Toy Story 3 (2010)

In the third chapter to the original computer animated film (and the first of the now dominate Pixar) Woody, Buzz, and the gang are dealing with the issue of no longer being wanted. Andy, the playful and lovable owner of America's favorite toys is all grown up and on his way to college. Like most teenagers he has grown apart from his favorite things and has neglected them for years. With the big move just days away, and the college and attic marked boxes in the room, the toys begin to worry about where they'll go and if they'll be together. After a series of events the toys end up in a daycare (ran like an internment camp) and are forced to make a daring escape.

This movie does the impossible, surpasses the already great and legendary original. I hate to say it but Pixar does it again and in a big way. First off, Tom Hanks does great voice work and the film has up to date creative and visually stunning animation, and that's just the cherry topping on the sundae treat. The directing was flawless. He captured every scene to its fullest. He also never subjected his storytelling for cheap 3D thrills (thank God). His impact comes out huge by the end of the film. The screenplay... SUPERB! More thought out than any film I've seen this year. It delivers a continuous flow of surprises, thrills, laughs, honest and heartfelt drama, emotional beauty and all in a plethora of creativeness. This animated film does more for me than any animated picture I've ever seen.

In this already high octane best animation Oscar race, Toy Story 3 earns a firm slot and is certainly my favorite for this year. How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After were very good. Strike that, they were great animated pictures. Toy Story 3 has no problem joining those ranks and quite possibly jumping to the front of the pack. This is a see it on the big screen movie, for sure. No need for the 3D, though. I saw it in 3D and at no point did I say, "wow, that was cool in 3D." It's a nearly perfect film and like all great films in history, you don't need to have seen it in 3D to have loved it, and that's exactly what I did... LOVED IT.

Jonah Hex (2010)

This Nevaldine/Taylor adaptation of a not-so popular DC comic that fallows a cowboy in the old East who grows a conscience during the Civil War and betrays his evil leader. However, when Evil Turnball finds out, he calls Jonah's family and brands his face for a lifelong remembrance of who caused him this pain. Now with a scarred face, no family, and this new found power to talk to the dead he is seeking revenge on the men who caused him his endless grief.



Josh Brolin stars as Jonah Hex and does a pretty good ass job doing so. The very talented actor delivered a good action performance in this very mediocre film. Megan Fox and John Malkovich, who co-star in the movie, don't really have anything to add. The directing was amateur and the script was very simple. The special effects were good, and the dream sequences were interesting but everything around those scenes fell flat. One feeling this movie caused me was disappointment, in the script that is. For me the most exciting thing about this movie was that it was written by Neveldine/Taylor and it ended up being the worst part of this poorly executed film.



It's not a complete miss of a movie, but you should only rent it from a Redbox or wait for it to hit the dollar rack because three bucks seems steep. It's so quick and slapped together that you don't really feel any emotion or receive much of a story. An experienced director and a more thought out script could have done wonders for this film. Too late now. This 81 minute film is extremely short for Summer Action Blockbuster, and yet at times I felt bored. $1 rental, if you're bored!

When in Rome (2010)

This is the story of a girl who can’t find love. Yes, I know, you already saw that Rom-Com. She can’t find love because she is a workaholic with a mean boss. I know, you saw that one, too. She also has a sister who is doing great in her love life which makes our heroine feel horrible about her life. Let me guess, you saw that one as well? The original twist in this one you ask? Lonely, distraught and drunk after a misunderstanding with the guy she’s inevitably going to end up with, she picks up five distinctly different coins from a magical fountain that cast love spells on the five, very weird and unusual schmucks who threw them in there. I know, you can’t wait to see it!

In failing director Mark Steven Johnson’s fourth attempt at the big screen, he has shown progress. He is quickly progressing himself to the unemployment line. This is his worst work yet. By far. I always liked his passion and was pulling for him to make a great movie someday. However, unlike When in Rome, you can’t just throw a coin into a fountain and get your wish. He’ll never make that great film, in fact it wouldn’t surprise me if he never made a film again. Hollywood is unforgiving and this is unforgivable.

