"The Social Network" review

Don't think that this is some film about how Facebook got big or the steps it took to become a phenomenon. No it's not, because that movie would be boring. This is a film, a great one, about the people who created it and all the drama that went along with it. It has everything you want in the type of thriller for the brain. I'm talking about tons of dialogue, written beautifully by Aaron Sorkin, rather than gunfire and exploding vehicles. David Fincher makes every scene seem like an action scene. He directs it beautifully and adds his signature Fincher touch to everything. The story of Mark Zuckerberg caught me in a trance, and my eyes couldn't leave the screen. Here you get corporate backstabbing, intense greed, betrayal, ending friendships, and an antisocial genius who created the most social networking site out there. All of these components packed into one, flawless film.

Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is a sophomore in Harvard University, perhaps the most prestigious school in the world. He's a genius who didn't miss a single thing on his SATs. He's obsessed with finals clubs and has the type of personality that makes all girls hate him. From the very first scene we see why this is the case. He gets dumped by his gilfriend who states that dating him is like dating a "stairmaster, it's exhausting." Zuckerberg is sad, and decides to start a website called facemash, where Harvard alumni can compare the hotness of Harvard females. After the computer system crashes, Zuckerberg catches the attention of the Winklevosse twins, who rows for the Harvard rowing team. They give him an idea called the Harvard connection, where fellow Harvard students can have their own profile with pictures, interests, etc. Zuckerberg says he's in to help. With Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), his best friend, helping him out, and the powerful Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the creator of napster, they decide to take the idea and make their own website. I'll stop there. Watch the film to see what ends up happening. Grand theft website, anyone? Watch it and you decide yourself.

The acting is brilliant here, possibly the best ensemble cast of the year thus far. Jesse Eisenberg gives one of the best performances of the year as Mark Zuckerberg. He has this innocence about him that's hard to resist. He doesn't ever miss a beat in this film. Stop comparing him to Michael Cera. This right here, in my opinion, is an oscar-worthy performance. Justin Timberlake is dynamite, solidifying the fact that he's a serious actor. Now, back to oscars again. One actor in particular who deserves a best supporting actor nomination is Andrew Garfield. There is a certain scene here where he steals the show and it is so beautifully acted. He gives Eduardo a great amount of smarts as well as an ample amount of vulnerability, and i couldn't help but sympathize with him. And of course Armie Hammer, who plays the twins, is terrific as well.

I want to start talking about why "The Social Network" is such a great film. It's so amazingly well-made. The whole look fo the film, the pacing, the dialogue, the acting, the mood of each scene is brilliant. Hats off to both David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin for coming together and making a gem of a movie. Aaron Sorkin's screenplay definitely steals the show here for the majority of the film. The dialogue is witty, funny, and smart. The film doesn't drag you along but rather, makes you catch-up to it. The story enthralled and captivated me. The characters were so well emphasized in this film, that I might consider calling this a character drama. What each and every character is going through and how different each of their perspectives are is interesting. This is the best film of the year so far, and it'll be hard to top. It's one of those rare dynamites of a movie without using any actual dynamite. Facebook lover or not, whether you think Mark Zuckerberg is an assh*le or not, this is a great movie. "The Social Network" shows where we are in society, a technologically driven society. This film is something special.
Rating: 4 out of 4

"Get Him to the Greek" review

Russell Brand and Jonah Hill are back in this so-called sequel to the great "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Nicholas Stoller, the director of the 2008 hit, is directing this film as well but this time he's also writing it. Like any Judd Apatow produced film, it does have its share of hilarious raunchiness. It's R rating is prominent here once again, but one of the good things about the film is that it never goes too far. The first half of "Greek" is filled with dirty jokes and drug abuse, but as soon as you think it's going too far, it reaches its second half which has a surprisingly pleasant amount of heart. like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", you care for the characters here and truly hope that they can find a better lives for themselves. It's the ability of these types of comedies to do this to us that make them worthwhile. Sure it's funny, but where's the emotion? There are only a few that accomplish this, and "Get Him To The Greek" does a nice job.

