VFC's Book and Movie Review House

Transformers 3 - Did It Live Up To The Hype?

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 08:05:00 +0000

Not sure what to make of 'Transformers 3: Dark Of The Moon' just yet. I can't help but feel like they tried to do too much this time. The first half of the movie was spent waiting for something to happen, then when it did, it was sensory overload.

Decepticon spaceships? Where'd they come from. Just a few days before the attack on Chicago the Decepticons were supposedly spread far and thin around the globe to hide from energon detectors, but they managed to build spaceships the size of Manhattan without anyone noticing?

The quirky characters and dialogue of the first two movies was just right, but in this go-round too much time was spent on building those quirky dialogues, and not enough time was spent on the Transformers that people went to the movie to see. You never even got to know who the new Autobots were, like you knew Bumble Bee, Iron Hide and Ratchet after the first.

Did anyone really go to the theaters to see Sam look for a job? Weak plotline that killed the pace of the movie.

This one was a bit darker, too. Kinda like 'Spider-Man 3' went dark for the the third installation.

Iron Hide getting whacked by Sentinel Prime?

Bumble Bee about to be executed without giving up so much as a fight?

Come on now.

On the flip side, the action was there in full (3-D) effect when it finally materialized. And Shock Wave was the epitome of Decepticon mayhem, what Megatron should have been if you saw him at all in the movie.

A little was lost with Megan Fox not being around. The Victoria Secret model that took her place was very easy on the eyes, but it's hard to ask the audience to buy into a new love interest in part three and have an emotional attachment. They might have been better off just leaving out the sappy stuff and sticking to the action.

I'll give this one another go before deciding what I think, but the pace was a bit too choppy (stagnant for long periods of the film) to call it epic - as this one should have been.

Not sure this one is as good as either of the first two....

Remember Me, Starring Emilie De Ravin, Robert Pattinson, Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 22:35:00 +0000

If you haven't seen this movie yet, I'd recommend renting it, buying - do whatever you've got to do, but make sure you see it. However, don't be fooled by the cover case and previews - this movie is not a romantic comedy, not even close. In fact, romance has little, if anything, to do with the meaning behind the story.

The first indication that this was going to be a good movie was the fact that the critics slammed it. Those guys rarely get it right.

I had first heard about this movie while wifey and I weresharing conversation over Coronas in the Cabo Azul with someone who claimed to be on the production staff of the film. This guy was pretty excited about the stars that were landed for 'Remember Me,' the first 'big one' for his production company, and after finally seeing the film, I understood the excitement.

I really had no idea who Robert Pattinson was until a few weeks ago when my daughter dragged me in to see Twilight: Eclipse, and once I saw that movie I wasn't a fan of Robert, mostly because I quickly figured out that I was 'Team Jacob,' to my daughter's dismay. I just had a problem rooting for a pale-faced, blood-sucking dead guy to get the girl when she could go with the big bad wolf.

The Twilight thing swayed my opinion of Pattinson enough to where I was forty five minutes through 'Remember Me' that I could take to his character. On a side note, I think this guy is going to be typecast to the Twilight saga and he'll have a hard time landing significant roles later on down the road.

I digressed, sorry, back to the movie at hand:

While not the romantic comedy that it's been portrayed to be, romance (and tragedy) is what brings the main characters - De Ravin and Pattinson - together.

The opening scene sets the tone pretty quick - you're not sitting down for an uplifting love story, and that big question mark lasts for about twenty minutes as you try to figure out exactly where this movie is going, if it is indeed going anywhere at all.

That said, the characters are introduced and built well, so you find an instant connection with what is going on. The only problem is, there's points where you don't feel like anything is going on.

That changes quickly as the stories develop, and you start to see who's who, what's what, and what the motivating factor is for each of the characters.

Pattinson's character is fighting the continuous haunting of a family tragedy and his distant father (Brosnan) is a constant burden on himself and his little sister.

Brosnan, for his part, plays his part brilliantly. He's still the suave guy we all remember, but he's got a New York touch in this film, and he convincingly pulls it off. During his dinner scene in the movie, he even pulls off a 'Paulie Walnuts' chuckle while laughing at one of his own jokes.

Chris Cooper play's De Ravin's dad, who has never been able to get over his own family's tragedy, and he's nearly lost his daughter because of it.

As you may be able to surmise by reading this review, 'Remember Me' is about people, relationships, and how life can toss unsuspecting events into those relationships.

SPOILER ALERT - DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

In other reviews, I've seen the to 'Remember Me' as a twist ending. While surprising, I didn't see it as a twist, rather a shocking event that fit right into what the movie was trying to capture.

Life and the people in our lives can prepare us for a lot, but it can't prepare us for everything; and the day you go, you don't want to go knowing that you didn't give your life - and the people in it - the best that you've got.

Sometimes it's worth a butt-chewing from the boss for missing that meeting so you can make your kid's spring concert, because when it's all said and done, no one's going to remember that dam meeting, but your kid will remember forever that you made the concert.

'Remember Me' gets it right.

Bear with the slow moments when you wonder where this one's going, because it picks up quick and wraps up brilliantly.

I'm glad I ran into that production guy down in Cabo, or I might have skipped this one thinking it was just another chick flick that I could avoid watching if I distracted wifey long enough while she walked past the Rs at the video store.

Again, if you haven't seen it yet, see it. And take it in; the characters, the story, and take away the life lessons that the movie so brilliantly captures.

Four and a half out of five VFC stars.

Good Reading: REACTING TO 'REMEMBMER ME'

Iron Man 2, Starring Robert Downey Junior, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:45:00 +0000

They pulled out the big guns for Iron Man 2.

Aside from Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow, two mainstays from the original, the cast of "2" throws Scarlett Johansson, Samuel Jackson and Mickey Rourke at us also.

The additional star studded cast support a flowing, action packed story line that doesn't let up for the two hour duration of the movie.

The main villain of this sequel is Ivan Vanko, a former Russian physicist, played by Rourke, who is bent on revenge - and of course Tony Stark is the target of his revenge. Rourke turns in a chillingly convincing portrayal of the tattoo-covered, gone-mad Vanko. Vanko shows up on scene with some pretty impressive homemade weaponry before creating his own army of drones with which to come after the hero, making for some impressive battle scenes during the climax of the movie.

Another one who steals the scenes in this flick is the Scarlett. Johansson turns in a seductive performance as Natasha Romanoff, also known as The Black Widow. Working with Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) of SHIELD, her alter-ego Natalie Rushman works with Tony Stark, but when it comes time to play, Scarlett dons the black suit of the Black Widow and tears up the big screen and the bad guys.