Kristen Bell is a boring leading lady. Just because you can make overly drastic emotions on your face doesn’t make you funny. One good thing that might come from this film is it might be the last straw in Jon Heder’s pathetic career. Dax Shepard and Will Arnett are funny but there characters are so damn retarded I can’t generate enough ignorance from my body to laugh. The male lead is Josh Duhamel, he didn’t exactly fall from the good acting tree. He’s a good fit though, proving to be just as boring as the leading lady. Danny Devito and Anjelica Huston are good actors, who do pretty good jobs, but the film is so bad they’re overlooked. It’s shit like this on his resume that is stopping Devito from getting a decent role anywhere.

Don’t see this movie! Avoid wasting your time with this garbage. It will be the longest, most unsatisfying 91 minutes of your life. I hated this picture.

The Karate Kid (2010)

This movie centers on a young man from Detroit and his new life in the strange, new world of China. His relationships with friends, family, and a girl. And oh yeah, it focuses on his journey from normal young not-so-talented boy to The Karate Kid.

I love this film! For 2 hours and 20 minutes this film takes you on a dramatic, funny, heroic, touching, and inspirational journey that is only rivaled by past Oscar winners such as Rocky and the Blind Side. In fact this movie is every bit as good as the Blind Side and in my opinion is probably a bit better. The script was terrific and the way that HAROLD ZWART directs it you know he knew he had something great on his hands. It was shot with a perfect blend of low budget drama shots and big budget action shots. I was hooked and thoroughly surprised.

The acting, at least by the headlining stars was spot-on-gold. Jaden Smith just radiates his amazingly talented father. Not just for a pre-teen but for any actor of any age. Jaden electrifies the screen with intensity. I was stunned by his performance, just like I was with Jackie Chan’s. I never in a million years thought I would say this but, I think the supporting actor Oscar race begins right here with this action actor we’ve been laughing at for the past 15 years. This is the first movie he has done that has allowed him to show off his acting skills and he shines whenever he breaks out emotions instead of breaking out peoples teeth in kung-fu comedies.

This picture deserves to at least be considered in the Oscar race this year. It was astonishing. I wouldn’t have thought that the director of Pink Panther 2, could direct a story so epically. The performances are so real and touching that during the action finish, I couldn’t hold back the tears. Go see this. On the big screen for sure. If you are disappointed with this film then you are a lost cause. This is a beautiful movie. Jaden Smith is the future of Hollywood. I’m sure they won’t be able to capture the same greatness in a sequel but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t craving one.

The A-Team (2010)

In the 1980s a group of renegade soldiers teamed up together to complete impossible missions in ridiculous ways. That’s exactly what the movie adaptation to the popular T.V. show is about. After 8 years of working with the United States Military on black ops missions, the four heroes of our film are set up and sent to prison. However, after 6 months behind bars the team breaks out and goes after the people who set them up in an attempt to gain back their freedom and clear their names.

This movie is ideal for summer. It’s hilarious and awesome. Is there really anything else to expect from a movie machine aimed at summer movie-goers? I had a great time watching this movie. The script was so ridiculous that it crossed the line from “this is super unbelievable and corny” to “wow that was awesome how they just flew that army tank using the blasts from that huge cannonball launcher on the front of it while fighting off bad guys with a machine gun being shot by Bradley Cooper out of the top hatch, all while falling from a stolen C-130”, and they actually sell that. Quinton Jackson, a UFC fighter turned actor, was a joy to watch act like Mr. T. He was hilarious and badass. Liam Neeson took on the role of Hannibal, the teams fearless leader, and was good but his performance certainly didn’t stick out to me. I honestly don’t remember anything he said during the movie. Bradley Cooper plays the stud Face, and delivers an excellent performance taking over the picture and becoming the leading man. Patrick Wilson and Jessica Biel come in on supporting assignments and both are very entertaining and do about all you can on 8 minutes of camera time. The best performance in this film however goes to the funny Murdock played by District 9 star Sharlto Copely. He couldn’t be more different than his African, Sci-Fi character (in District 9) in this film but delivers a solid performance all the way as he did before. The directing was well done. There were plenty of shots and the timing of the lines worked out well to help distract from the outrageous action.

I certainly recommend going and seeing this movie on the big screen. As much as I like realism and truth to film it’s sometimes nice to see something that is well performed and over the top for that entertaining action-comedy blend that we all enjoy so much in these summer months.

