Ramona and Beezus

"Guts...Guts, Guts, Guts!!!"

It is getting to the end of the year and I would like to do a blog about my favorite movies of 2010, but I still have to catch up on a few. One of those was this film Ramona and Beezus. I, like most products of the 80's, have fond memories of the Ramona Q. Quimby books by Bevery Cleary. They went hand in hand with my Superfudge series. I saw a preview for this this summer and was excited to see it. My wife saw it first and liked it a lot. She said that the girl that played Ramona, Joey King, was beyond adorable. I must agree. With those bright blue eyes and wonderful facial expressions made this movie.

Ramona and Beezus is the story of Ramona and her family dealing with the loss of her fathers job, a big hole in their house, the neighbor who loves the aunt and mischief happening at every turn. Beezus is played by Selena Gomez, of Disney fame, mom and dad by John Corbet and Bridget Moyanahan. I have always like John Corbet especially his eccentric character, Lars, in Serendipity. The neighbor, Hobart played by Josh Duhamel (who every woman I know likes to watch)and the Aunt Bea played by Ginnifer Goodwin, were fun to watch as they teased about their past romance.

I like watching movies like this. It had a strong family message, it showed that it takes all types to make a family and that all the members of that family are important. I would hope to see another of the Ramona books made into a movie like this. I thought it was well done. The colors were bright, the characters were enjoyable and the message a good one. This a great movie to watch for a family movie night. I hope to see more movies like this made in the future.

7 out of 10

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

"You just headbutted my boyfriend so hard he burst."

I like Michael Cera movies just as much as the next. I rally like the dry humor of the kind of awkward, quick witted, quiet after thought comments. I did not know what to expect from this movie with the exception that it was a movie made to be like a video game. I really love he fact that the names would fit perfectly into any video game: Wallace Wells, Knives Chau, Gideon Graves, and Scott Pilgrim.

Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, is in a band and has just got a new girlfriend, Knives Chau. He Soon there after meets his dream girl Ramona. He quickly falls in love and dreads telling Knives that they need to break up. She continues to stalk him throughout the movie. Soon after meeting Ramona Scott find they if he want to be with her that he was going to have to take care her dirty past. Ramona has baggage in the for of 7 Evil Exes. It is up to Scott to defeat them.

What follow there after are a series of battles that will peak the interest of anyone who is a fan of 1990 video games of the Street Fighter sort. The movie actually is a cross between a video game and a comic book. There are fast shots that are boxed like a comic, including the written out sound effects. As he fights the bad guys there are points that pop up. I thought that it would get annoying, but I actually liked it. The written words did get a bit annoying, but they were never totally in your face, like an old Batman episode.

I was very happy to see some good actors in this film. Chris Evans plays one of the Exes Lucas Lee. Ramona is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead who was Royal Pain of Sky High. My favorite was Jason Scharztman playing Gideon Graves, the head of the Evil Exes.

I was not to happy with some of the sexual themes in this movie. I found myself torn between liking it and wondering if I should be liking it. I don't think I would let my kids watch it until they were older. It was rated PG-13 for a reason. I do like the whole idea that they brought out. It made me laugh when they would nail the video game ideas, like the coins for defeating the bad guys, and the 1 ups.

6 out of 10

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

"The Imaginarium does not cost a thing. We're not here for money."

I have a friend that I went to High School with who loves Terry Gilliam. I had never heard of him. He sent me a message with a link to this trailer and I was very interested. After seeing this this I can see why he is a fan. He is very creative and a bit off the wall.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was Heath Ledgers final movie. He sadly died during the filming of this movie, That set back left the door open for even more of Mr. Gilliam's madness to make a movie great. All of the Scenes in which Ledgers character, Tony, goes into the Imaginarium he is played by a different person. Sometimes Jude Law, sometimes Johnny Depp or Collin Farrel.

The story is of a group of gypsies who roam around putting on "shows" for people. Little do they know that they are all a part of a bet between Dr. Parnassus, played by Chrstopher Plummer and Mr. Nick(Satan) played by Tom Waits. They have made a pact that when Valentina turns 16 that she will become property of Mr. Nick. When they come across tony hanging under a bridge he joins the traveling show and finds he has the power to create worlds of his own behind the looking glass. He discovers what is going on and tries to put a stop to it.

I must say how much I enjoyed the character Anton played by Andrew Garfield. I thought he was great. I have never seen him in any of his other movies. I guess he play a role in this years hit The Social Network. In this movie he is great. He plays such an enjoyable role.

This film made me realize a few things. First off Terry Gilliam is awesome. Second He is a genius. Third that he is Crazy, and finally that Tom Waits should play (and usually does) Satan in every movie. The scenes in this film were great. Many CGI scenes made me think of a dark Dr. Seuss Book. Dr. Seuss crossed with the touch of a modern day Tim Burton. I need to revisit this movie and watch it in one sitting. I unfortunately watched it over the course of a few days. That never helps in the continuity of a film.

I did like this one. It is a film that you can get something from each time you watch it. The color was fantastic, the ides were amazing. The characters were well played and the theories/theology well thought out.

6.5 out of 10

Smoke Signals

"The only thing more pathetic than Indians on TV is Indians watching Indians on TV."

In College I took an intro to film class. We had a list of movie we were going to watch throughout the year. Smoke signals was one of them. Like many of the films on the list we did not get to see it. After many recommendations from my cousin I checked it out. That was 5 years ago. I have watched it 4 times since then. After another viewing last night I realized how much I like this film. It was the first film to be written, directed and filmed by Native Americans.

