Casino Royale (2006)

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, & Eva Green
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

I've never been a fan of James Bond. Probably, because I grew up with Pierce Brosnan as 007 and he sucked. I decide to give the series another shot, not because of Bond, but rather Daniel Craig. I have been a fan of Craig's for some time, having seen several of the films from overseas. I knew then that he would be a huge action star and now he's 007. As for my first Bond movie, it was pretty good. Craig was fantastic and avoided much of the cliché Bond moments that most of us have come to loath. The film was entertaining, but also pretty predictable and much longer than it needed to be. I was also very unimpressed by the bad guys. I thought Bond villains were supposed to be classic, but these guys were rather forgettable. I'm not in love with the Bond character, but this film did open my eyes a little bit and I probably will check out Quantum of Solace in the near future.

I Am Legend

Starring: Will Smith, Salli Richardson, & Charlie Tahan
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Finally, an end of the world thriller that is worth seeing! This remake of 1971's Omega Man is a perfect example of how end of the world movies should occur. The flashbacks to the time before the catastrophe tell the story of what actually happen. Will Smith is really great as Dr. Robert Neville. Instead of going on some insane journey to find an unaffected area, he stays right in the heart of the crisis and tries to fix it. He is a great example of a true hero and Will Smith portrays it perfectly. Smith's personality in a dark and somber movie is a bright spot and his interplay with the innocuous things he encounters is fantastic. Will Smith make the film, aided by a great story and some really cool special effects. This is a good one!

I Love Trouble

Starring: Nick Nolte & Julia Roberts
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I've seen I Love Trouble several times and it never gets old. It is from the early 90s but is a story that is still entertaining today. Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts play competing reporters at different newspapers in Chicago. When a major story breaks, they both compete to scoop each other, but ultimately decide to team up when it becomes clear that their lives are endangered. Julia Roberts shines in one of her first leading roles, showing us what got her to be known as America's sweetheart. Nick Nolte is also fantastic. He is a very good actor who doesn't get many good roles anymore, because of his past. It's good to see him playing a likeable character instead of making a cameo as a psychotic drunk. I Love Trouble, and I love this movie. It's a great story with an excellent cast and thoroughly entertaining.

Unbreakable

Starring: Bruce Willis & Samuel L. Jackson
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Unbreakable is the legend of a real life superhero brought to you by M. Night Shyamalan. The idea is profoundly unique and the cast is great, but I really didn't like how it turned out. The first half of the movie was awesome, but as Shyamalan movies tend to do, it got weird, in this case too weird. While I love Samuel L. Jackson, his character was just annoying and I didn't really consider him a threatening villain. Bruce Willis on the other hand was amazing as usual, but his character was kind of bland. Shyamalan wanted to keep the story as real and believable as possible, but a super hero who just can't get hurt and has no other real powers is just kind of dull. I love the uniqueness of the story, but the film just didn't do much for me.

Throttle

Starring: Grayson McCouch & Adrian Paul
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Films like Throttle are why I watch direct-to-video films. There's almost no budget, no one of name in it, and still the movie has you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Throttle was very entertaining and did a lot with what little they had. A businessman, leaving work finds himself stuck, in the basement of a parking garage, with nowhere to go, and a killer on his tale. It's a definite thrill ride, albeit a very predictable one. I'm no super sleuth, but I had the killer pegged within the first 25 minutes. The acting, is what you'd expect in these types of films. Some were pretty good, while others were terrible. The lead, Grayson McCouch was great. He doesn't have much under his belt, but if he keeps putting on performances like this one, it won't be long until everyone knows his name. Throttle is electrifying and exciting, but isn't going to blow anyone away. If you're looking for something simple and entertaining, be sure to check it out!

Horrible Bosses

Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, & Kevin Spacey
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

From Arrested Development creator, Brett Ratner, and the star of Freaks & Geeks, John Francis Daly, comes Horrible Bosses. What made this film stand out from other raunchy comedies, was that there wasn't just one super funny guy that the other played off of. Every character had their moment and was funny in their own way. The story was fairly original too. Three miserable guys decide all their problems would end if they kill each other's boss and they go on a hilarious mission to get the job done. While I love the idea and thought the movie was genuinely funny, what it lacks is character development. Other than the abuses they face at work, you don't really know too much about these guys and where they are coming from. I feel like that weakened the film, but what more than makes up for it is a ton of hilarious cameos. I love cameos and there are some great ones from Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland, Bob Newhart, and Collin  Farrell. Horrible Bosses while lacking substance is defiantly good for a few laughs, which is pretty much all that I expect from these types of movies.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, & Emma Roberts
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

