The Hangover Movie Review

The Hangover



Director: Todd Phillips
Writer(s): Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Heather Graham



"The Hangover" comes as the surprise hit comedy of the entire year. Directed by Todd Phillips (Old School) and starring Bradley Cooper (All About Steve) and Ed Helms (The Office
). The Hangover is a movie based around four friends, a trip to Vegas, and a night they will never forget. It is apparent that Todd Phillips is remarkable at this particular style of comedy, the type that goes for complete over the top slapstick but with a sense of style and crudeness. Much like in "Old School" you will be laughing from start to finish with this movie.

"The Hangover" is the laugh out loud comedy phenomenon that will have movie goers talking and spoofing scenes of for years to come. This marks a very high point in the careers of Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper, and Ed Helms. There is never a single dull moment in this entire movie. If you loved "Old School" then you are going to be hurting from the amount of laughs that you will endure during "The Hangover".

This movie never really tries at all to be moralistic, it never tries to warm hearted, and it never really tries to take itself too seriously and in doing so we are left with a perfect comedy experience.

Heather Graham (Boogie Nights, From Hell, and Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me) makes an appearance in this movie as a Las Vegas dancer and somebody that the four guys encountered in their evening. A cameo by former Heayweight Champion of the world Mike Tyson makes for a remarkably funny time in the movie.

At the end of the movie a special appearance from musical group "The Dan Band" who you will remember from their film debut in "Old School" will have you howling with laughter and likely seeing the song "Candyshop" in a while new way.

"The Hangover" is not a family movie by any means but I am sure most people are already aware of that. This movie however is a movie that anybody that wants to spend a good amount of time laughing and feeling great should sit down and watch. "The Hangover" will make a perfect addition to any movie collectors library, and it will also find a home amongst many people who buy the average couple of movies a year. This is by far one of the best movies of 2009, and is hands down one of the funniest movies of 2009. I recommend you see this movie immediately.

My Rating: 93%

Funny People Movie Review

Funny People



Director: Judd Apatow
Writer(s): Judd Apatow

Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann



Judd Apatow the director of (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) brings us "Funny People". Now I know many people who saw this movie went in with the expectations that this movie was going to be as comical as Apatow's previous movies. "Funny People" was directed by Apatow to take a new direction and go more on the side of drama rather then pure comedy.

I know many people are quick to jump the gun and write "Funny People" off, however I think you should sit back, relax, and see through to the heart of this movie. Seth Rogen (Observe and Report,Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Monsters vs. Aliens) manages to display a new level of maturity in his acting. Seth Rogen's performance in this movie sets him up for a career that could step outside of his regular comfort zone of comedy. Adam Sandler (Reign Over Me, Click, and Spanglish) has already had opportunity to expand in to more dramatic roles, but has always been prone to many criticisms when it comes to his acting. Sandler in this movie however delivers in my opinion his best performance since "Spanglish". Sandler plays in a role here that is almost apparently a mock up of his own personal life and career.

Although "Funny People" aims at a more dramatic movie it also does posses a fair deal of laughs throughout the entire movie. The acting present in this movie is very well done with an extra nod going from me to Seth Rogen for stepping outside of his current comfort zone.

I also have to give many props to writer/director Judd Apatow who has proved once again his reason for being at the top in the world of movies. Apatow has even displayed a sense of maturity with this movie while at the same time never steering too far away from what it is we love best about his work. "Funny People" should not be overlooked by anybody and I truly do stress to people that if you look to the heart and soul of this movie then you truly will find some special and morally satisfying.

All and all I say that "Funny People" will be a delightful addition to any movie collectors catalog and will make for a welcome movie evening for you and your friends.

My Rating: 82%

The Ugly Truth Movie Review

The Ugly Truth



Director: Robert Luketic
Writer(s): Nicole Eastman
Karen McCullah Lutz

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler



I often wonder what the fascination is for Hollywood studios to pump out dreadful romantic comedies. I can not imagine that anybody making the vast majority of these movies truly believe that they are breaking any grounds when it comes to romance or even comedy for that matter.

This now bring us to "The Ugly Truth" which a very formulaic romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses, Knocked Up) and Gerard Butler (300, Rock n Rolla). This movie only accomplishes one thing in my mind and that is proving that Katherine Heigl's ability to act should never have evolved past television screens, and that Gerard Butler is not really entertaining unless he is yelling one liners at the top of his lungs.