Splice (2010)

WOW! That was the word I couldn't get out of my head this evening on my way home after watching the new film Splice. It's a movie about two scientist who, when faced with career change, go to drastic measures to prove that there gene splicing works. Whenever the experiment goes further than originally planned they meet an odd and original creature (later named Dren) and then, an unforgettable, thrilling, and outrageously entertaining epic sized adventure begins. I don't want to go much deeper than that mainly because the trailer doesn't really show you anything and every twist and turn during this film was exciting and engrossing.



It's the best live action film I've seen this year. Very few of this years movies even compete with Splice. It's a must-see-near-perfect-astonishingly-original film that is not to be missed. The acting (mainly Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley since they're the main two in a huge cast of seven actors) was excellent throughout. Brody couldn't have been better and Polley was on-point. The script of course, if you couldn't already tell, was tremendous and the directing fit perfectly. The special effects were spectacular. They should be appreciated just as much as the last two Oscar winning special effects films The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Avatar.

This is the best "Creature Feature" I've seen in a long time. I don't remember the last time I was this impressed with a film of this genre. Dren might very well be the best non-human character to hit the big screen since Steven Spielberg brought E.T. to life. She is just as lovable as the Extra Terrestrial of 1982. She's more erotic than the Specie named Sil and she is just as thrilling as the Alien of 1979. This is sure to be a Sci-fi classic. It's a film that is Oscar bait in at least some categories.

See it. Right now. Do yourself a favor and run to the box office near you and watch this movie. It has everything you could want in it. Just when you think that the drama has reached its top rafter they just build another story and then another until its reached all of your expectations and surpassed them. I have no complaints. I would change nothing. It was a beautiful work of film art. It will touch you, thrill you, scare you, and seduce you. Splice is absolutely magnificent.

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

In the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster Carrie Bradshaw and company pick up two years later in none other than New York City. This time around the girls all decide they could use a break from their big city lives and decide to take a one week vacation to Abu Dhabi. There Samantha deals with menopause, Charlotte deals with the possibility of a cheating husband, Miranda learns to have fun again, and Carrie has marital issues that are compounded when an old flame re-enters her life. Of course all of these trials get solved over girl talk and huge fashion.

I am a big fan of the first film. It had some good performances and a whole lot of dramatic situations, but they were mixed in with over the top styles and mini fashion shows. But the drama toppled all of that and it was very good. The sequel, however, missed most of the good things about the original and got most of the bad things. The drama, which I enjoyed so thoroughly in the original, is almost completely over ran with humorous antics that for the most part weren't that humorous at all. And when they finally did get chances for drama they quickly resolved it to be replaced with more not so funny hilarity.

Lets not get too stuck on just the bad things about this movie. It does make for a fine sequel to the original. You are not really disappointed with the characters or what they have become over the course of two films, which is good. Some of the humor was funny and some of the drama, however short lived, was entertaining. There was less mini fashion shows, thank god, but they made up for that with an unbearable gay wedding (literally) and a group karaoke session of I Am Woman. They did focus mainly on the girls. Less side plots. Almost no new characters. Rare in the sequel world but almost always a good thing.

The script was not as good as the original. I also don't like when you take the title out of a movie. In this case, New York, the city the girls are supposed to be having sex, in never happens. Some in Connecticut and some in the middle east but there is no actual Sex in the City. On the other hand Michael Patrick King did do a better job directing his script this time. The performances all around were not as good as in the 2008 feature but I blame most of that on the script. Sarah Jessica Parker was the exception, doing about the same, since she is the main girl of the foursome that is a definite plus.

There were good moments and bad. Ups and downs. With that I have to say to skip this one on the big screen but rent it for sure. I don't really want to see a third installment but I am glad I got to see this one. Their adventures are still interesting whether there in a greatly scripted film or not. I am a young straight man. I'm not really the target audience. Girls and SatC television series fans seemed to have liked it more. If you are in that group perhaps the theater is where you should go to watch but I would suggest watching it at home for a fraction of the price.

Ondine (2010)

A few times every summer, a couple tiny dramas get released to tide us hardcore movie fans over until the fall, when dramas get released left and right so they will be on the minds of voters during award season. So you can call Ondine, being released in June, a kind of midnight snack, and a very hearty and fulfilling snack it is. The movie follows a divorced, ex-alcoholic, down on his luck father in Ireland (played by the very underrated and extremely talented Colin Farrell). But his luck seems to change when he catches a woman (or perhaps a Selkie) with his fishing net. He and his daughter quickly develop deep feelings for this women, Ondine, while never really knowing the truth about this mysterious being.

