Movies in Review: "The Grey"

This movie was #1 at the box office its opening weekend with top ticket sales of $20 million, but who didn't expect that. Liam Neeson's name alone will likely carry top billing for movie goers. It was hard to say what I expected from this film, all I know is that I was left a little unsatisfied...

I don't know if it was just me, but the beginning of this movie was annoying the mess out of me as Neeson's character is reciting a letter that he wrote his wife. He is overly whiny, and I honestly just wanted him to STFU! There are shots of where he is as the letter is being read, but for the life of me I have no clue where he and the other characters were, what they were doing there, and why they were now on a plane...heading????....Needless to say I felt the story was way under developed, although the movie was long as hell. I guess the writers didn't thing we would be interested in the background of the characters, and would be satisfied with short glimpses, or pictures. The meat and potatoes of the story comes when all the characters board the plane, and of course crash.

This is a story we have seen done before, but the director was still able to keep the audience in suspense and on edge. You will also find yourself vested and rooting for each survivor. There are a number of great shots that will keep you interested even when the story starts to get a little melodramatic. This movie will have a way of tearing at your heart as characters fall one by one as a result of the Alaskan elements, and the pack of wolves stalking them. The end left movie goers in the theatre I watched it, a little flat. Just remember this theme when watching "Live and die on this day" and you may not feel so let down...B-

Movies in Review: "Man on a Ledge"

January has definitely been a dismal month for movies. I am contemplating taking the month of January off from this blog next year. These lack luster films are really starting to depress me...smh. Another film that I was anticipating is Man on a Ledge. I am a fan of Sam Worthington, and the trailer had me on the edge. Unfortunately many movie goers did not share the same feelings. This movie ranked #5 it's opening weekend with only $8.3 million in tickets sales...WOW!!! It wasn't great, but it was definitely better than "One for the Money"...lol.

The problem with this movie started at the beginning, and continued to sink until the end. What kind of lame a$$ story was this...seriously? It was beyond unbelievable. The story should have ended after the car chase scene with the train, because there was no way in hell anyone was surviving that crash, let alone being able to walk away without a single injury...smh. What type of police dept, as tight knit as you guys are, wouldn't recognize one of your owns father if you saw him?...huh? I'm also suppose to believe that 2 non experience thieves can plan out a "Mission Impossible" type robbery based off a blueprint map? Come on! And would any of you believe Kyra Sedgewick as a spanish reporter named Susie Morales. Given the teeth sucking when she said her name, neither did the audience...smh.Does it get any worse. I would have just let Worthington jump...lol.

As poorly as the story was written, the movie had action and movement that is still able to keep you entertained. I swear the relevance of some of the characters made no sense to me...Anthony Mackie...lol. The movie would have been better, but the lame ending just added insult to injury. Don't waste your money to watch this outside of your own home...C+

Movies in Review: "One for the Money"

Here we are with yet another movie based off a  novel of the same name, this one was written by Jane Evanovich. I guess all the promoting they did for this film must have helped a bit because it ranked #3 at this weekend's box office with $11.7 million in tickets sales. I know that this isn't sayin much, but come on, its January and I didn't even expect it to do that well...smh.

I really hope Katherine Heigl isn't considering this a movie career. The only character I have ever seen her play that had any depth was as Izzie Stevens on Grey's Anatomy. Unfortunately, she let that role go...smh. Heigl has been in a number of fun comedies "Knocked Up", "27 Dresses", "The Ugly Truth", all of which I am a fan of. She also plays almost the same character in each of these movies...smh. She plays Stephanie Plum in this film and wow was she amazing...NOT! What a waste of time and money. Did you think giving Heigl a bad dye job, and slapping her with a "Jersey Accent" was good for business...btw...HORRIBLE jersey accents. I bet everyone who went to see it in jersey was saying "I don't talk like that"...smh.

The story was a bore to me, and it's very unfortunate because I have heard good things about the book series. It's not a good look when fans of the book series didn't believe Heigl fit the character Stephanie. If you find it on TV in a couple of weeks or get a copy from your bootleg man you will feel alot better with your purchase. If you happen not to see it at all, you won't feel like you've missed something so no worries...D!