The story is of two friends, Victor and Thomas, and their struggle to deal with life. This movie is essentially a "road movie" where a character goes on a road trip and find themselves and face down their demons.

Victor Joseph is played by Adam Beach. You may have seen him playing the Native American in many other films such as Windtalkers, Flags of Our Fathers and one of my favorites...Joe Dirt. He does a great job playing an Indian with a chip on his shoulder, who lives on a Rez in Couer d'Alene in Northern Idaho. His friend Thomas Builds-a-Fire played by Evan Adams is a nerdy boy who wears big glasses and a suit at all times. When Victor is suddenly called away Thomas goes with him on a road trip. There the two deal with issues in their lives and struggle with the past.

In Arizona they meet Suzy Song who was a friend of Victors father. She is played by the beautiful Irene Bedard, who was the voice of Pocahontas in the Disney cartoon. Suzy help Victor realize it is time to change and offers him a new perspective that will help change his point of view.

The shots of Idaho and Arizona are beautiful. The rolling hills of Idaho make me feel a bit home sick for that part of the country. My Mother-In-Law watched the movie with me and she said that the film made her think of Napoleon Dynamite. I think part in due to the film location and also the independent feel to the movie.
The film was at Sundance back in 1998 where it won the Filmmakers: Dramatic award and the Audience: Dramatic award.

Smoke signals brings up the issues of racism, anger, acceptance and forgiveness. The final thought by Thomas sums up the movie as it questions forgiving their fathers.

"How do we forgive our fathers? Maybe in a dream. Do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often, or forever, when we were little? Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage, or making us nervous because there never seemed to be any rage there at all? Do we forgive our fathers for marrying, or not marrying, our mothers? Or divorcing, or not divorcing, our mothers? And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness? Shall we forgive them for pushing, or leaning? For shutting doors or speaking through walls? For never speaking, or never being silent? Do we forgive our fathers in our age, or in theirs? Or in their deaths, saying it to them or not saying it. If we forgive our fathers, what is left?"

8 out of 10

Scenic Favorites...

As a fun little break I thought it would be neat to share 10 movies I like to watch because of the settings they are filmed in. These are not put in any particular order just as they came to me.


10. The Bourne Trilogy
I like the bourne trilogy because in these films you get to jump all over Europe. France, Italy, Morocco and Switzerland to name a few.






9. French Kiss
I think the banter between Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline in this film. I love the shots of Paris, the beach and especially the shots with his family at the Vineyard. I always want to watch this movie with some Laughing Cow Cheese.




8. The Holiday
I love Jack Black and Jude Law in this film. I don't like Cameron Diaz very much, but am willing to overlook here for this film. I love the holiday shots of the English countryside. I like the shots of the cottage and the pubs in this movie.





6&7. Let the Right One In & Girl With A Dragon Tattoo.
Both of these are great films if you can see them edited. Both are being remade into English versions. I think some of the great parts of these movies are the beautiful shots of Sweden. Being 1/4 Swedish I might be being a bit one sided, but they are great shots. Both are very different shooting styles. The vampire shots are more close up and at night. Very cold and still looking. The Dragon shots are long sweeping shots of full countryside.




5. Leap Year
Leap Year was a fun movie to watch. The shots of the local pubs and the farming countryside are great. Most Irish and Scottish films are this way. You see the narrow roads and the shepherds with their sheep grazing on the emerald green meadows.



4. The Man From Snowy River
I will take us out of Europe for a bit and take us to Australia. I watched this movie a lot as a kid. The shots of the Victoria countryside are great.




3. Letters to Juliet
The beautiful Italian country and Amanda Seyfried make this one a must see.There a few shots of the cities, but mostly vineyards and countryside.




2. Under the Tuscan Sun
Once again set in Italy, but this time with Diane Lane. This is a film that makes me want to eat Italian food all day.






1. Goal:The Dream Begins
I like this one for many reasons. Soccer and England being the two main ones. There are great shots of Newcastle and the scene when he eats his Full English breakfast looks great.

Well, there are some of the movies I like to watch to see other countries and other places.

Never Been Done: The Jon Comer Story

"I think I heard something crack."
"Oh, it was probably just my leg."

I like others lik the inspirational underdog movie. Jon Comer was just 4 years old when a 14 year old neighbor decided to take his parents car for a joy ride. He ended up running over Jon's leg a few time wich over the course of the next few years lead to amputation above the ankle.

At the age of seven Jon was fitted with a prosthetic foot and he began to skateboard and did not stop. He had two legs one for skating and one for school. He spent all of his free time skating. He bacame very good and was put on some local teams. It was only a mtter of time before his story was out. The amazing part was not ony that he was doing all of this with a prosthetic, but that this kid was really good. He not only good for a local kid, but he was good enought to go pro. He was put on a pro team. He bacame friends with some big names, like Tony Hawk. He is stil a pro skater who lives by the motto Sk8 4 fun. He continues to tour and has been on Warped Tour and many other popular skating events.

This was a good documentary about this great story. It was not the best quality, but was not done with a home video camera either. The narration was choppy, but it was narrated by a pro skater, not a professional actor. It was a good film for aspiring skaters and people who like inspiring sport documentaries.

6.78 out of 10

Letters to Juliet

"I would have grabbed her from that blasted balcony and been done with it."

Once again I was sucked into a romantic film. This one though I was actually looking forward too. I saw the trailer for Letters to Juliet and told Heather that this was one that I would go with her to see. There was going to be some great shots of the Italian countryside and of course great shots of Amanda Seyfried. She has come a long way from playing the dumb friend in 2004's Mean Girls. She has established a spot for her self as someone to watch out for.

