Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Super Quick Review)

Kevin James is funny in this. The problem is with everything else. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Not very good at all. The first 30 minutes are OK, but the last hour is terrible. I felt like I was hooked in to watching this because of Kevin James. I found my self being dragged through it.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

1 out of 4 stars

"New In Town"

I went into this movie thinking it was going to be a simple romantic comedy. I'm of those guys that enjoys romantic comedies, but this movie was more then that. It was deeper then others of the genre. After my viewing of this movie I was somewhat disappointed. In most films the flaws are easy to get over. However, in this film they were not.

The plot of the film is very simple. A corporate, city girl is ordered by her boss to downsize a plant in a small town in Minnesota. The trouble is that she falls for the local union leader. This film could have been a very good movie, instead of a OK movie, but its flaws ruin it.

The main flaw for me is there are a lot of awkward scenes that are suppose to be funny but are not. I actually think the film worked better with its dramatic scenes then its funny ones. I thought the actual plot of the movie took far too long to get rolling, but when it did it was great. I actually forgave the film for its earlier flaws. That is until the end. The movie did not have the resolution it should have had. The film just kind of ended without us knowing for sure what was happening to the characters. I would have taken 10 minutes off the beginning and put it at the end.

I don't hate this movie. The film's more positive areas are very good. The casting is perfect. Renee Zellweger plays the lead roll. She comes off selfish but likable. Harry Connick, Jr. is also great as her love interest. The role that deserves the most praise is the role of the plant foreman, played by the hysterically brilliant actor J.K Simmons. Simmons is in my opinion one of the most underrated actors around, playing in TNT's "The Closer," and also in "Burn After Reading."

Overall this movie is very watchable, but not as good as it could have been. I recommend it for those who won't mind being a little disappointed.

New In Town

2.5 out of 4 stars

"Valkyrie"

I had looked forward to this movie for a long time, but ended up avoiding it because of negative reviews during its release. I decided to rent it and watch with an open mind. It wasn't a perfect movie, but it was very entertaining. While it succeeds as a history lesson, it also succeeds as a thriller. You are literally on the edge of your seat the entire movie, even though most people know the ending. Is it disappointing that the Germans have British accents? Yes. Is it annoying that Cruise doesn't even try and pull off a German accent? Yes. That still doesn't stop this movie from being the movie it was meant to be.

While this film does have its flaws, it is still pretty good. I recommend it!

"Valkyrie"

3 out of 4 stars

Tropic Thunder

I don't know why it took me so long to see this movie. I am so glad I did. I thought I was just seeing a funny movie, but it turned out to be a comic war-action extravaganza. Like great action movies, this movie contains great action sequences. Like a great war movie, the violence is relentless. Let's not forget that this was also one of the funniest movies of 2008

The movie contains many great performances, some even Oscar worthy. Writer-Producer-Director Ben Stiller leads this stellar cast. Jack Black plays a high strung white version of Eddie Murphy. Robert Downey Jr. plays the 5 time academy award winner, an Australian man who lives out his characters lives, actually surgically becoming an African American soldier. Lets not forget Matthew McConaughey, Nick Nolte and many other "A" list stars. The highlight performance in this movie isn't the lead actors, but a performance that is a total of about 10 minutes of screen time, Tom Cruise as Les Grossman. Les Grossman is the vile, rude, crude, and violent studio executive. He steals every scene he is in. Downey Jr. was nominated for an Oscar for this film, I believe Cruise should have been nominated also.

This film isn't a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean its not great Entertainment. It's full of action, comedy and great sets. Entertainment at it's best!

Tropic Thunder

4 Out of 4 stars

Bicycle Thieves: Criterion Collection Review # 1

Bicycle Thieves
Director: Vittorio De Sica
1948
93 minutes
Italian

Criterion Spine # 374

This is my first Criterion Collection Film review, and will not be my last. I have been collecting this collection for a few years now and have always wanted to review them. For more information on Criterion, visit them here http://www.criterion.com.

In postwar Italy, a man struggling to find work finally gets a job offer - riding his bike around town to hang advertising posters along the side of buildings. Everything seems to be going his way, until the day his bike is stolen. Discouraged and fearful of being terminated, he and his wide eyed son walk the streets looking for the thieves. Though this film has a very simple plot, it is full of great emotion. The relationship between the father and son is brilliant to watch. I don't want to ruin the ending, but it is one of the most realistic and powerful in film.

