Oscar/Box Office Recap-February 27th 2011

Well the big night is over, and now we have a whole year to wait until we get to analyze and predict again. Personally I did pretty well, correctly predicting 18 of 24 categories. Lets break down the awards....

Best Picture-No upsets here, long favored The King's Speech reigned.
Best Director-One of the categories I got wrong, I thought David Fincher would take it, but instead it was more love for The King's Speech.
Best Actor-Once again no surprises, Colin Firth deservedly takes home his Oscar.
Best Actress-Natalie Portman took the award, just how she was expected to.
Best Supporting Actor- Christian Bale was humble and had one of the evening's best acceptance speeches.
Best Supporting Actress-Melissa Leo still won a category that of late was in upheaval. And she dropped an F-bomb during her speech....and the F bomb was the most exciting part of her speech.
Best Adapted and Original Screenplay-The King's Speech and The Social Network won these as predicted.
Best Animated Film-Toy Story 3, as everyone knew.
Best Visual Effects/Sound Mixing/Sound Editing/Cinematography-Inception's 4 awards on the evening, and all well deserved. Cinematography surprised me as I thought True Grit would take it.
Best Costume Design/Art Direction-Alice in Wonderland's best assets won it 2 awards.
Best Makeup-The Wolfman can officially say "Academy Award Winner", wow.
Best Editing/Original Score-The Social Network won for its great editing and understated yet masterful score.
Best Song-Randy Newman for Toy Story 3, a full decade past "You Got a Friend in Me".
Best Foreign Film-In A Better World surprised favorite Biutiful as well as my pick Incendies.
Best Documentary-Inside Job won, likely due to its timely topic.
Best Documentary short-Strangers No More, kids in a war torn country, pure Oscar bait, but I missed it.
Best Animated Short-The Lost Thing, which was terrific, but I still didn't pick it.
Best Live Action Short-God of Love, also great, but once again I picked the darker Na Wewe as what I thought the Academy would love.

Host Hathaway and Franco did a good job, you could tell there nerves but that's understandable. It was a pretty quick broadcast with some funny moments that worked and some that didn't as usual. No real shocks which is always disappointing.

In regards to all the Oscar stuff, we will skip the box office breakdown post this week, suffice to say though that it was a slow week as 3 week holdover Gnomeo and Juliet won the weekend, followed by new release Hall Pass. Other new release Drive Angry 3D bombed.

