The Fighter: Upcoming 12.10.2010

"The Fighter" is an upcoming movie which just finally received its release date of December 10, 2010. The film is a biopic about light welterweight boxer "Irish" Micky Ward. Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg has trained for a whole year to portray the Lowell, Massachusetts native, Ward. The film will focus on the relationship between Ward and his brother turned trainer, Dickie Eklund. Dickie was boxer himself and nearly beat Sugar Ray Leonard in a 1978 bout, but had to retire in 1985 due to drug abruse. After retiring, Dickie became his brother's full-time trainer for 26 fights from 1985-1991, Micky retired in 1991. After a three year absence from boxing, Dickie pushed Ward back into the ring and from 1994-97, he won nine straight fights. These wins propelled him to face bigger known fighters like Emanuel Augustus and Arturo Gatti. Micky was made famous for beating Augustus in 2001 and Gatti in 2002. Ward faced Gatti two more times over a course of a year, losing both times. Micky retired for the last time following his second loss to Gatti. The film will co-star Christian Bale as Dickie Eklund, Academy Award nominee Amy Adams as Ward's love interest, and Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo as a character not yet determined. To resemble the aging Eklund, Bale lost some weight and wore prosthetics on his face. The movie was written by "Donnie Brasco" writer Paul Attanasio and "Ghosts of Mississippi" writer Lewis Colick and directed by "Three Kings" and "I Heat Huckabees" director David O. Russell.

The Adjustment Bureau: Upcoming 3.4.2011

"The Adjustment Bureau", a film that stars Matt Damon, has recently pushed back its released date from September 17, 2010 to March 4, 2011. You always fear for a movie when it changes its released date. But after the postponement of "Shutter Island", which turned out to be a good film, I'm not too worried about it. "The Adjustment Bureau" follows David Norris, a charismatic United States Congressman who seems destined for national political stardom. He then meets a beautiful ballet dancer named Elise Sellas, played by Emily Blunt, only to find that strange circumstances keep them from becoming romantically involved. Norris then discovers forces are at work to keep them apart, and he peels the layers to find out why. Other cast members include Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Anthony Ruivivar, and Terence Stamp. The film was written and directed by "The Bourne Ultimatum" writer George Nolfi and again "The Adjustment Bureau" is due out in theaters. View Trailer Here.

Inception: In Theaters 7.16.2010

"Inception" is a suspenseful science fiction film that stars Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and is written and directed by Academy Award nominee Christopher Nolan ("Batman Begins", and "The Dark Knight"). The film follows an agent named Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who can enter people's minds to find out their secrets. Cobb then sells the secrets to the highest competing bidder. However, the mind is a volatile place, where places can be rearranged and people can have power much stronger than in reality. After a heist goes wrong, Dom and his team (Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Ellen Page) become under attack by a CEO (Ken Watanabe) looking to use the technology for his own singular greed. The film also stars Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard as Cobb's wife, Cillian Murphy as Fischer, Tom Berenger as Browning, and Academy Award winner Michael Caine as a professor. "Inception" is absolutely spectacular and everything about the movie is great. There's not one bad scene, there's not one bad line. The acting is incredible, every actor was just astonishing. With great performances by the entire ensemble cast. Even though a small role, Academy Award nominee Pete Postlethwaite brings the goods as Fischer's father. Two actors who exceeded my expectations were Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy. I have always liked Gordon-Levitt and thought he was a great actor, but he was even better in this than I anticipated. There are many scenes in which he is just unbelievable. As for little known actor Tom Hardy, a guy I've really never seen before is absolutely awesome in the film. I'm getting a feeling we will see him a lot in the future. But what Christopher Nolan has done here with "Inception" is just simply amazing to me. Because this guy spent ten years writing the film, he directed it, he produced it, the entire vision is his. For one guy to come up with this film is just simply mind boggling. He's been my favorite director for awhile now but to be honest it was more for Batman than anything else. And this doesn't mean I don't love his other films like "Memento" and "The Prestige" because I do. But with "Inception", Nolan has put himself in another league from being my favorite director right now to my favorite director of all time. Another thing that I liked in the movie was the music score, which was just perfectly done by frequent Nolan collaborator Academy award winner Hans Zimmer. Zimmer who is one of the best in business, delivers with another terrific score. If you have to see one film this year this is that one film. "Inception" receives an amazingly perfect 5 wheelchairs out of 5. I advise you to see this movie right now and when you do see it never leave your seat. Of all the reviews I've written, this has been the easiest one to date. View Trailer Here

