Of Man and Muppets!

I don't out to the movies much so you probably think that this blog is really erratic. I try to post as soon as possible after seeing a movie but sometimes life just gets in the way. This past week was Thanksgiving here in the US and as such it was a big release weekend and we decided to go see the Muppets and I am sure that the review will be worth the wait.

The Trailers

Journey 2 The Mysterious Island

The Plot: Sean Anderson partners with his mom's boyfriend on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.
My Take: Looks to be like a fun-filled, action-packed family movie in the world of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. Based on what I have seen so far (and the fact that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is in it) I will probably go see this one.
Rated PG
Releases February 10th, 2012

The Pirates: Band of Misfits

The Plot: Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

My Take: IF you liked Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run (and I did) then you might want to consider this fun looking movie. It has all the classic style jokes that Aardman Animations are known for as well as some of the best things about today's environment. Almost certainly a instant classic. A must see in theaters and barring that definitely a DVD rental.

Rated Not Yet Rated (most likely PG)

Releases March 30th, 2012

Big Miracle

The Plot: In small town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his ex-girlfriend - a Greenpeace volunteer - on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

My Take: Another feel good, based on a true story movie just in time for Valentine's Day. This one seems to be targeted at the Marine Biologist in all of us. Personally I think I will wait until it is released on DVD before I watch it but it does look like a good story and the whales are wonderful on screen. A good family movie if that is what your family is in to.

Rated PG

Releases February 3rd, 2012

The Secret World of Arrietty

The Plot: The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.

My Take: A really good animated take on some classic tales of little people that live with big people. These just happen to be borrowers and it looks really good but as far as I am concerned it will be a DVD rental for me. Of course, if your family has an interest in it then by all means please go see it we need more quality films like this one and while I am all for seeing more trailers like this it's just is not the movie for me. 

Rated G

Releases February 17th, 2012

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-wrecked

The Plot: Playing around while aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical paradise. They discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.

My Take: Another Alvin and the Chipminks movie? Yes please! For some reason I cannot get enough of the chipmunks. The survivor motif seems to be a common theme but I can overlook that because its just plain fun. A must see for me if at all possible. My recommendation is go see it with the whole family it looks really fun.

Rated Not Yet Rated (Most likely PG)

Releases December 16th, 2011

Brave

The Plot: Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

My Take: Pixar has done it again. They have created what looks to be a masterpiece of storytelling and action that will engage you and keep you interested until the tale is done. This is a must see for me as it appeals not only to my sense of storytelling but my heritage as well. If your a fan of Pixar movies then please go see this one with all of the family.

Rated Not Yet Rated (most likely PG)

Releases June 22nd, 2012

The Main Feature

The Muppets

The Plot: With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.

My Take: What do I really need to say that hasn't already been said? The only thing I really need to say is GO SEE THIS MOVIE! Yes it starts out slow and is corny but after the first few minutes into it you are just holding on for the ride of your life. The jokes are spot on, the song and dance numbers are just fun and it is truly classic muppets. If you were a fan or even just a casual viewer than this is the movie for you and your whole family this holiday season. With all the cameos and top notch actors there is always something new to see. I will certainly be getting this on DVD when it releases and watching over and over again just to catch all the stuff I missed the first few times.

Rated PG
Released November 23rd, 2011

For France and King Louis XIII

The Previews

The Plot: Family guy Jack Sadelstein prepares for the annual event he dreads: the Thanksgiving visit of his identical twin sister, the needy and passive-aggressive Jill.

My Take: Another Adam Sandler family film and this time he is playing both parts. I'm not sure whats going on with actor/comedians that feel the need to do this but if you like that sort of thing then by all means keep fueling that belief in Hollyweird and pay to see this. I'm surprised its not in 3D. I certainly won't be seeing this in the theaters or even on DVD.
Rated PG
Releases November 11th, 2011.

The Plot: When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.

My Take: This one has potential it looks funny (I hope we haven't seen most of the funny bits int eh previews though) and it has two of the best comedic actors out there. Might be worth a look if there is nothing else that I would like to see more that weekend.

Rated PG-13

Releases November 4th, 2011

The Plot: The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

My Take: If you like sparkly vampires and brooding werewolves and the implausibility of whatever this "phenomenon" is then by all means go see it and keep fueling Hollyweird and its lack of anything resembling taste and quality films. Otherwise be like me and stay home or see something more entertaining. 