Movies in Review: "Albert Nobbs"

This movie was based on a short story by Irish novelist George Moore. I'm guessing that it was a really short story, as the film adaption felt a little unfinished to me. Glenn Close does a remarkable job as a woman living his life as a man, the ever so eloquent Mr. Albert Nobbs. As beautiful as Glenn Close is (see pic below), besides the bone structure, it was hard to see her as anything but Mr. Nobbs. I enjoyed what was presented in the film, but the character development fell way short of presenting a strong story.

Quite honestly I was left feeling like what was the point? What was the purpose of the tale? I was left feeling empty, instead of fulfilled. Such character stories that needed more depth were Mr. Nobbs himself. I could not understand if she was actually a woman who felt like a man, or a female who took on the role for survival. You get to hear a piece of Mr. Nobbs story, but it wasn't nearly enough for this complicated character. I also could have used more development with Helen and Joe's story. Their whirlwind romance blew in and out so quickly, and I would have liked to know their background. Even the crush Mr Nobbs had for Helen was just strange, and rushed. My favorite characters were Mr. Page and his wife Cathleen. I loved their story, and brought the most depth to the film, especially Mr. Page.

The story is just sad in a way. The ending left me thinking...WTH...smh. I have no idea who Mr. Nobbs is, only that he wanted to purchase a cigar parlor, and take on a wife...smh. This movie could have been better. Maybe it should have been adapted from a whole story, instead of a short one...I'm just sayin...C+

Movies in Review: "Underworld: Awakening"

This is the 4th installment of this film, and in my opinion, the most underwhelming. Kate Benkinsale reprises her role as the blue eyed vampire Selene. There is no doubt that Benkinsale is gorgeous in her patent leather cat suit, and is kicka$$ with her sleek swift moves, but sadly, maybe a little too kicka$$.

It seem that they focused too much on the fighting and action, instead of trying to develop the story, which could have been played out better than what it was. The focus of this film just seemed to be to get as much blood on the canvas as possible. Hey but if you're in to that, then this movie is for you. Michael Ealy was added to the mix as Detective Sebastian. I was a fan of Ealy's, but he seemed to have caught a case of "over acting" in this role. I was not a fan of his performance. It would be hard for me to say much about the writing since there isn't much dialogue to begin with. Beckinsale should have been exhausted by all the shooting, jumping, and knifing she had to do in this film...I know I was exhausted watching it...smh. The movie would have been better had the actually story been able to shine instead of being overshadowed by all the bloodshed.

The visuals were decent, but the overall film would have me saving my money on the purchase for a 3D tickets. I would say that this series is on its way out, but for those of you that are followers and fans, you will be happy to know that they left it open for a 5th installment...Yay ~sarcasm~. If you are not a follower, but instead was interested in seeing this movie because you thought it was going to be great... save your money...C!

Movies in Review: "Haywire"

From the looks of the crowded theatre I was in, you could see that alot of movie goers have been anticipating this movie. The trailer was awesome, filled with action on top of action, all based around a hardcore female...exciting. Well the excitement soon fizzles as you find yourself sitting through this ridiculous movie...smh.

Omg this has to be one of the corniest directed films I have seen in a long time. Some of the actions that were being taken place will have you saying wtf? I think the major mistake for this movie is that they cast Gina Carano as the lead. She is a mixed martial arts fighter, and you have seen her on the show Gladiators, but by no means is this young woman an actress. Listening and watching her was annoying from beginning to end. The only time she was decent was when she was fighting. She was stiff, had no presence, and her voice stayed in the same deep, monotone pitch for the entire hour and a half...annoying. I am sure it was apparent that Carano wasn't strong in the "acting" department, which is why I'm sure this is the reason they cast such strong co-stars like Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, and Antonio Banderas (who is looks like he is in the best shape of his life....yum!). Channing Tatum was also in the film, but he was weak and sub par as usual, so I have half the base to not even count him...smh.

Steven Soderbergh directed this movie. He also directed a number of great films including, The Informant, Traffic, Ocean's Thirteen, so I was quite surprised to see the direction of this film fail miserably. The only decent scenes were the ones that included the action/fighting. And to be quite honest, although choreographed well, the fight scenes LOOKED choreographed instead of natural sequences. I guess that can be attributed to Carano's poor performance. The story itself was horrible and the writing even worse. Carano's character is sooooo kicka$$, she becomes boring to watch. And for the life of me what was up with the musical soundtrack playing in the film. The music seemed more fit for a 70's porn flick than a 21st century action movie. Needless to say, I was not a fan of this film. I feel asleep 5 times, and it didn't look like I was the only one nodding off in the theatre. Action and all, this movie was an unbelievable mess...D-