Predators: In Theaters 7.9.2010

"Predators" is an action film and is the third in the "Predator" franchise. The film follows eight humans who are abducted by alien creatures known as Predators and they are released on the alien planet that acts as a game reserve. All eight humans are cold-blooded killers consisting of mercenaries, soldiers, and convicts. The movie stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo, Alice Braga, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Oleg Taktarov, Walton Goggins, and Laurence Fishburne. I thought the film was very well done and absolutely lives up to the original. It does a great job of incorporating many elements of the original, but also being original itself. One element from the first one was the use of the song "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard in one of the opening sequences, in "Predators" it is played during the final credits. Another thing they needed to have in my opinion, was the theme music from the 1987 film, which is joined by a new score by composer John Debney. Being a huge fan of the 1987 movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. "Predators" receives 4 wheelchairs out of 5. View Trailer Here

Due Date: Upcoming 11.5.2010

"Due Date" is an upcoming comedy film starring Academy Award nominee Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The plot follows two men, high-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a cross country road trip in order to make it to his child's birth on time. Other cast members include Michelle Monaghan, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, and Academy Award winner Alan Arkin. The movie was directed by Todd Phillips, who has previously directed successful comedies such as "Old School", "Starsky & Hutch", and "The Hangover". "Due Date" is due out in theaters on November 11, 2010. View Trailer Here

NEW!!: The Social Network: Upcoming 10.1.2010

"The Social Network" is an upcoming film about the founding of the social-networking site known as Facebook. The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield and Joe Mazzello. The movie is based on Ben Mezrich’s book "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal", "The Social Network" tells the story of Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg, the founders of Facebook. As someone who is part of Facebook and thinks most of it is stupid, you wouldn't think I would bring this to your attention. But with the directing from m Academy Award nominee David Fincher ("Se7en", "Zodiac", and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and the writing from Aaron Sorkin ("A Few Good Men", "The American President", and "Charlie Wilson's War"), this movie could be very good. "The Social Network" is due out in theaters on October 1, 2010. View Trailer Here

Middle Men: Upcoming 8.6.2010

"Middle Men" is an upcoming film that stars Luke Wilson and was written and directed by George Gallo ("Midnight Run"). The movie takes place in 1995, when everyone had a VCR, music was sold in record stores, and the world-wide-web was a new found discovery. Businessman Jack Harris (Luke Wilson) had the perfect life, a beautiful family, and a successful career fixing problem companies. Then he met Wayne Beering (Giovanni Ribisi) and Buck Dolby (Gabriel Macht), two genius but troubled men, who had invented the way adult entertainment is sold over the internet. Jack then finds himself in the middle of a whirlwind filled with starlets, conmen, Russian mobsters, federal agents and international terrorists, all while trying to hold on to his marriage and family. Other cast members include Academy Award nominee James Caan, Kelsey Grammer, Terry Crews, Kevin Pollak, and Academy Award nominee Robert Forster. "Middle Men" is out in theaters on August 6, 2010. View Trailer Here