-Maximus

The Only Oscar Preview You'll Need

The day is almost here, the hour draws close, the curtain is opening.......... Call it whatever you want but the Oscars are now less than 48 glorious hours away. The Oscars are practically a holiday for movie lovers, and this year has been as interesting as ever. The Oscars aren't always perfect and I don't always leave happy (are you kidding me Academy you chose Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan?) but the night is usually entertaining regardless. Will anyone bust out Bjork's swan dress in honor of Black Swan? Will Banksy show up and if so what kind of hijinks can we expect from him? How will hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway do? Well myself and Diomedes have seen our movies, done our research, and are getting ready to fill out our official brackets for our Oscar party. So here I will break down each category, and give you who I think will win, who I think should win, and who could upset the favorite. As a side note I should say that I have won the Oscar pool at the party I attend 5 of the last 6 years, including the last 3 years so using me as your main guide is a safe bet. But having said that I always pick some upsets in the eleventh hour.... so read my breakdowns carefully.
Best Actor- This is the single biggest lock of the night. I would be shocked, and I mean absolutely shocked if anyone other than Colin Firth won, plain and simple. And I am perfectly fine with that because Firth's performance was astounding.
Favorite: Colin Firth
Will Win: Colin Firth
Should Win: Colin Firth
Could upset: No one
Best Actress- This race has generally been Annette Bening vs Natalie Portman from the beginning. Natalie Portman is the favorite to win and likely will. However Annette Bening has been in Hollywood for a long time and been previously nominated multiple times without ever winning, could this be the year they decide to give it to her as they assume Portman will have more chances? I could see the Academy giving the career Oscar to Bening.
Favorite: Natalie Portman
Will Win: Natalie Portman
Should Win: Natalie Portman
Could upset: Annette Bening
Best Supporting Actor-This is another of the main races that seems close to being a lock. Christian Bale has been the overwhelming favorite from the beginning. Geoffrey Rush's recent BAFTA win appears to be more blanket love for the King's Speech over a real preview of the Oscars. However the Academy likes to reward its favorite movie in multiple categories, so that could really help Rush.
Favorite: Christian Bale
Will Win: Christian Bale
Should Win: Christian Bale
Could Upset: Geoffrey Rush
Best Supporting Actress-This is the most wide open of the main races. The only constant is that we can count out Jackie Weaver. Melissa Leo was the overwhelming favorite for a long time but her recent missteps with her "for you consideration" ads and the fact Hailee Steinfeld was nominated in the wrong category have really hurt Leo's chances. She is still the favorite but her costar Amy Adams has been gaining ground and it's possible the two will split votes. If this happens I think it could be Hailee Steinfeld's Oscar to lose. She went toe to toe with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon in showy performances and she was the most memorable of the three. The sleeper here is Helena Bonham-Carter. She won the BAFTA and falls into the category with Geoffrey Rush of possible blanket love for The King's Speech. Her performance was not as showy as the others, but the Academy loves a good historical drama and as I said before, they love to reward their favorite film.
Favorite: Melissa Leo
Will Win: No idea, but lets say Melissa Leo.
Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld
Could Upset: Hailee Steinfeld, Helena Bonham-Carter
Best Animated Film-This is another of the complete locks. Toy Story 3 is nominated for Best Picture so how could it not win Best Animated Feature. It was a great film, having said that, I personally liked How To Train Your Dragon better and I wanted that in the Best Picture category.
Favorite: Toy Story 3
Will Win: Toy Story 3
Should Win: How To Train Your Dragon
Could Upset: Nothing
Art Direction- This category is hard to predict as it doesn't have to go to a Best Picture nominee, in fact it hasn't the last few years. With Alice in Wonderland being an Art Direction spectacle, that is the favorite. The Art Director's Guild however gave its awards to The King's Speech and Inception. At this point I believe I will take Inception to win it all, as I think the Academy may blanket Inception with the technical awards.
Favorite: Alice in Wonderland
Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: Alice in Wonderland, King's Speech
Cinematography- This will be an interesting award to watch, it will likely come down to three films: Black Swan, Inception, and True Grit. The cinematographer of True Grit, Roger Deakins, has been nominated 9 times without a win, and the cinematography in True Grit is spectacular. However the cinematographers for Inception and Black Swan, Wally Pfister and Matthew Libatique respectively, are both big names in their craft and did an amazing job. I think Deakins gets his first Oscar however.
Favorite: Inception
Will Win: True Grit
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: Inception
Documentary Feature- The documentary choices were unique this year. Pre-nominations Waiting for Superman was the favorite. However it didn't even garner a nomination. Exit through the Gift Shop is an interesting documentary that goes from street art to selling out. My favorite was Restrepo, a hard and harrowing look into the war in Afghanistan from the soldiers perspective. However I think the winner may be Inside Job, based mainly off the Academy giving the award to a film that is about politics and corruption in today's economy.
Favorite: Exit through the Gift Shop
Will Win: Inside Job
Should Win: Restrepo
Could Upset: Exit through the Gift Shop, Restrepo
Documentary Short Subject- Generally many of these categories can be predicted by the subject, but this year many are about harrowing stories. Killing in the Name is about a Muslim who questions how extremists can be who they are after his family is killed by a suicide bomber. Strangers No More is about children attempting to learn in a war torn country, Sun Come Up is about an island of people who are forced to leave when the water rises dangerously high. Those three seem to be the favorites but this category is wide open. I think Killing in the Name may take the award.
Favorite: Strangers No More
Will Win: Killing in the Name
Should Win: Killing in the Name
Could Upset: Sun Come Up, Strangers No More
Editing- This award to me is wrong from the start. How is Inception not nominated after the navigation between 4 dream worlds and the real world? To me Inception should win and should be nominated, but I suppose I have to let that go. The editors guild chose The Social Network for its great conversational editing and editing between two court cases and the story. Black Swan's ballet scenes were greatly transitioned to the scenes of insanity, 127 Hours did unique things with editing in a story that lacks the need for editing, and as talked about above, the Academy could just blanket award Kings Speech. I will side with the editors guild on this one.
Favorite: Social Network
Will Win: Social Network
Should Win: Inception, but since its not an option, Social Network.
Could Upset: 127 Hours, Black Swan, King's Speech
Foreign Language Film- This category continues to stifle me as each year I choose whichever movie has nominations in other categories, and each year I am wrong. So that would say this year Biutiful is not going to win despite its Best Actor nomination. Dogtooth was a terrible film, absolutely terrible, so I would hope that has no chance. I think based off subject matter, Incendies could go far.
Favorite: Biutiful
Will Win: Incendies
Should Win: Incendies
Could Upset: Biutiful
Original Score- Score is one of my favorite parts of movies, so this award is huge to me. Inception, Social Network, and Shutter Island had my favorite scores of the year, but Shutter Island was not nominated. Alexandre Desplat's 4th nomination in five years makes him the favorite for Kings Speech. Social Network won the Golden Globe, 127 Hours composer A.R. Rahman won recently for Slumdog Millionaire, Hans Zimmer is the absolute best in the business and was completely on his game in Inception, and I have heard many recent whispers that the Academy quietly loves How to Train your Dragon's terrific score. So this award is wide open.... While King's Speech is the favorite, I think it gets upset.
Favorite: The King's Speech
Will Win: Social Network
Should Win: Social Network, Inception
Could Upset: Every other film nominated.
Song- This category is wide open as well. Randy Newman is always a contender and his song for Toy Story 3 is terrific. Country Strong has the strongest outside of the movies song, and 127 Hours had the most moving song in regards to the film. I would think Newman takes it.
Favorite: Toy Story 3
Will Win: Toy Story 3
Should Win: 127 Hours
Could Upset: 127 Hours, Country Strong
Short Film Animated- Madagascar and Let's Pollute have the strongest political messages, however this award sometimes goes to the best put together film, and for me, that's Day & Night. It played before Toy Story 3 and is from Pixar, so it has a huge advantage.
Favorite: Day & Night
Will Win: Day & Night
Should Win: Day & Night
Could Upset: Madagascar
Short Film Live Action- God of Love and The Crush were the most watchable of the films. Wish 143 and Na Wewe however tackled the tougher source material.
Favorite: Wish 143
Will Win: Na Wewe
Should Win: God of Love
Could Upset: In this category, anything.
Makeup- Barney's Version and The Way Back were thought to be contenders for other awards but this is the only nomination for both. And Wolfman was critically panned. However Wolfman had the most makeup and was done by Rick Baker, and those are two big things the Academy likes. Barney's Version though had some amazing aging makeup and to me the makeup in Wolfman looked campy.
Favorite: Wolfman
Will Win: Wolfman
Should Win: Barney's Version
Could Upset: Barney's Version
Sound Editing- Sound editing is the award for the straight sound effects, so the big budget high explosion Michael Bay type movie usually wins. Unstoppable and Tron: Legacy both had great sound effects, but this should no doubt go to Inception. Gun fire, explosions, water, vehicle crashes, train crashes...Inception had everything.
Favorite: Inception
Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: Tron: Legacy, Toy Story 3
Sound Mixing- Sound Mixing is the blending of all the sounds. It blends the dialogue with the effects and the music. Blockbusters and musicals usually win this award. Salt has its only nomination here, so that really isn't a contender. And many times the films that won one sound award, won both. I think Inception is the best in this category as well, however I could see the dialogue heavy films like The King's Speech and Social Network sneaking in here. In fact, Social Network has been talked about heavily in this category due to its heavy talking in many different locations.
Favorite: Social Network
Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: King's Speech, Social Network
Visual Effects- There are some great visual effects movies here like Alice In Wonderland and Iron Man 2 here, but this should be Inception's to lose.
Favorite: Inception
Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: Alice in Wonderland
Costume Design- The Tempest and I am Love have their only nominations here, and the costumes were great in both, but its likely the Academy will go with a film nominated in other categories. True Grit had typical Western regalia but didn't shine. So my guess is this award comes down to the two movies that were honored by the Costume Designers Guild, King's Speech and Alice in Wonderland. The costumes in Alice in Wonderland were no doubt better, but the Academy still may honor King's Speech for its period regal costumes.
Favorite: King's Speech
Will Win: Alice in Wonderland
Should Win: Alice in Wonderland
Could Upset: King's Speech, The Tempest
Writing (Original) - This award comes down to three films, Inception which won the Writers Guild Award, King's Speech which is the overwhelming favorite for Best Picture, and the Best Picture winner always also wins Best Screenplay. Also The Kids Are Alights extremely overrated script is still favored by many critics.
Favorite: King's Speech
Will Win: King's Speech
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: Inception, The Kids are Alright
Writing (Adapted) - Social Network is heavily favored here. All 4 other nominated films were also nominated for Best Picture, but I highly doubt anything upsets it.
Favorite: Social Network
Will Win: Social Network
Should Win: Social Network
Could Upset:................not much.
Best Director - Not to keep beating the drum, but Christopher Nolan's exclusion in this race is a travesty. Nolan had more to do and did more with it than David O'Russell and Tom Hooper........in my opinion. However, Tom Hooper is the favorite in this category for King's Speech. David Fincher won the Golden Globe and was the favorite for a long time but recently the Director' Guild and BAFTA's anointed Hooper the man to beat. I still think we are in for an upset.
Favorite: Tom Hooper
Will Win: David Fincher
Should Win: Christopher Nol.........sorry. David Fincher
Could Upset: Tom Hooper
Best Picture - This race has 10 nominees for the second straight year, but has a clear favorite. The King's Speech unseated The Social Network as the favorite about a month ago and has not looked back. Anything else winning besides the King's Speech would be a huge upset. I felt 9 of the 10 nominated films were great including The King's Speech, however it ranks towards the bottom of the 10 for me, above The Kids are Alright and Toy Story 3, but behind everything else. Inception was the film this year that I felt was the best by far, followed by True Grit, The Social Network, Black Swan, and Winter's Bone. 127 Hours and The Fighter were also ahead of The King's Speech for me. However having said that I am not the Academy and the Academy is not listening to me.
Favorite: The King's Speech
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: Inception
Could Upset: Social Network has the only chance of unseating the King.

