Review: Never Say Never

I've always appreciated Justin Bieber, I wasn't really sure why until I saw this movie. When you don't know a lot about Justin, you have to choose which side you're on and believe it or not, there are a lot of Bieber haters out there. I chose the opposite side but I wasn't enough of a fanatic to go see this movie opening night.. in fact, I waited until this was in the cheap theaters to see it. And now that I have seen it, I kind of wish I hadn't have waited. I may have caught a little bit of Bieber Black Lung.. or is it fever?

Never Say Never follows the story of Justin Bieber from his humble roots in Canada to his recent super super stardom; which is intertwined with his sold out MSG performance. First of all, let's get something straight, Bieber is incredibly talented. I feel okay with using the word prodigy to describe him. Home videos on this movie show Justin jamming out on drums when he was 8 and keeping beats much younger than that. He can sing, dance, play piano, play guitar and more. He deserves his stardom. And coolest thing about learning all this, it screams a giant "EFF YOU!" to Disney and Nickelodeon stars; Justin doesn't need Disney or Nickelodeon to get famous, he did it on his own - even if he had to work his butt off to get there. Way to stick it to the man.

The documentary is well shot and seeing Bieber fans cry over him never gets old. The most interesting part of the show is seeing Justin struggle with being a teenager and his crazy crazy lifestyle. I wish the movie would have explored this idea a little bit more, but it really shines when it does. This isn't a movie just for crazy fans, it is a very inspiring story and if you walk out of the theatre not appreciating JB, there is something wrong with you. It's refreshing to see him behind the scenes as kind of a punk-kid-teen as we were all punk teeners at one point. He has something special going on here and I hope that he is able to stay stable in the future and not pull a Charlie Sheen. I don't think he will, but his career will be interesting to follow because for now, he is a bright star with an inspiring story that works well as a documentary.

This blog will probably not get too popular but... Never Say Never.

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Review: Sucker Punch

First off, Let me answer some questions about this movie.

1. Does it have robot samurais? Yes.

2. Do these robot samurais wield swords, guns, or bazookas? All of the above.

3. Are there any zombies in this movie? If so, which regime do they align themselves with? Yes, and the Nazi regime.

4. Is this enough to make me want to see this movie? Should be!

Wow, I honestly have never been so amazed while watching a movie. I was amazed at the ridiculous action sequences (take the things mentioned above, and add a girl with a samurai sword and a gun fighting them, and that doesn't even explain half of them). I was amazed that any production company was okay with making this into a movie because how amazingly ridiculous of an idea it is. In short, I was amazed. Now does that make it a good movie? I feel like I generally have a good taste in movies, but this one splits my heart right down the middle... yes, by a samurai sword.

Okay, so this is the first movie actually written and directed by Zack Snyder. Zack Snyder directed 300 and Watchmen. Both of these movies are beyond pleasing to the eyes, he has a way of making things look cool, especially action. Slow motion is used as much as possible here to create many, many "WOW" moments. Where Zack Snyder movies tend to struggle is in the storytelling. With 300 and Watchmen, Zack already had two really good stories to work with and even then they felt a little hollow. With Zack writing and then trying to tell Sucker Punch, it leaves a lot to be desired. The story is basically of a girl who gets wrongfully put into an insane asylum, and in order to deal with the terrible things happening to her - her brain goes into these alternate, video game-esque, realities. These realities create a reason to see this movie, I promise you have never seen anything on screen like this.

Okay, so the final verdict - this movie is amazingly stylish, action packed, and jaw droppingly cool when it comes to the action. Everything else (story, acting, purpose) leaves you feeling a little empty - apart from a particularly moving opening scene which features a dark, new version of the song "Sweet Dreams" (which is really cool). The good thing is that most of the movie is the action so you don't have to endure a whole lot of dialogue or bad acting. I can promise you will come away from Sucker Punch feeling that you just saw something completely unique. I can't really promise that you will enjoy it as much as I did. Video game and action fans should see this movie.

Oh, one last question.

Does this movie feature a really emo/depressing version of the Pixies' song, "Where Is My Mind?"

Oh yes.

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Review: Paul

What happens when you take ET and mix it with Superbad and Shaun of the Dead? Well, you get Paul. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost play two british comic book nerds that go America for a comic book convention and also to see famous UFO sites. Along their travels they come across Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an alien who has escaped from Area 51 and is trying to get home. Pegg and Frost must help him get to his space ship before the FBI catches him.