NEW!!: Red Trailer: Upcoming 10.15.2010

"Red" is an upcoming action film based on the DC Comics limited series created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner and the film stars Bruce Willis. The film follows Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, who is now living a quiet life. That is, until the day a hi-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his identity compromised and the life of the woman he cares for, Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), endangered, Frank reassembles his old team Joe, Marvin, and Victoria (Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, Academy Award nominee John Malkovich and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive. The film was directed by Robert Schwentke ("Flightplan") and written by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber ("Whiteout"). "Red" is due out in theaters on October 15, 2010. View Trailer Here

NEW!!: J. Edgar Hoover Biopic: Upcoming 2011 or 2012

Academy Award nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio has officially been cast as J. Edgar Hoover in Academy Award winning director Clint Eastwood's Hoover biopic. This has been speculated for months and now it is a fact. The film will be written by Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black, he won the oscar for his "Milk" screenplay. I am very excited about this movie and this could finally make DiCaprio, an Academy Award winning actor. Production of the movie will begin later this year and will be released in theaters in either 2011 or 2012.

Gulliver's Travels: Upcoming 12.22.2010

"Gulliver's Travels" is an upcoming live-action adventure film based on the 18th century novel by Jonathan Swift and stars Jack Black as the title character Lemuel Gulliver. The movie's plot centers on Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black), a free-spirited travel writer who, on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of industrious, yet tiny, people. The film also stars Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, and Billy Connolly. "Gulliver's Travels" was written by Joe Stillman ("Beavis And Butt-head Do America") and Nicholas Stoller ("Fun With Dick And Jane") and directed by Rob Letterman ("Monsters vs. Aliens"). The film is due out in theaters on December 22, 2010. View Trailer Here

The Extra Man: Upcoming 7.30.2010

"The Extra Man" is an upcoming comedy film based on the novel by Jonathan Ames ("Bored to Death") and stars Academy Award winner Kevin Kline and Paul Dano ("Little Miss Sunshine"). The movie follows a failed playwright Henry Harrison (Kline), who develops an odd mentor relationship with a troubled and aspiring playwright Louis Ives (Dano), who sublets a room in Henry's New York apartment. Henry teaches Louis the art of being an 'Extra Man'; accompanying and entertaining wealthy older women in their fanciful social lives. The movie also stars Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly and Katie Holmes, who plays a love interest to Louis. The film was written and directed by Academy Award nominees Shari Springer Berma and Robert Pulcini ("American Splendor"). "The Extra Man" is coming out in theaters on July 30, 2010. View Trailer Here

Robin Hood: In Theaters 5.14.2010

"Robin Hood" is a film directed by Ridley Scott ("Alien", "Blade Runner", and "American Gangster") and stars Academy Award winner Russell Crowe as Robin Hood. This is Crowe's fifth collaboration with director Ridley Scott, the other films are 2000's "Gladiator", 2006's "A Good Year", 2007's "American Gangster", and 2008's "Body of Lies". The movie also stars Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, William Hurt, Danny Huston, and Matthew Macfadyen. The film takes place in the late 12th Century in England and Robin Hood has returned to his village after fighting in the Third Crusade. Robin uses his intelligence and military skills to free his village of tyranny and take back what is rightfully is his. Robin must also win the affection of the recently widowed Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett) while leading his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest to victory. This movie was below average at best, it was slow, long, and forgettable. The film was written by Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, and Academy Award winner Brian Helgeland, writer of "L.A. Confidential", "Mystic River", and "Man on Fire". The only two things I liked in the movie was that fact that it was funny and its music score by Marc Streitenfeld. "Robin Hood" receives a bad 2 1/2 wheelchairs out of 5. View Trailer Here

The Adjustment Bureau: Upcoming 9.17.2010

"The Adjustment Bureau" is an upcoming science fiction film that stars Matt Damon. Damon plays David Norris, a former Fordham University basketball player and charismatic United States Congressman who seems destined for national political stardom. He meets a beautiful ballet dancer named Elise Sellas, played by Emily Blunt, only to find that strange circumstances keep them from becoming romantically involved. Norris then discovers forces are at work to keep them apart, and he peels the layers to find out why. Other cast members include Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Anthony Ruivivar, and Terence Stamp. The film was written and directed by "The Bourne Ultimatum" writer George Nolfi and is loosely based on the 1954 Philip K. Dick short story, "Adjustment Team". Dick is best known for writing many science fiction stories that were later adapted into popular films like "Blade Runner", "Total Recall", "A Scanner Darkly" and "Minority Report". "The Adjustment Bureau" is coming out in theaters on September 17, 2010. View Trailer Here

