National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) – 3 stars out of 4 Dec. 21st, 2014
PG-13 / 97 mins / Dir. Jeremiah S. Chechik This is a funny movie and a fun look at the Griswold Family Christmas with lots of funny sight gags, good lines, and some fun effects as well, including the animated opening credits with a fun title song and the sledding scene. All with Clark's manic, yet mostly positive attitude toward it all. A Christmas Story (1983) – 3 stars out of 4 Dec. 15th, 2014 PG / 98 mins / Dir. Bob Clark While the screaming and crying of the kids does get annoying at times, this film is still a fun little movie. It has many images of Christmas wonder and joy as well as its funny narration from Jean Shepherd, the author of the novel, "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash", this film's based on. It's simply delightful. Four Christmases (2008) – 2 stars out of 4 Dec. 11th, 2014 PG-13 / 88 mins / Dir. Seth Gordon Sort of along the same lines as Deck the Halls, Four Christmases has unlikable characters that are not very redeemable, minus Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon and Jon Voight. Yet the movie is about being with families for Christmas, but every moment the characters go through are not funny and kind of painful. Hit the Ice (1943) – 3 stars out of 4 Dec. 9th, 2014 NR / 82 mins / Dir. Charles Lamont A fun, funny, and well-made movie starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello who get entangled in a bank robbery plot and must prove their innocence by tracking down the real crooks at a ski resort. Along with plenty of good songs and funny scenes of skiing, skating and what not, it's a joy to watch. Home Alone (1990) – 4 stars out of 4 Dec. 6th, 2014 PG / 103 mins / Dir. Chris Columbus With a fun cast of characters, very funny use of slapstick, and a warm feeling of Christmas all around, this movie is a delight that becomes more funny and more entertaining each and every time I watch it around the holidays Deck the Halls (2006) – 2 stars out of 4 Dec. 5th, 2014 PG / 93 mins / Dir. John Whitesell Even if the movie is trying to tell the story of two rival neighbors trying to compete for attention during the Christmas season, it mostly comes off as either awkward or just mean spirited. And yet, its unsympathetic attitude to any of the characters doesn't make it a good holiday film. White Christmas (1954) – 4 stars out of 4 Nov. 18th, 2014 NR / 120 mins / Dir. Michael Curtiz Filled with lots of fun songs, fun dance numbers, the duo team of Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, and plenty of feel-good moments, it is a nice film to watch over the holidays. Yet the arguments between Rosemary Clooney and Bing may not be needed and just drag the film a bit too long. Also, why doesn't Rosemary just admit her problem with Bing? It just doesn't add up. But other than that, it's still a pleasant movie. Volcano (1997) – 3 stars out of 4 Nov. 17th, 2014 PG-13 / 103 mins / Dir. Mick Jackson It's a gigantic mass of explosions, lava, news reports, fast-paced editing, actions, and effects. And while all of that is of fun to get into, the use of character development, dialogue, and sometimes editing is very rushed, hard to catch, not developed enough, and never taking a break. But it's mostly good fun. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) – 3 stars out of 4 Nov. 16th, 2014 PG-13 / 100 mins / Dir. Don Scardino A fun and sometimes funny film about rival magicians, a duo team of Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi and street guerrilla Jim Carrey, competing for attention and for working at a new hotel and casino in Las Vegas. The many magic tricks, lines, and all-star cast make this film enjoyable to watch. Epic (2013) – 2 ½ mixed stars out of 4 Nov. 15th, 2014 PG / 102 mins / Dir. Chris Wedge I never read the William Joyce books this film was based on, nor have I heard of them until this. It does have lots of things going, yet it mostly passes by. There's not a lot that got me into it except the slow-motion and a few fight segments. Plus, Danny Elfman's music sounds a bit like Hans Zimmer. All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) – 2 ½ mixed stars out of 4 Nov. 12th, 2014 G / 83 mins. / Dir. Paul Sabella, Larry Leker Whereas the first film was made for both kids and adults, the sequel was made for kids. It's not as fun or memorable as the first film, yet it still has the same familiar characters with a few new ones and a story that's simple enough to follow for everyone. Yet, it's still aimed more for kids than adults. Rio 2 (2014) – 2 ½ plus stars out of 4 Nov. 11th, 2014 G / 101 mins / Dir. Carlos Saldanha Since I found the first film a be forgettable and even boring at times, the sequel is better than the original. There are more laughs from me in this, as well as a little nod to films like Avatar and FernGully, but there seems to be too many subplots and events going on. Though only a couple of them work together. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (1993) – 2 ½ plus stars out of 4 Nov. 9th, 2014 G / 93 mins / Dir. Emile Ardolino Though presented more as a stage production than a movie production, this version of The Nutcracker with Macaulay Culkin in the title role does have good dancing and that great Peter Tschaikovsky music, but it's quite odd when filming on the theatrical stage as opposed to on real locations or movie sets. Rio (2011) – 2 ½ mixed stars out of 4 Nov. 8th, 2014 G / 96 mins / Dir. Carlos Saldanha The film does have pretty colors, fun character designs (mostly on the animals), and had me laugh a few times. But it tends to be forgettable, even for a story that's simple, as well as its songs, since this is Blue Skies first attempt at a musical. The Haunted Mansion (2003) – 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 29th, 2014 PG / 88 mins / Dir. Rob Minkoff It's interesting to see a movie based on The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World, as well as seeing a few references to it and the many effects. But somehow Eddie Murphy and everything else trying to be funny is not funny, scary, and/or entertaining. It's a bit dull and not even engaging to get into. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) – 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 28th, 2014 G / 85 mins / Dir. Nick Park, Steve Box While it is fun to see Wallace and Gromit have a feature length movie, filled with cute rabbits and a friendly take on the Wolf Man movies, it just doesn't have the same feel or fun that the short films had. There was no need to extend this to feature length when it would have worked fine as a short film. Saving Mr. Banks (2013) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 26th, 2014 PG-13 / 125 mins / Dir. John Lee Hancock An engaging look into the pre-production of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins as well as an okay back-story into P.L. Travers life as a child, which doesn't connect much, but makes up for why it's there. But it's still good, with Tom Hanks as Disney, Emma Thompson as Travers and an ending that made me teary-eyed. Young Frankenstein (1974) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 25th, 2014 PG / 106 mins / Dir. Mel Brooks As a spoof of the Frankenstein movies, it's a very enjoyable movie with plenty of good characters and jokes. Though, Gene Wilder, who is very good in this film, yells out almost every line and it does become a bit too much. Sleepy Hollow (1999) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 23th, 2014 R / 105 mins / Dir. Tim Burton This is a good retelling of Washington Irvings' Legend of Sleepy Hollow with fun action, gruesome effects, and good characters. Yet, while the mystery of the Headless Horseman is easy to follow, the other mystery of the Van Tassel legacy is a bit complicated, even when connected to the Horseman. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) – 2 stars out of 4 Oct. 22th, 2014 PG / 98 mins / Dir. Dave Filoni Since this movie is mostly made as a build up for the TV series of the same name, I'd say the Genndy Tartakovsky mini-series is better at bridging episodes II and III than this. It's a real bore of a movie with not much connection to the live-action movies in terms of story. It feels like a made-for-TV film. The Master of Disguise (2002) – 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 21th, 2014 PG / 80 mins / Dir. Perry Andelin Blake This is such an odd film. There are a few moments that made me smile or chuckle or yes even laugh, but the way it is put together and with an unsatisfactory ending, it's one of those movies where I just don't know what to say or think about it. It's mostly stupid humor that either gets me or just flies by without question. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010) - 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 20th, 2014 PG / 82 mins / Dir. Brad Peyton While the computer generated expressions are an improvement from the last film and having an organization where cats are good is okay, the story and change between computer generated animal and real animal is pretty lame. That and the change of Butch to a different dog is a bit distracting. Cats & Dogs (2001) – 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 15th, 2014 PG / 87 mins / Dir. Lawrence Guterman Though it's fun to see cats and dogs have a battle and to have fine actors, it still doesn't work well with its rushed character development, uncomfortable CGI expressions, and a plot using a formula that cures dog allergies doesn't quite fit since there are people who're allergic to cats as well. And I'm not one of them. Happily N'ever After (2006) – 2 ½ mixed stars out of 4 Oct. 14th, 2014 PG / 87 mins / Dir. Paul J. Bolger While the movie does have a good concept about what happens when fairy tales are given a bad ending and how a wizard controls it all, it just lacks in the fun and humor that the Shrek or Hoodwinked films did. Yet it would’ve been fun if the fairy tale characters become suspicious and catch on to their story's repetition. John Carter (2012) – 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 13th, 2014 PG-13 / 132 mins / Dir. Andrew Stanton Though never having read the books by Edger Rice Burroughs, this movie is kind of cluttered in its way of telling a strait forward narrative and kind of confusing figuring out what's going on. And while this is his first live-action film, the director Andrew Stanton needs to go back to Pixar, where stories are told better. Turbo (2013) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 12th, 2014 PG / 96 mins / Dir. David Soren Turbo is a fast and fun movie with good characters, story, and animation. Though how a garden snail would get the power of speed by accidentally drinking nitrous oxide and how he got it back after his shell's been heal from a Indianapolis 500 crash is anyone's guess. But it's fiction, so I'll let it pass. Weird Science (1985) – 2 ½ plus stars out of 4 Oct. 11th, 2014 PG-13 / 94 mins / Dir. John Hughes This is definitely a weird and bizarre film with its many kooky and nonsensical moments that I kind of admire, though not as much. In that the main female lead wasn't given much of an explanation as to how she's making many weird things happening, even when she is a creation of two