Don Cheadle chimes in as Iron Man's sidekick and Tony Stark's friend, although only after first helping himself to the metal suit, and it's also worth mentioning Jon Favreau who turns in a solid and funny performance.

Aside from battling the main villain Vanko, Stark battles his own suit that is quickly contributing to his physical demise. His pending death leads him back to the booze and dressed as Iron Man his friends can't keep him from dancing and shaking in the suit.

All in all, Iron Man 2 is a worthy follow-up to the original - especially with the additional cast members - and the Marvel storyling continues to develop as Nick Fury discusses the "Avengers Initiative" with Tony - leading us into the upcoming "Thor" movie (watch the post-credit teaser).

Great for the kids, for the whole family, and better than the original.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:16:00 +0000

The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is worthy of a spot in the Disney collection.

It's true that all of these Disney adventure tales have the same basic story lines and the characters can almost interchange with themselves, but PoP: SoT has enough uniqueness, charm and adventure that it's worth the watch - especially if the kids enjoy it.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, a boy who was adopted into the Persian royal family from the streets who grows into quite the fighter/adventurer. After leading the charge and conquering Tamina's (Arterton) city, Dastan is framed for the death of his father.

The meat of the movie revolves around Dastan doing whatever he needs to do in order to prove his innocence, and of course a love story develops between Tamina and himself. In the same fashion of every other Disney princess out there, Tamina is feisty, fun and rebuffs the subtle advances of her leading man - but then falls hopelessly in love at the end.

Predictable, but hey - it's Disney.

However, even Disney is offering up conjugal cleavage shots of the leading lady these days.

All involved turn in splendid acting performances, and the plot - seemingly based on an Indiana Jones story - mixes in just enough adventure, suspense and betrayal to keep the viewer interested.

The special effects aren't bad either, although there's nothing spectacular.

If you're a kid, you should enjoy this one.

If you're an adult who is bringing a kid, it should make for some good family fun.

If you're an adult going to watch it on your own, then it'll still be fun, I enjoyed it, but check out the A-Team first.

Not the greatest of the Disney collection, but it makes for an entertaining hour and a half - and that's what movies should be all about.

The A-Team Movie, Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:15:00 +0000

From the opening scene to the ending credits, A-Team the movie proved to be everything that A-Team the TV show was - entertaining, exciting, funny and action-packed. The transition to the big screen by far exceeded my expectations, and most of the credit for that goes to how well Neeson and cast were able to replicate the personalities of one the most popular TV shows of the 1980s.

The cast of the original A-Team so perfectly personified the characters that it was going to be a hard fill to find replacements that could pull off the transition, but pull it off they did. And it looked like those guys were having just as much fun filming the movie that we did watching it.

There's a few scenes in the movie that might be a bit over-the-top as they stretch the enveloped of realism - namely the tank scene and the ending bit that has B.A. and Face dodging falling shipping containers - but you don't watch the A-Team for complete realism, you watch it for some butt-kicking action. And regardless of how unrealistic that tank scene is, it's also pretty funny.

Hannibal says it best - "Overkill is underrated."

The plot was pretty well thought-out and the delivery, with interweaving planning and action sequences, was excellent. There was a refreshing balance of comedy and action - just like in the TV show - and the comedic timing of the entire cast was near perfect.

Liam Neeson as Hannibal: A nice fit. I thought Neeson might be a little too dry to pull off playing the good Colonel, but it was a great match.

Bradley Cooper as Face: Coop was impressive. The Faceman is probably the hardest of all the characters to pull off, but Cooper was great and blending in Face's smoothness and humor with all the action.

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson as B.A. Baracus: Rampage was perfect for B.A., it was almost like watching Mr. T as he harassed Murdock and refused to get into an airplane. Hopefully we get the van back if they do a sequel.

Sharlto Copley as "Howling Mad" Murdock: Nice.

Jessica Biel, as the Face-man's love interest and nemesis of the A-Team, was terrific, even adding a few good lines of her own, including my personal favorite, "No, they're trying to FLY the tank."

What they did with the Lynch character was interesting, too, a crafty angle to play.

However, unlike the original TV series, many of the bullets shot in the movie actually hit their targets and the violence is turned up a notch from the generally kid-friendly TV show. That said, there's nothing so grotesque that would keep the older children at home for this one.

The movie didn't forget the TV show, like many big screen renditions tend to do, and the original A-Team theme song blared from the speakers on multiple occasions.

The only thing really missing were some cameos by the original stars, and sitting round until the credits are done rolling doesn't cut it. They should have been involved somewhere, they got Lou Ferigno in the Hulk, didn't they?

The A-Team gets an "A", in my book, an entertainingly good time, and the set-up was perfect for the team hitting the "Los Angeles underground" in the sequel.

If you're a fan of the TV series, you'll like this one, and if you haven't seen the TV show - now's as good a time as any to buy the box set.

The Hurt Locker; Starring Jeremny Renner, Anthony Mackie and Acadamey Award Winning Director Kathryn Bigelow

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:38:00 +0000

This is one of the best war movies that I've seen and it was well worth the hype that resulted from Director Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar nomination and subsequent win.

The intensity starts from the very first scene of the film and remains for the duration.

Renner turns in a solid performance as a hot-shot EOD soldier who shows up in Iraq to take the place of another team leader who died on the job as a result of a roadside bomb explosion.

The EOD team faces battles with the enemy, with each other and within themselves before the movie culminates with Renner's character returning home - where he just can't hack it. The scene where he can't make a decision as to which cereal to buy is telling; because in the line of duty every decision a soldier makes could mean life or death. To them, those are real decisions. Buying cereal? Too insignificant to care about.

Bigelow does a great job of capturing the intensity of war and the intensity of the day to day life of an EOD soldier in combat.

A well deserved Oscar on her part.

Ralph Fiennes also appears.

This movie is a must see.

Movie Review: 2012, Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet and Danny Glover

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:45:00 +0000

2012 is a dud of a movie that isn't worth seeing, especially now that the movie is off the big screen where the special effects crowd could really appreciate the big-money portrayal of the earth falling apart.

The problem with 2012 is that the movie's hopes for success are based on the special effects, and because of that the plot suffers. There's no buildup of drama or very much character development, so if you've seen Independence Day or The Day After Tomorrow, then you've pretty much seen 2012 (minus the aliens).

While the special effects are for the most part spectacular, there's also plenty of scenes where the effects go cheesy enough to feel like you're watching a big budget 'B' movie. LA falling apart was great, but the fall-off from there is significant; you remember when Bo and Luke Duke were racing around Hazard county and the scenes that showed them inside the car were draped by a movie screen in the background to make it look like they were moving? That's the quality of some of the scenes in 2012, particularly the part where the Vatican falls down.

