Synopsis:
When Sam’s (Shia LaBeouf) father gets him a new car, he thinks that he can impress the local jock’s girl, Mickaela (Megan Fox). But something is different with his busted-up old camaro. For one thing, it’s giving him love advice, and another, it drives itself. Little does he know that his brand new set of wheels is a warrior in a galactic battle between two groups of sentient robots. Now Sam is caught in the middle of an age-old feud that is tied to his own past. Who will win the battle over the mysterious Allspark: the righteous Autobots, or the evil Decepticons? The fate of the world hangs in the balance and all we can be sure of is that there is more than meets the eye…

Review:

What can I say, this movie is a new look at a classic part of my childhood. How am I not going to enjoy this film? This was an awesome version of the 80s cartoon. I must say that all of the kids in the movie theater probably had no clue that this movie really is based on an old cartoon show. Here is what I thought about the robot movie of 2007:

Plot: The plot is interesting, but not overly complex. Mystical box of power lands on Earth, bad guys want it, good guys want to stop them. There is a bit of intrigue when it comes to Sam’s history and how his family is linked to the Transformer war. In the end this is a big action flick and the plot is meant to facilitate that. There is some humor in the movie, largely around Sam and Bumblebee.

Action/Effects: This movie was visually impressive. The Transformers are clearly CGI, but who cares. They just look really, really cool. I think that the movie is intended to wow you and it definitely seems to accomplish that goal. I don’t think the visuals are the only merit the movie has, but it is clearly one of its strong points.

Acting: I think Shia LaBeouf is a pretty good actor. He is a kid and he hasn’t been in that much, but everything I see him in, I’m impressed. I saw him in Disturbia and I really liked his performance there. Of course his character here is a little weaker than in that movie, but this is just an action flick. I thought that John Turturro was a little over the top in this movie. I think he’s a great actor (I love his character in Monk on USA), but he seemed too goofy, almost childish and out of place. The rest of the actors are not worth mentioning (including Jon Voight). I should note that some of the original voice talent from the cartoon reprised their roles, so that was cool.

Overall: This movie is a must-see for the big screen. I don’t think it was the greatest movie you’ll ever see, but it was definitely fun to watch. I’m on the fence about this being worth a primetime ticket, but I’m definitely for seeing it at the theater.

The Transformers – The Movie (20th Anniversary Special Edition)

Synopsis:
Chris Gardner (Will Smith) has had a string of bad luck. He sunk his life savings into a medical supply company that isn’t selling. His wife, Linda (Thandie Newton) resents him, and he can barely provide for his son (Smith’s real-life son Jaden), the center of his life. Things go from bad to worse when Linda leaves him, but Chris has a dream. He wants to be a stock broker for Dean Witter. Now he’s risking everything with an unpaid internship, taking a chance in the pursuit of happiness…..

Review:

Unfortunately, though I watched this on DVD and this should be a DVD review, I didn’t actually check out the special features (I watched a single disc widescreen copy from Blockbuster.) As a result, this review is going to be about the movie itself and not about the DVD. If I get a chance to actually check out the disc itself sometime, I’ll post an addendum to this review with details on special features and extras.

Plot: You can’t criticize the plot much because this movie is based on a true story. It’s hard to say real life wasn’t good enough. I thought the story flowed well and it definitely portrayed a man, down on his luck, who refused to let go of his dream. Though most of the movie was sad, with one setback after another, the overall story is uplifting. Surprisingly, there is a bit of comedy in the film and I did find myself laughing a few times. I don’t want to ruin the ending, though I think you can guess what it is. You’ll feel good when you’re done watching this movie.

Acting: The acting was great. I’ve always liked Will Smith, but this was definitely one of his best performances to date. He definitely produced Oscar-worthy work in this movie. He really shows the determination, fear, frustration, and hope that (I’d like to believe) the real Chris Gardner felt. I was also impressed by Jaden Smith. His role, though critical, doesn’t require great depth. After all, Christopher Gardner was only 5 years old. How deep can he be? Still, the boy acted well and I think the existing father/son relationship showed on the screen. The rest of the cast is inconsequential, though I really did get to hating Thandie Newton’s Linda.