NEW!!: Thor Picture: Upcoming 5.6.2011

The first picture of Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" has just recently been released. The picture features star Chris Hemsworth as the title character, Thor. The film follows the Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is then cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. The film also stars Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Jaimie Alexander as Sif, and Rene Russo as Frigga. "Thor" is do out in theaters on May 6, 2011.

Iron Man 2: In Theaters 5.7.2010

"Iron Man 2" is second installment in the "Iron Man" series and is once again directed by Jon Favreau. Academy Award nominee Robert Downey, Jr. reprises his role as billionaire inventor Tony Stark. In the film the world is aware that Stark is the superhero known as Iron Man and with that comes pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. But Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. The film's villain Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), is a physicist who builds his own arc reactor-based weapon to exact vengeance on the Stark family. Other cast members include Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle as Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine, Scarlett Johnassen as Natasha Romanoff, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Garry Shandling as a senator, John Slaterry as Howard Stark, Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D agent Phil Coulson, and Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. The acting in the film is well above average, with amazing performances from Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, and of course Robert Downey, Jr. All in all, the movie was unbelievable and is just as good as the first one. Nothing but good things to say, it was well directed, well written, well acted, it was very funny, and full of action. You know what else is great, the soundtrack lead by songs from AC/DC and an amazing score from John Debney and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. So if you heard that critics hate the movie, ignore them because they are fools, I loved the film from start to finish. "Iron Man 2" receives 4 1/2 wheelchairs out of 5. If you are going to see this movie, you should sit through the credits because there is a post-credits scene, just like the first film had. View Trailer Here

The Other Guys: Upcoming 8.6.2010

"The Other Guys" is an upcoming action-comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. They play Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), who are partnered NYPD detectives who rarely see any action. Gamble is more than happy to sit at his desk while Hoitz has been assigned against his will after a public incident with his quick trigger finger. They idolize the city's top cops Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson), but when an opportunity arises for Gamble and Hoitz to step up, things do not quite go as expected. The film was written and directed by Adam McKay ("Anchorman", "Talladega Nights", and "Step Brothers"). "The Other Guys" is due out in the theaters on August 6, 2010. View Trailer Here

Inception: Upcoming 7.16.2010

"Inception" is an upcoming science fiction film that stars Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and is written and directed by Academy Award nominee Christopher Nolan ("Memento", "Batman Begins", and "The Dark Knight"). The film follows an agent named Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who can drug up tycoons and enter their minds to find out their secrets and strategies. Cobb then sells the secrets to the highest competing bidder. However, the mind is a volatile place, where places can be rearrange and people can have power much stronger than in reality, and the complications of the mind can create dreamscapes that can end in mere seconds, trapping the agents with them. After a heist goes wrong, Dom and his team (Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Ellen Page) become under attack by a CEO (Ken Watanabe) looking to use the technology for his own singular greed. The film also stars Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard as Cobb's wife, Cillian Murphy as Fischer, Tom Berenger as Browning, and Academy Award winner Michael Caine as a professor. "Inception" is due out in theaters on July 16, 2010. View Trailer Here

Dinner for Schmucks: Upcoming 7.23.2010

"Dinner for Schmucks" is an upcoming comedy that stars Paul Rudd and Steve Carell. The film follows Tim (Paul Rudd), a rising executive who needs to find the perfect guest (Steve Carell) for his boss's monthly event, a so-called "dinner for idiots". The executive who brings the biggest buffoon wins the competition and certain career advantages. "Dinner for Schmucks" was directed by Jay Roach ("Austin Powers" trilogy and "Meet the Parents") and is due out in theaters on July 23, 2010. View Trailer Here

