Rocket Science (8.5/10)

This is three great movies combined into one. Watch for one element and you'll like it, watch for all and your in for a fantastic time. If you want a coming age story then you got it. Looking for an underdog tale, "Rocket Science" is that and more. Maybe your looking for a tragedy, well this one has it. "Rocket Science" is a film that that will make you laugh and depending on who you are cry. Either way you'll be watching something marvelous.

Our hero is an unlikely one. Hal (a fantastic Reece Thompson) is not the person who normally you find leading a movie. He is a quite outsider in high school. He's quite because he has a big stutter. Almost every sentence he has a problem with. The problem though is his. Other's may not hold it against him and give him the patience. Hal is embarrassed and will do anything he can to avoid the awkwardness it calls for. One day the cute and fast talking Ginny (a great Anna Kendrick) enters the picture. She's on the debate team and she's looking to recruit. Her old boyfriend was once a legendary debater for the school and she needs a replacement after his "departure". Why pick a kid with a stutter? Watch and find out, you won't want to look away once the film picks up.

"Rocket Science" is one of those movies you don't know what to expect when starting but it sweeps the floor with you. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" and "Adventureland" did the same thing to me. It's simple at it's core but does everything right. Our actors and characters are all believable and nail their roles. This is a tall and mighty film that starts with the smallest of ideas.

8.5/10
Recommendation: If you want a smart comedy you can actually feel involved in... wait why wouldn't you want that? I'd definitely watch it if you get the chance. Those three different stories I started the review off with are all well done if that's your thing.

The Last Kiss (7/10)

Here is a movie that is as hopeful as it is sad. It shows the downs and the worries in life but also the love. "The Last Kiss" is about five couples all with different problems. What you need to know is that there is a problem in each of them. The main story involves Michael (Zach Braff) and Jenna (Jacinda Barret). A long lasting couple that has a pregnancy to throw things out of order. Enter the young but likable Kim (Rachel Bilson). Michael looks at her as a chance of freedom, one he knows he shouldn't have or really want. Casey Affleck, Michael Weston, Eric Christian Olsen and Tom Wilkinson play the men in the other couples are are the more important factors to each relationship. Some scenes are startling and emotional (Casey Affleck panicking in the bathroom as his baby cries) but others seem both cute and puke worthy at the same time (Braff sleeping on the porch). The character's don't play to the audiences sympathies at first, very smart. It somewhat loses this at the end and other characters will wrap up their story just to give Braff's story the main focus. Pretty good movie though.

7/10
Recommendation: Romantic drama, good if you want one but you can stay away if your not looking to watch one.

And Soon The Darkness (5/10)

So what happens in a suspense/thriller when there is well... no suspense or thrills. Well you got "And Soon The Darkness" or at least the 2010 remake. There's a better original that takes place in France. Here we have Stephanie (Amber Heard) and Ellie (Odette Annable, new last name with marriage). They are tooth pick thin woman traveling the outbacks of Argentina on bike. They have no protection and often wear skimpy outfits. See that's just something you don't do. I travel enough to know that their situation just screams something bad to happen. This is fact, not sexism or anything, women need to watch their backs in foreign countries (Argentina as beautiful as it is has quite the  rough reputation). One of the girls will go missing and the other will have no idea what happened to her. She needs to find her friend in a foreign country before it's to late. Well the way she handles this is dumb and boring as is the movie. Throw in Karl Urban in a useless role and this is a dud. It's not the worst movie I've seen but it's the worst in a while.

5/10
Recommendation: I'd pass on it.

In the Land of Woman (7.5/10)

Stephanie Zacharek said that this a gentle film that won't leave much of an impression, but you'll have a pleasant time watching it. I agree full heartedly. Will this movie change my life? No is the simplest answer. Yet the movie is nice to watch. It's relaxing yet engaging at the same time. What I mean by that is the scenery/plot is simple and there's not an explosion nor car chase in sight. It's very mellow and tranquil. The music, character development and genuine interest is what will suck you in.

If there was ever a movie that borrowed elements from other films this would be it. However this film belongs to a small genre, I'm not sure if it has a name, but let's call it the Graduate genre (Based off the immortal "The Graduate"). This genre is about young men in their twenties who're deep individuals, enjoy good music (the soundtracks in these movies are key), are stuck in life or have gone through something hard recently and a descent people (not the best but still nice). "Garden State", "Adventureland", "500 Days of Summer", "Away We Go" and "High Fidelity" all have elements like this. While all those movies are better that "In the Land of Woman" that doesn't mean this isn't a good film.

Men like Carter Webb (Adam Brody) have an idea about life. One is that they will never be truly happy unless they have love and inspiration. Carter writes soft core porn scripts and has recently been dumped by his actress girlfriend Sofia (Elena Anaya). So he goes to suburban Michigan to take care of his grandmother for a change of pace. Here he hopes to write the book he's always wanted to do. Across the street are the Hardwicke's. The mother Sarah (Meg Ryan) has breast cancer scares and a lot of other problems. The eldest daughter is Lucy (Kristen Stewart). Sarah and Carter talk one day and she asks her daughter to take him to a movie. The characters move through problems as all of them deal with issues involving woman (hence the title). It's not about woman's emotions but a collective of ideas with women being the central theme.

This isn't necessary a movie to remember. However not every good movie will be. I enjoyed "In the Land of Woman". The acting was sublime, the mood well done and anything in the Graduate genre are always nice. "In the Land of Woman" is for people who reside in the land of deep and lost people looking for answers.

7.5/10
Recommendation: If you like "Garden State" then this is for you. Also the film proves why Iceman is Springsteen's best song, you'll see what I mean.

Wild Target (8/10)

After watching "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" this was something I needed. "Scott Pilgrim" took the style to the limit while "Wild Target" minimizes it (although I love "Scott Pilgrim").  It's not a stylish movie but that does not mean it's a bad one. This is a hilarious movie with interesting characters and plot devices to all add up to a great time. Victor (Bill Nighy) is a hit man on the verge of retirement. He's classy smart and sophisticated. This would be James Bond if he wasn't a womanizer (but who wants that). One last job requires him to kill art thief Rose (Emily Blunt). Well wild events causes the two and the youngster Tony (Rupert Grint) to go into hiding as several dangerous people including rival hit man Hector (Martin Freeman) go on the hunt. I actually read a short story like this once, I liked that one and sure as hell liked this movie. The humor comes in all shapes and sizes and never takes a break. Not the greatest movie in the world (not that original) but watch this and tell me you didn't have a good time. I'll be looking at a liar.

8/10
Recommendation: It's a pretty funny action/comedy. Lot's of fun from the actors. Ron Weasley with a patchy beard running around with a gun and samurai sword is quite the sight.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (10/10)

I can't believe that its taken me this long to see this movie. I mean I was really excited when it came out but just never ended up going. A year later I saw it and it might even be timeless. Here is the most balls to the wall, adrenaline fueled and sugar rush film I may have ever seen. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is not only one of the most excitingly lively films out there, but never before have I seen a movie jump of the screen like this.The film leaps past the screen and knocks you around in a joyous matter . You may never have a better time at the movies then "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World".

I'll try to sum up the plot quick because you really just need to see it. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera nailing it) is a 22 year old in Toronto. He sees Ramona Flowers (A great Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in his dreams one night and finally gets to talk to her at a party. He'll manage eventually to get a date with her. Things start to go well with the two and then enter the League of Evil Ex's. Seven individuals bent on controlling Ramona's love life. Scott must fight all of them to win Ramona hopefully once and for all.

What is so marvelous about the movie is it's style. Taking visual aids and ideas from video games, comic books, music, anime, manga, saturday morning cartoons and a myriad of other things. The fight scenes would be like watching a live action Street Fighter game (let's forget that there is actually a "Street Fighter" movie). Combo points, onomatopoeia, bright lights, rocking music and physic defying events make this something to watch. This movie keeps moving forward and never seems to have a slow period. It's kinetic in it's motion. This does not mean it's race to the finish trying to one up it's self. Scott is dealing with real emotions here. His problems with Ramona and his other girl Knives Chau (Ellen Wong having the time of her life) seem real. Scott is having epic battles while having normal girl problems on the side. This creates heart and the characters like the film are wisely built. There wasn't a single second I was bored in this movie.

Edgar Wright seems to be a prophet of sorts. He has three feature films and all three are 10/10 in my opinion. From the director of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" why should I expect his third film to be anything less than perfect. Scott and I have similar minds. We like to spell out useless trivia, have an interest in music, games, comics and what have you. There is a small scene where Scott is so proud about learning the bass theme to Final Fantasy II (IV for americans). Oh how hard I laughed. Ramona is an interesting character as well. She's not just the idol of Scott's dream but her own person. She is completely unique. I was instantly reminded of Clementine from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". I once said Clementine would be the dream girl for me. So Scott's passion for Ramona is very believable to me. Throw in that  film's soundtrack was contributed by from Beck, Metric, and Broken Social Scene. So of course this move will be a delight to the ears.