British rock star Aldous Snow (Brand) is over the hill. He's sunk himself deep with drugs and alcohol. Instead of being an artist, he has turned into a controlled musician with producers telling him what to sing. This is evident by his terribly recieved album "African Child". He's basically done. Then one loyal fan named Aaron Greenberg (Hill), who works for a record company, proposes a plan to the ambitious and demanding Sergio Roma (P. Diddy) to have an Aldous Snow comeback concert in the Greek Theatre in L.A. Seeing this as a great plan, Roma trusts Greenberg with the obstacle of getting Snow to the Greek. Problems arise as Greenberg tries his best to keep Snow on track. Being sidetracked by drugs, alcohol, girls, etc., Greenberg realizes that it'll be hard not only to keep the rocker on track, but himself. The journey to the Greek can be disturbing at times, but ultimately it's a memorable one.

The whole cast here is simply terrific. It's one of the biggest strengths of the whole film. Jonah Hill makes his character a sophisticated but very vulnerable man, although Hill's weight is starting to look like an issue. P. Diddy is fantastic and absolutely hilarious. Some people say that he actually made the film. In my opinion, though, Russell Brand made the film what it is. He's the same old Brand that we've come to know from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", a wild drug, alcohol, and sex addict. But when the film decides to become sentimental, Brand does a great job of giving Aldous Snow a tremendous amount of heart.

Nicholas Stoller has written and directed a good film that is undoubtedly hilarious at some parts. The problem here is that the film may seem a bit too long and a couple of parts seemingly fall flat. Overall, though it isn't as good as "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", it's a good film that's funny enough to be considered one of the better comedies out there.
Rating: 3 out of 4

"Date Night" review

Steve Carrell and Tina Fey team up in a very solid comedy that has a simple story to it. They're just one of those couples who goes on a date here and there, but in the same restaurant. They barely have sex and their kids and job seem to take up the majority of their time. They notice this as a theme to their relationship, and plan to spice things up by going on a different type of date. The date turns disastrous. First, they steal someone's reservation in a high-end restaurant called Claw and then they are caught up in a whirlwind of problems. They meet weird people, including the shirtless Mark Wahlberg, and go on a too unrealistic car chase. What may seem like many problems at first happens to be a blessing in disguise. What they learn from each other may be the key to saving their "boring" relationship. It has a nice blend of comedy and suspense, but some of the lines didn't work. With that said, most of them did, and "Date Night" serves as a fun film to check out.
Rating: 21/2 out of 4

"Kick-Ass" review

This is one badass movie. It's bloody, hilarious, and has a young girl beating big dudes up and cussing furiously along the way. This is what I'm talking about. Now is it really true that sometime in our lives, maybe even now, we fantasize about being a superhero? Yes, probably. Have we fulfilled that dream? Probably not. Why? Maybe because we're too much of a wimp to try it out. In this great film by Matthew Vaughn, that fantasy came true. This movie is definitely not for everyone. Don't be fooled by the trailers. This isn't a film for young kids or the faint of heart. It's gory like a Quentin Tarantino masterpiece. It's language is harsh at times and the jokes are very explicit. Call it "Superbad" with a little extra twist; there are superheroes. All those components, when put together, work amazingly. It has the right amount of rauchiness but at the same time, the perfect amount of heart. "Kick-Ass" brings out the vulnerable superhero from all of us.

The great imagination of being a superhero turns into a reality when a regular high schooler named Dave (Aaron Johnson) decides to try his hand at fighting crime. He's just a regular teen who "just existed". He wasn't into sports, wasn't the smartest kid, and girls didn't seem to like him much. It was just him and his three friends fooling around at comic book stores after school. Soon, Dave buys a funny looking green costume online. It looks ridiculous, and that's one of the funny parts of the film. It's stupid and not intimidating at all. Nevertheless, he puts it on and names himself Kick-Ass. Of course, like any superhero, nobody knows his true identity. None of Dave's friends know that he is Kick-Ass. So he begins his tour as a superhero, and things don't seem right. He first tries to fight a couple of thieves who are attempting to steal a car. It doesn't work out too well. He gets beat up and even worse, as he's walking away, he gets hit by a car. He's sent to the hospital bleeding out real human blood. This shows that despite being a superhero, he's a vulnerable human being like all of us. He gained some fame, but it wasn't until he decides to fight 3 guys who are ganging up on one guy that he broke through. As he begins to fight them, he attracts the attention of the people around him. One kid pulls out his cellphone and records it, posts it on Youtube, and the sensation of Kick-Ass is born. With the help of the loving, but obsessed Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (the tremendous Chloe Moretz), they begin their reign. These two are masters at their crafts, and Big Daddy is relentless in teaching Hit Girl the ways of a superhero. Soon, obstacles begin to stand in their way, like the police department and the one and only Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). The fights that the good and bad guys take part in are pretty darn cool. Trust me.