Rated PG-13

Releases November 18th, 2011

The Plot: Follows a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War One. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.

My Take: A touching feel good film about a boy and his horse from master director Steven Spielberg. If you like period pieces and war movies than you might want to go see this one. It a long shot for me but I would like to see it in theaters but if not I will certainly see it when it releases on DVD.

Rated PG-13

Releases December 25th, 2011

The Plot: Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor. But someone else is in search of the ship.

My Take: I don't really know what to make of this other than its an animated film based on classic comic strips from the 1930's until its end in the 1980's As I am not a big fan of the comics, I don't really have an opinion about whether or not it follows them closely. Another film directed by Steven Spielberg it might have potential for family fun but I think I will wait until it releases on DVD. I am assuming by the trailer that it would be good for children as well, so if might be fun for the whole family to go see.

Rated Not yet rated but I would assume PG

Releases December 21st, 2011

The Plot: Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.

My Take: A romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl? I'm there. I have liked all of her recent work and this looks to be a fun-filled movie about a down on her luck woman just trying to get by and the improbable situations she gets herself into. Definitely a must see date movie.

Rated PG-13

Releases January 27th, 2012

The Plot: In Russia, a group of young adults struggle to survive after an alien invasion.

My Take: By and large the creepiest alien invasion preview I have seen in awhile. The trailer really didn't tell us much about the film and it looks... interesting. I'm not sure if its a disaster movie or a sci-fi movie but I am certainly intrigued. If I don't find anything more interesting to see or have going on that weekend I might go see it otherwise it is definitely worth a watch on DVD.

Rated PG-13

Releases December 23rd, 2011

The Main Feature

The Plot: The hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.

My Take: This past weekend I have the pleasure of seeing the Three Musketeers. I will admit that I went to see it with a slight apprehension but found that my view of what it was going to be was faulty. For those that would look for a retelling of the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas you will be sorely disappointed. For those looking for a fun action-packed gadget-filled romp through 1600's France. Featuring DaVinci plans, gadgets, aerial acrobatics, spies, sword-fighting and larger than life personalities, I think that no modern audience can find anything wrong with this film. Personally I recommend this to anyone that is a fan of swashbuckling and adventure films. If your a Pirates of the Caribbean fan you will enjoy this movie. In other words go see it its fun and don't think too much about it. I will definitely be getting this one on DVD.

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writers: Alex Litvak (screenplay), Andrew Davies(screenplay), and 1 more credit »
Stars: Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen and Ray Stevenson

Of Man and Machine

I know this is probably a little late as life has prevented me from posting on a more regular basis but I went and saw Transformers (review as follows) on its opening day and have to say it was well worth the wait.


Without further ado here is the Trailers and review for you.

Apollo 18

Director: Gonzalo López-Gallego

Writers: Brian Miller (screenplay), Cory Goodman

The Plot: Decades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 17 mission, where two American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.
My Take: While I am all for an exploration of historical space flight this one has me wondering about the future of movies. The reason we didn't go back to the moon was because of lack of funding and interest or so we have been told. This movie wants us to believe that it was an alien/monster that prevented us from going back. I for one will probably not see this movie as it is just another in a long line of horror movies in exotic locales.
Releases September 2nd, 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Writers: Pierre Boulle (suggested by novel "La planete des singes"), Rick Jaffa, and 1 more credit »

Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto

The Plot:  An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
My Take: As a HUGE Planet of the Apes fan (I have all of the movies and TV series on DVD) this is a must see for me and it looks fantastic much better than the remake we saw just a few years ago (sorry Tim Burton but yours was a little out there). Even if you never saw a Planet of the Apes movie I think you should see this one.
Releases August 5th, 2011

Real Steel

Director: Shawn Levy

Writers: John Gatins (screenplay), Dan Gilroy (story), and 1 more credit »

Stars: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly and Kevin Durand

The Plot: A boxing drama set in the near-future where 2,000-pound robots that look like humans do battle.  My Take: Now I am all for a tale of underdogs that finally win the day but robot boxing? I don't know about this one, it might be a rental for me.
Releases October 7th, 2011.

Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller

Writers: Steven Zaillian (screenplay), Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), and 2 more credits »

Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright and Jonah Hill

The Plot: The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
My Take: A feel-good movie with Brad Pitt as a groundbreaking individual. As it is a docudrama about how one man change baseball I'm pretty sure I won't be going to the theaters to see it. I am also pretty sure I won't be watching it on DVD either. Might possibly watch it on cable if there is nothing else on a few years down the road. If your into historical sports movies, than this one might be for you.
Releases September 23rd, 2011

Cowboys & Aliens

Director: Jon Favreau

Writers: Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay), and 7 more credits »

Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde

The Plot: A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.
My Take: Another graphic novel turned into a feature film, but this one looks awesome. What more could you ask for  Aliens, Cowboys, Harrison Ford, yes I said Harrison Ford. Of course we can't forget Daniel Craig either. The fact that its an alien invasion set in the wild west is just to cool to pass up. I'll probably be seeing this one in the theaters.
Releases July 29th, 2011.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Director: Brad Bird

Writers: Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and 2 more credits »

Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton

The Plot: The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.
My Take: While I am not a big fan of Tom Cruise of late, I am still a fan of Mission Impossible. He did have a hand in relaunching one of the best TV shows in television history and gave us a fun look into the spy genre. I will probably see this one in the theater as I have the previous even if others think it is a bit of an unnecessary film. I like Bad Robot productions for the most part and think that they will give it the proper treatment.
Releases December 16th, 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger

Director: Joe Johnston

Writers: Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely (screenplay), and 2 more credits »

Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Natalie Dormer

The Plot: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.
My Take: IT'S CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!!!! Finally a decent looking film about the most famous icon in history of Marvel comics. Say what you will of mutants and other heroes none of them stand up to the ideals and values that Captain America stands for. A WWII veteran and all out patriot this may be the best of all the recent comic book movies to hit the silver screen. Even if you have never read a comic book you should see this movie.
Releases July 29th, 2011

The Feature Film

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Director: Michael Bay

Writer: Ehren Kruger

Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Tyrese Gibson

The Plot: The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.
My Take: As a huge, mega, ultra, super-fan of Transformers I had to see this movie and I did. If you sit back and watch it for the sheer entertainment and don't try to pick it apart you will most likely enjoy every minute of the movie. By far it is the best of the three and all major plot holes aside it is a very pretty movie. I will admit that this is totally a guy flick and with all the action and explosions and randomness that that entails. That being said it does have some redeeming qualities as I like the character of Carly much better than Mikaela (sp) even though she is referenced a few times. All in all its a pure 2 hour and a half hour adrenaline rush. Thankfully this will be the last Transformer film by Michael Bay and maybe we can get a more true to our childhood version when they reboot the franchise once more. Go see it it's well worth it just for Leonard Nimoy alone.

Opening the week of June 24th

Cars 2
Director: John Lasseter Brad Lewis
Stars: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine (Full Cast)

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The Plot: Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and his pit boss Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix to determine who is the fastest car in the world. As the action revs up, Mater becomes involved in an adventure of his own: a case of international espionage that will take him across Europe and into Japan. 

My Take: While I liked the original I am hesitant to leap to the sequel but that doesn't mean that its a bad movie (it is Pixar after all). Might see this one on a double feature day with another movie that's playing. If you have kids they probably have been bugging you to go see this one and I would say take them to go see it. 

Bad Teacher

Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures

The Plot: When thoroughly unprofessional school teacher Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is dumped by her fiancé, she sets her sights on a new meal ticket: substitute teacher Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake). Formulating a plan that involves her wits and well as her students, she finds herself facing off against her colleague, the beloved Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch).

My Take: Why do I get the feeling that Hollyweird is not even trying any more? The constant barrage of sophomoric and inane movies that keeping coming out is getting kind of old.I mean what happened to the well-written drama or action flick that made you wonder at the end or even just made you think? I know there have been a few exceptions to that out there (Inception anyone?) but they have become the rarity instead of the norm. If I see this movie it will probably be in a  way that I don't have to pay for it and you should as well.

A Better Life
Director: Chris Weitz
Stars: Demián Bichir, José Julián (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Entertainment

The Plot: A gardener in East L.A. (Demián Bichir) struggles to keep his son (José Julián) away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.

My Take: Wow an immigration movie. Was this really necessary and was it politically motivated? I think it might have been. While I will spare you my views of immigration reform and the legality of certain immigrants in this country, needless to say those are problems but I don't think making a dram about them was the right thing to do. f your of a mind to see this movie then by all means do so but I will not be watching it in any capacity.