Movies in Review: "Coriolanus"

Coriolanus...hmmmmmm...I watched the trailer, and it really looked like a very interesting watch. There was plenty of movement, and action, and what I gathered from the narrator on the trailer, the story was intriguing. What I didn't notice from the trailer until later was that there were great shots of the story, but no speaking. Well once I bought my ticket and sat to watch the movie I began to clearly understand why. For those of you not familiar with "Coriolanus", myself included, it was originally a Shakespearean play that has been adapted to film. The trailer was clearly meant to draw in people like myself who have no idea about the story, and lure you in with the action...~gasp~

Within 20min I found my self cringing in my seat, and almost brought to tears because my ears were bleeding so bad. It would be unfair of me to say that I am not a fan of Shakespeare because I can appreciate the art behind his work. The problem is that I don't understand what the characters are saying...Uuuuugggghhhhh. It was so annoying to sit there while the characters are speaking English, but you wish the movie had subtitles just so you can understand what is being said. You know how Shakespeare plays are. They speak 15 words just to say a 3 word sentence if spoken in plain English. I"m sorry, but this movie was way over my head to even comprehend it. It was very theatrical, and there was also some humor, which I didn't get until after other audience members laughed...smh.

I actually contemplated leaving after the 1st 20min, but It was the only movie I had planned to watch in that theatre, and I had already paid for my ticket AND also bought popcorn. So unfortunately I sat there and tried to understand what I could. You should have seen me sitting there actually concentrating on everything that was being said and done, just so I could get and understanding of the story, and I think I got it for the most part.

Ralph Fiennes stars as Coriolanus, and made his directorial debut with this film. Wow he sure picked a tough one, but as a Shakespeare interpreter I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I love Fiennes as an actor. One of my favorite movies starring him being The Constant Gardner. His performance in Coriolanus was no different. He is a very strong actor who I found to be superb as Coriolanus. Jessica Chastain was cast as his wife. I enjoyed watching her, and found humor in the fact that almost every scene she was in required her to shed a single tear on cue...lol. Vanessa Redgrave was by far my favorite and in my opinion, the strongest piece in the film. I think Gerard Butler should have been replaced with someone with stronger chops. He seemed a bit out of his league. But I could be wrong, given the fact that I couldn't understand what was being said...lol

Unfortunately, it would be unfair for me to rate this movie. I can say that I don't believe adapting a Shakespeare play really worked as a directed film. The drama failed to come across the same as it would have if it were performed on stage. Please take what you can from this review and base your decision on that...N/A (unable to rate....sorry :( )

Movies in Review: "Red Tails"

Finally! The movie we have anticipated for months to be released is finally here. BTW...when I say "WE" I'm really speaking to the women. Yeah Yeah...sorry men...but this movie has more to offer than just a great story about our Tuskegee Airmen. For the women there is also ample eye candy awaiting us when we hit the theatres...Yum! Ok sorry, I get a little excited when gorgeous men are involved...let me get back to the review...eh hem...

I had the opportunity to catch a viewing for this film a month ago, and was happy to come across those tickets. As you all know it is a movie inspired by the story of The Tuskegee Airmen. It is directed by Anthony Hemingway (directed The Wire & Treme), and stars Cuba Gooding Jr. who starred in the 1995 made for TV movie "The Tuskegee Airmen" and Terrance Howard who portrayed a Tuskegee pilot in the 2002 film Hart's War...interesting right...lol.

Well when the film starts out...IDK...it was weird for me because there was action, but it seemed to be missing a musical soundtrack to go along with what was going on in the film. The 1st 10min felt kind of empty, but I did go to a viewing, so maybe music was added later...I hope. No worries though, because the movie soon picks up as all the men get introduced. I loved seeing some of the black actors, many we haven't seen since their younger yrs on now cancelled sitcoms. For the life of me, how does Method Man keep getting cast in movies. Not to say I don't enjoy him, he is just always a surprise, and so random...lol.

Oh Cuba it is so great to see you on the big screen again. I need to see more of you my love...smh. I was so elated to see Cuba in this movie. This man is flawless, and I kind of wish there was more of him in this film, but then again, I guess there was enough. Unfortunately, the last 7 movies Gooding was in all went straight to DVD, and so far he has nothing in the future after Red Tails...smh...So WHAT!...Gooding you are still amazing in my book! Cuba stars alongside Terrance Howard, who is stiff as always. Ok maybe not as stiff as previous performances, but this man is tight faced and shouldered when he acts right...lol. Regardless, he still does a great job. There is one scene that clearly shows how much larger his one eye is compared to the other. I'm sorry, I had to share because I couldn't stop looking at it...lol.