-Maximus

Opening This Weekend- 2/25/11

This week the movie industry decided to take it easy on me and only open two movies for the weekend, those being Hall Pass and Drive Angry.  It could be because the Oscars are on Sunday, drawing movie goers to watching the TV instead of the big screen.  Or it could be because it's February and there are always very few releases at this time of the year.  But either way we have two movies to preview which I imagine no one is going to go see.

Hall Pass
Hall Pass stars Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikes, who has been a bit actor up until this point and I would think will go back to being a bit actor after this movie.  The movie's plot, if you can call it that, is that two friends that have both been in marriages for a long time are given one week by their wives to do whatever they want and not be held accountable for it when the week is up.  Though it seems like a dream come true to them, there week doesn't turn out the way they hoped it would.  Let me start out by saying I think this movie looks terrible.  Owen Wilson stopped being funny after Wedding Crashers and really without Vince Vaughn he probably would have sucked in that movie too.  Also I think his nose gets more beat-up every time I see him.  He is partnered with a guy who has almost no acting career so you can imagine how funny this is not going to be.  Usually I would say wait until DVD to see this but I don't even think I will see it then.  The Viewability Scale is going to read 2 Ninja Stars out of 10 for this movie.
Check out the trailer at:

http://hallpassmovie.warnerbros.com/

Drive Angry
Drive Angry is about a man (Nicholas Cage) coming back out of hell to avenge his murdered daughter and retrieve his granddaughter from the murderers who plan to sacrifice her to Satan.  Satan finds out that Cage has escaped hell and sends his henchmen after the fugitive.  Cage finds a girl who gives him a muscle car and they go joy riding, killing their way to the man who has his granddaughter.  This movie is going to be shown in 3D which may be the only way it makes any money because wow it looks bad.  Nicholas Cage is one of the most up and down actors in the business, doing a good movie and then following it up with like 3 or 4 bad ones before he does another decent one.  The plot is lame and the lines seem to be about as good as that other awesome movie he did.  What was the name?  Oh yeah it was Ghost Rider...  Unless you're a 3D junkie this would be a movie I would advise you to rent instead of see in the theaters.  On the Viewability Scale it gets 3 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check out the trailer at:

http://www.driveangry3d.com/

So to recap my predictions for the releases in this terrible week in movies we have:

Hall Pass-         2 Ninja Stars
Drive Angry-    3 Ninja Stars

Let's hope at least the Oscars are good this Sunday.  Maximus will be giving a huge pre-Oscar summary so be sure to check that out before the Sunday evening festivities begin.  Next week we get back to normal with four movies to preview, those being Rango, The Adjustment Bureau, Take Me Home Tonight, and Beastly.  Please comment with your opinions if you see any of the movies I featured this week and as always, don't ruin them for anyone please.