Additionally, there's way too much of an 'unbelievability factor' for the viewer to get in tune with the movie. For instance, to escape LA the 'Cusack' party has to fly away on an airplane - and of course the guy flying the plane had previously only had a couple of flying lessons, so it became almost silly when that guy was maneuvering his unfamiliar aircraft between falling buildings and dodging trains in the sky.

However, that wasn't as silly as a scene towards the end of the movie when the earth was pretty much flooded and Cusack - who was deep inside a mountain cave in China - was able to receive a cell phone call.

C'mon, the WTF factor has to kick in at some point while making these movies.

The truth is, a decent drama-building plot could have negated the substandard aspects of the movie, but this was a film built solely on the special effects.

In fact, if you took a bathroom break or went for some popcorn, you would have missed the ten seconds of the movie that actually explains what's going on - that the destruction is based on the Mayan calendar that stops in 2012.

If you're a special effects junkie and you've got the home theater system to support it, then grab some pizza and beer and knock yourself out, otherwise, I'd skip this one.

Movie Review: NINE, Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:43:00 +0000

Of course this was a 'wifey pick', but the nearly two hours of running time and the star-studded cast was, for the most part, worth the time.

That being said the movie was not fantastic, nor was it as good as the wife or I expected.

Aside from the stellar cast members listed above, the movie also boasts the likes of Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench and Fergie.

All involved played their parts brilliantly, all performed their routines remarkably, although none garnered enough screen time (aside from Day-Lewis) to actually be considered the 'star' of the movie. In fact, Kate Hudson is given a lot of credit for her role in the production, but her screen time would be missed if you took a restroom break or re-filled the popcorn. However, when she was on screen - she stole the show.

The same can be said for Penelope Cruz, who had the most significant role in the movie aside from Daniel Day-Lewis (with all due respect to Marion Cotillard). Cruz was brilliant (and I don't just mean in the lingerie) with her flair for the dramatic.

Now, the movie wasn't just all about our favorite female stars dancing around in skimpy attire - there was a story behind all the skin - only the story couldn't be told accurately without it. This is especially important to note due to the critics out there who claim the movie has no plot, like Lou Lumenick of the New York Post.

In Lumenick's review of the movie, he - like many others - claimed that the movie had no plot and was just a show of ladies 'frolicking in lingerie'. He then claimed that Penelope Cruz was the "main frolicking victim". While that was enough to entice me to see the movie, Lumenick might have been so engulfed in lust for the leading ladies that he was unable get his act together long enough to understand that the movie's plot line was a depiction of the life of Italian Director Guido Contini; it was actually pretty easy to follow. Any claims of the movie having no plot are either fraudulent or a sheer demonstration of ignorance of Contini's life - you can't tell his story without some skin being involved.

While the movie did have it's slow spots, the overall flow of the story, great dramatic acting and some extravagant dance performances kept things interesting enough to stay tuned for nearly two hours.

As an added bonus, some magnificent scenery of Italy is included.

When it's all said and done, you won't quite get the feeling that the movie is a disappointment, but you will get the feeling that it wasn't quite as good as you expected it would be.

If you're a husband getting dragged along on a 'wifey's choice' date - you won't be disappointed with Penelope, Kate and Fergie.

VFC's Rating: Not quite three stars, but not quite two and a half either. How about two and three quarters?

Movie Review: Two Lovers, Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:52:00 +0000

My first impression of this film was that Gwyneth Paltrow must have really fallen from grace to agree to star in this film.

"Two Lovers" was one of those B rated flicks that keeps you interested at times, only to lose you a minute or two later when - whether it be through poor dialogue or bad acting - the film does something to remind you just how bad it is.

Joaquin Phoenix (did anyone know that he was still around) did a decent enough job at portraying 'Leonard' - a troubled grown man who is living with his parents - but the dialogue is downright terrible in some scenes and Paltrow doesn't give the impression for one second that she is happy about being in the movie.

I usually try to find at least one reason why to watch a particular film, but with this one I honestly cannot think of one.

The plot line is not quite realistic while bordering on creepy and none of the stars gives that outstanding performance that could make a borderline movie watchable.

Pass on "Two Lovers"; it gets zero stars from VFC.

Confessions of a Shopaholic, Starring Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy and John Goodman

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:41:00 +0000

You read the title correctly, I really did watch this movie. That's what happens when you send wifey to pick out a movie for a Saturday night staying in.

The studios aren't dumb, they played this one right. 'Shopaholic' doesn't warrant a big name star, nor is it worthy of one, but by signing on Isla Fisher it looks watchable to the guy who's trying to decide which 'chick flick' to watch with his girl. That'll sell a few more tickets at the box office and a few more DVDs at Blockbuster.

The movie is mildly entertaining. Wifey got a lot more of the shopping jokes than I did, naturally, but I found myself laughing quite a bit at Fisher's 5th avenue antics.

Fisher plays Rebecca Bloomwood, a magazine columnist who lands a job with a financial magazine whose editor also becomes her love interest (since every movie has one of those). The secret that she is trying to keep from her new boss, and lover, is the fact that she's- you guessed it- a shopaholic. The problem is that her shopping habits have caused her to max out her various credit cards and a determined debt collector (you'll laugh when the debt collector meets a Batman ringtone) is hot on her trail.

Sound exciting? There's a lot dead time or 'filler' dialogue in this one, where you think the movie is on pause only to realize that it's actually still playing and wifey is still laughing.

For a chick flick, however, you could do a lot worse.

John Goodman comes out of his acting hiatus to play Rebecca's dad. His few spots are pretty funny and he's making a reputation for himself as a dad with some hottie daughters (remember, he played Piper Perabo's dad in Cayote Ugly).

The girls will get an hour and a half of some decent shopping laughs and will undoubtedly enjoy the movie a lot more than the fellas.

The guys get Isla Fisher and a few jokes that are aimed at everyone.

Compared to other chick flicks I'll give this one three stars.

Standing against any other movie on the rental rack i'll give it two. You'd have to watch a lot of movies before convincing yourself that you need to see this one-

unless, of course, you're sending wifey to the video store. Then you get what you deserve.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:08:00 +0000

WOW, I love it when a studio says that they are going to make a great kick-ass movie and that no cost will be spared while doing it; it's even better when they succeed.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen lives up to the hype.

All two hours and forty minutes keep the audience glued to their seats during scene after scene of action-packed sequences that leave little to the imagination- even finding a way to show Megan Fox running in slow motion through the desert while wearing a tank top. Nice.

It needs to be stated, however, that if you haven't seen the movie yet, DO NOT sit through the credits waiting for the final 'teaser scene' that has become so popular these days- it never comes. I wanted to slap the custodial staff that stood around and said nothing while watching VFC and a bunch of other fools wait in vein for the scene that never comes. They could have told us to go!

