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Reviews
StarStruck (2010)
Great Idea, Poor execution
I have to say that I do like the plot of this movie. I thought it was different, it certainly isn't something I've seen before. However, This is clearly a made for TV kids movie. The script is cheesy (normal for Disney, though) and poorly directed. They just don't make it seem real. That seems to be one of Disney's biggest problems lately, they make these movies that are supposed to be inspirational or lesson learning for kids, but they're too unrealistic. This follows suit in the Disney portfolio.
I think it's worth watching once or twice but it's no masterpiece. If you like Disney, you'll like Starstruck. Even if you don't like Disney, you might find it mildly enjoyable.
Ruby & the Rockits (2009)
Fun for the Family
This is a good little sitcom that can be entertaining and good for your whole family. It's got plenty of little jokes thrown throughout and is setup like your standard half hour comedy.
It does lack some development and in some ways may be better off as an hour long show, but the half hour does get the job done fairly well.
It's not very original, other than mixing up a few different plots such as cousin having a crush on a cousin, long lost daughter finds washed up rockstar dad, and has been brother fighting with rockstar. As I said above though, it is quite entertaining.
Sadly, if your looking for original, you'll be looking for a while.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Possibly the best one yet!
They pulled out all the stops for the latest installment of the Harry Potter series and you won't be disappointed with the end result. As a fan of the books and films, I was truly impressed with how The Half-Blood Prince turned out.
The nature of this Harry Potter is supposed to be dark and mysterious, which I admit it is in some places but it seems like they loaded this one with more humor than the rest. Sometimes subtle, other times just outright hilarious, I guarantee you will laugh. That's not to say there's no action though. There's plenty of that to go around. Not to mention the new romances that are a constant source of the humor.
The returning cast did wonderfully as well as the newcomers such as Jim Broadbent acting as Professor Slughorn. Broadbent really got into character and I believe he is exactly like Rowling describes in her books. Other newcomers Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback and Helen McCrory as Malfoy's Mom have smaller parts but portray their characters well for how much room they were given. One thing I have to say is I was surprised at Rupert Grint's level of acting in this one, I don't know if was just being held back or if he just improved that much but it's obvious he's going places.
The fans of the book series won't be disappointed either. They managed to stay very true to the book while keeping it a reasonable length and filling in all the information you need. But I daresay that if you've never read the books you may be surprised and saddened at the ending.
August Rush (2007)
A great movie that will carry you away in the magic
This is one of those rare movies that is not only a fantasy, because the likelihood of this ever happening is next to none, but a fantasy that will have you believing every second of every scene in this movie. You can easily get carried away in the superb music of this film and not realize it until it's over. I guarantee that if you have any sort of imagination, you will not be able to watch this movie only once.
I've already mentioned the superb music, but the acting is also something to mention. Freddie Highmore has you believing in his quest to find his family and his natural understanding of music. Meyers and Russell are excellently cast too, and his own music performances are deserving of awards.
If you have not seen this movie, then you are missing something that shouldn't be missed. The story and music will both give you chills throughout the movie as you experience the magic of the music.
Next (2007)
Good movie, but lacks development
While Next is an interesting story and not one I've really heard yet, it does lack some development. They should've spent some of their budget on making the film a little longer to develop the stories and characters a little more. Honestly, a 2 hour movie is not hard to sit through. A 90 minute movie that doesn't make sense is hard to sit through.
The story will take some time to understand, you may not understand it until the end but it is a good story, again it just lacks some development. Cage's character definitely lacks development as it is hard to understand how he does some of these things until after he does them. The relationship with Biel's character can be easily explained, however it is somewhat creepy if you know their age difference.
Overall this was an interesting and one I'll probably watch again as it kept my attention for most of the movie and was fairly entertaining. I give it a 7 because it just wasn't developed enough.
Knowing (2009)
Unexpectedly Great
This is one of those films that comes around every so often that truly is an original piece of work (to me, at least). The story of this movie was superb, even with the disappointing ending it had me on the edge of my seat wanting to see more but not wanting it to end. I'd give it a 10 if it weren't for the holes in the story at the end.
Nicolas Cage did excellent as one of the lead roles, he continues his excellent acting and I think this was a great film for him to do. Rose Byrne does a decent job portraying her character, though it's hard to tell because she isn't really a dynamic character but I didn't have any complaints about her. The kids do pretty well too, I think Lara does a great job portraying Lucinda as a kid and then as Abby. Chandler as Caleb does decent as well, but again, he's more of a static character.
This isn't like any of Cage's recent films, but I think this is a likable film for anyone who appreciates a good story. It's got some action mixed with clues and a lot of stuff in between.
Monsters vs Aliens (2009)
Great for kids 3 to 63
As the title states, this film is definitely suitable for all ages, and I don't mean kids. Along with the small corny jokes for the kids, there were plenty of other jokes hidden throughout the movie for the adults. The number of references to other movies was amazing, but it kept us laughing and didn't ruin it.
I couldn't even recognize Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach, I had to wait for the credits to figure out which character he was as I'm only familiar with his work on "House" but he definitely got into his character and nailed it on the head. Seth Rogen as Bob generated most of the laughs with his character and even Reese Witherspoon was believable and had you feeling sorry for Susan. Over all, the movie was well cast, and they did a bang up job.
As for the 3D, it was perhaps some of the best 3D I've seen. It wasn't in your face, things flying at you all the time. It was used subtly throughout most of the movie and generated a couple great moments as well. They did a bang up job using the 3D to compliment the movie instead of the other way around. You even forget it's in 3D sometimes, which is how it's supposed to work.
I went into Monsters vs Aliens expecting it to be a great kids film (I'm 18) and I left with a smile on my face because it was one of the funniest films of this year so far, and it was good clean humor. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who likes a laugh.
Fast & Furious (2009)
As good as the first
This is not the best movie ever made, but it definitely surpasses the second and third films in the series. It doesn't have as much action as far as racing as far as the first film goes but I believe they balanced the amount of action very well.
The storyline wasn't the best, but it kept me entertained through most of the movie. The appearance of Han is minimal but they do tie in this movie to "Tokyo Drift." I can guarantee that if you liked the first one, you will like this one as they are similar in the type of plot, just different stories.
I will definitely add this to my list of DVD's to get.