Angels and Demons: Surprising 3.5 Stars

Ron Howard and Tom Hanks team up again for the prequel to Da Vinci Code. I was surprised how much I liked this movie (this is the first Summer movie that I waited to see). I would describe it as a more adult version of National Treasure with the puzzle-solving and such but more violent and some graphic images. I read the book years ago and still enjoyed the movie; however my brother who recently finished the book did not appreciate the movie as much. The movie does deviate from the book significantly but the story is still along the same lines. If you have not read the book, I think you will enjoy the movie more as you won't have to debate the two. The plot is very interesting and I believe that this movie was better done than the Da Vinci Code. People who expected more from Da Vinci should give this one a chance. Angels & Demons delivers and continues the streak of a nice list of Summer movies.

Terminator Salvation: 3.5 stars

I feel like Stephanie on her rating of The Soloist. I think it was 3.5 stars but it could have been a little better or a little worse. This movie was my most anticipated of the Entire Summer! SO needless to say, expectations were high. As Isaac and I sat in the emptying theatre we were left talking about why it fell short of expectations. I asked him what they could have done better but we were having a hard time coming up with why the Dark Knight couldn't carry Terminator. Maybe its because he can't lift as much as Arnold?? But seriously I think there were a couple reasons... 1. The biggest reason is the trailer gives away too much. If you have not seen it and plan to watch the movie, avoid the trailer. It would have been better if some of that content was left as a surprise. 2. Throughout the franchise I was lead to believe that John Connor was humanity's hope and was the leader of the resistance. He is not the focus of the movie in my opinion and I was sad to see he was not the HNIC I had always thought him to be. This being said, I thought it was a solid movie but definitely tailored for true fans of the franchise. The PG-13 rating was a smart move as it leaves the movie accessible to a larger audience while still keeping it a high-action movie. It made me think of the Die Hard franchise coming out with the 4th installment PG-13 leaving the R rating to appeal to a larger audience. So to sum it up, I liked it better than Wolverine but much less than Star Trek (my early pick for best movie of the Summer). If you are a fan of Terminator don't miss this movie. If you are not, you may want to wait for it to come out on dvd. To be honest I am actually very excited to see it again next week hoping the second time is better than the first. You still wanna watch it right Darryl?!?

The Soloist: 3 Stars

I really enjoyed this movie. I thought that it had a good message and Jamie Foxx and Downey Jr. are both great actors. The movie felt familiar and the closest thing I could come up with was it reminded me a little of A Beautiful Mind. It was a good blend of humor and drama throughout the film. I thought it was cool that this was based on a true story. It made me realize how truly amazing the difference a good friend can make.

The Soloist 3.5...I think.

OK... So this movie was good. I think that both Jaime Foxx and Robert Downey Jr did a really good job! They both really fit the character they played. I loved it. It was sad but hopeful! The music is beautiful and It left me feeling really good about life and about others. It's a motivational movie! OK... I have to stop talking because I don't want to give anything away! Go see it!

Bride Wars... 2.5 Stars.

Bride Wars is a cute flick.
I enjoyed watching it, but... I'm not sure if I liked the movie or just the time watching it with my sisters? It was extremely predictable if you have seen more than 2 typical chick flicks. I would watch it again.. if I just wanted a thoughtless, cute movie that I could do a project while watching. I liked it... just didn't love it.

Singles 2nd Ward: Is negative stars allowed?

I lasted about 5 minutes with this one...don't waste as much time as I did. Avoid at all costs!

Star Trek

Ok, so let me start off my blog by saying...this one time, Israel is right. I did rate Wolverine a bit high. I'm dropping my rating of Wolverine to 3.5 stars. For those of you who don't like me changing my mind, well too bad. I'm the one writing the review here, not you. Moving on...