The story and action were decent, although I felt there was a lot of down time in between. Luckily the story is moving enough to keep you interested. But the meat and potatoes are the actors portraying the Tuskegee Airmen. See below ( an extra few images for the ladies ;)

You have Nate Parker who plays "Easy". Ooooohhhh absolutely gorgeous! But as much as I like Nate Parker and respect him as an actor, this was my least favorite role for him. This is the first time I felt he did not connect with the character, and it felt like he was "acting". It didn't help matters that he resembled a young Denzel Washington from the Malcolm X movie when Malcolm had that conk in his hair. You watch it and tell me he doesn't look like Denzel...lol. I wanted him to be stronger, but was a bit weak in my opinion...eh.

Another actor who had my eyes jumping is the English born actor David Oyelowo who plays "Lightning". Ummmmmm for the life of me I could swear that I have never seen this gorgeous face before in a movie, until I realized he was also in "The Help" and "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes"...nice. He had to be my favorite in this movie. I honestly drooled over every scene he was in...smh

I can't finish my man pie without adding the cutie patootie Tristan Wilds...omg his smile is infectious. Wilds plays "Ray Gun" aka "Jr". There is nothing to dislike about Wilds in my opinion. He has a boyish quality that he can't escape, which made the grown up idea of his character seem a little unbelievable. But I guess in that day and age it shouldn't be hard to believe that a 20yr old is married with kids, but unfortunately Tristan looks 15yr...lol. Wilds was great as always, and I look forward to seeing him more on the big screen. But for any of you who need a fix, you can catch him on CW's 90210.

There were a number of other young black actors who completed this cast like Ne-yo, who actually wasn't as annoying as in his last movie, Kevin Phillips (Pride), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), Marcus Polk (Roll Bounce), and Michael B. Jordan (Friday Night Lights). Red Tails was cool, the cast was great, and not just to look at ;)...B-!

Movies in Review: "Joyful Noise"

My my my....what a Joyful movie. And I'm not trying to be funny. This film was a joy to watch...really. The Latifah/Parton was amazing! Seeing those two is enough in itself to see this movie. They were hilarious. I must admit, knifed up Parton was sometimes scary to look at, as her waist is a 23", and her boobs were a 46". She looked like a lollipop to me...lol...a scary lollipop...ok let me stop. You probably won't notice though, or at least the way she looks won't bother you as they scripted in plenty of the comments you would have about Parton's appearance as a comedy aspect, which worked well.

One great thing about Parton is that she did not miss a beat on screen. She was so natural and so much fun to watch...and let me not forget about the singing. Parton's voice hasn't changed a bit, maybe aged, but she still sounds great. I knew Latifah could sing, but I never heard her sound so beautifully. Keke Palmer...what!!! I knew she could sing also, but not like that! All the songs were nicely done. The movie honestly would have been alot shorter had they not sang every song on the soundtrack in its entirety...lol.

Yes you have seen this story done before, but the dynamic of this movie is still worth the money. I think mothers and teenagers would appreciate it. One of my favorite scenes was the one with Latifah and Palmer by the elevator...Latifah had me clapping by the end of that scene. Latifah was strong and believable as a "single" mother of 2 teenagers. I haven't seen this happen in a while, but the audience went into applause when the credits started to roll. I guess everyone was feeling the same way I did...I liked it...B+

Movies in Review: "Contraband"

After watching this trailer, who can honestly say that they were expecting a great movie...smh. I know I didn't, but I can say that it was at least a little better than I thought, which is not really saying much. I honestly was a bit disappointed to see Mark Wahlberg in this role. In my opinion, this role seemed a bit beneath him. He perfected this role earlier on in his career, and has since moved on to play characters with more substance. This role seemed like a step back for him...although he did play the mess out of it.

Come on! Lets be serious, we love seeing Wahlberg as a bada$$. He's just great, and looks good doing it, and he adds such charisma that is undeniably attractive. This is may be one of the only reasons to see this film, along with the performance from Giovanni Ribisi. Ribisi is one of my favorite actors who I need to see more of. He owns every role that he plays, and his characters are never straight forward, but always complicated...I love it.