Overall: I think that altogether this was a good movie. The story was great and the acting definitely left an impression. I would highly recommend you watch this movie if not purchase it. It’s definitely the type of movie that motivates you and keeps you hopeful. The movie has questionable replay value, but I think that being such a good film makes it a necessary part of a true move collection.

The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)

Synopsis
Lieutenant Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back for more. When he is called in to do a routine pickup for the FBI, things go terribly wrong. Now the young hacker (Justin Long) he was sent to collect is his only means of bringing down a cyber-terrorist with a grudge against the government and a thirst for money. With the country hanging in the balance, “In McClane we trust.”

Review

I’ve always been a fan of the Die Hard films. The everyday cop takes on powerful maniacs has always been a good story, but what makes it better is McClane’s wit. I have to say that it’s a little lacking in this movie, but it doesn’t hurt the film too much. The action, effects, and overall plot more than overcome any shortage of McClane one-liners. Here is my take on Live Free or Die Hard:

Plot: By far, this is the most complex Die Hard plot. It takes a while for the motives of the villains to become clear. More than that, there are several pieces to a very complex scheme. In the end, this film stays true to the basic premise of the first film–it’s all about the money. In this fourth installment, McClane’s daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) plays the role of the familial bargaining chip, a position formerly held by his wife in the first two films. That component of the movie was a little formulaic, but that’s ok.

Acting: Bruce Willis can still do a good job. McClane is back, but he is a little more jaded. In the previous films, McClane is a little more good-humored. In this film, he’s disgruntled due to a divorce and a crumbling relationship with his daughter. Justin Long is definitely a source of comic relief for this movie. He plays a hacker duped into helping the cyber-terrorists. Hearing him rant about a media-controlled society and the gross inadequacies of Creedence Clearwater Revival are fun to watch, not to mention his exchanges with Willis. Also, there is a funny but brief role played by Kevin Smith.

Action/Effects: The action in this movie is over-the-top and almost non-stop. You won’t get bored during this movie, and there isn’t a very long intro. I liked that about this movie–it picks up the action pretty quickly, but still does a good job of revealing the plot smoothly. The stunts, fight scenes, and CG stuff was great. All the action is fluid and the CGI stuff is not very obvious (except of course the F-35 jet, which couldn’t possibly be real.) Interesting note–they actually did take out a helicopter with a police cruiser. Only the propeller on the helicopter and falling gunman were CG.

Overall: This was a good movie and definitely worth watching. I would definitely recommend seeing it in the theater and I would go so far as to say its worth a prime-time ticket. You really have to see this on the big screen to appreciate the stunt sequences and special effects.

And in case you don’t believe me, here is a review from EW.com by Owen Gleiberman. I agree with the review on everything but the grade. When so many unentertaining films are popping up in theaters, Live Free or Die Hard stands out a little. I would have given it a B+/A-. I think that’s a fair grade when you come out of a theater saying “that was pretty good.”

Die Hard Collection (Die Hard / Die Hard 2 – Die Harder / Die Hard with a Vengence / Live Free or Die Hard – Bonus Disc)

Synopsis
The pirates are back and badder than ever in this third installment of the Disney saga. Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) is stuck in Davy Jones’ Locker and the rag-tag gang of mutineers, maidens, and swordsmiths must journey to World’s End to bring him back to the land of the living. But they are pursued by the evil East India Trading Co., who now controls Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and his cursed ship, The Flying Dutchman. A dangerous storm is brewing and the nine pirate lords must be united to wage war and keep the seas free…..

Review

So this review is a little late since this movie was released in May, but as my new “editor” pointed out, I have to write this one to complete my review of Dead Man’s Chest. I gave that a conditional 4 stars so I need to review this movie and then make an addendum to that review. To keep it simple, I’m going to use my new format to cover reviews a little more quickly.