...except it's not! This film is supposed to be an uplifting comedy, however I found it painfully predictable and a bit sad. Keir Gilchrist was great, playing Craig, a young mental patient who wants to kill himself. Gilchrist and the flashes of his thoughts, that we get to see, are the best part of this film and the only thing really worth seeing. Zach Galifianakis, who is one of my favorites, isn't at all funny, he's actually kind of pathetic in this film. Despite Gilchrist performance, the movie is actually quite stupid, I mean what kind of mental hospital lets the patients have access to the roof of the hospital? It looked good, has some really good actors in it, but nothing happens, the story is predictable as hell, and it's a "comedy" in which no one really says or does anything funny. I was hugely disappointed with it.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, & Pierce Brosnan
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

When you think of the name Robin Williams, movies like this come to mind, because without him, a film like this would never be on the radar. Williams is classically funny in a way that no one else is and he shows again in Mrs. Doubtfire. Separated from his children in a divorce, he needs a way to see his kids every day, and the idea of Mrs. Doubtfire is born. The cast is a mix of veteran comedy actors and young kids and they all do a phenomenal job. Williams of course is genius and makes the film, in a role that is clearly written for him. On the surface it seems like a kids movie, but it's not. There is a lot there for everyone and even thou it's only a PG film, it is genuinely funny.

Mysterious Skin

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brady Corbett, & Jeff Licon
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Mysterious Skin is the story of two boys and an event one summer, that changed their lives forever. Both had different reactions to it and both had their whole lives consumed by it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Neil, and does an outstanding job. Neil is a male prostitute, cold and heartless on the outside, but lonely and miserable on the inside. JGL does a great job of portraying both to the audience. Be warned thou, this is one graphic film, not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of raw scenes featuring Neil, in fact, I don't think I've ever seen someone get undressed as many times in one movie as JGL does in this one. As for the film, it starts out strong, then in the middle, it seems like your typical, weird, indie flick. Don't turn it off just yet, because it gets better and better, building up to one of the strongest endings I've seen in a long time. This isn't something that hasn't been done before, but a combination of a great cast, top notch acting, and a brutally graphic depiction of events, makes it unique and something that you're going to want to see.

Insidious

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, & Ty Simpkins
Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

This is a weird movie, that jumps quickly between boring, mildly interesting, and ridiculously stupid. It's good for a couple of good scares in the beginning, but the movie quickly deteriorates from there. The big slogan was, it's not the house that's haunted, and it was compared to the exorcist, both couldn't be further from the truth. Without going into details, the story is just fucking stupid. The special effects are laughable, and the acting is so-so. The kid, newcomer Ty Simpkins, was mildly entertaining and did do a nice job. The parents weren't too bad either, but the rest of the cast were just terrible, a perfect fit for a movie that is pure shit. If it wasn't for a couple of scares and the fact that I was laughing at how stupid some of the parts were, this movie would have gotten zero. It's a complete and utter waste of time.

Deep Impact

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Tea Leoni, & Elijah Wood
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Deep Impact is a pretty good movie with a very unfortunate name. It is another story that plays into people fears about the end of the world, with a situation we rarely think about. As far as stories go, this is a good one, telling the story from four different angles. Tea Leoni's was by far the most interesting, as an up and coming reporter from a troubled family, who becomes the face of the crisis. What I didn't like was the storyline in space, where the would be heroes try to stop the asteroid. It just seemed unnecessary and like it dragged on. If the legendary Robert Duvall wasn't one of the astronauts, I'm pretty sure most of those scenes would have been cut. Deep Impact has a great cast, with a strong story, but it's also a little slow and cheesy at points, but it's a much better movie than most of the other end of the world scenario films.

Fanboys

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, & Kristen Bell
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Fanboys is an extremely overrated comedy, about four friends, who decide to break in to George Lucas's home, in order to steal a copy of Star Wars: Episode 1, six months before it hits theaters. The movie was very well reviewed and had a big word of mouth following, and being a huge Sci-Fi fan, I couldn't wait to see it. The story however was extremely weak and filled with cliché Star Wars jokes. It was predictable, done, and fucking lame. The only really cool thing about the film was the cameos. In this tiny independent film they had cameos by William Shatner, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Kevin Smith, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, and Seth Rogan, an impressive list to be sure! Like I said thou, the movie was weak and done. Unless you're a diehard Star Wars fan, I'd skip this one.

Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, & Shia LaBeouf
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

After 20 years, Indiana Jones returned for a new generation to enjoy. It is simply amazing that at almost 70 years of age, Harrison Ford was able to do this movie, and even perform some of his own stunts. In the film, they introduce Shia LaBeouf as his son, so that the franchise can continue. Indiana Jones has been around since the early 80s. There are hundreds of books and stories they could have chosen from, and I suspect most of them would have been better than the Crystal Skull. Don't get me wrong, the movie wasn't bad, but aliens, Elvis, sword fights on the back of a jeep, cannibalistic ants, and Shia swinging through the Amazon with a family of monkeys? That's not Indiana Jones. I realize they wanted to portray him in perhaps the final years of his career, but the story was not great. The action scenes, effects, stunts, and cast were all great, and what you've come to expect from Indy, but the movie itself wasn't the best. It's enjoyable and worth seeing, but for the most part it doesn't fit with what we know of Indiana Jones.