This was a very good movie. My only problem with this film was that it was slow in some parts, but thankfully not enough to take away from the film's meaning and greatness. I think this film was great, but not as great as some other Italian films, such as Fellini's La Strada, and 8 1/2. I would recommend this movie to everyone who love father and son stories and also to anyone who wants to see good picture. Brilliant acting and direction are other highlights of Bicycle Thieves.


Bicycle Thieves

3.5 out of 4 stars

"I was struck by lightning once..." The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons.

The first time I had ever heard of this movie was about 8 months before it was released. I thought the premise was very interesting and really wanted to see it. I am a huge fan of the film's director, David Fincher, who is one of the most underrated filmmakers of all time. With films like "Fight Club", "Seven" and "Zodiac" to his record, he has become one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all time. All of his movies contain a quality that is rarely seen in movies today. Brilliant but quiet special effects, engaging charactors, and great story telling.

I waited until the DVD was released to watch this film. I am a Criterion Collection supporter and bought their edition of the film. When I was finished watching, I was blown away. This was one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. The narrative is brilliantly told. A man is born an old man and dies a baby. How much more interesting can that get?



The special effects of this movie are groundbreaking. The appearance of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett throughout the movie looks incredibly realistic. This was by far one of the greatest films that I have ever seen. I don't want to give much more away. See it!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

4 out of 4 stars

"Space, The Final Frontier."

As a child, I remember my parents watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was always fascinated with the series and found myself watching the reruns after the show ended in 1994. When I was nine or so I began to watch the Shatner crew. Up until that point in my life I thought the Next Generation crew was the only cast.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was my introduction to the Original crew. This film blew me away! Within a few weeks, I became obsessed with the original Enterprise crew.

It has been ten years since my first introduction with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Now I consider myself a true Trekkie. I have seen every episode of the original series many times and still enjoy viewing of the film series.

I have been looking forward to this new Star Trek for at least a year and a half. I have always been a fan of the film's director, J.J. Abrams, and his hit T.V. show "Lost". I had hoped that this film would re-launch the Star Trek franchise, the same way that "Casino Royale" did for James Bond, and "Batman Begins" did for Batman.

I planned to see this movie at Imax and went last Saturday. Not only did this film exceed my expectations, I left thinking that this was one of the best movies I have ever seen. I went and saw this film with my girlfriend. She is not at all interested in Sci-Fi films, so I hoped that it would be somewhat entertaining for her. The second the film ended, she told me that it was her new favorite movie. I was so proud of what J.J Abrams did to this film.

The casting was brilliant. Chris Pine takes over the role of James T. Kirk with great success. He brings his own touch and toughness to the role. William Shatner's Kirk ego still shows, but without being an imitation of him. The reason for Kirk's rebellion throughout the franchise is finally explained in this film. The role of Spock is played very convincingly by Zachary Quinto, well known for his role in the series "Heroes." He was also wonderful in the role that is world renown. He brings the level of seriousness and intensity needed for the character of Spock; a character who is dealing with the inner conflict of self discovery. Karl Urban portrays Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the doctor who really hates space. Urban in my opinion deserves an Oscar Nomination for his role in this. He doesn't even seem to be acting. His passionate, sometimes difficult or irritating attitude is brilliant to watch. We learn how McCoy gets "Bones" as a nickname. Urban is a brilliant supporting actor, and steals every scene he is in. Another great performance to watch is Simon Pegg as Scotty. He brings the comical personality of the chief engineer. There are many other great performances in the movie, including a great cameo by Leonard Nimoy! This film balances intense action and hilarious dialogue.

The music of this film is amazing! Instead of using the Jerry Goldsmith theme, which was also the theme of The Next Generation, composer Michael Giacchino used the original series' extraordinary theme music. The music is a vital part of the emotional experience in this movie.

Overall this is one of the most exciting films released in years, with great performances to accompany it. The special effects are brilliant and the music is extraordinary. I did not want to give the plot away but let me just say that it is very satisfying. This film exceeded all expectations that I had for it. It is simply a sci-fi masterpiece.

Star Trek

4 Out of 4 stars