New DVD Review - Morning Glory

This movie stars Rachel McAdams as morning news producer.  Her job has many different functions which make her into a workaholic, which she loves.  The problem arises from the people she has to work with and the dismal amount of viewers the show has when she signs on.  The troublesome people are the news anchors Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford.  Keaton is a diva who is ready to warm up to someone for the right reasons.  Ford on the other hand is a washed up broadcaster who believes he is above the "fluff" that is aired on this morning show.  Ford's character had a very strong career when he was younger but ever since being canned, he has been a bitter old man.  Also thrown into the mix is an understanding boyfriend, Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, The A-Team), who tries to hold a relationship with a woman, McAdams, who has the TV on 24-7.  The main struggle is to keep the show on the air and bring everyone together to make a synergetic team.  The constant bantering of Ford with everyone is somewhat enjoyable to watch.  This movie was not great but I can't say it was bad either.  Do I recommend it?  Maybe to people that either love Rachel McAdams or people who enjoy a no action Harrison Ford.  I would give it 5 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Diomedes

New DVD Review-Faster

Dwayne Johnson has been doing some interesting films lately. He seems to want to make a variety of films as opposed to just tough guy films. His recent lack of anything serious made me very skeptical of Faster, however I was pleasantly surprised. Faster is a violent action revenge film about three men. The Rock plays Driver, who spent a long period of time in prison after his brother was killed by a rival gang. The other two men are Killer, who was hired by someone to go after Driver, but is having a mid life crisis of his own, and Cop, played by Billy Bob Thornton who is the officer assigned to the case. Cop is a heroin addict with an addict ex wife who have a very complicated and dysfunctional relationship. It is known from the beginning that all three's paths will intersect, and the question is who will survive? I can't go into much more without giving away significant plot details, but lets just say Killer and Cop are after Driver on his bloody path of revenge, and there are many bullets fired along the way. The movie also stars Maggie Grace, Moon Bloodgood, Carla Gugino, and Xander Berkeley. I give it 7  Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend checking it out.

-Maximus

Box Office Recap-March 27th, 2011

Both new wide releases performed under expectations this week, so its hard to say that either were a huge hit. However Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 cost so little to make as it has no big names and no special effects, that its 1st place finish (according to ew.com) with $22 million does make it a good sized hit. Projections were a little higher as they usually are for children's films, but $22 million is still respectable. Sucker Punch made around $19 million, which is not a very big chunk of its $75 million cost. It will be interesting to see how the film holds up in the coming weeks. The question that Sucker Punch begs is whether or not female driven action films can be successful. Zach Snyder has had great success with his visual style in his male driven action films, but the same numbers didn't show up to support Sucker Punch, so why is that? Is it because the reviews were so poor? Or possibly because people don't like the High School Musical girl? The reason for Sucker Punch's dismal opening is hard to tell, but it seems like its very hard to get people to the theaters for female driven action films not involving Lara Croft.
The rest of the top 5 were holdovers Limitless, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Rango respectively. Both Limitless and The Lincoln Lawyer held up well and look to end up being modest hits. Rango however is officially a smash hit, its the first film this year to make over $100 million and looks to stay strong in the coming weeks.
Next week is very difficult to predict but I'll give it a stab anyway. Opening are the Jake Gyllenhaal thriller Source Code, the horror film Insidious, and the Easter Bunny film Hop. I think Hop's heavy marketing and the fact young children haven't had a movie to see since Mars Needs Moms (which no one actually did go to see) will propel it to number one, followed by Source Code, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2, Sucker Punch, and Limitless. I have personally only seen one preview for Insidious so I don't see it having enough to make the top five. Check back later for a review of Faster and a breakdown of this week's DVD releases.

-Maximus

Opening This Weekend - 3/25/11

This week we have only two movies to discuss, those being Sucker Punch and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.  Not a lot to pick from this week and the reviews have not been good for either.  Let's take a look.