Actress Alicja Bachleda gives a very convincing performance as Ondine. You never know what to make of her. She always seemed like the same character while making you think many different things about her. Not an easy thing to do. The real performance to talk about in this movie however, was the one by Colin Farrell. He gives a very subtle but true performance. The man who broke into American cinema playing tough action heroes or villains could not have more range. His quiet, conflict-avoiding, sad character is totally authentic. Neil Jordan delivers yet another piece of grand cinematic achievement that is right up there with The Crying Game and Interview with a Vampire. Neil also wrote the original and calmly engrossing screenplay. Stephen Rae also comes in as some nice, realistic comic relief and pulls out a pretty good performance for only being in about 3 scenes

I very much liked this movie. In a summer filled with special effects and explosions, Ondine gives you something different and remind you what film making is really all about, entertaining and making you feel the spirit of the characters your watching on screen. No iron suit fight scene can compete with that. See this movie. See it in theaters. I know its not exactly what you think you hunger for but, like I said before, its a nice treat.

MacGruber (2010)

I personally am not a huge fan of SNL, and with the exception of Wayne’s World and the Ladies Man I never really enjoyed there movies. That isn’t the case in MacGruber, a comedy about an elite soldier, who uses homemade gadgets instead of guns to fight crime, and has gone into hiding. He is called back to duty to catch his arch-nemesis, Deter Von Cunth, played by Val Kilmer. Cunth is the object of MacGruber’s revenge after Cunth brutally murdered Mac’s wife on their wedding day.

This is a very funny comedy with some cool action, some grisly images, and lots of Will Forte’s ass. Its like Rambo meets the Ladies Man. Will Forte stars in the film which he helped write as MacGruber. A man stuck in the eighties with no clue how to do the job he is supposedly so good at. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph both deliver hilarious performances as the love interests of MacGruber. Val Kilmer is awesome as the villain while Ryan Philippe does a fine job as the serious soldier who becomes friends with the idiot star.

Its hard for me to tell people to go to the theatre to see such a ridiculous movie. It wasn’t really a great comedy but it was good. I liked it. And I’m hard on comedy. I’m going to say wait for the Blu-Ray, or if your still stuck in the stone ages of the DVD, to see this movie. Whatever you do don’t completely miss it, there are some guaranteed laughs in this one.

Shrek Forever After (2010)

Since the first Shrek hit theatres in 2001 we have been in love with the big green Scottish sounding Ogre, his love interest Princess Fiona, and his sidekick Donkey, the talking donkey. Since then the films have given us more and more characters with more and more jokes and less and less charm. Over the span of three blockbusters we seem to have lost touch with Shrek while we were being pushed into a world of overflowing characters. In Shrek Forever After the writers, Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, change all that by giving us, in the said to be final chapter of the beloved series, what we really wanted: a movie about Shrek, his friendship with Donkey and love for Fiona.



In the Fourth installment to the DreamWorks golden (or should I say green?) franchise our favorite animated leading man, Shrek, is going through a mid-life crisis. Fed up with his now very safe and predictable life he resorts to drastic measures to get back to feeling like an ogre again for a day by making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. As we know from the story of our villain, he doesn’t play fair, and when the deal goes sour, and Shrek gets thrown into an alternate reality, he has to go on one last journey to get back the life he forgot that he loved. How does he do this? He has to become Donkey’s friend again, and get true loves kiss once more from Fiona.

Director Mike Mitchell re-does shots from the original along with giving us lines from the original. Its filled with heart and real feeling drama. By far the best Shrek since the first one and a wonderful ending to one of today’s best film sagas. I loved this movie. It almost only focused on Shrek and really, that’s all this movie needs. Go see this film. You don’t need to have kids or be young or old or a girl to really enjoy this one. I believe that a 16 year-old boy will like this movie as much as everyone else will. The entire family will leave the theatre smiling. With this film as there finale I do believe Shrek will live on Happily Forever After.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

In this adaptation of a video game Jake Gyllenhaal plays the Prince of Persia, a once orphan who was taken under the king’s wing as a young boy. However, after gaining Persian fame as a great warrior he is framed for the king’s murder. But with the aid of a magical dagger that can turn back time and a beautiful princess who knows her history and her way around the land he sets out to uncover the truth by turning back time.

