Men In Black 3 Review

Justin and I saw Men In Black 3 on May 26, 2012. This movie was an intergalactic disaster!! The only one that I actually enjoyed was the first one, which should have been a stand alone movie. The movie opens with Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls-a glimpse into how terrible this will be from the start. We are introduced to a villain named Boris The Animal, who wants revenge on K for shooting his arm off and imprisoning him. He also wants to orchestrate an alien invasion of Earth. A force field type device will help prevent this. Boris is a hilarious villain, and hilarious in this sense is not a good thing. I couldn't take him seriously as a threat, and although he did resemble Macho Man Randy Savage to an extent, he was a poor villain. We enter our intergalactic heroes J and K-played by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones respectively. Jones seems to be more cranky than usual in this movie, and its as if the first movie never existed, as J and K seem to constantly argue or just never talk to each other. In the first movie, they actually get along pretty well. Zed has passed away and J and K have a void in their job. I just don't understand why they had so many problems getting along. Over the course of three movies, this all should be rectified. J also shouldn't be confused as to some of the obstacles he encounters after years on the job. He's been in the MIB for 12 years according to this movie, so he would have had to seen it all by now. That terrible villain I mentioned Boris apparently travels through time and kills K in 1969. J has to travel back to prevent this event from happening, as well as the alien invasion. This plot sounds good, but it's not orchestrated well. Nobody used a TARDIS like in Dr. Who, which is entertaining and a pretty good show. We come across the young Agent K, played by Josh Brolin, which wasn't as good of a performance as people are making it out to be. Brolin's a good actor, and I am looking forward to seeing him in the upcoming Mickey Cohen film, but sometimes he just falls flat. It was a good casting choice, as he could easily pass for a young Tommy Lee Jones with the look and speech patterns, but otherwise it fell flat. Some of Will Smith's jokes were good like his O and K joke, but alot of the laughs felt forced and I didn't laugh that much. There was a decent cameo by Bill Hader as Andy Warhol, but it didn't really have to do with anything overall. The scene was just there. Then they meet this man that can see into the future named Griffin, who was just flat out annoying. Justin and I cringed when he kept coming on the screen. The finale takes place during the mission to the moon in 1969. The plan is take out Boris-both of them and send the forcefield out of space to create a shell protecting the Earth. Of course, the plan works. There is one scene I did like at the end concerning J, his father, and K, but you can predict this will happen before it does when we're introduced to the character revealed to be his father. It was a good scene to show, as it turned out to be the only gem in this movie. Also, technology seemed to be more state of the art than it was in 1997 when the first movie came out which makes ZERO sense. How can they have extreme jet packs and basically these motorcycles operating on the speed of light, but they can't install a button to cloak the car? All I know is this was an unecessary movie. I give this a 1/5 for a plot that fell flat, terrible jokes (except for a few), a horrendous villain (one of the worst I've ever seen), and basically another sequel that tarnishes the originality and uniqueness of the first movie. Like I said I enjoyed the first movie, but the second and certainly the third never had to be made.