"The Ugly Truth" will not ever produce more then a laugh or two from lines that I am certain have mostly been robbed from stand up comedy acts or movies that came out prior to this one. Heigl stars in this movie where she is a television producer and a woman with a serve mental stability case. Heigl is a sneak, a creep, and often at times slightly retarded in this role. Butler on the other hand plays what some may say is a stereo typical male, that is if you are a stereo typical human being that still believes in old fashioned cliches.

I spent most of the movie debating over how it is that funding was ever granted to the film makers to go ahead and make this often creepy, never romantic, and entirely unfunny movie. "The Ugly Truth" should have taken some pointers from more successful romantic comedy films and tried to have applied a little more heart, and possibly have better dialogue for the people involved.

The acting in this movie is sub par, the script is very well below average, the comedy is non existent, and if you believe that this displays any form of romance then I think you need to check yourself in to a psychiatric ward because you are officially off your rocker.

The movie title almost best describes it best. The Ugly Truth is that this movie is a complete failure and will be a complete waste of your time and money. Avoid this movie and you will feel so much better about your life.

My Rating: 5%

Bruno Movie Review

Bruno



Director: Larry Charles
Writer(s): Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen



Sacha Baron Cohen stars as the flamboyant Austrian fashionista Brüno. When Bruno is rejected by his home country he decides to come to America where he wishes to find what it takes to be famous in America, and from there let the hilarity ensue.

Bruno is the follow up to Cohen's hit 2006 comedy Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The question was going to be whether Bruno could have the same impact that Borat did. According to the movie going public it seemed as though they quickly ignored Bruno at the box office, the sad part is that the movie going public did not fully understand or appreciate Bruno which makes me believe they also did not truly understand and appreciate Borat.

Borat managed to place people in situations that they wanted to be tolerant of and yet their true colors started to shine through when faced with the proper situations. Bruno comes on the scene and dares to take it one step further then what Borat did previously. Bruno places American's in a situation that compromises their tolerance of the homosexual community.

The one thing that will easily be overlooked is the acting ability of Sacha Baron Cohen who proves once again how remarkable he is at character acting. Cohen in this movie much like with Borat is faced with people who are unaware that the situations are an act and they are convinced that Cohen is actually the character he is portraying. Anybody who has ever done street theater will easily know that the ability to remain in character while faced with real reactions is incredibly difficult to do this. Cohen is always going to be overlooked for his acting ability and it is unfair. Cohen by all means should even be considered by awards ceremonies for consideration for acting awards. I know you may think I am off my rocker when I say that he deserves an acting award for this work, but it is true that Cohen is a master of the craft of acting.

Bruno as a movie though is hilarious from start to finish, pushing boundaries that have not yet been pushed in our so called tolerant society. I think that Sacha Baron Cohen may be dubbed the new king of vulgarity, his brand of over the top humor is exactly what is needed in an otherwise mostly stagnate sea of movies. Bruno dares to go that extra mile and in doing so succeeds. If you can look through to the true purpose behind movies such as Bruno then you will be able to sit back and laugh until it hurts. Bruno is a perfect example the lack of tolerance in America and the hypocrisy of its own people. America be warned that you just got punked once again by Cohen.

I say if you have not yet seen this movie then make it be on your to do list. I highly recommend Bruno to anyone and everyone.

My Rating: 90%

Public Enemies Movie Review

Public Enemies



Director: Michael Mann
Writer(s): Ronan Bennett and Michael Mann

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale



There was a booming crime wave in the 1930's and the notorious John Dillinger was at the top of the game. Director Michael Mann who is known for his work on Collateral, Miami Vice, and Heat now brings us this movie on the life of John Dillinger (Depp).

The movie also stars Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis who had set out to capture and bring to justice John Dillinger. Under the watch of J. Edgar Hoover who wanted to keep a clean cut image, Purvis (Bale) realized he would need to rely on street tactics and with so employees the right team to do as such.

Michael Mann has done a remarkable job with this movie, and it has been quite some time since a really well constructed gangster movie has come along. I know that Christian Bale has been all the talk of the acting world lately, and I do enjoy a lot of the work of Christian Bale but I just do not feel he is quite the caliber of say Johnny Depp. The more that directors choose to use Bale along side of better established actors such as Johnny Depp & Heath Ledger one begins to notice that he is not quite in that upper class of acting. Bale however does do a good enough job at making his character believable in this movie, however I feel he may have been the weaker point of the movie itself. Johnny Depp however exerts his brilliance in his role as John Dillinger. In fact I will go out on a limb here and say that Johnny Depp is one of the first men that I can give the nod to and say he is deserving of an Oscar nomination for his role.

