June 2010 Favorites

I'm back!
This post will be dedicated with the June 2010 releases that were personally of note (not to say that there aren't more... I just didn't see that many).
And yes, I will do my best to list them in chronological order.


Get Him to the Greek {Rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language.} Released June 4, 2010
Starring Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Aaron Greenberg (Hill) gets things done. The ambitious 23-year-old has exaggerated his way into a dream job just in time for a career-making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a rock god to L.A.s Greek Theatre for the first-stop on a $100-million tour. His warning: Turn your back on him at your own peril. British rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) is both a brilliant musician and walking sex. Weary of yes men and piles of money, the former front man is searching for the meaning of life. But that doesn't mean he cant have a few orgies while he finds it. When he learns his true love is in California, Aldous makes it his quest to win her backright before kick-starting his world domination.
As the countdown to the concert begins, one intern must navigate a minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound. He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but Aaron will get him to the Greek.
This movie was crazy and fun but mostly crazy! Completely outrageous and impossible in every way but the imagination. I enjoyed this movie because it was an escape from reality with the sole purpose of entertaining. The list of A-list celebrities was huge with P Diddy also contributing by playing an off the wall record executive with all kinds of trouble. Here I was able to entertain the idea of the life of a rockstar and all the insane moments that would come with it. All without getting arrested, injured or leaving the comfort of my theatre seat. It was an example of one of the very reasons I love movies.


Killers {Rated PG-13 for violent action, sexual material and language.} Released June 4, 2010
Starring Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara
Directed by Robert Luketic
A vacationing woman meets her ideal man, leading to a swift marriage. Back at home, however, their idyllic life is upset when they discover their neighbors could be assassins who have been contracted to kill the couple.
Yes I know that some of you may be thinking... been there, seen that. And yes, I did see Mr and Mrs Smith with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Come on who hasn't? It's played on TV so often that I could probably watch it once a month and still not see as often as it's played. You probably don't even need cable to see this.
With that in mind, I agree that the foundation is a little overkill (no pun intended) but as a 'typical chick flick' I enjoyed it. I do admit that I'm a biased fan of Katherine Heigl so I would probably like anything starring her, she's hilarious. It was cute and funny with the only drawback being its predictability. I didn't leave unhappy and I would certainly add it to my movie collection.


The Karate Kid {Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language.} Released June 11, 2010
Starring Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han
Directed by Harwald Zwart
12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
Where would one start with such a classic... most everyone knows the Karate Kid series, of Mr. (Keisuke) Miyagi who is best known for saying, "wax on, wax off" and many other wise phrases. He is a legend and when I heard that they were remaking/adding another sequel I was immediately skeptical. I mean come on, no one can replace the great Mr. Miyagi... not even someone as cool as Jackie Chan. While I still believe that I don't think anyone else could have played in this film. I really enjoyed this and when watching the first time it didn't feel as if 2.5 hours had gone by.
For the 'haters' out there who think that Jackie Chan is just a poser I have to disagree. What made the experience most enjoyable was, I didn't see this movie as an attempt at replacing the original series. I saw it as a modern interpretation of the same morals portrayed in the previous ones. So if you're looking for a good family film that leaves you with 'warm fuzzies,' look no further!


Toy Story 3 {Rated G} Released June 18, 2010
Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Directed by Lee Unkrich
Woody, Buzz and the whole gang are back. As their owner Andy prepares to depart for college, his loyal toys find themselves in daycare where untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice. So, it's all for one and one for all as they join Barbie's counterpart Ken, a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants and a pink, strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear to plan their great escape.
Finally it's here! After waiting for about a year, one of the most anticipated movie of the summer arrived (and left to make a comeback on DVD). As a big fan of the Toy Story series I was pretty excited to see it in 3D! There was a part of me that was a little nervous because sequels rarely ever turn out to be as good as the originals and the more there are, the worse it usually becomes.
But as for this movie, it was cute and funny like all the others. This one had a darker side to it, I thought more so than the others. With that said I still believe that the first one is the best but the collection wouldn't be complete without it.