Hick Review

I saw Hick with Dad and Justin on May 14, 2012. I was very impressed with this movie. It is adapted from a book written by Andrea Portes and the casting and following along with the story was excellent. The movie, much like the book, follows the life of 13 year old Luli McMullen, whose had some bad hands dealt to her in her young life thus far. Her mother and father are always drinking, arguing, or walking out on her. She is basically left to fend for herself. She is given a gift of a .45 for her birthday. She decides to leave Palmyra, Nebraska and head to Las Vegas for a new life. The character of Luli was portrayed by one of my new favorite actresses in Chloe Grace Moretz. I have been fascinated with her since she portrayed Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass. She was excellent in this movie and portrayed exactly what the words on the pages of the book say. This movie was mostly designed to promote her and it did just that. It was definitely a performance worthy of praise. The subject material is controversial, but at 13 years old when this movie was shot she captured each emotion that it called for. I definitely look forward to more by this incredible young talent. As Luli embarks on her journey, she comes across Eddie Keezer, played pretty well by Eddie Redmayne. He has the look of a cowboy with the stetson and boots, however, the man has a limp. A conversation between the two establishes that Luli has a problem with trust based on what has happened to her thus far. There is also a part of her exploring her blossoming sexuality, and it seems she is also trying to elicit reactions by Eddie. After she insults his limp, he tells her to get out of the car. She now contemplates what she must do to survive. Enter Glenda. Now, Chloe Grace Moretz was definitely the star and best part of the movie, but Blake Lively was excellent in her role. She became the character of Glenda throughout the course of the movie and made it believable. I am a fan of Lively from her work on Gossip Girl as Serena Van Der Woodsen and this role showed how good she could be. She portrayed emotions very well as a professional grifter, but one that also hides some dark secrets. The thing is this movie has alot to do with dark secrets. Glenda takes Luli under her wing, encouraging her to participate in illegal activities such as drug use, assisting in robbing a convenient store, etc. However, you sense that Glenda is good deep down. We find out that Glenda and Eddie have a dark past as he returns in the picture. The chemistry between Moretz and Redmayne was very good as Redmayne turned up the craziness for Eddie as he is supposed to in the book. He is basically obsessed with Luli and wants her for himself. Luli is taken advantage of and Moretz captures the emotion very well, as she has tears rolling down her face wondering if she will survive, make it to Vegas, or see 14. The cottage scene featuring Luli, Glenda, and Eddie was an phenomenal scene and one that elicited some good acting on all three parts. The .45 makes its appearance here and there is alot of emotion surrounding it. Luli's appearance had been changed by Eddie and this new appearance actually has another meaning as she is able to effectively shake her old life and start a new one. Eddie accidentally shoots Glenda as she is wasted on Jack Daniels and he feels deep regret for what he did. However, its hard to feel sorry for Eddie as he his actions towards Luli are reprehensible. Luli then lifts the .45 and takes Eddie's life, but in retrospect it is pretty interesting as he took her innocence. She didn't want to pull that trigger as evidenced by the emotion in her eyes, but she knew it had to happen in order to escape. A good cameo by Alec Baldwin, in which he portrays the character of Beau from the book, comes to rescue Luli from the chaos that occurred in the cottage. He is erasing the fact that Luli had anything to do with Eddie's murder, and making it as if it was a lover's quarrel between Glenda and Eddie-which is actually partially true. The first shot fired at Glenda revolved around an argument in which Glenda passionately was defending Luli, while Eddie refused to let either go. Beau then provides Luli with some information that would help her to survive in LA. She would be able to live a normal life with his niece. The last shot we see is her running to the bus for LA as she is making the trek to normalcy and freedom. Every step Luli takes and evey obstacle she has encountered makes her stronger as Luli perseveres. That is why I like her character so much. All the terrible things she experiences don't force her to tap out and say I quit. She is determined to rise above and she does that with a little guidance from Beau. I personally give this movie a 5/5. I loved the story of a girl trying to overcome the horrible conditions of her life and better herself. Chloe Grace Moretz is amazing and an actress I root for to continue to rise in the entertainment world.

