Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Actors:  Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane

Rating:  7 out of 10, this franchise is clearly running out of steam as they try to cram too much into this latest installment and Depp, in a rare miss, clearly mails in his performance.  Rush is also sleepwalking through his role which is, again, a true rarity.  Since I like almost everything these two actors usually do this was kind of a disappointment.  Cruz shines in her role and lends nuance while everyone else seems to just be going through the motions.  The special effects are dazzling, the best in the series yet, but that may be where this movie falls short – over reliance on the effects versus the actors.

MVP:  Cruz as Angelica Teach, is sexy, dangerous, and the only one of the major actors who seems to care, of course I have a weakness for Latinas.

Bottle Rocket

Actors:  Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, James Caan, Lumi Cavazos, Andrew Wilson

Rating:  7 out of 10, a movie that I had seen bits and pieces of before but never in its entirety until my daughter and son in law gave it to me for my birthday.  This movie has to be seen from start to finish to really appreciate the lovable losers who are the core of this movie.  This is a sort of ode to Texas but not the state as much as the people.  The hugely inappropriate dreams and yet the clueless daring to try makes you love these idiots. 

MVP:  Owen Wilson with the great character name Dignan, the most hopeless of the gang of the lovable idiots

Super 8

Actors:  Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Joel Courtney, Riley Griffith, Ryan Lee, Elle Fanning
Rating:  9 out 10, when this movie first started I was afraid it would descend into one of Spielberg's overly sugar sweet kid movie about a gang of friends.  I guess the addition of JJ Abrams to the mix totally changed the approach because this movie rocks.  The kid actors seem so genuine and it is so sweet to see the the young lead falling for a girl for the first time in his life.  The entire movie is an ode to the seventies which I didn't think was possible or even advisable but it really works.  The entire cast is great especially Kyle Chandler who was still in his "coach" mode but has real screen presence.  The effects and the alien are extremely well done.  A great movie that appeals to all ages.
MVP:  Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb the young lead falling in love for the first time and capturing the shy wonder of it all with nuance

The Ten Commandments

Actors:  Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G Robinson, Yvonne DeCarlo, John Derek, Debra Paget, Nina Foch
Rating:  8 out of 10, one the the true classics of my youth, a movie that left me slack jawed in amazement with the special effects, still impressive considering they were attempted in the 1950s.  An epic that takes the story of Moses and makes a crackling good movie out of it.  Heston was truly epic but the rest of the cast was almost his equal, with Brynner at his evil, regal best.  The music is so powerful it's like a character by itself.  This movie packs real emotion, especially when the slaves finally leave Egypt.  Before watching this on blu ray I had only seen this movie on broadcast TV and never realized how much of the movie had been cut.  This is a great movie.
MVP:  Heston as Moses doing what he does best, lending character and gravitas

The Changeup

Actors:   Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin
Rating:  9 out of 10, this is a time honored Hollywood concept that hardly, if ever, works - the body swap.  Given a really talented cast and a raunchy bent however makes it work here and had me laughing out loud repeatedly.  Bateman and Reynolds are two of my favorite comedic actors and they are extremely funny in this.  Mann is also one of my favorites and she steals every scene she's in - I forgot how hot she can be when she wants to be and as always is never afraid to poke fun at herself.  Wilde proves again that she has the chops to be a real movie star in a very small part.  I like that the actors didn't try to physically imitate the each other but both Reynolds and Bateman are masters of the quick witted response/side comment so the switch was perfect.  I didn't think I would like this movie going in but I ended up loving it.
MVP:  Mann as the loyal consumer of too much Thai food, Jamie Lockwood

The Usual Suspects

Actors:  Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicia De Toro, Kevin Pollack, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palmintieri

Rating:  9 out of 10, a recent birthday present; this movie is one of my daughter’s all time favorites as well as mine.  I noticed that for some reason I didn’t own a copy.  My son rectified that and watching it again reinforced what great movie this is.  It is full of plot twists and turns and superb acting by the entire cast.  When you add in one of the greatest twist endings in cinema history you have a classic.  The movie keeps you guessing the whole time and then creates this totally evil, invisible mastermind Kaiser Sosze.  Watching the movie after you know the twist is just as enjoyable.