-Diomedes

Movie Review- 127 Hours

127 Hours is one of this years ten best picture nominees. Its a movie about a man who gets trapped while hiking and is stuck in a valley under a boulder for 127 hours. James Franco plays Aron Rolston, the man whose arm is trapped under the rock. For the majority of the film, it is only him on screen, and James Franco is terrific. The film is similar in tone to Buried with Ryan Reynolds, except it is executed with much more precision. If it wasn't for Colin Firth's terrific performance, I would say James Franco had the best performance of the year. The film is moderately tough to watch, especially the climax of the film where if you know anything about Rolston's story, you know exactly what he has to do to free himself. However the gore is done tactfully and in a way that makes you feel for Rolston more than be grossed out. Franco and director Danny Boyle worked closely with Rolston to make the film so it is done accurately and with a lot of respect for the real man. Overall it is a very suspenseful and adrenaline pumping movie despite only having one main character. I give the film 8 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend it highly.

- Maximus

127 Hours- Second Opinion
My thoughts are close to the same as Maximus's above.  I enjoyed the movie (as much as anyone can enjoy a movie based around one man's painful experience) and would recommend it to viewers who do not have a weak stomach.  It is gory and there are other parts that will make you squirm in your seat.  Moral of the movie: Always tell someone where you are going and when you should be expected back!  Franco does a solid job as does Boyle in making a movie very interesting which could have been very dull.  In a year of good academy movies it's not among the top five but still very deserving of a place in the top 10.  I would have to give it 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 (a very high 7 almost on the brink of an 8).

-Diomedes

Movie Review- The King's Speech

The King's Speech was a solid movie all around.  I'm not saying it was the number one movie of the year like a lot of critics and maybe even the academy might do this weekend but what I am saying is that it was definitely worth the time to watch it.  Don't expect a lot of action or any type of twist to arise during this movie.  What you can expect though is very solid performances out of the cast, a well written story (based on true events), and a good job from the man behind the camera.

The story is staged in England and is based around the events that lead up to King George VI's ascension to the throne.  Before he was King George VI he was Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and younger brother to the future King Edward VIII.  Throughout his life he had a stammering problem and was terrible at public speaking.  He eventually comes upon an unorthodox speech developer who slowly starts to break down the problem and works toward healing it.  When King Edward VIII abdicates the throne it leaves a stuttering prince to helm the crown of an empire that the sun never sets upon.

Even if you didn't find the movie interesting, no one could deny that Colin Firth was terrific.  He has my vote for best actor this year and I really hope he wins it.  Also Geoffrey Rush as his speech developer is great in his supporting role.  I think Tom Hooper did a good job directing this movie, not award winning but a good job all the same.  The movie does a great job showing a man struggling to fix his problem not only because he wants to be normal but because a country on the brink of World War II needs a strong leader to guide them.  I would definitely recommend this movie as it would probably make my top 5 movies of 2011.  I give it 8 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Diomedes

The King's Speech-Second Opinion
The King's Speech will likely win Best Picture in this Sunday's Academy Awards, and I went in to the film well aware of this. Sometimes going into a movie with this high of expectations can doom it from the start, but The King's Speech lived up to the hype. The story is very interesting, and the acting is phenomenal. The movie has some points were it is a bit slow, but they are few and far between. For the most part it is a funny, moving, well acted movie. Colin Firth is absolutely terrific and I agree with Diomedes when I say that he should and will win Best Actor at the Oscars. Geoffrey Rush was also terrific and if it wasn't for Christian Bale, I would say he should also be the favorite for Best Supporting Actor. Helena Bonham-Carter doesn't have a lot to do but she plays her role well. With it being a year where 9 of the 10 nominated films are very good, I am not sure King's Speech would make my top five list, but it's a solid top ten film of the year. Overall I give it 8 Ninja stars out of 10.

-Maximus

New on DVD-2/22/11

This week we have three new releases on DVD, and they are three completely different movies aimed at completely different audiences. Lets break them down......

The first is Due Date starring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr. The film is a comedy from the director of Old School and The Hangover. It follows Downey Jr as a father to be who is trying to get home in time for his son's birth. He is forced to hitch a ride with Galifianakis who plays a wannabe actor and treats his glaucoma on a regular basis. Downey's straight laced, responsible business man and Galifianakis' irresponsible stoner clash about every four and a half seconds. The film is very funny and filled with a great supporting cast including Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, Michelle Monaghan, and Danny McBride. I gave the film 7 Ninja Stars out of 10. Check out the film's website below:
http://duedatemovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/

The next film is the Robert Duvall starring Get Low. Get Low is about a reclusive hermit (Duvall) who plans his own funeral while he is still alive so he can be in attendance. Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek costar. The film was thought to be a lock for a Best Actor Academy Award nomination early in the process but was left out of the nominations completely when they were announced last month. The film gained generally positive reviews when it was released. I give it 5 Ninjas Stars out of 10 on a watchable scale. Here is the film's website:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/getlow/

The third film opening this week has a strange DVD release day of Friday, which is odd because DVD's are released on Tuesdays. Megamind is the film and it centers on a bumbling villain (Will Ferrell) who is forced to become a hero when his nemesis (Brad Pitt) retires. The film did good box office upon release but since then has been largely forgotten in a year where there was a large amount of animated films. Most buzz this year focused on Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon, and Despicable Me. Megamind will likely be similar to Despicable Me, another animated film about a super villain. On a watchable scale, I give it 7 Ninja Stars out of 10. Here is the website:
http://www.megamind.com/

Overall a good set of new releases that should provide entertainment no matter what films you like. Next week Faster, Burlesque, 127 Hours, and Love and Other Drugs are released on DVD. Check back later in the week for reviews of 127 Hours, The Kings Speech, and an Oscar preview.

