Movie #435 ........................."Eagle Eye"

Movie #435 "Eagle Eye" - this film poses the question: does a movie ever have too many car chases? And the answer after seeing this one is a resounding "Yes, Yes, Yes!" Okay, the first 30 minutes are pretty good ---- hooked me in the opening, but then there's once car chases after another, after another, and then it just gets silly! I started doing something else WHILE watching, and about an hour into the film, I knew why the girl was going through all the stuff the phone voice was telling her, but I totally forgot (or was never told? might have missed it) why HE was running ---- He tried stopping several times, why didn't he just DO that! and save the viewers the time they spent watching this movie to the end --------the last scene has some nice tension, but then it did in the original it is stealing from (the high point in the Man Who Knew Too Much!) It got so silly that when Shia is beating up the sergeant of arms of the Capitol building so that he could don his uniform and save the president, I wondered why he didn't just ask the guy to do it instead, since he was better trained to do it ---- oops, that's a rational idea and so therefore doesn't belong in a film that strings one car chase after another, never allowing the viewer or the actors to stop and ask questions and think -- because thinking would only end the movie sooner! Not my kind of movie, but I'm sure exciting for some people -----rottentomatoes gave it 27 percent, and viewers 72 percent. I rest my case.






I gave it 3 stars
Eagle Eye
(2008) PG-13
Returning home to grieve after the shocking death of his overachieving twin brother, an aimless slacker named Jerry (Shia LaBeouf) finds himself inexplicably linked to a notorious terrorist cell and hotly pursued by federal authorities. With the nation's law enforcement agencies hunting them down, Jerry and single mother Rachel (Michelle Monaghan) -- who's also been framed -- must work around the clock to clear their names.
Genre: Action Thrillers, Suspense
This movie is: Exciting, Suspenseful
Format: DVD and Blu-ray

Movie #434 ........................."Case 39"

Movie #434 "Case 39" is the type of movie I don't usually watch, but I was kind of curious to see the movie that sparked the relationship between Brad Cooper and Renee Zellweger, and with the two of them in the film, I thought it would make it an edge above the others in this genre, and I think it did ---------at least I stuck with it longer than I normally would, when one of the characters is supposedly to be a demon who can break down doors, and do all kind of other disturbing things. Anyway, the acting was good and probably the only thing believable in this flick. When the attack of the hornets came out, I wanted out, but I made it to the bitter end. And I must say, the ending could have been more satisfying and rewarding to the viewer that made it through. And just a post note that Cooper and Zellweger just broke up ----here's hoping that my watching this had nothing to do with the break up!




I gave it 3 stars
Case 39
(2009) R
To save 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) from her abusive parents, idealistic social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) welcomes the girl into her own home -- only to discover that Lillith isn't quite the innocent victim that she claims to be. As Lillith's mysterious past comes to light, Emily finds herself in a world of danger. Christian Alvart's terrifying thriller also stars Ian McShane and Bradley Cooper.
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
This movie is: Dark, Suspenseful, Scary
Format: DVD and Blu-ray

Movie #433 ........................."Taken"

Movie #433 "Taken" is a good, solid thriller. It's kind of a reverse "Eye of the Needle" in that it's the father, not the mother, who is fighting for his daughter ---- he would do anything to get her safe and back home. It's unusual to see Liam Neeson in such a James Bond type role (shooting, killing people masterfully, driving fast cars, etc.) and it suits him ---- and it shows that you can't dismiss someone who has been retired from a job he could do well --- that he still has it in him to make an effect on the world (in this case, the bad guys), so I recommend this action thriller. Never looked at my watch through it!






I gave it 4 stars
Taken
(2008) PG-13
While vacationing with a friend in Paris, an American girl (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped by a gang of human traffickers intent on selling her into forced prostitution. Working against the clock, her ex-spy father (Liam Neeson) must pull out all the stops to save her. But with his best years possibly behind him, the job may be more than he can handle. Famke Janssen also stars in this relentless action-thriller from director Pierre Morel.
Genre: Action Thrillers, Crime Action, Suspense
This movie is: Violent, Exciting, Suspenseful
Format: DVD and Blu-ray

Movie #432 ........................."Limitless"

Movie #432 "Limitless" was a real treat to watch --- I loved the premise, the moving camera, the creative shots (like numbers in the ceiling), the acting --- Brad Cooper finally got a good part! and even bloody violent scenes had humor in them. This is smart and its philosophy is "up with smartness" and at what cost? The only reason I didn't give it a 5 out of 5 is because there are just a couple of things that don't hang really well in the script ----- but it probably isn't noticeable, really. I really, really liked this one. Made me want to read the original story it is based on, it's just that good of an idea! And Robert DeNiro was just the whip cream and cherry on the top of the sundae for me! I'll quite now because I have more things to say; in fact, the praise might even be "limitless" ---- sorry for the pun.