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What is your favorite Disney movie?

Holes

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Khleo Thomas, & Sigourney Weaver
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is the magic of Disney and the kind of films they should be focusing on. Not only is it a great old story, brought to life on the big screen, but it's got one hell of a cast. The young stars in this movie turned out to be much better off working on a film like this, rather than some ridiculous singing and dancing nightmare, that would have tight cast them. Shia LaBeouf is great as a troubled kid sent away to a work camp, where they uncover a hidden secret. Surprisingly thou, it's newcomer Khleo Thomas who steals the show. His story and background are so sad and he plays it so well, that you just want to hug him every time he opens his mouth. Veterans John Voigt and Sigourney Weaver bring experience to the film and really give the kids a strong example to follow now and in the future. Overall, this is one of the best Disney movies I've ever seen, doing justice in bringing life to a great novel. I wish more of their films were like this!

Scream

Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, & David Arquette
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Horror legend, Wes Craven, wanted to mix a traditional slasher film, with a who done it mystery, while at the same time parading both. The result is Scream, which turned into a much bigger film and franchise than he expected. He wanted to do this sort of under the radar, with a cast of virtual unknowns, but due to its uniqueness, the movie quickly gained popularity and today is considered one of the best horror movies of all time. The cast are all household names now and the ending of this film is legendary. Twists, turns, paranoia, accusations, one liners, and good looking people is what Scream is all about. The story is a great one, the cast is solid, and when it comes to writer/directors, you can't get much better than Wes Craven. The original Scream is one that should be on your must see list!

Devil

Starring: Chris Messina, Jenny O'Hara, & Bokeem Woodbine
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

From the master of the modern day dark thriller, M. Night Shyamalan, comes Devil. Going into a Shyamalan movie, you know you're going to see a tragedy, a hero, and an amazing twist at the end. Coming off two absolute bombs, Shyamalan needed a good film to get back on track, and Devil is it! This is one of those movies that's hard to describe without giving stuff away, so let me just say, it's Shyamalan at his best! It's a great story, a young unknown cast, and the ending will just blow your mind. Unlike most Horror/Thriller writers, Shyamalan doesn't use gore to shock you, but rather has a story that will just scare you to your core, and by the end of this one I was rattled! This is a top notch film that fell way under the radar, because of its unknown cast, but if you like scary movies or edge of your seat thrillers, you have to see this film!

A Commentary On Ryan Dunn

Several weeks ago, Jackass Star, Ryan Dunn, was killed in an accident on a Pennsylvania highway. It was later determined that the crash was related to alcohol and obsessive speed. Since then, friends and family have been opening up and speaking about what a great friend and person he was.

I didn't know Ryan. He could have been the greatest guy and friend in the history of the world, but it doesn't change what happened. Dunn was idolized by millions of kids, and while Jackass stars are often put down and ridiculed, there are a lot of positive attributes to look up to. They're courageous, outgoing, have a terrific sense of humor, and they are unique, doing what they want, and not just what's popular. On the other hand, they also have negative qualities, such as taking unnecessary risks and abusing drugs and alcohol.

My question to the friends and family of Ryan Dunn is, if he was such a great friend and loved so much, than why didn't someone take his keys? I suppose it's because they've seen him and everyone else do it for years without any consequences. Well, just how many times can you get bombed and get behind the wheel before the inevitable happens? 

I'm sure Ryan was a great guy and deserved every bit of love and respect he got, but that night who was he thinking about? With these celebrities, the truth is that they always come first. It doesn't matter how many friends they have, how much their family loves them, or how much their fans look up to them. They come first and foremost, and I can promise you that when Ryan Dunn put the keys in the ignition, he wasn't thinking about his friends, family, or fans.

People keep saying what a tragedy this is, and anytime someone dies in the prime of their life, it certainly is, but I keep asking myself if a bigger tragedy was averted by Dunn's death. What if a 21 year old kid at the bar that night saw Dunn get behind the wheel in that condition and arrive home fine? What if they then heard the tale of how even completely wasted, the big celebrity got up to 140 on the highway? They'd be tempted to do it themselves, just to prove that they were as cool as Dunn, and what if instead of losing control and hitting a tree, they hit a family of 5 that had the misfortune of changing lanes in front of them on the highway?