unpopular teenage boys. North By Northwest (1959) – 2 ½ minus stars out of 4 Oct. 7th, 2014 Not Rated / 136 mins / Dir. Alfred Hitchcock Though the film does have a good Bernard Herrmann score and fine actors and scenes, the story itself just feels like a complex, confusing, and maybe cluttered array of mistaken identity, framing of murder and drunk driving, and betrayal. Also, the ending is very rushed and bizarre that makes me wonder what happened. Willow (1988) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 6th, 2014 PG / 126 mins / Dir. Ron Howard With plenty of good characters, good effects, and the good production team of Ron Howard and George Lucas, Willow is a good fantasy/adventure that I enjoy watching anytime. Though surprisingly, the Brownies might be a bit annoying and while the transformation scene is really good, some of the effects lack lighting. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) – 2 stars out of 4 Oct. 4th, 2014 PG / 96 mins / Dir. Jack Clayton Based on the Ray Bradbury novel, the movie does show what happens when people's wishes comes true when they visit a mysterious carnival, only to pay an unexpected price. But it fails to explain clearly the meaning behind the wickedness of the carnival, even with the poorly explained effects that occur. The Lego Movie (2014) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 3th, 2014 PG / 101 mins / Dir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Everything in and about this movie is colorful, cool, and, of course, awesome. Full of colorful characters, cool sets, awesome animation, funny moments, fun cameos and the song "Everything is Awesome" are all really good. Frozen (2013) – 3 stars out of 4 Oct. 2th, 2014 PG / 102 mins / Dir. Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of The Snow Queen, this movie has lots of goods songs, goods characters, and good animation and story. Though in my opinion, there tends to be too many songs and Elsa's reason for having snow and ice powers isn't explained well enough. StarGate (1994) – 2 ½ mixed stars out of 4 Oct. 1th, 2014 PG-13 / 119 mins / Dir. Roland Emmerich The film is sort of a mixed bag of interesting ideas and poor execution. It has some good effects, yet okay actors. The idea of having the sun god Ra being an alien from space is interesting, but not presented well enough. And the Egyptian civilization and language is good too, though not much is given about them. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) – 2 stars out of 4 Sept. 30, 2014 PG-13 / 146 mins / Dir. Francis Lawrence Even though I didn't like the first film for the concept and execution, the sequel felt more painful to watch with its protagonist never given a chance to stand against the Capital, it's disappointing cliffhanger, and being the same plot as the first film except with having adults in the games and the rivalry of Snow and Katniss. The Croods (2013) – 2 ½ plus stars out of 4 Sept. 28th, 2014 PG / 98 mins / Dir. Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco The movie has lots of colorful creature designs, fun characters, and a plot similar to the Ice Age films and The Land Before Time mixed with a dysfunctional cavemen family. But the development of the father character doesn't hold much water when explaining the reasons for keeping the family safe. Little Shop of Horrors (The Director's Cut) (1986) – 3 stars out of 4 Sept. 27th, 2014 PG-13 / 103 mins / Dir. Frank Oz The Director's Cut of this film still has the same great songs, the same great characters and the same great feel as the theatrical version. But the ending itself, though true to the original play's ending, wasn't as satisfy as the theatrical version. Plus, the ending does go on a bit too long. Hitchcock (2012) – 3 stars out of 4 Sept. 26th, 2014 PG-13 / 98 mins / Dir. Sacha Gervasi Watching how the movie Psycho was made, the supporting cast like Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins, Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, and Helen Mirren as Hitchcock's wife, makes this movie fun, funny, touching, and enjoyable from beginning to end. Ghostbusters 2 (1989) – 2 ½ plus stars out of 4 Sept. 25th, 2014 PG / 108 mins / Dir. Ivan Reitman The movie has its memorable characters and fun effects from its predecessor, yet how the Ghostbusters got out of business in the beginning isn't explained well enough, the mayor's assistant is not a good character, Dana Barret didn't need to marry another guy, and that the plot is roughly the same as the first film, only with a new villain. Cloverfield (2008) – 3 stars out of 4 Sept. 23rd, 2014 PG-13 / 84 mins / Dir. Matt Reeves Despite the monster not given much info on and having an ending that's kind of depressing, the film does have lots of good action, lots of good use of the shaky-cam, good characters, and very good effects. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) – 3 stars out of 4 Sept. 22nd, 2014 PG / 95 mins / Dir. Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn A fun movie with lots of bright and beautiful colors, fun designs, and having the same likability as the first film. Minus the fact that the villain, though fun to watch, is really obvious to figure out in the beginning. William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) – 2 ½ plus stars out of 4 Sept. 21st, 2014 PG-13 / 120 mins / Dir. Baz Luhrmann It does keep the story of Shakespeare's play moving with the nice touch of using the play's dialogue against the modern day world with contemporary music, yet there doesn't seem to be much in terms of the feuding between the Montagues and the Capulets, nor does it have the same vibe as Moulin Rouge. |