The whol cast is brilliant, but the one who totally steals the show is Chloe Moretz, a young 13-year-old actress who plays the totally badass Hit Girl. To think she was only 11 when they shot this film is mind-boggling. She slips that occasional cuss word, and gets grown men bloody from their heads to their toes. She stabs then and pops them right in the head with a gun. She's ruthless and a master at her work. The young actress pulls it off flawlessly. This performance will get her started for sure in her career. Aaron Johnson plays the role of Dave and Kick-Ass with heart and determination, always reminding us that he's not a superhero but just someone who dares to be one. And Nicholas Cage surprised me in this film. I've always known that he is a fine actor, but I didn't know he would play such a vital Role in this film. There are also strong supporting performances by Mark Strong and Mclovin from "Superbad".

"Kick-Ass" is a great film of people willing to obtain superhero-like powers. Not super speed, the ability to fly, or breathing out fire, but rather the willingness to make a change and end the corruption. We need more people like that in the world. In one scene, Kick-Ass is called crazy. He realizes that he's not the crazy one, but that we are for just standing there and watching the madness proceed. "Kick-Ass" is a terrific combination of being funny, violent, and tragic while at the same time being a hugely entertaining journey of a ridiculously fake superhero who will seem like a real one to all of us.
Rating: 31/2 out of 4

"How to Train Your Dragon" review

Does this movie look like something soley made for kids? You betcha. But trust me, it's more. It's an animated feature of a great adventure that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. The 3D is the best I've seen in any film thus far, and you will be blown away. The story is about a lovable character named Hiccup (voiced brilliantly by Jay Baruchel) who just wants to be a viking like his father and the rest of them. The problem is that he's a skinny little boy with a show of little confidence. Definitely not the recipe for a viking. So what does he do? He sees himself in a dragon he calls Toothless, and learns the ways of the dragon through him. The whole cast of voices here are all well-done, especially by the likes of Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson. Ultimately, the movie is beautiful throughout, but the scenes that stick out are the ones with Hiccup flying high in the sky with awesome 3D magic. I don't know if this is quite Pixar-esque, but it isn't far away from that, and that's seriously saying alot. The film is at times funny, thrilling, and heartful. A family film to have all those qualities work effectively together is an undoubted success. One of the best films of the year thus far.
Rating: 31/2 out of 4

"Clash of the Titans" review

Movies like this can easily be bad, with over-the-top action scenes, a script that seems like it was written by a 12-year-old, and a bonehead plot. Fortunately, the filmmakers here decided to actually take this one a little more seriously. The film is based on a remake from the 1981 "Clash of the Titans", and the new 2010 one is filled to its brim with, at times, beautiful CGI. More or less, that's what this whole film mainly depends on, the strength of its CGI. And what the film mostly consists of is real humans fighting CGI in mindless action scenes. That's right, mindless. Is this a bad thing? Well, it can be enjoyable to a point, but when it reaches the stage where you can barely recognize what's happening in the movie, then that's bad. This is one of the flaws of the film. There are times when the action on screen simply look like utter madness. Still, Sam Worthington gives an inspired performance along with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. They make the best of the material is this fun but flawed action adventure.

Perseus (Worthington) learns that his real father is Zeus (Neeson), a god. He is angry that he never knew this after 20-some years, and to make matters worse, Zeus' brother Hades (Fiennes) murdered Perseus' fake father whom Perseus loved very much. He vows to take revenge by killing Hades but of course, it's no easy task to kill a god. Despite Perseus' obvious courage and characteristic of being both a man and a god, it seems like an impossible feat when you look at the creatures that he's going to have to kill. Watch Perseus swing his sword bravely through every mindless (there's that word again) action scene to accomplish his seemingly improbable goal.

I think Sam Worthington is a certified blockbuster actor now. And though he can't and may never top the success he had with "Avatar", it is no doubt that his new film will do well in the box office. Liam Neeson is solid here, but the part doesn't demand much out of him. Still, Neeson is Neeson, which is good. The rest of the supporting cast, led by the legend Ralph Fiennes, do enough to fulfill each of their characters.