NEW!!: Predators Trailer: Upcoming 7.9.2010

"Predators" is an upcoming film and just recently released it's first trailer. The movie is the fifth in the "Predator" franchise. The film follows eight humans who are abducted by alien creatures known as Predators and they are released on the alien planet that acts as a game reserve. All eight humans are cold-blooded killers consisting of mercenaries, soldiers, and convicts. The movie stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo, Alice Braga, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Oleg Taktarov, Walton Goggins, and Laurence Fishburne. "Predators" is due out in theaters on July 9, 2010. View Trailer Here

Green Zone: In Theaters 3.12.2010

"Green Zone" is a film directed by Academy Award nominated director Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy", "United 93", and "The Bourne Ultimatum") and stars Matt Damon. The film is a thriller that takes place in the Green Zone of Iraq during the surge from the United States. Damon plays Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, a rogue U.S. agent who must hunt through covert and faulty intelligence before war escalates in an unstable region. Other cast members include Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan as Lawrie Dayne, a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, who investigates the U.S. government's claims of the existence of weapons of mass destruction, Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear portrays Clark Poundstone, a CIA officer, and Brendan Gleeson as Mr. Sheen, CIA Baghdad bureau chief. The film was very good and gave a very interesting take on the Iraq war. The film really dwells into the whole WMDs mess and makes you think about the bad people in the world. I know I've said it a lot but Matt Damon is the man and if you love the Bourne series, you'll love this movie. "Green Zone" was written by Academy Award winner Brian Helgeland, writer of "L.A. Confidential", "Mystic River", and "Man on Fire". The film is inspired by Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone written by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. "Green Zone" receives a good 3 1/2 wheelchairs out of 5. View Trailer Here

Up in the Air: The Best Film of 2009

The

Best Film

of 2009

"Up in the Air" is the third film by Academy Award nominated director Jason Reitman and stars Academy Award winner George Clooney. Reitman previously directed 2006's "Thank You for Smoking" and 2007's "Juno". George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert who travels around the country firing people. Ryan doesn't have a personal life and he numbs himself with sex, booze, and air miles. On occasion he delivers motivational speeches about the virtue of a relationship-free life. His life on the road however is threatened when his company chooses to ground him at corporate headquarters and when he meets the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams, Alex Goran. The film is cross between a comedy and a serious drama. There are plenty of funny lines and there are many lines that makes think about life itself. The movie co-stars Vera Farmiga ("The Departed") as Alex Goran, Anna Kendrick ("Twilight"), Jason Bateman ("Extract") as Ryan's boss, Danny McBride ("Pineapple Express") as Ryan's brother in-law, J.K. Simmons ("Spider-Man"), and Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover"). The film was written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Turner previously wrote 2005's "The Longest Yard" and 2006's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning". The movie is loosely based on the 2000 novel "Up in the Air" by Walter Kirn. This movie is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and couldn't of been released at a better time. The subject matter in the film really hits home because of our country's current economic struggles. George Clooney is simply fantastic as Ryan Bingham and is definitely Oscar worthy. The character is extremely likable, funny, and incredibly cool. I really believe no one else could of played Ryan Bingham but George Clooney.The Departed's Vera Farmiga is very good as the cool, sophisticated, and sexy Alex Goran. "Twilight" star Anna Kendrick plays Natalie Keener, a young Cornell graduate, who after she convinces the company to fire people via webcam, she learns the trade from Ryan when she accompanies him on the road. Anna Kendrick was unbelievable in her role and is definitely a star in the making. "Up in the Air" have won numerous awards already, the biggest award being the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. The film has recently been nominated for 6 Academy Awards, consisting of Best Picture, Best Director (Jason Reitman), Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Supporting Actress (Vera Farmiga), Best Supporting Actress (Anna Kendrick). "Up in the Air" is now one of my favorite movies of all-time and is the best film of 2009. I think "Up in the Air" should win the Oscar for Best Picture. View Trailer Here