Dark Shadows Review

Justin and I saw Dark Shadows on May 12, 2012. I knew going into this movie that it was going to be something different, and I was pleased with the results. This movie will be a cult movie, much like the television show in the 1960s was and the reboot they did in the early 1990s which actually featured a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt which is pretty cool to see. The movie shows us some past events to help shape the plot further down the line with Barnabas Collins played very well by Johnny Depp and Angelique played perfectly by Eva Green. Angelique feels jilted by Barnabas for falling for another girl named Josette played by Bella Heathcote who I personally found to be very good in the role. Let me just say that I love this cast in general from Johnny Depp to Eva Green to Michelle Pfeiffer to one of my new favorite Chloe Grace Moretz. Angelique forces Josette to plunge to her death and then gives Barnabas the unholy kiss forcing him to live with the guilt of what happened to Josette. After rejecting her advances numerous times, she orchestrates the town to bury him in a casket wrapped in chains. These events all happened in 1790. We fast forward to 1972 where Barnabas escapes from his prison opneing up a can of...bloodshed on those he first encounters. He makes his way back to his mansion in Collinsport which is named after his family. Their business is in the seafood industry/canning/shipping etc. Angelique has taken over the family business and is trying to erase the entire legacy of the family. Barnabas unites with the family to combat Angelique and restore the family business to its rightful ownership and former glory. I liked the dark nature of Helena Bonham Carter's Dr. Hoffman. In the series, she was looking for an anti-vampire serum. In this, she is using Barnabas's blood to retain her youth and become immortal. Chloe Moretz was great as the angry teenager who listens to really awesome music in my opinion. Bella Heathcote as I said also played the role of Victoria Winters who is a spitting image of Barnabas's former love Josette. I thought she portrayed the naievety and mystery of the character very well. Victoria comes to Collinsport to help care for David (the youngest member of the family-who sees ghosts and people think he has problems). David is played by Gulliver McGrath. Interestingly enough, the ghost I mentioned happens to be Josette. The reason Dr. Hoffman is living at the house is designed to help David as well, however, as I said we would find out that it was a facade. She had been waiting for Barnabas to return. Jonny Lee Miller portrayed the Roger character very well as he is supposed to be somebody that has bad morals and doesn't spend time with his son. I kept thinking about his character on Dexter Jordan Chase every time he was on screen-which is a good thing, because I feel you're supposed to dislike Roger. Depp had great chemistry with everyone, however, all the scenes shared with him and Eva Green were phenomenal. I absolutely loved Eva Green in this movie and couldn't get enough of Angelique. Green made evil look good and her role as a dark witch made it even better. She had the whole town under her thumb to combat Barnabas. I personally enjoyed the story as I liked all the events that happened in the past spilling into the present, and in order to preserve the present, the past has to be addressed. The Tim Burton magic was in full swing in this one and the battle scene at the end was well put together and I loved it's over the top nature. I like how they ended the movie as well with Barnabas and Victoria establishing an eternal bond and it revisited what had happened in the past, so I liked how it connected in that manner. With a movie such as this, I feel you have to make it over the top. I think the story combined with the campiness and somewhat hilarious nature of the movie overall make this a fun watch. I give this movie a 4/5 and a definite DVD buy when it comes out for me. It's definitely an acquired taste movie and I realize not everyone will like this, but I really enjoyed it. I like things like this though.

The Moth Diaries Review

I just watched the Moth Diaries on May 8, 2012. I have read alot about the movie, and seen some negative reviews for the film and I see how some people might interpret that, but honestly I truly enjoyed this movie. It is based off a novel by Rachel Klein, and was adapted to the screen by America Psycho director, Mary Harron. The movie follows an all girl's boarding school in which main character Rebecca (played very well by Sarah Bolger) seems to have a happy life with her best friend Lucie played by Sarah Gadon, and her group of friends. The boarding school was a hotel in the early 1900s that eventually evolved into the boarding school. This is how it would seem on the surface. She is actually living with the memory of her poet father that committed suicied two years earlier. Her friends are keeping her in a good place. Scenes are presented that show how close the group dynamic is. Then, a mysterious new girl shows up named Ernessa, played perfectly by Lily Cole. She captured the mystery of what the character is supposed to be, and her look is innocent, but you know there is something dark under the surface. Ernessa has long jet black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a face that you would see on a porcelain doll. I was impressed with the performances overall. It was a good female cast. Lucie seems to start distancing herself from Rebecca in order to become better friends with Ernessa. What is interesting about this is Rebecca starts becoming suspicious of Ernessa due to her strange mannerisms and creepy look. Lucie seems to be in a trance as Ernessa is controlling her. At an all girl's school, lesbianism is bound to spring up and though it's not necessarily shown, it is implied. The students are reading Carmilla in class, and Rebecca suspects Ernessa is a vampire. Ernessa is seen at night dressed all in white, sometimes wandering off the campus. Lucie begins to weaken mentally and physically as she lashes out at Rebecca for being jealous of Ernessa. Teachers won't listen to Rebecca's ramblings about a vampire. One by one, in some way or another, her friends dwindle, either by death or expulsion. It all seems to be built around the actions of Ernessa. She plays the whole thing aloof. I like that they didn't necessarily show the friends or teachers get killed, but they show the bloody aftermath. The idea of mystery and intrigue can be good, and I thought it worked well in this movie. Lucie's weakening throughout the movie is portrayed well as you notice the changes. Rebecca even witnesses Ernessa and Lucie in a "romantic" moment. I like that the best friend's name is Lucie. It reminds me of Dracula in terms of Lucy, who was Mina's best friend and was controlled and then ultimately killed by him. I also like Rebecca struggling with the thought of ending her own life. In the long run, Ernessa's main target is actually her. We discover through a diary written by Ernessa that she is indeed undead. In the book, there is ambiguity as to whether Ernessa actually exist. However, in the movie she is a real life entity. One scene towards the end as Rebecca has a vision in which Rebecca is looking at the very razor her father used with Ernessa coercing her to join her, as Ernessa ended her own life in a similar fashion. I call it the Carrie scene, because that's exactly what it reminds me of. Dexter Morgan would have to be called in for this vision scene is what I'll say about it. Lily Cole aka Ernessa drenched from head to toe is a crazy scene. Eventually, the disry I mentioned and the trunk where she sleeps are located. Though I felt that she was able to conquer Ernessa too easily in the end, I felt the story flowed pretty well overall. Ernessa sees herself in Rebecca and she is the one that Ernessa wanted to be with eternally from the beginning. She just had to, you know, take out everybody in the way. I felt it blended elements of Carmilla (especially with the Ernessa-Lucie dynamic)-I loved that book in Professor Mitchell Lewis's Horror, Gender, and Sexuality class, and could sense the elements here. I also was reminded of Dario Argento's Suspiria in many ways-the boarding school, the mysterious nature of the school, the strange disappearances/deaths of the girls, and the moths remind me of that crazy maggot scene. Overall, I enjoyed this movie and I would give it a 3/5. I enjoyed it, and I know many critics had a problem with it, but this is something I actually liked. There are very few things I disliked about it. I am glad I was able to catch this. It had great mystery and conflict, with the hero thinking she's going crazy, but knowing at the same time, she knows she is right. Ernessa is a great antagonist, brooding about mapping out her intentions in a cerebral manner. Where we see the protagonist being very verbal, the antagonist is quiet. When she does talk, her voice is perfect for the character. It's gentle, but cold. As I mentioned, I felt the antagonist was killed too easily, but I did enjoy this movie, and certainly would get it on DVD. Lily Cole is the standout for me in this and I look forward to her as Rose in Snow White & The Huntsman. There were alot of excellent elements to this that kept me interested throughout. Great mystery, pretty good performances, and a decent story with a couple of minor complaints I mentioned make this a movie that blends the dark and the light well. Definitely worth a watch!!