This movie should not be looked over when it comes to what ones you choose to watch. Public Enemies is a movie of class and excitement. The movie possesses all the right qualities and even manages to touch the heart of the viewers. I know that I saw some crying eyes in the theater as my girlfriend and I watched this movie, and I am certain they were not the only ones around the world that shed those tears. Public Enemies has it all and hopefully will find a way into your ever growing movie collection.

My Rating: 85%

The Twilight Saga New Moon Movie Review

The Twilight Saga: New Moon




Director: Chris Weitz
Writer(s): Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay)
Stephenie Meyer (novel)

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner



The Twilight Sage: New Moon managed to break the single day box office record when it beat out The Dark Knight on Friday. This will go down in history as displaying the true purchasing power of the new MTV generation. The sad part is that New Moon never does deserve this kind of recognition in the movie industry at all.

The original Twilight movie based on the novel by Stephanie Meyer and directed by Catherine Hardwicke often showed slight signs of potential, unfortunately for it though it was plagued with inferior acting ability, and dialogue that was dumbed down to appeal to the intelligence level possessed by those who were honestly interested in watching it to begin with.

The problem with the series is that is tried to boast new up and coming actors/actresses but I feel these kids were all chosen simply by looks and not by their acting talents at all. Despite my dislike for the first film I still would say it deserved some credit for the small efforts it made at trying to be a decent movie, however the same can not be stated for New Moon which almost appears not to be trying to do anything. I actually stand corrected the only thing New Moon attempted was sheer annoyance and at that it does succeed.

I know that every single prepubescent teenage girl on the planet goes to this movie because the sight of the guys in it make them cream their pants, but unfortunately here in the world of movies this will never survive the test of time. New Moon is a very disposable movie and aside from it's devastating single day mark that it made I am pretty certain that the film will soon find it's home in the 1.99 bin at your local Walmart store.

This time around the movie goes in a horribly misdirected mess. Bella and Edward continue their all too boring love story, only to find Edward leaving Bella due to his family having to move away. Bella spends the next 30-40 minutes of the movie having some form of poorly acted mental breakdown, you know it is poorly acted when she can not cry and all she does is shriek like a yak in heat for this entire section of the movie. Bella soon learns how to fill the void of Edward's absence with oh yes you guessed it, another boy. This time sixteen year old Jacob becomes Bella;s new interest as she attempts to forget about her time with Edward.

Bella soon then becomes an adrenalin junkie in the hopes that Edward will come to save her. As this goes on Bella and the audience find out that Jacob and his friends are a pack of very horribly designed CG Werewolves that much like the Vampires in this movie are breaking all the rules set out by the world of Vampire and Werewolves. Wait a second did Hollywood not fail on another series of Vampires vs Werewolves? Oh that is right they did and it was called Underworld.

It might have been a while since I have been a teenager but I do not even understand how unintelligent today's teens would have to be to find this movie good in any way, shape, or form. New Moon is very insulting of it's viewers intelligence levels. The dialogue is some of the worst I have seen in a movie in quite some time. This is a movie series that needs to be put to rest before the next two movies in the series get to waste valuable screen time and take away the opportunity for anybody to see movies that are actually worth your money.

All and all I would have to say that a slow and painful death would be more entertaining for you then sitting through this agonizingly long and drawn out piece of trash. Never watch this movie as it is now listed for me as a tie for the worst movie of 2009.

My Rating: 0%

The Final Destination Movie Review

The Final Destination



Director: David R. Ellis
Writer(s): Eric Bress (written by)
Jeffrey Reddick (characters)

Starring: Nick Zano, Haley Webb



The fourth installment of the Final Destination series made it's way to the big screen on the exact same day as Rob Zombie's Halloween II (2009). The question amongst the movie going public was which one of these horror movies would come out on top. The box office numbers would soon prove that The Final Destination was the clear winner by a long shot, but now I get to let you know whether or not I agree with the numbers or if the numbers are simply just the result of 3D marketing.