Outside of the characters I've already mentioned there are still plenty of live wires left. There is Wallace (scene stealing Kieran Culkin), Scott's gay roommate who shatters and resonates stereotypes at the same time. There's Scott's feisty sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick having a blast), sassy Julie (Aubrey Plaza, a comedic goldmine) and Scott's old flame Envy (bombshell Brie Larson). Scott's band and friends all are terrific characters that pass the plain of background scenery to being genius assets. Well what did you expect from Mark Webber, Alison Pill and Johnny Simmons. The evil ex's are all hilarious and hate filled. Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, and Satya Bhabha all have unique styles and keep the fights fresh. This a a fantastic cast of characters and actors.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is as hilarious as it it action packed. The humor is quick but more than enough to have you rolling over laughter. The action will get your blood going in the best of ways. This may be the greatest style meets substance film I've ever seen. The style is so outrageous the fact the film still has it's strong emotions is a miracle. Zack Snyder must be kicking himself in the head because he's never made a movie this good. If there was ever a movie to make you feel alive it would be this one.

10/10
Recommendation: I highly recommend it to anyone. Video game, comic book and anime fans this is a must see. However I think anybody would be intoxicated with it's energy.
Note: It needed two pictures because it's that awesome.
  

Our Idiot Brother (9/10)

I wish my family was like this. All the fun we would have. Enough day dreaming because I want to talk about "Our Idiot Brother", one of the best comedies of the year. The kind of comedy I like are the ones where you have a big goofy grin from the first minute and it holds up through out. Even in the down points of the film, it doesn't try to act like it's the end of the world because the characters aren't winning. They're grieving but not in a way to depress us. "Our Idiot Brother" is a delight through out.

Paul Rudd stars as Ned who has a great look on life. He's not that smart but he's mostly an idiot because he's so trustworthy. He thinks people aren't looking to screw you over and so Ned lives a blissful life. I wish I could see the world through his yes. Well anyway Ned gets sent to jail after selling weed to a off duty cop. He's released four months later and need's a place to stay. So enter his family. I thought going into the film that his sisters might have ended up as background scenery but I was so wrong. Each has a life of their own (albeit it could have been a bit more). There is Liz (Emily Mortimer) who is married to Dylan (Steve Coogan) and has two children. She's the mother that want's her child to grow up cultured, however she's taken it to the extreme. The second sister is Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) who is high maintenance. She and her neighbor Jeremy (Adam Scott) have flirty thing going but you should see the movie for yourself to see how it turns out. The final sister is the bisexual hipster Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) who lives happily with Cindy (Rashida Jones). Throw in supporting characters from Hugh Dancy, T.J. Miller, Kathryn Hahn and Shirley Knight and you'll have a fantastic time.

Movies are meant to entertain and "Our Idiot Brother" does it. It's very funny with of course Paul Rudd stealing the show. It has heart to it as we see the character's develop (so rare in comedies now a days). The film has an amazing cast that are just utterly charming even when not doing anything special. The movie keeps moving forward with ease instead of being weighed down by outrageous shock comedy. A quality that you may not have known was that this was meant to have been an indie film. It played at Sundance and the Weinstein's picks it up because they saw what we do, something marvelous. It's not a groundbreaking movie, but is that something we really need all the time. Have fun here because I sure did. "Our Idiot Brother" was one terrific way to end the summer.

9/10
Recommendation: You should really see this movie because it's really that great. What's special is that it works on so many levels too. Date night... sure thing. They guys wanting something to laugh at... you got it. Girls night out... of course. "Our Idiot Brother" can be and should be enjoyed by everyone.

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (6/10)

So It's a typical Woody Allen movie. You know the style if you've seen it. Lot's of beautiful people, expensive and gorgeous sets, and dialogue galore. The film follows several people in London looking for love. The idea to them is that they will meet a special person one day and fall madly in love. Well life as we all know is not perfect. The actors include Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Lucy Punch, Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anna Friel and Freida Pinto (I've seen a lot of her films recently it seems). The film is fun at times but the characters are only mildly interesting and entertaining. It's not a bad film, but not all that good. Definitely not Allen's best.

6/10
Recommendation: If you like Woody Allen, that's all that's need to be said. Actually I could have written "Woody Allen movie" and instantly a picture is painted in my mind as it would be for some.

Enter The Void (5/10)

How should I start this? If you've seen the movie you'd understand why describing the experience is difficult. However I think I can manage. Rating the movie is more difficult then writing a review because the movie has so much and yet at the same time so little to talk about. Let's just start this thing.

So what words could I use to describe this movie. "Utter shit"... "psychedelic trip"... "failure"... "perhaps over my head"... or maybe "sucks balls". Well you can see from those words, all true, that I didn't like this movie. Actually it was probably the most infuriating film I've seen in years. I've never been a fan of style of substance and this is the greatest example of that. They style is great, some of the best I've seen. The substance on the utter hand is also some of the worst I've seen. The story will bore you to a point of drowsiness. I'll admit that this was my third attempt to watch the film and I actually finished in it this time. The first two times I'd fall asleep about half an hour in. The difference between the third time is that I had some Mountain Dw in me and got up every time my eyes felt heavy. Finishing the movie was not something I enjoyed doing.

The film is about a drug dealer in Japan. His name is Oscar but he might as well be you. The film is entirely in first person. This means either the camera is his eyes (we even see him blink) or we only see the back of his head. The problem I have with this is that Oscar is one of the most dull character's I've seen. Not only dull but I couldn't stand him. We are suppose to see his life and even at the low points the audience is suppose to sympathize with Oscar. I could give two shits about him and all the changes he's makes are terrible. The film has almost zero character development and what we do see made me either smirk or roll my eyes. Sorry to digress, anyway, Oscar lives with his sister Linda. She is about as interesting as a cylinder block. Oscar goes out one night to drop off some drugs and after being set up gets shot dead. He now floats around as a ghost and follows the lives of those he left behind. Here's something positive worth talking about. The cinematography is gorgeous and the weightlessness makes you feel the costly affects. Oscar travels through the past, present and the future. His past does nothing for the audience as they try to shove emotions that aren't there down our throats. The future is confusing and the present is dreadful. I would like to make clear that present is awful not because of the events, but they are pretentious and dumb.

Cinematography and originality are the only things worth talking about that aren't negative aspects. I already talked about camera work so lets move onto the later. Werner Herzog once said that as a people we are starved of new images. Gasper Noe the director wants to fix this I think. However this is not through intriguing ideas and stimulating the brain but by shocking us. "Irreversible" is a "odd" film that has an ending I think to shock us rather than us to feel something emotional. The images in "Enter The Void" are here to shock us as would a slasher jumping out at us in some crappy torture movie. I commend Noe for trying something new, he has succeeded. Yet his original ideas are idiotic, slow and like I said boring. If he wanted to make a statement about life, he's succeeded to some. Many are split on this film and may be the best example too for the "love it or hate" it argument. To me it's a painful 2:30 hours (WAY TO LONG!). Also I'm not too sure if this something that should improve my thoughts on the film but it does. The opening credits are marvelous and entrancing. If the film had that much excitement I'm sure I'd love it rather than groan when thinking about it.

The ending is perhaps one of the most bold and worst I've ever seen. So spoiler alert! The final 20 minutes are Oscar as a ghost (or you depending on how the audience views it) as he goes into a hotel. This is a sex hotel where everybody is doing the nasty. Well he see many couples doing it in many positions. The kick is that their genitals aren't visible because they are coved in a glowing light. Remember how I said Gasper Noe wants to shock us. This is what I'm talking about. The symbolism if there is anything worth talking about is lost on me. There is the question of life here but honestly what's happening on screen gives off only the vaguest clues to that. I wasn't sure if I should be laughing or rolling my eyes. The ending is atrocious and deserves all the worst things said about it.

If the theme of your film is emptiness then they sure have done that. Noe has made me care absolutely nothing for his movie. If you want a style like this then watch "The Tree of Life" or "2001: A Space Odyssey", two far superior films. I'd even suggest going to see a laser floyd show cause that is more psychedelic. I love a depressing movie probably more than the next guy. "Enter The Void" would rather you be depressed than actually feel anything for the film though. Gasper Noe doesn't know the difference between powerful images and images we are distraught to see. This film is a acid trip without the acid. So you've taken out the fun and left us with a hollow bastion of self loathing and horrendous film.

5/10
Recommendation: Love it or hate it is you options. A psychedelic trip for those who want one. Don't say I didn't warn you.
 

The Beaver (7/10)

I would say Mel Gibson is back but he wasn't that great before. Don't get me wrong, he has his good performances and a few legendary characters. Yet he has perhaps never had a performance this great. Gibson is 100% dedicated to making his little friends believable. The film follows Walter (Mel Gibson) who is hopelessly depressed. It's not like he hasn't tried to fix his life, he's tried just about everything and yet he remains a empty shell. His wife and his two kids live in a separate house. They of course are now distant. The oldest son (Anton Yelchin) is looking to erase every detail about his connection to his "loser/freak" father. Only with the help of a hand puppet Beaver will Walter conquer his depression. He creates a sort of barrier where the beaver takes over Walter's life. The idea of the puppet curing depression seems unlikely, but hell at least they try to explain the interesting plot point. The film is a character study and does deal with depression quiet well. It's not overly great but still quiet likable.

7/10
Recommendation: If you like Mel Gibson (as an actor, let's ignore his personal life as horrible at it is), Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin or Jennifer Lawrence then this is a film to check out.