Knight and Day {Rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language.} Released June 23, 2010
Starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Jordi Molla
Directed by James Mangold
June Havens finds her everyday life tangled with that of a secret agent who has realized he isn't supposed to survive his latest mission. As their campaign to stay alive stretches across the globe, they soon learn that all they can count on is each other.
Before I even get to my opinions on the movie I must say that when I first saw the previews I wasn't sure if I was even going to see it. Tom Cruise over the last few years has been on the 'crazy list' so I was thinking that this may be an unsuccessful comeback attempt. But for all you Tom Cruise fans, I was wrong. This was a pretty good movie! Fun, action packed and even funny. Seeing Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise together wasn't as awkward as I thought it'd be either, although I was waiting for Katie Holmes to pop in for a second. And while it was similar to Killers, it was good in it's own way. Maybe even better because it wasn't as predictable.


The Twilight Saga: Eclipse {Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality.} Released June 30, 2010
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Xavier Samuel
Directed by David Slade
Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.
Well for those of you who already follow my blog, I've already had a write up about it. But to save you the time of searching for the last entry I'll give you the abridged version.
I admit that I'm a biased fan. Not an insane fan that will camp out in line for days just to see an advanced screening but one that will see it within the first couple weeks of release. Yes I have read the series and I liked it. Aside from the crazy controlling and stalkerish was of Edward Cullen (Team Jacob over here!). If I had to choose from the 3, this is definitely the best. The first was terrible and the other was too depressing to be really good so I guess it wasn't a big challenge. I like what the new director has done and I am looking forward to see what they do with the final book.


So there you have it folks!
My rundown of the movies to see for the month of June 2010.
I've still got a lot more work to do so I'll see ya again for July 2010!

Stay classy!
-Jeena

Summer 2010

Hello Movie Lovers!

I know it's been some time since my last entry, about 7 months and boy have there been a lot to cover! Fortunately (or unfortunately depending how you look at things) life has been quite hectic, so much that it hasn't been possible to keep up with my reviews.
Since it has been so long, and for the sake of time the next few posts will be dedicated with discussions about the summer movies of 2010! The good, the bad and whatever is in between (well, at least that I've seen).
This may take some time so please forgive me if things seem a bit choppy while I get back in my groove. And of course as always, feel free to drop me a line (comment or otherwise). Love to hear from you!

Jeena

Update! 2009-2010

Hope everyone had a great new year with 2010 still going strong :)
Been a little over 2 months since my last post and I've seen several movies since then.
And at the prompting of my "fans" I thought it was time to add another.

There are too many and it's been too long for me to list a commentary for all of the movies I've seen but I will try to add a little something for the mvies I have seen.
For some sense of organization I will list them in chronological order, from when I saw them.


Sherlock Holmes {Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.}
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong
Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
This was one of those movies that I thought was a 'hit or miss.' That you either really enjoyed it or thought it was 'stupid.' I liked it. It was a little darker and more 'out there' than I had anticipated but it was exactly what I was expected. It was entertaining and one of my favorite things about the movie was whenever Holmes would be in a fight he would imagine how it will play out and will show it in slow motion before. Nothing too heavy or too light hearted.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel {Rated PG for some mild rude humor.
Starring Jason Lee, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, David Cross, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, Wendie Malick
The world famous singing pre-teen chipmunk trio return to contend with the pressures of school, celebrity, and a rival female music group known as The Chipettes.
Oh man, another Alvin and the Chipmunks. When I was a kid I enjoyed the cartoons and tried to keep up with the mini specials but as a I got older the sound of their voices began to bother me. This is still true today and to watch an entire movie with them singing was not one of my favorite things.
I do have to admit that it was a cute movie for older kids. I'm not sure that I would recommend the young ones because it does show a few moments of school bullies and them getting into it with Ian towards the end but overall it was cute. Came out a time when the box office was in need a guaranteed family friendly movie.

Avatar in 3D {Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.}
Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez
A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Avatar... what is there to say about the highest grossing film of all time? I guess wow will just have to do haha.
It was amazing! So visually stunning that I wished I didn't have to blink. The world that they created was so imaginative and complex that you can't help but wonder what it would be like to visit. I do have to say that I wished the story had been on the same level as the picture and sound but it had a good message that went well with the movie.
NOTE: It was made for 3d so that's all I've seen. I'm at the point where I don't think it would do it justice just to see it 2d.