The story is about Sophie, a girl who is engaged to an Italian chef. They decide to go on a pre-honeymoon to Italy so he can get recipes and they can sight see together. hey both end up going off to do different things. Sophie comes across a wall below a balcony where women write letters to Juliet (of Romeo and Juliet) asking for advice on love and relationships. Sophie sees a women collect them at the end of the day and find out that a group of ladies respond to these letter as Juliet.
Sophie joins in and finds a letter behind a stone written 50 years ago. She responds and the adventure begin. The women come to Italy and together they are off to find her lost love.

The grandmother is accompanied by her grandson and the two provide the comic relief by their loving banter. The grandson, Charlie, is not happy that the grandmother, Claire, is on this silly adventure. Of course, there is the conflict between Sophie and Charlie which builds to a romantic tension.

The shots of Italy are great. We get to see the countryside as they travel across the country looking for Lorenzo the lost love. You get to see the dry side of country as well as the vinyards, and the cities.

I enjoyed this film and plan of seeing it again.
8.46 out of 10

The Pink Panther 2

"Would you - even though it may lead to injury - marry me?"

I have always loved stupid movies. Well, at least that is what my wife calls them. I like the 80's style comedies like the Great Outdoors, Ferris Bullar's Day Off, and all of the John Cusack films. I was surprised that I never watched the old Pink Panther Series with Peter Sellers. After Seeing the new Pink Panther films with Steve Martin I did go back and check out the older ones and loved them.

I was not disappointed with this one either. I went into the film knowing there would be cliched misshapes with the main character, but that is why I like these films. I put them in the brainless fun genre. I can watch these films over and over as I'm cleaning or multitasking. I had figured who was the "bad guy" as soon as they appeared in the film, but that is to be expected.

I thought Steve Martin did a good job at playing Inspector Clouseau. I am sure bout one thing in this film. I think that any movie that requires a French Police officer that it needs to be played, and usually is, by Jean Reno. He is in a lot of movies like French kiss and The Da Vinci Code. He is great. Steve's assistant Nicole, who is played by Emily Mortimer is also veyr good. As usual I like the footage of foreign countries. I sure most of the inside shots are on a sound stage, but the shots of Paris are nice.

Yes this movie would never be up for an oscar, but that is probably why I like it.

7 out of 10

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid

"Zoo-Wee-Mama!!"

I had seen the books in the bookstore, and was confused about the purpose behind them, an even how to read them. I was not surprised, however, that they decided to make a movie out of it. I was surprised on how much I like this film. The young man that plays Greg, the main character, was a great actor. I was impressed by most of the kids in this movie. The friends were very entertaining. I enjoyed all the scenes with Greg's older brother, Roddick. One of my favorite parts was to find out that he was a drummer for a band called "Loded Diper." Awesome.

The purpose of the movies was to see how Greg and his friend Rowley would handle going to middle school. They develop a list of popularity and develop plans to get to the top. Of course most of the plans go wrong and friendships are made and broken.

I was particularly fond of the little friend Freggy. He is a disgusting kid who most kids would avoid being around. All of his scenes are entertaining, and a bit disturbing/disgusting.

There was a young girl played by Chloe Moritz who was particularly good. She is a great actor and will be appearing in the upcoming movie "Let Me In." This is the American adaptation of a Swedish film, "Let The Right One In," which she will be playing a 12 year old vampire. No not the dancing, happy kind we all fell in love with in the "other" films. Cloe's character in this film is the grounded Friend who offers sage advice. She is the one who sees past Middle School and all the games that are played there.

I was very happy with this film and so was my oldest son who said "We should buy this from the store dad." Sorry buddy mommy did not like it as much as we did

8.23 out of 10

Black Cloud

The tag line says that this is a story of a young Navajo who fights for a spot on the US Olympic Boxing team. Well, that was about .025% of this movie. The only reference to this at all is an Olympic Scout who sees him fight. Instead we get a story of a young man who struggles with his own demons and trying to overcome them. He is a boxer. That part they did get right. This movie is based on actual events. A young Navajo named Back Cloud who was a great boxer and had a troubled life.

Most of this movie deals with racism and stereotypes. Black Cloud is mad that he is a "Mixed blood Navajo." He fights lots of people, including Rick Schroder, who wrote and directed the film. The characters are good and develop well throughout the film. It is fun to see a little of life on and Indian reservation. I grew up doing Scouts and Order of the Arrow, so I have a soft spot for movies like this. I would recommend the film Smoke Signals more than this film though.

I was kind of disappointed by this film, however I did still appreciate it.

5 out of 10

The Karate Kid

"Be kind of hot if I won this thing, huh Mr. Han?"
"Be kind of hot if you would Focus."

I was kind of excited, but very apprehensive when I saw the trailer for this last year. I was excited to see Jackie Chan play Mr. Miagi's role, but scared to have my youth ripped apart along with many other terrible remakes. I have wanted to see this movie for a while and finally decided to get out of the 105 degree heat and take my son along with a friend and go check it out. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed.

I was happy to see that the same story line was followed, minus Karate being replaced with a more exciting Kung Fu. I was very impressed with the acting skills of Jaden Smith. He had a crying scene and I was in awe of how well he played it. It was very obvious that he learned Kung Fu. The fighting scenes were much better than expected. The only two complaints I had were that: 1. a handheld camera was used to film 90% of the movie. It was not as bad as other, but I was dizzy before going in to the movie and that did not help. 2. was the finial fight. The final big kick that we all loved so much and practiced in the quiet of our room, just in case a bleach blond with bullying issues cornered us, was traded in for some horrible, horrible front, spinning, back kick. It was so out of place that it completely took me out of the movie. One stupid kick and this movie would have been a million times better.