Box Office Recap-February 20th, 2011

This weekend we had three new wide releases fighting with some strong holdovers for the box office crown. According to Ew.com, this week the Liam Neeson action thriller Unknown was number 1 at the box office with just under 22 million. Liam Neeson, who seems to be starring in four or five movies a year now, continues to be a strong box office draw. In second place is I Am Number Four, about an alien who poses as a teenage boy to hide from his enemies. I Am Number Four made 19.5 million in the three day weekend and will need to stay strong in order to keep the sequels coming. At three and four were holdovers Gnomeo And Juliet and Just Go With It. Both stayed very strong with 19.4 and 18.2 million respectively. In fifth place was Martin Lawrence's Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. The film did better than I expected with 17 million, but likely won't pass 50 million total gross, hopefully this prevents Big Momma's 4.

Next week we get two more wide releases with Drive Angry 3D and Hall Pass. While Nicholas Cage hasn't exactly been on fire lately, I could see Drive Angry making some money due to the 3D factor, and the fact that the top movie this week made 22 million, it will likely slip to at least 17 or 18 million next week, so Drive Angry would not have to have a great weekend to end up number one. I don't see Hall Pass making too big of a dent in the box office. I would predict that next week Drive Angry takes the 1 spot, followed by Unknown, Gnomeo and Juliet, Hall Pass, and I Am Number Four.

-Maximus

Opening This Weekend- 2/18/11

This weekend opens three new movies.  I can honestly say I have very little interest in any of them, the least of all the third installment of the Big Momma Movies.  So let's get down to it!

Unknown
If I had to choose one of the three opening movies to see, it would be Unknown which stars Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger.  The plot seems to be that Neeson is waken out of a coma and finds that not only his identity is stolen but his whole life is gone.  Someone else is the man he is suppose to be and even has the same name.  His wife doesn't know who he is either.  He sets out to find out what is going on and why everything is upside down in his world.  He meets a woman who helps him on his quest to reclaim himself.  This to me looks like Taken 2 other then that his character is suppose to be a doctor not a trained killer like in Taken.  I loved Taken so this intrigues me but the fact that his character is a doctor and is kicking butt kind of throws me off.  But Harrison Ford kicked butt in The Fugitive and he was a doctor so who knows, maybe it's going to be good.  On the Viewability Scale I give it 6 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check out the trailer at:

http://unknownmovie.warnerbros.com/#/trailer

I Am Number Four
A teenage boy with super powers is pretending like he is a normal kid to avoid the man or thing that is trying to kill him.  It has already killed 3 before him, hence the title.  Beyond that I couldn't tell you what this movie is about.  The trailer was done very poorly and makes zero sense.  Super powers always give a movie potential to be good but also give it the potential to be really bad (just watch The Covenant and you will understand the definition of a really bad movie).  The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that it has Timothy Olyphant in it who is a solid actor.  On the Viewability Scale, it gets 4 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check out the trailer at:

http://www.findnumberfour.com/

Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son
The third installment in the Big Momma movies has Martin Lawrence coming back as Big Momma and features Brandon Jackson as his stepson.  Jackson shows up with his Lawrence to a place where a crime is going down and they both witness a murder.  Lawrence realizes that he has to hide his stepson from the murderers the best way he knows how: as a chick.  He dons the Big Momma suit and has his stepson enroll at an all-girls school.  Jackson is now dressed as a girl and is Big Momma's niece.  It's a comedy, making the plot a little weak and maybe a little weaker than normal because it is the third movie in the series so they are grasping for straws.  Overall it looks like a pretty lame movie that will make you smirk at times but never cause all out laughter.  As the weakest movie of the trio this week, the Viewability Scale reads 3 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check out the trailer at:

http://www.bigmommaslikefatherlikeson.com/#/?page=splash

Not a great weekend for opening films but it's never a bad time to see a movie.  Recapping this week we have:

Unknown- 6 Ninja Stars
I Am Number Four- 4 Ninja Stars
Big Momma: Like Father, Like Son- 3 Ninja Stars

Next week we have Drive Angry and Hall Pass coming to the big screen.  Looking like another bad week for movies...come on summer blockbusters!
If you see any of the movies previewed this week, please comment without giving anything away that would ruin the movie.

-Diomedes

New DVD Review-Easy A

I went in to Easy A not knowing what to expect, teen rom com? Teen sex comedy? Mean Girls 3? My knowledge was basically that it was an updated version of The Scarlet Letter starring Superbad and Zombieland alum Emma Stone. The film ended up being a lot closer to the 80's films it constantly references like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. Its got all the typical high school movie cliches: ridiculously beautiful "high school students" who look a lot closer to people in their mid twenties, extremely progressive teachers, and a school straight out of Beverly Hills 90210. However it emerges from the ashes of those cliches and becomes a really funny, really different film that is a lot more mature than its high school setting. Emma Stone is just as funny here as Olive Pendergast as she was in Zombieland, and the film is filled with other actors you'll know in smaller parts. The two who stand out the most are Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's modern and hilarious parents. They are always there for advice, even if its advice that she doesn't want to hear. The film is about a rumor that starts about Olive that she doesn't refute, but instead perpetuates, and how that little rumor affects her life. Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, and Thomas Haden Church all pop up as well in small but effective parts. Its not a perfect film, and sometimes strives too hard to be a typical teen comedy. It can't stay away from the standards like a true friendship doesn't let anything get in the way and the idea that the perfect guy is always the one right in front of you, but hey, its a movie. This won't be a movie you watch in awe, but it will be a movie that will be hard to turn off five years from now when it pops up on TV, and for that, I give it 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 and say that even if it doesn't look like your type of movie, you should still give it a view as it may surprise you.

