My guy friends convinced me that I needed to go to a midnight showing of Fast Five in IMAX. Not my typical genre of choice, but I was pleasantly surprised with the film. Unfortunately, the projector broke before the end, so I can’t tell you how (allegedly) awesome the final car chase scene was. But I can tell you how cool it was to watch everyone in the theater throw cups at the screen…

Fast Five picks up with fugitive Dominic Toretto’s struggle to break out from prison and his subsequent hide out in Rio. Of course “one last job” must happen and a gang is brought together to rob Rio’s top drug lord. American FBI Agent Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson, comes to Rio to track down Toretto. Car chases and explosions ensue. Alright, it’s not that complex, but it’s pretty cool to watch.

And just to prove to you guys that I’m not ashamed to admit I’m wrong (Birthers, I’m looking at you to follow my lead), I bring you the list of the week.

Top 4 reasons why I shouldn’t have judged Fast Five by its cover (…or trailer…): Read More »

In Insidious, two parents are forced to cope with strange and supernatural occurrences that follow one of their three children’s mysterious comatose state. The film starts out strong, and even superior to most modern horror films. Unfortunately, due to lack of risk-taking, unoriginality, and a bizarre turn in the second half, Insidious falls into the realm of C-grade horror films.  And here is the list of the week, brought to you by those three fatal flaws.

7 Modern Horror Films that Insidious Could Have Learned From (also known as “Top 7 Movies You Should Rent Over the Weekend Rather than Seeing Insidious”):

The Blair Witch Project: Insidious shows far too much of what we’re meant to be afraid of. The reason that the first half is much scarier than the second is because the audience is forced to guess what exactly the source of our fear is like. The Blair Witch Project was a pioneer in not showing too much, or enough even. The creators knew that our imagination is a lot scarier than what you can put on that screen. Read More »

In The Adjustment Bureau, Matt Damon plays David Norris, a politician who falls for a dancer (played by Emily Blunt). Norris accidentally discovers that the world is run by a group whose job it is to keep everyone on their own life path; this “Adjustment Bureau” manages everyone’s fate. The Bureau tells him that he must stay away from his love interest or there will be dire consequences. It’s an enjoyable romance-action-adventure with some science fiction-y/fantasy aspects.

I find it hard to not enjoy Matt Damon’s movies; he’s honestly one of my favorite actors of our time. Although sometimes it is hard to watch him without getting “I’m F*cking Matt Damon” stuck in my head… (Just like I can’t watch Mark Wahlberg without thinking, “Say hi to your mother for me.”) But, I digress. He’s great and very believable as an optimistic politician. In fact, if Matt Damon actually did run for president, I probably would vote for him. As for his co-star, I don’t usually find myself overly impressed with Emily Blunt, but she was surprisingly likeable in this film as well.

The real show stealer, though, was Anthony Mackie who plays Harry, an Adjustment Bureau member who takes a particular interest in David Norris. His has the same stoic quality of all of the Bureau members, but he acts with his eyes to set him apart from the others. He is completely mesmerizing. And it’s saying a lot that he rivals Matt Damon for attention, just saying.

The Adjustment Bureau is surprisingly unique for a contemporary movie. It has its corny parts, but the film is cautious not to overwhelm its audience with cheesiness. There are religious undertones, but they are relatively subtle, which leaves the viewer to decide what to take away from the film. There are also a couple of sly references to global warming, which make a point but it doesn’t come across as propaganda. Although it would be nice if all of our politicians took such an interest in solar panels…

It drags at times; honestly, I think they could have cut out ten minutes or so. It is an interesting genre blend, as I mentioned, which sometimes had me questioning what kind of movie I was actually watching. But, that is part of why it’s exciting and unique.

Take a date to see The Adjustment Bureau this weekend if you get a chance. It has a nice blend of romance and action-adventure to keep everyone happy. Plus, it’ll get the conversation going at coffee afterward.