This movie is the definition of non-stop action. It only slows down long enough to give you a good story and nice character development. The best thing I can say about Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is that it is a lot of fun. They give you tons of action without taking it so far that you get bored with it (Transformers 2). Alfred Molina comes in as kind of comic relief without being annoying (like the robot twins from Transformers 2) he makes you laugh and makes the perfect blend of good guy without morals and bad guy with morals. Gemma Arterton, gave a good performance and is sexy without taking it too far (Megan Fox in Transformers 2). She does much better than she did in the snooze fest Clash of the Titans earlier this year, but I think that might have something to do with the actors whom surrounded her. Ben Kingsley does a good job at (spoiler!) the villain, while Gyllenhaal gives a powerful leading man in an action film performance. He takes control of every scene, whether he is flying through the air, almost kissing the hot princess (both happen a lot) or feeding us dialogue.

Gyllenhaal’s great acting ability mixed in with Mike Newell’s semi-original action film directing on top of the best video game adaptation script to date and the production ability of the great and powerful Jerry Bruckheimer keeps you glued to your seat for this entire ride and doesn’t let go until the credits start to roll. It’s fast paced and is the best action we have seen so far this summer. If your only seeing one action film on the big screen this May then you probably saw Iron Man 2. Big mistake. Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time is the summer’s first great popcorn flick and you should definitely see it on the big screen.

Extraordinary Measures (2010)

Extraordinary Measures follows a business-minded dad who has two kids with Pompe disease. In a last effort to save his kids' lives the man flies from New Jersey to Nebraska to meet a doctor who has a theory of a medicine that would save his kids' lives. The movie brings you on the journey of a father and a scientist as they try to put this drug into mass production in less than a year, and shows you all the emotional, uplifting, and inspiring things along the way.

Based on a novel, Tom Vaughn, who's only work I've seen prior to this was the Ashton Kutcher comedy What Happens in Vegas, directs this heart warming tale. Although at times the movie seemed as if it were made for T.V., with the quick scenes, PG dialogue, and about ten establishing shots of cities, it was also was very entertaining. It was nearly a thriller the way it sucked me in and kept me wanting more.

Brendan Fraser delivers a good performance in a title role as the father with a motive. He was no Sean Penn, but he certainly got the job done. Harrison Ford came in as Dr. Stonehill, the man with the idea and delivers his usual 'I'm old but tough' performance. These two actors might seem like misfits in the lead of a drama, and at times it feels that way, but mostly they sell their characters and give the movie the fun little kick it needs to keep you from feeling you're watching it on CBS instead of watching a CBS Films Production.

Was definately a good movie. Made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel inspired. This movie is full of heart. By the end of the movie, even the bad guy brings a tear to your eye with a heartfelt speech. Don't miss this movie, rent it today.

Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood is a classic tale that we all know, and most of us prefer it not be tampered with. And no worries, this Ridley Scott invisioned prequel perfectly sets up the legend we all want to see. The story picks up with Robin Longstride, an archer in the king's army, who does not agree with the crusade he is apart of. After being punished, he runs away with three, no four men ("the more the merrier"), impersonates a knight named Robert Locksley and goes to Nottingham. Here he meets Maid Merrian, begins his legendary love story, and starts his epic outlawing adventures.

Brian Heglund leads a team of writers to an exceptional origin story which brings forth to us Robin Hood with a few twists along the way. Ridley Scott then helps to deliver it in epic-action-drama form. Staying true to his normal filmmaking every scene has a high number of shots so you see everything in every view imaginable. From the depths of the sea to the top of a highly arched arrow, Scott pulls you in and doesn't let go.

Russell Crowe and company seem to all deliver astonishing performances, most notably Cate Blanchet and UNKNOWNACTOR as King John, who's arrogant, sad, and self loathing persona rings very close to the break through performance of Jaquine Pheonix ten years ago in Gladiator, another Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe film. The drama seems real, the humor seems unforced, and the action is brutal and realistic and yet keeps the PG-13 rating.

Although the film starts off a bit slow once Robin Hood makes it to Nottingham you get engulfed by the wonderful directing and acting and the astonishing cinematography. You should see this movie. However if you don't like two and a half hour dramas, perhaps you should rent it. But for the real film lovers out there, theater is the way to go.