The scenery was fantastic as expected. There were some fantastic shots of the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and a temple on top of a mountain. The movie, like the old one, starts with the family leaving their home and settling in a new place. In this film the move to Beijing. The shots of the city are great. I would smile as I would see a connection between the new and the old film. The bad guys getting water dumped on them or The aqua colored door of Mr. Miagi/Han.

I was very happy I was able to see this with my son. I remember going to see a few of the Karate Kid movies with my dad. I was not feeling good one day and stayed home from school. He took the day off and drove me to the theatre and we watch Karate Kid 2 and a similar story happened for Number 3. No I did not see the Next Karate Kid in the theatre. I wouldn't mind of they made the second one, as long as they did as good of a job as they did on this one.

8.75 out 10

The Bounty Hunter

"Life is making mistakes."
"Death is wishing you had made more."

I usually don't get to watch a movie in the front room unless it is at 7 in the morning. I am usually putting boys to bed or giving them baths. Last night I made it through a whole movie. My sister-in-law had picked up The Bounty Hunter with Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. The basic story line of the movie is that Gerard Butler's character is a former officer who is now a bounty hunter. His next bounty is his ex wife Nicole played by Jennifer Aniston.

There are many laughable moments in the movie. I mean that in a good way too. Nicole has a guy who follows here who wants to be her boyfriend. He is a 2nd bit of comic relief who get into the wrong place at the wrong time. The jokes and lines between the two leads are witty and enjoyable, but not much that we have not seen before. I did enjoy the movie though. I also enjoyed leaning over to my wife and asking the golden question once again..."Do you think they will end up together?" I was hushed up by all three women in the room.

The acting is good and the plot line is fun. I wish it could have had a stronger ending, but you do not find many good ones in a rom com. Most just stick to a pattern of a quick happy ending. The movie was worth a rental. I'm not sure about buying a copy unless it was in the $5 bin. Well maybe a little more if your getting it as a gift for a special someone who thinks Gerard Butler is a "Cutie Pie."

7 out of 10

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

"I'm afraid of flying on planes."
"Well today's you lucky day 'cause I brought and eagle."

After one week of playing tour guide in DC for my family my wife said she wanted to go see a movie. All I wanted was a nap. She finally convinced me to go to a movie. My conditions: (1.)no chick flick and (2.)Tade had to come with us. So we narrowed down to Karate Kid and The Sorcerer's Apprentice(TSA). I thought TSA would be more humorous since it had Jay Baruchel, from How To Train Your Dragon and I'm Reed Fish, and since Nicholas Cage is OK I decided on that one. It was an added bonus that the potential love interest was Teresa Palmer, from cute blonde who played the Hotel heiress from Bedtime Stories.

After coming off of The Last Airbender I was not a hard person to please. I don't know if I like it because it was good or if I was desperate to have it removed from my subconscious.

The Story is about a guy named Dave who is a distant relative of Merlin the Magician and the "chosen" one to defeat the evil...(witch?)who is trapped in a nesting doll. Yes, I'm serious a nesting doll. Dave meets Nicholas Cage's character, Balthazar, who because his "Master" and trains him, or begins to train him, on how to be what he is destined to be, and to prepare him for his fated battle against the evil Morgana.

The movie is filled with cliche's and semi funny jokes. I was willing to forgive them for that thanks to great effects and the quick humor of Dave. Over all I actually really like the film. Again, it was because of the quick wit of Dave and Balthazar. My son liked it and Heather did too. I recommend it if you are looking for two hours of AC, some popcorn and a few good laughs go ahead and check it out.

7.43 out of 10

The Last Airbender

"I taught him that."

Over a Memorial day BBQ a good friend suggested that I watch the anime series Avatar: The Last Airbender. I got a few episodes in and my son was hooked. He was very excited to see that there was a movie being made about it. I was reluctant. I have never been very impressed about a Nickelodeon remake of anything and this was no different. The effects were good. The acting was terrible. If this were a silent movie it would have been much, much better.

The Last Airbender is about a brother and a sister who find a boy in the ice. He is the Avatar, the person who can bend all four elements (glorified Thai Chi),and is supposed to beat the oppressive Fire Nation who have oppressed and enslaved the others.

I can't say that the acting was the worst, (well yes I can) but it was not helped by the fact that the lines they were given were terrible. I understand that it is hard to take a whole season ofwhich a TV series and cram it into 2 hours, but I have not seen it that badly done in a few years. I'm talking to you Twilight.

4 out of 10

Toy Story 3

" Let's face it when the trash bags come out we army men are the first to go."


It was time again for the untouchable Pixar Studios to make us all go to the theatre and pay absorb ant prices to watch absolutely wonderful characters. I am always wary of sequels or in this case the third. Pixar though has done it again. They have proved that they can pull out their old stuff give it a new shine and make us all fall in love again. I took my two sons to see this. I knew that they would both stay seated to see Buzz and Woody more so than some other movie characters. Usually by the last 30 minutes Seth is wandering up and down the rows, but not this time. He even sat through the credits.

In the final instalment of the series. Buzz and Woody get ready for the next stage of life. College. They don't worry about the usual stuff we worry about college. They worry about what will happen to them. In the film they get sent to Sunnyside Daycare to donated. Not all is well there and as the story begins they must do all they can to escape and get back home to Andy.