Click here to get Meredith’s take on other new releases.

Cedar Rapids is the story of Tim Lippe (Ed Helmes), a by-the-book insurance agent who has to go to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to present at an insurance conference. Three past attendees of the convention teach Tim their more free-spirited ways.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m tough on comedies in general. In fact, I seem to be getting a rep as a movie snob… (See: Easy A and No Strings Attached). But at the end of the day, all I really want is a comedy that will respect its audience. I think Cedar Rapids is the perfect example of that.

The writing is sharp, but it is also backed up by a clear plot that never disappears for the sake of a joke. It doesn’t cater to what it could so easily be – a fish-out-of-water story or a buddy comedy. And, luckily the cast members who are often known for their overzealous acting style (Ed Helms, John C. Reilly), really give great performances, even understated at times. Cedar Rapids refuses to dumb itself down for its audience. And it certainly won’t overwhelm you with endless strings of pop culture references just for a laugh.

I love Ed Helms, but when I saw the trailer for this film, I worried that he might have started to create an acting niche for himself. After all, we all saw The Hangover. We know that he can play a straight shooter who goes through some crazy partying and comes out the other side a changed man. But, after I saw Cedar Rapids, I realized that Helms isn’t falling into a niche; rather, his character from The Hangover can be viewed as an oversimplified version of Tim Lippe. Helms has us cheering for Lippe from the beginning, but it comes from a much subtler place. We’re never hit over the head with Lippe’s likability; instead, Helms plays him with endearing naïveté that never comes across as unnatural.

John C. Reilly does a lovely job as well. He takes on a role that should encourage many comparisons to his roles in Step Brothers and Talladega Nights, but he gives his character a lot of great quirks that are completely role-specific. I would like to mention the hilarious The Wire references that Isiah Whitlock Jr. has – he was actually a cast member on HBO’s The Wire and there are a couple of nods to that.

Cedar Rapids isn’t just another buddy-comedy that you’ve seen a million times. Instead, it’s a short and sweet story that will make you laugh. The writing is sharp, the acting isn’t overdone, and unrealistic situations aren’t used for a cheap laugh.

Click here to get Meredith’s take on other new releases.

When I groaned after No Strings Attached ended, my friend turned to me and said, “If you hate romance, don’t go see romantic comedies!” And those who have read my reviews before probably already know that I’m not a sucker for romance. So you would think that I might enjoy a comedy about platonic sex buddies Emma and Adam (played by Nathalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher). They have their simple romance-free rules, just in case they start falling for each other. But as we all know, in the world of romantic comedies, rules are made to be broken. Corny jokes and unrealistic situations ensue.

Portman and Kutcher are beautiful people, no one can deny that. It’s not hard to watch them on screen. But after seeing Portman’s work in Black Swan, there’s just no comparison. She is capable of challenging herself as an actress, but No Strings Attached is the kind of movie that comes out a hundred times in a year. A girl with commitment issues “unexpectedly” reveals that her heart isn’t made of stone. Not completely original. I’m not yet convinced that Kutcher can take on tougher roles than the cute, flawless love interest, but he owes it to himself to at least try something new. Read More »

In, The Tourist, a mysterious woman named Elise (Angelina Jolie) diverts the attention away from her actual criminal boyfriend by using an American tourist in Italy, Frank (Johnny Depp). She meets Frank on a train and pretends to be married to him in order to divert the attention of the police and the mafia. The trailer wants you to believe that it’s more complicated than that…but it isn’t.

Today’s review is coming to you in three parts: best picture, best actress, and best actor. That’s right, those were all of the Golden Globes that The Tourist was recently nominated for. And I’m going to tell you why that fact is perfect proof that the films of 2010 have been a disappointment.

