(Movie Review) 21 Jump Street (2012)

Reboots. Remakes. Prequels. After a while you start to think that they are all going to be trash. Just look at the horrible movies that have come from those three words. Heck, look at the horrifying adaptation of The Three Stooges that will soon make its way to screens near you. It can get depressing thinking about it. So, the one thing that I do like is when studio executives decide to launch a retro-TV based movie and they change the tone of. I love to see a different perspective on something that is familiar to me. Sometimes it fails, but usually people enjoy the throwback imagery and comments that shed new light on a show that they once loved. I will say that 21 Jump Street has to be one of the most wildly different interpretations that I have seen come from a classic TV program. It is loud, crude, and, if I must admit this, very funny.

Storyline: High school is tough. No one knows that more than Schmidt (Hill). Schmidt spends his days being tormented by bullies like Jenko (Tatum). After high school Schmidt and Jenko enroll into the same Police Academy and quickly become friends. After graduating, and a failed drug bust attempt, Jenko and Schmidt are reassigned to an undercover task force to help bring down a drug distribution group at a local high school. While working undercover they discover that the rules of high school have somewhat changed and they have a difficult time trying to fit into their new roles. Will high school pit them against each other once again or will they work together to bring down the bad guys?

This movie had me hurting from laughing so hard. My wife spent the whole drive to the theater making comments about how she didn’t think that she would like it and the whole trip home I made her apologize to me. It’s not a comedy for everyone. Not at all. There is an enormous amount of foul language that is used in the movie. That is unfortunate. But the comedy from the movie doesn’t come from that. It comes from the interactions between Hill and Tatum and how well they work out their timing when on screen together.

Worth the admission? Absolutely. I had a feeling that the movie would be funny, but I had no idea that I would laugh as much as I did. The movie is solid and the comedy, from both actors, is spot on. Please remember that this movie is not for children or young teens, but adults will get a good laugh out of it.

Let me know what you thought of the movie

(TV REVIEW) Walking Dead: Season 2

Either shows have to add more episodes to their seasons of they have to stop being so good! Seriously, this is probably the best show on TV right now. It stays in my top 3 (along with Justified and Fringe). For those that do not know, this show follows a group of survivors after infection spreads throughout the world and causes the reanimation of the human body once they die. This group is trying to find a safe zone where they can live without the constant threat of zombies, but that pipe dream seems further and further away.

Season 2 finds our group stumbling upon a farm that has seen less destruction than most areas closer to the bigger city. When they settle in and start to make a home at the farm, they discover that all is not well on the property. Struggles within the group, walkers, and the constant need for supplies and protection keep this show fresh and addictive. Check out Season 2 when you can and you can watch Season 1 on netflix.

Honestly this is one of the better seasons of TV I have seen in a while. Betrayal from within the group, secrets that are being kept from the group by their new friends, the deaths of a lot of familiar faces, and the rise of one of the greatest heroes to ever kick an a**. No. I'm not talking about Rick....I'm talking about Darryl Dixon. :) Some people complained that the first half of the season didn't have enough zombies in it, but I think that the whole season is top notch. CHECK IT OUT!

(Movie Review) Tower Heist (2011)

It has been years since I have watched an Eddie Murphy movie and not immediately had the urge to vomit. So this movie was not something that I ever cared to watch. But a boring Friday night will make you do crazy things and renting this movie was proof of that.

Storyline: When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.- FROM IMDB

First I will give the bad news. This movie is completely unrealistic. The "caper" is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever watched unfold on a movie screen. Also, the only character that I LOVED in this movie was Mr. Fitzhugh (Broderick). Gabourey Sidibe lends her "talents" to this film as the most annoying character in the film. Not only that, but I beg someone to get this woman some help. Look at her. She looks like she is going to drop dead at any moment. Jennifer Hudson needs to talk her into joining Jenny Craig.

For the good news. I didn't HATE Murphy as much as I normally do. That is about it.

If you are looking for a completely mindless comedy that offers nothing really substantial, this might be a good movie for you. But if you are looking for something that is actually provides a good movie experience, please pass on this movie.

(Movie Review) Zombie Apocalypse (2011)

I normally don't mind it too much when I watch a bad movie as "background noise" to keep it from being to quiet in the house. That is until one comes along that is sooooooo bad that you can't help but sit down and watch how truly horrible the movie is. I DON'T understand how movies like this continue to get made. It is a mystery to me!