In Toy Story 3 we get introduced to a few new characters. Latso a bear who runs the daycare, Ken (of barbie and ken), Trixie the triceratops and a few others. It was sad to say, but the most exciting point for me was when Woody ended up back in a little girls room and we meet here toys and you see a few time a stuffed Totoro. I reach over to my oldest and ask who that was and his eyes lit up too. It was not surprising to see him since Pixar and Studio Ghibli work together.

I won't spend more time talking about this film not wanting to give any of the movie away. Just be known that the jokes are there, the characters are fantastic and it does get a bit dusty in the room at the end. I think Andy sums the trilogy up for me when he looks at his toys and says "Thanks Guys."

9.5 out of 10

Leap Year

"What are you, the Lucky Charms Leprechaun?"

I'm married so naturally I end up seeing a lot of rom coms. I was looking forward to this one (I know, I know hear me out) because of the setting. I love movies set in Europe. I think it make me forgive the story, or lack thereof. I'll start off by saying that this was not the greatest film ever, but the countryside shots are great. I love the pub scene and the whole city versus farmers banter that you find in these films. I am willing to admit that I like movies like The Holiday and Under the Tuscan Sun, but you cannot fault me for enjoying them for the countryside shots.

Okay now that we have that cleared up we can move on. Amy Adams who plays the main character Anna has perfected the innocent/ignorant heroin routine. She waits for her boyfriend to propose and when he does not he decides to follow him to Ireland where in Leap Day a female can propose to her boyfriend. Mayhem ensues as the fates are stacked against her. She has one mmishaps after another. I should say one international travel cliche after another. How many times do we heed to watch an American try to plug in an electric object in to a European outlet? I do have to fault the writers who make this character so Naive and over the top when is come to common sense.

I loved the banter between her and the male lead, Declan, played by Matthew Goode. His part is well written and enjoyable. My wife enjoyed his performance for other reasons. She did not appreciate me leaning over to here every 15 minutes to whisper "I wonder if these two will end up together?"

The shots of the Irish countryside were great. The story was a bit painful and the ending was also a bit painful. It may sound negative, but I did like this movie. I think the banter between the two leads, along with the Irish backdrop, was fun enough to save the movie from dying a horrible rom com death.

6 out of 10

Man on Wire

"If I die, what a beautiful death."

I had been trying for months to watch Man on Wire. It had been recommended to me many times and I had it in my Instant Queue for a long time. I decided today was the day. So, instead of helping my wife get ready for a birthday party I sat down and watch this great documentary.

The film is about a Frenchman named Phillipe Petit. He was famous for his walking in wires, juggling and unicycles. But he was infamous for the same things. The film has some of the best shots of Paris I have ever seen. There was one particular 180 degree shot over the roofs of Paris that I must have replayed at least ten times. There is an amazing video of him breaking in and walking between the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The films highlight is when Phillipe learns about the new World Trade Center buildings in New York. He decides that they are too perfect and since they are only 200 yards away from each other he figures it would be perfect for him to cross. After months of training for conditions and planing how to set up a wire without getting caught he decides it's time to go. There were no video cameras there that day only photographs to document him. The photos are amazing.

This film tells us about achieving our goals and more importantly the pursuing of them. Minus one scene at the end that really could have been left out, if it were not to prove the point of the weakness the combination of man and fame, it was a great documentary. The video and photos were amazing and the story of Phillipe's dedication was just as breath taking.

8.56 out of 10

Hachi

Life cannot be captured. The human heart cannot be captured...

Like most others, I am a sucker for animal movies. This one was better than the most. It was nice to see an animal movie that was not comically overdone, or a voice over done by some random comedian. Instead, the dog in the film relayed all the emotion needed through his eyes.

Hachi is a movie based on a Japanese tale of a Professor who happens upon a dog whom he takes home. The family falls in love with the dog and decides to keep him. The dog falls in love with Richard Gere's character, Professor Wilson. The dog follows him to the train each day and then heads home. He then waits for the train whistle to blow and then heads back to the station to wait for him to get off the train. As we see in the preview (not a spoiler alert) one day he does not come home. The dog continues to return the the station, each day, and wait for him. The stories begin and the tears follow shortly. It got downright dust in the room.

I really enjoyed this movie. I was also glad to see that is was rated G. Not to many of those that are not cartoons. It is a great movie to watch as a family. Even if it is a bit sad. I raise many good points to think about. The small things. Taking the joy from every moment with someone, because you never know when they will be gone, and when they are gone never forgetting them.

9.4 out of 10

How To Train Your Dragon

Thank you for nothing. You useless reptile.

Today I decided it was the day to take my youngest boy to his first movie. He will be three this month and I figured a movie about dragons would keep his attention. I was right for the most part. My oldest son was mesmerized. Me too. After the fourteenth time of asking me if we were at the "movie store" he finally settled in. I chose to pass on the 3D version of this, but after some of the flying and fire scenes I would be willing to check it out.

How To Train Your Dragon is about a boy named Hiccup who lives in a Viking village named Burke. He is small and has more skills in inventing than in defending the village from it's number one enemies, the dragons. During a fierce battle Hiccup tries one of his inventions in order to help out and the following leads to him finding a dragon and ultimately befriending it. He learns that the dragons are misunderstood creatures. He names it Toothless and the two become friends.

This is one of the best kids movies that I have seen in a long time. The characters are well thought out and the dialogue is great. It has plenty to keep adults and kids very entertained. There is even a touching scene at the end that leaves the theatre feeling a bit dusty.