Like Superbad and Shaun of the Dead, Paul has lots of crude humor and cursing (which is all pretty funny, especially when it is coming out of an alien's mouth). Jason Bateman is very funny as the FBI agent trying to get Paul back. Along the journey there are many very satisfying cameos (Jeffrey Tambor and Jane Lynch to name a couple) - and a very hilarious cameo at the very end which I won't spoil for you. Kristen Wiig also has a funny role as a hardcore Christian who's t-shirt shirt may be one of the more offensive things I've seen in a movie (hilarious, though). The comedy is where this movie capitalizes and the biggest laughs come from Paul himself.

What made Superbad and even Shaun of the Dead good was that they were able to have some truly touching moments among the comedy. Paul tries to do this with it's characters, but it feels like there is just too much going on for there to be anything that truly tugs at your heart strings.

Paul has enough laughs and action to keep you entertained. Sci-Fi enthusiasts will enjoy all of the references and jokes made here. Science Fiction is a tough genre of movie to make, and although this is somewhat of a parody - Paul is one of the better Science Fiction movies I've seen in a while.

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Review: Limitless

Here we have a movie about drugs. Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a writer with serious writer's block - he luckily runs into his ex-brother-in-law who offers him a drug that will open up his mind and make his possibilities truly Limitless. Now let's get something straight, this movie is NOT Requiem for a Dream. Drugs look pretty dang cool for most of this movie and even by the end of the movie there aren't any real ramifications for Eddie's drug abuse. So maybe this movie doesn't teach the greatest lessons, but it still is pretty fun.

Limitless has some interesting special effects that make the audience feel like they're doing drugs along with Eddie. You'll find yourself endlessly flying through New York City on a few occasions that can make you feel a little sick.. which could be deliberate. Bradley Cooper is emerging as a pretty good actor and he is exciting and believable in this movie. There are a lot of laughs and some exciting action sequences to be had in this movie. You can tell director Neil Burger wanted to have this movie be a rush similar to the rush that Eddie has when he takes the drug. He succeeds.

Where the movie struggles is in its story. It's erratic and sometimes doesn't make a whole lot of sense - You'll find yourself wondering "Well if Eddie's so smart on this drug, shouldn't he have seen this coming?". And as I mentioned before, the only conclusion you can draw from this movie is that this drug really rules - I was hoping for something a little more inspirational. Robert De Niro has a small and forgettable role in this movie, he seemed to be going through the motions, but no doubt that his presence in this movie will help it earn money.

You shouldn't do drugs; this movie is ok to see though.

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New to DVD: The Tourist

Please do not see this movie. If you have any respect for yourself as a human being, stay as far away from this film as you can.

Do not buy it.

Do not rent it from Blockbuster.

Do not redbox it.

Do not watch it streaming on Netflix.

Do not support people who plan to watch it.

Should you even suggest it to your friend as a joke? No.

This movie is awful. It is honestly one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. I wasted $8.50 and 103 excruciating minutes of my life to see this in theaters.

What makes it even worse is that this movie should be good. I'm a fan of both Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp and it seems like an interesting enough concept for a movie. Angelina plays a secret agent who is tricking Johnny Depp into being someone or something like that.. The plot never really matters and you will NEVER guess the twist at the end. You will seriously never guess it. Not because it's shocking, but because it is so ridiculous and makes very little sense.

Johnny Depp's character is supposed to be a boring teacher from the United States. First of all, why would you ever cast Johnny Depp for this role? He thrives on crazy, quick-witted roles! So he is supposed to be boring.. and he nails it. Super boring. Angelina Jolie is covered in far too much makeup for her own good, she walks like she is on a runway the entire film. It's painful. Please understand how painful this movie is.

I hope this review saves someone's soul.

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Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

I love myself a good courtroom drama. When I was in elementary school, I'd be anxious for every Sunday night to watch the latest episode of The Practice with my mom. I dont know what it is, maybe I just have a hankering for justice. Since that show ended, I haven't found a courtroom drama (movie or TV show) that captured my enthusiasm the same way since. That is until, last night, I saw The Lincoln Lawyer.