Kick-Ass (2010)

The title really says it all. This movie is absolutely KICK ASS. Adapted from a comic book that I've never heard of, but must be one of the hidden gems of the industry, Kick-Ass is written to impress. It starts off an adult rated teenage comedy, becomes an action comedy, gets pretty dramatic, becomes straight up action and sells every one of 'em. Starring Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass, Chloe Moretz as the movie stealing Hit Girl, Nicolas Cage as the mentoring Big Daddy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the (spoiler!) young villain Red Mist, and Mark Strong as adult villain, mob boss Frank D'Amico whom has a fight scene with the tween Hit Girl and is directed so well by Matthew Vaughn that the audience totally buys it.

Matthew Vaughn is amazing. You could put a hundred other directors at the helm of this film and you wouldn't get the same realistic feeling result that you got when you watch Vaughn's vision. The performances were quite good. Chloe Moretz completely engulfs Hit Girl while Nicolas Cage gives an excellent performance as her father Big Daddy, (spoiler!) nobody ever got burned alive better. Mark Strong, still relatively unknown, gives yet another good performance. While Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse actually sells being a villain, surprisingly. There's also Aaron Johnson in the Kick-Ass lead who did well enough. The action was stylized astoundingly and they seem to have worked in just as much plot as Iron Man 2, with an origins story, and it was better, more intelligent, you got engrossed, and you actually felt for these fictional characters.

The execution of this film was the best of its genre, and no I don't consider this a comedy, since Watchmen. The effects were awesome, I basically have no real complaints. And, no, for those of you who are worried about this, Hit Girl was in no way inappropriate. I mean, yeah, in real life it might be inappropriate, but on screen she's the most bad ass... no, the most kick ass female fictional character ever. You should definitely see this in theaters. It's definitely landed in the top three best Spring films of 2010. You'll be drooling for the sequel. God knows I am!

Diary of a Whimpy Kid (2010)

I'm sure most of you weren't even interested in this film, I sure wasn't. Unlike most family films, this one gives everybody a little something to enjoy. Thor Freudenthal delivers his second enjoyable kids movie in the last two years (Hotel for Dogs). Although, I didn't see any superb acting, the only good actor in the film was Steve Zahn and he had maybe three scenes and six lines. But it was a good time. The entire film was narrated by a twelve year old boy who was worried about all the immature things we worried about in our early middle school years.

Good scenes mixing in animation and live action, including the multiple shot molding cheese on the outside basketball court that we get to witness decay over a season changing shot in the middle of the movie to show us that time is going by. The cheese was funny but it was made out to be one of the biggest events in the whole movie, ridiculous. The movie does show a kid acting stupid, as we all did, over something stupid and finding a way to mend a bridge he broke over this stupid decision by doing something pointless and stupid.

I hope you didn't go spend $10.25 a ticket to see this one its opening weekend. I know my review doesn't make you want to get up and rent it on Tuesday at 10 AM when Blockbuster opens, but if you have kids or if you just like mindless humor (reality show watchers) then you should rent it. It's decently entertaining.

The Book of Eli (2010)

Soon you'll be able to rent The Book of Eli, but did you miss anything while it was in theaters? The first film in ten years by the Hughes brothers, the directing duo behind Dead Presidents and From Hell, is some of their best work to date. The film centers around Denzel Washington, a drifter, walking across post apocalyptic America, just trying to make his way west with a very special book and he will do anything to make sure he gets there. It was fun to see Denzel in an action performance and unlike some actors who do action, Denzel actually performed in a performance you won't fully appreciate until the last ten minutes of the movie. Gary Oldman comes in as the bad guy, a man who wants the book for his own devilish reasons. Obviously, casting Gary Oldman as the bad guy was a good call. He always delivers. Mila Kunis comes in as the good looking side kick/semi-love interest who wants to do something more with her life.

