Rise of the Planet of the Apes film...

As lame as it was, I really enjoyed the remake of Planet of the Apes... I watched it a lot in my early twenties... When I saw that Rise of the Planet of the Apes was being made, with James Franco, who I just adore, I wanted to see it... Mark did not, so I had to make child free, work free time to watch it, in instalments!
The first half I was enjoying, felt like it was almost believable, in a fictional sense... The story line felt honest, then the second half of the film happened and it was just terrible! Completely unbelievable, like it was just being finished to fit into the right time or something... Bad, bad, bad... But it was too late, I finished it and wished I hadn't...
Not good...

Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to the Greek

Did you like 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'? If the answer is yes, then don’t bother reading anymore just go get your ticket…


My first worry when it was announced that there would be a film based on Aldous Snow, I just didnt think that Brand or Aldous could carry an entire film, I was wrong...
I think that in some ways this is funnier then Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Brand and Hill are obviously comedians, and brilliant at their jobs! The surprise is Diddy who is effing hilarious, I was worried about this casting choice, but he is comedy gold! The story only lulled briefly at one point for me, but I spent practically the whole film laughing so its definitely worth your cash time and effort to go and see it! However it seemed like the younger people in the audience missed a lot of the music/pop culture references and didnt seem to be laughing as much as the older people in the audience... Cant wait until it is on DVD!

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010

Went along for an afternoon date with Mark, thought the early time of the day might prevent Freddy related night horrors - it worked!

Wasn't sure what to expect, with mediocre ratings, and an ongoing issue with seeing dud films, I was extremely happy with the outcome of the film... It feels like it was based on the first film, but not exactly the same, which is nice... It was genuinely scary too, I spent a great deal of time hiding in Marks arms... The only negatives were that having old people playing teenage roles made me question initially whether they were supposed to be teenagers, and killing off Kellan Lutz so quickly!!! I thought we were going to get some lovely eye candy for the whole film *sigh* But I definitely recommend checking it, whether you have seen/are a fan of the original...

Cop Out Film

Cop Out

Oh Kevin Smith you kill me... I wanted so badly for this film to be good, for both our sakes... But it wasn't... In the slightest... I couldn't stay awake through it... We turned it off, that's all I can really say about that...

Invictus Movie

When I first read about this release I had no care for it, but seeing the shorts I was interested... So we checked it out... A few points for starters:

if you like rugby you will like this film

if you like rugby and an inspirational story you will like this film

if you like inspirational stories and don't mind rugby you will like this film

if you like inspirational stories and don't like rugby you might not like this film

I fall into that last category... I thought I would love it, it has a great cast, looks good, but there was far too much actual rugby for me to get into it... I had hoped due to my interest in football I might be able to transfer some sporting interest, but that didn't happen! Overlooking the rugby (hard to do) it was great, and I can see why people would enjoy it!

Up In The Air Movie

This was recommended to me by a friend... So I blame you Kelly, haha, not really it wasn't so bad...

The concept of this story I was in to... George Clooney did a great job, which is to be expected... And right up to the last minutes I was sucked in, going through the motions with him... Then it ends... With no closure, no wrap up and no happy ending... I have reached a point in my life where I am 'soft' I like a happy ending... I felt a bit ripped off... But I did enjoy the film, so I guess the job was done...

Valentines Day Movie

Okay, I wasn't thinking this was going to be great, yet somehow I convinced Mark to sit with me and watch this all star cast do...nothing... Absolutely nothing happened in this film... Absolute snoozefest, waste of a night... We didn't even finish it, with 40 minutes to go we decided we could be doing better things with our limited time... Bad, bad, bad, don't do it!

Couples Retreat DVD Release

I was thinking that with this cast 'Couples Retreat' would be hilarious... I was wrong... There were definitely funny moments, but few and far between... It felt like it had the contents for a great, light film, but was just light... Light on laughs, light on story... Don't bother...

Avatar

I'm not going to tell you anything you haven't already heard... Yes, we all know the story of Pocahontas, but this is so lush, and beautiful to look at, especially in 3d, I think you need to catch it at the cinema before its too late! The whole length of the film, and was it looong, I didn't check my watch once! But I didn't move enough, legs seized up when I tried to stand at the end...

Whip It

Whip It was on my list to see immediately after going to check out the Victorian Roller Derby League a few months ago... Was a brilliant night, and if I was ten years younger maybe something I would want to do... In any case the film was great, a big like Bring It On with fishnet stockings... Not much, but a bit... Great performance by Ellen Page, and most of the cast, a good job on Drews first directing job... The story felt a bit off track at times, sometimes it didn't quite gel, but was still entertaining and I didn't check my watch once in around 2 hours...

Funny People

Went to this film with one expectation - to laugh - and spent the first half of the movie laughing... The second half of the movie was good, but almost a different film to the first, it was humorous, but a bit more character focused... I didn't mind that too much but it did make it feel a bit longer then it needed to be... In any case I definitely think that if you are into Judd Apatows films this one shouldn't be missed!