That did nothing to detract from the fact, however, that the action never stops in this full-tilt adventure that had daughter VFC proclaiming that Transformers 2 was the "best movie that we've ever seen;" a surprising statement because I took her to see the Hannah Montana movie not too long ago(sarcasm intended).

Picking up a couple of years after where the first movie left off, 'Fallen' opens with Optimus Prime and his autobots working alongside the US military in an elite team that hunts down decepticons who are hiding in plain sight at various locations around the globe.

LaBeuf's character, Sam Witwicky, is off to college where he intends to maintain a long term relationship with girlfriend Mikaela (Fox), only to be stalked by another hottie, Alice, played by Isabel Lucas. Alice has a striking resemblance to Kristanna Loken in Terminator 3.

Sam's college career is quickly derailed when he starts having images of mysterious symbols. The story picks up, of course, when Megatron, freshly back from the dead, hunts down Witwicky and his associates in order to gain control of those symbols, which turn out to be a map to a key that can unlock an 'energon' source on earth.

Not that plots matter much in these kind of movies, but it is curious how Sam figures out in five a minutes the mystery of the map to the 'Tomb of the Primes' that has plagued both man and machine for over 2,000 years.

The race to unlock the energon source, and revive a fallen Optimus Prime, takes the cast of characters all around the planet- from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC to New York and Philadelphia, to the deserts of Egypt and Jordan. With Megatron and the decepticons hot on the trail of Witwicky and the autobots, no second is spared of intense anticipation of what the next scene will bring.

The obvious cooperation of all branches of the US Military, and the addition of their respective weaponry, add to the excitement of the film. With Transformers 2 you're getting action/adventure, sci-fi, drama, war, comedy and even a bit of romance- you get it all, including some well-placed wrecking balls that offer up good laughs for the adults in the crowd.

The only unfortunate item of note is that there is too much child-unfriendly language that adds nothing to the story line. The movie would have suffered little if that language was left out and it doesn't fit into a movie with a large child audience at all.

There will no doubt be those that find that the movie has too much action and too many transformer battle scenes, but who cares? This is pure five star entertainment.

I've never been to a movie where my kids didn't once take a bathroom break and this is one that will be a multiple-watch, and definitely one to own on DVD or Blu Ray.

Don't miss this summer blockbuster. Transformers 2 is worth every second of your time and every dollar in ticket price.

And Oh, that Megan Fox....Bada Bing!

Five Stars.

50% OFF Blu Ray at fye.com Expires june 30

Beer Kit - A Great Gift!
America's most popular brewing kit.
Complete, easy-to-use. Only $39.95

XM Just Got Better...Howard Stern, Playboy, NFL, NASCAR, and Martha Stewart now available on XM

One to Own: Armageddon (1998), Starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Ben Affleck

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Realistic? Maybe not, but this movie has everything needed for a couple of hours of solid entertainment.

Bruce Willis was cast perfectly for the lead role of Harry Stamper and he is surrounded by a supporting cast of all-stars that includes, among others, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, Owen Wilson and Michael Clarke Duncan. This crew of characters offers a terrific variety of action, adventure, comedy, drama and even a bit of romance.

The studio spared no costs to ensure that the special effects matched the hype of the film and it's cast and even gained previously unheard of access to NASA facilities and equipment.

The plotline is simple; it's the characters, action and dialogue that make this movie great.

An asteroid the size of Texas is heading towards earth and Bruce Willis leads the world's best drilling team that will land on the asteroid in two space shuttles and bury a nuclear weapon deep in it's core.

Intertwined with the action and comedy are pictures of people around the world reacting to the growing crisis as the movie builds a sense of heroism that culminates in the film's final scenes.

The scenes were edited together perfectly, making the movie funny when it needed to be, emotional when it could be and action-packed the entire time.

Ya gotta love it when Steve Buscemi's character borrows a hundred grand from a mobster before the mission launches, spends it on a stripper and then unsuspectingly returns to earth.

This is a movie that could be popped into the DVD player at anytime and it will be just as good as the first time you saw it.

Armageddon gets four and a half VFC stars and is definitely one to own.

Movie Review: The International, Starring Naomi Watts and Clive Owen

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:40:00 +0000

'The International' is a decent watch.

Well timed, if only by coincidence, with the banking crisis, 'International' is an intense action/mystery that delves into the world of corrupt banking.

Clive Owen, Naomi Watts and the supporting cast give convincing performances and, with some notable exceptions aside, the plot keeps the viewer tuned in for the entire movie.

Owen plays Interpol agent Louis Salinger who is investigating a string of mysterious disappearances in connection with one of the world's largest banking firms. As Salinger comes to realize, this particular bank has criminal intentions that stretch far beyond the scope of common banking fraud and, involving the highest levels of world governments, the bank will stop at nothing to achieve it's goals of financial dominance.

One thing that becomes annoying, at least to nitpickers like VFC, is that the plot line plays out like a roller coaster ride of slow buildups and rapid unravelings. For example, we know from the story that Salinger is years into his case against the bank, yet things move pretty swiftly during the movie's time frame when compared to him getting nowhere in the previous two years. The story could just as easily have began when the movie started instead of picking up two years into the case. It's highly unbelievable that after years of dead-ends Salinger is just now interviewing some of the people that he does.

Also, scene after scene of building suspense seems to unwind too quickly to justify the long buildup. You spend a half an hour wondering what the bank is up to, but the answer comes so easily just by simply interviewing a witness. Very anti-climatic. If the answer comes that easily and the witnesses are so willing to talk, why spend the half hour to build up a false sense of suspense?

I won't criticize any more, but I will note how ridiculous it was for Salinger to peer through a bullet hole in a wall to figure out the exact location from where the bullet originated, which was blocks away. If it all comes so easily for Salinger, it begs to be asked why he got nowhere during two years of investigations.

Scenes such as that one can ruin the realism of a movie for the viewer.

Any time that Naomi Watts is on screen she's a pleasant addition to the scene aside from some cheesy dialogue that doesn't seem to fit ("When was the last time that you got laid?", her character asks Salinger), her and Owen have decent on-screen chemistry that carries the film.

I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to watch this one, but I wouldn't ignore it either. The film has it's faults, but there's definitely worse out there.

Two and a half stars from VFC.

$5 Off any Spa Gift at GourmetGiftBaskets.com ! Please use coupon code Spa5. Valid Through Dec 31, 2010.

Save 10% with Skin Care Sets at blissworld.com!

Chocolate Gift Baskets

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson and Hank Azaria

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:33:00 +0000

Ben Stiller's original 'Night at the Museum' was a hit, in VFC's opinion, because it was a great kids movie that parents could also enjoy.