Sucker Punch
This is a movie by Zach Snyder (300, Watchmen) about a girl who is committed to an insane asylum by her loathsome stepfather.  While in there, she meets a gang of girls and they retreat into their minds to escape the reality they don't believe they belong in.  The place they go to is a fantasy world where they devise a plan to break out of the asylum.  This movie looks to have amazing visuals, like Snyder's other films, but the storyline doesn't seem that great.  It has been getting ripped on by almost every critic that has seen it which saddens me because I was really looking forward to seeing this movie (I still will but with lower expectations).  That actually would be my tip of the day: go into it with lower expectations and maybe we will come out enjoying it in the long run.  It stars Emily Brown, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, and Scott Glenn (yes he is still alive).  I would put its Viewability at 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 and I will put up a review when I see it to give the real scoop.
Check out the trailer at:

http://suckerpunchmovie.warnerbros.com/

Diary of a Whimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
The second movie of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series brings back the main character Greg, who has moved onto the 7th grade, just starting to get a grip on life.  His parents decide it would be a good idea for Greg and his brother Rodrick to bond.  Little did Greg know that his older brother was out to bring him back down.  I never saw the first one and honestly don't plan on seeing this one either.  It might be good for a younger audience, like kids in their teens, but it doesn't interest me in the ways other movies meant for younger audiences do.  It has been getting ok to bad reviews which doesn't surprise me.  I would guess its Viewability at about 3 Ninja Stars out of 10.
Check out the trailer at:

http://www.diaryofawimpykidmovie.com/

Short recap:
Both movies have recieved bad reviews....but I'm still pulling for Sucker Punch!
Sucker Punch- 7 Ninja Stars
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules-  3 Ninja Stars

Next week we have Hop and Source Code.  If you see any of the movies above, please comment in a way that doesn't ruin the movie for others.  Thank you and you comments are appreciated.

-Diomedes

New DVD Review-Devil

Devil is the story of five people with no names trapped together in an elevator, the broken detective attempting to save them, and the three maintenance men who are quite confused by what they are seeing. From the beginning of the film you are told that one of the people trapped in the elevator is the devil, and not just a mean person, but the actual devil. The film progresses as the people inside start to die or get injured and the people on the outside start to figure out what is going on. The deaths in the film are not shown on screen as the elevator goes black when a death is about to occur, and none of the actors in the film are "name actors". However most of them are noticeable from other films and do a solid job here with limited opportunities. Devil is a solid horror film without much horror. The horror comes more from the suspense of the situation then from jumpy moments, and that for me is the mark of a good horror film. Devil is no ground breaking Exorcist film or twisty classic like The Sixth Sense, but instead just a solid, cut and dry movie with a decided premise throughout. I give Devil 6 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend checking it out if you are in the mood for a different type of horror film.

-Maximus

New DVD Review-Unstoppable

Tony Scott and Denzel Washington have worked together a lot in their careers. From the good (Man on Fire, Crimson Tide) to the mediocre (Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123) they have never really struck out when paired together. Unstoppable is the next film in their career, and its the weakest of all of them. Its the story of a runaway train out of Pennsylvania and the heroic attempts of two train conductors to stop the runaway before it does significant damage. The film reads "inspired by true events" but once you read what those true events were its kind of like taking a film about a minor scuffle between two people and turning it into the script for Fight Club. In the film the train is going 70 mph, and there are multiple other attempts to stop it including the deaths of some of those attempting to stop the train. In real life the train never got above 40 mph and no one got hurt. However I understand the need for drama and in the right capacity it can be good when it is emphasized. But in this film it feels forced, from the relationship between the two men to the corporate greed factor, its all been done before. There is almost nothing original or thought provoking in the film. The only thing that really makes you want to keep watching is because Denzel Washington and Chris Pine act their tails off and make you care about the characters even if they were written as one-dimensional and unoriginal. The film is not terrible for a Saturday afternoon watch but is not worth it if you plan on seeing something moderately different from every other run of the mill thriller. I give the film 5 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Maximus