I love you, man

My expectations were high for theis film, I would have been fuming if we went to all the trouble of going to the movies and seeing another film like Observe and Report which sucked... This film did not suck by any means of the word! Well written, well acted, 'laugh out loud' several times funny... Just see it!

From www.rottentomatoes.com

After years of swiping scenes from the leading men in such movies as KNOCKED UP and THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, Paul Rudd finally headlines a star vehicle of his own. Unlike those Judd Apatow productions, it's John Hamburg (ALONG CAME POLLY) who directs I LOVE YOU, MAN, albeit with many of the touchstones of Apatow's highly successful freaks-and-geeks-with-heart aesthetic. In other words, this is not an Apatow film, but, with the male capacity for--and simultaneous inability to express--fraternal love as its core comic conceit (and emotional centerpiece), it may as well be. Rudd plays Peter Klaven, a real estate agent with a blossoming career and an imminent marriage to Zooey (THE OFFICE's Rashida Jones)--basically, he's lucky in all things except male bonding. The narrative arc centers on his quest for platonic man-love--as opposed to, say, finding the girl of his dreams--and follows the boilerplate dictates of a standard rom-com with a subversive wink. In this case, boy meets boy, boys bond over their common love of Rush and Andre the Giant, boys break up and make up, etc. Rudd and co-star Jason Segel (FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL), a fellow Apatow alum who plays Sydney Fife, the Type B object of Klaven's affection, imbue their roles with winning charisma and elevate the plot with real and nuanced chemistry. With a whip-smart pace, the film continually tills fresh comic ground as Hamburg finds punctuation points in every scene and never lets a gag overstay its welcome. While the supporting cast features many memorable turns by the likes of Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly, and Andy Samberg, I LOVE YOU, MAN ultimately belongs to Rudd, who approaches insecurity and social awkwardness with the same dead-eye marksmanship that Peter Sellers did for slapstick.

Changeling

I meant to watch this long ago and on finding it again I put it on... It was quite stressful to watch, I think the fact it was based on true events made it worse, but was definitely a good film... Great acting, story, costumes... It is just a shame that life for a woman was that effed up back then... It makes me glad that I am not living in that era...

From www.rottentomatoes.com
At first, Clint Eastwood's CHANGELING could appear to be following too closely in the footsteps of his earlier Oscar winner, MYSTIC RIVER, since both films center on a missing child. But while his previous film was based on a Dennis Lehane novel, CHANGELING carries a particular weight because it is based on a true story, and one that isn't largely known. Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins, a single mother working in 1928 Los Angeles when her son goes missing. A boy is returned to her months later by the police, but she is shocked and disheartened when she realizes that the boy isn't her son. Joined by a crusading pastor (John Malkovich), Christine battles for justice against the corrupt L.A.P.D. while she continues to search for her child. Eventually her fight against the cops lands her in a mental hospital, where she is surrounded by others with a similar plight. At times, CHANGELING is incredibly difficult to watch. Jolie gives an authentic, anguished performance, and the on-screen tragedy is quite disturbing, largely because of its basis in reality. But Eastwood has crafted another Oscar-worthy film that is certainly worth sitting through, even if a tissue or two is required. Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski had been best known for his work in science fiction (BABYLON FIVE) and graphic novels, but he makes an adept transition to feature drama with this film. Its unusual focus--on the victim and her struggle for justice, rather than on the criminal and the crime--brings further depth to the film. As always, Amy Ryan (an Oscar nominee for GONE BABY GONE) perfectly morphs into her role (this time as a prostitute imprisoned in the mental hospital), and the film's many child actors are compelling to watch.

Observe and Report - Film

Being a fan of Seth Rogen we made the most of a date and went to see this film... MISTAKE... This film was so very bad that I fell asleep in the cinema! I sat through the first 50 minutes, it was not funny, nothing much happened, to be honest I'm not even sure why it was made, or whether someone held a gun to Seths dogs head to make him do it! So very bad, do not pay to see this movie, and its probably best avoided altogether...

Fast and Furious

I know the reviews were bad but I was sure that with the original cast members this film would at least be entertaining, I was wrong... It took 40 minutes for something to happen, and I was fast asleep about 20 minutes after that... Lacked everything...

Gran Torino Film

Gran Torino
'Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.' villagecinemas.com.au

In the heatwave our power went out, so off to the movies we went... This film was on our list, and then Mark got free tickets so there was no reason to not go (except that cinema sets aren't too comfy for 8 month pregnant ladies)...

I had no idea what this was about, but I thought maybe a car and gang movie, like Fast and the Furious, for the elderly... I was wrong... What it was, was a touching story about a racist, grumpy old geezer who reaches out and connects with his Hmong neighbours... There is more to the story, but it was quite nice not to know too much, so I'm not saying too much... The racism is fairly confronting, but in its context was also amusing... I was really impressed by it, and moved by it... If you get a chance you should see it...