However, I wasn't expecting much from the second installment because sequels tend to be overdone and cheesy; although that trend is drastically changing these days.

'Smithsonian' greatly exceeded my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the movie while the kids enjoyed every second of it.

Stiller's humor is lost on me at times, but a lot of his dialogue that I find senseless has the kids, and much of the audience, cracking up. For instance, I could have done without the extended dialogue between Stiller and the nightguard towards the beginning of the movie and the prolonged Kahmunrah confrontation towards the end (when him and Stiller were arguing over who crossed the imaginary line), but both scenes had the audience cracking up- especially the kids.

Me? I didn't get it.

What I did think was hilarious was the 'Thinker', especially when he started flexing and hitting on the little white statue that broke into flirtatious giggling at his come-ons. That was funny.

The effects were great and the studio was smart to keep the 'come to life' cast of the last movie locked up for much of this one, otherwise there would have been too much going on on-screen.

Amy Adams was brilliant playing Amelia Earhart, and although the love-story line between her and Stiller was pretty cheesy (especially at the end), she was a delight to watch on the big screen. You could imagine the high-flying Amelia having that upbeat, 'whatever you can do I can do better' kind of attitude.

That brings up another good point about the movie. There were enough historical figures to induce quite a few questions from the little ones. It's one thing to hear about history in school, but seeing them come to life on the big screen can really get the kids interested.

Hank Azaria was great in all of his roles (Kahmunrah, the Thinker and Abe Lincoln), but the lisp that he had in the Kahmunrah role was annoying; although that could just be me not getting the humor again.

Also, you tend to ignore plot blunders in kids movies, but I did wonder where the heck Earhart was flying off to in the end without the tablet that gave her life. Also, when Stiller sees his Earhart look-alike at the end, what's the connection? Just because the lady looks like Earhart the audience is supposed to go, "Aw". Didn't make sense. Just a couple of VFC nitpicks in an otherwise enjoyable film.

When you throw down forty bucks to take the kids to a movie these days, you expect to get your money's worth; and 'Smithsonian' is well worth the money.

The kids, and adults, laughed through the entire movie, the special effects blended nicely with the storyline, Stiller was his usual funny self and Amy Adams stole the show.

Well worth the money and the time.

Three and 1/2 stars from VFC.

Movie Review: Gran Torino, Starring Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang and Ahney Her

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:00:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I've seen anyone burst into tears during a public movie showing, but the audience could not control themselves for this one.

Another powerful performance by American film legend Clint Eastwood makes Gran Torino an instant classic.

Surrounding Clint in this extraordinary film about friendship, family and America is a cast of relative no-names, but each one makes the movie real and makes it believable.

Clint Eastwood play Walt Kowalski, a retired Korean War veteran who has just lost his wife and is attempting to make it on his own in a neighborhood that is changing before his very eyes. He has a strained relationship with his sons and his grandchildren are so spoiled rotten that he has a hard time even acknowledging them. Walt is on his own; just him, his dog and his prized possession, a 1972 Gran Torino.

Bee Vang plays Thao, a teenager part of a Hmong family that moves in next door. Thao gets wrapped up with the wrong crowd and finds himself attempting to steal the Gran Torino only to end up looking at the wrong end of a vintage war rifle with Walt's finger on the trigger.

Ashamed by his actions, Thao's family pushes him to work off the dishonor that he brought upon them and, after some mild protest, Walt takes him in. As the days go by Kowalski becomes a stabilizing force to the troubled youth, if not a mentor, and Walt finds himself needing the boy around just as much as the boy needs him.

Thanks to a tragic event (Walt runs out of beer), he also begins a friendship with Thoe's sister Sue, played by Ahney Her. Her's acting comes off as labored at times, but her on screen persona seems to mimick her real life personality making her a perfect fit for the role. Walt's relationship with Sue is great for a few laughs as two throw jabs at each other throughout the film.

The plot heats up as a Hmong gang try to recruit Thao and start causing trouble around the neighborhood. Of course, the trouble leads to a confrontation with Walt that put into motion a chain of events that continues to the movie's final scenes.

As a well intertwined subplot, Walt ends up in numerous encounters with the local Priest, who at the behest of Mrs. Kowalski's dying wishes, attempts to prod Walt to give confession. The banter between Walt and the Priest is comical, and far from politically correct, but provides insight into the conversations of life and death and the role that religion plays in today's society.

As always, in hysterical fashion Clint pays little attention to political correctness and crosses lines that lesser stars would be terrified to touch, but it's done in a way that teaches tolerance, loyalty and friendship.

In an America, and especially a Hollywood, that has redefined the term political correctness, it's refreshing to know that the Clint Eastwood's are still out there to hand out a fresh dose of common sense. It's important to remember that in America, none of us are really Americans, but at the same time, we are all Americans.

The differences of culture and appearance mean little when compared to the power of of friendship, family and tolerance.

But just how far is Walt willing to go to protect his Hmong neighbors that he now calls friends?

For the astute movie viewer, there are more life lessons wrapped up into this two hour film than I have seen in a long time.

Without a doubt, Clint Eastwood has hit the jackpot again.

Five Stars. A must-see and most definitely one to own.

Download Gran Torino at iTunes

Movie Review: Doubt, Starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:13:00 +0000

In between a dragging opening fifteen minutes, where you're tempted to shut the movie off, and a surprisingly cheesy and unassuming ending that has you wondering why you just wasted 90 minutes of life, Doubt is loaded with scene after scene of spectacular acting but offers nothing intriguing in the form of a plot.

Based in 1964, the movie is about a priest who abuses a student in his parish's catholic school and of a nun who is committed to finding the truth.

A simple story, and one that, in my opinion, would have better reserved for documentary TV than the Hollywood big screen. At first glance, this movie could be deemed as another big studio attempt at Catholic-bashing, but to ignore the flick would be just as ignorant as those that like to bash.

The opening scenes have the viewer wondering if the film would ever find it's footing, let alone keep the audience interested, after spending 60 seconds of dead time keying on nuns eating without so much as a word being uttered. Had I not been watching the movie with wifey, I would have turned on a ballgame at that point. Once the pace picked up, however, the acting performances were good enough to keep me interested.

The success of 'Doubt' was based on the fact that the movie played out as if it were being performed on stage, which makes sense since the movie was, in fact, based on a Broadway play.

The actors give such convincing performances that you can feel the intensity of each scene and, while you never really 'doubt' the outcome, the movie at times has the feel of an old fashioned 'whodunnit'.

Not an entertaining film by any means, but an engaging one, as it battles with issues of morality, religion and the confliction of the times.