The script is nothing special, but rather flawed in its amount of cheesiness. I hate using that word, but some scenes undoubtedly include some cheesy dialogue. But believe it or not, "Clash of the Titans" is not a bad film, but an enjoyable one. When the action doesn't seem so mindless, it can be fun to watch. You also begin to care about Perseus more and more as the film goes on, making his quest for revenge exciting. This film is a more serious version of this year's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians", which I found to be a better film. Despite that, this is a movie to enjoy with a big bag of popcorn and a nice pair of 3-D glasses. Just don't expect a masterfully made epic that's entertaining throughout. Just because it's starring Sam Worthington doesn't mean it's as good as "Avatar". C'mon now.
Rating: 21/2 out of 4

"Crazy Heart" review

Jeff Bridges amazed me in this film. His performance is nothing less than perfect. You watch him and you see "Bad" Blake, an alcoholic country singer who was once a huge star, clearly and vividly. You forget an actor is playing him. Bridges gets absolutely lost in his character and never looks back. This is why he went on to win best actor in the 82nd Academy Awards a week ago. If anyone deserved it, it was him. Maggie Gylenhaal, who was nominated for best supporting actress, is solid as a divorced mother who falls in love with "Bad", or at least she thinks she's in love. The cast is the biggest strength of the film, as the story is nothing unique. The material would just be solid with decent performances, but because of the flawless performance from Jeff Bridges, it's worth seeing.

"Crazy Heart" is definitely not for everyone. It isn't constantly entertaining and some songs seem to drag. Nevertheless, the film is captivating as you start to care for "Bad" Blake more and more as the film goes on. Scenes that involve Blake fighting his addiction to alcohol are filled with genuine authenticity. Everything feels real. Other than that, the Jeff Bridges performance of a lifetime is worth checking out on its own. Watch him play the chords of "Bad" Blake's crazy heart. You'll be satisfied.
Rating: 3 out of 4

"Alice in Wonderland" review

I'm always up for a Tim Burton movie. He always delivers something unique and different. Everything that he has done is undeniably interesting and something nobody else could execute as well. All of his films have a certain style to it, and it is very hard to describe. Burton is no different here in "Alice in Wonderland", a very good flick that should definitely be seen in 3D. You are thrust into a supposed world of wonder that's strange, unusual, and downright crazy. But if you buy into the movie and its odd aspects aren't enough to push you away, you'll enjoy your time in wonerland.

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is a 19-year-old girl who has dreamed of weird visions her whole life. She is about to be forced into a marriage that she doesn't want. What does Alice do? She runs away and follows a rabbit with a coat, similar to the one that she always sees in her dreams. She's led to a hole that she accidentally falls into. After the descent concludes, she enters a place called Wonderland. Here she meets a talking caterpillar, two fat twins with huge heads, a cat that can disappear, and two people who are pretty interesting in their own ways. She meets the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), an orange-haired, hat-wearing, yellow-eyed man who has been longing to see Alice for the longest time. She is then told that she's supposed to slay the dragon Jaberwoky (not one of the dancers), who is owned by the mean, big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonhom Carter). Why slay the dragon? Because the Red Queen has been tearing Wonderland apart and they want it back to being wonderful, and by killing the Jaberwoky, the very girly White Queen (Anne Hathaway) will be the new leader. I found the story to hold me, not grip me. It's the kind of story that finds its climax in action scenes.

Tim Burton teams up once again with Johnny Depp, and who can blame him? Depp is viewed as one of the great actors of his generation, and it is in no small part to Burton's list of complex characters that Depp has played. Add the Mad Hatter to that list, as Depp is good as usual. Helena Bonham Carter, who happens to be Burton's wife in real life, is terrific here. You hate to love her, but you can't help it. With all this said, I think the one that stole the show was Mia Wasikowska, the young actress who plays Alice. She gives a tremendous break-out role.

"Alice in Wondeland" was mostly entertaining, despite taking a little time to really get going. In other words, it started kind of slow. But other than that, you can't miss a film like this especially with the people involved. Tim Burton attempts to create some magic, and even though he didn't blow my mind, I can easily say that he succeeded.
Rating: 3 out of 4

Best Picture Prediction

So the 82nd Academy Awards are March 7th and since I am very excited, I decided to predict the winner for Best Picture. This is always fun. Yay!

With the category expanded to 10 movies, the nominees are:
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Up in the Air
District 9
An Education
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Inglourious Basterds
The Blind Side

To start, it'll be easy to separate the 5 who simply don't have a chance to 5 who would be nominated even if the category hadn't been expanded. The 5 films who simply have to suffice with the nomination is Disctrict 9, An Education, A Serious Man, Up, and The Blind Side. Let's face it, all 5 of these movies don't have the momentum to win this. Let's see why.