I gave it 4 stars
Limitless
(2011) PG-13
With his writing career tanking and his girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) casting him off, ex-druggie Eddie Morra's (Bradley Cooper) fortunes finally turn around when he's given a mysterious drug that provides astonishing mental powers -- but its deadly side effects threaten his sanity. Adding to Eddie's misery are shadowy businessman Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), who wants to exploit his new genius, and the other users willing to kill for his stash.
Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Crime Thrillers
Format: DVD and Blu-ray availability date unknown

Movie #431 ........................."Love Happens"

Movie #431 "Love Happens" is not correctly titled --- this title suggests a romantic comedy, but this isn't romantic or a comedy. This film is really about working through grief ---- one man's journey to come to grips with his wife's death, a man who needs to do this so he can continue to help others through their grief. I liked this ---- I think the critics were quick to discount it because it has Jennifer Anniston and it wasn't funny ------ it doesn't have to be. And she isn't in a lot of scenes ---- it's really Eckhart's film, strongly supported by Martin Sheen in a few scenes, as his dead wife's father who is also struggling through his grief. Eckhart meets this whimsical florist (anniston) who improves her vocabulary by learning a big word a day and writing that word behind pictures in the motel Eckhart is staying in. It becomes a standing joke in the movie, and perhaps a word like LUGUBRIOUS might be a better title ---- because it is about mourning, and how one man deals with it. Okay, as far as a serious movie, I did find it satisfying to watch this man grow free of the grief he has been experiencing, and free enough to maybe start on another relationship. I liked the film for that --- it took its time because it DOES take time, and I thought that was edgy about it -Good for these actors to take a chance on a script that takes its time! They probably knew it would be panned, but they did it anyway. Now that's what is called a lost cause , right, Atticus Finch?




I gave it 3 stars.
Love Happens
Traveling; Brand New Day
(2009) PG-13
Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston star in this romantic tale about life, loss and love. When widower and self-help guru Burke Ryan (Eckhart) unexpectedly falls for Eloise (Aniston), his latent grief threatens his chance at romance. Now, the best-selling author and expert on coping with loss must prove he's his own best teacher or risk losing love again. Martin Sheen, Judy Greer and Frances Conroy also star.
Genre: Romantic Dramas, Tearjerkers
This movie is: Emotional, Sentimental, Romantic

Movie #430........................."Life As We Know IT"

Movie #430 "Life As We Know IT" is an interesting premise, unbelievable and silly, but it works some of the time. She works harder in the movie than he does, and even though he is good looking , he doesn't succeed at being endearing through most of this --- he's such an ass in the opening, it's tough to forgive him ---- where does he get the heart over night? Why would she give up Josh Lucas for Josh Duhamel? That's a big question for me, and he had trouble convincing me. There's a lot left out, like how they dealt with the every day, day in and day out stuff with a baby. So overall, the movie has faults, and I'd only recommend it to you if you would choose Duhamel over Lucas. If not, don't bother.




I give it 3.5 stars
Life as We Know It
(2010) PG-13
Caterer Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) and network sports director Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) discover a reciprocal hatred during an ill-fated first date -- but are forced to put their feelings aside when their mutual friends die and they become the guardians for orphaned Sophie. Now, Holly and Eric must learn to live with each other and juggle their promising careers while taking care of the little girl in this romantic comedy.
Genre: Romantic Comedies
This movie is: Emotional, Sentimental, Romantic
Format: DVD and Blu-ray

Movie #429 ........................" The Next Three Days"

Movie #429 "The Next Three Days" was a little bit better than I thought it was going to be from the trailer, which I thought showed it all. Here are the positives: The cast (minus the kid) are all really good; the story has variations in it enough to keep you watching once it gets going --- so even though you feel you have seen this before, it's just that much different; there are some really good scenes (esp. between Crowe and Banks (usually in comedy) when they are in the lowest of times). Now the negatives? The film is toooooo dark and therefore hard to follow, esp. at first. The script could be better --- not much is said in a lot of scenes and I realize that NOt telling us his plan results in us being surprised, but they just don't tell us enough in some scenes ---- thank god I was watching this with Tammy (an alum) so that we could talk to each other in the quiet spots and put our heads together as to what he was doing ---- it takes a long time to really care about any of these people, and there is little characterization of the police force who occupy a lot of screen time. All that aside, by the end of it, we ended up liking it and appreciating what it was trying to do ---- to make us think along the way! But I'd only recommend it to you if you are willing to do that (and I DO suggest watching this with someone else).




I rate this movie 3.7
Our best guess for DONNA: 3.7 stars
Average of 53,913 ratings: 3.7 stars
The Next Three Days
2010 PG-13 133 minutes
When his wife (Elizabeth Banks) is sent to jail on murder charges she fervidly denies, college professor John Brennan (Russell Crowe) comes up with a plan to break her out by meticulously plotting the ultimate escape -- despite the fact that he's never committed a crime in his life. Writer-producer Paul Haggis (Crash) also directs this remake of the French film Pour Elle by Fred Cavayé. Liam Neeson and Brian Dennehy co-star.

Cast:Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Ty Simpkins, Olivia Wilde, Lennie James, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, Helen Carey, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds, Allan Steele, RZA, Daniel Stern Director:Paul Haggis Genres:Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Suspense, Crime Dramas, Blu-ray, Lionsgate Home Entertainment This movie is:Exciting, Suspenseful Format:DVD and Blu-ray