-Maximus

New DVD Review- Buried

The movie Buried has a great name because if I owned it, you would definitely find it buried in my trash can.  That may be a little harsh but I felt like I wasted a good hour and a half of my life on this movie and I would like it back.  Does it give you a suspenseful feeling?  Yes.  Does it build up to a climax?  Yes.  Does it ever hit a climax?  Absolutely not.  The movie goes exactly where you think it's going to go from the first few minutes.  Buried stars only Ryan Reynolds since the whole movie was shot from inside of a coffin.  Now the idea of an entire movie being shot from inside of a coffin is cool but it wasn't executed very well.  And you might say "well it would be tough to make a good movie that never leaves a certain area" and you would be right.  But then I would remind you of a movie called Phone Booth which took place in a phone booth about the same dimensions as the coffin Mr. Reynolds was in.  And that was a very solid movie, which is saying a lot since it starred Colin Farrell. 
       
No fault on Reynolds part, he did the best anyone could do in this role.  It just wasn't a good role to be in.  As I heard it said "it felt like an elephant on your chest throughout the movie".  My problem is that the elephant neither removed its self nor crushed me in the end.  It just sat there.  So if you are intrigued by a unique movie about a guy in a coffin, watch Buried.  If not then I suggest taking it out of your queue.  My opinion of this movie is that it should receive 4 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Diomedes

DVD Review-Second Opinion

Generally, when a movie has very little plot, and is very predictable, I don't like it. And generally, when I can't give a real reason why I liked a movie, it means I didn't. For this reason Buried is a very hard film to process.  Ryan Reynolds gives a very solid non typical Ryan Reynolds performance. He spends an hour and a half talking to people on a phone, fighting sand and snakes, discovering uses for his few items, and getting the shaft from people he reaches on the phone. I only counted three Ryan Reynolds quips throughout the whole movie, which is saying something as he was in X-Men Origins for about 6 minutes and the count is easily in double digits. I give him a lot of credit for this performance as there was no part where you felt he was doing something the average person in this situation wouldn't do. Other than Reynolds' performance, I felt the film was suspenseful and well shot considering angles are at a minimum. Some things however did bother me with Buried, things like predictability and the lack of an ending that really did anything for me. I knew what direction the film was going, and was hoping to be surprised, however instead of that it went exactly where it looked like it was going. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say the ending was very typical of this type of film. As a viewer, your alright investing an hour plus into a movie where not a lot happens when you know they are going to wow you with the ending, but they did not wow me in the slightest. Also, while the idea of a whole film in a 2 x 6 box is unique and edgy, the film would have greatly benefited from some flashbacks or having the beginning set out of the coffin or some way of giving the viewer an idea of the character's outside world. Overall I thought Buried was a cool idea, and it would take a solid actor to pull it off, Reynolds' got the acting part right, but the film never left the cool idea stage. Its a movie worth checking out due to being so different from typical films, but thats about the only reason. I give Buried 5 Ninja Stars of 10.

New DVD Review- Machete

Robert Rodriguez creates yet another B movie.  He is a very talented director with a lot of pull to bring in star actors but he continually wastes his time on making cheesy B movie type films.  Machete was his latest creation.  It is a movie starring Danny Trejo as Machete who is an ex-federale bent on revenge against the people that spurn him.  He is revered by most of the border crossing population and feared by the criminals of society.  The only person who doesn't fear him is his arch rival (Steven Seagal) who kills Machete's wife and sends his life spiraling down.   Machete kills numerous people with nothing other than a machete and as a usual Rodriguez film there is a ton of gore.  I have one suggestion to anyone who wants to see this movie: Go into it knowing it is bad and look at it like a comedy.  If you do this you will actually enjoy the movie.  I laughed a lot throughout the movie especially at lines like "Machete don't text" and then later when he is seen texting and reminded that "Machete don't text" he responds, "Machete improvise".  And yes those are exact quotes from the lips of Machete.  This movie has a good cast as most Rodriguez films do with Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro, Cheech Marin, and Lindsay Lohan (who does strip for Machete).  So it was a fun movie to watch but I would have to give it 5 Ninja Stars out of 10. 
Please Robert Rodriguez, stop making cheesy movies and make Sin City 2!

-Diomedes

DVD Review-Second Opinion

Machete is a movie that was made to be funny, and made to be a B movie. As long as a person goes into Machete not taking themselves or the film too serious, they can have some real fun. Films like Machete, Planet Terror, and Death Proof all make the job of a movie reviewer very difficult. How do you rate a terrible movie that knows its terrible? And if its a ton of fun being terrible, does that make it good? There aren't really answers to those questions, but they are worth noting. Machete was one of the fake trailers in the Grindhouse double feature, and the first to get its own movie (Eli Roth is also making a full length Thanksgiving). The crazy amount of big names in this film is a tribute to Danny Trejo and how many other actors and actresses he has been second fiddle to throughout a long Hollywood career. Machete gets the bad guys, and gets the women, and he does lots of both throughout the film. Steven Seagal and  Lost alum Jeff Fahey are both in great B movie mode and play their roles perfectly. Lindsey Lohan is ridiculous and naked for most of her scenes, and the fact that she was cut out of the trailer for the film completely pretty much encompasses how big her impact is in the film. With Machete's other main lady, Jessica Alba, its hard to tell where her camp acting begins and her real acting ends, as she is exactly the same person in every movie, including this one. Machete is a lot of fun, and takes its status as a really terrible movie as a badge of honor. While I can't say to ignore my star rating below, of all the movies out there, I can say that star ratings really don't apply to Machete. Rating: 4 Ninja Stars of 10.