Wall-E DVD release

Before this was in the movies I saw the mechanical talking Wall E in Borders, which turned me right off… I couldn’t ignore all of the glowing reviews, so we finally watched it… The animation was crazy realistic, the first few minutes I was totally gobsmacked by it… Then the lack of spoken word started to bother me, and I was wondering whether there was going to be any talking, and it was mildly beginning to drive me crazy… Zoom forward to the cruise ship, and I fell in love with the concept... For a children's film its very relevant and makes you think... The story was definitely absorbing, I didn't think about the concept of time until it was over... Would highly recommend it...

Notorious

Its coming, not without controversy... Premiered already in NYC... Am looking forward to this film...

'He was beloved by many, worshiped by more when he was gunned on the streets of Los Angeles. Now, some 11 years later after his death, director George Tillman Jr. and studio Fox Searchlight will attempt to resurrect the legend that was Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (aka Biggie Small). The highly anticipated bio-pic, Notorious, follows his days on the rough streets of Brooklyn to his supreme reign on the hip-hop charts. Featuring newcomer Jamal Woolard, a fellow rapper who goes by the name “Gravy”, as Notorious B.I.G. So uncanny was his transformation into character that friends and family of Biggie Small would walked out during the filming process, for Woolard’s likeness still invoked deep emotions among those who knew Small.' via www.hypebeast.com

Lil Kim isnt happy with the portrayal of her in it though...

Kim's people released the following statement on her behalf:
"The film studio and producers involved were more concerned about painting me as a 'character' to create a more interesting story line instead of a person with talent, self-respect and who was able to achieve her own career success through hard work… Even though my relationship with Big was at times very difficult and complicated (as with most relationships we have all experienced at one time or another), it was also genuine and built on great admiration and love for each other. Regardless of the many lies in the movie and false portrayal of me to help carry a story line through, I will still continue to carry his legacy through my hard work and music."

Kung Fu Panda

I wasnt sure what to expect with this, but the first thing you will notice is that it looks really good... Awesome animation! Jack Black makes Po lovable, and with an all star cast that brings their all to each of their characters, its a great story that looks this good, definitely recommend it for adults as well as kids...

'"Kung Fu Panda" features Jack Black as Po the Panda, a lowly waiter in a noodle restaurant, who is a kung fu fanatic but whose shape doesn't exactly lend itself to kung fu fighting. In fact, Po's defining characteristic appears to be that he is the laziest of all the animals in ancient China. That's a problem because powerful enemies are at the gates, and all hopes have been pinned on a prophesy naming Po as the "Chosen One" to save the day. A group of martial arts masters are going to need a black belt in patience if they are going to turn this slacker panda into a kung fu fighter before it's too late. -- © DreamWorks '

Burn After Reading

This I did want to see at the cinema, but we were too early at one time and too late at another... I am glad... My expectation that it would be funny, but it just come off as confused, that they were trying so hard to make all of these lives correlate... I guess they pulled it off, but not well... If you like other Coen brothers films you will like this, I just don't fit into that category... I didnt think it sucked, but I wouldn't watch it again...


'With their overtly comedic follow-up BURN AFTER READING, the Coen Brothers return--about a third of the way--from the dark, dank recesses of the human psyche they traversed in their Oscar-winning NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. For those unfamiliar with the landscape of modern movie psychoanalysis, this puts the fraternal filmmakers square in the cruel, misanthropic, and farcical realm of their 1990s-era body of work, somewhere between the tragicomic crime thriller of FARGO and the disconnected noir-homage anti-storytelling of THE BIG LEBOWSKI, with 2007's NO COUNTRY retroactively adding new nihilism-tinged dimensions of smart skepticism to the proceedings. In a more linear trajectory, BURN AFTER READING also stands as the third entry, after BLOOD SIMPLE and FARGO, in what could be an unofficial Tragedy of Human Idiocy trilogy, wherein characters make the most outlandishly moronic moves to devastating consequences simply by adhering to true human behavior. Indeed, Carter Burwell's emotionally weighty score, which washes over biting scenes of explosive, anesthetizing belly laughs, is very reminiscent of his FARGO work. BURN is ostensibly structured and propelled by a spy-thriller plotline involving a classified CD lost by a disgraced CIA spook and found by two simple gym employees. But, in actuality, it's simply--amazingly--a collection of brilliant caricature studies interwoven by veracious, if Coenesque, social interactions, as epitomized by the pathos of the Frances McDormand character's precipitous quest for cosmetic surgery. The CIA superior who learns of the film's events (always second-hand and sometimes along with the viewer) doesn't know what to make of it, and why would he? This is the first Coen film in almost 20 years not shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins, yet the "new" guy, Emmanuel Lubezki (CHILDREN OF MEN), has created as visceral and emotionally fraught a high-definition cartoon as any since BARTON FINK.' www.rottentomatoes.com