A person with the X-gene is referred to as a “mutant”. As in the previous two movies one group of mutants goes against another group called the X-Men. Of all three X-Men movies this was the best one. Be sure to stay around after the credits for an extra scene.
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (?, Drama) A-
In this Brazilian film set in 1970 a boy’s parents leave the country in exile, so they leave the boy at his grandfather’s house without realizing he has just passed away. An older man takes care of the boy even though it is not clear if his parents will return. The movie takes place mainly from the boy’s point of view so we don’t get a clear explanation of the internal politics in Brazil, instead there is a lot of detail about Brazil playing in the World Cup. Official Site
Year of the Dog (PG-13, Drama/Comedy) C-
A lonely woman that loves dogs can’t find a man she likes until she meets someone from her vet’s office. As she becomes interested in this man she becomes a vegan and takes on the same animal rights issues that he does. This movie could have been a lot better but it was just depressing and mostly pointless. Official Site
You don’t Mess with the Zohan (PG-13, Comedy) D-
A super Israeli soldier gets tired of all the fighting so he heads to the United States to start a new life as a hairdresser. There was only one joke that got a laugh out of the crowd at theater. The whole comedy seems to be based on the character’s accent, the far fetched action sequences and the same running joke. Official Site
You, Me and Dupree (PG-13 - Comedy) C-
In this movie a recently married couple ends up with a house guest that wont leave. When I first heard of this premise it seemed like a good idea for a movie but it doesn’t seem to be enough to base an entire film on. There was more drama than comedy, and the comedy part wasn’t that funny.
Zodiac (R, Drama, Suspense) B+
In the 1960’s and 1970’s a serial killer held the area of San Francisco was held at bay. This movie follows the true to life events that surrounded the crimes and the search for the serial killer. Official Site
Zoom (PG - Comedy / Action) C+
Tim Allen plays a retired super hero that trains four kids on how to use their powers. This movie felt like a big ego trip for Tim Allen’s character and the story seemed to be badly pieced together.
Page Updated 3/23/2008
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