Hangover II

Hangover II

Rating 2 out of 10

I'll start by saying I was not a huge fan of the first Hangover movie.  I considered it "funnier than I thought it would be" but definitely not hold your sides laughing as some people did. Compared to Hangover II the first one would go down in comedic history! I had no plans of seeing this movie.  Going to dinner and movie with friends Ted and Jill they wanted to see it (as I toss them under the bus : >).  I sent them the horrible reviews hinting they reconsider.  Sadly nothing that seemed much better was out.

Hangover II takes most of the same characters and pretty much the same plot and moves it from Las Vegas to Bangkok.  This is one of those where the director thinks if you kick a guy in the nards its funny so if we kick him there ten times it will be TEN times as funny!  It's not.  Instead of Stu losing a tooth this time he gets a Mike Tyson face tatoo.  You can see the gags coming a mile down the road and each one more absurd than the rest. I reached the point where I'd take a face tatt just to get me out of the theater.

As much as I hate to admit our 13 year old son saw this on opening night with his older brother.  He thought it was the funniest movie he had ever seen.  The big problem here.  The comedy level is aimed at 13 year old boys but this is not a movie they should be seeing.  Between all the F-bombs there is some nudity that no one really should see (trust me).

This movie only scored a 34% on www.rottentomatoes.com and honestly I'm surprised it rated that high.

Priest

Priest

Rating 5 out of 10

I went into this movie with fairly low expectations and that's pretty much what I got.  My buddy Ted had already told me it was just okay.  I would say that sums it up.

In this movie they explain that there have always been humans and also vampires.  Not the good looking type they glow like diamonds in the sunlight.  These vampires look like some sort of creepy underground mole things that are super fast and mean as hell.  The humans are starting to lose the fight when the church puts together a group of Priests with ninja vampire killing skills.  These Priests wipe out nearly all evil vampires leading the church leaders to declare victory and disband the warriors.

You know it can't end like that.  The vampires come back and all there is to save human kind is the toughest priest of them all named of all things, Priest.  He is played by Paul Bettany.  Sadly Bettany has been in many movies and is mostly known for being married to Jennifer Connelly.  While he is likable,  I don't think he has the star power to carry a movie and came up short here.  His partner is the female priest named Priestess.  She is played by Maggie Q (from tv's Nikita).  Maggie can kick me in the head anytime!

The movie is a little choppy and thrown together.  The action is okay but moves at such a fast pace it's mostly hard to tell what's going on. It's not a bad movie.  Good for a rental later this year when nothing is on tv.

Pirates- Not yet...

I am one of the few people that did not think the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were very good.  I thought the first movie was okay, not great.  Unlike my daughter Stacy my heart does not flutter every time  Johnny Depp comes on the screen.  Especially when he is dressed and acting like a gay pirate.  Second movie was not as good as the first.  Third movie made me want to throw things at the screen.

I may see Pirates IV if I'm very bored and nothing else to see (so probably will) but not now.  If anyone sees it and thinks I would like it or not please reply here or email me.

Rob Lowe book

Stories I only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography

I like Rob Lowe.  Wouldn't call myself a big fan, but in general I like him.  His movie About Last Night with Demi Moore is one of my all time favorites.  I was surprised to see that movie was twenty five years ago (showing my age) but I think it still holds up today.  Put it on your rental list if you haven't seen it.

Back to the book.  I liked it alot. Lowe doesn't pull punches or sugar coat the warts on his pretty boy face. He talks of his drug and alcohol abuse and his coming and staying clean for 20+ years.  His mother was kinda wacky.  He moved from the midwest to sunny California where people like Charlie Sheen and Sean Penn were neighbors and schoolmates.

It's interesting hearing the details of the multi-layered tryouts for one of his first movies The Outsiders.  He becomes friends with many future big stars like Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillion, Ralph Macchio, Diane Lane and Tom Cruise.  He also talks of his shock when most of his good sized part ended on the cutting room floor and he didn't find out until the screening.

He talks of his many affairs.  He went from a goofy nerd at school to bedding some of the most popular actresses working.  You can tell he is happily married (for more than twenty years) and I guess she was looking over his shoulder while writing the book.  The briefly talks of his wild times and the many groupies he was with and touches on his sex tape with the Atlanta girls back in the 80's.

One thing that surprised me was how he became so popular over the years.  Looking at his filmography out of 57 movies he has starred in I would only rate 4-5 as average or better and About Last Night the only one as very good.  I liked him in the first couple years of the tv series the West Wing before I got tired of the show and quit watching. Was never a Wayne's World or Austin Powers fan.

Alot of name dropping where he meets several big celebrities before they hit it big.  It's a fun read.  If you like him or movies from that era at all I recommend it.

Thor

Thor

Rating 7.5 out of 10

I read some of the superhero comics as a kid.  Never got into to Thor much.  Big guy with a big hammer.  The story is not as easy a sell as Spiderman or Superman. The movie is still an entertaining ride.  Newcomer Chris Hemsworth plays the Mighty Thor. He does a good job.  Big muscles and Australian accent that fits the part.  He is a prince in the far away land of Asgard.  The King (the always incredible Anthony Hopkins) is close to dying and trying to decide which son to take his place.  The boring, plain looking son or the hunky hot headed son with the flowing blonde locks?