Plot: This plot is confusing as all heck, which highlights the poor planning and execution of the second film as well as this one. There are a lot of subplots which don’t necessarily come together very well. Though I liked this movie far more than I liked the second chapter, this one could have been better. Better planning on the screenwriters’ parts could have distributed the subplots more evenly between the films and made At World’s End a little more understandable. If you don’t catch everything when you see this movie, don’t worry, neither did most people. Even the director said it was confusing. And if anyone cares, the Callipso subplot served absolutely no purpose (except to create a giant whirlpool). I must admit that Keith Richard’s cameo was amusing. Oh, and any romantics in the audience may have a slightly bitter taste in their mouths when all is said and done.

Action/Effects: The action in this movie was pretty good. I was definitely entertained even if I didn’t fully get what was going on. The sword fights were pretty well choreographed and the CGI stuff looked pretty good. They definitely tried to top part 2, which I think they accomplished.

Overall: This was definitely an improvement over Dead Man’s Chest, but it still didn’t meet expectations. I go back to a previous comment that this plot/series is not an epic or great saga. Each film should have been completely self contained. Since it is a big CGI/action flick, it’s worth seeing in the theaters, but still not up to snuff. Grab a matinée show, it’s not worth the prime time ticket price.

Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition)

Synopsis:
Mumble Happy Feet (Elijah Wood) is a little different from the rest of the emporer penguins. He can’t seem to find his heart song. What he does have is a desire to dance and he quickly gets shunned by the rest of his kind. But now a mysterious food shortage is threatening the survival of the penguins, and Mumble sets out on an adventure to find out why, hoping he can win back the respect of all the other penguins.

Review:

Plot: This film follows the basic animals on a mission kind of scenario. Its mildly predictable, but there are a few surprises and all of the things that happen aren’t formulaic. I’ll be honest, I didn’t reallize from the trailers that the plot would be so conservation-themed. It carries a great message, I just didn’t know it was coming. A lot of people I spoke to about this before I saw it said the movie wasn’t funny. I disagree. There were plenty of laugh out load moments and when I wasn’t laughing, I was distracted by the incredibly cute penguins. It definitely appealed to the (very large) kid in me, but it isn’t as funny as classics like Toy Story.

Graphics: I thought the CGI in this film was great. All of the penguins looked real (not cartoonish) and the motion was fluid. This movie definitely has included great techniques from the previous generations of CGI films. Apparently (I heard this from a friend), the movie has been criticised for using actors as opposed to CG people in the film. I think the use of actors makes the message in the film a little more serious and relatable. CG people would just weaken the moral in my opinion.

Overall: This movie is definitely worth the watch. If you have kids, I would recommend a matinee showing. If you’re a big kid like me and just like animated movies, I would consider just waiting for the DVD. Enjoy!

Overall Rating: ***

Stanger Than Fiction @ IMDB

Synopsis:
A tax auditor named Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) lives a monotonous life full of calculated and precise actions. Things go horrible awry when he starts hearing his life narrated by a woman’s voice as he lives it. He soon discovers that the voice blongs to Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson), a famous author who is suffering from writer’s block and is notorious for killing her protagonists.

Review:

Plot: This one is a comedy and a drama, the all to prevalent dramedy. Unfortunately for Ferrell fans, its heavy on the drama portion. There are some mildly funny moments throughout the movie, but no bust-a-gut/ROTFL moments like in Ricky Bobby. Doesn’t mean it was bad. Its somewhat interesting to see a slightly more serious side to Ferrell.

Acting: I actually enjoyed Emma Thompson a lot. Her character’s fascination with death and approach to writing is terribly awkward and Thompson translates it excelently. Queen Latifah is inconsequential as Eiffel’s assistant. I also liked Maggie Gyllenhaal as liberal activist baker. She’s odd but endearing as Ana Pascal.

Photography/Production: I was really dissappointed with the quality of filming for this movie. I guess my criticism here is not based on personal experience, but how hard can it be to keep a mic boom out of the scene? Maybe its just me, but it seemed a bit sloppy. It ruined it for me a little, because after the first time, my eyes kept getting distracted whenever the mic dipped in to the shot.

Overall: It wasn’t a bad movie, but its not worth a primetime ticket. If you’re a “I must see all Will Ferrell movies on the big screen” kind of fan, then go for a matinee. Personally, I think its amusing enough that its worth a rental when it comes to DVD, but probably not a purchase.