Storyline: Months after a zombie plague has wiped out 90 percent of the American population, a small group of survivors fight their way cross-country to a rumored refuge on the island of Catalina. - IMDB.COM

This movie is junk. Seriously. The special effects are horrible, the acting is horrible, the zombies are horrible, everything about this movie sucks. At one point, while Zombies are trying to break into a sports supply store to kill the human group, you can briefly see a car passing by (behind the zombies). WTF!? Apparently they couldn't have the street shut down to get the shot and had to film when they could. If THAT is the kind of movie you are making....stop.

(Movie Review) Going the Distance (2010)

I know this movie is a little bit older, and most people that are ever going to watch it have already done so, but I wanted to check it out since it was a movie that my wife wanted to watch a while back and we never got around to it. So, the moral of the story here is don't CRY about this being a 2 year old movie!

Storyline: Erin has just six more weeks as an intern at the New York Sentinel before she returns to San Francisco. That's fine with Garrett since he just got out of a relationship. But their relationship blossoms and it quickly becomes something that they can't just drop in six weeks. They admit to wanting to be boyfriend/girlfriend just on opposite coasts. The distance wears on them, as with their nay-saying friends and sister, and soon they are forced to either break up or come up with a solution that has them living in the same city. - FROM IMDB

Thoughts? I'm not much into RomCom movies, unless they are really heavy on the Comedy. This movie has some really funny spots in it. Charlie Day is, as always, funny as hell. Long and Barrymore not only look great as a couple but their styles of comedy work well together. I figured that this would be 100% geared towards my wife, but it really ended up being a "guy's comedy". In the end, I would say to check it out. Watch it on netflix.

(Movie Review) J. Edgar (2011)

I started this movie and was going to use it as background noise while I was doing something else. Within 5 minutes I was stuck on it and dropped everything else that I was working on. I really enjoyed this movie and thought that it was well acted. Some people are crying about how the "love story" made them uncomfortable, but to those people I will politely say "get over yourself". Honestly, this is a solid movie and if people allow a little thing like that to throw them off, they should stop watching movies.

Storyline: As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover (DiCaprio)  was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. - from IMDB.com

This movie, at its core, is a love story. It is a story about a man in love with his Country, his Job, and with a man. This is the problem for most folks. They either had no idea what Hoover was alleged to be involved in or they figured that this movie would not touch on that subject. Either way, it is time for people to stop using that " eeeewww. He's gay" as a crutch for why they don't like a movie and start judging the film on its merits. I bet you good money that if the love story would have been between Hoover and a woman the film would have a better score on IMDB. Every complaint I have seen has been "made the audience feel uncomfortable". Come on!

I'm not going to get on a soap box and tell anyone how they should feel, act, or believe, but I will say my peace and not touch on this subject again. This is a cruel and lonely world. There are things in this world that are UGLY and mean and they make it hard for you to get out of bed to face them. People should find happiness where they can. If this story is 100% factual or not, I haven't a clue, but if Tolson brought Hoover 1/100th of the happiness that my wife has brought me over the years....that should be enough to quiet all of those that the movie made "uncomfortable". It's 2012, folks. Act like it.

So, was the movie the best ever made. No. But was it worth renting and watching. Sure was. Check it out.

(Movie Review) Footloose (2011)

I'm a remake hater (most of the time). I don't mean to be, but sometimes it just turns out that way. They try to update a classic by making it modern and sexy. Usually by adding Godawful special effects and stripping away the parts of a classic that make it classic. That, however, was not the case with this movie (in my very humble opinion). They do update some of the music, and some of the story to mesh better with the times, but for the most part this is just a (DARE I SAY IT) better version of the original. I was never a huge fan of the original. Kevin Bacon, even then, looked like an old man and it was hard for me to think of him as a teen. So I could never really get in to it. This seems to fit the idea a lot better. This guy looks the part of a high school student.

Storyline: City kid Ren MacCormack (Wormald) moves to a small town where rock 'n' roll and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.- from IMDB.com

I have to mention this. The dancing is SOOOOOOOO much better in this movie than in the original. I mean, seriously. Willard (Penn) in the original could hang with the Willard (Teller) from the remake. No way. I will say that this movie is lacking in a lot of areas, don't get me wrong, especially in the bus race scene that pits 4 buses (that may reach 10 miles an hour) against each other. That was just stupid.