New DVD Review-The Next Three Days

If you have read anything else on this site, you'll notice myself and Diomedes are big fans of Gladiator. Going along with that, we are also fans of Maximus himself Russell Crowe. I tend to get pretty pumped for Russell Crowe movies and he makes pretty good choices. I have enjoyed many of his post Gladiator films including American Gangster, Cinderella Man, and 3:10 to Yuma. However Russell has disappointed me with Master and Commander, A Good Year, and recently....The Next Three Days. The film is a run of the mill thriller without many thrills. The plot follows a man whose wife is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. The husband (Crowe) never believes that she is guilty and starts planning to have her broken out of jail once all his appeals are denied. The story of the everyman attempting the impossible is an interesting premise, and the film is filled with cameos from other stars like Liam Neeson, Daniel Stern, Olivia Wilde, Brian Dennehy, and Rza. However the film also is very boring, and there is practically no tension until the breakout starts. Crowe's wife is played by the normally comedic Elizabeth Banks, and while she is effective in this role, her character is also not likable and as a viewer I was happy she was in prison. The film does not divulge whether or not she actually killed the person until the very end and to be honest I would have rather not known. I thought one of the cool features was wondering if Crowe's character was doing the right thing or if he was springing a murderer from prison. The film is not unwatchable and during the last act of the film there is a lot of suspense, however its not enough to save it from the weak first two acts. I give the film 4 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Maximus

New on DVD-March 15th 2011

This week on DVD we only have two wide releases. The first is Oscar winning drama The Fighter starring Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. Leo and Bale won academy awards for their performances. The film is a terrific boxing drama following in the footsteps of Rocky and Million Dollar Baby. If follows the story of Mickey Ward and his crack addict brother Dickey and their rise in the ranks of the boxing world. I gave the film 8 Ninja Stars of 10 when I saw it in theaters and I highly recommend it. Here is the films website:

http://www.thefightermovie.com/

The other new wide release is the Clint Eastwood directed drama Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film follows the intertwining stories of several different people affected in different ways by the 2004 tsunami. The film is timely based off the recent events in Japan and was recently pulled from Japanese theaters. The film was given lukewarm reviews by critics which is quite unusual for a Clint Eastwood film. Based off Eastwood and Damon's track record though, I give the film a 7 Ninja Star out of 10 rating on the watch-ability scale, and will have my review up for the film in the coming weeks. Here is the official website:

http://hereafter.warnerbros.com/dvd/

Come back later in the week when I take over Diomedes' weekend review while he is on vacation. We will also have reviews of Devil and Unstoppable.

Box Office Recap-March 14th, 2011

Well I couldn't have been more wrong about the box office predictions. I was pretty far off with my predictions, but that doesn't mean I'll stop trying. In first place this weekend was Battle: Los Angeles, the film grossed over $35 million according to ew.com. It beat the film I predicted to be #1, Mars Needs Moms, by about $30 million. Mars Needs Moms did virtually no box office and landed in 5th place, with about $6 million. The film cost $150 million to make, so it may end up being one of the bigger flops of the year. In second place and fourth place were holdovers Rango and The Adjustment Bureau, respectively. Rango is already a hit, and The Adjustment Bureau should end up making a profit as it cost much less to make. In third place was the other new wide release, Red Riding Hood. The film made over $14 million with an audience that was mainly young girls. $14 million represents a good opening for the film as it also did not cost much to make. In limited release Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska made a good amount of money per screen, as did Kill the Irishman with Ray Stevenson.

Next week there are three new wide releases, the area 51 comedy Paul with the Shaun of the Dead guys and Seth Rogen, Limitless with Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro, and The Lincoln Lawyer with Matthew McConaughey. I'll take another stab at box office predictions and assume Battle: Los Angeles will repeat at number one, followed by Rango, Limitless, Paul, and Red Riding Hood. I haven't seen any marketing effort for the Lincoln Lawyer and I think that will hurt the films chances at the box office.

-Maximus

New DVD Review- Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Michael Douglas resumes his role as Gordon Gecko, the slick Wall Street wheeler and dealer who got locked up for 8 years for numerous offenses like insider trading.  This film takes place 7 years after he is released from jail.  He is still trying to be larger than life but doesn't have the funds he use to have.  Most of the movie though is based around Shia LeBeouf's character Jake Moore who is a Wall Street guy himself and engaged to Gecko's daughter.  Jake wants to meet the legend but his fiancé broke off all ties with her dad and wants nothing to do with him.  When another huge Wall Street tycoon, Josh Brolin, bankrupts the business Jake works for, he works with Gecko to get revenge. 