Amy Adams also gives a worthwhile performance as her depiction of a younger, more naive nun than Streep.

Based on the performance of the cast and the character development, I was ready to give this movie a surprising three stars. That was until I saw the final scene, which was both unnecessary and over-acted. The only purpose that scene served was to give meaning to the title, but instead it tore down everything that had been built up during the previous hour and a half and effectively ruined the experience.

Because of that final scene, 'Doubt' gets 1 1/2 stars from VFC instead of the three that could have been there with a more conclusive closing.

Movie Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Starring Kevin James

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:37:00 +0000

Thanks to a long plane ride I decided to sit through Mall Cop, what I assumed would be a cheesy, slapstick attempt at a watchable movie. What I got for my hour and a half of time was actually better than I expected, yet still far from what I'd call 'well worth the watch'.

In my quest to find another 'fat boy' classic a la 'Tommy Boy', 'Mall Cop' piqued my interest enough to find the time to watch it, and the plane ride from Tokyo offered me the perfect opportunity.

I had only seen two or three episodes (if that) of Kevin James' 'King of Queens', which was enough to figure out that he's a funny guy. So, combine a funny guy with a story about a mall cop and maybe, just maybe we had another comedic hit on our hands.

Not quite.

First of all, the movie did not play the 'mall cop card' enough. Aside from the opening scenes where Blart attempts to pull over an elderly fella in his electronic cart at the mall and some bantering with a pen salesman, the movie is lacking any real comedic power, or the least, good punchlines.

Not to make fun of mall cops, but I'm pretty sure that every one of us has made better jokes about mall cops than what the movie had to offer.

The bar scene where Blart gets smashed by downing a pitcher of Margaritas (instead of water) during a nacho eating contest could have been much funnier. They blew that one because a huge opportunity to have the audience rolling on the floor laughing their a$$es off (ROTFLTAS) was missed. Instead, you're almost scratching your head wondering how this scene, for which you'd prepared yourself to laugh out loud (LOL), could be so unfunny? Make the fat guy break dance, or make him move like the guy in Will Smith's 'Hitch', or pick a song like 'Maniac' and make him act like one (that's been used before, hasn't it?) Instead, James just kind of waves his arms all around and flails out a window after rubbing his fingers on a guy's mouth and ears.

Not too funny.

After that the movie takes a 'Die Hard' turn and, in half parody/half ridiculous fashion, puts Blart in a position to play the hero. I say half parody/half ridiculous, because the movie straddles the line where you care that nothing that happens in the movie from that point on is believable. This movie almost tries to play it both ways when it would have been much funnier as a straight-up parody, as was the Wayan Brothers 'White Chicks'.

Although the movie does it's best to draw some kind of emotion from the audience, whether it be laughter or tears, it's hard to get drawn into the cheesy storyline enough connect with the characters. The attempt they make at getting you to feel sorry for Blart is pathetic because the movie doesn't know which way it wants to go.

However, it's nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be and it is worth the watch if you've got absolutely nothing better to do. It was my ninth movie of choice during my round trip to Tokyo, so I really had nothing better to do.

Jayma Mays, for her credit, played James' love interest as a blond hair extension saleswomen and holds her own very well in an Anna Faris-like performance. Mays gives the audience a gratuitous pretty face to look at throughout an otherwise below average film.

One star from VFC. Good for a few laughs, but highly forgettable.

Movie Review: Bride Wars, Starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:47:00 +0000

In what could be deemed as comeback of sorts by Kate Hudson, because she seems to have disappeared, Bride Wars turns out to be pretty funny. For the guy that has to suffer through a chick flick with his girl, this movie is a good choice because there are laughs for everyone.

Without trying to sound harsh, Kate Hudson, who used to be a knockout to look at, didn’t appear anything like her former self and it was Anne Hathaway who stole the show.

Hathaway will always be remembered for the Princess Diaries, but in 'Wars' she was funny and thoroughly entertaining as she engaged in a battle with her best friend (Hudson) after an error at a wedding planner’s office scheduled their weddings for the same time, on the same day at New York’s Plaza Hotel.

The real problems start when the two clash over who changes their wedding plans because, as best friends, they had both dreamed since childhood to be matron of honor at each other’s wedding at the Plaza Hotel in June.

So who gives in first? That turns into a ball of laughs as the two former friends plot against each other and the movie delves into a gagfest of pretty funny pranks.

The realism of the catfighting in the film is hilarious and the realism of the fiance boyfriends trying to make sense of the catfighting is even funnier.

What I thought would be simply a boring chick flick turned out to be a quite entertaining movie to watch with the wifey.

Anne Hathaway was terrific, and her performance influences my decision to give the movie three stars. It’s an above average comedy because it is one that a guy can watch with his girlie and not worry about having to fight off the inherent boredom that accompanies a chick flick with the significant other.

Movie Review: Yes Man, Starring Jim Carey

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:21:00 +0000

‘Yes Man’ is another funny and entertaining installment into the Jim Carrey library of comedy. There’s nothing new from Carey here, but he’s one of those actors that more of the same is all the viewer wants.

Opposite to Jim’s comedic hit ‘Liar, Liar’ where he plays a guy that can’t tell the truth, Jim now plays Carl Allen, a guy who learns to ‘Just Say Yes’.

Carl is hopelessly stuck in the rut of life as a loan clerk in a small bank and regularly refuses invitations by his friends to go out and live a little. Then, when his best friend tells him that he's lost, Carl attends a seminar where he learns that saying ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’ could wield the key to his happiness.

That’s where the fun starts.

Once Carl is determined to say 'Yes' to everything, we see him dish out a pocket full of cash to a street vagrant, attend wild parties with a British colleague from work, hand out loans to anyone and everyone that asks, and then accept a naughty proposal from a feisty elderly neighbor lady; all making for an hour and a half of laughs.

Of course, as is always the case, a little bit of silly romance is mixed in and, predictably, Jim loses the girl only to reunite with her at the end.

The plot is thin and predictable, but Jim Carey is funny enough to keep the movie flowing and he offers plenty of good laughs.

Not his best, but it will definitely make for an entertaining evening.

Two and a half stars from VFC. Funny and entertaining, but any of Carey’s comedies will give you the same laughs.

Movie Review: Marley & Me, Starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:12:00 +0000

A so-so film that never truly finds itself.

Although the viewer is left to wonder whether ‘Marley & Me’ wants to be a comedy, drama or forgettable, it is an entertaining flick that is worth the hour and a half run time if nothing else jumps out at you at the video store, and if you can bear listening to Owen Wilson’s voice for that long.

Jennifer Aniston reminds us once again that she is more than capable of holding her own on the big screen, as long as she stars as a ‘Rachel-like’ character (Rachel being her persona on the hit TV comedy ‘Friends’) which she does in ‘Marley.’