The Final Destination is a perfect example of how a horror movie series can become old and stagnate fairly quickly. The premise behind the original Final Destination was quite intriguing and was bound to turn itself into a series to contend with. The only problem is that after the first couple of Final Destination movies we were left with a stale storyline and lack of originality.

Director David R Ellis who was the director behind Final Destination 2 brought hope to this fourth installment. However much like the previous installment of the series Final Destination 3 we are left with a sinking ship of a series. This time around I can not even say that the death scene were of any sort of amusement.

The Final Destination lends itself to poor acting, abuse of the 3D aspect, and also to a sub-par plot line. There is nor real thought or imagination being given to the Final Destination films anymore, as where the first couple of them seemed to have the right idea. I was not at all entertained by this movie, not even the 3D was able to help breathe any life into this very lifeless corpse.

Overall I think that the Final Destination films are better off laid to rest already. I say avoid this movie at all costs, it is not worth it even if you see ti in 3D.

My Rating: 15%

Halloween II (2009) Movie Review

Halloween II (2009)



Director: Rob Zombie
Writer: Rob Zombie

Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane



The horror genre which is the movie genre that I am personally the most fond of. Ever since I was about ten years old I have had a love for horror films, so just as a word of warning to my readers I am a slight bit bias when it comes to my reviews of horror movies.

Rob Zombie who became really well known in the world of hard rock and heavy metal music has within the past few years cemented his name as a writer and director. Zombie has had much success with previous titles such as House of 1,000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects, and Halloween (2007). Zombie is a master of his craft and it is quite apparent that he has a tremendous amount of love and respect for the horror movie genre itself.

It was only a couple of years ago that Rob Zombie was to release a remake or re visioning of the John Carpenter classic Halloween (1978). The movie much to my surprise and to the surprise of others was actually quite a unique take on the series, and with all due respect to the original John Carpenter movie I would have to say Rob Zombie did a fantastic job with a re visioning of a movie that did not need to be looked at again.

All that being said we come to 2009 and the release of the follow up to Rob Zombie's Halloween. This time around though Zombie did not have any guidelines to keep true to as he was told to steer away from the original Halloween II (1981). Zombie had the freedom here to make his own style of movie, and the question was could he deliver the goods?

The answer in my mind is that Zombie delivered quite a bit of the goods but seemed as though he was a little bit rushed. I think the story itself and the drive of the returning characters was very creative. Taking a new spin on how Michael Myers looks, acts, and even in his ways of killing people was well done. There are two problems I did have with the movie though, the first problem I had was that Rob Zombie tried to create a sub story involving Micheal's mother (Sheri Moon Zombie) which I felt was entirely unnecessary. The second problem I had with the movie is the same problem I have with just about every movie that Rob Zombie seems to put out, and that is that Rob focuses way too much time and love for the villain and not enough getting to know the main character of the movie. Rob Zombie's version of Laurie Strode does not leave you caring too very much about her or what happens to her. I find myself in all of Zombie's movies only concerned and drawn to the villains.

Those two little issue aside I have to give credit where it is due and that is when Rob Zombie delivers a horror movie he delivers one hell of a horror show. Rob Zombie has quickly become one of my favorite new directors in the genre and I hope to see many more incredible movies from him, hopefully of the original nature. Halloween II is well worth a watch for fans of the genre, or for anybody who is looking for a good horror movie to watch.

My Rating: 78%

The Time Traveler's Wife Movie Review

The Time Traveler's Wife



Director: Robert Schwentke
Writer(s): Bruce Joel Rubin (screenplay)
Audrey Niffenegger (novel)

Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams



Henry (Bana) is a time travelor, and Clare (McAdams) is the woman he befriends along his time travels. Henry speaks to a young Clare and tells her that in the future they are friends. Henry lets Clare in on the secrets of his time traveling and the heartships that come along with it.

This movie is based on the book of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger. I have never read the book but I have been informed that it is quite an amazing read. That all aside let me get right in to talking about the movie itself. When i saw the preview for this particular movie I will admit that I really had zero interest in seeing it at all. As a movie lover though I do manage to see lots of movies and this one turned out to be no exception. My girlfriend really wanted to see this movie and I willing went along to see it with her.

I do not know why it is but I walked out of this movie a lot more satisfied then what I had expected. It might have been my generally low expectation for the movie itself that contributed to this above average satisfaction, or maybe the movie simply did enough to draw me in.