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (7.5/10)

"Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" was probably made just as well as could have been. Ian Dury was a great man in my mind. So seeing a biopic about him that carried his feverish ideals over is very pleasant. There are scenes of utter dread, confusion, boredom, happy bliss and cartoonish dreams. Sounds about right when thinking of Ian Dury. For those who don't know who Ian Dury was, he was one of the craziest and most interesting musicians you could find. He was autistic, spastic, had polio, screwed up family life and looked like a bum. He wasn't a bad man, actually he was very kind, just ignorant of other's wants and needs. Dury once played in bars to become a major player in England's punk scene. Ian is played by Andy Serkis who could have been born for the role. Serkis does a phenomenal job and nails every expression and emotion in all his scenes. He was nominated for a BAFTA (british Oscar) and was very well deserved. The film falls into the familiar biopic territory but don't let that stop you from watch Andy Serkis having a blast playing an actually interesting person (it seems like anybody can get a biopic now a days).

7.5/10
Recommendation: If you got an interest in Ian Dury or the punk culture I'd watch it. Andy Serkis makes this a thrilling ride.
Note: I love that picture

London Boulevard (8/10)

A film is only as great based on how enjoyable it is. This feeling of fun comes from your personal taste. I really liked this movie because in my mind I set everything I heard about the film before hand aside and enjoyed it for the story it told. It's not original but in my mind I tried to look at it as it was a story all it's own. So I liked the film because to me it was interesting. The fact it seems to be just a collection of other crime drama films (namely "Carlitos Way") did not affect my viewing pleasure. This is a good movie, nothing fantastic. However this is still the kind of movie I like.

To really enjoy this movie you need not get strung up on the details. If you did this movie would only anger you rather then be entertainment (which is what a movie is suppose to do). It's kind of a wild fantasy where things are either bleak or fantastic. There's no real in between emotions. If this sounds confusing maybe it's just something you need to watch to understand. The film follows Mitchel (Colin Farrell), a gangster of sorts. He's just got out of prison after a three year sentence. Mitchel's looking to start over and to do new things, what those ideas are I couldn't really tell you. He's a dedicated man that knows how the criminal world works. When I say dedicated, Mitchel is the kind of guy that will be try to be the best at what ever he does. So being a gangster would spell disaster for him and everyone else in the world. He gets a miracle job (seriously!) to protect a young and closed off actress (Keira Knightly). She has a large house and Mitchel is there to keep paparazzi off the property. The actress Charlotte has some mysteries and like Mitchel a past she wants to get away from. Well Mitchel's former boss (Ray Winstone) won't let the best gangster he ever had working for him call it quits. Throw in wild supporting characters from the talents of Anna Friel, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsan, Ben Chaplin and Stephen Graham and you got something interesting. Like I said, you've seen it all before but why not enjoy it for what it is.

I feel I should apologize to myself and everybody else for thinking this would be one of the Oscar contenders last year. I figured the cast and the director would make something memorable ("The Departed for example). It disappeared off the buzz and only got a limited release in England but may see it's way into theaters in major US cities later this year. It's was a good movie, one I enjoyed it more than actually being a well made movie ( it's a bit messy with a kind of bad ending). Either way if you like the cast then here is something to watch.

8/10
Recommendation: Classic gangster movie with a great cast. If you like either I'd watch it. It may be a pretty weak 8/10 but I enjoyed it more than other movies I've given the same rating too.

Miral (6/10)

Julian Schnabel is one of the best directors working today. A former painter he's now directed four feature films. His first three films are fantastic. "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly" is one one of the best films I've ever seen. Schnabel's sublime and artistic direction made the film come alive unlike any other. His direction of that film makes my top ten directions of all time. "Miral" does not live up to those other films.

The Palestinians have a voice too. They have a right to fight for their country just as much as the Israelis. "Miral" focuses on the Palestinians efforts and feelings during the bloody conflict the area was thrown in for decades. Israel is still not at peace but it's in a more stable condition right now. The film follows several women as they try to survive and fight the situation. The problem is the movie doesn't know what it's trying to do. At times it wants to be informative but at others it's trying to tell the story of main character Miral (Freido Pinto) and her feelings. The emotional pain the innocents faced and the people that chose to fight with rage in their hearts occupy only about 2/5 the movie. That was the better part also in due part to some great cinematography and score. Miral's personal story is... less interesting. So the film as a whole seems kind of messy, not terrible, but from such a great director that has found the perfect balance between art and history in the past he seems lost here.

6/10
Recommendation: I'd pass it by unless there is something specific you want to see it for (to learn something for one).

The Conspirator (8/10)

An indie movie that should've been a big hit. Robert Redford directed this historic drama and his name alone should get it national attention. Despite Redford being one of the masterminds behind the Sundance Film Festival his movies are normally Oscar bait that play in the majority of theaters. The cast here is superb and has many big names. The plot is also one that doesn't seem like what an indie movie would be involved with. With a little more attention I believe that this would have been one of the sleeper hits of the year. It's a great movie.

President Lincoln was shot by one man but the idea was not his alone. In that same night the vice president and the secretary of state were also targeted for assassination. There were many minds involved in this planning and one of them might have been Mary Surratt (Robin Wright). She was the owner of a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and his friends met and planned. Mary was charged with helping the Booth but is she innocent? When the president was killed by southerners the courts aren't looking to play fair. They want to punish any and everybody who might have the smallest connection. They don't even give Mary a fair trail. Well a young Union Captain/ lawyer (James Mcavoy) is there to defend her, but does he actually want to help her.

This is a great period piece. Also when there are so many films about courtrooms this one somehow comes out fresh. I'm sick of movies where lawyers defend their clients, but the historic importance works quite well here. It gave the movie a sense of importance. This is one to watch.

8/10
Recommendation: A very good drama, I'd watch it if your looking to learn something while being entertained.

30 Minutes Or Less (6/10)

In a way it's almost better that this movie isn't doing great at the box office. It's making money but that's because I doubt it's budget was that high. The reason why it's a good thing is well it means that people are seeing better and smarter movers (hopefully). I'm pretty sure the producers weren't thinking this would be comedy gold. Rather they wanted to make quick cash on whoever would spend money on this one. It doesn't seem the target audience for this movies is thought highly of. "30 Minutes Or Less" is a movie that barely passes on my rating system. I didn't hate it and laughed at several scenes. However this is one of the low point comedies of the year.

So this film is based off a true story. Whether or not the pizza guy in real life was in on the crime, he still died. I saw the public address the police gave saying he was involved and the family didn't just sit there and take it. Making a comedy about this situation is pretty sketchy and controversial but let's over look it for now. Watching the movie with a prejudice isn't the best thing. So let's try to get some laughs for what it's worth.

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg miscasted and wasting his talent) delivers pizza for a living. He speeds to his targets but you get the sense he doesn't really care about reaching there in time. He lives with his friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) and is in love with Chet's twin sister (Dilshad Vadsaria). The twin sister might be one of the weakest plot elements I've seen in a film ever. The movie remains exactly the same if she was never there in the first place. Else where two buddies (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) come up with a crazy plan. They get a hit man (Michael Pena) to kill McBride's father in order to get his fortune. They need money to pay the hit man. So they attach a bomb to our lowly hero Nick and have him get them $100,000 (Seems like way to much money). Nick and Chet are in for the ride of their lives.

A film like "30 Minutes Or Less" should be fast and energetic. It shouldn't slow down and try to keep the thrills for all it's running time. However this movie slows down a lot and goes into classic bromance moments between Chet and Nick. A bomb on your chest should make you a little bit more anxious and dryer than making dumb little jokes. The comedy will get the occasional laugh but falls flat far too often. The almost serious moments of the film where they try to move the plot forward fail on most levels (comedy and involvement being the most important). Also maybe it was just me but the amount of product placement in the film is close to "Transformers" level. I'd say about 95% of the scenes tried to either subtly or forcefully shove a name brand product down my throat. It was really annoying but maybe it was just me. Although I think it's unanimous that "30 Minutes Or Less" is one of the most mediocre comedies of the year and even in several years. "Bridesmaids" and "Cedar Rapids" are the only two comedies worth praising over this year but "Paul" and "Horrible Bosses" were still good. This one is nothing compared to those films. It's a movie you watch with a forgiving gaze that comes from a lack of sleep but being wide awake wouldn't change what I say.

6/10
Recommendation: The weakest 6/10 I've even given, Thought about dropping the rating but I laughed enough that it would be me overreacting to lower it. Wait for the DVD and even then don't buy it, rent if you want.

Ripley's Game (7/10)

For some reason I never knew that Tom Ripley was the anti hero of several adventures. It doesn't surprise me though, he's one of the most interesting characters in literature and cinema history. He's a man that sees the options before him with an infinite amount of possibilities. He's as charming as he is sinister. Tom (This time played with cool perfection by John Malkovich) is tied up with gangsters and a innocent neighbor. The gangster Reese (Ray Winstone) needs a man with no criminal background to deal with some Russian mobsters in Berlin. So Tom picks his neighbor who needs the money the hit offers. Tom is a fantastic character and Reese has some credibility. However they've had better adventures. Still some good classic fun here though.

7/10
Recommendation: It's good but for a character like Tom Ripley I'd suggest his other big movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley".

A Serbian Film (6/10)

DISTURBING!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope that got your attention because this film will get yours. The problem is you don't want it's attention. "A Serbian Film" is the most disgusting, cruel, disturbing (needs to be said twice), and profaned movie I've ever seen. I've watched "Antichrist" and the finale to "Irreversible" and those will not come close to the effect that "A Serbian Film" will have on you. Nobody wants to see this movie, they just think they do.