The character of Hiccup is voiced by Jay Baruchel. He has been in "I'm Reed Fish" and " Night At The Museum 2." Gerard Buttler plays Hiccups father. and America Farrera plays the young girl/warrior Astrid. Craig Ferguson played Gobber, the Viking trainer. There was planty of comedy and action to keep everyone in the theatre paying attention.

I would defiantly recommend this movie to anyone. I hope to be able to see it again. The scenes are beautifully made and the writing is witty.

9.4 out of 10

The Express

There will never be another be another Ernie Davis...


I had never heard of Ernie Davis, probably because I go to my wife for information on football. I was never a big football fan. However, I must admit that football movies are probably my favorite sports movies. I love Rudy, The Waterboy, Necessary Roughness and many others.

The Express was a story about Ernie Davis a guy who went to play football for Syracuse University in the Late 50's and early 60's. He struggle with racial prejudice as he excels on the football field. There are many great football moments and a little needed history lesson to remind our generation how things were 50 years ago.

Ernie Davis is played by Rob Brown. His coach at Syracuse is played by the great Dennis Quaid. Rob does a pretty good job at his part, but you can tell he is not nearly as seasoned as the others around him. I really enjoyed the performance of his friend, Jack Buckley played by Omar Benson Miller. You may recognize Omar from films like Shall We Dance, or the dancing cousin from Transformers.

Ernie is convinced by the the legendary Jim Brown to go to Syracuse University to play Football. There he expects to be more welcomed as a black male, but is still shunned by the student body. The film covers his journey through his college career and all the struggles he face on, but mostly off the field. This is a heart warming feel, good movie, for the most part. It has the frustrating parts that involve race issues of the day. This was a good movie for the most part, but was no Remember the Titans.

6.32 out of 10

Fantastic Mr. Fox

You should probably put your bandit hat on now. Personally, I- I don't have one, but I modified this tube sock.

We Look Good.

Yes, We do.


I can't tell you how excited I was when I found out that Wes Anderson was making a movie that I could watch with my son. I love his movies, but usually have watch them edited since they are all rated R. Wes Anderson was the Director who began my love with movies. I saw Rushmore with my wife's family at a family reunion and loved it. It was all downhill from there. In a good way.

This film had the Wes Anderson regulars including: Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Eric Anderson, who is Wes's brother. From the opening credits you could tell it was a Anderson film, by the music and solid color titles. This film had many more of Wes's signature themes including the dry humor.

Fantastic Mr Fox is based on the book by Roald Dahl, the guy who wrote Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. The film is about a fox, voiced by George Clooney, Who when he is caught and finds out Mrs. Fox is pregnant he gives up his life as a thief. Two years later (7 fox years) He decides it's time for one last job. What ensues is a barrage of dry jokes, and great characters.

I have never read the book ,but would be interested to read it to see how true the film is to it. One of the first things I noticed that kept me laughing throughout the film was his replacement words for swearing. He uses the word "Cuss" in place of everything. 'Why the cuss are we doing this?" I would laugh and my son would ask what was so funny. It just fit perfectly into a Wes Anderson film. He could use this in his older films and it would not seem out of place.

Jason Schwartzman plays Mr Fox's son Ash. He is probably my favorite. He reminds me of Max from Rushmore. He feels under appreciated by his parents, and overshadowed by his cousin Kristofferson. He has a chip on his should and he make each encounter a bit awkward. I loved it.

My son's like this movie and I defiantly did. I was glad to get a copy to add to my video collection. If you are a crossover indie movie fan, or like Wes Anderson you will want to check this movie out.

8.14 out of 10

How To Be

Mum, Dad, This is Dr. Ellington. He's going to make me be more normal...


Life is rough when your a vampire, killed by Voldemort's wand, then dumped for a werewolf. Yeah.... I think I got that right. In the movie How To Be Robert Pattinson, aka Edward,aka Cedric Diggory, plays Art. He is a young adult struggling with what to do with his life. He's out of college and wants to be a musician, but he is no good at it. He is depressed and his parents act as if he is a piece of furniture. He searches for meaning and finds it in a book by Dr. Ellington. He spend $5000 to get the Dr. to come stay with him and help him figure out his life.

I spent most of this movie wondering who was right Art, or his parents. Who should we blame for Art being odd, or was it his parents that were odd. Art works random jobs trying to find his place. He turns to advice from his friend Ronny. Ronny was my favorite person in the movie. Robert did a great job, but Ronny was very enjoyable to watch. He was the sage advisor for Art. While Ronny was no success and had struggle of his own, he seemed to offer the best advice.

Dr. Ellington follows Art around for a few weeks and offers him metaphors and thoughts, but no real advice. You begin to wonder where this movie is going to end up until the last 10 minutes of the movies. Robert Pattinson does a good job at playing a lost twenty something. I kept waiting for the moment when I would roll my eyes and say to myself that this guy was trying to hard to be weird, but I think he is a it odd on his own. This was a much better film than that twilight debacle. In this film I was never embarrassed for the characters for having to say their lines.
While not my favorite movie this year it was not as bad as it could have been.

6 out of 10

Dear Jack

Lets get started...My name is Andrew Mcmahon; a leukemia patient.


Andrew Mcmahon was at the top of his game. his new band, Jack's Mannequin, was ready to release a cd that was a sure hit. His last band Something Corporate was still fresh on everyone under the age 20's ipod. He could sing and he was an amazing piano player. Then the rug was ripped out from under him. Hew was diagnosed with leukemia.