I actually enjoyed this sequel better than the original.  Not that it was amazing and it definitely wouldn't have been that good without the character building from the first movie but altogether I just liked it better.  And yes if you're wondering, Charlie Sheen does make a cameo as Bud Fox the man who helped put Gecko away for 8 years.  I thought LeBeouf did a good job and Douglas nailed the sell your mother for a dime type of character perfect once again.  Brolin helped this one become better than the original as well in my eyes.  So if you liked the first one definitely see this movie.  If not then it's still not a bad movie to pop in if you're bored.  I will give it a strong 6 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Diomedes

I was a big fan of Michael Douglas' performance in the original Wall Street just like most people were, however the movie was lacking for me. I went into Wall Street 2 thinking it was just another chance to see Douglas get crazy as Gordon Gecko again, but I found the movie to be an intelligent thriller far superior than the original. Shia LeBeouf actually displays leading man charisma here. He proves that he can do more than run and yell and try to be funny. Diomedes explained the premise very well in his review, so I won't add much to that, other than to say the romance feels pretty believable and the film echoes today's economy very well. The only gripe I have is the ending felt rather convenient and was moderately predictable. Basically Wall Street 2 is a movie that is based around conversations, and those conversations are for the most part thrilling. I give Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 7 Ninja Stars out of 10.

-Maximus

Box Office recap-March 7th, 2011

A decent amount of new wide releases all made different impacts on the box office this week. Starting at number one was the Johnny Depp animated film Rango. Rango made just under $40 million according to ew.com and studio estimates. The film cost a lot to make for an animated film so that number needs to hold in the coming weeks to make Rango a success. In the number two spot was The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The film made just over $20 million in its opening weekend. It is the biggest opening for Matt Damon since the closer of The Bourne Trilogy. In third place was another wide release, Beastly. Beastly stars Vanessa Hudgens and made just over $10 million. Its marketing was aimed at a young female audience and it appears they followed through. In fourth and fifth place were holdovers Hall Pass and Gnomeo and Juliet respectively. Gnomeo and Juliet continues to add money to its impressive box office total. The other wide release, Take Me Home Tonight starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris, had the worse opening for a wide release since 2009's Bandslam per ew.com. Take Me Home Tonight only took home about $3.5 million for 11th place. 

Next week continues the high amount of new wide releases. Next week opens Battle: Los Angeles, Red Riding Hood, and Mars Needs Moms. Its very difficult to anticipate the success of animated films but with Rango being aimed at a big older of an audience, I assume Mars Needs Moms takes the #1 spot. In #2 I believe Battle: Los Angeles will benefit from the heavy constant marketing, in #3 I predict Rango to holdover, followed by Red Riding Hood in the #4 spot, and The Adjustment Bureau at #5. Tune in later this week for Diomedes' breakdown of the new releases and my DVD/Blu Ray breakdown tomorrow. 

-Maximus

Movie Review-Unknown

When I first saw the trailer for Unknown, I'll admit I was a little irritated. It looked like Taken 2 from the preview, and that frustrated me because Taken was such a surprisingly great movie that I was upset that they would rip it off so soon. However I still enjoy Liam Neeson and figured Unknown would be worth a shot. Unknown is about a man who gets in a car accident in a foreign country, and when he awakes from his 4 day coma, doesn't seem to be the same person. He has no identification, and even his wife and colleagues don't recognize him. Most of the films running time is the viewer trying to figure out is he some part of a terrorist plot? Is he crazy? Or is something else going on entirely? The resolution ended up being rather predictable but is still delivered in an exciting way. There is enough action throughout to keep the film exciting but it is not overly saturated. The fight scenes in the movie also do not make Liam Neeson replicate his alter ego from Taken. While the preview stated he was a doctor, but also showed him in some Bourne like fisticuffs, that is not the case with the full length film. The fighting is realistic for an everyman (except for some Nascar like driving skills) and it doesn't go overboard. The supporting cast which includes Diane Krueger (Inglorious Bastards, Troy), January Jones (Mad Men, X-Men: First Class), Frank Langella (Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps), and Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall) is very well chosen. Also in the film is Bruno Ganz, the actor who portrayed Adolf Hitler in Downfall. He is best known however from the "Hitler gets angry" videos from YouTube. Overall I liked Unknown quite a bit and consider to enjoy most of Liam Neeson's recent film choices. I will give it 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend you checking it out when you are looking for a fun, exciting, popcorn movie.

-Maximus