I can describe the plot pretty quick, there's not much to it. A respected porn actor in Serbia is on his way out of the way out of the business. He's got a family and the porn industry isn't something you want around  your wife and kid around. Well he's offered one last job for a huge amount of money. Sounds like the classic gangster pulling one last job before retiring. Well here the porno is a suppose to artsy. Well the art philosophy is not what anybody would expect it would be. It turns into some sick things that I'd rather not talk about. The deranged acts the film plays out are suppose to be an parable to the Serbian genocide. Unless you knew about it before hand you'd never guess. The images on screen will drain any thought you have. The crazy things people get you to believe in is where the two ideas cross over, it makes senesce in the worst way imaginable.

So as I've said this film is so cruel and disturbing (I'll just keep saying it) that I honestly wouldn't recommend watching it unless your looking for the end game. Some people want the funniest movie or maybe the most romantic, well torture porn has it's deal breaker. Torture porn actually is pretty popular genre. You think the recent "Friday the 13th" and the "Hostel" series aren't torture porn, well think about it again and you'll agree with me. This is like smoking the jeffrey from "Get Him To The Greek". It's so over the top that while you won't come close to it again, do you really want to push yourself to that limit? Giving this film a rating is difficult but it was made rather well technique wise so my 6/10 seems appropriate. "A Serbian Film" looks to push the boundaries rather than make an art out of it ("Antichrist" while punishing is a great film in my mind). "Womb" I said affected me deeply because they got you so invested in the emotions that the conclusion hurts you as much as the characters. The pain you see in "A Serbian Film" is similar to somebody jumping out and scaring you, it's meant for shock and awe. I'm pretty sure that Michael Haneke the director behind "Funny Games" would say this is the perfect movie for the test for his movie. It will shake your soul and I won't be watching it again that's for sure.

6/10
Recommendation: So like I said it's the most startling movie I've ever seen and may be the same for everyone. You don't want to watch it but maybe you want to punish yourself.
Note: Finding a picture on google appropriate was hard enough.

The Crazies (6/10)

So it's a descent horror movie. Nothing memorable but a good way to kill 100 minutes. A military plane crashes in a swamp next to a small midwest town and a virus is unleashed. People become well... crazy. They got the look of a zombie but have the motor skills of a regular person so I'm not to sure what you would call it. The film plays to it's smart by focusing on it's three leads rather than the military that's trying to contain the virus. Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, and Joe Anderson play our leads and all play it out emotionally well. Nothing far fetched in this crazy movie from them. It's descent but nothing new and the same old thing is kind of boring in a way.

6/10
Recommendation: Descent horror movie if your in the mood. I like the three lead actors and all do well so if you like them (If your also a fan of Joe Anderson that would shock me) give it a shot, there are so many worse movies out there to waster your time with, so spend your time here with something ok but not great.

Barney's Version (7/10)

I don't know, I feel lazy about this one. I don't feel like writing a full review but I still want to keep the blog up to date. Let me just say if your a Paul Giamatti fan you'll like this one. He plays a TV producer that goes through three wives as he looks for love and fortune. It's a good movie but it feels a bit long at two hours and fifteen minutes. Paul Giamatti does a fantastic job and deserved the Golden Globe he won for the award. Scott Speedman, Minni Driver, Dustin Hoffman and Rosamund Pike make up a great supporting cast. Like I said good but nothing special outside of a great lead performance.

7/10
Recommendation: For Paul Giamatti fans.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (8/10)

Well this was a surprise. Early this year I thought this movie would suck. If I could go back in time I would tell myself your wrong to think that (after I do some other crazy time travel things). This is a thrilling ride that keeps up throughout. It's a great time at the movies. It's not a very deep movie and at times feels a bit standard, but it works very well with what it has. This is the surprise good movie of the summer.

Will (James Franco) is a researcher who uses apes in testing cures for many diseases. A new serum he is working on may be the cure for Alzheimer's. Will's father (John Lithgow) suffers from the illness. So here's the best part of this movie. This film has a heart. It actually takes time to build plot and character so the finale is all the more thrilling. Will takes home a baby ape in a gesture of sympathy  one day but keeps him because the ape had the serum infused with him genetically. The ape is Cesar and he is the soul behind the movie. Well the years pass by and and Cesar grows up and the serum seems to work. I don't want to ruin too much but Cesar will rile many other primates in a attempt to be free of humans. This is of course after some harsh treatment from the Landon family (Brian Cox and Tom Felton). The film's climax is a blast and I think there's a shot involving Cesar and a horse that has iconic written all over it. Cesar was made possible by actor Andy Serkis wearing a CGI suit. He's the actor that also did all the motion capture for King Kong as well as bringing Gollum to life. The academy says his work is computers and not him acting. That's pretty harsh because he puts his all into each performance. He may not win an Oscar but give him an honorary one because he's the driving force behind all his movies. Anyway this was a great film, not a masterpiece. Don't let that ruin this awesome time however.

8/10
Recommendation: I'd suggest it if your going to the movies. Very well done all around.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (8.5/10)

So here we are at the end of an era. Harry Potter's story is over and done with (most likely). It's kind of a sad thing. I know to most people it's much more than that. Harry Potter whether you like it or not is something you identify our generation with. All through my childhood Harry Potter has been a topic that could be brought up and it seemed like everybody had a opinion or story to share. I read the first books after I saw the respective movies but then just decided to wait for the movies. I've never seen a bad Harry Potter movie (although the "Part 1" is the worst of the bunch)  because well, it is an interesting story. I'm a sucker for well developed fantasy tales and I always will be. "Deathly Hallows 2" (as I shall now refer to it as in the review) is one of the best of the bunch. It's a very satisfying conclusion to an epic story. "Prisoner of Azkaban" was my favorite and I still think the best but "Deathly Hallows 2" comes out to still be in the top three still. A worthy prize indeed.

To explain the story would be foolish. It's all been building up to this point that I wouldn't know where to start. I'll just simplify it by saying Harry Potter will fight the final battle with his arch enemy Voldermort in this one. The big battle that balances well with the story elements was well worth the wait. Marvelous scenery and great suspense makes this one for the history books. So that was one of the best things about the film. There are other things to talk about but there all minor elements that add up to a larger picture. Score, cinematography, editing and art direction all shine here. Since David Yates has come on board he's done some fantastic things to make the series look bleaker and more desperate, a big plus it is. "Deathly Hallows 2" was made as masterfully as it could have been.

This is a great movie, not perfect. The reason why is the lack of other character development. I'm not talking about Snape or Ron main characters like that. I felt that the supporting characters like the core members of the Order of The Phoenix were background scenery. They were there to make the movie prettier but had nothing much to do. Characters like Hagrid, Remus and his wife, the majority of the Weasleys, Horace Slughorn, Sybil Trelawney and of course Fleur Delacour (mostly because my dream girl Clemence Poesy plays her) are just... well there. I'd have like to see some conclusion to their stories or because of them being scenery, I'd like to have felt something more for some characters deaths ( I won't say who but some good guys will die, you knew it was coming). It may be Harry Potter's story but it's the fantasy universe that so many people fell in love with. Maybe it was just me but that's how I felt. However it's not something to hate this movie for. "Deathly Hallows 2" is one of the highlights of the year.

8.5/10
Recommendation: Finish the series if you've seen the others. I'd recommend the entire series even, I always thought they were fun and something to get interested in. The movies are all well crafted. Although if you haven't seen the last one or few, get caught up cause you can't just jump into this one (but that's obvious). I saw it in 3D, I didn't see anything really special, I'd recommend go old fashioned 2D.

Last Night (7/10)

Like I said in my "Ironclad" review with that being a down graded version of "13 Assassins". "Last Night" feels like a weaker version of the masterpiece "Closer". "Last Night" is about four people that include one couple. The couple played by Keira Knightly and Sam Worthington are having problems. Keira's character grows jealous when she sees her husband flirting with his coworker played by Eva Mendez. Sam and Eva go away on a business trip while Keira runs into her old flame played by Guillaume Canet. The film goes back and forth as two games of flirting go on. I love the cast but they didn't bring there A game here. Great acting can make a character seem interesting. These characters didn't have much for you to care for. Just cause they're beautiful people it doesn't mean it come through as great characters. They have some nice scenes that could have been greater. So this is a nice attempt but with this extraordinary cast it should have been better. Still pretty good however.

7/10
Recommendation: If you like the actors give it a chance otherwise watch "Closer" regardless because that movie is terrific.

Ironclad (5.5/10)

I didn't think this was really that bad a movie. It's just that a few days ago I saw the fantastic "13 Assassins". The whole few soldiers opposing the many is a familiar gimmick in movies. "13 Assassins" was one of the best the genre has ever seen. "Ironclad" lacked all the qualities that made the other one great. This one is about King John II as he fights to reclaim his land from the rebels that kicked him out. John II is a sick man but it's largely due to Paul Giamatti who plays the role. The rebels want to establish a new and better state. Well they need to stop John II at Rochester castle and so comes a battle of of some 30 men against 500. Some things feel forced in this movie so what supposed to feel dramatic is really just out of place. Not bad but not very good either.

5.5/10
Recommendation: Watch "13 Assassins" over this one... that seems right.