This is possibly the best I have ever seen Matthew McConaughey. He plays the bad-A, quick witted, defense attorney - Mick Haller, who finds himself defending a playboy, Lous Roulet (Ryan Phillipe), who is accused of beating up and trying to rape a prostitute. Mick believes that he innocent at the beginning, until he comes across interesting evidence that links him to another murder. Mick finds himself at a moral crossroad between doing his job and bringing someone to justice. It gets intense when Roulet finds out what Mick has been learning...

The movie's high points are scenes when McConaughey is getting into it. The courtroom scenes are wonderful with some really thrilling performances. William Macey has a very small but likable role in this movie as well. The plot is exciting but McConaughey is the reason to see this movie (he even has his expected shirtless scene). There is one twist at the very end which is kind of silly, but it doesn't hurt the movie too much. (It's at least more plausible than Ghosts of Girlfriends Past).

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New to DVD: The Fighter

I'm not sure what it is about boxing movies, but they almost always seem to make a good movie. There were the Rocky movies in the 70's and 80's (although let's please forget Rocky V) and more recently there has been Cinderella Man and Million Dollar Baby - even the latest Rocky Balboa wasn't a half bad movie.

I think what helps Boxing movies is that they're very personal - you don't have to follow a story about a whole team, you can focus on one player and really get into the problems he has to overcome to become a great fighter. So comes the true story of Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his very dysfunctional family. Micky is being trained by his brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) who is a local legend because he won a pretty big fight on HBO once - but now Dicky is doing crack and holding Micky back (rhyme not intended).

Christian provides a bright spot for this movie that may have been a little too formulaic for it's own good (it follows the basic outline for any boxing/sports movie). His ability to become a character is uncanny - he plays a very believable crack addict that will leave you wondering: Wasn't this guy Batman? Along with Christian Bale, Amy Adams (Micky's girlfriend) and Melissa Leo (Micky's mom) give great performances. Micky has about 6 or 7 sisters that provide some violent and sassy laughs for the movie - even if you feel bad for how dysfunctional they are, they will still put a smile on your face.

The movie may be a little predictable, but the performances are what make this movie worth seeing. The grittiness separates Fighter from being a Rocky clone and lastly, one of my favorite all-time quotes comes from this movie:

I'm the fighter here. Not you, not you, not you.... not you.... NOT YOU.... and not you.

(Ok, I exaggerated that a little bit)

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Review: The Green Hornet

Here's a movie that should have been a surefire hit for me. It has Seth Rogen, who I love (it's also written by him and Evan Goldberg). It's a Superhero movie, which is cool. And it's directed by Michel Gondry, who directed one of my all-time favorite films - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I was stoked for this film!

Hornet runs into a lot of problems. First of all, it's an action-comedy. Action comedies can struggle to find a nice mix between being funny and action packed, while also having some heart to it that people can relate to. Just look at Rush Hour 3, a prime example of how bad an action comedy can go - ironically enough, the last good action comedy, Pineapple Express starred Rogen and was written by him and Goldberg as well.

The main problem with this movie is that you don't really care too much. Rogen's character is not really likable. He's funny enough, but he's just not relatable to. He's an overprivileged party animal that wants to go beat up bad guys. C'mon Seth, I want to love you in every movie you're in! If that weren't enough, the story is pretty bland and silly. Not silly in a good way, I felt the same way about Be Kind Rewind, whoch Gondry also directed - some of the humor here is just weird and painful (the French and their sense of humor...).

The good of this movie would have to be the action, Gondry directs some pretty cool fight scenes starring Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato (played by Jay Chou). He kicks some major, stylish butt - in slow motion, and in 3D! (if you're into this 3D craze, which I'm not, but I found myself thinking some of those shots would have looked cool in 3D.) Gondry has a sense for the artistic, which pays off in a few scenes. Rogen will probably make you laugh some, but it just doesn't fulfill the ridiculously high hopes I had for it.

Let's Roll, Kato!

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Review: Rango

From the mind of Gore Verbinksi comes the tale of Rango - a lizard (gecko?) voiced by Johnny Depp. Rango finds himself in the middle of the western town, Dirt, after a near car wreck flings him out of his owner's car and the safety of his cage. A quite enjoyable adventure ensues.