Nothing about this film was remotely interesting. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the two girls who got up and left five minutes into the movie (they had the right idea). Honestly, this movie is a complete joke in every sense of the word. More of a joke than Sarah Palin’s reality show. Read More »

Black Swan is a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman as Nina, a perfectionist ballerina who is cast as the Swan Queen in her company’s performance of Swan Lake. Throughout the film, Nina pushes herself to overcome every obstacle that appears to be standing in the way of her and her dream performance: a new free-spirit dancer threatening her role, a director pushing her to let loose, an overbearing stage mom, an accusatory forced-to-retire veteran ballerina, and what appears to be her own unraveling. Black Swan is exactly what a thriller of this nature should be, especially due to Natalie Portman’s performance and director Darren Aronofsky’s style.

Portman is getting a lot of Oscar buzz for her role of Nina, and she is deserving of a nomination acknowledging her performance. Thanks to her second-guessing attitude and innocence, Nina is immediately recognizable as the embodiment of the “virgin White Swan” that the director describes he is casting. But, the question is whether she can find that place inside of her and let go enough to play the Black Swan. As one would expect, sexuality plays an important role in this “transformation.” And the film isn’t afraid to really go there, so to speak. It is pretty common knowledge that Mila Kunis (who plays Nina’s rival, or the incarnation of the Black Swan, Lily) and Portman have a sex scene in the film. And it’s not subtle. In fact, some of Black Swan’s hardest to watch scenes are actually of that nature, because it can be excruciatingly uncomfortable to see Nina transform from such innocence (as Mila Kunis’s dad will tell you). But that is the reason that Portman will likely get an Academy Award nod for this role – she can convincingly go through Nina’s bizarre journey. Read More »

Disclaimer: Many Harry Potter fans sit in the theater picking the movie apart in terms of being an accurate adaptation, but I believe the film should stand alone as a part of its own art form, which is first and foremost a film, not a book. I’m NOT saying that the books aren’t amazing – I do think that they are – but I AM saying that I’m going to look at this film as its own entity, so stop reading now if you are looking for a comparative piece.

That being said, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is actually a good film. Even though its title is quite the mouthful. The acting is well done (with some notable exceptions, which I will get to). The directing is impressive, with the help of some wonderful set design. And the underlying themes of the film will always be prevalent, but they work particularly well now.

You’ve been living under a rock, you say? Good, because I’m about to explain the plot of Harry Potter, so brace yourself. Part one of the seventh film in the series picks up at the end of summer. (Need a reminder of where we left off? Get it here.) Voldemort’s rise to power is in hyperdrive. Ever the multi-tasker, Voldemort is trying to find and kill Harry while also searching for another unknown mystical object. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are trying to find some mystical objects as well. Horcruxes are divided up parts of Voldemort’s soul that need to be destroyed in order to kill him. The BFFs are also coping with the death of Dumbledore (and trying to understand the weird sh*t he left them in his will). Ron and Hermione remain crazy for each other, but still won’t make out already.

And you thought you had problems just because they stopped selling Four Loko at the convenience store. Read More »

All I want to do right now is compose a love letter to Robert Downey Jr. Instead, I have to slaughter his new movie, Due Date, so that you lovely people don’t waste your money on it. But afterward, I fully plan on writing a Taylor Swift-esque ode to an aviator-clad Robert Downey Jr.

It’s lucky for me that the plot can be summed up in one sentence, because it makes my job oh-so-easy. Unfortunately, that’s not so lucky for the audience of this film. After an airport mishap, Peter (Downey Jr.) is forced to travel across the country with Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) in order to make it to LA in time for his child’s birth… and nothing funny ensues. It’s Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, minus the comedy.

I laughed out loud twice – seriously, twice – which is pretty bad for a movie that delivers one-liner after one-liner and unrealistic situation after unrealistic situation. There is a clever line or two in there, but not clever enough for me to remember what they are off the top of my head. People may say that I sound like a bitter film critic, but I’m talking about a movie that INTENTIONALLY parallels itself to Two and a Half Men. They had it coming, and they freaking knew it.

Read More »