I first learned that Andrew had leukemia when I was reading my favorite music magazine. There was a small article telling about the situation. A year later there was an article following up on Andrew's story and told of a video that he had made. He documented his experience from the beginning. The article said that it would probably never be released. I was very excited to find out a year later that it was released and available to see.

The documentary is narrated by the famous Motley Crue drummer, Tommy Lee. Tommy and Andrew became friends before this as Tommmy played drums on the first Jack's Mannequin album. I can't make any comment on the acting because there is none. What you get is the hard truth about leukemia patients. We see Andrew as he prepare for his first round of radiation and Chemo. We see him cut his long hair, knowing that it would be falling out soon anyway. we are spared many scenes of him vomiting and suffering, because he can't hold the camera. We see him brush his teeth with a sponge, because a toothbrush would destroy his them. He bathes with a washcloth and brushes his hair each night with a lint roller which pulls out clumps of hair. we see him lose a lot of weight and become a shadow of himself. We also see him suffer emotionally as he admits for the first time that he is scared of what could happen.

Andrew is not the only one who speaks in the movies. His wife, mom, dad, manager and his sister all have their chance to tell their story. His sister was a bone marrow doner for him and we hear of the support of his family, friends and fans throughout the ordeal.

I found myself wondering how I would handle it if I were in this situation or, God forbid, a member of my family were diagnosed. I know how worthless I am when I'm sick with the flu. Would I be able to carry on for weeks or months at a time. I think that is the mark of a good documentary; a film that allows you to put yourself in their situation, and ask the tough questions. Would I make it?

I liked this documentary a lot. It was not as hard to watch as I had expected it was going to be. I don't think I could have handled a 2 hour film about the pains of radiation and chemotherapy. Instead it was a 1 hour doc about a fantastic musician who with the support of his family battled and unseen villain.

8.5 out of 10

Forever Strong

So it's kinda like a mix between Soccer and football?
Actually it's kind of like Rugby.

I don't know anything about rugby, but I really like this movie. I was sure that it would be good considering it's cast consisted of Sean Austin, Gary Cole, Neal McDonough and staring Sean Faris. I was hooked when I saw the trailer. I will not lie it does have it's moments when you feel like it's more of a stay off drugs high school special than a coming of age film. I felt like I was watching a church movie at times. The rugby moments, however, are great.

This story is based on actual events. The story of a young man named Rick who is the star player of the rugby team. He is popular, good looking and is mixed up in drugs and alcohol. After and unfortunate accident he is sent to Utah to a juvenile detention center. There he is urged to go play for his rival team, the famed Highland rugby team. There he learns a new way to play and live his life.

The acting is good. The main character, rick has his rough spots, but does a good job overall. I can't be too rough him when you are surrounded by a great cast. Sean Austin is great as a counselor at the detention center and Gary Cole does a good job as the Highland rugby coach. Neal McDough is his usual weasel of character. The guy you love to hate.

I like the music and shots during the action. The rugby is great. I enjoyed the time he spends with the Highland Team as well. The characters on the team are a lot of fun. You have the Rosta and the Polynesian players that keep the film humorous and the guys who make you feels a part of the family. As always each family has their problems and their secrets.

8.5 out of 10

Every Little Step

One....singular sensation every little step she makes.

In the mid 70's Michael Bennett put together a Broadway production known as A Chorus Line. It is a play about the struggles and lives of performers who are trying to make it on Broadway. This film is a documentary about the revival of this play in 2003. We begin with open calls in NY that attracted more than 3,000 people who wanted a part in this play. Many of these felt a personal connection to this as they felt it was "their"(the thespians)story.
The documentary goes between two stories. First being the audio/pictures of Michael Bennett's original making of the play and we also see the modern auditions being filmed. I had know idea how rough it would be to go through so many casting calls and call backs. It seems like it would be much easier to get on TV than to get into a Broadway show.
There were a few familiar face trying out and also doing commentary. We get to hear from Marvin Hamlisch who wrote the music and get to see Tyce Diorio, from TVs So You Think You Can Dance, as he auditions for the show. Overall it is just a bunch of people trying to sing and dance mostly just overacting, which is part of Broadway, but I was not too impressed. I now get that it is hard to get onto a Broadway show do not ever want to try out for one. I was glued to the movie for the who time, but at the end found myself asking why? I just spent 93 minutes watching a documentary about trying out for a play. Next time I may just go the local high school and watch them put on their production of Suessical the Musical.

4.9 out of 10 (sorry Broadway...My Regards)

Alice in Wonderland

Why is a raven like a writing desk?...

My wife, Heather, and I met up with our good friends the Morgans to see the newest Tim Burton creation of Alice in Wonderland Staring Mia Wasikowska, as Alice, Johnny Depp played the Mad Hatter and Helen Bonham Carter as the Red Queen. I was expecting a very dark version of through the looking glass, which the movies was based on not the original movie. It was not nearly as dark as I had expected it to be. Minus a few eye gouges it was a rather kid friendly movie. Depp was great as the Mad Hatter. Mia Wasikowska has been if a few other movies including Amelia. She is an up and coming actress to keep a close eye on. According to IMDB she is in Pre-production to play Jane in Jane Eyre.

Alice in Wonderland was based on the Through the Looking Glass novel in which Alice goes back to wonderland to find that the Red queen has taken control of Wonderland and running a muck. She has employed the service of a few new friends, the Jub Jub Bird, The Bandersnatch and the infamous Jabberwocky. Alice struggles to remember her place in Wonderland as other try to remind her of her future heroic acts, as they strive to dethrone the evil queen of hearts.

