Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Proposal

Title: The Proposal
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Family
Running Time: 1 hour. 48 minutes
Release Date: June 19th, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG - 13

Review: I usually avoid most Rom-Coms like the plague, but under the influence of several torturous phenomenons (the sweltering summer heat, our home's lack of AC and sauna-esque construction, my brain boiling in my skull from heat stroke) I found myself in the very same cool, dark and wonderful movie theater, where this flick was showing. Surprising, I know.

Starting off, I was honestly positively surprised by 'The Proposal' - it was funny, likable, Sandra was charming, and Ryan Reynolds sported his signature "sad puppy dog face" in every scene he was in. Furthermore, the home where the majority of the movie takes place was absolutely mesmerizingly gorgeous (hey, what can I say, I'm a traditional girl with classic taste at heart). And kudos to Sandra's wardrobe people on a job well done.

However, it was not long until the movie started to derail with over the top, trying-to-hard-to-be-funny dumb shit, starting with Ganny's Native American camp fire dance, and it is down hill from there. Ms. White's raunchy-old-lady act, which I had heard was so hilarious in this film, felt tired, and more often than not, not at all funny. I started out kind of liking the film, but by the time it was over, I walked away hating it, which is kind of funny given the story line.

The movie is just as predictable as these things tend to be, but if the director would not have felt the need to add the lame shtick, it might have been a somewhat charming cookie cutter film of the genre. I would say skip this one, but then again, if you are normally in to this sort of thing, then it might not disappoint.

Grade: 4.5

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Title: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Brian Haley
Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Crime/Gangster and Remake
Running Time:
1 hour.35 minutes
Release Date:
June 12th, 2009
MPAA Rating:
R


Review: I first heard of this movie back in January, and the cast definitely had me excited; John Travolta, Denzel Washington and James Gandolifini in the same movie? Damn. It better be good. And the film is ok. The acting is superb, but that was expected. The story line is not as smart as it thinks it is, and it leaves the film predictable. 'Pelham' has enough substance to keep you focused on the screen, but the endge-of-the-seat tension that should be there, falls short. All in all, 'Pelham' turns out to be another popcorn action/remake that made for an entertaining Saturday morning at the movies, but memorable, it is not.

Grade: 6.5

Friday, June 5, 2009

The Hangover

Title: The Hangover
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha
Genres: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Adaptation and Sequel
Running Time: 1 hour.39 minutes
Release Date: June 5th, 2009
MPAA Rating: R


Review: 'The Hangover' has some really funny moments, it was even straight up hilarious at a few places, but that still does not make a great comedy. It was not as funny as its trailer lets on, and it was nowhere near as funny as the people who made this film though it was. But yeah, it had quite a few laughs, and it made for a very relaxing and decently entertaining Summer morning in the movie theater.

Grade: 7