Inglourious Basterds: 2nd Best Film of 2009

2nd

Best Film

of 2009

"Inglourious Basterds" is the new film from acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino and it stars Brad Pitt. The movie opens in Nazi-occupied France, in 1941. It is here where we meet Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), who is in charge of tracking down and killing Jewish families hiding in France. We then cut to the Basterds, a group of Jewish American soldiers led by Aldo "the Apache" Raine (Brad Pitt), Raine orders his crew to produces 100 Nazi scalps. The Basterds were specifically chosen to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds are made up of Eli Roth as Danny Donowitz, Til Schweiger as Hugo Stiglitz, Gedeon Burkhard as Wilhelm Wicki, B.J. Novak as Smithson Utivich, and Omar Doom as Omar Ulmer. The acting is this film is out of this world, Brad Pitt is funny, Til Schweiger is terrifying, and "Hostel" director Eli Roth is very surprising in his biggest acting role. The two female leads were played by Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger. They are both very good and very attractive in the film. The standout star though was Austrian actor Christoph Waltz. Waltz was amazing as the Colonel. Waltz has won a Golden Globe and SAG award already, and is the frontrunner to win the Oscar. Tarantino veterans Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel each make uncredited appearances in the film. Jackson plays the narrator and is heard twice, each time was done to perfection. "Inglourious Basterds" is quite an entertaining film, its cool, awesome, funny, dramatic, and at times is very gruesome. Tarantino did a great job on this one and you have to think he is back to his old ways. To me "Inglourious Basterds" is his best film by far this decade. "Kill Bill: Vol. 1", "Kill Bill: Vol. 2", and "Death Proof" were also released in this decade and are all well below average films. "Inglourious Basterds" has been nominated for 8 Academy Awards, consisting of Best Picture, and Best Director (Quentin Tarantino), and Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz). The film has also been nominated for Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino), which I think it should definitely win because this movie is as original as it gets. "Inglourious Basterds" is the second best film of 2009. View Trailer Here

The Hurt Locker: 3rd Best Film of 2009

3rd

Best Film

of 2009

"The Hurt Locker" is an Academy Award nominated war film directed by Kathryn Bigelow ("Point Break"). The movie follows a United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team during the Iraq War. During the course of the film, the team has to contend with defusing bombs, the threat of insurgency, and the tension that develops among them. And not to mention the possibility of death. The movie stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty. Renner plays Sergeant First Class William James, the team leader. James is a renegade for who the thrill of the dismantlement seems to be the ultimate goal regardless of the safety of his fellow team members or himself. Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty play Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge, whose jobs are to communicate with their team leader via radio inside his bombsuit and provide him with rifle cover while he examines IEDs. Other cast members include Ralph Fiennes ("The English Patient"), David Morse ("Disturbia"), Evangeline Lilly ("Lost"), and Guy Pearce ("Memento"). The acting in this movie was very good, lead by Jeremy Renner who is unbelievable as the insane thrill seeking bomb defusing Sergeant First Class William James. "The Hurt Locker" has been nominated for 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal), and Best Actor (Jeremy Renner). The Hurt Locker" was an excellent movie and it really makes you think about how hard it is for our troops over in Iraq. Unlike "Avatar", I understand what all the fuss is about. "The Hurt Locker" is the 3rd best film of 2009. View Trailer Here