The colors in the movie are fantastic and but for few few cheesy lines by Alice the movie was good. Mia's acting get better throughout the movie , which must be difficult being surrounded by such an amazing cast.
As a father of a 5 and 2 year old I would have to pass on showing it to my kids, but if you have kids closer to 8 or 10, then they may enjoy it more. Some of the monster scenes would be a bit to frightening. The music was once again done by Danny Elfman and was most enjoyable. If you were a fan of Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory then this movie would be a safe bet for you.

6.975 out of 10

How's Moving Castle

My wife's cousin, Nate, was a film major in college. I always enjoy talking to him about movies and what films he likes to watch with his kids. He asked me if I had ever seen any movies by Hayao Miyazaki? I said that I hadn't. He gave me a list of his movies to watch. So my son Tade and I have been watching them. Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and more. This one was probably my favorite so far. I think I enjoy it so much, not because of the story, but because of the colors. As I was watching it I was reminded of the color in the French film The Umbrellas of Cherborg. He uses a lot of bright solid colors over dark colors. Very distinct contrasts. The story was great also. hayao Miazaki always come out with such amazing characters and amazing ideas. For example one of the main characters in this film, voiced by Billy Crystal, is Calcifer a fire who operates the castle and supplies humor to the movie as well.
The movie is about a girl who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is turned into an old lady, by a jealous ex girlfriend, and seeks the help of Magician, Howl, voiced by Christian Bale to help her turn back into herself. They take a journey helping Howl sort out his life and help to end an unnecessary war.
I really enjoyed this movie and have already ordered my own copy to be able to watch any time. I'm getting excited to be able to see mor of Miyazaki's films including Ponyo this next month.

8 out of 10

Julie and Julia

I am so hungry...

I was very glad that I had food to eat while I was watching this movie. I had just finished a Pot Roast dinner as I sat down to watch Julie and Julia, a movie based on a book. A women named Julia, played by Amy Adams, who discovers the a cookbook by Julia Child, played by the great Meryl Streep, and vows to cook all 500+ recipes in one year. It also shows the life of Julia child and the struggles she went through to become a famous chef. I was so hungry watching this movie. They make so many delicious looking dishes that I was waiting to see what was next.
The movie itself was good. The story of Julie was ok, the best parts were with Julia Child. She seemed like such a fun person to be around. Meryl Streep plays her part very well. My mother-in-law said she played her exactly as she was on tv.
The movie was set in New York City and in Paris. You do get to see a bit of each city, but the majority of the film is in the kitchen, as it should be with a cooking movie. I watch this movie with a grin on my face for most of it, of course food always makes men happy. I recommend this movie for anyone who is a fan of cooking and of Meryl Streep.

6.7 out of 10

500 Days of Summer

Most days start out average...

500 Days of Summer is a movie about a greeting card writer named Tom who meets a girl at work named Summer. The movie is a non linear movie, meaning it jumps from current to past and half way back again; as tom tries to figure where the relationship went wrong. He gets great advice from his younger sister whose sage advice makes me wish we all had a 10 yr old sister who spoke like she was 85. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great in this film. Between this and Brick he has redeemed himself from 10 Things I hate About You, in my eyes. Zoey Deschanel is great as a quirky young lady who does not believe in love and is not looking to fall for it, causing the whole plot to take place.
The cinematography of this movies is great. It has a big budget independent feel to it. It is set in Los Angels, but almost looks like and artsy part of New York. It shows you many places in LA you don't normaly see in movies. In this film you get to see that there are trees and grass in parts of LA.
I liked this movie, I didn't love it, but I liked it. It was definitely worth the short hour and 1/2.

I give it 6.5 out of 10

It Might Get Loud

Rock Doc... suitable for the Whole Family.

I can't tell you how happy I was to see that this was rated PG. When I first saw who this documentary was about I wondered. I had no idea that I would love it as much as I did.
It Might Get Loud is a documentary about 3 very strong character guitar players:

Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
The Edge of U2
and Jack White of the White Stripes and The Raconteurs

The movies is a get together/jam session with all three players telling their stories of how they stared playing music, their personal history, their bands histories and some great music along the way. The film consists of videos from past/current concert footage, old photos, and personal stories. It was enjoyable to see three guitar players who span the past three decades of music talking about the one thing that they all have in common... Guitars.
One of my favorite scenes is the opening scene with Jack Black at his house in Memphis. He is dressed in a bow tie and a black three piece suit (minus the jacket)standing in front of his porch building a guitar out of a piece of wood, a piece of wire, a Coke bottle, and a pickup. We watch him build this thing in less than a minute. He plays is for a bit and then unplugs stating 'Who says you need to buy a guitar." I like the contrast of ideas here. The clothes he wears, the loud electric guitar in front of a bunch of cows. Awesome!
The live concert footage shots of U2 are great. They are very clear and loud. I wish I knew what they were taken from. My only negative about this movie are the scenes with Jimmy Page. They seem very slow. That is probably just because I'm too young I guess. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed them, I wish they would have showed more footage of Led Zeppelin and less of the other 50 bands he was in as a youth. I see the importance, but would rather see the band he was famous for.
I guess I need to figure out some sort of a rating system for this blog. Should I do a five or ten star rating or just a simple I liked it? Who knows?

All I know is that I loved this one. 4 1/2 out of 5 or an 8 out of 10.

So it begins....

This will be my lowly attempt to keep track of my thoughts on movies that I have watched and hopefully enlighten others on them as well. I will not give away the ending, (as hard as it may be) to allow you to fully enjoy, or not enjoy, each movie. What I will try to do is give you my take on the overall plot, acting, and cinematography of each film. So with that said here we go.....