Trust (7.5/10)

"Trust" is a powerful movie, it has a lot going for it. Too bad I thought some scenes were silly rather than engaging. The film is about 14 year old Annie (A terrific Liana Liberato) and a man named Charlie. Notice I use the word "man" because that's what he is. She starts chatting  online to who she believes is a 16 year old Californian boy (I think we see where this going). Well one lie leads to the next and Annie will never be the same again. Clive Owen and Catherine Keener play Annie's parents who try to deal with a situation they know nothing about. "Trust" doesn't follow a simple tim making style but instead tries to show scenes that define the characters. It was something new and quite interesting. The plot is draining in a good way and much like "Zodiac" you want the evil doer punished. However tis story is more about surviving with what happened then Clive Own going all Charles Bronson on this Charlie. If the movie didn't have those seems that made me laugh when I should be feeling bad (namely a volleyball scene) I'd have called it a fantastic movie. So I'll say it's great but David Schwimmer as the director is it's greatest strength and maybe it's biggest flaw as well.

7.5/10
Recommendation: Doesn't hold back and quite informative, but like I said it may not be as powerful as it could have been.

Beginners (10/10)

I've always enjoyed watching movies about life. They have such a personal touch and are easy to learn something from. It doesn't mean every movie about somebody's personal life is good but "Beginners" is magnificent. Every emotion, feeling or idea feels so genuine and not something the film is trying to push on you. It's as happy a movie as it is a sad one. It's a film about people beginning to feel love, happiness, sadness and just live life. "Beginners" is one of the best highlights of the year.

There's a sort of sadness in happiness but the same thing for a certain joy in misery. When your down a sudden occurrence can change your mood and things look bright again. Maybe your happy but in a second you've lost everything. Some people find solace in sadness and others look to screw up their happy life. The film is based on true events in the life of director/writer Mike Mills. So of course you know he'll knock it out of the ball park with this story. His alter ego or alias is Oliver (Ewan Mcgregor doing his best performance to date) and he's at a strange stage in life. His father Hal (The Oscar worthy Christopher Plummer) comes out of the closet to his son late into his life. Hal was married to Georgia (Mary Page Keller) for 44 years until she died from cancer. A couple months later he decides to live openly gay and tells this to his son. The gay news doesn't bother him, it's the marriage issue. He wonders if they were in love and what the marriage meant to them. Hal meets Andy (GoranVisnjic) and Oliver says "it's the first time I ever really saw him in love."He supports his father especially when it turns out Hal also has cancer. Hal passes on (not a spoiler, you'll see why) and several months later Oliver meets Anna (a fantastic and beautiful Melanie Laurent) and the two hit it off. The two don't just share cute scenes but we see them fall in love on screen. There's some magic to the two's chemistry. Oliver and Anna will run into problems because of Oliver's past. He never thinks things will work out and sometimes steers these events to disaster. Anna has her own problems as we all do. The problems and feelings they face are real. Mike Mills felt them and his emotion comes through the screen to effect the audience.

This is truly a marvelous film. I loved every second of it. The film blends scenes with Anna to those with Hal and even at times show's a documentary side. Oliver explains factual events with real footage (Harvey Milk and Time Magazine naming Hitler 1938's Man of The Year for example) and how they relate to his life. These events affected his father's and mother's wife so they in turn affected him. His life was shaped on how his parents raised him and it shows in sublime ways. Oliver's problems are easy to understand and feel as well. The film has a magic to it that plot elements that you may never feel in your life time are easy to sympathize with it. I don't know if it will change your life, but this movie should be on the list of possibilities. Oliver meets Anna at a party when she has laryngitis and has to use a notepad to communicate. She writes "Why come to a party when you're so sad?" It's a brilliant scene to a film that matches it.

10/10
Recommendation: It's a thinker but since I gave it such a high rating why wouldn't I say see it as soon as you can?

Zodiac (10/10) Revisited

Before "The Social Network" came out I'd have called "Zodiac" David Fincher's masterpiece. That he could pride himself on making movie that toped a genre and became a game changer. Saying "Zodiac" is his best is a bold statement. The film was a box office bust in the USA, received no major award nominations and this was the man that brought us "Fight Club" and "Se7en".  Now don't get me wrong on those two other movies, they're masterpieces in their own right. It's that "Zodiac" is one of the greatest crafted movies of all time. There is not a thing negative I can say about the movie. The movie is as much  wild dream as it is a cold hard mystery. It's slick and cool beyond mere words. We are drawn into the movie just as much the people were with the Zodiac Killer.

The movie takes place over several years as California looks for the Zodiac Killer. The man stalked the streets at night in the San Francisco area striking fear into the residents. He sent in ciphers to the local newspapers in a stunt with publicity. Cops, newspaper workers and normal citizens would go on a wild chase after this man. We see several suspects and clues letting us make our own guesses on who the killer is. The best part of it is that we see people we suspect so much we want them to be the killer. We want the case to be over just as much as the people trying to solve it.

This is one of the best crime mysteries out there. It does to the genre what "All The Presidents Men" did to journalism. It does everything right and is thrilling because of it. The film feels so real because it's based off  all facts and transcripts from the case. It's also acted to perfection with such actors as Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and a bone chilling John Carroll Lynch.The use of digital cinematography makes the film look gorgeous and unlike anything you've seen before. "Zodiac" is one for the ages as a perfect masterpiece.

10/10
Recommendation: Just watch it, it's amazing.

The Man from Nowhere (7/10)

So this was a pretty good revenge thriller. Too bad that's all it really was. I heard favorable things saying it was one of the best in the genre and very unique. I didn't see that. It's about a mysterious and dangerous looking pawn shop operator. Well the sweet little girl in the apartment upstairs gets kidnapped and he won't  stop until he finds her. Turns out the pawn shop operator has a dark past. I'm not going to look up actors names because me listing a bunch of South Korean actors won't get me anywhere. It's a good movie but I expected more. However I will say the director Jeong-beom Lee is somebody to look out for. He carefully crafts each shot in a inciting way. It's good but I think my expectations were high.

7/10
Recommendation: Soldi revenge thriller if your looking for one.

Priest (5/10)

Yea this movie makes no sense. Seriously! There are so many dumb questions this movie make rise, but I don't care about answering them. Why do the vampires not kill the father in the beginning of the movie? Where do the vampires go after they escape the hive? Why can't the heroes see a town burning when they can clearly see the town on their way there? How fast is that speeder bike to outrun a train but can't go about 15 miles in one night? The movie jumps so much with no ground material it simply doesn't make sense. The movie involves a futuristic society that has an order of priests battling vampires. The nameless priest (Paul Bettany) is looking for his niece that has been kidnapped by the mysterious vampire/human Black Hat (Karl Urban held back). Just know that this movie is not worth your time unless it's A.) free B.) you don't have anything better to do. Mediocre but I've seen worse.

5/10
Recommendation: I wouldn't bother. Unless you liked "Legion" and that seems far fetched.

Blood Creek (5.5/10)

I think that my rating is a bit harsh on the review. I wasn't bored watching this and I didn't even think it was half bad. However it never did anything special. I needed a decent horror movie to watch and this seemed like it had potential The plot was ludicrous, it involved two brothers looking to stop a nazi zombie from becoming even more powerful. Now that plot just sounds stupid but the movie does a descent job of making it entertaining. The director and the actors involved made me gee it a chance. Joel Schumacher is a descent director and names like Henry Cavill, Dominic Purcell, Shea Whigham, Emma Booth and the immortal Michael Fassbender sold me on giving it a chance. They do a descent job in the movie nothing above what the script calls for. It's a pretty good horror movie, but I have pretty unforgiving eye for these type of movies.

5.5/10
Recommendation: If you got Netflix Instant Que and need an OK horror movie than this is for you.

13 Assassins (9/10)

This is everything an action movie should be! Where CGI and classic stunts occupy the same screen without over shadowing one another. Where the realistic nature meets the over the top mayhem. Where interesting characters make action worthwhile. "13 Assassins" is the best action movie I've seen this year and one of the best I've seen ever. Well if you count super hero movies as action movies then this is high on that list fighting "Captain America" for the top spot for best action movie of the year. Otherwise the only action movies I've seen this year are "The Mechanic", "Sucker Punch" and "Season of The Witch" None of those movies hold a candle to this one. "13 Assassins" is a fantastic and wildly entertaining rampage of action.

I'll start the praise by telling of a villain. Lord Naritsuga is one of the best villains in the action genre. He's transcended the role of a bad guy to a devil in a humans body. He believes that a lord can do what he wants with his subjects including raping any woman he sees and killing anybody while wearing a cold gaze. Every villain should be as intimidating as this man. The right hand man of the shogun contacts Shimada, a once great samurai to secretly kill Naritsuga. Shimada hears the vile stories the lord has done and recruits 12 other men to become assassins to the lord. The first 3/5 if the film builds up characters and show each bringing a special talent. So you have a "Oceans Eleven" vibe her as well which is always a good thing. The characters follow Shimada because they to believe in justice. That's part of the grand theme of the film, what honor and justice have to do with criminal acts of power bring. The final 45 minutes are an gung ho sequence. A massive battle between the thirteen assassins and the numerous bodyguards happens in a small village. It's as much a remake of the original film as it is a tribute to "Seven Samurai" Either way the final battle is one for the history books under the section "awesome". This is exactly what I was looking for in an action movie and I could not have loved it more.

9/10
Recommendation: Fantastic action movie if you want to see one. It's in Japanese of course but that won't make it any less great. The finale you'll forget what language it's in because it's so epic. After watching "Bridesmaids", "Friends With Benefits" and "Easy A", this was exactly what I needed. While I liked those three (hell loved the first one), this was the movie I needed to break me away from such type of movies and diversify it up.

Easy A (7.5/10)

On an unrelated note I was watching "Green Lantern" when the video quality started to get tiresome (damn megavideo) so I decided to go with the next movie I was going to watch about half way through what was so far a nothing special super hero movie. The next movie was this one and I enjoyed "Easy A" more for benefit sake.

I want to call out the biggest flaw in your movie before I start anything. Critics and audiences all agreed that this fact in the film never made sense. How come Emma Stone's character Olive is mostly ignored in high school? Seriously she's the perfect girl. Smart, funny, charismatic, pretty (big time) and kind. Emma Stone and character a like are a catch. Anway on to the movie.

I decided to give this a shot after watching Emma Stone do a fantastic job in "Paper Man" and having seen this film's director's last movie ("Friend With Benefits"). For what it was worth it was fairly enjoyable. Emma Stone kicks some serious ass in this movie as a girl who decides after a rumor spreads about her to act like a "slut". She'll say she's slept with the guys who give her gift cards and in turn the guys look cooler for it. It's a new idea to the film and the fact it plays of The Scarlet Letter I thought was pretty funny. The movie loses a lot of steam in it's final third though. Also the guy she's had a crush on since 8th grade is too... prince charming. No homo (hate that expression still) but he's like the perfect guy. It would have been better for Olive to end up with a nice average guy (much like the people she's helping out). It's entertaining but only if you like Emma Stone, Golden Globe nomination well deserved.

7.5/10
Recommendation: Emma Stone fans watch it, otherwise you can pass it by. Did feel like a needed a manly movie after so... there's that.

Paper Man (6/10)

I'm not to sure what they were getting at here. Was it two lost souls finding each other? Maybe two different people make nice? I know it had something to do with growing out of the past and moving on but that seems so minimal. Jeff Daniels plays a writer with a lot of strange problems. There more just strange habits then problems actually. He sees and has seen since he was a kid his imaginary friend Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds). Daniels meets Emma Stone's character who has a "chicken shit" boyfriend and mysterious Culkin brother following her around. The two form a bond of course. The movie has a bit of descent emotion but I want to cite out Emma Stone. All the performances were good, When isn't Jeff Daniels? However Emma Stone fit into her character so well that I think it's award worthy. The girl is going places and she has the talents and looks to do it. So seeing her do such a brilliant job with this movie makes it forgivable enough that I can watch it with a wary gaze.

6/10
Recommendation: Emma Stone fans should watch it, Great work from her.
Note: I'd have include a picture of Emma Stone, but since her and Reynolds don't occupy the same screen time, had to post his outrageous look instead.

Bad Teacher (6/10)

Raise your hand if you've seen "Bad Santa". That movie is so fucking hilarious and at the same time kind of deeply touching that it's fantastic. I'd figured this would be something similar, but it wasn't. While Billy Bob Thornton went all out in "Bad Santa", Cameron Diaz only scratches the surface here. I don't blame her, she's a fine actress I'm sure she could have pulled it of. I thinks it's the people behind the camera. They created characters that just seem way too odd. They tried for the fun awkward and weird laughs, but just make some things eye roll worthy. Cameron Diaz of course plays the title character, somebody looking to be a trophy wife. She smokes, drinks and curses with an angry expression enough that the people in the film label her an outcast. I never thought once that they lived that thought up to the fullest. I wanted Diaz to be cursing to high heavens and hoped up on drugs all day every day. Thornton made it awesome. Diaz's character does the bare minimum though her. The trailer showed about as vulgar as she gets So while it isn't bad and easy to watch, why not do the best you can.

6/10
Recommendation: Wait for it on cable or dvd, it will better serve it's purpose there.

Friends With Benefits (7.5/10)

So this rating seems fairly appropriate. If you really love the movie, this is a damn good rating for me because it's not normally something I like. If you think this rating is too high for a movie we've seen a million times before, I'm saying it's no masterpiece by any measure. I tried to watch this movie with an nonobjective mind because otherwise I'd probably hate it. "No Stings Attached" and "Love and Other Drugs" had a similar plot and I didn't like either. So I decided to look past the fact I've seen it all before and I ended up liking it. However the characters have charm and style maybe I'd have liked it anyway. I can say though of the recent films about "sex buddies" that this probably the best (unless you count the small part in "Bridesmaids" then it's no comparison).

Dylan (Justin Timberlake) goes to NYC for a job interview. He was head hunted by Jamie (Mila Kunis) and they two have a connection. They talk and walk most the first day and it's genuinely interesting. I guess it didn't feel to me like they were thinking of sex when they met, just your pretty but we got work to do. Well the movie is of course about "Friends With Benefits" (I'll just quote the title here) and the two begin sleeping together regularly after becoming BF's. Dylan and Jamie decide to avoid the hollywood romantic comedy crap by any means necessary. I like the thought and them mocking it unintentionally was fun. However of course the movie decides at one point that it can't be done without the cliches and they throw them in. They turned a great gimmick into something it was trying to mock. The characters save the film including strong supporting roles from Richard Jenkins, Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson and Jenna Elfman. The supporting characters actually give the most laughs and heart in the film. The jokes weren't for me though. At most I got a chuckle but this is still a very easy movie to watch. I never felt bored but it didn't grab my attention like "Cedar Rapids" or "Bridesmaids" did. This a nice movie but how many times can you watch the same thing.

7.5/10
Recommendation: I'd say it be a fun date movie I guess, but it's not something fantastic. I found it to be adaptable to anyones tastes more than the other like minded films, but not by much. See it now if your interested because I'm sure the fascination will be gone by the time dvd comes around.

Middle Men (8/10)

So this the true story that I like. It's fast paced, interesting, fresh, and a blast. The narrative structure of the film and the scenes the actors play out mix perfectly. That is a hard thing to do. "Trainspotting" and "Fight Club" did it very well but films like "Super" suffer because it can't find a mix. "Super" redeemed itself later on but enough about other films. I want to talk about how "Middle Men" is a movie that should be seen. The plot is nothing to be ashamed of much like the millions of people that made this story possible felt like.

This is the story of three men who made internet porn what it is today. Yea, it's a strange topic, but "Boogie Nights" is a movie about porn stars and I say that's one of the best movies ever made (again off topic, sorry). Two hyper active perverted friends (Gabriel Macht and a great Giovanni Ribisi) decide one day  to upload some dirty pictures online. Well they sell albums of the stuff for ten bucks a pop using a credit card billing system that most online websites use today. The two are coke fiends have no idea how to run a business so they need the help of nice guy Jack Harris (Luke Wilson). He'll run the business end and they'll find the pictures and videos. The movie is filled with parties, drugs, sex and mobsters. Sounds fun to me and the fact the movie made it interesting through out is no short of a miracle. I gotta love when a film can keep your attention from beginning to finish. I wish that Macht and Gibisi had bigger roles later in the movie because they were awesome. They didn't need a porn star girlfriend (the beautiful Laura Ramsey) and mob troubles like Jack did, they're having fun where ever they are. This film is very entertaining because let's face it. Movies involving about the porn industry are fun. Well "Boogie Nights" and "Middle Men" are at least.

8/10
Recommendation: Lot's of things to like. I had a lot of fun watching it and I think anybody could if you give it a chance. Paul Thomas Anderson, my favorite director, reportedly said it was the best movie he's seen in about five years.

Starter For 10 (8/10)

It's a bloody jolly time at the movies eh! That was my vain attempt at british typing, I don't think I can keep it up. What needs to be known though is how much fun this movie is. It's a coming of age tale but with interesting characters and a lead that we can  really root for. Characters win you over rather than just being fast smooth talkers. We follow Brian (James Mcavoy) as the young starry eye student entering his fist year of college. Brian is a likable  kid that wants to know everything but hasn't that faintest idea about some things, first most being girls. He meets Alice (Alice Eve) and like any guy, he falls for her. She's a smart, fun, blonde bombshell (Alice Eve played the perfect ten girl in "She's Out Of My League"). She's the kind of girl that doesn't understand the signals she's giving out though. Well Brian also makes cute with the radical Rebecca (Rebecca Hall) who actual likes Brian for being himself. Alice isn't a bad person but there's being friendly and leading a guy on. The movie is a lot fun, got a lot of humor (Benedict Cumberbatch is in large part to thank for that) and even more charm. Brian is trying to have it all in life and whether he wins or loses at somethings, this film is a winner.

8/10
Recommendation: A lot of fun for anybody, I highly recommend it (The Cure, The Buzzcocks and The Smiths making up the soundtrack make it even better).

Womb (9.5/10)

This movie was haunting. That is the best word to describe this movie. Not strange, bizarre, mesmerizing or anything else but haunting. It will hit you hard and it won't shake away from you for days. I was not expecting this movie to be so effective, I thought I was going to see a good movie but not something this phenomenal. I'm glad it showed me I was wrong. This movie will grab hold of you and won't let go.

Rebecca (A terrific Eva Green) meets Thomas ( A tour de force performance from Matt Smith) as children and the two share a bond. She moves away and years later returns and the feelings never left. Well the two become close but decide to take things slow. Thomas will die in a car accident ( not a spoiler) and then the real plot kicks in. This film has a sic-fi element to it that if you didn't know before hand would startle you. Rebecca using a new genetic practice grows a clone of Thomas in her womb and gives birth to him. The clone is born a baby but grows much faster than a normal child (twice the time I'd say). So here enters plot themes dealing with alienation, loss, discrimination, doomed love and regret. The film is very slow and I really enjoyed the movie because of it. The scenes seemed so important and had a poetic meaning behind each shot. It felt like every scene was crafted with the up most perfection and care. "Womb" is a movie unlike any other and deserves to be treated as such. Whether you like it's pace or not, this is an shocking and intriguing film, but above all else haunting.

9.5/10
Recommendation: Very slow but also very powerful. Think "Splice" meets "2001: A Space Odyssey". If you like those two then you'll love this.

I Love You Philip Morris (7/10)

So I guess love can really blossom anywhere. This includes a prison setting between two inmates. Based on a  true story Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) meets his mister right Phillip Morris (Ewan Mcgregor). Russell at one point in his life was a cop and married to a woman. After an accident he decides to live life as he wanted, a gay con man. It wouldn't surprise me that Russell wanted to be a con man more than openly gay. The scenes with Morris are funny and sweet. The two dancing  like no one else is around when in reality a inmate is fighting guards next door is touching and humorous at the same time. This is a pretty descent movie with Carrey's best acting in year but the movie does nothing to stand apart from any other movie. Not very original but still quite enjoyable.

7/10
Recommendation: A great Jim Carrey movie so for fans of him I'd recommend it.

X Men: First Class (8.5/10)

Well let's throw this one too on the best super hero movie list because it deserves to be there. "X Men: First Class" is a fantastic movie and a great way to spend two hours. It's smart, cool, thrilling and above all else a fun time at the movies. To compare it to any other super hero movie would be a waste, it stands on it's own. That doesn't mean it doesn't have style to other films though.

The film is a prequel as much as it is a stand alone movie. Charles Xavier (James Mcavoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) are two mutants with special gifts. They have evolved passed simple humanity and are at the next stage in evolution. It's the 1960's and the world is in the heat of the cold war. The fact that this film and it's mutants play parts in actual historic events gives it a special something. It seem's more real in a sense even though the things the mutants do are beyond ridiculous. The two set out to recruit other mutants and give them a place in the world. All the while being monitored by the CIA and one agent Moria (Rose Byrne). Well the plot here is already interesting but that isn't creating suspense and action. Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) is an ex-nazi mutant and with a few other goons look to make themselves even more powerful by some nuclear means.

The reason why "X Men: First Class" works can be summed up with  three areas. The first is the environment director Matthew Vaughn has made. This movie feels more like a cool heist movie mixed with an old british pop movie than a super hero movie. Charles and Erik spend time not at the mansion we saw in the first one most the time, but instead recruit mutants at bars, prisons and strip clubs. I felt director Vaughn used some of his style from his best film "Layer Cake" here to get the job done. The teen mutants fit into the british pop area due to costumes, music and a sense of care free commodity. The second area to talk about is overall plot. I'll leave it short but know that "X Men: First Class" has one of the better plots to a super hero movie. Erik's line about him being Frankenstein's monster and peace never being an option are bone chilling. The last and my favorite is the cast. While super hero movies always have large and great casts. Here we have Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Jason Flemyng, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt bringing in the talent and names. I won't say January Jones is plus, She's gorgeous but her acting is as frozen as her character. The real catch is the inspired choice of Mcavoy and Fassbender in the leads. I said I liked the leads in "Thor" but they are children compared to this duo here. The two are some of the best actors working today (I can argue the best even) and it shows why. They dominate the screen when alone and together the film reels may explode at any second. Both actors are on there way to be the top in the world and I'd love to see them together again. EW said a great idea about a 1970's heist film with these two leads vying over a love interest, make it happen. All three along with the standard action make this a great time. So in the end "X Men: First Class" is a first class film.

8.5/10
Recommendation: A terrific super hero movie and a great movie in general. I give it a strong recommendation even if you hated any one X Men movie (don't get me started on X Men: The
Last Stand")

Bridesmaids (9.5/10)

It seems there's a double standard for women in comedies today. They can't do the gross out roles and make filthy jokes. The men in comedy are suppose to be the ones taking care of that while the women look pretty and more than likely do a topless scene. "Bridesmaids" takes that double standard and gives it big middle finger. "Bridesmaids" is just as funny if not funnier then most over the top comedies now a days. Hell it's the best comedy of the year ("Cedar Rapids" is close though). It's hilarious and will and have you roll over laughing. This is not a chick flick, it's a comedy about fun, strong, and interesting women doing wonders on screen. While I'm sure most women will get more out of it from it then I did, it didn't stop me from loving this awesome movie.

Annie (comedy genius Kristen Wiig) is perhaps one of the greatest characters in a comedy ever. She's a awkward, loyal, fun, pretty and just an awesome girl. She sleeps regularly with Ted (a small yet hilarious role for Jon Hamm) who she wants a relationship with. He cares about the sex and isn't use to be told he's wrong. "I really want you to leave but I don't want to say it and sound like a dick". He's only charming because people don't say no to him. Annie lives with two british twins, had a bakery that closed and just blames the world for her problems. She doesn't want to admit she is responsible for her mistakes because she put herself there. Annie's best friend Lillian (the always welcomed Maya Rudolph) is getting married and the film follows the two and other bridesmaids as the get ready for the wedding. The other bridesmaids are a blast. There is family tired Rita (Wendi Mclendon-Covey) who because of her sons can "snap a blanket in half" (HAHAHA). Becca (Ellie Kemper) is a sweet girl who is innocent (until you get some booze inter her). My favorite is Megan (show-stealing Melissa McCarthy) the plus size ton of fun party maniac. She's a nonstop laugh riot including having a story about a dolphin and an idea for a "Fight Club" style party that had me laughing for minutes after they were told. If they ever made a movie with her and John C. Reilly from "Cedar Rapids" I'll die from laughter.  Lastly there is Helen (the lovely Rose Byrne) who is kind of like Ted. She's just had control over her entire life so she thinks there's nothing wrong with a little pride. Although Helen isn't a bad person like Ted is, she kills with kindness most the time. The six will have awesome laugh filled scenes from start to finish. There is also nice guy Irish cop Nathan (perfectly casted Chris O'Dowd) who's sweet on Annie. The scenes they share are nice and never seem like forced romantic pairing.

"Bridesmaids" is terrific film and one of the best of the year. Some critics argued that seeing the women getting food poisoning during dress fitting was too much. The arguments said they didn't like seeing women do gross out things like throwing up and taking a dump where ever possible. I cannot disagree more. This is so much funnier because it's so fresh. A guy farting may get you a smile but a woman making a noise and then saying "I'm not even confident which end that came out of" is hilarious. It's new stuff and I love a comedy that does something I haven't seen before. So seeing these women doing jokes I've never seen done made this movie beyond awesome (the jokes are still funny regardless of if there new or not). The girls can definitely hang with the guys at the party (I've seen first hand lol). Paul Feig and Kristen Wiig work miracles with the film. Wiig and her friends wrote a balls to the wall funny script that I hope gets some recognition during award season ("Mean Girls" did well there, so can this). Paul Feig was the producer behind the cult TV show and a personal favorite of mine, Freaks and Geeks. Feig knows perfectly how to mix comedy and drama, seeing he hasn't lost his touch is great. Guys shouldn't look at this give it the cold shoulder because it is truly epic. Kristen Wiig is one of the funniest people out there today. "Bridesmaids" is going to make itself into comedy history as a pure classic.

9.5/10
Recommendation: The best comedy of the year (so far), so why shouldn't you see it?

Super (8/10)

Remember "Kick-Ass"? The over the top and incredibly entertaining film about people wanting to be super heroes in real life. Well "Super" is almost the same premise but with some new things for a twist. "Super" is darker, crueler, stranger but also funnier and more realistic. I really like both movies, but "Super" was the one I was looking for.

Frank (My hero Rainn Wilson) is a man that prides himself on two events in his life, his marriage day and when he helped stopped a crook. He's sort of a loser, but a good man at heart. His former addict wife (Liv Tyler) gets back on the stuff from dealer Jacques and leaves Frank for the drugs (Kevin Bacon). Frank is a lost man but with some inspiration from the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion), a Christian TV super hero he'll find something to do. Frank puts on the disguise of The Crimson Bolt to fight crime. Throw in a sidekick Boltie (Ellen Page hoped up on five energy drinks) and they duo will bring justice to the street.

For fans of Dwight Schrute you will not be disappointed. Rainn Wilson is a adaptable actor that works well with any kind of movie. He's as badass as he is dorky and sad here. Watching The Crimson Bolt was a lot of fun for he's Dwight in a costume. The violence in the movie is believable than "Kick-Ass" and outside of the ending never seems that far fetched. This film doesn't glorify the violence but it doesn't hold back on it. Either way I laughed more than I did with "Kick-Ass", but it's even more confused with what movie it's making, a satire or a tribute. It still needs to be said once in this review... "Shut up crime!!!!"

8/10
Recommendation: A funnier and darker "Kick-Ass" like I said. I liked it enough to saw watch it, and for The Office fans it should be high on your list.