Youth in Revolt {Rated R for sexual content, language and drug use.}
Starring Michael Cera, Portia Doubleda, Jean Smart, Zach Galifianakis, Steve Buscemi, Fred Willard
While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, Nick Twisp sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity.
This is definitely NOT a family movie. I would classify it in the 'stupid but funny' group. I thought it was an inappropriate funny. Another 'truth about teenage boys' type of movie with a ridiculous humorous twist. It's a good example of some awkward moments that you hope to never have had.
If you like Michael Cera movies you won't be disappointed. I think its similar his past material.

Daybreakers {Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and brief nudity.}
Starring Ethan Hawke
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.
Eh it's another vampire movie. Don't get me wrong, I liked the Twilight series but I think the craze is getting a little out of hand and people have gone a too crazy. I wouldn't put this movie into the Twilight category, it's waaaay more adult and violent than that. As a quick comparison I would say that it resembles the Blade series (with Wesley Snipes) far more than Twilight. So if what you're looking for is action and violence, this is the movie to see.
What I did like about it was the idea behind the story. I agree that immortality has become a ridiculous ideal that while today is more superficial in nature, could potentially grow to more desperate scenarios. For the majority of the human population to become vampires it would change shift the competition for resources to among those left.

Leap Year {Rated PG for sensuality and language.}
Starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow
A woman who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, an Irish tradition which occurs every time the date February 29 rolls around, faces a major setback when bad weather threatens to derail her planned trip to Dublin. With the help of an innkeeper, however, her cross-country odyssey just might result in her getting engaged.
With 'chick flicks' being one of my favorite genres, I loved this movie. It was romantic and cute all with the beautiful landscape of Ireland... so what's not to love? Warning: girl moment... by the end of the movie I had a crush on Matthew Goode, so cute!
It's the kind of love story that I think everyone, including myself wishes for... well maybe not so much disaster haha.

The Book of Eli {Rated R for some brutal violence and language.}
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
A post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.
Usually I'm not a fan of 'end of the world' movies but I thought that this was an interesting take. Closer to something that could actually happen with today's conflict of religions and ideologies. I would have liked to have seen more about what happened after everything was resolved. One thing that I didn't like was, I did think the movie dragged a little more than it needed to. It would have been better with less Denzel just walking across the United States and more of an explanation of what happened before. With religious undertones that weren't over powering I thought it was nice to have a more neutral perspective that left some room for an explanation about the effects of faith and belief.


Lovely Bones {Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving disturbing violent content and images, and some language.}
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon
Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
I was really looking forward to seeing this but after they kept pushing back the release date my excited faded by the time I was able to go. After reading the book and seeing all of the advertisements for it I had high expectations that weren't met. There were crucial parts of the story left out but I'm not sure how how such detail could be reconciled in a 2 1/2 hour movie. I do have to say that visually, it was well done. I liked how Peter Jackson portrayed Sebold's version of heaven. It wasn't far from how I'd imagined it.
So overall I would say, if you haven't read the book it was really good. If you have then I would try not to go in expecting the same quality as the book. It's something that is difficult to put on the screen, so much that I'm not really sure it's possible to do.

Extraordinary Measures {Rated PG for thematic material, language and a mild suggestive moment.}
Starring Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraiser, Keri Russell
A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder.
If you're in need of an inspirational, feel good movie this is a good stop to make. I would say that it's one of those, 'restore faith in humanity' types of movie. Based on a true story, it showed in some detail what the Crowley's achieved in order to make treatment available to their children and several other families affected. I left the theatre feeling uplifted and positive about the future so I would recommend it to anyone in need of a lift in spirits.

Edge of Darkness {Rated R for strong bloody violence and language.}
Starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone
As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.
I call this the rated R version of 'Taken.' Full of action, drama, violence and a government conspiracy it kept me on the edge of my seat. It's been a while since I've seen Mel Gibson play an action star so that was a bit of an adjustment but I think he did a good job. This didn't really get much recognition which I think is unfortunate because I thought it was just as good as Taken, just a bit more 'adult.'