The Informant!: 4th Best Film of 2009

4th

Best Film

of 2009

"The Informant!" is a dark comedy that stars Matt Damon. Damon plays Archer Daniels Midland executive Mark Whitarce, who in the early '90s blew the whistle on the company's price-fixing tactics. In 1992 Whitarce confessed to the FBI that he and other executives had routinely met with competitors to fix the price of lysine, a food additive. Whitarce secretly gathered hundreds of hours of video and audio over the next 3 years. Damon is simply spectacular as the bipolar informant. He makes you laugh by his quirkiness, insanity, and just downright dumb behavior. His behavior is so idiotic you'll be shaking and scratching your head almost the entire movie. My favorite part of the character is the unbelievably outrageous internal narrations. Damon had to gain 30 pounds for the title role. Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap") and Joel McHale ("The Soup") co-star as FBI agents. This has been Bakula's biggest role in a very long time. Joel McHale was very impressive in his largest film role to date. I have never been a fan of his acting, especially in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 2". Though his acting drastically improved in this film and in his NBC show "Community". "The Informant!" was written by "The Bourne Ultimatum" co-writer Scott Z. Burns and directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh previously directed Damon in "Ocean's Eleven", "Twelve", and "Thirteen". This movie is not a dumb comedy, it is very well written. "The Informant!" is the 4th best film of 2009. View Trailer Here

Star Trek: 5th Best Film of 2009

5th

Best Film

of 2009

"Star Trek" is the eleventh film in the longtime "Star Trek" franchise. This movie establish an alternate reality through time-travel that freed the film and the franchise from continuity constraints. The film follows James T. Kirk and Spock before they unite aboard the USS Enterprise to combat Nero, a Romulan from the future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The film. The movie stars Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Eric Bana as Nero. Other cast members include Karl Urban as Leonard McCoy, Zoe Saladana as Nyota Uhura, Simon Pegg as Montgomery Scott, John Cho as Hikaru Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov. Leonard Nimoy is also in the film, he plays Spock from the future. This movie really surprised me because it was directed by J.J. Abrams, a director I really don't like but that aside, I loved this film. "Star Trek" is the 5th best film of 2009. View Trailer Here

Shutter Island: In Theaters 2.19.2010

"Shutter Island" is a film directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorcese and stars Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio. This film is the fourth collaboration between Scorcese and DiCaprio. The film follows two U.S. Marshals who are sent to a psychiatric hospital on an island in Massachusetts to find a patient who has recently disappeared. After investigating the hospital, they discovered many ugly truths about the facility. DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, one of the marshals, while Mark Ruffalo plays the other. The film also features Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley as the hospital's chief psychiatrist, Dr. John Cawley, Jackie Earle Haley as patient George Noyce, and Michelle Williams as Dolores Chanal, Teddy's wife. The acting in the movie was more than superb. DiCaprio amazed me again with just ridiculous acting and Ben Kingsley showed you again what a great actor he is. The underrated Mark Ruffalo also delievers a great performance in the film. The movie was very well done, it was crafted beautifully by the master Martin Scorese. He did an excellent job at creating the right levels of suspense and eerieness. There are some scenes that really creep you out. "Shutter Island" was based on the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote other best-selling novels like "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mystic River", and not to mention was a staff writer for the hit HBO show, "The Wire". "Shutter Island" receives 3 1/2 wheelchairs out of 5. View Trailer Here

Paul Blart: Mall Cop: The Worst Film of 2009

Worst Film

of 2009

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" is by far the worst film of the year and stars Kevin James. This movie is god awful and it astonishing that it made over $200 million at the box office. "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" is poorly written, boring, not funny, and so predictable it's insane. Enough said, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" is the Worst Film of 2009. View Trailer Here

All About Steve: 2nd Worst Film of 2009

2nd

Worst Film

of 2009

"All About Steve" is a comedy that stars Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper. The film co-stars Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong, and DJ Qualls. This movie is terrible and is so poorly written it's funny. The best thing about this movie is that it did nothing to hurt Sandra Bullock's year (due to her Oscar nomination for "The Blind Side"). "All About Steve" is the 2nd worst film of 2009.