Wilson is entertaining in his own right, but because of his ‘drawl’, if you can call it that, he never will be able to give that blow-away performance that others in his acting class can.

As for the movie- it starts off on a positive note and builds momentum as, possibly, an above-average comedy, but ‘Marley’ takes two wrong turns that stop to that momentum in its tracks. Both scenes deemed here as ‘wrong turns’ are neither necessary for the story and they are the reasons why the film never finds its niche.

First, (anyone who doesn’t want a spoiler should probably skip a couple of paragraphs), as the movie storyline is already well established as, Jennifer (Aniston's character) is told (in a terribly scripted and acted scene) that her baby had no heartbeat during an ultrasound session and was lost. No need for that in a funny movie. Mood killer.

Then, just when the viewer recovers from that shocking mood-killer, a teenage girl who lives next door (and is also very insignificant to the plot) is stabbed by an unknown assailant, adding another un-needed downbeat twist to a movie that is actually pretty funny at times. The fact that the stabbing convinces John Grogan (Wilson’s character) that they should move to another neighborhood is not enough to justify the downbeat scene because, again, all the momentum of the movie is stopped in its tracks.

Aside from those mistakes that make the movie just ho-hum, Aniston gives an impressive, by her standards, and realistic performance as a woman-turned-bitter as her marriage heads south.

What really makes this movie entertaining is Marley, the dog. Without Marley the movie would barely be watchable. Throughout the film, Marley entertains with his antics, helps John's friend pick up girls and then becomes a nuisance to Jennifer as she deals with life as a career woman turned stay at home mom.

Fans of Jennifer Aniston will like this movie. She puts in a solid 'Aniston-esque' performance, and for the guys, she likes showing off her legs, as always.

I rate Marley & Me two stars because, although somewhat entertaining, you're not missing much if you don't see this flick.

Movie Review: Seven Pounds, Starring Will Smith, Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:47:00 +0000

For starters, 'Seven Pounds' grips the viewing audience with superb performances by all involved, most notably by Will Smith, Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson.
Woody Harrelson, much as Smith, can play any role in any movie, if he's given the chance. He's come a long way from his days on 'Cheers', where everybody knew his name as the naive country boy living in the big city.

Will Smith's performance as IRS collections agent Ben Thomas might have been more compelling had this film been released further down the road. Throughout my viewing of 'Seven Pounds', I found myself wondering if I'd seen the movie before only to realize that it was Smith's last dramatic hit, 'Pursuit of Happiness', that drew too many parallels to 'Pounds'.

The main character in each movie were virtually identical as sympathetic figures and both had the same character traits. In that sense, watching 'Seven Pounds' was like watching a sequel of 'Pursuit' and because of that, what was Smith's brilliant performance in 'Pursuit' looked too much like over-acting in 'Pounds'. I almost found myself speaking out loud to the screen, "We know you act, Will, we know how well you can take on any role, but give us something new!"

For my part, it may have benefited my experience of 'Pounds' had a watched an older classic of Smith playing in a different genre, such as 'Men in Black' or 'Independence Day'. Ultimately, because the two movies are so similar, 'Pounds' and 'Pursuit' will be remembered by VFC as the same movie.

That being saying, the plot line of 'Pounds' was remarkable in its own right.

Smith plays the role of IRS collections agent, Ben Thomas, who, for reasons unknown until the climatic last scenes of the film, searches for people in need, befriends them and gives what he can to make their lives better. Along the way he meets Emily Posa, Dawson's character, and falls hard for her.

However, what looks to be a developing love story takes an ironic twist.

Flashbacks to a car accident from Ben's past are intertwined with the story, and only towards the end is the viewer allowed to make sense of it all.

'Seven Pounds' is definitely worth watching, but it's not special enough to rush and see. If you're looking for something new from Smith, you won't find it here as his performance offers nothing that we haven't seen before.

If you do watch 'Seven Pounds', it'll be for the intricate plot and the stellar performances by Dawson and others; for Smith, I'll be waiting for another action/comedy film to break up the string of drama.

Two and a half VFC star's for 'Pounds'.

Movie Review: Taken, Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Jannsen and Maggie Grace

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:27:00 +0000

'Taken' is a classic good guys win and bad guys lose, shoot-em-up action/adventure flick that reminds me of some of the best from the eighties.

Liam Neeson, appearing as ex-spy Bryan Mills, plays his role spectacularly and 'Lost' star Maggie Grace shows she can handle the big screen, although her character, Kim (Bryan's daughter), with the schoolgirl giggling and uncalled for 40-yard dashes, is extremely annoying at times.

As the movie opens, we learn that Bryan Mills is a retired government agent trying to reinvigorate a relationship with his estranged daughter, Kim. The interaction between Bryan, his daughter and his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) makes for some funny fodder before the action starts in France, where Kim is 'taken' from the flat where she was staying with a friend.

In the most intense scene of the film, Mills is on the phone with Kim as she is kidnapped. He then vows to track down and kill those that took her.

A maybe unintended side effect of the film is that it may draw more attention to the growing world-wide problem of the slave/sex trade. Thousands of women and children are kidnapped or tricked into the sex trade every day and the mainstream press pays it little attention.

It's not lost on the viewer that as the movie develops, Mills faces government corruption (in the form of payouts that allow the gang to operate below the radar of the law) and ironic characters; men who have daughters of their own but do not hesitate to introduce another man's daughter to the world of forced sex, slavery and drugs. That's why the audience is so happy when our story book hero, Bryan Mills, 'gets' them all.

If only the real-life story were so easy.

While highly entertaining, the movie is not without it's flaws.

- Those that like realism may not find some of the action scenes very believable. As in episodes of the A-Team, the bullets from the good guy's gun always hits the bad guys, but the bad guys, even with fully automatic weapons, can't seem to hit the good guy hiding behind a window with a girl over his shoulder.

Also, things fall into place a little too easily for Mills when he's on the trail of the bad guys.

- The character of Kim is extremely annoying. There's no doubt, after the plot develops and in order to keep the end believable, why her character had to be the naive, giddy and giggly girl that Maggie Grace portrayed; but they took it a little too far. No 19-year old girl does wind sprints to go meet her friend in the airport like Kim did.

- As in all good guy versus bad guy action flicks, the good guy wins in the end; but they could have cleaned up the next-to-final scene when Bryan and Kim return back to the states. After the ordeal that Kim had just gone through, there is no chance that she would so quickly revert to being the same, happy-go-lucky girl that she was. They could have found some middle ground to make that a bit more realistic, but maybe I'm nitpicking.