When Thor's reckless ways endanger the home planet with these icy bad guys his father banishes him to the worst place possible.  Earth.  There he meets beautiful scientist (aren't they all beautiful?) Jane Foster played by Natalie Portman.  Ms. Portman is determined to be in every movie released in 2011.  I don't know how she found time to get pregnant.

The story bounces around and bit and it not always easy to follow.  Luckily that doesn't matter.  The action scenes kick butt as you would hope a Summer blockbuster would.  Bad guys come to Earth and it's up to Thor and his sidekicks to protect us.  It's a fun action movie to kill a couple hours.  I'm sure we will see Thor II and Thor III.

Underrated movies

I’ve seen a couple movies on TNT lately that I thought were very good when they were released and for whatever reason didn’t get much attention in the theater.  I’ve compiled a list of movies that I would recommend if you were walking around Blockbuster looking for something to rent. I admit some do sound goofy but if you agree with my reviews give them a shot.  Would like some feedback if you do rent them or have seen them before. 

Cinderella Man-  I never understood why this didn’t do better.  It’s a Ron Howard film telling the true story of boxer James Braddock who was considered rich and successful before losing it all in the depression.  A broken hand knocks him out of boxing so instead of fighting for $50,000 purses he working on the docks for $2 per day.  He gets another shot and ends up fighting for the championship against a heavily favored fighter that had killed two in the ring already.  Great cast with Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger and an Oscar caliber performance by Paul Giamatti.

Great book by the same name also.

Heart and Souls- Incredible cast .  Robert Downey Jr long before Ironman.  Kyra Segewick (from TNT’s The Closer), Tom Sizemore, Charles Grodin, the always good Alfre Woodard and Elizabeth Shue (original Karate Kid babe)  .  Corny sounding movie when a baby is born (Downey) as four others die in a bus crash.  The four souls are tied to the baby until as an adult he can help them get things together before going up to Heaven.  It sounds corny but trust me it works.  Funny in parts and tugs at heart strings in others. 

The Sure Thing- John Cusak’s first movie.  Also stars Daphne Zuniga and Nicole Sheriden (from Desperate Housewives in her first movie).  Down on luck Cusak going to college in freezing Boston is lured to California for the sun and the promise of the beautiful Sheridan being a “sure thing”.  He finds his way across the US with Zuniga whom he didn’t like.  This movie is very funny and again much better than it sounds on paper.

Just like Heaven-  A cute movie with Reese Witherspoon that deserved better.  Mark Ruffalo in a part he has perfected as the dopey sweet guy moves into a dream apartment only to find the spirit of the woman that lived there before (Reese) who does not know she is dead.  Again, not as corny as it sounds.  It is a light, well written feel good movie. 

That Thing You Do- Maybe more people saw this than I think.  It only grossed $26 million at the box office.  The movie follows the rise and fall of a one hit wonder pop group.  Stars Tom Hanks and is just an easy going likable movie.  Good music too.

October Sky- Jake Gyllenhaal has made many movies in the past 5-6 years.  I still think his best movie is this one.  He plays the young Homer Hickam, a very poor coal miners son who teaches himself how to make rockets and ends up working for NASA. Well made and acted.  Also stars Laura Dern and Chris Cooper. 

Searching for Bobby Fischer- You will be amazed that a movie about chess can be this good.  Based on the true story of Josh Waitzkin.  He was an eight year old boy that turned into a chess prodigy that dreamed about some day playing chess legend Bobby Fischer.  Again well acted by Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley and Joan Allen.   It shows the surprise of the parents when their young son picks up this game out of no where and the moms determination he have a normal childhood.   Very good.

K-2- I love mountain climbing movies.  Don’t know why but I love them.  This is based on a true story of two buddies that get a chance to join an expedition to climb K-2.  Bad weather comes in. People die.  They have to fight to get off the mountain alive.  It stars one of the most underrated actors in history, Michael Biehn.  Beautiful scenery and mostly a feel good movie.

Serenity- I know many have not heard of this movie or the Fire Fly tv show that inspired it.  I was a big fan of the tv show and thought the movie was fantastic.  Many of the stars have gone on to good tv careers.  Nathan Fillion is now on Castle.  Morena Baccarin is the beautiful alien on the tv show V.  Adam Baldwin is on Chuck and Summer Glau who was in the Terminator tv show a couple years ago.  A bad of misfits and no gooders (is that a word?) in a beat up space ship that try to stay a step ahead of the evil Alliance.   Deserved better.

Fast Five

Fast Five

Rating 8 out of 10

This is the fifth in the Fast and the Furious line of movies that started back in 2001.  Somehow they managed to breathe new life into the series I thought was long dead.  The old gang is back.  Paul Walker is Brian the ex- federal agent now on the run. Vin Diesel is Dominic a role he was born to play.  Bad to the bone and takes no crap of anyone.

When the last Fast and Furious ended Dominic was arrested and on his way to jail.  Brian and his crew (including his love interest and Dominic's sister Mia- played by Jordana Brewster)  stage a big time jail break and bust him out.  Off to Rio de Janeiro they go.

This is where it goes from a good movie to a very good movie.  In comes Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and his kick ass team of FBI agents out to apprehend the bad guys.  Dwayne looks like he was carved out of granite and takes things to another level.  Could a team of FBI agents go into another country and bust heads looking for American fugitives?  Naw.  Didn't matter a bit.

When Vin Diesel and the Rock lock horns I swear you can feel the seats shake.  The movie is pure testosterone from start to finish.  The ending of course leaves room for the next in the series and I'll be in the theater for that one.