Like I said, Ryan Dunn could have been a great guy, but what kind of guy gets bombed and drives 140 mph, putting 1000s of lives at risk? It was stupid and selfish and when the media say so, it's because people, kids especially, need to know just how insane and how dangerous it is. Rather than jumping down the throats of the media to defend their friend, the stars of Jackass should be saying he's a great guy, BUT he did a stupid thing. Just lashing out and telling people to shut the fuck up and then posting tributes left and right just isn't the right thing to do. In life, Ryan Dunn may have been a hero, but he didn't go out like one and his actions shouldn't be ignored.

The Story of Us

Starring: Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, & Jake Sandvig
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Story of Us is one of those movies, where the title tells you everything you need to know about the movie. I am by no means a fan of these sappy romantic comedies, however I do sometimes go out of my comfort zone for a movie that has a great cast. Bruce Willis is easily one of my favorite actors and having seen almost everything he's done, I rented this. What can I say? It's the story about meeting your soul mate, getting married, and the ups & downs associated with family life. There are no surprises and there is nothing special here. I didn't find the movie particularly funny and even at 96 minutes, it still felt very long. If you're into these sappy romantic comedies, you might like it, you might not. I was just indifferent too it. The Story of Us didn't impress me, but I didn't hate it either.

Domestic Disturbance

Starring: John Travolta, Vince Vaughn, Teri Polo, & Matthew O'Leary
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Ask yourself this, what if you witnessed a crime and no one believed you? Better yet, what if you were a kid when this happened? That is the premise of this modern day thriller, Domestic Disturbance. It isn't the perfect movie, but the story, while predictable, was still so much fun to watch. As for the cast, John Travolta and Vince Vaughn alone should tell you that you're in for something special. I know a lot of people love Vaughn, I don't, but he was great in this film. Matthew O'Leary, a newcomer back then, seemed as thou he's been doing this for years, acting as the perfect go between and playing his role flawlessly. Domestic Disturbance is fun, exciting, and has an unbelievable cast. Besides the predictability, the only other thing I can say negatively about this film was that it wasn't long enough! I really enjoyed it and didn't want it to end.

The Riches

Starring: Eddie Izzard, Minnie Driver, Noel Fisher, Shannon Woodward, & Aiden Mitchell

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

The Riches is the most recent TV show I've been watching from my Netflix que, and I have one question. How in the world could they cancel it!? More people watched the premier of The Riches than ever watched an episode of the Shield or Rescue Me. It's also got to be one of the most creative shows I've ever seen!

The show centers around the Molloy family, a family of modern day gypsies. Today is a big day for them as the matriarch of their family is being released from jail, after serving a two year sentence. A big party is thrown for her and all seems well in the Molloy family, but things aren't what they seem. The Molloy family is forced to leave their camp. Wayne (Eddie Izzard) is not going empty handed thou. Before leaving he cracks the camp leaders safe and takes a substantial amount of money.

Once on the road, they run into another family from camp, that had been oblivious to what was going on. It doesn't take them long to realize something isn't right, but before they can confront them, the Molloy's take off and a big highway RV chase begins. During the chase a passing motorist and his wife are killed. The man and woman are Doug and Shrine Rich, and they are on their way to a new home in Eden Falls.

 Doug was a savvy lawyer, who made a fortune at the expense of others. On this day he and his new wife were on the run also, moving away from everyone and everything they've ever known to move to a new state and into a new house they bought on the internet. Thanks to paper work in the car, Wayne Molloy quickly realizes who these people were and where they were going. It is then that he decides it's time to stop travelling the country and settle into a nice, normal, "buffer", lifestyle. Living in Eden Falls as Doug and Shrine.

Along with their 3 kids, the Molloy's try to adapt from being a family of travelers to a family of wealth and stability. The show is amazing! There are so many twist and turns, cons and jokes, ups and downs, It's so well written , with an outrageous cast of characters, and most important of all, a storyline I promise you have never seen before!  The show was cancelled by FX in late 2008, but both seasons are available on Netflix, and according to Wikipedia, Eddie Izzard and the show's creator are currently working on a full length feature film. If you want something different crossing comedy, drama, and action, then I'd say The Riches are for you!

Hannibal

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Julianna Moore, & Ray Liotta
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The thing about Hannibal is that it was a good movie, but there was something just off about it. Anthony Hopkins was simply amazing as he is in most everything he does. The rest of the cast was equally as good, but the story was a bit odd. Out of the four Lecter movies, this is the one that doesn't really fit. I didn't like the whole overseas aspect, although the manhunt was good. Clarice Starling was a completely different character and it had nothing to do with that fact that another woman was playing her. Juliana Moore did a great job, but Starling, wasn't the same Starling we came to love in Silence of The Lambs. Overall I liked the movie and it had some great parts to it, especially the end, but my feeling is that something just wasn't right about it.