This movie was thoroughly entertaining. A very well thought out script, a unique style of directing, and good performances by the three exceptional actors mentioned above, made for a movie you definitely should have saw in theaters. Unlike most films that are released in these CG, 3D crazed entertainment times, this movie builds sets, stays on the screen and choreograph. real action with real actors. One of the first action scenes in the movie is shot with a single static frame and all you can really see is silhouettes. It was outstanding and set the tone for the rest of the film. However, the movie opens (after a scene of animal cruelty) very Indie like with a man just living his life in a run down house in run down times. Its good action, its good drama, and has one of my favorite twists, at least in the last couple years of film. You should have already seen it in theaters, if not be sure to rent it. It won't disappoint.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Finally the much anticipated sequel to the 2008 Marvel smash. Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark and equally as important, Jon Favreau returns to the director chair. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle takes over for the not so missed Terrence Howard. Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, and Sam Rockwell add their acclaimed names to this so-so movie.

Justin Theroux adds his screenwriting talents or lack there of to this movie and is the main problem with the film. While many new characters are popping up and lots of different plots happening he forgets to make one story center stage. This movie never sucked me in. We spent so much time showing so many stories that we never focused on the main story that could pull us in and make us feel for real. The acting was good throughout. Robert Downey Jr. brought his normal cocky self to the screen and as normal you enjoy it. Mickey Rourke spits a Russian accent so well that if it was in an Indie drama he'd probably be an Oscar front runner. Cheadle was a lot of fun and Paltrow has what appears to be an easy time supporting this cast. However, this movie was really missing that BIG story.

The original Iron Man had the origin story, I'm not even sure what Iron Man 2 was about. I love when movies don't hold anything back. Give me multiple heroes, give me multiple villains, give me many fight scenes and many scenes of regular dramatic acting, but you gotta have the main story and you gotta have a way to make them all feel like they connect. I did have fun watching them find ways to add in Captain America and Thor, but I hate, and I mean truly hate, when you started subjecting one film to goofy antics just so you can set up another. Tony Stark did not need to have Captain America's shield in his basement. Another common sequel mistake, not everything Tony Stark says needs to be a joke. Yes, he's funny. Yes, we love his cockiness. But it's not the same unless a real down to Earth person in there somewhere. And Mr. Favreau, you don't need to have a bigger role in the movie just because you're directing it. Although, I think you're a fine actor, there was no need for your character at all.

The directing was pretty good, no real complaints besides the fact that you chose to do it with this script. The special effects were well done for the most part. There are many scenes when Whiplash is helping Hammer build his army of drones, these drones look, at best, plastic. I'm not all for CG, but they definitely needed a layer over these guys.

So I didn't love the film and I didn't hate it. It wasn't much worse than the original, but I wouldn't suggest going and spending twenty dollars so you and your girlfriend can go sit through two hours of short films. That's another thing, the original Iron Man, with really only one story happening, was just one minute shorter than this one. Obviously, that's not enough time to get the same effect. You should rent this movie. Mainly because you need to know what happens, so you can watch Iron Man 3, The Avengers and basically every other Marvel film that's going to be released in the next five years.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

I'm really not one who likes the re-makings of classics. I don't understand why they do it. I certainly was not thrilled to hear they were remaking one of the best horror films ever made. I was even further disappointed when they, inevitably, replaced Robert Englund. However, the Samuel Bayer directed Nightmare was more of a re-imagining then a retelling and in my opinion was imagined very well.

First off, the script was intelligent. It seems like just about anyone can bust out a horror movie script these days, most of which are written very poorly. However, the screenwriters seem like they really thought about this for more than fifteen minutes. They added things like your brain working for seven minutes after your heart stops, which is important since Freddy Krueger is all in your head, and you start dreaming while you're still awake when you're sleep deprived, which made for some awesome scenes. First time feature film directer, Samuel Bayer, took on the hard job of putting to screen a character America already loved to fear and added a whole new element. He made it scary but more importantly he made you feel like it was more real, something they definitely lost in the seven sequels.

Semi-newcomer, Kyle Gallner, delivers another good fright fest performance, first being in The Haunting in Connecticut, the other being in Jennifer's Body. And Oscar-nominee Jackie Earle Haley tackles the role of the Nightmare king himself and does terrific. As much as I love Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger, with some thought out screen writing, aiding to a powerful actor, Freddy Krueger showed real emotion and true depth at times. Looking back, Freddy Krueger rarely even showed anger, nonetheless fear or any normality. Overall, the film was scary, smart (for a horror film), and well acted (even for a regular film). It's a must-see for Freddy fans as this is the best installment to the series since the original Nightmare. Definitely don't skip it and if you like Freddy, a good horror film, or just a good thriller see it on the big screen.