District 9 is a great film, no doubt. But if the Academy wants to go with something sci-fi this year, it's going to Avatar. Director Neil Blomkamp should be honored to be nominated for his first picture. An Education and A Serious Man simply don't have what it takes to win, from its small fan base and lack of awards in other shows. Up has its own category to win, Best Animated Feature. And finally The Blind Side. First off, I believe that this shouldn't even be nominated (I don't think it's anywhere as good as "Invictus" or even "The Hangover") and second, this film winning best picture is like saying George Clooney isn't handsome.

So that leaves Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air, Precious, and Inglourious Basterds, all great films. Precious is probably the most disturbing and uplifting of the 5, but then again doesn't have what it takes to pull off the upset. Inglourious Basterds is regarded as one of Quentin Tarantino's best films and has a huge fan base rallying behind it. But its lack of awards in award shows prior greatly hurt its chances of winning best picture. Up in the Air was my best film of the year, and as much as I want it to win (badly), I have to face the fact that it probably doesn't have a chance. Jason Reitman (Juno) writes and directs, in my opinion, a classic. But when you look at the two front runners, it's hard to say this has much of a chance. These two are James Cameron's Avatar and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker. Both are tremendous films, but this is what it comes down to: if the Academy wants a film that has revolutionized the movie industry to win, they'll give it to Avatar. If they want to give the best picture to the real "best picture" in most critics' opinions, then they'll give it to The Hurt Locker. So what's my prediction?
My prediction: The Hurt Locker

"Shutter Island" review

Martin Scorsese is known as the great American filmmaker of the past 40 years, and after making the tremendous film "The Departed" (my best movie of the decade) in 2006, it's no wonder that many of his fans are excited about his new film entitled "Shutter Island", based on the highly acclaimed novel by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone). This is also his fourth project with actor Leonardo DiCaprio after making the intense "Gangs of New York", the meticulous biopic "The Aviator", and of course "The Departed". Can you really go wrong with these two? No, not really. In fact, after going 3 for 3 in successful films together, it is very easy to say that their fourth movie together is a perfect swish. Martin Scorsese wanted to try his hand at a gothic horror and psychological thriller type film, and it feels good to say that it was an amazing success. This movie grips you, from start to end. The cast is ultimately flawless. The script is moving. The score is surprisingly one of the biggest strengths of the film. And of course, the film is equipped with expert direction from the legend, Martin Scorsese.

U.S. Marshalls Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are assigned to an investigation in Shutter Island, a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Their job is to figure out how a woman by the name of Rachel Solondo seemingly disappeared despite the most security that one could possibly recieve. With the help of Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), they try to figure out clues to her disappearance. There seems to be problems, though, especially since Daniels has post-traumatic stress after being in the war. The film goes to several flashbacks of Nazi deathcamps to show what occurred. Teddy's wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams), died beforehand, and throughout his stay at Shutter Island, he is faced with constant images of her. Now I'm going to stop there. Going any further into the story can be a possible spoiler. The twist to this film is crazy.

Leonardo DiCaprio, in my opinion, gives his best performance of his career. What the character of Teddy Daniels demands out of DiCaprio forces him to put himself into a former soldier's shoes, that is, a soldier who has seen haunting things that he can't forget. It's his most emotional and complex acting job that he has ever done by far. Definitely Oscar-worthy. Mark Ruffalo, who you may know from countless chick-flicks, is perfect here. He has a simple screen prescence of someone who doesn't demand attention but automatically receives it. Sir Ben Kingsley shows once again that enraged calm that he has mastered throughout the years. With three mentioned, there's no forgetting the others who just did so well. Michelle Williams and Max von Skydow in particular. They are all so good. This is probably due to director Martin Scorsese. How can you possibly not bring your A-game in front of this guy?