-Maximus

Box Office Recap-February 13th, 2011

The box office had its first big weekend of 2011 and appears to be back on track due to a plethora of new releases. Ew.com is reporting that the Adam Sandler comedy "Just Go With It" barely held on to the number one spot ahead of the the Justin Bieber concert film "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never". Both reportedly pulled in over 30 million dollars this weekend. The official numbers will be confirmed tomorrow but its safe to say Just Go With It had a very successful opening weekend. Adam Sandler continues to be a big box office draw even if this film opened short of his usual guaranteed 40 million dollar opening weekend. In third place, "Gnomeo and Juliet" used the dearth of recent children's films to open strong at over 25 million. The drop off came after that when the weekend's other new wide release, "The Eagle", failing to do much with just over 8 million. The film didn't cost much to make but that total still has to be disappointing for the historical epic. Rounding out the top five was last weekend's number one film, "The Roommate". "The Office" and "Hangover" star Ed Helms' new film "Cedar Rapids" also opened in very limited release.

Next weekend should be an interesting one with three new wide releases, "I Am Number Four", "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son", and "Unknown" opening. "Unknown" hopes to be as successful as Liam Neeson's surprise hit "Taken", marketing heavily on the Liam Neeson action factor. Both "Unknown" and "I Am Number Four" have marketed heavily and should fight with "Just Go With It" for next weekend's top spot. Its hard to believe that many people out there were craving a third Big Momma film and that will likely show in its box office totals next weekend. My projected top five for next weekend is "Just Go With It" followed by "I Am Number Four", "Unknown", "Never Say Never", and "Gnomeo and Juliet".

Check back Tuesday for the new DVD releases, and later in the week for reviews of "Machete", "Buried", and "Easy A".

-Maximus

Opening This Weekend- 2/11/11

A number of movies will be opening and competing for the number one spot this weekend.  There is Gnomeo and Juliet, Just Go With It, The Eagle, and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.  So basically 3 and 1/2 movies are opening this weekend (the half being the Bieber movie).  Let's get right to it!

Gnomeo and Juliet
This is a Disney version of Romeo and Juliet with the cast being your little mischievous garden gnomes.  Now we all know that garden gnomes have a life of their own when we aren't watching but besides the Travelocity gnome, no one ever gets them on film.  This looks to be a Toy Story type movie which will be fun for all ages to watch.  It has a whole slew of famous celebrities as the voices like James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, and so on and so forth.  Even the Hulkster plays a character in the movie.  Overall I think it will have the highest grossing for the weekend and would be my highest recommendation out of the movies that are opening.  If you have children or younger siblings, you have a great excuse to go see this movie.  Viewability Scale: 8 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check the Trailer out at:

http://www.gnomeoandjuliet.com/

Just Go With It
This is supposed to be a comedy about a plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler) trying to woo a young school teacher in any way that he can.  He starts a lie that he is getting divorced from his faithful assistant (Jennifer Aniston) and it just escalates from there.  Eventually it drags her kids into it and now Sandler has a whole fictional family in his quest to date this teacher.  From what I can tell this looks like a typical Sandler movie of late, having some funny parts but overall turning out to be boring.  Don't get me wrong, he has had some awesome comedies in his time but in the last few years he has failed to keep me laughing.  My guess for the Viewability Scale would be: 6 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check the Trailer out at:

http://www.justgowithit-movie.com/

The Eagle
Channing Tatum, who has been in a lot of movies lately and I really don't know why, is a Roman Centurion trying to redeem his father's name.  The eagle is the golden standard his father took as a symbol to lead a regiment of 5,000 Roman soldiers to help expand the empire.  His father, the soldiers, and the standard never return.  Channing and his faithful slave (Jamie Bell) set out to solve the mystery and retrieve the standard to clear his father's name.  I love movies that have plots set in the roman days of old (obviously as Gladiator is my favorite movie of all time) but this one barely intrigues me.  Maybe it's because I think Channing Tatum has no talent and should stick to movies like Step Up and Step Up 2 but hey that's just my opinion.  Maybe you love him or think he's a hunk and want to see this.  Please comment if you do and let us know what you thought.  But this to me is a wait for DVD movie.  Viewability Scale: 5 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check out the trailer at:

http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_eagle

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
This is that 1/2 a movie I was talking about.  Young teenage girls might go crazy for the Bieber but I'm not a teenage girl.  This is a documentary/concert based around Justin Bieber.  It shows him growing up through the years (he is 16 right now so not too many years), starting out sing on the street corners and moving up into the big time.  I am sure there are cameos with people he has collaborated with (you will see Usher in the trailer) and the movie will probably be flashing back and forth from the concert to his life story.  I know there is a craze for the Bieber right now but I think this movie has a small target market and won't do very well.  We will see when Maximus posts the box office numbers next week.  Sorry Bieber lovers but this movie rates on the Viewability Scale at: 2 Ninja Stars out of 10.  And his hairdo rates at a Negative 5 Ninja Stars.
Check the trailer out at:

http://www.justinbieberneversaynever.com/

So to recap the Viewability of this week's releases, we got:
Gnomeo and Juliet- 8 Ninja Stars
Just Go With It- 6 Ninja Stars
The Eagle- 5 Ninja Stars
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never- 2 Ninja Stars
And
Justin Bieber's Hair- Negative 5 Ninja Stars

Next week we will have I Am Number Four, Big Momma: Like Father, Like Son, and Unknown to preview.

If you see any of these movies, please comment on what you thought without giving anything away.  I would enjoy reading your opinions of these movies.