Taken: 3rd Worst Film of 2009

3rd

Worst Film

of 2009

"Taken" is an action film that stars Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson. The movie does have some cool scenes, but overall the movie is not well written. Liam Neeson is pretty good in it but that doesn't save the movie. It's over the top, far fetch, and stupid at times."Taken" is the 3rd worst film of 2009. I would see a second time instead of "Avatar".

Avatar: 4th Worst Film of 2009

4th

Worst Film

of 2009

"Avatar" is the next film from Academy Award winning director James Cameron. The film is set in the year 2154 on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. Humans are engaged in mining Pandora's reserves of a precious mineral, while the Na'vi—a race of indigenous humanoids—resist the colonists' expansion, which threatens the continued existence of the Na'vi and the Pandoran ecosystem. The movie stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, the main character in the film who signs up for the Avatar program. The film's title refers to the genetically engineered bodies used by the film's characters to interact with the Na'vi. "Avatar" is okay at best and I am really confused why people like it. I was shocked when it won the Golden Globe for Best Picture. "Up in the Air" should of won, not only was it my favorite movie this year, but it's one of my favorite movies of all time. "Avatar" was a wasted time at the movie theater and is the 4th Worst Film of 2009. View Trailer Here

Twilight: New Moon: 5th Worst Film of 2009

5th

Worst Film

of 2009

"Twilight: New Moon" is the sequel to 2008's "Twilight" and stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. This movie is really bad and it scares me that this movie made over $700 million dollars. The only reason this film is fifth is because I haven't seen it. The reason it made the list is because I hate everything this movie stands for. I hate the actors, writers, and especially the people who like this movie. The only person I like in this movie is Anna Kendrick. Unlike the other actors, Kendrick is an unbelievable actress. She probably will be nominated for an Oscar for her performance in "Up in the Air", I think she should win it as well. There are rumors right now that Robert Pattinson will be the next Spider-man and if that happens I will be very angry. "Twilight: New Moon" is the 5th Worst Film of 2009. View Trailer Here

Youth in Revolt: In Theaters 1.8.2010

"Youth in Revolt" is a black comedy based on the 1993 novel "Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp" written by C.D. Payne, Michael Cera stars as Nick Twisp ("Superbad"). Nick Twisp is a cynical sex-obsessed 16-year-old, who is jealous of his divorced parents' (Steve Buscemi and Jean Smart) sex filled personal lives. Nick's life changes when he meets his dream girl, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday). But when Sheeni tells Nick that she has a boyfriend (Jonathan B. Wright), Nick comes up with an alter-ego named Francois to win her heart. Francois looks like Nick, but has blue eyes, a mustache, a deeper voice, and a bad boy attitude. But Francois ends up making Nick a wanted criminal and everything spins out of control. Other cast members include Justin Long ("Accepted") as Sheeni's brother George, Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover") as Estelle Twisp's trucker boyfriend, and Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas") as a policeman who gets involved with Estelle Twisp. The film was written by Gustin Nash ("Charlie Bartlett") and was directed by "Chuck & Buck" and "The Good Girl" director Miguel Arteta. The film was very funny and very original. Michael Cera was great in the movie and definitely showed how good of the actor he is. With this movie Cera absolutely stepped out of his typecast. The Francois character was simply awesome. "Youth in Revolt" receives 3 1/2 wheelchairs out of 5. View Trailer Here

Avatar: In Theaters 12.18.2009

"Avatar" is the next film from Academy Award winning director James Cameron. The film is set in the year 2154 on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. Humans are engaged in mining Pandora's reserves of a precious mineral, while the Na'vi—a race of indigenous humanoids—resist the colonists' expansion, which threatens the continued existence of the Na'vi and the Pandoran ecosystem. The movie stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, the main character in the film who signs up for the Avatar program. The film's title refers to the genetically engineered bodies used by the film's characters to interact with the Na'vi. This movie just wasn't very good, it's long, poorly written, and humorous. "Avatar" receives a bad 2 1/2 wheelchairs out of 5. View Trailer Here