Starring:
Aaron Johnson (The Illusionist 2006, Chatroom 2010)
Lyndsy Fonseca ("How I Met Your Mother" 2005-2010, The Ward 2010)
Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad 2007, Marmaduke 2010)
Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes 2009, Robin Hood 2010)
Chloe Moretz ((500) Days of Summer 2009, Jack and the Beanstalk 2010)
Nicolas Cage (Matchstick Men 2003, Drive Angry 2011)
I wasn't prepared for how good Kick-Ass was! I thoroughly enjoyed this entire movie. I had to pee 10 minutes into it, but couldn't bring myself to leave and miss one minute of this film.
The movie follows Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who decides to become a "super-hero" named Kick-Ass so that he can fight crime. His motivation: To see if being a super-hero can really be accomplished.
His easy-going, mild, crime-fighting side-life is escalated into something much more dangerous and serious, however, when the destructive, disruptive, and heroic actions of Big Daddy and Hit Girl (played by Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz respectively) are mistaken for the actions of small-timer, Kick-Ass. The ameteur quickly finds himself in the cross-hairs of big-time, no-nonsense villians.
This isn't your typical comic-book movie by any means. There are no super-powers, there are no "death-rays" or plots to destroy earth. It's just a bunch of people; some good, some bad, some who do bad things to good people, and some who do bad things to BAD people.
I must also point out that Hit Girl is my favorite. The the best movie character of this decade so far.
Movies this good are going to give me bladder problems later in life...
Factoid: Before dropping a very articulated C-word in Kick-Ass, Chloe Moretz had a very extensive acting career, including (500) Days of Summer (2009), The Amityville Horror (2005), The Poker House (2008), and voice work on numerous Winnie the Pooh cartoons as the character "Darby". Chloe actually did have to learn to be very skilled with butterfly knives for her part in this film. Not bad for a 13-year-old...
Factoid: Kick-Ass the movie is based off a comic book series of the same name.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Up in the Air (December 23, 2009) R
Starring:
George Clooney (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000, The American 2010)
Vera Formiga (The Departed 2006, Source Code 2011)
Anna Kendrick (Twilight 2008, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 2010)
Jason Bateman (Extract 2009, Arrested Development 2011)
I can see from this film why it was nominated for 6 Oscars. But naturally, since the film was really good, it didn't win any.
The story itself is so relevent to current events and modern society. It really spoke to our time.
The acting was wonderful too. Even though I'm completely head-over-heels in love with Vera Formiga, I found myself liking Anna Kendrick's performance more. She was beautiful and real. Her character was a unique and called-for addition to an already original movie.
Clooney's performance was nothing deserving an Oscar, but he did do a good job.
And I can't say enough about Vera Formiga. I LOVE that woman. I truly hope she gets cast in "The Walking Dead" TV show.
Factoid: Vera Formiga grew up in Jersey, but spoke only Ukrainian until she went to school.
George Clooney (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000, The American 2010)
Vera Formiga (The Departed 2006, Source Code 2011)
Anna Kendrick (Twilight 2008, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 2010)
Jason Bateman (Extract 2009, Arrested Development 2011)
I can see from this film why it was nominated for 6 Oscars. But naturally, since the film was really good, it didn't win any.
The story itself is so relevent to current events and modern society. It really spoke to our time.
The acting was wonderful too. Even though I'm completely head-over-heels in love with Vera Formiga, I found myself liking Anna Kendrick's performance more. She was beautiful and real. Her character was a unique and called-for addition to an already original movie.
Clooney's performance was nothing deserving an Oscar, but he did do a good job.
And I can't say enough about Vera Formiga. I LOVE that woman. I truly hope she gets cast in "The Walking Dead" TV show.
Factoid: Vera Formiga grew up in Jersey, but spoke only Ukrainian until she went to school.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Clash of the Titans (April 2, 2010) PG-13
Starring:
A great cast I don't feel like listing right now.
This movie sucked. It's 1:13 am and I'm tired and I don't feel like getting into the nitty gritty.
Don't bother with this movie.
Don't waste your $8 on this movie.
Here is a list of movies that were better than Clash of the Titans:
The Mummy Returns
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Avatar
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Spiderman 3
Believe it, it's true.
The plot was the worst part of all, but almost as bad was the acting and lame characters. There were attempts at comic relief that failed throughout the movie. There were overly dramatic characters. There was computer animation when real people could have been used.
Plus (and I say this having not seen the original) there were no Titans "clashing".
Oh, and Zeus was naive and bipolar. First time ever I'm complaining about Liam Neeson...
It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO LAME!!!! And I HATE using all caps so you KNOW I mean it.
Factoid: This movie was a remake, and a bad one.
I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO disappointed. I thought it would at least be GOOD.
A great cast I don't feel like listing right now.
This movie sucked. It's 1:13 am and I'm tired and I don't feel like getting into the nitty gritty.
Don't bother with this movie.
Don't waste your $8 on this movie.
Here is a list of movies that were better than Clash of the Titans:
The Mummy Returns
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Avatar
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Spiderman 3
Believe it, it's true.