Rango, is obviously an animated movie and animated movies are directed toward kids. What's interesting is that this movie really feels like it was made for adults (but kids should still very much enjoy this movie). Rango boasts some very deep and interesting characters that look really cool as well. The animation in this movie is very detailed and gritty; some of the characters look just plain scary! It really gives you the feeling of the rugged west, but I really do think they could be disturbing to youngest audiences - Along with that, there are plenty of adult jokes in this movie. Not necessarily dirty jokes, but jokes that only adults would get. They will make you laugh really hard (mammograms and prostates both get a mention). But since this is a children's movie, there has to be some children humor. What's a little sad is that some of the children humor is really predictable and forced, it bogs down the cleverness of the movie. I think they should have taken a look at Toy Story 3 to find humor that is simple enough for kids to laugh at, but still enjoyable for every audience.

The story is fun and there's plenty of action to keep you entertained. I feel like the feel of this movie is what Verbinski wanted for his Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It's comedy is light hearted but the final act of the movie is particularly moving and thrilling. It keeps a good balance of making you laugh, but also having you care about the characters and the outcome.

I'm going to say that Rango will probably get a nomination for Best Animated Picture in next year's Academy Awards. I know it's early, but I'm going with my gut, ok!? Go enjoy the quirky, wild west world of Rango. The humor for the children may be a little bit painful and slapstick, but you can look over that, at least your kids are laughing.

We all know what the next move is.... we need to form a possum.

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New to DVD: The Next Three Days

It seems like Russell Crowe hasn't been in a good movie since 3:10 to Yuma. And now we find him in another 'ok' movie - The Next Three Days. The premise of this movie is pretty simple - Russell Crowe's wife goes to jail for a murder that the audience doesn't really know if she committed or not. Crowe is going to do whatever he can to get her out of there.

Crowe does well enough in this, but his wife (Elizabeth Banks) does a better job at being emotionally deep than I ever thought she would. I was more impressed with her.

NTD clocks in at just over 2 hours, which is long, but the suspense of all the crazy antics Crowe does keeps you entertained throughout. The problem is that the movie doesn't really do anything too exciting or innovative - it feels a little predictable, and honestly, it lacks some heart. It seems like the theme or moral of this story is - How many people are you willing to kill to bust your wife out of jail?

It's worth a rent if you're looking for something exciting to watch. Just don't expect to be enlightened or inspired to do something... well... unless you're looking to bust someone out of jail.

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Review: The Adjustment Bureau

I may have received the wrong impression from the commercials, but going into this movie I was pretty sure it was going to be an action-thriller. Ya know, it does have Matt Damon - we're all used to seeing him beat up bad guys as Jason Bourne or even as a dirty cop in The Departed. In The Adjustment Bureau Damon plays the role of David Norris - the youngest member of the House of Representatives now running for the Senate, when he comes across his partner getting his mind erased. This sounds like a pretty good set-up for a thriller, but what will surprise you is that, at it's core this movie is a love story; a pretty sappy love story at that. The first half could even be teetering along the lines of a romantic comedy. The movie does get serious eventually and it also brings up a lot of interesting questions that you'll have to answer yourself.

What's more important? Your love of a lifetime or Success? - but not just any success - success that will positively affect millions of people.

Plenty of references to religion appear. Someone working behind the scenes called "The Chairman" does not want Matt Damon and his lover (Emily Blunt) in this movie to be together because it's not part of "the plan" and it would negatively affect plenty of people. The Chairman has his task squad: "The Bureau" which make sure his plan takes place. At one point Matt Damon even asks one of them - "Are you angels?"

Matt Damon is as charming as always in this movie - David Norris is a much more vulnerable character than I'm used to seeing Damon play as he is crazy in love the entire film. He does have his heroics though, so don't worry. Emily Blunt is great as his counterpart, She was great in Sunshine Cleaning and I really enjoyed her here as well. The supporting cast does well enough although I'm pretty sure one of the characters was specifically designed for Will Smith but played by someone else - you'll notice when you see it.

Apart from the previews being a little misleading, this movie is very good. It's touching and because of it's romance-thriller-almost comedy-religion mix, it is different than anything I've seen in a theatre for a long time. There are a few beautiful moments of cinematography and the story is very interesting. My only complaint is that the storytelling, itself can be a little choppy as it bounces forward in time very abruptly a few times.

Go see this movie with an open mind and I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it.

Remember to turn the handle clockwise.

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