Kate Beckinsale was blah, and so was the story. We have seen this story a million times. There is really nothing  intriguing about it, and there are a few subplots that were subpar and unbelievable. This movie is not a must see, but more suitable as a rental. I expected to give this movie a D, but it was a little better than that...C+

Movies in Review: Top Ten 2011 Movie Wrap Up

I have been addressed by a couple of friends who put in requests for an end of the year movie wrap up. Not a bad idea, so here I am to oblige my followers. Following are MY favorite top ten movies of this past year. The films that made this list are here because I thoroughly enjoyed these movies for one reason or another. Many of them evoked emotions, or had phenomenal performances or stories. I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! And thank you for all of your support! Without further or do my top ten movies of 2011:

1. X-Men First Class
2. Moneyball
3. The Help
4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
5. Thor
6. Bridesmaids
7. Real Steel
8. 50/50
9. The Adjustment Bureau
10. Lincoln Lawyer

Honorable Mentions: Win Win, Barney's Version, The Descendents, Like Crazy, Contagion, Friends with Benefits, Horrible Bosses, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Mission-Impossible: Ghost Protocol

That's my list folks. Some of you may or may not agree. But whatever the case may be, I hope it helps. Happy Watching! :)

Movies in Review: "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Some may find this movie to be extremely heart wrenching, as the material may hit close to home for a lot of people. I enjoyed it for the most part. I however found the young character Oskar to be amusing, but also super annoying. This kid is a little wacky to say the least. He is very smart and particular, and I'm sure by the end of the film you will never want to hear another tambourine...smh.

I wish there was more Hank's, and Bullock, but what there was I enjoyed. I seriously believed Bullock as a grieving widow and mother. There was a great deal of emotion in one scene between her and her son, which I felt was directed well. It just felt real. I liked how they tried to balance out Oskar's character with other great actors/actresses like Jeffrey Wright, Viola Davis, and Max Von Sydow. This movie may prove to be a tear jerker for some as there are real life photos and news reports of what happened Sept 11, 2001. And if that doesn't jerk a tear, then the 6th message on the answering machine will...smh.

The story, and adventure were mediocre to me. I don't think its enough to make you want to relive the events that happened. This is not to say that the movie is bad. It ran a little longer than I felt it needed to. Not a must see...B-

Movies in Review: "The Iron Lady"

A superb performance by Meryl Streep as she takes on the role as Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister. Unfortunately, Streep's performance was one of the ONLY great points of this film. Quite honestly the story of Mrs Thatcher was rather dull. I cannot tell you how great Streep was. She gave life to this story, as she played an aging, cenial Thatcher remarkably. It didn't look like a great makeup job, Streep really looked like and acted as an aged Thatcher, it was eary...smh.

Watching Thatcher hallucinate about her dead husband, and being badgered by everyone around her, as well as a few flashbacks, was all this movie had to offer, and that was a bit of a bore. There had to be more that they weren't showing. Something besides her as Prime Minister, and her being able to keep her wits about her in her senior years. I think Streep's performance alone is enough to see this film...on second thought, she's enough to see it via Netflix or OnDemand...B- (Streep's performance kept me from grading this a C...FYI)

Movies in Review (INDEPENDENT FILM): "Pariah"

I've been waiting for the release of this film for months. It was finally released this weekend, unfortunately, many of you won't get the opportunity to see it. If you get the opportunity, I definitely recommend that you at least check out the trailer. The trailer completely caught my interest in the film, not solely because of the story, but also Kim Wayans performance. I am happy to say that I can now classify Ms. Wayans as an actress for her role in this movie...Kudos to you!

This film has material that may hit close to home for some of you, as it is focused around a young lady coming to terms with her sexuality. This is a very tough situation to be in for all parties, not only for the individual, but also for the individuals family, and community. It is tough watching Alike (the films main character) finding the strength to come out to her family, which onsets a heap of drama...smh. As this movie is focused around female sexuality, I have to admit that there were a number of scenes in the film that had me a bit uncomfortable and screaming PINEAPPLES!!! (Kevin Hart reference)...smh

Some of you with teenagers might find yourselves uncomfortable as you hope your daughter is not the one who "likes girls, but loves men", or she's "just doing her thing"...man I would not want to have a teenager right now...smh. Although I squirmed at what was happening on screen, I enjoyed the movie and performances. This film is not for everyone, but is something I think everyone should see...B+