-Diomedes

Trailer Breakdown: X-Men First Class

I'll be honest............the third X-men film, a movie that myself and Diomedes have vowed never to say it's name aloud, is the worst film of all time. I do not say that lightly or without conviction. I mean it. It haunts my dreams. Brett Ratner made one awesome threequel with Red Dragon, and then nearly destroyed super hero movies entirely with the before mentioned X-Men film. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I hoped for a long time they would scrap it and just remake it like they did with Ang Lee's Hulk. It does not appear that will happen, instead Marvel has gone the prequel route. And to help rectify their mistake and trust in Ratner, they hired the man who was initially supposed to conclude the X-Men trilogy, Matthew Vaughn. Vaughn is best known for the surprisingly good Kick-Ass. Wisely the creative team at Marvel decided to go with the back story of Magneto and Professor X before they were Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Things we know about the film, it will feature those two mutants as well as Beast, Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Mystique just to name a few. The movie takes place in the sixties and will no doubt weave real politics into the mutant's story. The first trailer was released today, and it did not disappoint. We saw glimpses of Beast and Mystique in action, as well as Magneto and Prof X in action during the Cuban Missile Crisis. James McAvoy is the pre wheel chair bound Prof X and Michael Fassbender is the anarchist young Magneto. We also see Rose Byrne and January Jones, and current academy award nominee Jennifer Lawrence. Here is the preview, courtesy of totalfilm.com:

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/x-men-first-class-trailer-arrives

-Maximus

New DVD Review-The American

I was fortunate enough to watch The American with tempered action expectations. When the preview came out for the film, it was advertised as George Clooney's answer to Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt. However I had heard enough people say after seeing it that there is very little action. I was still intrigued because I find that when Clooney makes serious movies, they can be terrific even with little to no action (Syriana). Watching The American, I found it to be a very unique and intriguing movie. This was The Bourne Identity for the older crowd (not as good still as the Bourne Trilogy though). There are only 3 scenes of action and all are rather quick and realistic, no diving over tables with two pistols John Woo style and no Clooney facing off against large groups of villains. But its whats in between that's so intriguing. As the "hero" of the movie you would not expect Clooney's character to do some of the things he does to innocent parties. The cinematography is phenomenal and its hard to breath during the last 30 minutes of the film. Now having said all this, Diomedes nailed it on the head in his review when he said there are a lot of shots of Clooney staring. The film at some points tries too hard to be insightful. I also never really felt the love story in the film was believable. The hooker with a heart of gold story has been done too many times to make it matter here. I rated The American with 3 stars of 5. There is a lot more they could have done, but I still felt the film was surprisingly refreshing. Our next new DVD review will be Machete, then I'll be back with Easy A after that. If you haven't checked out Diomedes' opinion on The American, please scroll farther down for a different take on the film.
-Maximus

New DVD Review- The American

This week I sat down and watched The American.  They definitely didn't put any pride into that title since its excitement value would be more suited to The Antarctican.  Though this movie looked like an action packed assassin movie comparable to the Jason Bourne movies, it had very little action at all.  The trailer must have used all the action parts to fill the two minute time slot.  That all being said, if you go into this movie looking for more of a story line instead of action it might not be that bad.  The movie had its moments of not sucking and can be viewable for the most part.  It’s the 20-30 minutes of George Clooney looking at walls and countryside that really ruined it for me.  Cut that out, add a few more exciting parts (even if it’s only 1 or 2 minute spurts), and a little bit better explanation of the plot and then you have yourself a solid movie.  I would not recommend this movie unless a) you are a huge George Clooney fan and love any movie he is in (I'm that way with Gerard Butler movies so don't be ashamed) or b) your snowed in and it's on the only channel that coming in on your tv.  I would give it 1 Star out of 4 (and I always give at least one star fyi).  I know my counterpart feels a little different so make sure to read his review as well. 
Next New DVD Review- Machete.

-Diomedes

Box Office Recap-February 6th, 2011

For the second straight week a horror movie took the top spot at the box office. The Roommate made a paltry 15 million this weekend but it was enough to put it on top, according to ew.com. It was a big weekend for counter programming with the film being marketed towards young women and opening on Super Bowl weekend. Generally speaking, horror films fall off fast so it would not be a shock to see the film never get past the 50 million mark. In second place was the other new wide release, Sanctum. The James Cameron produced film which was shot with the same 3D technology as Avatar, made just under 10 million. Not bad for a movie that didn't cost much to make, but still underwhelming especially considering the inflated 3D grosses. The rest of the top five were holdovers No Strings Attached, The King's Speech, and The Green Hornet. Last weeks number one film The Rite fell all the way to sixth place and will be lucky to break 30 million. While there weren't many new releases this week, next week will make up for it, with Just Go With It, The Eagle, Gnomeo And Juliet, and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. My initial prediction for next week is that Just Go With It, Gnomeo and Juliet, and Never Say Never could finish 1-2-3 in front of The Roommate and The Eagle. Many people are comparing The Eagle to films like Gladiator and Braveheart. However the film lacks Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe's star power, and with Channing Tatum taking the lead, is hard to take serious as an epic alongside those great films. Not to mention marketing for the film has been scarce. Check back next week to see how the cluster of new films pan out.

New on DVD-2/1/2011

This week's DVD releases have a little something for everyone. First is Let Me In, the English language remake of Let the Right One In. Let Me In is about the relationship between a young boy and a young girl.........who is a vampire. Don't expect any Team Edward shenanigans though as this is a horror film. Also released this week is Hilary Swank's Conviction. Conviction is based off a true story about a woman who puts herself through law school to defend her brother (Sam Rockwell) who has been sentenced to life in prison for murder. The other big new release is Never Let Me Go, starring Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield. The plot of this movie was kept largely under wraps but the film is a sci fi drama. Earlier in the year, the movie was widely considered be an Oscar contender, however when it was released in theaters it was done so with virtually no buzz and very little marketing. Other new wide releases are the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy and campy horror film Hatchet II. Check back for more DVD release news next Tuesday.

-Maximus