So I thought this movie was done extremely well. I liked the cast a lot more than I thought I would. I did have my reservations about William Shatner not being cast as Captain Kirk (bloated body and all) but those doubts were quickly forgotten when the movie started. This film doesn't waste time to grab your attention, and it manages to keep it throughout the entire showing. I was never really a fan of the original Star Trek series following the "Next Generation" series more, but fan or not there is no denying this is a fantastic movie. It's filled with amazing action sequences, drama, comedy, and much more. You're crazy if you don't go watch this movie! 4 STARS!!

Stark Trek: 4 Stars!!!

J.J. Abrams did a masterful job of resurrecting one of the most well-known and very popular franchises of all time. Trekkies and casual fans alike will love this movie. It is the best movie of the summer (very early I know) so far and maybe will be the best when all is said and done. The plot is very cool as it picks up on the life of Jim Kirk and his crew at a very young age leaving definite room for a sequel or two which I wouldn't mind by the way. The actors cast did a great job even throwing in some vintage Star Trek isms you're sure to pick up on. Star Trek will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first minute through the remaining 2 hrs and 5 minutes. The action and space scenes are beautifully shot which is a must for a scifi film. With no sex scenes and very little language, this is a movie suitable for the whole family (kids over age of 10). If you are wondering which movie to watch this summer and have to pick just 1, see this movie but go to the bathroom before it starts, because you wont want to miss a thing!

The Quiet American: 3 Stars

Based on a novel by Graham Greene this movie is set in Vietnam during the French Indochina War. Plot is very interesting and I found myself enjoying the movie more than I had expected. That is until Stephanie decided to spoil the movie for me! They had been discussing it in one of her classes and the professor told them they should watch this movie and gave away the twist when he told them about it. So when Stephanie told me she actually didn't know what she had done. Don't worry I wont spoil the movie for you! It made me laugh in a way because as I was leaving the theatre after watching Wolverine, there was a long line of people waiting to see it and I thought it would be funny to casually and loudly spoil the movie similar to an episode of the Simpsons where Homer (in a flashback) is leaving Star Wars and talking to someone as he passes the long line of people waiting to see the movie says "Who would have thought that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father?" Ok so I digress. The Quiet American is quite enjoyable. It is a murder mystery that has a love triangle woven into the story. The love triangle seemed to be a metaphor for the political situation going on in Vietnam. There are a few disturbing images due to war violence so those of you who are a bit squeamish may want to turn your head during those two scenes. Probably the best part of the movie would be Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser's performances. Michael Caine is an amazing actor which is no surprise but after watching the film I found myself saying "That Brendan Fraser can really act when he's not shooting at mummies or swinging through trees!" It was an added bonus to the already enjoyable movie. Very worthwhile hour and a half.

Wolverine: 3.5 stars

X-Men Origins: Wolverine starts a month full of potential amazing blockbusters including: the new Star Trek, Angels and Demons and Terminator! So back to Wolverine...definitely geared towards the fanboy but able to woo casual fans of the franchise. Its quality is closer to the first two installments of the X Men Franchise than the third (which is a good thing if you're wondering!). I loved the characters they introduced along with a detailed look at Wolverine's past (yay for Friday Night Light's fans!!!). Very cool look to the movie, special effects are spot on, and a decent plot was an added plus. I wish it would have dealt more with some other aspects of Wolverine's past but I can see the benefit of the way it went. I am a fan of prequels and this did a good job of tying in with the first X-Men movie. Make sure and stick around after the credits to catch a clip at the end. Summed up, if you are an action movie, Wolverine, or just a Hugh Jackman fan then this is a must see! 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I went and saw this movie on Friday when it came out. This is definitely a 4 star movie, I thought it was great. It really did a good job of living up to the name of the movie. It goes through explaining the development of "Wolverine". If you are a fan of the Wolverine character you'll like this movie. Initially, after the movie, I found myself saying "I really wish they would have shown more of the other characters" but then I remembered, that the movie is called Wolverine and if they would have shown more of the other mutants it would have just been another X-men movie. I think they did a good job of balancing it. Go watch this movie if you are an X-men fan...actually, go watch it even if you're not. You'll like it!