The plot was the worst part of all, but almost as bad was the acting and lame characters. There were attempts at comic relief that failed throughout the movie. There were overly dramatic characters. There was computer animation when real people could have been used.
Plus (and I say this having not seen the original) there were no Titans "clashing".
Oh, and Zeus was naive and bipolar. First time ever I'm complaining about Liam Neeson...
It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO LAME!!!! And I HATE using all caps so you KNOW I mean it.
Factoid: This movie was a remake, and a bad one.
I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO disappointed. I thought it would at least be GOOD.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Shutter Island (February 19, 2010) R
Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed 2006, Inception 2010)
Mark Ruffalo (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004, Margaret 2010)
Ben Kingsley (War, Inc. 2008, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2010)
Michelle Williams (I'm Not There 2007, Meek's Cutoff 2010)
Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen 2009, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010)
This movie followed District 9 right onto my unofficial Top 10 List.
I thought I'd already seen all of Leo's tricks, the best he had to offer, after seeing The Departed, Blood Diamond, and Basketball Diaries, but he still impresses and shows me things I've never seen before. He was fantastic.
The story, also, was so great it would have been enormously successful even without Leo, but the combination of a totally unique story, Scorsese's directing, and Leo made for an totally successful, original, bar-raising thriller/drama.
The music deserves recognition as well, as it was very uniquely utilized. The music road shotgun for a number of scenes, and was different and contributed much to the moods and intensities.
And, of course, the exchange between Leo and Jackie Earle Haley totally rocked my world and broke my heart. It was amazing to see Haley go from Rorschach (emotionally unbreakable and borderline murderous) to George Noyce (meek but apparently still murderous). His performance in Shutter Island is one of the best movie moments (however short) I've ever seen.
Factoid: Leo himself admits that sometimes he'd be filming a scene and wasn't sure if it was a dream sequence or "reality" in the film.
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed 2006, Inception 2010)
Mark Ruffalo (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004, Margaret 2010)
Ben Kingsley (War, Inc. 2008, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2010)
Michelle Williams (I'm Not There 2007, Meek's Cutoff 2010)
Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen 2009, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010)
This movie followed District 9 right onto my unofficial Top 10 List.
I thought I'd already seen all of Leo's tricks, the best he had to offer, after seeing The Departed, Blood Diamond, and Basketball Diaries, but he still impresses and shows me things I've never seen before. He was fantastic.
The story, also, was so great it would have been enormously successful even without Leo, but the combination of a totally unique story, Scorsese's directing, and Leo made for an totally successful, original, bar-raising thriller/drama.
The music deserves recognition as well, as it was very uniquely utilized. The music road shotgun for a number of scenes, and was different and contributed much to the moods and intensities.
And, of course, the exchange between Leo and Jackie Earle Haley totally rocked my world and broke my heart. It was amazing to see Haley go from Rorschach (emotionally unbreakable and borderline murderous) to George Noyce (meek but apparently still murderous). His performance in Shutter Island is one of the best movie moments (however short) I've ever seen.
Factoid: Leo himself admits that sometimes he'd be filming a scene and wasn't sure if it was a dream sequence or "reality" in the film.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Crazies (February 26, 2010) R
Starring:
Timothy Olyphant (Live Free or Die Hard 2007, Elektra Luxx 2010)
Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill 2006)
Joe Anderson (Across the Universe 2007, Flutter 2010)
Danielle Panabaker (Mr. Brooks 2007, Weakness 2010)
Glenn Morshower ("24" 2001-2009, Walking Distance 2010)
Brett Rickaby (On the Doll 2007, Bereavement 2010)
This movie was DISTURBING, just like I'd hoped.
Timoty Olyphant delivered a great performance, as expected, as did everyone else in the cast. Joe Anderson disappeared into his role, as always, and was a point of interest throughout most of the film. Of course it's also always good to see Glenn Morshower, gotta love him.
I was surprised how easy to follow the plot was though. The whole time you pretty much knew exactly what was going on, versus other George A. Romero films that are plagued with deadly viruses and lots of questions that start with the word "How...?"
I must conclude by saying that this film was INTENSE. It was GROTESQUE. It was HORRID and SICK and I enjoyed the whole thing.
Not for the faint of heart.
Factoid: This film was a remake of the 1973 film by George A. Romero of the same name.
Timothy Olyphant (Live Free or Die Hard 2007, Elektra Luxx 2010)
Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill 2006)
Joe Anderson (Across the Universe 2007, Flutter 2010)
Danielle Panabaker (Mr. Brooks 2007, Weakness 2010)
Glenn Morshower ("24" 2001-2009, Walking Distance 2010)
Brett Rickaby (On the Doll 2007, Bereavement 2010)
This movie was DISTURBING, just like I'd hoped.
Timoty Olyphant delivered a great performance, as expected, as did everyone else in the cast. Joe Anderson disappeared into his role, as always, and was a point of interest throughout most of the film. Of course it's also always good to see Glenn Morshower, gotta love him.