"Shutter Island" is a great film that is destined to be a classic. No, I don't think this is Scorsese's best movie, but it's definitely one of his countless masterpieces. I was genuinly gripped by the film's captivating story and never came close to losing interest for the movie's 2 hours and 18 minutes. Each shot is filled with striking images of color and symbolism, making this perhaps Scorsese's most beautifully made film to date. Simply put, he has done it again. This is the type of movie that you will talk about for days after you see it. It's nearly flawless.
Rating: 4 out of 4

"Valentine's Day" review

What's with the huge hate towards this movie? Sure there are many flaws, but c'mon. How do you not have some kind of fun with about a hundred of A-list stars? Well, that's what I had. Some kind of fun. It was entertaining, I'll say that. Was it emotionally touching and screams out "quality" instead of "quantity"? No it doesn't. If you are looking for a movie that fully depends on its big-name actors to sell it, then here it is. There are so many people in this movie, it might be easier to list those who WEREN'T in the movie. Nevertheless, I will list them here: Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Emily Watson, Queen Latifah, and of course George Lopez. I think I'm missing some, but that's fine. I think I've proven my point. And though this cast may sound attractive, this is one of the flaws of this movie. It jumps from story to story unevenly. There was a point here where I thought it was finally done with the new stories, then all of a sudden in comes a new one. Yes, they weren't that hard to keep track of, but do we really NEED that many? "Valentine's Day" offers up some laughs, and I was seriously amused in some parts. The problem, though, is that the humor wasn't consistent. There were some jokes that simply didn't work for me and were just plain stupid. But let's be real here. I'm just being critical because that's what a "movie critic" does. If you want to go see it, go for it. Real talk, even if you can't deny its shortcomings, it'll be kind of hard not to have fun watching this one. I like Taylor Swift, so yeah.
Rating: 21/2 out of 4

"Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" review

So what did I think when I first saw the title of this movie? I thought it was ridiculous. Who needs a title that long? Name it "Percy Jackson" for goodness sake. I also told myself, after seeing the trailer, that I would never see that movie. It's just not my type. Well, something told me to go see this movie. Maybe because it was a Friday night and I didn't have the appropriate companions to see "Valentine's Day". Probably. But there was easily one thing for sure. After watching this movie, I was satisfied. The story, the action, the acting, and the surprising humor all worked for me. Coming in, I thought this would just be another made-for-kids movie that wasn't meant to fulfill the adults' entertainment needs. I was wrong.

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is the son of the Greek God Poseidon, who is the God of the seas. Percy doesn't know this at first, but soon realizes it after something unusual occurs at a museum. With this said, he is accused by Zeus, another Greek God, that he stole his lightning bolt. He then threatens Percy's father that if he doesn't bring the bolt back, he will kill him. Percy, who obviously didn't steal it, has no choice but to confront Zeus and explain to him his situation. With the help of his friend, a human-goat named Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and a strong female warrior who also happens to be the child of a God (Alexandra Daddario), Percy goes on an adventurous quest. The girl's name is Annabeth and together with Percy, they seem to like each other. This is simply the jist of the story. Going into further detail will make this review look like Greek mythology.

This movie surprised me. It was genuinely exciting in some parts and captivating in others. This is a very good thing because it overshadows the fact that the special effects are poor especially in this day an age with "Avatar" out. With that said, the story kept my interest and it was almost always entertaining throughout. What can I say? It was fun!
Rating: 3 out of 4

"Edge of Darkness" review

Once, Mel Gibson was the very definition of a star. He had the screen presence of a true man that the audience could count on. That was then, this is now. Is he as big a star as he was then? Not even close. Is he on a good path to not reaching, but coming close to where he was in the movie world? Yes. Why? Because he's in a dynamite action thriller that doesn't ultimately fulfill Gibson's status as an A-lister, but starts him off well. After a few years of inactivity, you might think that Gibson was perhaps "washed-up" or way past his prime as an actor. Watch this movie and prove yourself wrong. This is nowhere near his best performance, but he remains the same Mel Gibson that many out there admired. From director Martin Campbell ("Casino Royale") and writer William Monahan ("The Departed"), this is a flawed but satisfying movie that hardly lets up.

Gibson plays a man named Thomas Craven, a police officer who truly misses and loves his daughter. That's right, I said daughter. Is this forshadowing to a similar story to "Taken"? Well, it's the same basic idea. His daughter, named Emma Craven, is shot right in front of his eyes. He's devastated, and vows to find the men behind this murder. At first, some believed that the bullet might have been intended for Mr. Craven. Further evidence shows that the bullet was indeed meant for his "innocent" daughter, or so he thought she was innocent. The secrets that are revealed is shocking, and you get it more and more as you watch this film. So what separates this from "Taken" other than Mel Gibson instead of Liam Neeson? I see it this way: this film, as opposed to "Taken", has a brain. It isn't mindless, but rather somewhat smart. You actually have to use your nogin to figure this one out.