The Time Traveler's Wife is not a that everyone out there is going to enjoy, in fact I am pretty certain that the average person that was satisfied with movies like "Transformers 2" or "GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra" over the summer is likely to shrug this movie off. I will not defend this movie either and say that it was absolutely perfect. The movie encounters its own set of flaws and questions raised in regards to the time traveling capabilities of Henry. It is easy to judge this movie for the flaws that it does have, but I appreciated the direction the movie went in and the acting that was delivered by both Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana.

What we get out of this movie is an interesting spin on the romance genre and something that dares to be a slight bit different from the average romantic movie that tends to flood theater screens these days. I have to personally applaud this movie for it's ability to give us something more then the norm.

The Time Traveler's Wife is not a rush out and see movie necessarily, but it is however one that I will give my personal recommendation to. If anyone out there is wanting to watch a movie with a good heart behind it, then pop the popcorn, grab your nice warm snuggie, and sit down to enjoy The Time Traveler's Wife.

My Rating: 65%

District 9 Movie Review

District 9

District 9 (Single-Disc Edition) [DVD]
District 9 (Two-Disc Edition) [DVD]
District 9 [Blu-ray]

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer(s): Neill Blomkamp
Terri Tatchell

Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt



Thank you once again Peter Jackson for being a part of amazing movies. Neill Blomkamp is the new to the scene director that Peter Jackson had hand picked to direct the movie adaptation of the popular video game series Halo. After a lot of work on the project Neill Blomkamp left it alone and was then given 30 million dollars from peter Jackson to make any project he wanted to do.

Peter Jackson has shown much faith on Neill Blomkamp as a director and in doing so it has paid off with one of the best summer movies, and definitely one of the better movies to come out in 2009.

District 9 is about a race of aliens that we dub "Prawns" comes to earth and as humans we expected some form of attack or hostility from them. The aliens turn out to be refugees and we allow them to live on earth but in a run down area known as District 9. The Government then decide they wish to move the aliens to a new area but require their written permission to do so, the new area comes across as being a form of concentration camp.

I applaud the work of everybody involved with this movie because it was done brilliantly. The movie at times appears to be part documentary and at other times seems almost like a news team following the happenings involved. District 9 did not need to use Hollywood hot shots to star in it to draw people in, the reviews from fellow critics and the movie going public itself drew enough attention to District 9.

Neill Blomkamp should be proud of himself because he has created something special with this movie. District 9 deserves any and all attention from movie goers. I would consider it a mistake for Neill Blomkamp to return to the helm of Halo as I feel he is better off with original ideas of his own.

All and all District 9 is a movie that is not only worth checking out, but would be best served in the ranks of your movie collection as well.

My Rating: 90%

A Perfect Getaway Movie Review

A Perfect Getaway

A Perfect Getaway (Theatrical/Unrated Director's Cut) [DVD]

A Perfect Getaway (Unrated Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

Director: David Twohy
Writer: David Twohy

Starring: Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jonovich



Honeymoons, Killers, and plot twists oh my! A Perfect Getaway might be the one movie to come out this summer that most of the general public did not hear about. It appeared to have very low advertising for it, and just as quick as you could blink your eyes it was gone from theaters. Does this mean that A Perfect Getaway is a terrible movie? No, in fact this is so far from a bad movie it hurts to think that most people will not ever end up seeing it.

A Perfect Getaway stars Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, and Milla Jonovich in what turns out to be a hell of a thrill ride. This thriller finds a couple on a Honeymoon in Hawaii where while on a hiking venture they end up hearing about a recent murder that occurred in the area. A young married couple on their honeymoon had been murdered by someone who was still on the loose.

The movie then becomes a who done it movie with subtle little clues being left throughout the movie to give us an insight in to who just may have been behind these murders. The acting from the cast is very well done and should not be taken for granted. I know there are a few things in the movie that prevent it from being a perfect movie but in a world where every type of thriller has already been done this movie just so happens to stand out a bit more amongst the crowd.

I have to say that this movie will go very under noticed by the movie going public and yet it should not do so. If you are in the mood for a movie that does the job it sets out to do then i recommend turning this movie on tonight. I know this one will manage to surprise some of you out there and that is just what we need sometimes when it comes to watching a movie.

A Perfect Getaway may at times be flawed, but I look past the minor flaws of this movie and admire the good that it presents. Overall I recommend you all to at least give this movie a chance and let it speak for itself.

My Rating: 70%