I was surprised how easy to follow the plot was though. The whole time you pretty much knew exactly what was going on, versus other George A. Romero films that are plagued with deadly viruses and lots of questions that start with the word "How...?"
I must conclude by saying that this film was INTENSE. It was GROTESQUE. It was HORRID and SICK and I enjoyed the whole thing.
Not for the faint of heart.
Factoid: This film was a remake of the 1973 film by George A. Romero of the same name.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Edge of Darkness (January 29, 2010) R
Starring:
Mel Gibson (Braveheart 1995, The Beaver 2010)
Ray Winstone (Beowolf 2007, Red Snow 2011)
Danny Huston (30 Days of Night 2007, Robin Hood 2010)
Bojana Nokanovic (Drag Me to Hell 2009, Devil 2011)
I love Mel. Always will, no matter what stupid, ignorant stuff he says. He's always been a brilliant actor, and I've loved everything I've seen him in. Including Edge of Darkness.
But not all I have to say about Edge of Darkness is good. The film did have a lot of heart. Mel really pulled me into the pain he felt at the sudden, horrid loss of his only daughter--the only woman in his life. I felt his pain right along with him, and I don't even have kids!
The film also had an originality to it that is strange considering it really was, in a lot of ways, just another conspiracy movie. It was an unpredictable conspiracy movie, and one that I liked a lot.
And, of course, Ray Winstone is in it along with Danny Huston, so there was no lack of legitimate actors doing great jobs contributing to the whole dark, foreboding mood.
Factoid: Part of the purpose of this movie, according to Mel and the Director, was to show what a man can do when he has nothing left to lose and doesn't care if he lives or dies.
Also, the film is a remake of a BBC mini-series television show of the same name, with the same character names, and a similar political/conspiracy plot-line.
Mel Gibson (Braveheart 1995, The Beaver 2010)
Ray Winstone (Beowolf 2007, Red Snow 2011)
Danny Huston (30 Days of Night 2007, Robin Hood 2010)
Bojana Nokanovic (Drag Me to Hell 2009, Devil 2011)
I love Mel. Always will, no matter what stupid, ignorant stuff he says. He's always been a brilliant actor, and I've loved everything I've seen him in. Including Edge of Darkness.
But not all I have to say about Edge of Darkness is good. The film did have a lot of heart. Mel really pulled me into the pain he felt at the sudden, horrid loss of his only daughter--the only woman in his life. I felt his pain right along with him, and I don't even have kids!
The film also had an originality to it that is strange considering it really was, in a lot of ways, just another conspiracy movie. It was an unpredictable conspiracy movie, and one that I liked a lot.
And, of course, Ray Winstone is in it along with Danny Huston, so there was no lack of legitimate actors doing great jobs contributing to the whole dark, foreboding mood.
Factoid: Part of the purpose of this movie, according to Mel and the Director, was to show what a man can do when he has nothing left to lose and doesn't care if he lives or dies.
Also, the film is a remake of a BBC mini-series television show of the same name, with the same character names, and a similar political/conspiracy plot-line.
From Paris With Love (February 5, 2010) R
Starring:
John Travolta (Face/Off 1997, Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride 2011)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Mission: Impossible III 2006, At Swim-Two-Birds 2010)
Kasia Smutniak (Carnera: The Walking Mountain 2008, La passione 2010)
What an awesome movie. I have a renewed respect for John Travolta. Rhys Meyers was alright, but this was definitely Travolta's show.
I half expected this to be another Rush Hour type movie, with lots of laughs and enough plot to get by. As it turns out, the plot wasn't the best part of this film. It was Travolta, and the great things he says and does throughout the story.
I mean (sort of a spoiler-alert here...) Travolta makes Rhys Meyers carry around a big vase full of crack for half the movie! How often do you see stuff like that?!
And, as in the previews, Travolta enjoys a "Royale with cheese." It was great to hear/see that, being the enormous Tarantino fan I am...
And, I swear, Travolta must've lifted like crazy to look how he did. I've never seen him like this.
Factoid: Travolta enjoyed acting with Rhys Meyers, and describes him as "agreeable", punctual, and intelligent.
John Travolta (Face/Off 1997, Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride 2011)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Mission: Impossible III 2006, At Swim-Two-Birds 2010)
Kasia Smutniak (Carnera: The Walking Mountain 2008, La passione 2010)
What an awesome movie. I have a renewed respect for John Travolta. Rhys Meyers was alright, but this was definitely Travolta's show.
I half expected this to be another Rush Hour type movie, with lots of laughs and enough plot to get by. As it turns out, the plot wasn't the best part of this film. It was Travolta, and the great things he says and does throughout the story.
I mean (sort of a spoiler-alert here...) Travolta makes Rhys Meyers carry around a big vase full of crack for half the movie! How often do you see stuff like that?!
And, as in the previews, Travolta enjoys a "Royale with cheese." It was great to hear/see that, being the enormous Tarantino fan I am...
And, I swear, Travolta must've lifted like crazy to look how he did. I've never seen him like this.
Factoid: Travolta enjoyed acting with Rhys Meyers, and describes him as "agreeable", punctual, and intelligent.
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