The Avengers Review

Justin and I saw The Avengers on May 5, 2012. Well, they've assembled and the results were impressive. The cast of Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo meshed very well together creating an awesome cinematic experience. Loki played perfectly by Tom Hiddleston returns to Earth as scientists reopen the portal allowing him to come through and begin his plan of ruling the Earth. Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson realizes that its time to revisit The Avengers Initiative. Each member of the team has their own unique personality and it results in some volatile situations, as well as several comedic moments. I personally like Black Widow and Hawkeye as they have no special powers. They just are master assasins going out there and getting the job done. Johansson and Renner were excellent in their roles as they were believable. I wish Edward Norton had reprised his role as Bruce Banner, as I don't find Ruffalo to be a good actor, but this movie is not really about acting so it worked. It's about action and a fun story. Chris Evans was excellent as Captain America, displaying leadership qualities and using a more serious tone than is usually seen out of him. I feel Hemsworth's casting as Thor is excellent and he really does look like a god throughout the movie. RDJ always entertains me. He is a master of incorporating improvisation lines in movies and it was no exception here. I personally liked Tony Stark and Steve Rogers arguing most of the time. They would basically be co-leaders which makes sense in keeping with the comics. There are even some cameos by Pepper Potts played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Stellan Skarsgard reprises his scientist role from Thor. The team dynamic where the different personalities do not get along and then subsequently put their differences aside for the mission is done very well. I really enjoyed watching all the different interactions between the characters. The movie flows very well. On top of some of the dialogue (which as I mentioned was both excellent and at times funny),the action scenes were top notch. One battle I really liked was the battle between Thor vs. Captain America vs. Iron Man. It was interesting to see the heroes battle each other. Thor would also battle The Hulk (who I thought was one of the best parts of the movie-not Banner, just the Hulk) In fact, there is a scene during the awesome final battle (in which each hero gets the opportunity to take down certain members of Loki's army that he is able to get from Asgard to begin his rule) where Loki basically tells The Hulk I am a god what are you going to do and then he just tosses Loki around. The audience erupted into applause at this scene. It was awesome to see. I also liked Lou Ferrigno playing the voice of The Hulk. This movie definitely has a great mix of action, great character development, group dynamics, and a good plot to keep the audience into the movie. It's definitely one of the best comic book movies I've seen, although I'd say The Dark Knight, Kick-Ass, Super, and Sin City are better. I'll give this movie a 4/5 for how well Joss Whedon was able to present this and smoothly cross over between comic book universes such as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, etc.