MVP:  Spacey in the dual role of the cripple Verbal Kint is supremely evil in a very likable way

Star Trek the Undiscovered Country



Goodbye Old Friends

Actors:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelly, David Warner, Kim Cattral, Christopher Plummer

Rating:  8 out of 10, the farewell movie for the original Star Trek crew and timely given their ages but it is still emotional to say goodbye to these icons of my childhood.  At least this movie was worthy of their exit with an interesting plot and some great action.  Set against the demise of the Soviet Union paralleling the Klingon Empire and the fear of what we would do without our post WWII adversary.  There are clues throughout the movie as the characters say goodbye to the fans in their own ways, which was kind of neat.  There were also inside jokes like Kirk kissing himself and others.  The movie ends with the credits being the signatures of the original crew as the Enterprise literally sets off into the sunset.  I clearly remember watching this movie with my kids in the theater and getting kind of misty eyed as I said good bye.  There was always a special connection between original Star Trek fans and those actors.

MVP:  Shatner, Nimoy, Doohan, Takei, Koenig, Nichols, Kelly – the original crew and immortal heroes to a 12 year old boy

Star Trek The Final Frontier

Suck in that Gut Jimbo

Actors:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Deforrest Kelly, Lawrence Luckinbill

Rating:  4 out of 10, definitely the worest Star Trek movie ever made, even worse than the new generation ones, which were awful.  The biggest disappointment is that Shatner directed this and you would think he had a grasp on what made the series work.  Everyone looks uncomfortable uttering the lines they have to so maybe the writers are the ones that screwed the pooch on this one.  The special effects take a step back in this movie instead of moving forward.  Luckinbill overacts to an immense degree.  Just a strange, odd addition to the franchise that doesn’t work on any level.

MVP:  Nimoy as Spock, always worth watching

Star Trek the Voyage Home

Actors:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Deforrest Kelly, Catherine Hicks

Rating:  8 out of 10, the favorite of the Star Trek movies until the recent remake.  This movie had a lot of whimsy as well as a totally unbelievable plot that somehow still works.  Putting the Enterprise crew in 1980s San Francisco was so funny and even more so now looking back at it.  There is real chemistry between Hicks and Shatner and the interplay of both with Spock is extremely entertaining.  The best part of the movie is letting the entire crew taking turns being the focus – great watch. 

MVP:  Hicks as Gillian, does a great job melding into the close knit Enterprise crew

Star Trek the Search for Spock

Actors:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Merritt Butrick, Christopher Lloyd, Deforrest Kelly

Rating:  7 out of 10, a solid followup the the Wrath of Khan picking up the story directly after those events.  Nimoy directed this and you can see the welcome focus on the bonds of the original crew.  The blu ray version is almost too clear because you can see the plastic edges of the Klingon makeup as well as the unfortunate haircut choices for Kirk.  The physical parts have clearly passed Shatner by as he struggles with those scenes.  It is almost distracting to have comediennes Lloyd and John Laroquette as supposedly evil Klingons. 

MVP:  Kelly as Doctor McCoy carrying the soul of Spock throughout the movie

Star Trek the Wrath of Khan

Actors:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Ricardo Montalban, Kirstie Alley,Deforrest Kelly

Rating:  8 out of 10, the best of the Star Trek movies until the recent remake.  This one had all the elements that made the original series so memorable.  You get the incredible interplay between the characters, although Kirk is finally looking a little long in the tooth.  I liked how they resurrected one of the most interesting villains from the series and fully developed his story.  The ending scene with the supposed death of Spock was just plain shocking when the movie first came out.

MVP:  Nimoy as Spock, back to pinching necks and mind melding

Star Trek the Motion Picture

Actors:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Persis Khambatta, Steven Collins, Deforrest Kelly

Rating:  6 out of 10, I was so excited when this movie was announced.  I was a huge closet “trekkie” and even wrote a letter to Paramount while I was in college encouraging them to re-make the series that I loved so much as a child.  Ten years after the series was cancelled this movie came out and I was so disappointed.  The core of the series and all great science fiction are the relationships not the technology.  Watching this again I was reminded why I was so disappointed.  There were long, really long special effects shots that completely stopped the plot in its tracks.  There are 45 wasted minutes in this movie.  You get rare glimpses of what made the series so great – the interplay between the core characters.  Khambatta is extremely interesting as the bald android but Collins badly over acts.  Overall – a huge dud that was redeemed in later movies, especially the next one which got back to the basics.

MVP:  Shatner, as James Tiberius Kirk, the ultimate sci fi hero, with Khambatta as Ilea a close second

Suckerpunch

Actors:  Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Scot Glen

Rating:  8 out of 10, some really breathtaking scenes in this movie with an amazing use of CGI and music.  The cast is incredibly strong with the lone exception of the lead actress, Browning – she is terrible.  This drags down the movie which could have been something really special if Cornish or Malone had been cast as the lead.  The story really drags between the fantasy sequences mainly due to Browning’s deadpan performance but that is a small price to pay for the visually stunning battle scenes which are a wonder. Scot Glen is his usual great tough guy as the fantasy guide.    