Not an instant action/adventure classic, but if you like movies where the good guy always gets his way, then you'll love 'Taken'.

Again, hopefully this movie draws some attention to the real-world problem of human trafficking. Until there is a public outcry for officials around the world to whole-heartedly tackle the problem, the hush-money paid to those officials will be enough to keep the problem on the back burner.

It's a must-see for VFC, but not a must-see for everyone.

Three stars.

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:59:00 +0000

Four words- Don't waste your time.

I saw this movie for free and I still feel like I spent too much.

Maybe my problem is that I did not see the original, but this remake was a cheesy, predictable and poorly scripted bomb that the studios attempted to make watchable by throwing in some nifty special effects.

Unfortunately, the special effects stunk just as bad as the rest of the movie. The big robot guy looked as bad on screen as the Hulk did in his first movie and all the little flies that were out to destroy the world lacked any significance whatsoever. You'd think if a movie was being made about the end of mankind they could come up with something a little bit more dramatic than termites.

The studio half-a$$ed the script, half-a$$ed the character development and half-a$$ed the special effects. That tells me that they knew that they had a bomb on their hands early on in production and decided not to go the extra mile to try and make it watchable.

I cringed for Jennifer Connely, an otherwise decent actress, when she pathetically shouted, "but we can change!" before the dialogue in the scene had a chance to develop enough to express what was going on. I felt like I was watching a play that was written by second graders and performed by third graders.

On the other hand, Al Gore would have been proud. The plot, if you can call it that, was all about how mankind is destroying the planet and since humans are an inevitably doomed race, the aliens have to come and save them from themselves. Yet, in the message of peace that movie supposedly portrays, the only way to save the planet is to kill the humans. Nice.

Oh, except Jennifer told the alien that "We can change!"

Really? Can you get any more cheesy than that?

I'd rather sit through Al Gore's documentary on global warming than watch this garbage any day.

I rate this minus one star. The only reason why I finished watching the movie is so that I could write this review.

Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:11:00 +0000

One of the best comic book transitions to the big screen yet, although the studios have done a great job bringing comics to life of late.

In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Hugh Jackman once again brilliantly captures the character of Wolverine, and his stellar performance combined with today’s special effects creates an entertainment delight for children and adults alike; although some parts of the movie had the little ones covering their eyes.

As the title indicates, this movie tells the origin of Wolverine. Other X-Men characters are intertwined with the story making for some fantastic ‘guest appearances’ and story telling, but the climatic special appearance comes near the end by Professor Charles Xavier.

‘Wolverine’ succeeded where ‘Spider-Man 3’ and ‘The Punisher: War Zone’ failed- being able to bring out the darkness of the main character while not taking it too far. In SM3, the ‘darkness’ of Peter Parker got too silly (him slapping Mary Jane) not to mention the fact that Spider Man is a character that they need to keep clean, anyway; there shouldn’t be any doubt in a parent’s mind that they can take the whole family to a Spider Man movie and SM3 was a bit much. The ‘War Zone’ was just too gruesome and it overshadowed the rest of the movie.

Jackman again proved that he was a perfect match to play Wolverine, being funny when he needed to be and then bringing out the rage on the drop of a dime. Originally, I thought that Sonny Landham (Billy in the original Predator movie) would have made the perfect Wolverine, but now I’m not so sure he could have brought the humor that Jackman can that makes Wolverine a great all-around character.

This movie is all about the action (and the claws), while the plot is pretty predictable. It’s obvious to all what Sabertooth is up to all along and who he is working for, and Logan’s girlfriend spells trouble from the start, but you don’t go to these movies for the plotline anyway- you go to see the character in action- and Wolverine brings plenty of that.

Every time I see one of these movies I think how lucky these kids are today. We had comic books, cartoons and action figures; these kids have CGI and special effects that were only dreamed about just 20 years ago.

Wolverine and Spider Man are the best origin movies out there and this movie holds up to the high standards of the previous X-Men releases.

A must see!

Movie Review: The Reader, starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes

noreply@blogger.com (VFC) — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:05:00 +0000

I’m still not quite sure what to think of The Reader, but I imagine that the story is better told in the novel on which the film is based.

While the movie that gave Kate Winslet an Academy for Best Actress is intense, passionate and thought provoking, at the same time it is plain, ordinary and leaves the viewer feeling empty after the anticlimactic finale. However, that may be the point.

In ‘The Reader,’ there is no one to root for and no good versus evil story. Additionally, there is little suspense or mystery aside from a half hour period in the film after Winslet’s character, Hanna, disappears for a time, only to reappear in his life as a defendant in a case regarding the holocaust.

‘The Reader’ examines one of the most trying times in human history, the holocaust, while delving deep into the mind of a teenage boy who succumbs to an affair with a woman twice his age.

David Kross, playing the young Michael Berg, does a brilliant job portraying his character and even scored himself some elaborate ‘scenes of passion’ with Kate Winslet. Although they are aplenty, Winslet’s nudie scenes are not gratuitous, but necessary to understand how Michael Berg’s life became one devoted to Hanna Schmitz, a factory worker turned Nazi prison guard; a woman of whom Berg was never able to let go.

Ralph Fiennes, playing the older Michael Berg, carries on the aloof and confused persona of the character just as well as his younger counterpart.

Michael Berg, as portrayed by David Kross, lost his youth and estranged his family because of his affair with Hanna. Fiennes’ Berg details a life gone array; Berg is unable to hold a marriage together, becomes distant from his daughter and dedicates days on end reading books into a microphone in order to send tapes to his ‘beloved’ Hanna- of whom he still cannot let go. Unfortunately, only Berg holds the key to the secret that Hanna refuses to reveal- a secret that could set her free.

This movie, while not a true story, is a believable depiction of the situation and the time that the story takes place.

The two subplots hold the same context, and Hanna’s bitterness at her own life become evident in both:

Winslet, in a convincing portrayal of a conflicted individual, portrays her character as she battles her own demons and attempts to rationalize actions that led to the death of 300 Jews. She also rationalizes, in her own mind, handpicking prisoners to be sent off to death camps.

At the same time, Hanna also knows that she took the youth away from an innocent boy to satisfy her own selfish needs while keeping her shameful secret in the dark.

‘The Reader’ is definitely worth seeing, but if you’re one to get caught up in the plots and subplots and tend to dwell on them for a few hours, I recommend watching a comedy afterwards. This movie is really quite depressing when it's all said and done.

For fans of Kate Winslet, especially the male types, this movie is a must see. Frankly, I was pretty surprised that she agreed to so much nudity. I don't think her and Kross ever got out of the bathtub, they must have had a clean fetish.

VFC rates 'The Reader' at three out of five stars.

Kate Winslet Classic: