Movie Review: Sucker Punch 1 star

Sucker punch looks great as a graphic novel movie in the genre of 300 and Sin City but looks is all it has going for it.  It is deadly slow and the fairly simple plot drags on and on.  The action sequences should have been the coolest part of the movie but it was as exciting as watching someone else play a video game.   What they needed was a writer that could rise to the occasion and provide an interesting story with twists and turns to keep the audience engaged.   I assume that after spending all that money on CGI effects that they didn't have any left to spend on a story so they let the geeks dream something up when they weren't coding.  A very disappointing film.

Movie Review: Limitless...3 stars

After seeing the coming attractions for Limitless I thought that I had figured out the whole movie.  I had already given it a bad review in my head before even sitting down and seeing it.  

Fortunately, this movie surprised me and was quite good.  Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) is a depressed slacker dude until he is offered a drug that will make him smarter beyond his wildest dreams.    Once on the drug, his life is changed, and he is living the good life.  Of course, there are down sides to the drug and his new life which causes him to flame out and crash.  That's all I'm going to tell you about the movie though.  It's very interesting to see what happens to him while on the drug and the lengths he goes to stay on top.  Once again, writing degraded this from a four star film.  There were plot holes that make you wonder "why did he do that?" or "why didn't he just do this?".   They are good questions and the answers are flawed writing that has him doing things that are convenient for the script but doesn't make sense to anyone watching.  It is worth your movie dollar though, just don't think too hard while you are watching it.  Robert De niro does a great job in an important but small role.   If you don't see it in the theater then put it on your "must rent" list.

Movie Review: The Lincoln Lawyer 3 stars

One of the "movie rules" I have is that if Matthew McConaughey is in a movie, the movie will be terrible (same goes for Jennifer Anston and Gerard Butler).  Except for Tropic Thunder and Fraility (be sure you see this movie, it's great) he has been in one horrible movie after another.  Those two movies show he can be a good actor when in a good movie.  He proves that again in the Lincoln Lawyer.  The is an excellent movie and he does a great job as a lawyer with questionable ethics defending mostly guilty people.  The story gets intense when he lands a client (Ryan Phillippe) who is charged with beating up a girl. Lots of twists and turns in the story to keep you guessing throughout.   The story is well done and most people will enjoy it.  What I found disappointing is that Marisa Tomei and William H. Macy talents were wasted in this movie. They had only minor roles that could have been played by any walk on character actor.   If they had written them better things to do and say this could have been a 4 star movie.

Movie Review: Cedar Rapids....3 stars

Ed Helms from The Office stars in this offbeat, coming of age story about a naive insurance salesman about to have his world turned upside down by attending an insurance convention.  Although it is a bit raunchy, the movie makes you care about Ed Helm's character Tim.  Tim has led a overly sheltered life but an honest one, where he truly loves what he does and genuinely cares about his customers.  His idealistic view is shattered by Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly) who, at first, seems the opposite of Tim in every way but turns out to be very much like Tim in the treatment of the people he cares about.  While not nearly as funny as The Hangover, this movie has plenty of funny parts in it.  I believe that this is more of a guy flick than one that would be enjoyed by the gentler sex.  Except for some of the raunchy actions I believe it should be enjoyed by all though.

Unfortunately, hardly anyone will see this movie because it's an independent film with a limited release and advertising.  So, while everyone wastes their money seeing bad movies like The Adjustment Bureau, this gem sits unwatched.   Please put it on your rental list!

Movie Review - The Adjustment Bureau....1.5 stars

I thought this movie couldn't miss.  Based upon a good science fiction short story and starring two bankable stars in Emily Blunt and Matt Damon.  Matt played an up and coming politician whose actions sabotaged his chance of making higher office.  That's where the Adjustment Bureau came in.  They fixed everything that Matt broke so he would be a successful politician and make the world a safer place.  Along the way, he bumps into Emily Blunt's character who is his long lost love.  So, that's the premise, but those two main story lines are both poorly done.  The first is Matt and Emily's chemistry.  You don't believe they have undying love for each other.  In fact, I'm not sure they even liked each other.  Matt Damon was definitely miscast for this movie.  The second problem was the Adjustment Bureau.  In one scene they are omnipotent, all knowing, and all powerful beings and the next they are the Keystone Cops bumping into each other and entirely clueless.

This movie fails at both ways it attempts to portray this movie.  It's either a bad love story or a bad science fiction movie.  I think it's just plain bad.

Rango ..................2.5 stars

Rango the chameleon is forced to leave his cushy life in a family's terrarium.  He finds himself in a wild west town where water is used as currency.  He is an acting chameleon so he takes on the role of Sheriff Rango out to keep peace in his new found town.

Johnny Depp does a great job as Rango.  The movie is great for the first 45 minutes.  Well written and well done.  Then it hits the wall.  It seems like the writer ran out of witty lines for Rango and we are forced to sit through the last hour.  If only they could have sustained the story until the very end this would have been an excellent movie.

Take Me Home Tonight......3 Stars

Take Me Home Tonight is your typical "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" movie.  No suprises along the way, just a funny coming of age story that most people will enjoy.  It does earn it's R rating though for language, sexual content, and drug use.  I found it very funny though and I thought the cast was selected perfectly for their roles.  You'll remember Topher Grace from "That 70's show" and I wish they would use him in more movies because I think he's an excellent character actor.  You don't have to see this movie in the theater.  I do recommend you put it on your rental list because it is a funny well done movie.  This movie has a excellent soundtrack of 80's rock and roll. 

Drive Angry 3D 2.5 stars.

This is a campy movie full of bad dialog and a ridiculous story.  It's all for fun though as Nicholas Cage, an escapee from hell searches for his kidnapped daughter.  Lots of violence and gross out scenes that are perfect for the 13 year old boy in all of us.   It should have been better written though to give us more "tongue in cheek" humor.  William Fichtner steals the movie in his role as the "accountant".  He is really Death sent by the devil to bring Nicholas Cage back.  He has the funniest lines as he tells people when he'll be back to see them.  Is this worth your movie dollar?  Definitely not, particularly not a $14 3D ticket.   The 3D doesn't make this movie any better so you should wait until netflix is showing it 2D.