MVP:  Jena Malone as Rocket  the tragic inspiration for the escape of her sister

Takers

Actors:  Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, Hayden Christenson, T.I., Zoe Saldana

Rating:  7 out of 10, this was okay with some very realistic gun fights and an interesting plot.  The movie is really hurt by some of the actors, especially T.I. and Ealy who are both abominable and obviously non-actors.  When Paul Walker dominates as an actor you know the other actors are weak. This movie wanted to be a cross between Heat and the Italian Connection but fell short.  The action is worth watching the movie though Saldana is wasted with almost no part.  

MVP:  Elba is a powerful presence as Gordon Cozier the leader of the gang

The Thomas Crown Affair

                      

Actors:  Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Frankie Faison, Faye Dunaway

Rating:  9 out of 10, I really liked this movie.  Brosnan and Russo have great chemistry and let it all hang out in this movie.  Brosnan plays the bored mega-millionaire with verve and dash.  Russo has always been one of my favorite actresses and brings energy to a very strong female lead.  Russo’s interplay with both Leary and Brosnan adds great tension.  The plot is extremely well conceived and the ending museum robbery is genius.     

MVP:  Russo as the beautiful and driven insurance investigator in very hot pursuit of Brosnan

Thor

Actors:  Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hokins, Tim Hiddleston, Rene Russo, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, Jaime Alexander, Ray Stevenson

Rating:  9 out of 10, the marvel comic universe is taken to a whole new level with this epic take on the god of thunder.  I was wondering how they were going to incorporate this character because of the background mythology. They did an absolutely fantastic job – taking the ridiculous and making it believable and dare I say plausible.  Portman continues with the “meaty” roles following her Oscar turn but she is obviously the best actor on the screen and makes her character lovable and believable.  Hiddleston makes a very interesting villain.  The special effects are astounding and this played like a prelude to the upcoming avengers movie.  I’m afraid with such strong lead in movies that the actual culminating film will find it hard to live up to the hype – good problem for viewers to have. 

MVP:  Hemsworth pulls off the tough role as Thor bringing great physicality as well as a self depreciating humor that was key to liking his character.

The Town

Actors:  Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Ham, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, Rebecca Hall

Rating:  8 out of 10, great crime drama that was very appealing for the numerous familiar Boston scenes.  Affleck should stick to directing; his was the worst Boston accent but the rest of the cast was top notch and the story really moved.  The action scenes were extremely well staged and the gunfire realistic.  Hall was excellent as the conflicted love interest and the interplay between Affleck and Renner dynamic, mostly due to Renner.  Renner seems to get better with each role.

MVP:  Renner is the absolutely best thing about this movie, his barely contained ferocity was believable and rang true for a career criminal

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Actors:  Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Patrick Dempsey

Rating:  8 out of 10, this really dragged at times but the epic concluding battle of Chicago rescues the film.   For some reason Bay decided that some really out of place comedy was more important than his strength which will always be awe inspiring special effects, which are present and the best thing about this movie.  LaBeouf is almost unwatchable in this and to believe he could land Whitely is less believable than 100 foot robots.  Whitley is gorgeous but she can not act, not even a little.  Overall – great popcorn fare.

MVP:  Turturro is his usual manic self and one of the redeeming characters in this movie.  He plays his comedy straight and is much more believable because of it.

Tron Legacy

Actors:  Jeff Bridges, Garret Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxlietner

Rating:  8 out of 10, I didn’t really get into this movie when I first saw it in the theater.  This was surprising given the remarkable special effects.  Seeing it again at home I was drawn more into the story and enjoyed the movie immensely.  Olivia Wilde has definitely made the transition to movies, something other more well known TV actresses have failed at.  She is luminous in this movie.  I loved the computer generated young Jeff Bridges confronting the older version of himself.  I think we’re going to hear a lot more from Hedlund – I normally don’t like characters like he played in this movie, the rich rebel.  He is totally likable and understandable in his characterization.  If you didn’t like this movie the first time – give it another chance – some great acting here.

MVP:  Hedlund does a great job as Sam Flynn playing the obnoxious rich guy without being obnoxious

True Grit (2010 Version)

Actors:  Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfield, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper

Rating:  9 out of 10, this is virtually the same movie that John Wayne made.  While Bridges is magnificent as Rooster Cogburn, in my mind that part is owned part and parcel by the Duke.  Damon is also incredibly good as Leboef.  The action is much more graphic and seems more realistic than the earlier version.  I liked that the Coens resisted making some of the characters more quirky than needed.  A great movie, which is remarkable considering how good the original was.

MVP:  Hailee Steinfield is a true revelation as the redoubtable Matty Ross, she totally nails the part and does not seem intimidated by the great actors that surround her