I guess the reason that I liked it was because it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I figured that it would be like Step Up meets Larry the Cable Guy, but it wasn't. Overall, I would probably give it a "C". So check it out.

(Movie Review) Puss in Boots

There is no doubt that by the end of the last Shrek, whatever number that was in the long list of CRAP with Mike Myers name on it, that the franchise had gotten very stale and very boring. The jokes were old, the gimmicks were old, and the characters were....OLD. So, I didn't have much faith in Puss in Boots when it came to the local theater. Since I usually only watch one movie per week, I skipped it. Little did I know that this installment to the Shrek-Verse would far surpass most, if not ALL, of the original Shrek films.

Storyline: Years before meeting Shrek and Donkey, the adorable but tricky Puss in Boots must clear his name from all charges making him a wanted fugitive. While trying to steal magic beans from the infamous criminals Jack and Jill, the hero crosses paths with his female match, Kitty Softpaws, who leads Puss to his old friend, but now enemy, Humpty Dumpty. Memories of friendship and betrayal enlarges Puss' doubt, but he eventually agrees to help the egg get the magic beans. Together, the three plan to steal the beans, get to the Giant's castle, nab the golden goose, and clear Puss' name.FROM IMDB.COM

Thoughts? The movie is fresh, funny, and the jokes land. I laughed out loud a few times in the film and really enjoyed it. A great example of new life being pumped back in to a dying franchise. I just hope American Reunion can pull this off with the American Pie franchise this year.

(Movie Review) Jack and Jill (2011)

Have you ever tested the limits of milk? You know. That expiration date is not ALWAYS 100% correct....so why not push your luck a bit? Why not at least TRY it once, just to see if it really has soured? That is the BEST example of Adam Sandler's career I can think of. I have watched him go from first day on the shelf (Billy Madison) to WAAAAAY past his prime (Just Go With It) but never I have watched 10 minutes of one of his movies and turned it off....until now. This is one sip that I never should have taken, because that milk has gone bad.

Storyline: Family guy Jack Sadelstein prepares for the annual event he dreads: the Thanksgiving visit of his twin sister, the needy and passive-aggressive Jill, who then refuses to leave.- from IMDB.com

Since I did not watch this past the first stupid joke, I will let OTHER reviewers tell you how bad it sucks.

Below you will find LOTS of reviews that had the guts to suffer through the whole movie.
 http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jack_and_jill_2011/

(Movie Review) Silent House (2012)

Silent House fails to deliver on scares and leaves the audience silent with boredom

Sometimes I wonder what it is like for a Penguin. Technically the Penguin is part of the bird family and shares a kinship with such other majestic birds as Eagles, Hawks and Falcons. However, one of the major differences between them all is that the Penguin is not capable of flight. It is one of the best examples of a subgroup that is inferior to the majority of its group because of its inability to complete the most basic task that the group is most widely known/appreciated for. It’s pretty sad. If movies were birds, Silent House would be the Penguin. It is inferior to almost every other horror movie that I have ever watched and fails on the most basic levels that other films in its genre would consider the building blocks of a horror/suspense film. At least, when it comes to my analogy, Penguins are cute.

Storyline: Brothers John (Trese) and Peter (Stevens) are trying to get the old family lake house renovated and ready to put on the market. Sarah (Olsen), daughter to John, is helping with the project. When Sarah, while working alone in a room, hears a strange noise in the house she goes to find her dad to see what is going on. She is unable to find her Uncle or Dad and, because there is no electricity in the house, is unable to call the police. Sarah must find a way to make it to safety and locate her family, but when old memories begin to surface Sarah begins to learn what is “real” and why the events are happening.

Worth the admission? Never! Not even if it was “buy one, get one free” night. This is one of the only movies that I have ever considered walking out of. It is just a colossal failure on all fronts and really should not have been released to theaters. The dialog and performances from Trese and Stevens are so wooden and stale you would have thought that you were watching the next movie in the Twilight Saga. The only thing about the movie that was watchable was the performance from Olsen. I think that she will do well in Hollywood and, given a good story, could make a real contribution.

I would also like to beg Hollywood to PLEASE stop making every movie with that “shaky cam” feel. It works really well for some movies but for this movie it just made everything hard to see and almost made me nauseated with all of the rapid movements and constant refocusing.

If you saw this “film” and found it to be anything less than horrible, please let me know .