Kaboom (8/10)

"Kaboom" is a perverse, horny, drug fueled, trippy, bizarre, colorful and sex driven time at the movies. I hope that got your attention cause this film got mine. It's also got a subplot/ building up to the end of the world. So I guess that this film is a mix of "Donnie Darko" and "Mysterious Skin". It is however is not as dark as those two films and thus easy to enjoy. The film revolves around Smith (A nice breakthrough by Thomas Dekker) as he moves around his college campus. While the movie doesn't do a great job with capturing the college life, it does make it fresh. Some situations here are more lifelike and others more fun than college has been portrayed in other films. Smith is undecided on his sexuality and sleeps with both men and woman. He has fantasies about his roommate named Thor (Chris Zylka) and sleeps with the feisty London (Juno Temple). Throw in his partner in crime is Stella (The sassy Haley Bennet) and all the characters have a blast on screen. This is quite an enjoyable film because it's fresh and doesn't hold back on it's sexuality. Speaking of fresh there is a scene in the film I can't believe I haven't seen before. It's so good I figured why would they not do this in other movies all the time. It involves a split screen where something interesting is happening on both ends. Now "500 Days of Summer" did it in it's own form, but "Kaboom" isn't priding itself on it, it comes natural. Stella fears her crazy girlfriend on one side of the screen and we see somebody watching Smith on the other. "Kaboom" is great entertainment at the movies.

8/10
Recommendation: Fun and lively while not holding back on it's sexual nature. If your looking for something different than here it is.

Mr. Nobody (10/10)

This film came in a very convenient time in my life. It seemed like things in the universe just lined up and my recent sting of thoughts lead me to this. "Mr. Nobody" is not so much a movie as it is a life. It leaves an impression of a life as "The Tree Of Life" did. This is a mesmerizing film that can just make you stop and think. I've always preferred movies that touch you on a deeper level and this is definitely one of them. I'd be very surprised if you've heard of this film before hand though. This movie went around the festivals to get a dvd release date that I was not aware of even though I followed the film for two years. It's a indie film that cost about $58 million dollars to make. I believe it but after watching it but that's the most ridiculous budget I've ever heard. There is no way this movie would have made it's money back. "The Hurt Locker" won best picture at the Oscars and still has made only about $50 million. Anyway just know this is a brilliant movie to absorb you in.

The film is about the life(s) of Nemo Nobody (A great Jared Leto with other child actors) as he tells the story of his youth. His present is in the year 2092 and he is the last mortal alive. It's a new futuristic society where humans have "cured" death. The world is focused on him in his final days as they try to make sense of his life. Nemo believes he is 34 years old and in 2009 but a doctor (Allan Corduner) and a young journalist (Daniel Mays nailing it) try to figure his true life. As a child Nemo was given the choice of staying with his father (Rhys Ifans) or going with his mother (Natasha Little) after their divorce. Faced with an impossible decision the Nemo of the future tells the two examining him a variety of situations that his life may have been. He believes as long you don't choose everything remains possible. It's a feeling that is so true. How many times have you wondered if your life could have been different based on a simple choice? Maybe you've thought about a decision and later regretted how it turned out. Nemo is  a man who's soul above all else can touch you.

Nemo sees his life revolving around three different women. There is Anna (Juno Temple and later Diane Kruger), the girl that is also of the daughter of the man that broke up their parents marriage. Nemo and Anna fall in love as children and live a life of pure emotion. It is however only as adults meeting by chance do they get the life they want. In another life Nemo meets Elise (Claire Stone and later Sarah Polley) and shyly falls for her. There is a brilliant sequence that asks if love is chemical and that only this person activates the reactions in your body. Lastly there is Jean (Audrey Giacomini and later Linh Dan Pham). He meets her by chance lives with her by choosing his future. Whatever life throws at him, he will succeed at this plan. Nemo lives a fantastic fantasy life that will suck you in. Lots of thought and feeling will make it a phenomenal experience. All these lives he's lived are right, but only one is true one.

"Mr. Nobody" is a very touching film that feels as if your watching a life rather than a movie. It's heartfelt and deeply thoughtful. This is a terrific film that is easy to get lost into the lost mind of Nemo Nobody.

10/10
Recommendation: You'll have to look for it but I highly recommend it if your looking for a deeper film.

Confessions of A Dangerous Mind (7/10)

So here is my fourth Sam Rockwell film in a short time, trying to finish off his best work. This was his big breakthrough that made him into a respectable actor rather than a supporting guy that finds roles anybody could play. He works to his strengths here but never reaches his prime. The film follows Chuck Barris, a famous TV creator (The Dating Show, Newlyweds and The Gong Show being the most famous). What some may not have known is that he once claimed he was a CIA assassin that killed 33 people for the agency. I remember reading this years ago and thought it was bizarre and strange but still interesting. The CIA claims he never did any work for him and Chuck would later agree with this but never say he was lying. Chuck is an interesting man or his assassination theory is at least. Otherwise he's just a TV producer trying to make things work with his girlfriend Penny (Drew Barrymore). I'd rather just watch this movie believing that he thinks it's true over him just "trying to make a point". George Clooney directorial debut is quite something. It's like a test of coolness. He uses different filters and odd camera angles to make something unique. It works but it's not all great. Either way this is a interesting film that has some problems.

7/10
Recommendation: The style of film making is really intoxicating but unless it's on TV you can pass it by. If it's on I say make the time though.

Choke (7.5/10)

To quote "Fight Club" (another work by the author that wrote the source material), "We are God's unwanted children". Victor (Sam Rockwell) feels that he is one of these unwanted children. He's a sex addict that grew up moving around with his mother (Angelica Huston) never finding a real home. He uses sex to distance himself from others as well as the only real high he needs. He likes to be depressed and in the gutter because he feels he deserves it. The film follows him as he worms through a sex addiction group meetings (Part of me expected Edward Norton to show up) and dealing with his dying and senile mother. He meets Paige (Kelly Macdonald) at the hospital his mother is in as she tries to help him and his mother. This is a fun movie for those liking the bold and dark narration "Fight Club" brought. However a small subplot involving clones and Jesus (sounds crazy than it appears in the movie) don't seem to fit as well in the cool and brooding style of the movie. A stellar ending but with some bumps getting there still make this one hell of a way to sickly entertain yourself.

7.5/10
Recommendation: Fans of "Fight Club" will love the narration and the film does have a lot going for it but it's not something you need to rush out to see. I'd still watch if you got the chance though. I've said in my "The Winning Season" review that Sam Rockwell is still looking for his role that will shake the foundations of this earth with its magnitude, he's getting closer with this.

Movie Ratings and The Meanings

I thought since I haven't done it, I'd post the meaning behind each number. If you've been reading enough I guess you already have an idea but here it is anyway. All .5 ratings (7.5 ex) is a slightly better version of  the number but should be rounded down if it comes to the star system

10/10 = A masterpiece in cinema, a perfect movie etc. If it's theaters I don't know what your doing not watching it right now.

9/10 = Fantastic and amazing. It's a marvelous movie but its not perfect yet that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Go see it right away.

8/10 = A great movie, some flaws but the finished product is very enjoyable. If your going to the movies, I recommend it.

7/10 = A good movie, enjoyable but standard. If your seeing it I won't stop you because it has something to it but there's a good chance there's better ones out there

6/10 = It's ok but nothing that special. Could be a good movie but it's got problems. Wait for dvd or just cable

5/10 = Mediocre or average. Unless your killing time and have a reason to watch it, you can pass it by otherwise.

4/10 = poor movie, bad but I've seen worse. Every rating below is just some form of don't see it

3/10 = Bad, no way around it

2/10= Horrible and terrible, deserves to rot

1/10= Saving for the worst of the bunch, If I ever saw this film that deserved it I'd lose all faith in humanity

Captain America: The First Avenger (9/10)

Here is stellar super hero movie and one of the best I've seen in the field. It easily takes its place along side the two recent Batman films, "Iron Man", "Spiderman 2" and "X2" as one of the best super hero movies out there. This movie is fun, action packed and has an interesting story (god forbid an action movie actually have one!). Throw in a dynamic cast with great development and this is a winner on all fronts. "Captain America" will win you over as it has me.

I'll leave the plot description short because it feels like you should already have an idea about it (watch the trailer and you'll get it otherwise) and instead I'll talk about strong elements the plot brings. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is weak and small kid that with the help of a special serum will become Captain America and in turn will fight Nazi evil. The tiny version of Steve is pretty convincing, some of the best CGI I've seen. Steve is sent to boot camp and monitored in a special program to see who's worthy of testing the serum. Here we meet Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell making my heart skip a beat every time she's on screen), a british intelligence officer. I thought going into this movie that she'd start to be attracted to Steve only after the transformation to showcase a giant body = sex. Well I was proven wrong because the chemistry the two build up before and after the experiment make it seems like she's interested in the brave and good guy. The film showcases quite well the moral that Captain America and other heroes brought to the nation during such a dire time. There's a nice montage showing Steve selling war bonds which isn't something the character would do normally, but rather the reason why the character was conceived. The inspiration he creates on screen in the film and to the people on screen seems genuine.

Michael Bay should learn from Joe Johnston as he knows exactly how to make a good action movie. The characters have actual thought and move well with the plot. The villain while a bit silly fits perfectly for the finale. The Final battle between Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and Captain America is fantastic because it feels real and could go either way. There's no over coming the odds angle but rather just a hard fought battle between two tough son of bitches. Peggy Carter is actually a strong character that oozes sex appeal but in a good way. Johnston doesn't focus the camera on Hayley Atwell's (like Bay dis with Fox and Huntington) figure but rather let's the audience do it on there own. Their eyes linger on her when she is around because she's a natural beauty that we honestly want to see end up with Steve Rogers. "Captain America" is a marvelous film that is easy to enjoy and a thrill to watch. America!!!!

9/10
Recommendation: One of the best super hero movies and something anybody can enjoy.