Other than Mel Gibson, another standout is Ray Winstone, though at times I couldn't understand him due to his strong accent. Still he compliments Gibson perfectly and they just gel in their scenes together. With that said, the main focus here is still Mel Gibson. He gives a very good performance in a very good film, and I know that as soon as the credits start rolling, you will (if you haven't already) finally confirm him as a true action hero.
Rating: 3 out of 4

"The Blind Side" review

Sandra Bullock was in a number of movies in 2009. What makes this one any different? Well this one is actually good. And unlike "The Proposal" or "All About Steve", Bullock is good in it. She plays a good-hearted mom who takes in a needy, large, black young adult named Michael Oher. His real mom is a druggie and abandoned him. I say "real" because later on he refers to Bullock's character as his new mom. Oher attends this christian school and discovers his talent as an offensive tackle. With this said, he is definitely up for a scholarship. As expected, problems and hardship occur not only in his football career but in his relationship with his new mom. Based on a true story, this is undoubtedly inspirational stuff, and you root for the guy. Now I said this is a good film. By no means great. But give this one a chance. Bullock carries this movie and Michael Oher's road to changing his life is interesting.
Rating: 21/2 out of 4

Top 10 Films of 2009

10) The Hangover

9) Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

8) District 9

7) An Education

6) Invictus

5) Avatar

4) Inglourious Basterds

3) Up

2) The Hurt Locker

1) Up in the Air

"Up In The Air" review

I can't stop talking and thinking about this movie. That's how much I love it. I'm not quite sure what it is. Whether it's the great cast, the darkly comedic script, or the tragic but touching story of a man who "lives" in the air and is seemingly content with being disconnected with the world, I just don't know. But that's simply irrelevant. Whatever the case, there is one thing for sure: Jason Reitman has written and directed the perfect movie for this time, or rather the ages.

Loosely based on the book by Walter Kim the story is about a man named Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), whose job is to fire people. And with the economy in its present state, his job is at an all-time high. Traveling from city to city all over America, airports and airplanes are where he spends the majority of his time. He calls spending time at home "dreadful", instead going to the extent of calling the sky his home. The sad thing about Bingham is that he's not all that interested in his job. He's good at it, but he would rather not do it. All he's really interested in is reaching 10 million miles traveled in the air. This is his goal and, sadly, may be his only goal in his life. Bingham seems happy with what he's got, when all along he has nothing. He doesn't want a wife, children, and is not interested in settling. Bingham's philosophy remains unchanged until her meets two women that brings him back to the reality of life. He meets a woman named Alex (Vera Farmiga), a frequent flier like Bingham. Seeing this as a great thing in common, they pursue a steamy relationship. The other woman, or rather girl, that he meets is Natalie (Anna Kendrick), a new, ambitious employee who graduated at the top of her class and is trying to revolutionize the business. What these two women bring to Bingham's life isn't a new perspective on life, but finally the feeling of a connection with something. They make him feel a strong connection with another human being that he's seemingly never felt before. They make a man who thought he was going somewhere with all this flying realize that he wasn't going anywhere at all.

The cast is terrific here, led by the never better George Clooney. He plays Bingham cool, calm, and composed, showing not only Clooney's abilities as an actor, but also that being relaxed can be the most effective way of acting. And because of Clooney's talents as an actor, he gives Bingham a much needed vulnerability. Vera Farmiga is great here as well as Clooney's hope for love, but the unsung hero of this film is the performance of the young Anna Kendrick. Known for being in the Twilight series, she gives an oscar-worthy performance and steals every scene she's in, even those including George Clooney. As I was watching the film, one word kept popping into my mind whenever she was onscreen; irresistible. Look for Academy Award nominations for all three actors as they have been receiving huge praise from countless critics. They have all received Golden Globe nominations already.

"Up In The Air" is a somewhat small film of huge power. It's funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and completely fulfilling. What Jason Reitman accomplishes here is making us care about characters who seem unlikeable at first. You think of Bingham as simply a man with no ambition and who doesn't believe in the joys of a family, but due to Clooney's peformance and Reitman's talents, you sympathize for this man even with these philosophies. Jason Reitman has made a brilliant movie that brings everything up in the air about this man's life back down to earth.
Rating: 4 out of 4