(Movie Review) The Rum Diary (2011)

You go into a movie with Johnny Depp in it expecting to be WOWed by Johnny Depp....and then you realize that Giovanni Ribisi is in it and you stop looking foward to seeing the Depp parts. The best way to describe Ribisi as an actor is that if you saw Brad Pitt juggling a stack of knives, Giovanni Ribisi is the guy that would take them, set then on fire, and juggle them blindfolded. He is that good, and that much better than most of the "stars" of the films that he is in.

Storyline: American journalist Paul Kemp (Depp_ takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there. - From IMDB

Thoughts: Everyone in great in the film. Depp is his normal level of awesome, Eckhart is entertaining and loathsome all at the same time, but Ribisi is, hands down, the best performer in the film. What the man can do with a character is amazing. You should check this movie out....if just to see him let go a bit.

(Movie Review) Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star (2011)

Wow. Sometimes a movie is just stupid. Not "stupid/funny", just stupid. This movie is JUST STUPID.

Storyline: A kid from the Midwest moves out to Hollywood in order to follow in his parents footsteps -- and become a porn star.- FROM IMDB

Thoughts: The movie had one or two spots that made me laugh, but for the most part it was just boring and dumb. I will give a shout out to Don Johnson (playing Miles Deep). He was awesome in the role and I actually liked him a lot in the movie. Another shout out to Christina Ricci, who could melt a stick of butter just by looking at it. Other than those two points, the movie was junk.

Skip it!

(Movie Review) Tucker and Dale VS EVIL (2010)

There is little in life that Alan Tudyk can't do. I once heard that a single tear drop from his eye cured an orphan puppy of polio. He has mastered every role out there. Psycho Killer, Spaceship Pilot, Pirate, Cowboy Doc, and finally, Hillbilly Being Attacked By Rich Kids. You are a God among men, Mr. Tudyk.
Storyline: Two lovable West Virginian hillbillies, are headed to their "fixer-upper" vacation cabin to drink some beer, do some fishin', and have a good time. But when they run into a group of preppy college kids who assume from their looks that they must be in-bred, chainsaw wielding killers, Tucker (Tudyk) & Dale's (Labine) vacation takes a bloody & hilarious turn for the worse.Written by IMDB

Thoughts? The movie was really funny. I didn't really know the concept being the film when I went into it, but loved that it was the telling of every scary movie out there from the perspective of the misunderstood hillbilly. Find it on netflix.

(Movie Review) Good Deeds

There are some things that you never expect to see. Diet food that is made completely out of chocolate, a low calorie beer that doesn’t taste like old dish water, and that  Snooki went to MIT are just a few examples of things that I wouldn’t expect the ever see or say. Something else that could be added to that list is that I would ever like a Tyler Perry movie. As I have said in the past, I have tremendous respect for him as a “brand”, but I also think that Perry does a lot of harm to his own community by making movies that not only reinforce negative racial stereotypes, but he also manages to glorify them in some cases. So, my track record with liking his movies has not been favorable. Needless to say I was shocked with how much I liked this recent movie and enjoyed it from start to finish.

Storyline: Wesley Deeds (Perry) is a business man that has been running an electronics empire that his father worked his whole life to build. Weighed down by his brother, Walter (White), an overbearing mother (Rashad) and a distant fiancé (Union), Wesley feels like his life is on autopilot. When he befriends a cleaning lady in the building named Lindsey (Newton), who is having a rough time in life while trying to provide for her daughter, he begins to see his life in a new perspective. Will the people in his life support his changes or will they try to keep him down as they have in the past?

If I had one complaint about this movie it would be that the life of Lindsey Wakefield falls apart all at the same time a little too conveniently. Sure, it is possible that someone’s life falls into utter chaos all at once, but the likelihood of all of these events that go wrong happening within a day or so of each other is completely illogical. Other than that, I really have no complaints about this movie at all!

Worth the admission? I can’t believe that I am saying this, but YES. Newton, Perry and Rashad turn in wonderful performances and the rest of the cast is very good as well. I think that it is nice to see that Perry actually has some acting chops and doesn’t have to rely on a “fat suit” and wig to make a movie.

Note: Even though this is one of the better movies that I have seen from Perry, I expect it to perform much worse than his usual films. The movie doesn’t have the normal outrageous characters that will appease his mass audience and many people, like me, find his films/tv shows so off-putting that they will avoid this at the box office. What a shame. This film actually deserves some praise.

Let me know what you thought of it