Crazy Heart {Rated R for language and brief sexuality.}
Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall
A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.
Not usually a fan of country music and distanced from the rural lifestyle this movie was outside of my element. But I really did enjoy it. They did a good job telling the story about the choices we all make in life. I enjoyed the music because regardless of the style the message reaches out to everyone. Recognized at the Academy Awards for Best Actor Jeff Bridges did an amazing job and I would recommend it to just about everyone.

The Wolfman {Rated R for bloody horror violence and gore.}
Starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins
Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.
This was an interesting story, but very dark. It was pretty violent and a bit graphic, they spared no details in showing the destruction caused throughout the movie. It kept me involved and tense the entire time. I'm a fan of the starring actors so it was good to see them all together.

Valentines Day {Rated PG-13 for some sexual material and brief partial nudity.}
Starring Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Hector Elizondo, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Julia Roberts
Intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine's Day.
Although it reminded me of He's Just Not That Into You I liked it more. This seemed like more of a movie than an extended television show. Their stories resembled real lives and I thought that there was at least 1 person everyone to relate with. A cute date movie that I would definitely recommend.

Shutter Island {Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity.}
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.
As I usually say, I'm not a fan of scary movies. And from the months of repeated commercials that was the impression that I got. But when I actually sat down and gave it a chance, I was happily surprised. It had an interesting story with lots of twists that kept me guessing the entire time and it was impossible to be bored. There were even a few crazy parts that made me jump which made it even more entertaining. While I don't want to give anything away one of the things that I liked about the movie was that it left open so much speculation that I didn't feel like it was over.

The Crazies {Rated R for bloody violence and language.}
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson.
About the inhabitants of a small Iowa town suddenly plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply.
A funny thing about the title of this movie, before I knew about this movie I would refer to people being crazy as 'crazies.' I would always get amused reactions out of that so I thought that it was a fairly original idea, haha but I guess not.
Like I always say, I'm not a fan of scary movies so going required some convincing. I will first admit that I did plug my ears and close my eyes at multiple parts to lessen the blow (and to get some sleep) so I didn't see 100% of it. I thought that the story was a little 'government conspiracy-ish' but still interesting. I jumped so many times that I needed about 30 min to completely calm down and relax.
So if you're looking for a scary, somewhat zombie, hack and slay movie... this would probably be right up your alley.

Alice in Wonderland in 3D {Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.}
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.
I liked it. Yes it was odd, but it's Tim Burton so I expected that.
I've heard that this hasn't been getting very good reviews and I think that I understand part of the reason... it's not a remake of the Disney cartoon. In this respect the critics are right, it isn't the same story. But it wasn't meant to be. This was meant to be a continuation of Alice's life, as a young adult where she makes a return journey to Wonderland. While there are similar characters and situations, the audience wasn't supposed to be expecting the 'same old thing.' With that in mind I thought it was an interesting stretch of the imagination. One of my favorite parts is:
The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?
[Alice checks Hatter's temperature]
Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.
NOTE:I have seen both the 2d and 3d versions and both are great. Having a few things pop out was nice with the sound and picture being clear and crisp I would recommend seeing it in 3d at least once.




As I was writing this I was trying to think of my favorite. But as always I really couldn't. Most of them had qualities that made them great and to choose one would be to say that I don't value their individual characteristics equally. I think that there is something for everyone in this list.

Hopefully I can keep up with my movie watching better :)
See ya at the movies!

December 2009 (week 4)

First things first...

I hope you all had a fun, family filled time!

I know I sure have!
That is exactly why I haven't seen a movie in quite some time (yes, a week is a long time for me haha)
Planning, preparing and attending 3 back to back Christmases is hard work! The only time I've even thought about movies is the 1 day I've been to work lately... Christmas day.
That was a little slice of insanity that I am quite grateful to only have experienced a few hours of.
This last week we had....


Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel {Rated PG for some mild rude humor.}
It's Complicated {Rated R for some drug content and sexuality.}


Nine {Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking.}
Sherlock Holmes {Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.}


Up in the Air {Rated R for language and some sexual content.}




BUT I did get a movie for Christmas!
One of my favorites (I am shocked to say that I did not already own this) ANCHORMAN! {Rated R in 2004 but has since been edited and re-rated PG13 for sexual humor, language and comic violence.}

*this is definitely not for the young ones

December 2009 (week 3) movie watching!

Classes and finals are finally over!
I don't even know how to begin telling you all how thrilled I am. Being bored is my ideal state. If it weren't for work and Christmas madness all I would do is sit around in my pj's or sleep.
This last week there were 5 movies that came to my area

The Road {Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language.}
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire {Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.}


The Hurt Locker {Rated R for war violence and language.}
Did You Hear About the Morgans? {Rated PG-13 for some sexual references and momentary violence.}


Avatar {Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.}




I started my weekend off by watching Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Rated PG-13 for some sexual references and momentary violence.
Directed by Marc Lawrence
Starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott, Mary Steenburgen
In New York City, an estranged couple who witness a murder are relocated to small-town Wyoming as part of a witness-protection program.
In general, I'm a fan of Hugh Grant and just about every movie he's in so it made this movie easy to watch. Other than that I don't really think there is a lot to say about this one. It was good but not great. Pretty funny during some parts but I thought the start was a little too slow. And although the marriage/relationship advice was interesting, I was disappointed that it wasn't better.

December 2009 (week 2) movie watching!

Ahhh! It's finals week insanity!
I shouldn't even have a blog this week... but I couldn't stay away haha.
There were 3 new movies and at least 2 limited releases... well at least that I know of

The Princess and the Frog {Rated G}

Invictus {Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.}
Larger Than Life in 3D: (Dave Matthews Band concert) {Rated PG for some mild language.}



BUT unfortunately... these are only limited releases.

Up in the Air {Rated R for language and some sexual content.}
The Lovely Bones {Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving disturbing violent content and images, and some language.}


**The advertisments lied!
But don't you worry, The Lovely Bones will available everywhere Christmas


Tonight a friend and I needed a feel good movie and ended up seeing Disney's The Princess and the Frog :)


The Princess and the Frog
Rated G
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos
A modern day retelling of the classic story The Frog Prince. The Princess and the Frog finds the lives of arrogant, carefree Prince Naveen and hardworking waitress Tiana crossing paths. Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by a conniving voodoo magician and Tiana, following suit, upon kissing the amphibian royalty. With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator, a Cajun firefly, and an old blind lady who lives in a boat in a tree, Naveen and Tiana must race to break the spell and fulfill their dreams.
Like most other people I went into this movie being a bit skeptical of a new princess movie. Although I may be a bit biased haha. To me, the best princess movies have already been made. (aka Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc)
But I thought it was pretty good. Cute, funny and full of Disney's trademark message of 'dreams can come true.' It encourages a good balance of hard work and fulfilling relationships with family and friends. And I don't really understand the whole scandal behind it but I really enjoyed it.
**For parents I think it's important to note that, "Some younger children may be frightened by the appearance of Dr. Facilier (Shadow Man) and his 'Friends from the Other Side," so I would take precautions when considering taking small children.

There are some pretty cute lines in the movie too.
"...women like a man with a big back porch"

December 2009 (week 1 continued) movie watching!

Last night I went with one of my best friends to see New Moon... must have been the only person who hasn't seen it (that wanted to) haha
Since neither of us wanted to go home afterwards we decided to switch gears completely and see...

Ninja Assassin!

Rated R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language.
Directed by James McTeigue
Starring Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Rick Yune
Ninja Assassin follows Raizo (Rain), one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.
In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

First and foremost, I do not recommend this movie if you are squeamish (like myself haha), there is a lot of blood!! It is sooo violent and nothing is left out.
But oh do I love a good ninja, martial arts movie!

The fight scenes were fantastic and just about every ninja skill was on display. It made me want to give up my boring life as a struggling student to move to Japan and find a dojo.
But beyond the well choreographed action sequences I thought it had a good storyline. History, government conspiracies, life lessons, Asian architecture with just enough room for a love story.

It was a good reminder that ninjas will always be better than pirates.

Haha yeah I went there!